28. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

Authenticity in writing is not necessarily based on one's personal experience, but the willingness of an author to bring real emotion to the fictional lives they put on paper.

A common misconception of the hip-hop songwriter is that they're constantly speaking from their own perspective, cataloging their life experience in diary form, avoiding creative license and the occasional white lie. Not only does this fallacy give the impression that rappers are all egotistical materialists (though some certainly are), it paints them into a corner artistically, forcing them to "keep it real," in lieu of making it innovative.

Ghostface Killah has always put the composition before the image, treating Fishscale more like a compilation of short fictions than a commercial rap record. A willingness to indulge artistic flourishes has yielded the richest of character development, breathing life into the paranoid crack dealers, septuagenarian assassins and strung-out strippers that occupy the dark alleys of Ghost's noir-influenced street poetry. Through these minute details, Ghost has created a body of work that demands attentive listening, packed to the gills with the subtle footnotes and cultural references that beg for an annotated dictionary and scholarly attention.

What makes these words so worthy of dissection and different from the work of contemporaries is the ambiguity of the narrator. Moving from a gritty tale about an agitator getting fitted for false teeth to an unflinching look at memories of childhood abuse, Ghost is capable of playing the audiences' emotions like a master manipulator, particularly by giving the impression that he may have doled out or received the aforementioned beatings. The actuality is besides the point, especially in relation to his talents as an author. What does matter is his ability to envelop us in the mood and setting of a story and shade in enough detail to make each lick of the belt sting as much for us as it does for the protagonist.

His production team wisely saw the vivid, filmic quality of his prose and backed it with the heavy bass lines, blaring horns and squealing guitar solos synonymous with 70's Blaxploitation cinema. Despite a legion of producers on hand, there's a water-tight continuity to the piece as a whole and the sound never deviates from the theme, despite mild tonal shifts and the occasional surreal passage. High-profile beat conductors like MF Doom, Pete Rock and J Dilla all step up with multiple entries, but politely give Ghost most of the spotlight, backing him with a combative drum kick when he's aggressive or the angst-ridden wail of female vocals when he's feeling introspective.

One such moment is "Beauty Jackson," which finds Ghost pouring over the female form, while Dilla repeats and repositions keys elements of Philly Soul by way of The Three Degrees "Maybe." As swirling strings and a quick snippet of downtrodden bass fidget and repeat endlessly, Ghost reminisces about a bus stop belle, capable of turning heads with just the puff of a cigarette or the downwind scent of her perfume. Every aspect of her look and personality are fetishized, rolled up in an eloquent stream of superlatives that note a cute birth mark, name check the Cover Girl lipstick and express genuine surprise when she actually listens to the petty advances. He daydreams of every jealous passerby, disappointed by their inattentive spouse and dated fashion sense. He even briefly lets his guard down, only to accidentally drop his handgun from his waist, sending his object of affection running for the bus.

If this story is pure fiction, Ghostface may be subconsciously exhibiting embarrassment about his early dalliances with a life of crime and depicting the common public perception of criminal offenders. Showing vulnerability and regret is beyond rare for songwriters, but unprecedented for a rapper. On Fishscale, Ghost broadens the scope of what it means to be a storyteller and MC, birthing an expansive fictional world constructed from bits of his real life, further shaded in by a versatile wordsmith far too talented to be sequestered to the ghetto of "real" MCs.

29. Quasimoto - The Unseen

Under a plume of smoke and fogged by a head full of mushrooms, avant-garde producer, Madlib, took his passion for exhuming jazz obscurities and married it to the social consciousness and surreal wordplay of Melvin Van Peebles. The resulting tapestry of beats (The Unseen) built an army of sound from hundreds of samples, each overlapping the other to the point of frazzled disorientation. Unfortunately, the deep timbre of Madlib's voice didn't match the frenetic pace of his ideas or their accompanying noise. As a replacement, he sped up his most arcane rhymes to a chipmunky squeak, creating a Frankenstein's Monster (aka Quasimoto) as vibrant and radical as his symphonic collage.

