Top 50 Albums of the 2000's #1-10

#10 The Minstrel Show - Little Brother (2005)

BET has been propagating ignorant shit for quite a while now, but it wasn't until the release of this album that they openly admitted it.  They famously refused to play the first single "Lovin It" because they deemed it "too intelligent"  to be shown on BET.  It's unfortunate that this album got embroiled in so much controversy (there was another incident with Source) because it's a fantastic album.  The skits never get old, the production is outstanding, even the tracks that aren't particularly good are at least worth a chuckle.  This is an album that is just plain fun to listen to.  I love the variety show concept, too; even if the tracks don't exactly adhere to it strictly.

#9 Game Theory - The Roots (2006)

The Roots sound notably more aggressive and focused here than they had on their previous handful of releases.  Whereas Phrenology, at times, felt like just experimentation for the sake of experimentation, Game Theory is concise and direct.  Honestly, with the energy The Roots brought to the table, this record could have been completely empty of substance and I'd still probably love it.  Quite the contrary, though.  This arguably the most serious Roots album to date, taking on topics like violence in the media and the Iraq war as well as issues within the music industry and black community of which The Roots are a part.

#8 Be - Common (2005)

If there has ever been a better example of quality over quantity than Be, I haven't heard it (other than the obvious one...).  It comes in at just 11 tracks and a shade over 40 minutes, but there isn't a skippable moment throughout the entire thing.  It feels like a coming of age of sorts for Common.  He'd crossed into his 30s, he had just joined up with GOOD Music and he was coming off of the lukewarm Electric Circus.  I think Com stepped a little too far out of his comfort zone with Electric Circus and Be marks him getting back into his own skin and feeling comfortable there.

#7 The College Dropout - Kanye West (2004)

The thing that makes this album so great is how relatable the content is.  Kanye doesn't try to act like he's hard, he doesn't try to act like he's better than you, he's just rapping about average, lower-middle class problems.  While he still manages to pull some pretty big features, this isn't Kanye the super-star egomaniac, yet.  This Kanye is still very human  He's got a job in the mall, his teachers are questioning his life choices... he still has people around him that tell him "no" every once in a while.  At the same time, it still carries Kanye's signature top-shelf production and technically average rapping.

#6 Madvillainy - Madvillain (2004)

At the time of this release, Madlib and MF DOOM were arguably the most prominent producer and MC in the underground scene, and yes, it is as blunted out as you would expect from these two.  It's one of those album that you're either going to get and love, or absolutely miss the point and despise.  A quick glance at the Metacritic page shows the most common user rating is 10.  The second most common? 0.  You'll either applaud Madlib's crate digging and DOOM's free-form verses, or find them mind-numbingly boring and self indulgent.

#5 Supreme Clientele - Ghostface Killah (2000)

While most of the Wu was going through a slump, Ghostface was doing exactly what he does best; be consistently top notch.  In 2000, Wu's old sound was starting to feel a little played, and Ghost took the responsibility of updating it for the new millennium.  Ghost's wordplay has never been better,and that's saying something.  It's got all the Ghostism's (a word I just made up for words/phrases that Ghostface makes up) that that any listener could ever want.  Just to show that this is still a Wu album, though, there is an excessive amount of time dedicated to skits.  I guess some things never change.

#4 Blazing Arrow - Blackalicious (2002)

The quintessential Summer album, it's jazzy, upbeat and, above all else, fun.  Gift of Gab is a gymnast on the mic, effortlessly switching between flows, without ever sacrificing an internal rhyme to do so.  Gab steals the show here, for sure, but Chief Xcel holds up his end of the album, as well.  Features by Hi-Tek, ?uestlove and Cut Chemist ensure that this is an album that has a ton of replay value, and the multitude of producers don't cripple the cohesiveness of the album in the slightest.

#3 The Cold Vein - Cannibal Ox (2001)

I could see this pick stirring up a little controversy.  It doesn't seem like there is much of a middle ground with Cannibal Ox, you either love them or absolutely hate them.  Obviously, I'm a member of the former group.  The lyrics are abstract to the point of borderline incoherence, at times; if you try to break the songs down line by line, you'll drive yourself insane.  After several listens, the message begins to clarify itself,  and this is one the most vivid, personal, passionate portraits of urban poverty ever created.  El-P has yet to surpass the beats he created for this album, as well.  The dark, ominous production serves as a perfect backdrop to Vaste and Vordul's rhymes, ensuring their isn't an ounce of hope to be felt anywhere near The Cold Vein.

