Hip Hop albums you'd recommend

[Tintin]

For starters try the more organic hip hop albums like:
Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Joyful Rebellion - k-os (also his debut Exit)
Black on Both Sides - Mos Def (also his first album, made with Talib Kweli called Black Star)

Other stuff:
Talib Kweli's song Get By.
Roots Manuva (British, more left-field and introspective)
Jean Grae (This Week is a great album)
Common (try Be, produced by Kanye)
Outlandish (from Denmark, I think. Quite pop and accessible.)

 

[elevation2u]

i didnt really read throught the hread but the ones i would recommend ....and i for one arent a hip hop fan but can still listen to:

The Roots - The Tipping Point as well as Phrenology
Rjd2 - deadringer
Sole - bottle of humans
science fiction - walls don't exist

 

[griffey123]

How in the world has no one mentioned Things Fall Apart by the Roots or Train of Thought by Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli + DJ Hi Tek)? How about Black Star by Black Star? These records use swears from time to time but are never used solely for the purpose of dropping an F-Bomb to shock. They are creating some of the most intelligent, original music today. Other reccos:

Common- Like Water for Chocolate
BE
De La Soul- The Grind Date (One of the best Hip Hop releases from last year)
Blackalicious- NIA
Lyrics Born- Later That Day
OutKast- ATLiens
Aquemini
Kanye- College Dropout (Incredible record, one of the best of the
past 10 years regardless of genre)
Dizzee Rascal- Boy In Da Corner
Showtime

To discount hip-hop as nothing but cash, money, hos is no more than an expression of your own ignorance. Then by reccomending an album like October, nearly 20 years old, only shows your out-datedness. Hip Hop is as thriving, inventive, intelligent and entertaining as anything being made today. Do yourself a favor and listen to some of these records as if you give them a chance, they will blow you away. Also, dont discount classic hip hop from the early to mid 80's as there is some groundbreaking music included in that time period.

 

[u2popmofo]

How in the world has no one mentioned Things Fall Apart by the Roots or Train of Thought by Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli + DJ Hi Tek)? How about Black Star by Black Star? These records use swears from time to time but are never used solely for the purpose of dropping an F-Bomb to shock. They are creating some of the most intelligent, original music today.

To discount hip-hop as nothing but cash, money, hos is no more than an expression of your own ignorance. Then by reccomending an album like October, nearly 20 years old, only shows your out-datedness. Hip Hop is as thriving, inventive, intelligent and entertaining as anything being made today. Do yourself a favor and listen to some of these records as if you give them a chance, they will blow you away. Also, dont discount classic hip hop from the early to mid 80's as there is some groundbreaking music included in that time period.

This post is fantastic. I agree 100%.

Stuff I recommend (most has been previously mentioned):

Jurassic 5 (all of their work, the EP and both albums, is absolutely fantastic. They're probably my favorite hip hop act)
De La Soul
Beastie Boys (the old, the new, it's all great)
Dizzie Rascal
Madvillain (their album was probably the most highly rated hip hop/rap album of last year in the indie world)
Talib Kweli
Mos Def
Blackstar (Mos Def and Talib Kweli together, that should speak for itself)
Outkast (probably the most innovative act in ALL of mainstream music right now)
Bubba Sparxx
Cee-Lo
The Dungeon Family
The Roots
K-Os
Pharcyde
Blackalicious
Dr. Dre (he completely changed how most all hip hop sounds)
Snoop Dogg (excessively enjoyable)
Cypress Hill
etc, etc, etc, etc, etc

 

[SkeeK]

Seriously, seriously listen to these songs, as they are utterly brilliant:

Aesop Rock - Daylight
El-P - Stepfather Factory
Blackalicious - Release Pts 1,2,3
The Roots - You Got Me (feat. Erykah Badu)
Latyrx - Storm Warning
Talib Kweli - Get By
Cinematic Orchestra - All Things To All Men (feat. Roots Manuva)
Lyrics Born - Last Trumpet

Outkast - ATLiens is brilliant (as is most everything by them), but has quite liberal explicit content. I love Outkast cause they actually rap quite a bit about drugs and girls but in a very intelligent, real way. props to them.

 

[BluRmGrl]

Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
I know - it's old, but I think it's stood the test of time very nicely. Besides, it's the only hip-hop album I've ever liked enough to buy.

 

[Diemen]

The only rap/hip hop albums I own are Jurassic 5's two full albums - Quality Control and Power In Numbers. Both are excellent. Rap with more thought put into the words than the beat (not that the beats are bad), unlike most of the commercially popular rap out there (cough - 50cent).