100 Best Hip-Hop Albums of the Decade (2004-5)

Let’s keep it movin’, shall we?

Click the covers or names to bolster my Amazon affiliate account buy your copy at Amazon. Enjoy!

Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2004

1. Kanye West – College Dropout

2. Madvillain (MF Doom & Madlib) – Madvillainy

3. The Roots - The Tipping Point

4. Murs & 9th Wonder – 3:16: The Ninth Edition

5. Masta Ace – A Long, Hot Summer

6. De La Soul – The Grind Date

7. Foreign Exchange (Nicolay & Phonte) - Connected

8. T.I. – Urban Legend

9. Cam’ron – Purple Haze

10. Nas – Street’s Disciple

Honorable Mentions: Royce Da 5’9” – Death Is Certain, Twista – Kamikaze

Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2005

1. Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter II

2. Common – BE

3. Kanye West – Late Registration

4. The Game – The Documentary

5. Sean Price – Monkey Barz

6. Young Jeezy – Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101

7. Juelz Santana – What The Game’s Been Missing!

8. Notorious B.I.G. – Duets

9. Danger Doom – The Mouse & The Mask

10. Quasimoto – The Further Adventures of Lord Quas

Honorable Mentions: Beanie Sigel – The B. Coming, Black Market Militia - Black Market Militia, Edan – Beauty and the Beat

We’re half-way through the decade, stick with me ’til the end! Next up, ’06-7..

100 Best Hip-Hop Albums of the Decade (2000-01)

With the decade coming to a close, it’s time to highlight the best records in hip-hop. I’ll be running down my choices for the 10 Best Albums of each year until we finally arrive at the Best of ’09 to close things out. I’ll be covering a lot of material so feel free to comment on my picks, as I’m always down for a debate. Click the album covers or names to purchase your copies of albums that will be remembered throughout hip-hop history. Let’s go!

Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2000

1. Ghostface – Supreme Clientele

2. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP

3. Outkast - Stankonia

4. Common – Like Water For Chocolate

5. Big L – The Big Picture

6. Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek) - Train of Thought

7. Jurassic 5 – Quality Control

8. Dead Prez – Let’s Get Free

9. Wu-Tang Clan – The W

10. Jedi Mind Tricks – Violent By Design

Honorable Mentions: Big Punisher – Yeeeah Baby, De La Soul – Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, M.O.P. – Warriorz, Slum Village – The Fantastic Vol. 2

Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2001

1. Jay-Z – Blueprint

2. Nas - Stillmatic

3. Masta Ace – Disposable Arts

4. J-Live – The Best Part

5. Immortal Technique – Revolutionary Vol. 1

6. Ghostface – Bulletproof Wallets

7. Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein

 

 

8. 2Pac – Until The End Of Time

9. Aesop Rock – Labor Days

10. Cormega – The Realness

Honorable Mentions: , 7L & Esoteric – Soul Purpose, Pete Rock - PeteStrumentals, Redman – Malpractice

Stay tuned for my Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2002-3 list coming soon..

[Final Post] A Tribe Called Quest Weekend: The Lost Tribes (Compilation) [Japan] – 2006

Download: A Tribe Called Quest - The Lost Tribes (Compilation) [Japan] – 2006

We’ve made it (finally, right? Ha) all the way through A Tribe Called Quest Weekend, give yourselves a round of applause! For the final post, I’m dropping this compilation of rare material that came out in Japan a few years ago.

As of 2006, “I C U (Doin’ It)” is the most recent Tribe song, which was released in 2003. “That Shit” is the only A Tribe Called Quest song released with vocals by Jay Dee. The “Scenario Remix” was the B-side to the original. The O\original “Jam” can be found on Beats, Rhymes and Life, as well as the original “Stressed Out.”

Thanks for ridin’ with me this weekend. Let me know if there’s any Tribe stuff you want to see, and I might post it. If you have trouble downloading anything, I’ll re-up links per request.

Stay tuned for more “Weekend” dedications to come in the future, Enjoy!

