Top 90 Albums of the 90's: 80-71

#80 Soul on Ice - Ras Kass (1995)

Before he had even released an album, Ras Kass had already made a name for himself via a series of standout features.  He brought a level of lyricism to the table that nobody else who was popular on the West Coast really had at that point, so his debut album, Soul on Ice was highly anticipated.  Long story short, it didn't really sell and Kass's career wound up being a flop.  Despite poor sales, Soul on Ice is still an album held in high esteem by lyrical purists, with good reason.  You can only do so much with barely serviceable beats, though.

#79 Hard to Earn - Gang Starr (1994)

For whatever reason, Gang Starr decided to abandon the level-headed thoughtful themes that got them such acclaim n their first couple releases, and instead make an album with a significantly harsher tone.  Personally, I like Gang Starr a lot better when they're not trying to act hard.  DJ Premier absolutely carries this album, though.  I don't know if he's ever been better than he is on Hard to Earn.  Listening to his beats is more than enough reason to give this album several listens.

#78 A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Black Sheep (1991)

Black Sheep is a group that often gets overlooked because of the company they kept.  It's hard to stand out when you're crew-mates with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.  Nevertheless, while the MC's of Black Sheep weren't really exceptional from a technical standpoint, they brought a lot of energy and smart, humor to their tracks, kind of like an early 90's Little Brother.  Self-depreciation is a major running theme, even on the intro skit, they go out of their way to point out that they're the least popular members of their crew.

#77 The 18th Letter - Rakim (1997)

This was the first time Rakim had released an album since 1992's Don't Sweat the Technique, it signals a significant change in tone from his previous releases.  Ra sounds noticably more aggressive than on his 80's classics, likely due to this being the first time he was recording an album without long time collaborator Eric B.  Eric B's presence isn't really missed, and getting to hear an MC of Ra's caliber work with the likes of DJ Premier and Pete Rock is a treat.

#76 People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm - A Tribe Called Quest (1990)

Before The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders catapulted Tribe into hip-hop legend status, there was People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, their exceptionally long-titled debut album.  It's a light-hearted, positive affair that didn't get much fanfare at the time because the listening public wanted to hear gangsta stuff.  It's a smooth, jazzy affair that features Q-Tip and Phife trading verses back and forth with the occasional guest stopping by to add their $0.02.

#75 Stunts, Blunts, & Hip-Hop - Diamond D (1992)

Stunts is one of the early classics from Lord Finesse's Diggin' in the Crates Crew.  Most of the rapping is nothing to right home about, and a handful of the tracks probably could have been left off, but the production is excellent end-to-end.

#74 Runaway Slave - Showbiz & A.G. (1992)

.... and released on the same day, from the same crew is Showbiz & A.G.'s Runaway Slave.  A.G. is really what elevates this album above Stunts.  He rhymes effortlessly over Showbiz's sometimes cacophonous beats.  Showbiz himself isn't a slouch on the mic, either.


#73 Buhloone Mindstate - De La Soul (1993)

Buhloone Mindstate falls in a weird spot spot where it is so universally considered under-rated, that I would argue that it's a bit over-rated.  It's a tighter, more focused effort than their iconic debut and sophomore albums, but in doing so, they lost a bit of what had made De La unique and interesting. Nonetheless, it makes great background music, and "Ego Trippin' Part 2" is an iconic track.

#72 Doggystyle - Snoop Doggy Dogg (1993)

Much like Dogg Food, Doggystyle's biggest flaw is that it doesn't bring much to the table that we hadn't already seen on The Chronic.  The beats are what Doggystyle is most known for, while the lyrics are generally considered to be a weakness.  I can't entirely disagree with that assessment, I don't feel like adding Talib Kweli caliber lyricism to Doggystyle would have added much.  It's an album that's meant to be felt rather than listened to critically.

#71 All Balls Don't Bounce - Aceyalone (1995)

What do you know? Another Aceyalone project with outstanding vocals and decidedly mediocre production.  However, unlike on Haiku D'Etat, All Ball Don't Bounce's production at least features plenty of variety, so it doesn't turn into quite as much of a drag by the end.  

Top 90 Albums of the 90's: 90-81

Despite the mid to late 80's commonly receiving the title of hip-hop's "Golden Age", I've found that the vast majority of people who consider themselves to be hip-hop heads consider the 90's to be the strongest time period in hip-hop's history. The 90's is sacred territory in hip-hop, so making a list of the "best" albums is going to inevitably lead to at least some controversy. Someone's favorite album undoubtedly won't make the cut; I'm sure there are a few albums on here that I like way more than most. By the time this whole thing is over, I'm sure no one will be satisfied. On that note, let's get to ranking shall we?

