im trying to go back and listen to all the essential albums. all the classics, semi-classics, influential, important, etc. albums. lets do the top 5 to 25 albums for each year. i'll keep editing this post to keep a 'definitive list' going. i know i'm missing a lot, especially from the early years - so help me out.
1983
Too $hort - Don't Stop Rappin'
1984
Run-D.M.C. - Run-D.M.C.
1985
Run-D.M.C. - King of Rock
Too $hort - Players
1986
Beastie Boys - License to Ill
Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew - Oh, My God!
Run-D.M.C. - Raising Hell
Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush the Show
1987
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
N.W.A. - N.W.A. and The Posse
Too $hort - Raw, Uncut, & X-Rated
1988
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Boogie Down Productions - By Any Means Necessary
Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew - The World's Greatest Entertainer
Eazy-E - Eazy Duz It
EPMD - Strictly Business
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader
MC Hammer - Let's Get It Started
N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Run-D.M.C. - Tougher Than Leather
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Too $hort - Born to Mack
1989
Boogie Down Productions - Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
EPMD - Unfinished Business
Too $hort - Life Is...Too $hort
1990
Above The Law - Livin' Like Hustlers
Boogie Down Productions - Edutainment
EPMD - Business as Usual
Eric B. & Rakim - Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em
MC Hammer - Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em
N.W.A. - 100 Miles & Runnin
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
Run-D.M.C. - Back From Hell
Too $hort - Short Dog's In The House
1991
2Pac - 2Pacalypse Now
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Boogie Down Productions - Live Hardcore Worldwide
De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead
DJ Quik - Quik is the Name
MC Hammer - Too Legit to Quit
N.W.A. - Efil4Zaggin
Public Enemy - Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black
Scarface - Mr. Scarface Is Back
Slick Rick - The Ruler's Back
1992
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
Boogie Down Productions - Sex and Violence
DJ Quik - Way 2 Fonky
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Eazy-E - 5150: Home 4 Tha Sick
EPMD - Business Never Personal
Eric B. & Rakim - Don't Sweat the Technique
Spice 1 - Spice 1
Too $hort - Shorty the Pimp
1993
2Pac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
Above The Law - Black Mafia Life
B-Legit The Savage - Tryin' to Get a Buck
Brotha Lynch Hung - 24 Deep EP
De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate
Digable Planets - Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
E-40 - Federal
Eazy-E – It's on (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa
Fat Joe - Represent
KRS-One - Return of the Boom Bap
Mac Mall - Illegal Business?
Mobb Deep - Juvenile Hell
Run-D.M.C. - Down With the King
Scarface - The World Is Yours
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle
Spice 1 - 187 He Wrote
Too $hort - Get In Where You Fit In
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
1994
2Pac - Thug Life Vol. 1
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Creepin On Ah Come Up
Celly Cel - Heat 4 Yo Azz
E-40 - The Mail Man
Method Man - Tical
Nas - Illmatic
OutKast - Superplayalisticadillacmuzik
Scarface - The Diary
Slick Rick - Behind Bars
Spice 1 - AmeriKKKa's Nightmare
The Click - Down and Dirty
The Fugess - Blunted on Reality
The Notorious B.I.G. -Ready to Die
Warren G - Regulate...G Funk Era
1995
2Pac - Me Against the World
Big L - Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - E.99 Eternal
Brotha Lynch Hung - Season of da Siccness: The Ressurection
E-40 - In A Major Way
Eazy-E - Eternal
Fat Joe - Jealous One's Envy
GZA - Liquid Swords
Junior M.A.F.I.A. - Conspiracy
KRS-One - KRS-One
Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return of the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Tha Dogg Pound - Dogg Food
The Click - Game Related
Too $hort - Cocktails
X-Raided - Xorcist
1996
2Pac - All Eyez On Me
B-Legit - Hemp Museum
Busta Rhymes - The Coming
Celly Cel - Killa Kali
De La Soul - Stakes Is High
E-40 - Tha Hall of Game
Eazy-E – Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton
Ghostface Killah - Ironman
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Makaveli - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Mobb Deep - Hell On Earth
Nas - It Was Written
OutKast - ATLiens
Snoop Dogg - Tha Doggfather
The Fugess - The Score
1997]
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – The Art of War
Brotha Lynch Hung - Loaded
Busta Rhymes - When Disaster Strikes
Jay-Z - In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
KRS-One - I Got Next
Ma$e - Harlem World
Puff Daddy & the Family - No Way Out
Scarface - The Untouchable
The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death
Too $hort - Gettin' It (Album Number Ten)
Wu-Tang Clan - Forever
1998
Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
Big Pun - Capital Punishment
Busta Rhymes - Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front)
Celly Cel - The G Filez
DMX - It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
DMX - Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
E-40 - The Element of Surprise
Fat Joe - Don Cartagena
OutKast - Aquemini
Jay-Z - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
RZA as Bobby Digital - In Stereo
Scarface - My Homies
1999
E-40 - Charlie Hu$tle: Blueprint of a $elf-Made Millionaire
Eminem - The Slim Shady LP
First Degree the D.E. - Planet Zero
DMX - ...And Then There Was X
Dr. Dre - 2001
GZA - Beneath the Surface
Ja Rule - Venni Vetti Vecci
Jay-Z - Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
Krayzie Bone – Thug Mentality 1999
Nas - ...I Am
Nas - Nastradamus
Ruff Ryders - Ryde or Die Vol. 1
Slick Rick - The Art of Storytelling
Snoop Dogg - No Limit Top Dogg
X-Raided - The Unforgiven Vol. 1
TOTAL: about 151
1983
Too $hort - Don't Stop Rappin'
1984
Run-D.M.C. - Run-D.M.C.