#2 Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030 (2000)

Anybody who knows me predominantly as Banjo, knows that this is my all time favorite hip-hop album.  It's a concept album about a distant future in which our protagonist, Deltron Zero, is a rogue hacker/mech warrior/rap battler and it follows his adventures on his way to the Intergalactic Rap Battle Competition. Along the way he has to avoid the forces of the evil Big Brother oligarchy that rules the year 3030.  Dan, The Automator's production suits Del tha Funkee Homosapien's delivery perfectly.  His haunting, futuristic beats combined with Del's propensity to draw out vowel sounds give the whole album a feeling like it's coming from a very distant place.  Well... that and all the robots, aliens and magic.  Beneath it all is a fair amount of social commentary, though.  Specifically in regards to the nature of government, race relations and corporate greed.

#1 Like Water for Chocolate - Common (2000)

And here we are, the best hip-hop album to be released from 2000-2009.  I honestly, don't even really know where to start here.  How Common isn't universally hailed as a top 10 MC dead or alive is completely baffling to me and Like Water for Chocolate shows why he deserves that spot better than any of his other albums, which is impressive, considering he has arguably the best discography in hip-hop.  Within this one album, Com shows that he can story tell with the best of em, has the ability to use all the multi's and internal rhymes that all you technical rap fans out there love so much, as well as put more soul and emotion into his tracks than pretty much anybody else in the game.  Not to mention, some of these tracks are damn catchy.  He even managed to pull off that rare feat of having an actually funny skit in a rap album (with MC Lyte's help).  Besides Common's overall flawlessness on here, J. Dilla and ?uestlove did a fantastic job producing a well constructed, cohesive album.  Only one track stands out as not really fitting the mold, but considering it's my favorite track DJ Premier has ever produced, I'm willing to let is slide.  The most common criticism I hear about this album is that it is boring.  Seriously, if you find this album boring, you're not actually listening.

Feel free to gripe at me in the comment section if you disagree with any of my choices for this list, or any of my commentaries on the albums.  If you want to rain praises on me, I guess that's alright, too.  Got an album or two that you think deserved a spot, but didn't get mentioned?  Let me know, there are far, far more than 50 great albums from this era, and I'm not going to try and act like I've heard all of them.  Hopefully, I helped some of you find some good albums that you hadn't heard before.

Top 50 Albums of the 2000's: Albums That Didn't Quite Make It

Before I reveal the top 10, I'd like to acknowledge some of the other great albums from this era, that could have very easily found a spot in the top 50, but fell just short and why I elected not to include them. (These aren't in any particular order)

Take Me to Your Leader - King Gheedora (2003) / Vaudeville Villain - Viktor Vaughn (2003)

Both of these are MF DOOM alter-egos and honestly, the biggest thing holding both of them back was that I already had several DOOM projects on the list.  These two got left off, as opposed to The Mouse and Mask or MM..Food mostly due to production.   This is especially true for Villain.

The Hunt For the Gingerbread Man (2007) / Scars & Memories (2005) / The Downfall of Ibylis: A Ghetto Opera (2002) - MF Grimm

All of these were on the list in earlier drafts at different points, and they all ended up off mostly because of my inability to choose between them.  Gingerbread Man has one of my favorite concepts ever, and Scars & Memories is one of the most personal albums you'll ever hear.

You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having - Atmosphere (2006) / Movies for the Blind - Cage (2002)

These fell off as a result of having another album by their respective artists appearing in the 40-50 range.  Rather than clog up the bottom of the list with multiple albums from the same rappers, I decided to give a bit more variety.  AKA, me trying to please everybody.

Desire - Pharoahe Monch (2007)

I'll be honest, I just forgot this one until I was already well into posting the final list.  I deserves a spot (probably in the mid-late 30's) and I feel bad for leaving it off.

The Lost Tapes - Nas (2002)

This is my favorite Nas release aside from Illmatic, but the fact that it's tracks that got left on the floor from his old (pre-00's) albums and the fact that it's not actually an album kept me from putting it on the list.  It would have definitely gotten a top 10 spot, had I included it.

