FOR MY CONSIDERATION

From June 2012 to February 2013, I studied and analyzed 258 of hip hop's finest LPs, whittling down the list to what I believe were the 50 best. My intention was to create a spirited debate about a truly innovative and culturally important musical movement. 

This is obviously a completely subjective entity, so I'll apologize in advance if anyone disagrees with my selections, the order of those selections, the construction of lists in general or unpaid music criticism. My recommendation is to have fun with it... I did. 

Here's the full alphabetical list of all LPs considered for the HIP HOP TOP 50! 

Above the Law - Livin' Like Hustlers (1990)

Aesop Rock – Labor Days (2001)

Afrika Bambaataa – Looking for the Perfect Beat (1980 – 1985)

Akinyele – Vagina Diner (1993)

Alkaholiks – Coast II Coast (1995)

Alkaholiks – Likwidation (1997)

Artifacts – Between a Rock and a Hard Place (1994)

Atmosphere – God Loves Ugly (2002)

AZ – Doe or Die (1995)

Basehead – Play with Toys (1992)

Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill (1986)

Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (1989)

Beastie Boys – Check Your Head (1992)

Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (1994)

Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty (1998)

Beastie Boys – To the 5 Boroughs (2004)

Beatnuts – Intoxicated Demons: The EP (1993)

Beatnuts – The Beatnuts: Street Level (1994)

Big Daddy Kane – Long Live the Kane (1988)

Big Daddy Kane – It’s a Big Daddy Thing (1989)

Big Pun – Capital Punishment (1998)

Biz Markie – Goin’ Off (1988)

Blackalicious – Nia (1999)

Blackalicious – Blazing Arrow (2002)

Black Sheep – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (1991)

Black Moon – Enta Da Stage (1993)

Black Star – Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998)

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Creepin’ On Ah Come Up (1994)

Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded (1987)

Boogie Down Productions – By All Means Necessary (1988)

Boogie Down Productions – Ghetto Music: the Blueprint of Hip-Hop (1989)

Boot Camp Clik – For the People (1997)

Brand New Heavies – Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1 (1992)

Brand Nubian – One for All (1990)

Busta Rhymes – When Disaster Strikes… (1997)

Cadence Weapon – Breaking Kayfabe (2005)

Cali Agents – How the West Was One (2000)

Camp Lo – Uptown Saturday Night (1997)

Cam’ron – Purple Haze (2004)

Cannibal Ox – The Cold Vein (2001)

Chill Rob G – Ride the Rhythm (1989)

Clipse – Lord Willin’ (2002)

Clipse – We Got It 4 Cheap, Volume 2 (2005)

Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury (2006)

Common Sense – Resurrection (1994)

Common – Like Water for Chocolate (2000)

Company Flow – Funcrusher Plus (1997)

The Coup – Genocide & Juice (1994)

CunninLynguists – A Piece of Strange (2006)

Cypress Hill – s/t (1991)

Cypress Hill – Black Sunday (1993)

Da Youngstas – I’ll Make U Famous (1995)

Danger Doom – The Mouse and the Mask (2005)

Das EFX – Dead Serious (1992)

Das EFX – Hold It Down (1995)

De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)

De La Soul – De La Soul is Dead (1991)

De La Soul – Buhloone Mindstate (1993)

De La Soul – Stakes Is High (1996)

De La Soul – Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)

De La Soul – AOI: Bionix (2001)

De La Soul – The Grind Date (2004)

Dead Prez – Let’s Get Free (2000)

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien – I Wish My Brother George Was Here (1991)

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien – No Need for Alarm (1993)

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien – Future Development (1997)

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien – Both Sides of the Brain (2000)

Deltron 3030 – s/t (2000)

Devin the Dude – Just Tryin’ ta Live (2002)

Diamond D – Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop (1992)

Digable Planets – Reachin… (A New Refutation of Time and Space) (1993)

Digable Planets – Blowout Comb (1994)

Digital Underground – Sex Packets (1990)

Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner (2003)

Dizzee Rascal – Showtime (2004)

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince – He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper (1988)

DJ Shadow – Endtroducing….. (1996)

DJ Quik – Quik is the Name (1991)

DJ Quik – Way 2 Fonky (1992)

DMX – It’s Dark and Hell’s Hot (1998)

D.O.C. – No One Can Do It Better (1989)

Doug E. Fresh – World’s Greatest Entertainer (1988)

Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992)

Dr. Dre – 2001 (1999)

Dr. Octagon – Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996)

Eazy-E – Eazy-Duz-It (1988)

Edan – Primitive Plus (2002)

Edan – Beauty and the Beat (2005)

El-P – Fantastic Damage (2002)

Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (1999)

Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

Eminem – The Eminem Show (2002)

EPMD – Strictly Business (1988)

EPMD – Unfinished Business (1989)

EPMD – Business as Usual (1990)

Eric B. & Rakim – Paid in Full (1987)

Eric B. & Rakim – Follow the Leader (1988)

Eric B. & Rakim – Let the Rhythm Hit Em (1990)

Eric B. & Rakim – Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992)

50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003)

Freestyle Fellowship – To Whom It May Concern… (1991)

Freestyle Fellowship – Innercity Griots (1993)

Fugees – The Score (1996)

The Game – Doctor’s Advocate (2006)

Gang Starr – Step In the Arena (1991)

Gang Starr – Daily Operation (1992)

Gang Starr – Hard to Earn (1994)

Gang Starr – Moment of Truth (1998)

Genius/Gza – Liquid Swords (1995)

Geto Boys – Grip It! On That Other Level (1989)

Geto Boys – We Can’t Be Stopped (1991)

Geto Boys – The Resurrection (1996)

Ghostface Killah - Ironman (1996)

Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele (2000)

Ghostface Killah – The Pretty Toney Album (2004)

Ghostface Killah – Fishscale (2006)

Goodie Mob – Soul Food (1995)

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message (1982)

Group Home – Livin’ Proof (1995)

Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. 1 (1993)

Guru – Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality (1995)

Heavy D &  The Boyz – Living Large (1987)

Heltah Skeltah – Nocturnal (1996)

Hieroglyphics  - Full Circle (2003)

Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)

Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)

Ice Cube – Death Certificate (1991)

Ice Cube – The Predator (1992)

Ice-T – Rhyme Pays (1987)

Ice-T – Power (1988)

Ice-T – The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech… Just Watch What You Say (1989)

Ice-T – O.G. Original Gangster (1991)

J Dilla – Donuts (2006)

Jay Lib – Champion Sound (2003)

Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Jay-Z – The Blueprint (2001)

Jay-Z – The Black Album (2003)

Wyclef Jean – The Carnival (1997)

Jeru the Damaja – The Sun Rises in The East (1994)

Jeru the Damaja – Wrath of the Math (1996)

Jungle Brothers – Done by the Forces of Nature (1989)

Jurassic 5 – Quality Control (2000)

Juvenile – 400 Degreez (1998)

KMD – Mr. Hood (1991)

KMD – Black Bastards (1993)

Kool G Rap and DJ Polo – Road to the Riches (1989)

Kool G Rap and DJ Polo – Wanted: Dead or Alive (1990)

Kool G Rap and DJ Polo – Live and Let Die (1992)

Kool Moe Dee – How Ya Like Me Now (1987)

KRS-One – Return of the Boom Bap (1993)

Talib Kweli – Quality (2002)

Lil Wayne – Tha Carter II (2005)

Lil Wayne - Dedication 2 (2006)

Little Brother – The Minstrel Show (2005)

LL Cool J – Radio (1985)

LL Cool J – Bigger and Deffer (BAD) (1987)

LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)

Lootpack – Soundpieces: Da Antidote (1999)

Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth – Funky Technician (1990)

Ludacris – Back for the First Time (2000)

Madvillain – Madvillainy (2004)

Main Source – Breaking Atoms (1991)

