About.com’s resident backpacker has finally unveiled his Top 100 Rap Albums of the 2000s. He claims it would leave me feeling wistfully nostalgic, but the only feeling it gave me was the desire to punch him for omitting Nelly’s Country Grammar. Seriously, if you don’t have Country Grammar on your Greatest Albums list, your list has no credibility. Anyhow, I wanted to share the list with TRU Nation to get your take on it. Here’s the Top 100 broken down by year.
2000
10. Slum Village – Fantastic Vol.2
9. Reflection Eternal – Train Of Thought
8. dead prez – Let’s Get Free
7. M.O.P. – Warriorz
6. Blackalicious – Nia
5. Del Tha Funky Homosapien – Deltron 3030
4. Common – Like Water For Chocolate
3. OutKast – Stankonia
2. Eminem – Marshall Mathers LP
1. Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele
2001
10. Aesop Rock – Labor Days
9. N.E.R.D. – In Search Of…
8. Cannibal Ox – Cold Vein
7. Missy Elliott – Miss E…
6. Cormega – The Realness
5. J-Zone – Pimps Don’t Pay Taxes
4. Pete Rock – Petestrumentals
3. Masta Ace – Disposable Arts
2. Nas – Stillmatic
1. Jay-Z – The Blueprint
2002
10. Blackalicious – Blazing Arrow
9. Mr. Lif – I-Phantom
8. RjD2 – Deadringer
7. Devin The Dude – Just Tryin’ ta Live
6. GZA – Legend Of The Liquid Sword
5. The Roots – Phrenology
4. El-P – Fantastic Damage
3. Talib Kweli – Quality
2. Nas – God’s Son
1. Scarface – The Fix
2003
10. T.I. – Trap Muzik
9. CunninLynguists – Southernunderground
8. Danger Mouse & Jemini – Ghetto Pop Life
7. Viktor Vaughn – Vaudeville Villain
6. Little Brother – The Listening
5. Dizzee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner
4. JayLib – Champion Sound
3. 50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’
2. Jay-Z – The Black Album
1. OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2004
10. Masta Killah – No Said Date
9. Brother Ali – Champion Sound EP
8. Masta Ace – A Long Hot Summer
7. Murs – Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition
6. Royce da 5′9″ – Death Is Certain
5. Madvillain – Madvillainy
4. Cam’ron – Purple Haze
3. De La Soul – The Grind Date
2. MF Doom – Mm..Food
1. Kanye West – College Dropout
2005
10. Sean Price – Monkey Barz
9. Beanie Sigel – The B-Coming
8. DJ Muggs vs. GZA – Grandmasters
7. Quasimoto – The Further Adventures of Lord Quas
6. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter II
5. Cage – Hell’s Winter
4. Common – Be
3. Little Brother – The Minstrel Show
2. The Game – The Documentary
1. Kanye West – Late Registration
2006
10. Apathy – Eastern Philosophy
9. The Coup – Pick a Bigger Weapon
8. T.I. – King
7. Louis Logic & JJ Brown – Misery Loves Comedy
6. Trae – Restless
5. Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury
4. J Dilla – Donuts
3. Ghostface – Fishscale
2. Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor
1. The Roots – Game Theory
2007
10. Devin The Dude – Waiting to Inhale
9. Prodigy – Return of the Mac
8. Blu & Exile – Below the Heavens
7. El-P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
6. UGK – Underground Kingz
5. Pharoahe Monch – Desire
4. Kanye West – Graduation
3. Jay-Z – American Gangster
2. Brother Ali – Undisputed Truth
1. Lupe Fiasco – Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool
2008
10. Immortal Technique – 3rd World
9. Elzhi – The Preface
8. Jazz Liberatorz – Clin d’oeil
7. The Roots – Rising Down
6. eMC – The Show
5. J Live – Then What Happened
4. Black Milk – Tronic
3. Nas – Untitled
2. Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons
1. Q-Tip – The Renaissance
2009
10. K’Naan – Troubador
9. K-os – Yes!
8. Eminem – Relapse
7. Clipse – Till The Casket Drops
6. Slaughterhouse – Slaughterhouse
5. DOOM – Born Like This
4. UGK – UGK 4 Life
3. Brother Ali – US
2. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… PT2
1. Mos Def – The Ecstatic
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where is The Eminem Show !!
^Somewhere in a trash bin.
nice to see K-OS – Yes!
solid list overall…its obviously gonna be tough to get 10 years worth of good albums all to hit one list…i can live with a few missed good albums..im just glad theres no trash on there
Dissapointed Eardrum isnt there but altogether a solid list.
2010-1-the R.E.D.album
not one jeezy album, you trippin…
how the f**** is hell hath no fury or fishscale not top of the 2006 list!? can’t say the list is not solid though.
U’ve reminded of some hidden gems i need to check out..
Switch 6 and 7 in 2009 and I am content.
Suo – Hell Hath No Fury and Fishscale on the list.
Jedi Mind Tricks – Violent By Design shoulda been on there for 2000
No American Gangster, Trill, or The Carter 3! SMH
I would just add the Dusty Foot Philosopher and the list is solid.
I understand how easy it is to nitpick lists like this and think this is pretty fuckin solid. But I’m going to go ahead and nitpick. You have When Life Gives you Lemons at #2 in 2008 but God Loves Ugly is nowhere to be found in 2002? I wouldn’t put it in the top 5 of 2002, but it probably belongs on the list…especially if you like Atmosphere enough to put WLGYLYPTSG at 2. Needless to say ‘02 was a good year for rap. A couple classics in there.
rizoh- i actually meant the top of the list as in number 1 and 2, my bad. but looking at it again though, game theory did feel like the root’s very own ‘revolver’ or ‘tranformer’, their magnum opus. maybe 2 and 3 then for hhnf and fs? no?
Every hip-hop album I loved in the 00s was accounted for. No complaints here.
Gotta have The Doctor’s Advocate and L.A.X. THE GAME IS DOPE!
l.a.x is shit. I’m not even try and explain why.
Doctor’s advocate on the other hand, seems like it was a fluke by him, almost too good to have been done by the game.
Solid list, hard to compile something as comprehensive as that but I can’t have much complaints about this one.
Suo, As much as I love HHNF (newskool classic) and Fishscale (Ghost’s consistently dope) and you have a point about Game Theory as well you’re sleeping on Donuts! Dilla’s magnum opus is a genuine masterpiece.
Agree with you on LAX(atitve) though, Advocate probably was that good because he had to prove he could deliver without the doctor. MC’s need to hunger for that mic.
NO DR. DRE????????????
Good lists, but I would definitely have Tha Carter III somewhere in the top 5 for 2008.
i’ll assume c-los was joking (if he was it was pretty funny) i wouldve put doctor’s advocate on the list… and the street’s first two albums. also Vakill’s “Worst Fears Confirmed” and Blue Scholars’ “Bayani”. I can find a few albums I’d knock off for these.