Evolution Fight - CYNE (2005)

This album is a personal favorite of mine and was one of the last ones cut from the final draft.  The rapping is not outstanding and the production can't quite cover enough ground to make the top 50 push (like it did for Fantastic Vol 2).  This was also a casualty of me trying to bring a bit more variety to the list, other than having it be all soft, alternative type stuff.

Fantastic Damage - El-P (2002)

This was on several early drafts of the list, but ultimately got left off because, at the time I was making the final draft, I hadn't heard it in ages and didn't have it on my iPod anymore, so I didn't feel comfortable ranking it.  Def Jux got plenty of representation on the final list, regardless.

Accepted Eclectic - Aceyalone (2001)

Had this been a bit more cohesive album, it might have made the top 20 on the back of Acey's technical abilites.  Acey's rhymes are on point, but it feels more like  just a collection of songs than an actual album.  The production is pretty uninteresting, too.

Demon Days - Gorillaz (2005) / Gorillaz - Gorillaz (2001)

It probably would have been Demon Dayz that I included, had I decided to include a Gorillaz album.  They're both great albums, but kind of fall in the gray area between hip-hop and rock, so I didn't feel it would be appropriate to include them on a list of hip-hop albums.

Stankonia - OutKast (2000)

It has a few all time great hip-hop tracks, but it's too marred in inconsistency.  A lot of this album feels like filler, unfortunate considering it's 23 tracks.  If this had been cut down to like 15 tracks, it would have definitely had a place on the list.  Probably a top 20 place.

Typical Cats - Typical Cats (2001)

Qwel is a guy that could have had several albums appear in the 35-50 range.  The first Typical Cats album is my personal favorite project he's been a part of.  Bland production held it off the final list, but Qwel goes HAM on this and puts on a clinic for punchline rappers.

There are plenty more that could have made the final list (I almost just decided to make it a top 100, instead), but those are a few that were cut within the last couple drafts of the final list, just to give you all a little insight into my thought process while I was compiling this.  All of them are great albums, despite my criticisms and are definitely worth a spin or two if you haven't heard them.

Top 50 Hip-Hop Albums of the 2000's #11-20

#20 Food & Liquor - Lupe Fiasco (2006)

Lupe's debut was more anticipated than any in recent memory, he was supposed to be hip-hop's savior, the guy that finally crossed technical ability with widespread appeal.  He never really lived up to the hype, but he came damn close here.  He's witty, clever and hungry on this album and he's clearly aware of the hype that was surrounding him.  Excruciatingly bland hooks kept this album from being as successful as it could have been.

#19 Below the Heavens - Blu and Exile (2007)

Blu and Exile are a perfect example of two artists that know how to bring out the best in each other.  Exile's beats serve as a perfect backdrop to Blu's intensely personal rhymes and Blu's delivery in no way is overbearing, which allows Exile's beats to shine.  As such, it's an album that functions well for both easy listening and holds up just as well to the more scrutinizing ear.

#18 The Listening - Little Brother (2003)

9th Wonder in his prime was one of the best producers in hip-hop.  He can chop soul samples with the best of them and has a great ear for drums.  The production really makes this album, but Phonte and Big Pooh aren't slouches either.  They're not going to revolutionize the rap game by any means, but they both bring wit and fun to the table, which is more than you can say for a lot of MCs.

#17 Disposable Arts - Masta Ace (2001)

This was Masta Ace's comeback album after a fairly long hiatus and it's absolutely dripping with frustration for the direction hip-hop had gone since his last release.  This is a double edged sword.  Ace sounds more inspired on this record than in any of his previous efforts, but at the same time, he tends to harp on that one topic too much, and it takes away from the concept this album was supposed to have.  Regardless of how well he adhered to his concept, Ace's rhymes were on point cover to cover and the beats are serviceable.

#16 Phrenology - The Roots (2002)

This album catches a little flack for trying to pander too hard to a broader fan base because of the stark variety in the sound of a lot of the tracks.  I can't really argue with that; it's an album lacking cohesion, for sure.  Instead of looking at it as pandering to the masses, I prefer to look at it as The Roots simply showing off their diversity.  Black Thought gets plenty of opportunity to shine, but really it's the band's album.  They got to show off their skills in a way that they hadn't in any of the Root's previous releases and the result is a mish-mash of rock, hip-hop and neo-soul.