1985
Run-D.M.C. - King of Rock
Too $hort - Players
1986
Beastie Boys - License to Ill
Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew - Oh, My God!
Run-D.M.C. - Raising Hell
Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush the Show
1987
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
N.W.A. - N.W.A. and The Posse
Too $hort - Raw, Uncut, & X-Rated
1988
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Boogie Down Productions - By Any Means Necessary
Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew - The World's Greatest Entertainer
Eazy-E - Eazy Duz It
EPMD - Strictly Business
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader
MC Hammer - Let's Get It Started
N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Run-D.M.C. - Tougher Than Leather
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Too $hort - Born to Mack
1989
Boogie Down Productions - Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
EPMD - Unfinished Business
Too $hort - Life Is...Too $hort
1990
Above The Law - Livin' Like Hustlers
Boogie Down Productions - Edutainment
EPMD - Business as Usual
Eric B. & Rakim - Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em
MC Hammer - Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em
N.W.A. - 100 Miles & Runnin
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
Run-D.M.C. - Back From Hell
Too $hort - Short Dog's In The House
1991
2Pac - 2Pacalypse Now
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Boogie Down Productions - Live Hardcore Worldwide
De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead
DJ Quik - Quik is the Name
MC Hammer - Too Legit to Quit
N.W.A. - Efil4Zaggin
Public Enemy - Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black
Scarface - Mr. Scarface Is Back
Slick Rick - The Ruler's Back
1992
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
Boogie Down Productions - Sex and Violence
DJ Quik - Way 2 Fonky
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Eazy-E - 5150: Home 4 Tha Sick
EPMD - Business Never Personal
Eric B. & Rakim - Don't Sweat the Technique
Spice 1 - Spice 1
Too $hort - Shorty the Pimp
1993
2Pac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
Above The Law - Black Mafia Life
B-Legit The Savage - Tryin' to Get a Buck
Brotha Lynch Hung - 24 Deep EP
De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate
Digable Planets - Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
E-40 - Federal
Eazy-E – It's on (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa
Fat Joe - Represent
KRS-One - Return of the Boom Bap
Mac Mall - Illegal Business?
Mobb Deep - Juvenile Hell
Run-D.M.C. - Down With the King
Scarface - The World Is Yours
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle
Spice 1 - 187 He Wrote
Too $hort - Get In Where You Fit In
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
1994
2Pac - Thug Life Vol. 1
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Creepin On Ah Come Up
Celly Cel - Heat 4 Yo Azz
E-40 - The Mail Man
Method Man - Tical
Nas - Illmatic
OutKast - Superplayalisticadillacmuzik
Scarface - The Diary
Slick Rick - Behind Bars
Spice 1 - AmeriKKKa's Nightmare
The Click - Down and Dirty
The Fugess - Blunted on Reality
The Notorious B.I.G. -Ready to Die
Warren G - Regulate...G Funk Era
1995
2Pac - Me Against the World
Big L - Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - E.99 Eternal
Brotha Lynch Hung - Season of da Siccness: The Ressurection
E-40 - In A Major Way
Eazy-E - Eternal
Fat Joe - Jealous One's Envy
GZA - Liquid Swords
Junior M.A.F.I.A. - Conspiracy
KRS-One - KRS-One
Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return of the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Tha Dogg Pound - Dogg Food
The Click - Game Related
Too $hort - Cocktails
X-Raided - Xorcist
1996
2Pac - All Eyez On Me
B-Legit - Hemp Museum
Busta Rhymes - The Coming
Celly Cel - Killa Kali
De La Soul - Stakes Is High
E-40 - Tha Hall of Game
Eazy-E – Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton
Ghostface Killah - Ironman
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Makaveli - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Mobb Deep - Hell On Earth
Nas - It Was Written
OutKast - ATLiens
Snoop Dogg - Tha Doggfather
The Fugess - The Score
1997]
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – The Art of War
Brotha Lynch Hung - Loaded
Busta Rhymes - When Disaster Strikes
Jay-Z - In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
KRS-One - I Got Next
Ma$e - Harlem World
Puff Daddy & the Family - No Way Out
Scarface - The Untouchable
The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death
Too $hort - Gettin' It (Album Number Ten)
Wu-Tang Clan - Forever
1998
Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
Big Pun - Capital Punishment
Busta Rhymes - Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front)
Celly Cel - The G Filez
DMX - It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
DMX - Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
E-40 - The Element of Surprise
Fat Joe - Don Cartagena
OutKast - Aquemini
Jay-Z - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
RZA as Bobby Digital - In Stereo
Scarface - My Homies
1999
E-40 - Charlie Hu$tle: Blueprint of a $elf-Made Millionaire
Eminem - The Slim Shady LP
First Degree the D.E. - Planet Zero
DMX - ...And Then There Was X
Dr. Dre - 2001
GZA - Beneath the Surface
Ja Rule - Venni Vetti Vecci
Jay-Z - Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
Krayzie Bone – Thug Mentality 1999
Nas - ...I Am
Nas - Nastradamus
Ruff Ryders - Ryde or Die Vol. 1
Slick Rick - The Art of Storytelling
Snoop Dogg - No Limit Top Dogg
X-Raided - The Unforgiven Vol. 1
TOTAL: about 151
