I’m ranking my personal 10 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.
1999 was a good year, but not a great year. It has two UK hip hop albums, which is kinda interesting. I’m pretty comfortable with my GOAT list–I think all of the entries are classic albums–but I have to admit that a couple of them are not perfect listens all the way through.
9. Who Framed the A-Team by The A-Team.The A-Team were Aceyalone and Abstract Rude. Just about every track on this album is great. I know I said this list would be reserved for albums that are consistently great straight through but…Not a lot to choose from this year so I kept it on. Plus, I have a lot of sentimental love for it. Real old school, ’90s-style, East Coast grit.
8. Da Real World by Missy Elliott. I think people forget this album because it is so different from the ones that preceded it, but it’s still good.
7. Brand New Second Hand by Roots Manuva. Is this album his best or does that award go to Run Come Save Me? Not sure. But I think I like this one a little more.
6. Vol. 3…The Life and Times of Sean Carter by Jay-Z. Vol 3 is definitely not top tier Jay-Z, but there are some huge hits here. Most notably, “Big Pimpin.” It’s got a lot more great songs than mediocre ones, and no bad cuts, so in a thin year like 1999, it makes my list.
5. Chronic 2001 by Dr. Dre. We waited a long time for this album and, yes, it did in fact disappoint. Listen to it without expecting “Chronic 2,” though, and you’ll find that most of the tracks here are very good and more than half of them are excellent. Especially, of course, “Forgot About Dre,” which is might just be Eminem’s greatest song of all time.
4. …And Then There Was X by DMX. DMX gets his first Grammy nom for an album that has party songs (“Party Up, Up In Here”), hard-hitters (“The Professional”) and hard-hitting party songs (“What These Bitches Want feat Sisquo”).
3. Amplified by Q-Tip. Q-Tip proves he can do it without the rest of ATCQ. I forgot how much I love this album, and after listening to it for my research I put it back into heavy rotation.
1. & 2. The Slim Shady EP and Operation: Doomsday by MF DOOM (tie). I have to put these as equals–and comparing the two reveals much about the state of hip hop in ’99. One came from studio money, the other from drug money. Both have excellent production, with DOOM being lofi DIY and Em backed by the skills and budget of Dr. Dre. Both have too many skits, but DOOM’s skits are much longer and create a theme (the way that De La Soul’s do on their albums), while Slim Shady’s are designed to establish how sick he is. Both are cartoonish: Eminem’s misogynistic violence is so over the top as to be ridiculous–an expression of the depth his rage against his mother and frustrations with Kim. It’s like watching a primal therapy session. DOOM’s cartoonism is … Cartoons. Cuts from the Fantastic Four show. Both albums focus on being the villain. Finally, both of these albums pushed hip hop into the areas of the personal, creating deep and detailed worlds that went way beyond the limits of the genre, which by this time was largely rooted in pop and sales.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- The Tunnel by Funkmaster Flex. Mentioned just because it has one of the best Eminem songs of all time, “If I Get Locked Up Tonight.”
- My Vinyl Weighs a Ton by Peanut Butter Wolf. Many people put this as one of the best albums of the year, but for me there’s more misses than hits. It’s solid, though.
- Nia by Blackalicious
- War Zone by Black Moon
- Things Fall Apart by The Roots. This is undoubtedly a great album but honestly, when was the last time you listened to it? I’ll put it here, but it’s just not right for my top 10. No Roots album will make it on my lists. Every time I hear a Roots album I like it, but I never am eager to hear it again.
- Soundpieces: Da Antidote by Lootpack. More great stuff from Madlib and a murderer’s row of West Coast underground rappers.
A Prince Among Thieves by Prince Paul.The legendary producer and a dozen of his all-star friends make a great album. In fact, it could be argued that Kool Keith and Big Daddy Kane have never sounded better. My sense is that this one isn’t all that well-remembered these days–at least compared to the other albums on this list. Chris Rock supposedly bought the rights to the record and hasn’t done any kind of re-release. Oh, and if you do seek this out be warned: The skits are endless and annoying, and are the main reason this album didn’t make my actual list.- Home Field Advantage by The High & Mighty. The underground, unjustly forgotten duo’s debut is basically a rap party with appearances by Eminem, Mos Def, Kool Keith, Pharoahe Monch, Evidence, Wordsworth and Thirstin Howl III, Alchemist (and many others). And at no point do their guests outshine them. I suspect many of you haven’t heard of this album. Go get it. Now. It almost made my main list, but I’m trying to be brutally honest and about a third of the songs are really good but not great. I do hit skip on them.
Worst of the Year: Nothing too, too terrible this year. Except maybe for Puff Daddy’s album, but that was entirely predictable. There were a whole bunch of subpar albums from guys who have done much better work in the past, making this a disappointing year for genre veterans. Examples:
- P.E.’s There’s a Poison Going On, on which they return to their disgusting antisemitic roots
- Can’t Stay Away by Too $hort. He should have stayed away, as this did nothing to add to his legacy.
- Seventh Deadly Sin by Ice-T. Just stay with acting, Ice. At this point, you’re much better at it.
- I Am by Nas. Nas will make some legendary albums again. Soon. But this album…Not his best.
Also, the Sugar Hill Gang made a kids record called “Jump On It.” Ugh.
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