#15 Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt 2 - Raekwon (2009)

Is it as good as the original?  No, but sequels rarely are, and that doesn't stop it from being Raekwon's second best album by a wide margin.  It picks up right where Rae and Papa Wu left off in the original.  If someone were to tell me that this is the best Wu album since the first Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, I wouldn't put up much of an argument.  It's truly a great throwback to their mid-90s glory years.  Could've used more Ghost, though.  Although, really, what album couldn't use more Ghost?

#14 Late Registration - Kanye West (2005)

Kanye did exactly what needs to be done in a sophomore followup to a successful debut; take what worked and build upon it.  The production is more grandiose, the features are bigger, the themes are similar.  Really, the only thing that holds it from surpassing it's predecessor (foreshadowing!?!?!) is Kanye's ego.  He's not nearly as likable and relateable as he was on his debut.

#13 Stillmatic - Nas (2001)

For whatever reason, Jay-Z felt in necessary to call out Nas on The Blueprint.  By doing so, he put the spotlight back onto Nas, who's career was all but over.  Nas responded by releasing Stillmatic.  The Jay-Z diss tracks are what made this album notable to the general populace, but  getting past Ether this is actually a great return to form for Nas.  He finally got past trying to clone Illmatic (despite what the title would lead you to believe) and reinvented his sound for the new millenium.  The production is lacking at times, but lyrically it's one of Nas' best.

#12 Donuts - J. Dilla (2006)

By 2006, it was widely known that J. Dilla was severely ill.  Almost all of Donuts was recorded from a hospital bed and it was released just 3 days before his death.  It's gone on to be considered the preeminant instrumental hip-hop album.  Dilla's use of vocal samples here is what really makes this album stand out among other instrumentals.  It's an album that I like a little more every time I hear it.  The first listen feels erratic and messy, but the tenth you come to appreciate the variety and Dilla's ability to leave an impact with such short tracks.

#11 Masters of the Universe - Binary Star (2000)

Everything I said about One Be Lo's solo album, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. still applies here.  The difference is now there are two MC's.  That's what makes this album great, the way Be Lo and Senim Silla play off of each other; their styles are so comparable and their voices are so similar that at times it is hard to tell which of them is rapping.  They're perfectly symbiotic with one another in a way that you won't find in any other group.

Top 50 Albums of the 2000's #21-30

#30 The Ecstatic - Mos Def (2009)

Mos manged to find time in his busy acting schedule to throw together one of the best albums of 2009.  After a couple of releases that were just OK, Mos get's back to his roots a little bit here and the result was a very solid effort.  Note Mos, you're not THAT good of a singer, more rapping = more success for you.

#29 Quality - Talib Kweli (2002)

One of the albums that most exemplified what the Soulquarians were all about in the late 90's and early 00's.  It's emotionally honest, spiritually driven and smooth.  Kweli seems to legitimately think he has the ability to change the world with his music.  It's one of my favorite albums from a production standpoint, as well.  Pre-superstar status Kanye, in particular does a great job.

#28 The Blueprint - Jay-Z (2001)

Speaking of pre-superstar Kanye, I really hope Jay-Z calls him every day and thanks him for saving his career and Kanye in turn thanks Jay for giving him a career.  Coming off of the disastrous failure that was The Dynasty, Jay needed to deliver on his subsequent album.  He responded by bringing in Kanye and Just Blaze, who were nobodies at the time, but are now probably two of the top 5 most popular in the game.  Jay-Z sticks to his standard fare for the most part, namely how awesome and rich he is.  Honestly, he get's outshone by the production, but he's not bad by any means.  Oh, and Jay didn't like Nas very much in 2001, either.

#27 The Fix - Scarface (2002)

I swear, I didn't mean for there to be this much early Kanye production in this portion, it just happened.  If this album had just stopped after the first 8 tracks, it would probably be in the top 10.  The Neptunes seem to have an uncanny ability to show up where they aren't needed, though and that's where I usually turn off this album.  Somehow, or another, Scarface managed to get Nas and Jay-Z to appear on the same album in 2002, with Nas delivering arguably the best verse on the album.  Scarface is the progenitor of drug game rapping, he shows here that he's still one of the best at it.  (or at least he was in 2002)

#26 Fishscale - Ghostface Killah (2006)

With albums like this, I don't understand why Ghostface isn't universally considered one of, if not the best storyteller in hip-hop.  He gives some of the most vivid, graphic descriptions of the world around him that you will ever hear.  I don't think I would call this a concept album per se, so much as a themed album.  Surprise!  The theme is cocaine... Who didn't see that coming?

#25 The Best Part - J-Live (2001)

If this album had been released when it was supposed to have been (1997), J-Live would probably be one of the most universally respected MCs around.  Unfortunately, record label problems kept delaying the release further and further, eventually culminating in an independent release, with little fanfare, 5 years past its time.  J-Live muses for well over an hour on what it means to be an MC and the impact hip-hop has on communities.  He shows diverse flow and brilliant lyrics, throughout.  J-Live is truly one of the more tragic stories in hip-hop.

#24 S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. - One Be Lo (2005)

If someone were to ask me to suggest them one album that exemplifies underground hip-hop, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. might be the one I'd choose.  Lo-Fi production throughout with plenty of crate digging, tracks about doing hip-hop just for the sake of hip-hop, tracks about the shallowness of the record industry and a healthy portion of philosophy thrown in for good measure, I can't think of a more prototypical underground album.

#23 The Marshal Mathers LP - Eminem (2000)

This is without a doubt, the most ubiquitous album that I can remember, any genre.  You literally couldn't not hear this album 2000, my grandma has probably heard this album in it's entirety.  That alone makes this the most important hip-hop album of the past 20 years, bar none.  It turned hip-hop into something that wasn't just a "black thing," brought it into the suburbs.  Being as popular as it was, it's kind of surprising how good of an album it actually is.  Maybe I'm just cynical, but I don't expect an album that sells 15 million copies to be as witty and emotional as MMLP is.  The controversy that came with that openness only managed to fuel the sales.

#22 Train of Thought - Reflection Eternal (2000)

Talib Kweli created one of the greatest masterpieces of lyricism in hip-hop history in 2000, and he knew it.  If he wasn't so preachy and cocky about it, this could be a lot higher.  Hi-Tek brings out plenty of deep basslines for Kweli to riff over and gives the whole record a very Neosoul-esque sound.  Again, very Soulquarians standard.

#21 Fantastic Vol. 2 - Slum Village (2000)

This album is remembered for J. Dilla's production almost exclusively, with good reason.  Dilla's beats are unquestionably fantastic here.  However, I feel the rapping is under-appreciated because the beats are so good.  Slum Village's MCs have an unwarranted reputation for being poor lyricists.  Granted, they're not Talib Kweli, by any means but, as a group they play off each other very well and do a great job letting the beats set the tone.  Nobody wouldn't have been overshadowed by Dilla on this album, the MCs of Slum Village simply know their role and perform it admirably.

Top 50 Albums of the 2000's #31-40

#40 The Cool - Lupe Fiasco (2007)

Supposedly there's a concept in here somewhere.  Unfortunately, nobody but Lupe has ever been able to find/explain it. It is a great collection of tracks, but probably would have been better served without the heaping serving of crazy.  That's  Lupe though, it's part of what makes him interesting.

#39 The Preface - Elzhi (2008)

Not sure how El rationalized calling this "The Preface" when he'd already been around for over 10 years at the time.  It's a slightly deeper look at Elzhi than what we got to here in his Slum Village days, though.  That's not to say there aren't still plenty of playful gimmick tracks.

#38 The Black Album - Jay-Z (2003)

This marks the first time Jay-Z pulled the "this is my last album" card in order to generate hype for an album.  He pulled in an all-star cast of producers.  Really, this is the album that started the whole Jay-Z: great or greatest debate.

#37 MM..Food - MF DOOM (2004)

2003-2005 was the golden age of DOOM.  In two years, he managed to put out more good albums than all but the very best in hip-hop have in their whole careers.  Typical of DOOM, it's got plenty of low-brow humor and clever wordplay.  This album would be a lot higher if it weren't for the 7 straight minutes of sound collage in the middle of it.

#36 The Renaissance - Q-Tip (2008)

What this album really has going for it is that it comes from an older MC, but he's not harping about how hip-hop has changed for the worse since he started.  This is an album that feels like an actual, logical progression for Q-Tip after his A Tribe Called Quest days, picking up right where The Love Movement left off.  It would have been really easy for him to gripe about why hip-hop sucks now, as so many of the 80s and 90s veterans have.  If I were to describe it in one word, it'd be "warm."

