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Hip-Hop's Greatest Debuts

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30. T.I, I’m Serious The opening salvo from one of Southern hip-hop's most charismatic emcees, I'm Serious is more introspective and less bombastic than T.I.'s subsequent work. "Still Ain't Forgive Myself" and "What Happened" are surprisingly tender, though "Dope Boyz" and the Neptunes-produced "What's Your Name" set the stage for the emergence of T.I.'s playa/pusha persona. -- Sam Chenanult Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums! 29. MC Lyte, Lyte as a Rock One of hip-hop's first female emcees, MC Lyte hit the scene with a bang on her 1988 debut. Joined by skilled co-conspirators Audio Two and Prince Paul, Lyte comes out swinging, with bold, headstrong rhymes laid over sparse, hard-hitting beats. Includes several classics, including "10% Dis," "Paper Thin," and "I Cram To Understand U." - Brolin Winning Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures! 28. Pharcyde, BizzareRideII With aerobic beats, hooked-on-assonance raps and lyrics that allude to ass, alcohol and other adolescent follies, Bizarre Ride II is Grade-A old school hip-hop. Recording while Pharcyde were making the transition from backup dancers to West Coast indie rap pioneers, this album has an energy that wasn't present on their otherwise superior sophomore effort, Labcabincalifornia. Now if we could only track down Bizarre Ride I. - Sam Chennault Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums! 27. EPMD, Strictly Business Exceptional 1988 debut from Long Island duo Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. Overflowing with sample-heavy beats and top-notch rhymes, Strictly Businessis a classic from start to finish. Nearly every song on here can pack dance floors to this day. Check out "I'm Housin'," "It's My Thing," and "You Gots To Chill." - Brolin Winning Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures! 26. Del Tha Funky Homosapien, I Wish My Brother George Was Here The debut from a rapper who would become a major player in West Coast underground for years to come, My Brother George has aged surprisingly well. Del wallows in the chunky P-Funk production of "Sir Jinx," lovingly dubs cousin Ice Cube a "fool" and contemplates the difference between white and black girls on "Dark Skin Girls." Tracks such as "Mistadobalina" and "The Wacky World of Rapid Transit" are as silly and fun as the titles would suggest. – Sam Chennault Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums!
25. DMX, Its Dark and Hell is Hot DMX, Its Dark and Hell is Hot Released in 1998, this album introduced the world to Yonkers bark-rap specialist DMX. It easily went multi-platinum and helped to establish the Ruff Ryders as hip-hop superstars. Produced by Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease and Irv Gotti, It's Dark features several riot-inducing smash hits, including "Get At Me Dog" and "Ruff Ryders Anthem." – Brolin Winning Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures! 24. The Game, The Documentary The biggest thing out of Compton since N.W.A., the Game comes hard on his highly anticipated solo debut, dropping fierce street verses over an array of hard-knocking beats. Solid production comes from Dr. Dre and Kanye West, while 50 Cent co-stars on "Hate It Or Love It" and "How We Do." Sure to be huge in 2005. – Brolin Winning Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums! 23. The D.O.C, No One Can Do It Better Produced entirely by Dr. Dre, the D.O.C.'s 1989 debut transcends coastal boundaries with razor-sharp verses and irresistible production. A car crash would basically end the D.O.C.'s reign on the mic, though this album remains a hip-hop landmark. One of the best rap records ever made and an undeniable classic. - Brolin Winning Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures! 22. Beastie Boys, License To Ill The Beasties' classic 1986 debut hit the scene like a 500 ton megablast -- the first rap record to reach No. 1. It's loaded with crass humor, pop culture references, and numerous odes to dust, beer, and girls. Backed by rock-tinged 808 beats from Rick Rubin and Run-D.M.C., the album is a far cry from their later, more politically correct work. Obnoxious rap at its finest. - Brolin Winning Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums! 21. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Road To The Riches If you want a lesson on how to flip a funk sample, listen to Marley Marl's production, which smoothly traverses different rhythms and offers a history course for novices: "It's a Demo" alone deftly samples Bobby Byrd, James Brown and the Commodores. The art would disappear soon following new sampling laws, so this stands among the pinnacles of the form. Check out the title track, the fast rap workout "Men at Work" or "Trilogy of Terror." This album is a classic. - Sam Chennault Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures!
