By: Eric Mulligan
I have been a fan of rap and hip-hop music since high school, but strangely enough, it’s something I rarely talk about.
I somewhat-ashamedly admit the main aspects of rap that first captured my attention as an adolescent were its aggression and use of profanity. But I have come to realize the genre’s honesty and gritty realism also appealed to me right from the start. My moderately rebellious teenage quest for personal expression and unvarnished truth, coupled with my love of music, eventually led me into the world of rap and hip-hop.
Yes, rap music is often characterized by profane, braggadocious lyrics and aggressive delivery, but it can also offer so much more. For one thing, there’s the production: the musical elements of hip-hop songs can range from gritty and heavy to beautiful and atmospheric, with the absolute best-produced tracks featuring beats and instrumentation that perfectly complement the lyrics.
And within those lyrics, talented rappers blend witty wordplay and complex storytelling all while adhering to specific rhyming patterns and fitting into the constraints of the bars of their songs. Falling in love with rap seems like the most natural thing in the world for a kid who grew up loving the poetry of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein.
While none of the albums listed below talk about green eggs and ham or where the sidewalk ends, they all demonstrate similarly skillful rhyming and storytelling abilities, which is why they are some of my absolute favorite rap and hip-hop works of all time. Obviously, this list is far from comprehensive. I tried to limit myself to ten albums, which are presented in order of their release.
“The Low End Theory” – A Tribe Called Quest (1991)
From the first notes of the Jazz Messengers-sampling bass line on album opener “Excursions”, “The Low End Theory” establishes itself as an alternative hip-hop milestone. In 2020, the popularity of jazz-influenced rap singles and even entire albums like Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” make it easy to associate the two genres.
But back in 1991, pairing jazz and hip-hop was downright revolutionary. Admittedly, however, A Tribe Called Quest has always been a little different, with their positive, cerebral and Afrocentric lyrics acting as a foil to the much more aggressive works of gangster rap groups like N.W.A. Tribe members Phife Dawg and Q-Tip’s lyricism and vocal interplay are at their peak on this album, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad’s minimalistic, warm and jazzy beats distinguish themselves from the simpler “boom-bap” production style that was popular at the time. Add in a guest appearance from jazz bass great Ron Carter and you end up with an album that completely broke the mold at a crucial time in hip-hop history.
“Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” – Wu-Tang Clan (1993)
If “The Low End Theory” broke the mold for hip-hop albums, “Enter the Wu-Tang” shattered it to pieces with a flying kick straight out of a Bruce Lee film.
Wu-Tang mastermind RZA’s gritty, menacing production pioneered the now-commonplace technique of sampling soul music, and the entire Wu-Tang Clan redefined the landscape of East Coast hip-hop with verses that combined the violence and profanity of then-contemporary West Coast artists like Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre with the wordplay of more old-school MCs.
Every member of this group was a talented rapper in his own regard, but the group’s debut album showcases the absolute best of the best, as RZA would force the Wu-Tang Clan’s sizable roster to battle among themselves for the right to appear on each song. The result is an unceasingly energetic hip-hop masterpiece that would pave the way for a new wave of East Coast rappers while also launching the solo careers for many of the Wu-Tang Clan’s members.
“Ready to Die” – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
On “Ready to Die”, Biggie’s flows are so smooth and his rhymes so well-conceived that a listener can almost forget that many of the songs graphically describe crime and violence.
Inexplicably, however, even the intensity and gritty realism of his lyrics seems to add to the Notorious B.I.G.’s charm. A lesser wordsmith would have been crucified for such an explicit debut album, but Biggie gets away with it by skillfully balancing catchy radio singles and heartfelt lines about his family and childhood with intensely descriptive bars about robbery and drug dealing and bleak depictions of life on the streets.
“Ready to Die” is not without its missteps, however, the almost comically vulgar lines on songs like “One More Chance” border on misogyny and some of the album’s descriptions of violent crime are unsavory to say the least. But while violence is commonplace on “Ready to Die”, Biggie’s unparalleled lyricism is omnipresent, guiding listeners through dark, gritty cuts and celebratory anthems alike while catapulting the young rapper to stardom.
Unfortunately, The Notorious B.I.G. would not live to enjoy his fame for more than a few years, but the impact that “Ready to Die” had on the hip hop world would continue to be felt long after his untimely death.
