Unnerving Brain / Music 100 records  ·  No ranking  ·  One listener

A personal hip-hop canon

100 Essential Rap Albums

This is not a list of the 100 greatest rap albums ever made. It’s not an attempt to rewrite hip-hop history, satisfy critics, or make sure every universally accepted classic gets its obligatory spot. This is my list.

These are 100 albums that shaped my taste in rap—the records I came back to, obsessed over, quoted, discovered artists through, and still associate with different points in my life.

Some of the obvious classics are here. Some aren’t.

There are artists I love who don’t appear at all because, for me, loving an artist and considering one particular album essential from beginning to end aren’t always the same thing.

There are also albums on this list that probably wouldn’t appear anywhere near a traditional critic’s top 100. That’s exactly why they’re here.

My taste has always leaned toward lyricists, grimy East Coast production, underground rap, Wu-Tang and its extended universe, horrorcore, No Limit, West Coast and Bay Area records, Southern rap, strange conceptual albums, and anything that sounded like it existed in its own little world.

These aren’t necessarily the records that best explain hip-hop.

They’re the records that best explain me as a hip-hop listener.

The Canon

Presented in random order. The numbers are only here to keep count.

  1. 001
    Stakes Is HighDe La Soul
  2. 002
    MM..FOODMF DOOM
  3. 003
    The Final TicCrucial Conflict
  4. 004
    IronmanGhostface Killah
  5. 005
    Word...LifeO.C.
  6. 006
    TicalMethod Man
  7. 007
    The ComingBusta Rhymes
  8. 008
    3rd Eye VisionHieroglyphics
  9. 009
    Helter SkelterThe D.O.C.
  10. 010
    Legal Drug MoneyLost Boyz
  11. 011
    Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)Wu-Tang Clan
  12. 012
    Dogg FoodTha Dogg Pound
  13. 013
    It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us BackPublic Enemy
  14. 014
    Ghetto DMaster P
  15. 015
    Enta da StageBlack Moon
  16. 016
    The PillageCappadonna
  17. 017
    Me Against the World2Pac
  18. 018
    Gory DaysNecro
  19. 019
    Livin’ ProofGroup Home
  20. 020
    Lifestylez ov da Poor & DangerousBig L
  21. 021
    Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin ComptonEazy-E
  22. 022
    Once Upon a CrimeKool G Rap & Necro (The Godfathers)
  23. 023
    Give It 2 ’Em RawSoulja Slim
  24. 024
    D.I.R.T.Heltah Skeltah
  25. 025
    The Pre-Fix for DeathNecro
  26. 026
    Reasonable DoubtJay-Z
  27. 027
    Da UnbreakablesThree 6 Mafia
  28. 028
    Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...2Pac
  29. 029
    Liquid SwordsGZA
  30. 030
    WicketWorldWide.COMNatas
  31. 031
    Operation: DoomsdayMF DOOM
  32. 032
    Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty VersionOl’ Dirty Bastard
  33. 033
    The ChronicDr. Dre
  34. 034
    Dah Shinin’Smif-N-Wessun
  35. 035
    Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Raekwon
  36. 036
    6 Feet DeepGravediggaz
  37. 037
    Soundpieces: Da Antidote!Lootpack
  38. 038
    FoundationBrand Nubian
  39. 039
    Fear of a Mixed PlanetShock G
  40. 040
    On the Outside Looking In8Ball & MJG
  41. 041
    It’s Dark and Hell Is HotDMX
  42. 042
    The Art of WarBone Thugs-N-Harmony
  43. 043
    EnigmaKeith Murray
  44. 044
    Disposable ArtsMasta Ace
  45. 045
    Derelicts of Dialect3rd Bass
  46. 046
    Moment of TruthGang Starr
  47. 047
    ATLiensOutkast
  48. 048
    Deltron 3030Deltron 3030
  49. 049
    Tru 2 da GameTRU
  50. 050
    Sittin’ on ChromeMasta Ace Incorporated
  51. 051
    Paul’s BoutiqueBeastie Boys
  52. 052
    It Takes a ThiefCoolio
  53. 053
    The Low End TheoryA Tribe Called Quest
  54. 054
    Both Sides of the BrainDel the Funky Homosapien
  55. 055
    1990-SickSpice 1
  56. 056
    Soul on IceRas Kass
  57. 057
    NocturnalHeltah Skeltah
  58. 058
    Hell on EarthMobb Deep
  59. 059
    JewelzO.C.
  60. 060
    The Cold VeinCannibal Ox
  61. 061
    Real BrothasB.G. Knocc Out & Dresta
  62. 062
    The Cactus Album3rd Bass
  63. 063
    The Slim Shady LPEminem
  64. 064
    The InfamousMobb Deep
  65. 065
    Chocolate Supa HighwaySpearhead
  66. 066
    Life After DeathThe Notorious B.I.G.
  67. 067
    Midnight MaraudersA Tribe Called Quest
  68. 068
    Capital PunishmentBig Pun
  69. 069
    Don’t Fight the Feelin’Rappin’ 4-Tay
  70. 070
    Lost8Ball
  71. 071
    The RBX FilesRBX
  72. 072
    Wrath of the MathJeru the Damaja
  73. 073
    The ShockerSilkk the Shocker
  74. 074
    Sons of the PDigital Underground
  75. 075
    The TruthBeanie Sigel
  76. 076
    One Day It’ll All Make SenseCommon
  77. 077
    Illadelph HalflifeThe Roots
  78. 078
    E. 1999 EternalBone Thugs-N-Harmony
  79. 079
    Wu-Tang ForeverWu-Tang Clan
  80. 080
    AmeriKKKa’s NightmareSpice 1
  81. 081
    IllmaticNas
  82. 082
    Bow DownWestside Connection
  83. 083
    TrueTRU
  84. 084
    Coast II CoastTha Alkaholiks
  85. 085
    Uptown Saturday NightCamp Lo
  86. 086
    Dare Iz a DarksideRedman
  87. 087
    Here to Save You AllChino XL
  88. 088
    DoggystyleSnoop Doggy Dogg
  89. 089
    Closed CasketEsham
  90. 090
    The Black Bossalini (a.k.a. Dr. Bomb from da Bay)Spice 1
  91. 091
    Killa KaliCelly Cel
  92. 092
    The ResurrectionGeto Boys
  93. 093
    4, 5, 6Kool G Rap
  94. 094
    40 Dayz & 40 NightzXzibit
  95. 095
    Soul FoodGoodie Mob
  96. 096
    Ready to DieThe Notorious B.I.G.
  97. 097
    Dr. OctagonecologystDr. Octagon
  98. 098
    Life or DeathC-Murder
  99. 099
    Curb Servin’WC and the Maad Circle
  100. 100
    Mail DominanceEsham

These are my 100.