20. Black Star, Black Star Released in 1998, Black Star's self-titled debut was immediately heralded as a hip-hop classic, full of insightful, intelligent wordplay and deliciously mellow production. While Mos Def and Talib Kweli have both released solo LPs since, this group effort remains a favorite of critics and fans alike. If only they’d get around to releasing that sophomore disk. – Brolin Winning Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums! 19. Goodie Mob, Soul Food Every bit as quirky as frequent collaborators Outkast -- thanks to vocalist Cee Lo Green's tremendous contributions -- Goodie Mob always had a more political edge. Songs such as "Cell Therapy" and "Fighting" not only chronicle the struggle, but also try to illuminate the forces responsible for it. The title track, meanwhile, is a folksy and warm slice-of-Southern-life. – Sam Chennault Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures! 18. . Lupe Fiasco, Food and Liquor Food and Liquor wraps its tales of estrangement and isolation in gorgeously addictive pop packages. "Daydreamin'" offers a bed of breathtaking, panoramic soul, and the Chi-Town rapper responds with a meditation on morality and hip-hop that is more impressionistic than pedantic. This trick is repeated again on the lonely and sublime "Hurt Me Soul." Lupe is the rare pop artist who is humanistic and honest, and Food and Liquor was the introduction of a serious new talent. – Sam Chennault Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums! 16. Missy Elliott, Supa Fly Missy's 1997 debut introduced the world to her unique, multi-dimensional style. Already an established producer and songwriter, on Supa Dupa Fly she shows that she can also shine as a solo artist. Features lots of Timbaland beats, numerous A-list cameos (Aaliyah, Busta, Lil' Kim), and the single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)." – Brolin Wining Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums! 15. LL Cool J, Radio With his classic debut album, (and the first full-length released by Def Jam), hip-hop pioneer LL Cool J became a full-blown rap superstar. Backed by chunky '80s beats courtesy of ultra-producer Rick Rubin, Uncle L comes through with timeless mega-hits such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock The Bells." - Brolin Winning Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures!
14. Ultramagnetic MCs, Critical Beatdown This is a crucial early underground record and the first dispatch from rap's favorite extraterrestrial satirist, Kool Keith. Yet to devolve into the psycho porn gibberish emcee that would make him a cult star a decade later, he comes across merely as a spastic teenager with an active imagination on Critical Beatdown. The vocal interplay between Keith and Ced Gee is also incredible, with Keith's high-pitched squeal anchored by Ced Gee's bass. But it all coalesces over Gee's production, which mixes Eric B's James Brown fetishism with Prince Paul's quirky sampledelia. Nearly every song is hot, but standouts include "Funky," the title track and "Ego Trippin'." – Sam Chennault Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums! 17. Freestyle Fellowship, To Whom it May Concern When Freestyle Fellowship dropped To Whom It May Concern, they launched more than a career; they kick-started a movement and developed the art of truly improvisational freestyle raps. This is the D.I.Y. West Coast freestyle emcees at their best, and few albums from the early '90s can rival To Whom It May Concern's raw energy. – Sam Chennault Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures! 13. De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising An inevitable development in the class history of rap, they're new wave to Public Enemy's punk, and also "pop" rather than pop, as self-consciously cute and intricate as Shoes or Let's Active. Their music is maddeningly disjunct, and a few of the 24-cuts-in-67-minutes (too long for vinyl) are self-indulgent, arch. But their music is also radically unlike any rap you or anybody else has ever heard--inspirations include the Jarmels and a learn-it-yourself French record. And for all their kiddie consciousness, junk-culture arcana, and suburban in-jokes, they're in the new tradition--you can dance to them, which counts for plenty when disjunction is your problem. - R. Christgau Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures! 12. Kanye West, College Dropout Loaded with quotable verses and exceptional beats, College Dropout is one of the most anticipated debuts of 2004. Chicago emcee and Roc-A-Fella super-producer Kanye West comes through with his signature soul sampling tracks, while Jay-Z and Ludacris show up for quality cameos. Believe the hype. - Brolin Winning Think we're spot-on or dead wrong? Click here to comment. Related Photo Galleries: See our picks for hip-hop's most gangsta albums ever! Click here for our list of essential Florida hip-hop albums! 11. A Tribe Called Quest, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm People’s Instinctive Travels Tribe's excellent debut LP from 1990 introduced the world to one of hip-hop's most beloved crews. Smart and clever rhymes abound here, backed by production that's both mellow and undeniably catchy. Features several classic jams, such as "Bonita Applebaum" and "Footprints." – Brolin Winning Follow Rhapsodyhiphop on Twitter Related Photo Galleries: Click here for a look at Nas' life in pictures!

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