“The Score” – Fugees (1996)
In the mid-nineties, the Fugees’ unique brand of hip-hop with a Caribbean flavor served as a welcome breath of fresh air. “The Score” was the second album released by the power trio of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel, and it would garner them critical and commercial success while also helping launch the solo careers of each of its members.
The album’s beats are complex and creative, but the three vocalists are the real stars of the show, deftly doing everything from spitting rapid-fire rhymes and laying down laid-back bars to showing off their impressive pipes by crooning on harmonized hooks and earnest covers of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “No Woman, No Cry”. The Fugees may have largely gone their separate ways after “The Score” was released, but on the album they sound as tightly-knit as can be.Their skillful lyricism, unique production and smooth delivery make “The Score” an exceptionally enjoyable listen.
“Aquemini” – OutKast (1998)
The first time I listened to “Aquemini”, I was struck by how different it sounded from other nineties hip-hop albums I had heard. True, it still contains the requisite samples and scratching, but a wide variety of live instruments played by a host of guest musicians were used in the creation of the album as well.
This then-revolutionary concept helped OutKast develop a distinctly southern sound while also influencing the way some rap songs are produced today, as many producers have moved away from the practice of simply relying on samples to make beats. The dynamic duo of Andre 3000 and Big Boi certainly do “Aquemini”’s unique production justice, delivering verses that range from the impossibly fast to the enticingly easygoing and crafting free-flowing rhyme schemes that sometimes even playfully extend across bar lines. The confidence and creativity exhibited by OutKast on “Aquemini”make the project stand out even among other top-tier albums in their impressive discography.
“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”– Kanye West (2010)
When Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs, it seemed like his time as a well-respected musician was as good as over. Instead, the following year would see West revitalize his career and establish himself as rap royalty with the release of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”
This album is considered by many to be one of the greatest rap albums of all time. Conceived during a period of self-imposed exile in Hawaii and created in collaboration with an impressively long and diverse list of guest musicians and producers, it stands today as a grandiose musical statement whose ambition and scope are difficult to fully appreciate.
Its music can loosely be described as “maximalist”, with epic orchestral arrangements woven into gritty hip-hop beats and electronic experimentation, and the lyrics run the gamut from egocentric to existential. I think one of my favorite things about this albumis the creative energy that seems to permeate every track.
The album is full of unique sounds, unexpected instrumentals, and excellent features, from Pusha T’s scathing bars on “Runaway” to Nicki Minaj’s incredible verse on “Monster”. But Kanye doesn’t just ride the coattails of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”’s Murderer’s Row of guest artists. His poignant verses on “Gorgeous” and avant-garde Autotuned crooning throughout the album are quality contributions in their own right, and the cohesion and grandeur of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” as a whole are testaments to his vision and commitment to the project. And today, over ten years since its release, that project is still as impressive as ever.
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” – Kendrick Lamar (2012)
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City”was the album that first sparked my interest in rap music. My previous exposure to the genre had only been through radio singles, and I can’t say I was much of a fan, but when I heard the track “m.A.A.d. city” for the first time, I was instantly hooked by its honesty and intensity.
The rest of the album exhibits those same traits as Lamar artfully guides listeners through stories from his life as a teenager growing up in Compton, California. “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” stood out to me for several reasons when I first heard it. I had never really thought of rap as a vehicle for storytelling and was taken aback by how vividly Lamar’s lyrics set scenes and established characters.
I was also shocked by the album’s lack of braggadocio and confidence. Most mainstream rap music is unerringly confident and heavy-handed in its delivery, and it was both refreshing and challenging to hear a rapper cover such nuanced subject matter with an uncertainty that befits the album’s teenage characters.
Lamar continues the trend begun by artists like the Notorious B.I.G. and Nas of painting realistic pictures of difficult situations and using that realism to indirectly pass judgement. On one level, the gritty veracity of tracks like “The Art of Peer Pressure” and “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” serves to establish K. Dot’s credibility and rawness, but it also starkly portrays the difficult situation of a Black adolescent in Compton and emphasizes the graphically negative aspects of being involved with drug use and the gang lifestyle.
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” has the difficult task of filtering nostalgia through the lens of maturity, and its expert balance of realism, atmosphere, and subtle criticism make it an album that has inspired countless repeat listens from me.
