Picking up on yesterday’s Beat of the Day thread where Bluenatic and Chyll Will listed their 20 favorite Hip Hop albums, I figured I’d pick 20 more, careful not to repeat any of their selections. They already took many of my favorites records: from Slick Rick and EPMD–damn you Will for making it a tie!–Tribe, Pharcyde, Nas, Common Sense.
So, with all due respect to killer records by Biz, P.E., Ice T, Dr. Dre, Uncle L, Snoop, 3rd Base, Leaders of the New, Black Sheep, Ultramag, Jay Z, MC Lyte, Ice Cube, Artifacts, Quasimoto, Nice and Smooth, Kurious, and J-Live, here’s my 20:
“Any Any Means Necessary” BDP
“Straight Out the Jungle” The Jungle Brothers
“Unfinished Business” EPMD
“The Sun Rises in the East” Jeru the Damaja
“Three Feet High and Rising” De La Soul
“Funky Technition” Lord Finesse
“Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop” Diamond D
“Daily Operation” Gang Starr
“Life of a Kid in the Ghetto” Ed O.G. and the Bulldogs
“Breaking Atoms” Main Source
“Muddy Waters” Redman
“The Beatnuts” Beatnuts
“It’s a Big Daddy Thing” Big Daddy Kane
“Straight Outta Compton” N.W.A.
“21 and Over” Tha Alkaholiks
“Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers)” Wu Tang
“People’s Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm” A Tribe Called Quest
“The Infamous” Mobb Deep
“Enter Da Stage” Black Moon
“Runaway Slave” Showbiz and AG
“Word Life” O.C.
Haa!
EPMD's tie was because Strictly Business had a bunch of classic staples, while Unfinished Business was their peak and most realized album. I couldn't decide which was better based on that criteria (though Unfinished has a stronger place in my mind personally.) I wanted to mention Gang Starr's "Daily Operation" as their most complete album, but "Moment Of Truth" was really not bad either. But I have to call you on picking "People's Instinctive Travels..." over "Low End Theory", wowzers... and "It's A Big Daddy Thing"? I dunno, I have to listen to that again. Otherwise, I like your list, too.
I stated back on the other thread that my list was more a supplement to Bluenatic's list (and now yours as well); I'm more of a cloud guy when it comes to these sort of things. Lots and lots worthy of mention, apologies or not.
I did mention that I would provide a list of the illest scratchers (turntablists) in Hip Hop, but I don't know if I can come up with twenty. Here are the ones who pop up in my mind in no particular order:
Scratch
Jam Master Jay
Jazzy Jeff
Premier
Q-Bert
Red Alert
Kid Capri (maaaybe...)
Grandmaster Flash
Fuze (Digital Underground)
Roc Raida
Kid Koala
Terminator X
Again, off the top of my head. There were some real old school guys that advanced the art, like Grand Wizard Theodore and Jazzy Jay who were big on the airwaves in their day and I know Theo still does his thing. Interesting wiki on turntablists... Big difference between these guys and the more renowned producers (some of whom are on this list as well) is the skills on the turntables (as an instrument) as opposed to laying down tracks to make a song or album, which is a totally different list.
I aspired to be one in my mind, but I never could afford the equipment. When I finally had access to such (I'd like to hear the discussion on Mickeys vs Geminis) I was more into making audio collages with turntable activities mixed in. Not on a level with the real pros, but it's fun to do.
My friend suggested a list on top background dancers, but that's not something I can throw up a competent list of besides the obvious ones like Scoob and Scrap and Tupac and the whole Rock Steady Crew (who I hardly consider "background" dancers >;)
Outstanding selections, good sir. Can't argue with any of them.
Okay, While we await my original comment to come out of moderation, I will make some slight amendments:
Big Daddy Kane: It's A Big Daddy Thing... definitely worthy, so I retract my initial skepticism. His best album, before he went all R&Bish...
My Tribe remark is all in fun, not intended to be fascist at all. It's the album that put them on the map, after all...
I second Bluenatic's commedation!
3) Funny thing about Kane is that the third album, more R&B stuff, would later become the norm for MCs like Biggie and Jay Z.
Plus, it's got the Prince Paul produced "No Damn Good on it" but the picture of Kane and his boys in the pool with the floats? Uh...scratch that, Scoob.