About this series: A list of the rap albums that, in retrospect, represent the best of each year since the launch of the genre. To get in this series it must:
- Be a good album from start to finish, with a minimum of filler/skipped tracks–it’s more than a bunch of hits with filler around it; and
- Still be a good listen many years later–the whole album has aged well
And so we come to the end of the ’80s. In 1989, rap continued to expand and brace itself for the ’90s, it’s greatest decade. This year’s list, like 1988, has some great rap albums on it–but unlike 1988’s list, 1989 also offered some of the best and most important albums of any genre. The top 3 albums on this list are still influencing artists to this day.
1989 was also the year that the thought police caught up with hip hop. Many of the albums below were targeted by government lawsuits and criminal prosecution, including the one by future TV cop Ice-T.
These are the great rap albums from ’89…
16. The Biz Never Sleeps by The Diabolical Biz Markie. Yeah, this is the one with “Just a Friend.” And yeah, that song is definitely the highlight of the album, but the whole thing is fun. Like a cleaner, old school Old Dirty Bastard record might sound.
15. As Nasty As They Want to Be by 2 Live Crew. Maybe the dirtiest album in history, or at least to date. But it’s actually funny lyrically, and the eclecticism of the samples make it double as a kind of “name that tune” for music nerds. It’s a mistake to dismiss this as just an attempt to make money off obscenity. I mean, that’s what it was, I’m just saying it wasn’t only an attempt to make money off obscenity.
14. Walking With a Panther by LL Cool J. Todd Smith had always been a bit of Romeo rapper, but here he emphasized love songs over everything else, which alienated some fans. The album still went platinum, but it’s not as well remembered. He remade the cut Jingaling Baby on his “comeback” album (and I know I’m not supposed to call it that), and made it much, much better.
13. Raw Like Sushi by Neneh Cherry. Look, this is a music blog. That means I’m gonna put some off-the-wall entries on my lists. Last year was Shinehead’s Unity. This is the one for ’89. Raw Like Sushi is pure, accessible pop. But Neneh Cherry fuses elements of rock and soul, raps on Buffalo Stance (and I’d argue she’s rapping on the verses for several other songs, if not the hooks), and brought with her the credibility of a legendary father … She’s hip hop, this is hip hop in my opinion. Deal with it.
12. Life Is…Too Short by Too $hort. Too Short is a guy who raps with tremendous skill and flow, with content that is lowbrow. Don’t let that deter you. There are moments of pure genius on this album, and if you have a sense of humor, lots of laugh out loud moments.
11. Grip It! On that Other Level by Geto Boys. If the sound quality bothers you, check out Rick Rubin’s remixes from the 1990 eponymous album. Much cleaner. As it stands, this is one of the best independent and low-fi rap albums ever to come out of Houston.
10. No One Can Do It Better by The D.O.C. NWA’s mentor’s solo project. The tracks are funk-forward, with production by Dr. Dre. Dre isn’t quite doing the G-Funk thing yet, but you can hear him moving in that direction. It was followed by surgery on his vocal cords that essentially ended his career. Key tracks: It’s Funky Enough, Lend Me an Ear, The Grand Finale.
9. Unfinished Business by EPMD. I mean, The Big Payback alone is a reason to call this a classic.
8. It’s a Big Daddy Thing by Big Daddy Kane. Many call this his best album. Others say it’s last year’s Long Live the Kane. But I think everyone agrees that this is his last great album.
7. Done by the Forces of Nature by Jungle Brothers. The JB’s second album is, sadly, their last great one. That’s true for quite a few perfomers on this list. But damn is it fire. Key tracks: What U Waitin’ 4, title track, Doin’ Our Own Dang.
6. The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech… Just Watch What You Say! by Ice-T. Not just a great rap album, also an early example of “rock rap” on the song “The Girl Tried to Kill Me” (foreshadowing Ice-T’s brief future as a hardcore singer). Key tracks: Title track, Lethal Weapon, You Played Yourself.
5. Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop by Boogie Down Productions. It wasn’t until I started making these lists for each year that I realized what a fantastic run KRS-One had on his early albums. Just one great one after another. Key songs here include Bo! Bo! Bo! (my second favorite BDP song of all time, The Style You Haven’t Done Yet, and Why Is That?
