I’m ranking my personal favorite rap albums for each year. I stress: These are my favorites, i.e., the ones I most like to listen to–not the most important rap albums of each year (although there is definitely crossover) and not your favorite rap albums. If I’ve missed any, fee free to drop me a comment and lmk.
For 1993, the top three rap albums are a tie for #1–so it was hard to rate the best of ’93. As for the rest of the list, well, some of these albums do have a few completely skippable tracks and most aren’t consistently great end-to-end. I still dig ’em enough to be on my ’93 GOAT list–but I also understand if you disagree that every album on my list is a bona fide classic.
10. SlaughtaHouse by Masta Ace Incorporated. A bit dated, this early album by Ace has some bangers: Jeep Ass Niguh (which later became a hit after being remixed as “Born to Roll”), the title track, Born to Roll, and Style Wars.
9. Lethal Injection by Ice Cube. This album is kind of filling out the bottom of my list. It had some really good songs, but lacked the heart of Cube’s earlier solo albums. Key tracks: Really Doe, Ghetto Bird, You Know How We Do It.
8. Return of the Boom Bap by KRS-One. This album has his best solo song (Sound of Da Police) and some great deep cuts as well (like the title track).
7. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… by 2Pac. A great album, albeit not his greatest album. Memorable tracks include Holler if Ya Hear Me, Last Words (with both Ices Cube and T), Keep Ya Head Up, I Get Around (with ‘Pac’s former bandmates, Digital Underground), and 5 Deadly Venomz (featuring Treach from Naughty By Nature).
6. Buhloon Mindstate by De La Soul. The group continues to evolve, now becoming even more jazzy and abstract. And fewer skits! This was their last album with Prince Paul. Key cuts: Patti Dooke (with Guru, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis), Breakadawn, Ego Trippin’ Part 2.
5. Enta Da Stage by Black Moon. Wu-Tang Clan is the most famous rap posse of the ’90s, and sometimes people forget that Duck Down Records had its own collective, Boot Camp Clik, which spawned at least one of the best rappers of all time: Sean Price. And those who remember Sean Price often forget Buckshot, who was half of Black Moon and a true force in New York’s gritty underground scene.
It’s criminal that this album didn’t sell as even half as well as Enter the 36 Chambers. It’s also interesting that both of New York’s “supergroups” debuted with albums titled “Enter the…” Strongest cuts: Who Got the Props, Black Smif-N-Wessun, I Gotcha Opin.
4. Plantation Lullabies by Meshell N’Degeocello. It’s okay if you say this isn’t a rap album and think it shouldn’t be on the list. For me, though, it’s a perfect blend of hip hop, jazz, and soul.
1-3. Doggystyle by Snoop Doggy Dog, Enter the 36 Chambers by Wu Tang Clan, and Midnight Marauders by A Tribe Called Quest (Three-Way Tie). It’s impossible for me to choose between these albums. Each, in their own way, had a huge impact on me when it came out and each continues to get regular play from me. It’s a beautiful thing when three stellar albums, with no skips, come out in the same year.
Honorable Mentions:
- Very Necessary by Salt N Pepa. Not a completely great album, but tell me you don’t sing along when any of the hits off this record are played: Shoop, Whatta Man (featuring En Vogue), None of Your Business.
- 19 Naughty III. Spawned the mega-hit, “Hip Hop Hooray,” but also had Written on Yeah Kitten and It’s On.
- Kill My Landlord by The Coup
- 14 Shots to the Dome by LL Cool J. I recognize that most people hate this album, but I love the song, “Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag.”
WORST OF THE YEAR
There were a lot of bad rap albums in 1993. Shaquille O’Neal had a record for crissake. But none more epitomize 1993’s badness than the second albums by Kris Kross and Another Bad Creation. They tie for the worst because they prove that you can be a novelty act (bubble gum rap!) and get a SECOND album in 1993. That’s how much money the genre was starting to generate for labels.
Kriss Kross actually made it to album #3, but for ABC this was the end of their recording career.
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