1)Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full 2)De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising 3)Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die 4)Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet 5)Run DMC - Raising Hell 6)Dr Dre - The Chronic 7)Wu Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers 8)Nas - Illmatic 9)A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory 10)Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique 11)Outkast - Aquemini 12)Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill 13)Gangstarr - Daily Operation 14)Ice Cube - Death Certificate 15)Jay Z - Blueprint 16)LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out 17)Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP 18)Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 19)Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde 20)Mos Def - Black on Both Sides 21)Boogie Down Productions - By Any Means Necessary 22)Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - The Message 23)Missy Elliott - Miss E 24)Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst 25)Aceyalone - A Book of Human Language Thoughts? A pretty good list all told. Can't argue with #1. Some of my favorites that are missing include Common Sense's Resurrection, and I prefer the Black Star LP to Black on Both Sides. I could do without Missy, but I understand it's inclusion based on what it did for altering the sound of commercial hip-hop.
What I own: Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet Run DMC - Raising Hell Dr Dre - The Chronic Wu Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique Outkast - Aquemini Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Mos Def - Black on Both Sides Boogie Down Productions - By Any Means Necessary Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - The Message Missy Elliott - Miss E I'm amazed that EW was able to come up with what is a VERY cool list.
I will add that there's no way 3 Feet High and Rising is a better album than Takes A Nation Of Millions...
Personally, I think Nation of Millions is better than Fear Of a Black Planet. 3 Feet High and Rising is a great CD though. I'm a pretty big De La fan.
HOLY CRAP!! I just realised that Takes A Nation Of Millions...isn't even on the list...WTF?? Sorry, it just lost credibility with me...(big punishment, I know )
Well, I think they wanted to keep it so that there wasn't more than one album from any artist. You could make an argument for both Nation of Millions and Fear of a Black Planet, also Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders, for example. I agree that Nation of Millions was PE's best album.
Meh.. it's a pretty good list but there are some glaring omissions and changes I'd make, as well as some "get that sh!te out of there" changes. I am impressed that they put Pharcyde in there. First: Get rid of ANYTHING to do with B.I.G, 2Pac, or Eminem. None of them have offered anything that hasn't been done before, or done better since. Second: Re-evaluate the inclusion of the Beastie Boys. All they ever really did was make it "ok" for white people to like rap. Their albums are all annoying except "in sound from way out" in which they never actually rap. Third: Eric B & Rakim as #1 of all time? Good pick, but no way. I'd put "It takes a nation of millions..." on #1 in a heartbeat. Some other additions I'd make that are groundbreaking, good, and worthy of being top 25: Blackalicious "Nia" Blackstar (self titled) Tribe Called Quest "Midnight Marauders" Brand New Heavies "Heavy Rhyme Experience" NWA "Straight Outta Compton"
Not true...all of them have put out incredible records and are important in the evolution / continuation of hip hop. I'm not saying they should be in a top 25 list, but to accross the board dismiss them is ludicrous. ...and put out ground breaking albums like Check Your Head...be part of an album that changed the face of sampling forever, Pauls Boutique. But don't let that stop you from not personally liking them. There's no way that whatever was number one is gonna please the whole crowd...but you really can't argue with anyone who lists that as their choice. ditto here, but I guess only one album per artist... Groundbreaking, yes...great, sure why not?? But it hasn't held up well at all. Songs like Something 2 Dance 2 and Boyz In The Hood are embarrassingly bad when held up next to pretty much everything on that list...in fact, I'd say that only half of Sraight Outta Compton is still "great".
they might just hit the nail on the coffin. with an exception of few they researched well. rakim is the tighest rapper of all-time so is tupac . but what can i say this is et top 25. lets see other magazines top 25.
not too bad a list, but the one per bit is stupid... and any list that doesnt have 'it takes a nation... ' on it is straight buggin'
True. A few of the solos (I'm thinking the first round of LPs by Gza, Raekwon, Ghostface and ODB) were sonically and lyrically superior to 36 Chambers (which in turn as way, way better than anything they've put out as a group since), imho. But in terms of overall impact, nothing comes close to the first one, so I can understand, if not agree, with their reasoning.
If I made an album in 1986 and in 2005 half of the songs were still considered "great" I'd be pretty happy about it!
Brand New Heavies squeaks under the wire as a hip hop group? Yikes! I have one of their albums and I thought it was acid-jazz/funk. Shows what I know. I only have about 7 of the albums on the list, and I would have put "Miseducation" higher, but prolly cuz of not having a broad enough foundation. Having said that, I'm also shocked that "It Takes a Nation..." isn't on the list. The only possible justification for that omission, IMO, is only one album per group.
Generally speaking, no they're not a hip-hop group, but the album mentioned has guest MC's on every track...