1. Oh My God (UK Flavor Radio Mix)
2. Mardi Gras At Midnight (Feat. Rah Digga)
3. The Remedy (Feat. Common)
4. Can I Kick It? (Phase 5 Mix) (Denmark)
5. Stressed Out Remix (Baby Phife Version)
6. Scenario (Remix) (Feat. Leaders of the New School)
7. I C U Doing It (Feat. Erykah Badu)
8. It’s Yours
9. Jam (remix) (Feat. Consequence)
10. Game Day (Feat. Rodney Hampton)
11. Glamour & Glitz
12. Weekendz (Feat. Consequence)
13. Hey
14. Rumble In The Jungle (Feat. Busta Rhymes, Forte & Fugees)
15. Practice Session
16. Bonus Track : That Shit (Feat. Jay Dee)

A Tribe Called Quest Weekend: Rare Tribe Promo EP – 1997

Download: A Tribe Called Quest - Rare Tribe Promo EP – 1997

Tribe rarities for your collection including a collab with Common, don’t sleep!

1. Glamour and Glitz 3:37
2. Same Ol’ Thing 4:20
3. If The Papes Come 4:12
4. Peace, Prosperity & Paper 3:51
5. The Remedy ft. Common 4:25

Sound Table 12/11/09 Featuring Elzhi, Method Man & Redman

Stacy Epps, lookatdemlips!

Cot damn, I been neglecting my Sound Table series where I routinely feature some of the illest new songs, mixtapes, EPs, etc on the ‘net. My bad!

We’ve got a few choice bangers to get you through this blistering cold Friday (notably for my Tri-State readers).

Method Man & Raekwon collab’d for a track supposedly off their album with Ghostface Wu Massacre, dropping February of next year. I can’t possibly express what it means for hip-hop to start a new decade with a semi-Wu-Tang album. It could will be one for the ages.

The most exciting project on this edition of Sound Table is Detroit MC Elzhi’s The Leftovers UnMixed Tape, a collection of the Slum Village rep’s features, remixes and rarities. Bolstered by production from Black Milk, Jake One, & Oh No, this will hold hip-hop heads over until Elmatic or The Feed. Weren’t they both supposed to drop this year? Whatever happened to that? Sheeeeeit (c) Clay Davis.

On top of that, there’s a fine selection of leaked tracks below to choose from to load up the iPod, including a remix to African songstress Nneka’s song “Walking” with the 2nd best rapper alive Jay Electronica and a brand new jam from Sade(!!!). Get ’em while you can, party people.

Big thanks to Aaron M knobbz, Jeff Weiss, Legend, Nick & my external hard drive for the audio, Enjoy!

Sound Table

Download: Elzhi – The Leftovers UnMixed Tape

01. The Great (Prod. Oh No)
02. Deep (Prod. Black Milk)
03. Contra (Feat. Danny Brown) (Prod. Apollo Brown)
04. Like This (Prod. Black Milk)
05. Red, Black And Green (Prod. Black Milk)
06. Glow (Prod. Jake One)
07. Living (Prod. DJ Dez)
08. Dream (Prod. Jake One)
09. The Crowd (Prod. Leef)
10. Dedication (Feat. Fes Roc) (Prod. DJ Dez)
11. Colors Remix (Prod. DJ Spinna)
12. Flyest (Feat. Smitty) (Prod. Denmark Vessey)
13. 5 Man Hustle (Prod. Black Milk)
14. Clash Of The Titans (Feat. Vstyles, Royce da 5′9″, Rapper Big Pooh & Phat Kat) (Prod. MoSS)

Download:

Common – Start the Show (Extended Version)

Del The Funkee Homosapien & El Michels Affair – Bring Da Ruckus (Remix)

Drake ft. Colin Munroe – Runaway Girl

 Joell Ortiz & Novel ft. Cristyle – Stressful

Bonus Track: Joell Ortiz – Make It Without You

Lupe Fiasco ft. Trey Songz – Blackout

Nneka ft. Jay Electronica – Walking (J. Period Remix)

Raekwon & Method Man – Meth Vs. Chef Part II prod by Mathematics

Sade – Soldier of Love

Vinnie Paz ft. Clipse – Street Wars (Blend)

Wale – Say Something Freestyle

11 Ultimate Hip-Hop Trios

With the dream-team of Ghostface, Raekwon & Method Man forming like Voltron possibly even before ’09 kicks the bucket, heads everywhere should be drooling over the possibility of an album from the Wu-based trio.

