The Top 10 Rap Albums, No Debating

Everyone and their mother will probably have their opinions on this one, so I fully expect the flood of emails I’ll get telling me I don’t know what I’m talking about. C’mon people- don’t you have work to do? My inbox is full of messages from these mo-rons trying to tell me, Dan Taft, how to compile my lists. Well, too bad. And now, the top 10 Best Rap albums ever made by anyone, except for the classic “From LI to MI” (DT 2004):

10.
Blackstar (Mos Def and Talib Kweli) - This is the album that really got me into both of these guys. They are undoubtedly the best combination of rappers going back and forth on tracks, and Hi-Tech’s beats are off the hook. I’m sure this LP isn’t as popular as it should have been, because Blackstar actually rhymes about intelligent, relevant shit which instantly turns off about 85% of audiences who simply can’t understand hip hop songs that aren’t about hos, jewelry, money, cars, or the latest shoulder related dance craze. Mo-rons.

9.
Capital Punishment (Big Pun) - Pun had his own style and his flow was like a chainsaw cutting through the flesh of all of today’s rappers who suck gigantic, closely shorn balls. Capital Punishment had about 25 tracks, which is a lot buddy, and most of them are fire- we miss you Big Dog Punisher (Fat Joe has been real sucky since you died!)

8.
Liquid Swords (GZA) - One of the most serious albums ever- the GZA let everyone know with Liquid Swords that he couldn’t be fucked with. The album sounds like a hip-hop nightmare in which the GZA is traumatizing the listener with his sick ass flow; Wu-Tang was the shit back in the day!

7.
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (Outkast) - During a time when all that East Coast/West Coast bullshit was going on, Outkast dropped this doozie and burst on the scene with a totally new style. Too bad southern rap followed the Master P/Hot Boys wack ass style instead of trying to sound like Outkast, the only good southern rappers EVER (except for Scarface, 8 Ball and MJG.) Honestly southern rap killed Hip-Hop but it definitely isn’t Outkast’s fault because they were ahhhsome.

6.
Reasonable Doubt (Jay-Z) - Before Jay-Z became horribly commercial, he was really dope. Reasonable Doubt is a classic, and is Jay-Z’s best album by far. The 22 twos track, whatever it’s called, is absolutely ridiculous.

5.
Illmatic (Nas) - Nas made this LP, which was one of the best ever, and then made “It Was Written,” which is also sick, and then made 2 terrible albums, and now he’s back (but not quite as ill as he was in the beginning). Every track on this album is great, and when it first came out everyone knew Nas was about to change the game.

4.
All Eyez On Me (2 Pack Shaker) - Tupac’s best in my opinion, All Eyez On Me is raw, heartfelt and genuinely gangster. Kind of reminds me of myself back when I was bangin’.

3.
Enter The Wu Tang, 36 Chambers (Wu-Tang Clan) - There has never been a group like the Wu. They have 9 MCs and every one of them is dope in their own way. They form like Vultron, but always remember that the GZA is the head. Subliminal ninja rap straight from the slums of Shaolin- nobody talks like them and no hip-hop group can ever come close to them. Those are my words.

2.
Ready To Die (Notorious B.I.G.) - I’m sure most hip hop heads would put this at number 1 (at least if you’re from NY). And it is pretty much a perfect rap album- Biggie was the man and will forever go down as one of the greatest MCs ever to touch a mic. You have to wonder how different the genre would be if he were still alive. I think there would be less hip-hop songs about leaning, don’t you?

1.
Black on Both Sides (Mos Def) - 17 tracks, not a bad song on the album. The most perfect Hip Hop CD ever made; if you listen to it and don’t like it you’re either 9 years old or you are mentally deficient. Every beat is tight, and Mos Def’s style and flow and dynamic presentation is untouchable. Don’t worry about it if you’re not smart enough to enjoy Black on Both Sides- I’ll explain it to you, D-Bag.