4. The Cactus Album by 3d Bass. MC Serch was the real deal, and did more for hip hop than most others in the field–black or white. This album, for example, was the launch pad for MF DOOM (then performing as Zev Love X), who performed on “Gas Face.” That cut is interesting because it calls out pop rappers like MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice (with whom 3d Bass would basically go to war on their next album), but also denigrates people simply on the basis of their being white ,which made for a rather uncomfortable listen for white guys (like yours truly) who were fans of the art of rap and supported its uplifting elements. But perhaps the best thing about The Cactus Album is that it had skits that are actually worth listening to, and don’t have to be skipped. That’s a rarity. Key tracks: Product of My Environment, Steppin’ to the AM, Brooklyn Queens. And I don’t want to neglect Pete Nice and DJ Richie Rich. The Prime Minister and Serch had tremendous pass-the-mic energy, and Rich’s turntablism was right up there with the best of them. Add production by some of the best in the business (Prince Paul, Hank Shocklee and Eric Sadler, Sam Sever) and you’ve got a solid #4 ranked album that could have been #1 if the competition in 1989 weren’t so damn tough.
3. Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A. It was so hard to decide whether to make this #2 or #3 (or even #1). I’ve listened to all of these albums so many times. But in the end, as much fun as it is to hear this record, it doesn’t have the range or depth of my #1 pick. So it loses the race…But just barely. In terms of influence and reach, though, it’s definitely #1. And best of all, it was an independent album! NWA’s success served as an inspiration to underground rappers everywhere. It also inspired wholesome political movements centering around censorship, a CIA investigation, and the band’s arrest for disturbing the peace. And they did it all with only one feature, by D.O.C., who served as a mentor to Dr. Dre and the rest of the group.
2. Three Feet High and Rising by De La Soul. Is this rap’s first concept album? Maybe. And yeah, the skits are annoying. I have a rule about this list: No songs are skips. But skits? Nobody likes skits. And there’s tons of them on this one–but we’ll let is slide because the rest of the album is unparalleled in originality and excellence.
Notwithstanding the Jungle Brothers’ debut in ’88, Three Feet High signaled the beginning of Native Tongue and brought a rash of like-minded rappers, some affiliated, some riding coattails. Three Feet High was radically unlike anything we’d heard before. Hippie rap, unbridled joy, and unmatched skills. Pure excellence. Key tracks: The Magic Number, Buddy, Say No Go, My Myself and I…So many.
1. Paul’s Boutique by The Beastie Boys. I know, I know, it’s sacrilege to rank this above De La Soul’s debut. But this is my list, and I have to be honest: I listen to this one a lot more often. Key tracks: Side two. It’s deservedly compared to side two of Abbey Road.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Loc’ed After Dark by Tone Loc and Stone Cold Rhymin’ by Young MC. Yeah, Loc-ed spawned two of the biggest rap hits of the ’80s. But can you name one other song from this album? (And if you can, name two, because there was one other hit besides “Funky Cold Medina” and “Wild Thing”.) Stone Cold also spawned one of rap’s biggest selling hits of the ’80s. In terms of an emcee, Young MC has the edge lyrically, while Loc is more fun to listen to and has a more modern style. Together, they represent the tail-end of the “top 40 rappers” of the ’80s, who brought a lot of attention (and money) to hip hop and helped establish it as a mainstream musical art form.- No More Mr. Nice Guy by Gang Starr. Guru and Preemo are probably the best duo in the history of rap. This was their debut and it was very good, just not good enough for me to call it “great.”
- Road to the Riches by Kool G Rap and DJ Polo. I think Kool G Rap was the last member of the Juice Crew to release a solo album. This album is consistent with the ones from Daddy Kane and MC Shan: Hard vocals, fairly straightforward content (with a greater emphasis on crime stories), excellent execution. A great album.
- All Hail the Queen by Queen Latifah. I know it’s a great album, it just doesn’t do it for me enough to make my list–but I’m not trying to diminish it in any way.
WORST RAP ALBUM OF 1989: Standing in the Spotlight by Dee Dee King (aka Dee Dee Ramone). Yes, this was a rap album. Or at least was intended to be.
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