Similarly, the three-headed monster Random Axe comprised of Black Milk, Sean Price & Guilty Simpson leaking “Monster Babies” off their upcoming collab album this year was monumental.

These combos really are dreams come true. So I got to thinking, what other combinations of MCs would hip-hop heads like to hear? Here are my choices for 11 of the ultimate hip-hop trios:

Jay-Z, Nas & Eminem

Group Name: Greatest of Our Time

Rakim, Kool G Rap & KRS-One

Group Name: Veteran’s Day

Kanye West, Talib Kweli & Pharaohe Monch

Group Name: Guerilla Monsoon

Scarface, Bun B & Slim Thug

Group Name: Anti-Confederacy

Q-Tip, Black Thought & Common

Group Name: Rewind Power

Snoop Dogg, B-Real & Redman

Group Name: Smoke Break

Posdnuos, Phife Dawg & A-Plus

Group Name: Under Rated

T.I., Ludacris & Big Boi

Group Name: Bottom’s Up

Black Milk, Royce Da 5’9 & Elzhi

Group Name: Motor City

Brother Ali, Jay Electronica & Blu

Group Name: Add Verbs

Wale, Lupe Fiasco & Phonte

Group Name: Fresh Breath

 

What about you? Who would be your choices for hip-hop trios?

Royal Court & Sound Table 7/20/09

 

Today’s New Jersey Beauty: Lauren Santiago

Royal Court:

Afrika Bambataa’s Essay The Beginning of Break Beat (Hip Hop) Music [via Ian at Notes From A Different Kitchen]

B.o.B. a.k.a. Bobby Ray Performs at the ESPY’s [via Rap Radar]

Jay-Z Gives Advice To The New Generation of Rappers [via RealTalk NY]

Joe Budden Freestyle & Slaughterhouse “The One” at Rock The Bells NYC [via Jessie Maguire]

Kid Cudi, Kanye West & Common ”Make Her Say” Video [via Marcus Troy]

Nas & Damian Marley “Only The Strong” at Rock The Bells NYC [via Mike Waxx at illRoots]

Nas & Damian Marley “Road To Zion” at RTB NYC [via Rob at Boomshots]

Rosa Acosta’s Hottest Pics [via Complex]

Slaughterhouse & Wu-Tang Beef No More [II] [via Rock The Dub]

 

Sound Table:

Beastie Boys ft. Nas – Too Many Rappers [via OG Hip Hop]

Chico DeBarge ft. Talib Kweli – Math [via Honey Soul]

INF – The Go Round (Instrumental CD) [via Freestyle Madness]

Pac Div – Church League Champions (Mixtape) [via 2DB]

Royal Court & Sound Table 6/12/09

Royal Court:

Metal Lungies Interviews Wale (Metal Lungies)

Royce Da 5’9 Unveils The Revival EP (Nah Right)

New Jersey Trio Brokn Englsh PreWreck Mixtape (Rock The Dub)

Prop Jay’s Jansport Weighed A Ton (TSS)

More from DP at Slaughterhouse Listening Session (Dallas Penn)

Is M.O.P. Rap’s Greatest Duo? (Unkut)

 

Sound Table:

Georgia Anne Muldrow – ESP

JoJo Pelligrino – Reaper

Jonas Brothers ft. Common – Don’t Charge Me For The Crime

Slim Thug (ft. A Bunch of H-Town Rappers) – Welcome To Houston