Where most rappers turn alter-ego into artifice, Madlib uses Quasimoto as a counterbalance, both sonically and lyrically. Childish wordplay about javelin tossing and the violent disposal of antagonists better suits the helium-voiced Quas, allowing the actual Madlib to step in as the responsible and thoughtful alternative. The high-pitch even adds annunciation to peculiarities like "Droppin' shit like some horses," which can be seen as sophomoric or a wonderful moment of the figurative meeting the literal.

Socially pertinent topics like black-on-black crime and police corruption make appearances, but most of the content leans toward tribute, boasting many a reinterpretation of or knowing nod to past musical masters. Well over 50 jazz cats and MCs are called out by name, often coupled with a snippet of their work or muffled echo of their voice. This fandom goes beyond hero worship, stubbornly residing in a world of pure nostalgia, occupied by dusty record bins, analog sound and hydroponic marijuana.

The sound is equally as stubborn, building steam from legions of samples that fade in and out perpetually. Drum beats shuffle between thudding, low-tech drone and soft, spacey water droplets. Xylophone samples add a psychedelic ambiance, especially when juxtaposed with choppy jazz organ and hyperactive turntable gymnastics. A familiar beat or vocal sample will drop in, mid-thought, only to fade into the distance, moments before you can pinpoint the source material.

"Goodmorning Sunshine" capitalizes on this dizzy blend of wonder and befuddlement. Moving from the calming tone of Augustus Pablo's melodica to the wavering nausea of hissing dub resonance, the track never settles on one sound, throwing in drum stutters and vocal samples to further elaborate on its lack of structure. Quasimoto and Madlib rhyme in unison, allowing their vocals to blend together and co-exist with the samples, rolling endlessly over themselves like an aural Mobius strip. It's incredibly chaotic, particularly when coupled with the hypnagogic street poetry of Melvin Van Peebles, whose words act as guide, referencing everything from religious hypocrisy to untimely death to Swedish erotic cinema.

For all of its anarchic, purposely messy abandon, The Unseen is anything but a failure. The end result is a massive, complex quilt of influences, channeling 70s urban America and record store culture through the mindset of an oft-stoned, but undeniably brilliant, curator. Hearing Madlib rip the art from the museum walls, dissect it and implant his own ideas is an exhausting and transformative experience.

30. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders

Everything about Midnight Marauders, from lyrics to beats to album art, is about community. Building steam from the massive praise showered upon The Low End Theory, A Tribe Called Quest expanded on concepts that record only glazed over, taking a closer look at the urban social climate and adding complex layers of samples to their previously stripped-down sound. Experimenting with a sure thing was risky business, but, like the jazz players that preceded them, Tribe refused to cement themselves to one approach. Marauders is the product of this growing confidence, reflecting artistic maturity and positioning them as spokespersons for the party of rappers that adorn the liner notes.

Lyrical content has taken a "day in the life" approach the third time around, putting the superficial and the severe into perspective. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg postulate about everything from violence to sex to Knicks basketball, taking a progressive, thoughtful approach to hot button issues (racial epithets, HIV), while still maintaining a light tone and avoiding the sophistry of rhetoric. Q-Tip plays both of these parts well, alternating between college professor and smart aleck, as dictated by tone. Vocally, he swoons like a poet or doo wop singer, flowing like water over a jazzy note, stopping only to pose a question or pass the mic to his wily counterpart.

No longer playing second fiddle, Phife has fully developed into a witty comedic author, throwing out playful boasts and hysterical similes with high frequency. Riffing on Barney and comparing inferior MCs to "cheese grits" is only scratching the surface. Repeat listens reveal a perceptive storyteller capable of exposing how day-to-day disappointments can lead to an attitude of blind complacency.

The vocal duo and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad handled the bulk of production, creating a dense layer cake of unearthed jazz elements, ranging from the standard to the obscure. Big brass bands and groovy organ lie in a bed of atmospheric and warm static, jaunty bass and driving drum beats. Inorganic sound effects and dark, cinematic keys lend a nocturnal feel to the piece, draining the manic energy of previous releases and leaving behind the molasses-sticky, sonic personification of hot asphalt.

"Electric Relaxation" drips with softly-strummed guitar and spacey electro bleeps, acquiring body and texture via a liberal dose of stand-up bass and the clip of a snare drum. Words unfurl as calm poetic exercises, stressing the female physique and the healthy libidos of our narrators. They collectively preach discreet sexuality, halting these chivalrous advances only for the occasional off-color joke or passage of patois riffage. The most pleasing aspect of their gambit is the effortless integration of two distinct voices, illustrating similar ideas through different inflections. In essence, this shared viewpoint and collaborative spirit reflects the very idea of community.

31. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die

Playing patron saint to drug dealers and pickpockets, the young and reckless Notorious B.I.G. brims with witty dialogue about a variety of transgressions, pushing boundaries for laughs and shock. He's successful in that sense, but does best when he's baring his soul, expressing anguish over his own poverty and mortality. This macabre fascination with death hangs over most of the album, lending a welcome and honest bleakness to the occasionally pedestrian production.

Vocally, Biggie Smalls is both high-pitched and baritone, coming off as laid-back when necessary or packing an aggressive punch when bestowing disciplinary action on enemies. It's not hard to hear KRS-One's influence on his gruff delivery, yet, his content leans more towards the personal, focusing both on his rage and depression. His violent side provides some of his most quotable dialogue and it's fun to hear him execute the opposition with a playful aside like "touch my cheddar, feel my Beretta." The more stridently anti-social elements of his song writing are most likely efforts to provoke disgust, whether they be physical threats towards pregnant women or boorish sexual puns. It's his perpetual references to suicide that are harder to shake off, reflecting a deeply troubled individual incapable of distancing himself from his past faults.

Alternately, his compassion for his mother is noted often and with particular gravity when relating to her struggle with breast cancer. He often comes off as sympathetic to the victims of violence, referring to a murdered lover gracefully, stating, "they killed my best friend." Despite the occasional grotesque turn of phrase, Christopher Wallace is a canny rapper and talented writer, capable of spinning an amusingly gross metaphor or a touching truism. It'd be hard not to be shocked and touched by his work, often during the same song and in that order.

The accompanying beats are slick and well-made, but only match Big's vocals in quality half of the time. There are no less than 8 producers on the album, with multiples occasionally sharing credit on an individual track. Too many cooks in the kitchen can make for a scattershot meal and certain efforts feel phoned-in and generic. The best tracks mirror the content of the vocals and Lord Finesse's work on "Suicidal Thoughts" rewards Biggie's bravery with suitably dark tones and an ominous drum stomp. Also of note is DJ Premier's fast-paced, jazz-inflected "Unbelievable," which matches the steady stream of sharp descriptors and snarky provocations perfectly. Otherwise, the production, overseen by Sean "Puffy" Combs, sinks or swims based on prominent drum beat, jazzy wind instruments and faint keys. Most do a serviceable job, especially when taking queues from reggae or utilizing deeper textures (organ, hissy synth, strings).

"Juicy" finds the perfect balance between vocal and musical brilliance, taking soft, echoed keys, staccato synth beats and strolling funky bass from Mtume's "Juicy Fruit" and throwing in syrupy, trippy flourishes. This canvas gives Biggie room to sketch his road from gift less Christmases and empty stomachs to diamond jewelry and paid bills. His story also ingeniously parallels hip-hop's rise from the underground to the mainstream, honoring what came before and injecting his own perspective. It's no surprise that the first verse may be the most well-known in rap history, echoing childhood dreams that relate easily to the collective human experience and reflecting the stunning abilities of the storyteller.

Ready to Die doesn't succeed through a unified production aesthetic, but through the power of the narrator. Wallace's melancholy laces his passion for sex and crime with a vulnerable desperation. He may seem bold and brash on the surface of his radio singles, but the deep cuts bleed with tension, paranoia and regret. Knowing that he would be dead within two years only adds to the all-encompassing somberness.

32. Gang Starr - Moment of Truth

Adapting to the sonic terrain of late 90's hip-hop, Moment of Truth saw Gang Starr abandoning their jazzy influences in favor of a rugged and atmospheric sound. When Guru states "we have certain formulas, but we update 'em with the times," it never comes off as a plea for commercial acceptance. A paranoid and aggressive work would be the only way to honestly portray the MC's current head space; a state of high stress and anxiety resulting from gun possession charges.