#90 It's Dark and Hell is Hot - DMX (1998)

He's mostly of a punch-line now, but early DMX had an energy about him that I don't think anybody has ever managed to successfully replicate. He was intimidating and imposing on a level that nobody else in the rap industry ever really has been. It's Dark and Hell is Hot is all about anger and violent impulses. It's an album that I rarely find myself sitting down and listening to cover-to-cover, but individual tracks turn up on my playlists pretty regularly.

#89 Dogg Food - The Dogg Pound (1995)

This is one that most probably would have expected to see a bit higher on the list. It's considered one of the essential G-Funk albums, right alongside the likes of Doggystyle, and The Chronic. So what lands it in the late 80's rather than further up, alongside its compatriots (spoiler alert)? Basically, that it came later. The Chronic was revolutionary, Doggystyle epitomized the genre, by the time Dogg Food comes out in 1995, it just starts to feel like the west coast is recycling old material. It's still a good album, it's just hard to give it much credit when all Kurupt and Daz needed to do was follow a format already laid out for them.

#88 Business As Usual - EPMD (1990)

Business as Usual is an album that gets kind of a bad rap sometimes for not being good as their debut, Strictly Business. I can't argue with that sentiment. Strictly Business could make a strong argument for being the best album of the 80's, though. The defining characteristic of Business as Usual is the number of samples it uses. I don't think there's a track on this album that doesn't feature at least one, several feature five or more. Also, Redman makes his debut on the album's second track, so there's that.

#87 Ridin' Dirty - UGK (1996)

Any album that came out the South in the mid 90's deserves to be recognized. Other than Geto Boys, there really hadn't been any artists from the region that had scene much success, at the time. Ridin' Dirty is one of a handful of albums that came out the South all around the same time, that managed to catapult a relatively unknown scene onto the national stage at a time when East Coast - Wast Coast rivalries were dominating the headlines. While other prominent southern acts at the time were making names for themselves by being weird, UGK took a more traditional approach; some minimalist, groovy beats, with two MCs trading verses about money, clothes. and hoes.

#86 Haiku D'Etat - Haiku D'Etat (1999)

Aceyalone is an MC who will never get enough credit. He's a stronger rapper than almost all of his west coast underground compatriots, but has never seen the same level of success or acclaim as guys like Del the Funky Homosapien or Gift of Gab. Haiku D'Etat is a super group consisting of Acey, and fellow MCs Mikah 9 and Abstract Rude. It features some of the most technically adept rapping to be found on this list but, much like pretty much everything else Aceyalone has ever been a part of, it kind of falls on it's face from a production standpoint. It tries to carry a relaxed, floaty vibe throughout the whole album, by the end it just winds up being more boring than anything.

#85 Do You Want More?!!!?! - The Roots (1995)

Black Thought, ?uestlove, and co. have been putting out great albums for so long at this point that it's kind of bizarre to imagine them as young upstarts needing to prove their worth to their label. The pressure didn't seem to get to them, though. In fact, my biggest criticism would be that they spend too much time just nonchalantly grooving with no real rhyme or reason.

#84 In God We Trust - Brand Nubian (1993)

Grand Puba leaving Brand Nubian signaled a major gear shift for them. In God We Trust carries a decidedly more militant tone than their first release, and laced throughout are references to Five Percenter rhetoric that will be seen as extreme by most listeners. Even if the inflammatory lyrical content doesn't suit your fancy, In God We Trust is worth a spin just for the fun, jazzy beats.

#83 Let the Rhythm Hit Em - Eric B. & Rakim (1990)

It doesn't get quite the acclaim that Eric B. & Rakim's 80's releases did, but Let the Rhythm Hit Em is still commonly regarded as an all-time classic. Honestly, the biggest thing holding this album back is that there aren't any tracks that really stand out from the crowd. It's a good cover-to-cover listen, but no one track is going to be stuck in your head after.

#82 Return to 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version - Ol' Dirty Bastard (1995)

It often gets overshadowed by the other great 90's Wu-Tang releases, but Return to 36 Chambers is a personal favorite of mine. RZA really outdoes himself with the production, but ODB is the unquestioned star of the album. His distinctive half-sung, half-rapped delivery is what ODB is most known for, unfortunately is lyrical prowess often gets overlooked.

#81 Steal This Album - The Coup (1998)

If you've never heard the track "Me and Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Grenada Last Night", go do that as soon as possible, you can thank me later.

While "'79 Grenada" is the clear standout track from Steal This Album, the rest of the album is fantastic, as well. Boots Riley will probably rub some the wrong way with his Communist political beliefs, but even the coldest of Cold Warriors will find themselves bobbing their heads for most of this album". The Coup has always has a penchant for riding the line between humor & entertainment value, and scathing social commentary, or even openly militant rhetoric. It takes a master of his craft to make violent political upheavel sound this fun.