Thread by @NotKennedyWhite, Here we go, my first thread.My favorite hip hop project for every [...]

Here we go, my first thread.
My favorite hip hop project for every year, 1979-2019.
I am covering the first 40 years of hip hop, so here we go.

1979: Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill gang.

This project is more or less what started hip hop in the mainstream. It is simply too legendary to not start the list off with this.

Favorite Track: Rapper's Delight

1980: Kurtis Blow by Kurtis Blow.

This project is full of funky and fun production and even some soulful singing on one track. I love that 80's flow and how he uses it on this project.

Favorite Track: The Breaks

1981: 8th Wonder by The Sugarhill Gang.

The Sugarhill gang came back to show their dominance as a pioneering hip hop group. This project is just fun to listen to. I love the sample choices

Favorite Track: Apache

1982: The Message by Grandmaster Flash

A certified classic by one of the most legendary pioneers of hip hop. I really like the production on this one. The soul tracks are also smooth as hell.

Favorite Track: Dreamin'

1983: Whodini by Whodini

This album is filled with funky bass lines and drum machines. This is a really nice album to close out this era of hip hop.

Favorite Track: The Haunted House of Rock

1984: Run DMC by Run DMC

This album from the beginning just hits you with it's style, created from rick rubins production style. This album is filled with guitar riffs and drum machines, began what I call the rock era of hip hop.

Favorite Track: Rock Box

1985: King of Rock by Run DMC

This album did what their debut did but better. Nothing much else to say.

Favorite Track: Can You Rock It Like This

1986: Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys

This album is amazing. Rick Rubin's production is at his best here. The simple style of heavy drum machine based production filled with record scratches and guitar riffs. A classic album.

Favorite Track: Brass Monkey

1987: Paid in Full by Eric B and Rakim

Rick Rubins dominance is over, and early signs of boom bap are showing. Drum breaks and more complex rhyme schemes. This album is an amazing experience to listen to.

Favorite Track: I Know You Got Soul

1988: Straight Outta Compton by NWA

What can I say about this album that hasn't been said already. This album pioneered gansta rap and dre's production was good. Everyone's rapping was great. This album is a classic.

Favorite Track: Express Yourself

1989: 3 Feet High And Rising by De La Soul

Filled to the brim with jazzy production and rapping. This album layers many samples with eachother and is a great vibe from beginning to end. One of the greatest hip hop albums oat.

Favorite Track: Eye Know

1990: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted by Ice Cube

There's not much to say about this album other than it is ice cube at his prime with some good beats.

Favorite Track: Who's The Mack?

1991: The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest

From beginning to end this album is filled with tips amazing jazzy production with good rapping. (thank god georgie porgie was replaced with show business though)

Favorite Track: Check The Rhime

1992: Mecca and The Soul Brother by Pete Rock & CL Smooth

Smooth, soulful, and jazzy beats layered with some of the most smooth rapping I've heard.

Favorite Track: T.R.O.Y. (of course)

1993: 36 Chambers by Wu Tang Clan

This was a hard pick between this and midnight marauders, but this album just barely edges out midnight marauders for me. 36 chambers is one of the greatest hip hop albums oat.

Favorite Track: CREAM

1994: Illmatic by Nas

What else could I possibly pick for this year, this album is the greatest of all time and easy to see why.

Favorite Track: Memory Lane

1995: Me against the world by 2pac

IMHO 2pac's best album, this is 2pac at his best. And 2pac at his best is something special.

Favorite Track: Dear Mama

1996: Reasonable Doubt by JayZ

JayZ came on to the scene with one of the greatest hip hop albums, beautiful production, good features, and amazing wordplay. Jay's best work.

Favorite Track: Dead Presidents

1997: Uptown Saturday Night by Camp Lo

This album is slept on, theres not much else to say other than that. Listen to it for yourself.

Favorite Track: Luchini

1998: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

If you haven't listened to this yet you are doing yourself a disservice. The only album by Lauryn Hill, and I need more, please.

Favorite Track: Doo Wop (That Thing)

1999: Black on Both Sides by Mos Def

Amazing production, amazing rapping, amazing everything.

Favorite Track: Mathematics

2000: Fantastic Vol 2 by Slum Village

In my opinion this is Dilla's greatest body of work. The beautiful neosoul production with good rapping. this is peak hip hop.

Favorite Track: 2U4U

2001: The Blueprint by JayZ

This album is held together by Kanye and Just Blaze's soulful production and Jay's amazing rapping. My favorite Jay song oat is on this album.

Favorite Track: Song Cry

2002: Quality by Talib Kweli

Talib is at his peak here, production is also great.

Favorite Track: Get By

(shoutout to @coochie_nectar lmao)

2003: Champion Sound by Jaylib

What do you get when you combine 2 of the greatest producers who can also rap well? An amazing album.

Favorite Track: The Red

2004: Madvillainy by Madvillain

This album does everything it's own way and it works so well. No hooks, just straight up bars and raw production.

Favorite Track: Curls

2005: Late Registration by Kanye West

best kanye album dont @ me.

Favorite Track: Late

2006: Donuts by J Dilla

Might be a hot take putting an instrumental album here, but no other album from 2006 has this much depth.

(If you want a pick with rapping it's F&L)

Favorite Track: Welcome to the Show

2007: Below the Heavens by Blu and Exile

My favorite modern hip hop duo. Exile's production flows so well with Blu's rapping and they are both amazing.

Favorite Track: Dancing in the rain

2008: The Renaissance by Q Tip

This is peak Q Tip and I have nothing else to say.

Favorite Track: Gettin Up

2009: Bastard by Tyler The Creator

Probably my hottest take here, but the production is good and original, the subject matter, although edgy, interesting change of pace.

Favorite Track: Assmilk

2010: MBDTF by Kanye West

Kanyes great return to hip hop as a megastar, and what a comeback. Amazing and grand production and amazing feature picks.

Favorite Track: DIAND

2011: Undun by The Roots

Probably my favorite concept album. I love the way this is told and the production/rapping just hits right.

Favorite Track: I Remember

2012: GKMC by Kendrick Lamar

A modern classic, this album makes you feel you are with kdot in compton.

Favorite Track: Sing About Me

2013: Acid Rap by Chance the Rapper

The production is the thing that makes me love this album the most. It gives a vibe that I rarely hear.

Favorite Track: Cocoa Butter Kisses

2014: Pinata by Madgibbs

Freddie Gibb's greatest album and madlib's second. How could I leave this one out?

Favorite Track: Robes

2015: TPAB by Kendrick Lamar

This album is the greatest album of the past decade. Jazzy and complex.

Favorite Track: How Much A Dollar Cost

2016: We Got it From Here by A Tribe Called Quest

Everyone from tribe got back together and they still had it, paid great tribute to modern rappers and Phife Dawg.

Favorite Track: Dis Generation

2017: 4:44 by JayZ

Yeah, No I.D. carried this project but god damn this album is amazing.

Favorite Track: Marcy Me

2018: Daytona by Pusha T

The greatest album to come from Kanye's GOOD Summer grouping. Full of amazing production and rapping.

Favorite Track: The Games We Play

2019: Igor - Tyler The Creator

Beautiful, synthy, creative, and just amazing on the ears. The features were all great and I love this style of production.

Favorite Track: A BOY IS A GUN*

thanks for reading, this took a while, holy shit. Also If you wanna know my top 2020 pick it's miles.

Latest Threads Unrolled: