Ten Hip-Hop Album Recommendations-Part 2

Young Hov!

This post is the remaining 5 hip-hop albums I'd recommend to check out if you are looking to get into some 'good rap'.  Its in no particular order-don't think of these as 6-10.  Each album has a description, a first track to get you into it and a follow up track to keep you in it.  If you dig the album, check out the recommended follow up album.

Anything here you like?  Anything I left out?  Leave a comment below

Also, definitely check out Part 1 which you can find HERE.

Jay-Z - The Blueprint

Jay-Z is king right now, gracefully transitioning from drug dealer to media mogul with ownership in restaurants and basketball teams.  When you hear Jay brag, it is larger than life-but believe it, it is completely true ('Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can').  The Blueprint is just that, a blueprint for his move from domination of the rap game, to domination of, well, whatever he chooses to touch.  This is the album of a self-made man.

Track: IZZO (H.O.V.A.)
Follow Up Track: The Ruler's Back
Follow Up Album: Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury



Snoop Doggy Dog - Doggystyle

In general my tastes for rap and hip-hop run east, Chicago is about as West as I go.  But the West Coast has produced some greats (some argue 'the greatests') in rap: Dr. Dre, N.W.A., Tupac, Snoop Dogg, etc all hail from California.  Of these, Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle is my indisputable favorite.  This is perfect BBQ music, and if anyone questions your selection you're allowed to pull trump; they are wrong, you are right.

Track: Gin and Juice
Follow Up Track: Murder Was The Case
Follow Up Album: Dr. Dre - The Chronic



Blackstar - Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Blackstar

Yeah, I'm doubling up on Mos Def here, but it almost can't be helped, this album is that good.  One day Mos and Talib decided to put out an album, and it was even more amazing than the two of them separately.  Talib and Mos bounce off each other as easily as the beats bounce off the speakers.  This is about as fun as rap gets.

Track: Definition
Follow Up Track: Brown Skin Lady
Follow Up Album: Mos Def - Black on Both Sides (if you already checked that out, Talib Kweli - Quality)



Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill

Personally, this isn't my favorite Beastie Boys album; early Beasties was frat-rap with a lot of casual misogyny and Licensed to Ill lacks the spirituality and inventiveness that makes later albums so much more interesting.  But this is still a great album and undeniably a classic album.  The Beastie Boys, when it comes down to it, were about friendship and here they are in their purest form, goofing and riffing and acting like idiots because thats what young guys do when they get together with their friends.

Track: The New Style
Follow Up Track: No Sleep Till Brooklyn
Follow Up Album: Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty

The Weeknd - House of Balloons

People will scoff at my inclusion of The Weeknd in here.  This album came out last year, it was a free self-release, and really closer to R&B than it is to rap.  All of these are fair arguments.  Here are mine: 1) I believe the most interesting things that happen in hip-hop are when genres are blended, this album is a beautiful blend of hip-hop, R&B, trip-hop, and so much more; 2) I tossed around a lot of albums that are producer focused (J-Dilla's 'Donuts' is definitely more 'classic'), but I believe amongst them this stands best as an album, to be listened to; 3) There's not much new on this list, after Kanye's 2010 the next closest is 2004.  This album is one of my favorites from 2011.  Warning: this music may create babies.

Track: What You Need

Follow Up Track: House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls

Follow Up Album: J-Dilla - Donuts