#35 A Long Hot Summer - Masta Ace (2004)

...and on the opposite end of the spectrum, is Masta Ace, who spends half an album condemning the rap industry.  Getting past that, this is a refreshingly mature look at urban life.  Masta Ace comes off as somebody who has been around the block more than a few times and is content now just to sit on his stoop and watch what's going on around him.

#34 I-Phantom - Mr Lif (2002)

Mr Lif delivers a concept album that I think a lot of people will be able to relate to here.  Not so much the part about getting killed and being resurrected (Jesus?), but the overarching theme of the precarious balance between striving for success and maintaining your identity.

#33 God's Son - Nas (2002)

If Nas had scrounged together some decent beats, this album would be easily in the top 10, unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  Being a legend and all, Nas still managed to give us one of the most deeply emotional albums that you'll ever hear in hip-hop.  His mother had just died and it had recently come out that his baby mama had an affair with his biggest rival (Jay-Z). It's easy to see where all this self examination stems from.

#32 Nia - Blackalicious (2000)

Blackalicious ushered in the new decade with this jazzy, soulful contribution.  Gift of Gab shows why he's considered one of the most versatile MCs in the game.  He puts on a veritable clinic on how to switch up your flow to suit a beat.

#31 The Unseen - Quasimoto (2000)

There has never been a more ringing endorsement for chronic drug use than Madlib.  He's been one of the sharpest, most interesting producers in hip-hop for over 10 years and he credits it to massive consumption of shrooms and chain-smoking of blunts.  Quasimoto is Madlib's alter-ego, a yellow, anthropoid hippo thing; never seen without a brick in one hand and joint in the other.  The Unseen is Madlib at his best,  the samples are obscure, the chopping is unorthodox and the transitions are weird.   Quas' lyrics are delivered in the most indifferent, lazy tone imaginable, almost to the point of just sounding like someone just recorded him rambling and put a beat behind it.  There is nothing even close to orthodox going on here, but somehow or another, it works.

Top 50 Albums of the 2000's #41-50

#50 In the Ruff - Diamond District (2009)

I personally have never heard this album, but LuxDel came groveling for me to include it, so here you go.  I tell ya, girl’s got no shame…

#49 Bayani – Blue Scholars (2007)

Emotionally and politically charged, this is Blue Scholars at the top of their game.  Geo’s delivery might rub some people the wrong way, but I honestly can’t see anyone else delivering his lyrics in a more fitting manner.

#48 Hell’s Winter – Cage (2005)

Disturbing, distressing and all around depressing.  It’s a much deeper and more interesting look at Cage than any of his other efforts have provided.  El-P and Camu Tao did a hell of a job on the production, too.

#47 Labor Days – Aesop Rock (2001)

It’s abstract, it’s confusing, it’s Aesop Rock at his finest.  Somewhere in this mess is a concept album about working class people.  Finding it is the fun part.

#46 Both Sides of the Brain – Del tha Funkee Homosapien (2000)

After disappearing for almost 5 years, Del came back with a vengeance in 2000.  He’s never been more of a cynical wise-ass than he is here.

#45 God Loves Ugly – Atmosphere (2002)

This album is about as bitter and angry as hip-hop gets.  It may not be as fun of a listen as subsequent Atmosphere albums, but I’m a sucker for emotion, and this album is oozing with it.

#44 Pick a Bigger Weapon – The Coup (2006)

The Coup have been the quintessential political hip-hop act for years and with albums like this, it’s easy to see why.  This album has all the system hatred you could ever want.  Of course, it wouldn’t be The Coup without a funky bass line or two, too.

#43 The Eminem Show – Eminem (2002)

Oh, Eminem, what happened to you?  You used to be so raw and edgy.  This is an album born of controversy, and Em spills it all on how he feels about his role in hip-hop and culture.

#42 A Piece of Strange – Cunninlyguists (2006)

Despite arguably the least clever name in hip-hop, Cunninlyguists managed to put out a string of pretty solid albums in the 00′s.  Kno is at his best here on beats.  He even manages to make Immortal Technique sound alright.

#41 The Mouse and the Mask – DangerDOOM (2005)

A collaboration between MF DOOM, Danger Mouse and a block of late night comedy cartoons somehow manged to end up as one of the best albums of the decade.  It’s stupid and juvenile, but it’s also fun; and in the end, isn’t that the point of making music?