Using his plight as a springboard for discussion about the urban social climate, Guru constructs a compelling street narrative, drawing parallels between the violence on the streets and corruption/jealously in the music industry. Though saddled with a gruff monotone, he hopscotches through rhymes nimbly, capably weaving together a complex metaphor or acerbically placing irony into his crime sagas. His direct diction breeds an unforced eloquence, one capable of stretching an individual rhyming syllable far beyond its intended shelf life (see "Triple beam dreams and drug schemes of mad cream/could be a sad scene when you go to that extreme").

DJ Premier's style of production matches the vocals in function and vigor. Beats are tinny, lo-fi drum blasts, coupled with sovereign horn and piano jabs, rearranged by Premier's own blend of twitchy scratching and sequencing. Choral loops get permanently lodged in the brain, as a dizzying array of vocal samples and film clips elaborate on the track's themes and express dominance. Strings and piano are brought in sparingly, mostly for ominous intonation, but the lion's share of the soundtrack focuses on quick cuts of memorable jazz and soul, compressed for highest potency.

The crux of this collaboration is the title track, showing Guru in a moment of reflection, wrestling with his own vulnerability and the spiteful behavior of his supposed confidants. Although he initially chose rage as a means of release, he's abandoned violence and self-medication, instead realizing that everyone has their own cross to bear ("actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge"). This deeply insightful bit of catharsis is accompanied by lush strings, ringing triangle and constant synth clap.

Moment of Truth was seen as a comeback album, but rarely do artistic endeavors intended to reintroduce an artist have such a multifarious body of ideas. It lyrically exceeded the group's already high standards and reinterprets their sound for their current lifestyle. It might feature a few too many guest appearances and the occasionally long skit, "but it's still Guru and Premier... and there's always a message involved."

Hip Hop Top 50 Vol. 1. Playlist

A sampling of tracks from the first 18 Hip Hop Top 50 entries. All apologies to Company Flow, since "Funcrusher Plus" is not currently available on the supposedly encyclopedic Spotify. A shoutout on the first Black Star track will have to do for the time being.

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33. Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded

To call Criminal Minded trendsetting would be a grave understatement. Not only did it bring street crime into the conversation, it merged the bass-heavy tones of Jamaican dub with New York City hip-hop, made disrespecting your contemporaries a sport and provided a frame of reference for the socially conscious rap to come.

Though the debate over hip-hop's birthplace is far from an underlying theme, Bronx's own Boogie Down Productions endlessly lobby for the title of rap's first and finest. Focusing his energy on besmirching the clumsy writing and stale production of the en vogue Queens figureheads, sole vocalist KRS-One brilliantly illuminates the power of creative thinking and socio-political brainstorming. Often affecting a playful growl or menacing patois, KRS stresses the importance of acquiring knowledge at his most serious and goofs on crackheads and DJ Scott La Rock's promiscuity at his most whimsical. His style focuses on a potent conveyance of rhyming words. That's not to say that his songwriting is basic, he's just perfected simplicity, which is much harder than hiding flaws in forced complexity.

The production follows suit, concentrating on high-pitched funk breaks, fragmented bits of James Brown's vocal wail and Scott La Rock's accelerated turntable work. Though uncomplicated by modern standards, it's suitable for the commanding thrust of KRS' voice, adding an authoritative drum blast on diss tracks and a bassy synthesizer to their reggae-leaning crime anecdotes. It's a sound that packs confidence far beyond their years, reflected in the effortless genre hopping and tonal shifts. Additional studio work provided by Ced Gee (of Ultramagnetic MCs) may be responsible for some of the manic energy, but the duo's ability to play off each other is the record's strongest virtue.

This partnership is well advertised on the title track, which opens with a jovial "Hey Jude" interpolation, followed in striking contrast by one of the most ferocious displays of linguistic power ever put on record. "Criminal Minded, you've been blinded, lookin' for a style like mine, you can't find it" is the crushing opening statement; so simple in its delivery, but so profoundly expressed. KRS' rhythmic verbal composition is backed by a powerful synth thud, high-stepping drum beat, disembodied moans and spastically disassembled horn samples.

What could have been a chaotic mash of opposing sonic elements and themes is reigned in by the scholarly intonation of KRS-One, a dauntless MC capable of verbal malevolence to his subordinates without sacrificing positivity or the desire to elucidate the power of poetry. His pairing with Scott La Rock is at once effortless and boundlessly exciting, marred only by the fact that Scott's untimely death would make it their only collaboration.