“Born Sinner” – J. Cole (2013)
I probably spent more time than I should have agonizing over which J. Cole album to include in this list. The other option I was strongly considering was “2014 Forest Hills Drive”, but while that project received almost universal acclaim and experienced much more commercial success than “Born Sinner”, I just don’t think it’s my favorite.
Cole’s greatest strength has always been as a lyricist, and “Born Sinner”lets him be just that. Whereas “2014 Forest Hills Drive”sees some incredible verses get regrettably overshadowed by repetitive choruses or poppy fluff tracks. On “Born Sinner”, J. Cole tells stories and philosophizes over mostly self-produced beats, which makes the album even more personal.
While it may lack some of the polish of later Cole projects, “Born Sinner” does feel like much more of a traditional hip-hop album, with vintage samples, sketches and features all contributing to its old-school vibe.
The album captures J. Cole at a transitional time in his career: he had ironed out most of the kinks evident in his early mixtapes and debut album but was yet to fully embrace the pop stylings and vision that would characterize “2014 Forest Hills Drive” and make him a superstar. The balance between these more mainstream leanings and J. Cole’s old-school influences make “Born Sinner” very musically and tonally diverse.
While its cohesiveness might suffer slightly because of this, such variety improves the overall listening experience and makes the album a more holistic representation of J. Cole’s wide-ranging talents.
“Because the Internet” – Childish Gambino (2013)
As someone who was introduced to Childish Gambino through his 2011 debut studio album “Camp”, hearing “Because the Internet”for the first time made me realize that Donald Glover – Gambino’s secret identity and the definition of a Renaissance man – was a seriously talented musician who was equally serious about his music career.
Gambino’s raw rapping ability had been evident since his earliest mixtapes were released, but “Because the Internet”sees him graduate from the standard operating procedure of delivering alternatingly humorous and introspective verses to the complex process of navigating radio-friendly singles, club-friendly bangers and psychedelic experimental songs.
While the album’s lyricism is an improvement in terms of nuance and complexity, its production is a quantum leap forward from Gambino’s earlier projects. “Because the Internet” balances spacey beats, live instruments and manipulated vocals with more traditional backing tracks that hearken back to some of “Camp”’s better moments.
Though it may seem disjointed in theory, the album flows remarkably well, as its thematically grouped tracks are separated by interludes and its loose concept of “the internet” lends context to some of the album’s more experimental moments. “Because the Internet”showed the world that Childish Gambino was a mature and gifted musician who could successfully build upon the one-liners, pop culture references and angst that had defined his previous projects to create a powerful artistic statement.
“Flower Boy” – Tyler, the Creator (2017)
When Tyler, the Creator released “Flower Boy” in the summer of 2017, it somehow felt like a validation of my relatively newfound affinity for rap music. Tyler’s albums “Goblin” and “Wolf” had been the guiltiest of my guilty pleasures as a rebellious teenager due to their offensive lyrics and occasionally shocking thematic material.
While 2015’s “Cherry Bomb” saw his production style mature and his lyrics begin to trend away from the homophobia and misogyny that had characterized his earlier work, Tyler takes his music in a markedly different direction on “Flower Boy.”
Lyrically, the album is uncharacteristically introspective, discussing complex concepts like feelings of isolation and anxiety, youthful angst, and sexuality, with certain emotionally vulnerable verses even prompting fans to speculate that Tyler was coming out.
Musically, “Flower Boy” sees Tyler introduce more varied instrumentation and modern soul influences to his sound, resulting in an album that is sonically adventurous and simultaneously nostalgic and forward-thinking.
I’m not ashamed to say that it took me several listens to really get into “Flower Boy” at first. I had a hard time believing that a rapper who seemed to embrace controversy and shock value could ever produce anything as soulful as what I was hearing. My eventual acclimation to Tyler’s newfound style brought with it a sense of relief, as I felt I could now enjoy his artistry without any feelings of guilt.
The beautiful music and honest lyrics that fill the album serve as the perfect way for a controversial yet undeniably talented musician to reinvent himself on his own terms, and the popularity and critical acclaim of “Flower Boy” and its successor, 2019’s “Igor”, prove that Tyler’s latest incarnation is a successful one.
Eric Mulligan can be reached at [email protected].