Makaveli – The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)

MC Lyte – Lyte as a Rock (1988)

MC Paul Barman – It’s Very Stimulating EP (2000)

MC Paul Barman – Paullelujah! (2002)

MC Shan – Down by Law (1987)

Method Man – Tical (1994)

Method Man & Redman – Blackout! (1999)

MF Doom – Operation: Doomsday (1999)

MF Doom – MM… Food (2004)

Missy Eliott – Supa Dupa Fly (1997)

Missy Elliott – Miss E: So Addictive (2001)

Mobb Deep – The Infamous (1995)

Mos Def – Black on Both Sides (1999)

Mystic – Cuts for Luck and Scars for Freedom (2001)

Nas – Illmatic (1994)

Nas – I Am (1999)

Nas – It Was Written (1996)

Nas – Stillmatic (1999)

Nice and Smooth – s/t (1989)

The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (1994)

The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death (1997)

N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton (1988)

O.C. – Word…Life (1994)

O.C. – Jewelz (1997)

Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995)

Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Nigga Please (1999)

Onyx – Bacdafucup (1993)

Organized Konfusion – Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1994)

Outkast – Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik (1994)

Outkast – ATLiens (1996)

Outkast – Aquemini (1998)

Outkast – Stankonia (2000)

Outkast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)

Paris – The Devil Made Me Do It (1990)

Peanut Butter Wolf – My Vinyl Weighs a Ton (1999)

Pete Rock and CL Smooth – Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992)

The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1992)

Pharoahe Monch – Internal Affairs (1999)

Poor Righteous Teachers – Holy Intellect (1990)

Prince Paul – A Prince Among Thieves (1999)

Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet (1990)

Quasimoto – The Unseen (2000)

Queen Latifah – All Hail the Queen (1989)

Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995)

Ram Squad – Operation Lock the City (1996)

Redman – Whut? Thee Album (1992)

Redman – Muddy Waters (1996)

Reflection Eternal – Train of Thought (2000)

The Roots – Organix! (1993)

The Roots – Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995)

The Roots – Illadelph Halflife (1996)

The Roots – Things Fall Apart (1999)

The Roots – Phrenology (2002)

The Roots – The Tipping Point (2004)

Run-D.M.C. – s/t (1984)

Run-D.M.C. – Raising Hell (1986)

Salt N’ Pepa – Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986)

Scarface – Mr. Scarface is Back (1991)

Scarface – The Diary (1994)

Scarface – The Fix (2002)

Roxanne Shante – Bad Sister (1989)

Special Ed- Youngest In Charge (1989)

Showbiz and A.G. – Goodfellas (1995)

Slick Rick- The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick (1988)

Slum Village – Fantastic, vol. 2 (2000)

Smif-N-Wessun- Dah Shinin' (1995)

Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle (1993)

Souls Of Mischief- 93 til' Infinity (1993)

Spice 1 – s/t (1992)

Sugarhill Gang - s/t (1980)

3rd Bass- The Cactus Album (1989)

Three Six Mafia – Most Known Unknown (2005)

T.I. – King (2006)

Too Short- Born To Mack (1987)

Too Short – Life Is… Too Short (1990)

Too Short – Cocktails (1995)

A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990)

A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory (1991)

A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (1993)

A Tribe Called Quest – Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996)

A Tribe Called Quest – The Love Movement (1998)

2Pac – 2Pacalypse Now (1991)

2Pac – Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993)

2Pac - Me Against The World (1995)

2Pac – All Eyez on Me (1996)

UGK – Ridin’ Dirty (1996)

Ultramagnetic Mcs – Critical Beatdown (1988)

Viktor Vaughn – Vaudeville Villain (2003)

Kanye West – The College Dropout (2004)

Kanye West – Late Registration (2005)

Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

Wu-Tang Clan – Wu-Tang Forever (1997)

Wu-Tang Clan – The W (2000)

Wu-Tang Clan – Iron Flag (2001)

Xzibit – 40 Dayz and 40 Nightz (1998)