10 years of thoughts and sounds condensed into a lovesick lullaby. Sounds like a rap song to me. The 21st Century and its many challenges. The popular topic of decade in review. Hip-hop remains in the conversation as one of the movements that set trends in these largely disenchanting days. Here are some of the albums that shaped the mercurial art form that many of us struggle with, but ultimately love unconditionally.
From The Cutting Room Floor, Starting At Chamber 36:
36. Non-Phixion, The Future Is Now, 2002
35. Elzhi, The Preface, 2008
34. Sean Price, Monkey Barz, 2005
33. Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor, 2006
32. Little Brother, The Minstrel Show, 2005
31. Kanye West, Graduation, 2006
30. Evidence, The Weatherman, 2006
29. 50 Cent, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, 2003
28. Little Brother, The Listening, 2003
27. The Game, The Documentary, 2005
26. Nas, The Lost Tapes, 2002
25. Big L, The Big Picture, 2000
24. J Dilla, Ruff Draft, 2003
23. Jay-Z, The Blueprint, 2001
22. Sean Price, Jesus Price Supastar, 2006
21. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III, 2007
20. Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury, 2006
19. Slum Village, Fantastic, Vol. 2, 2000
18. Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, 2009
17. Cunninlynguists, Southernunderground, 2001
16. MF Doom, MMM…Food, 2004
15. Outkast, Speakerboxx/The Love Below, 2003
14. Gang Starr, The Ownerz, 2003
13. Nas, God’s Son, 2002
12. Talib Kweli, Quality, 2002
11. Common, Like Water For Chocolate, 2000
And now, without further adieu:
A Dime Bag Of The Decade‘s Dopest:
10. The Roots, Phrenology, 2002
One for Philly. The most challenging and sonically scattershot Roots effort to date. Does it hold up? Probably not. Still, I’m glad I own it. On Vinyill#.
9. Jay-Z, The Black Album, 2004
Minor mean-mugs to the Camel Man, but the slew of mash-up mockeries (not the least among The Grey Album, which officially launched the career of Danger Mouse), and the handful of memorable joints demand that Jigga Man (and his Beyonce backyard-sized ego) get his propers. Shit, I still got 99 Problems, ain’t that a bitch.
Memorable moment: “This Threats pimp…”
8. Kanye West, College Dropout, 2004
Damn the Man. But damn the man makes some good music. Only the most spiteful of hip-hop pundits would deny the Louis Vuitton Schlong his place among the decade’s swagger elite.
7. Nas, Stillmatic, 2001
Fantastically crafted and more than just fodder for a colossal feud between Nasir and Shawn Carter; some ill-out brain food from The Bridge.
Memorable lyric: “..fuck wit’ your soul like Ether..”
6. Ghostface Killah, Supreme Clientele, 2000
Brought the Wu into the new millennium properly, leaving the bafflingly underwhelming late 90’s days of Immobilarity and Tical 0 thankfully in the rearview.
5. De La Soul, The Grind Date, 2004
The Elder Statesmen from Strong Island kept many of us from jumping ship on H.M.S. Hip-Hop. Their strongest effort since De La Soul Is Dead.
4. Outkast, Stankonia, 2001
Welcome to the New World Disorder. The prophecy of Bombs Over Baghdad all the while stepping out the shower So Fresh and So Clean. Feeding our conscience with Ms. Jackson too, that Southern funk lives, and tells tales.
Memorable lyric: “Don’t pull the thing out, unless you plan to bang…”
3. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP, 2001
I am partial to Marshall. No need to do the math, we are all Stans for Shady’s sadistic humor.
2. Madvillain, Madvillainy, 2004
Doom is the most memorable mic-molester on this list and arguably of the decade. Throw in some of Madlib’s middle-era production gems and the innumerable sound-byte samples, jump-cuts and jagged plot lines and you have an engaging end-to-end ride.
Memorable lyric(s): “…where reckless nekkid girls get necklaces of pearls,”
1. J Dilla, Donuts, 2006
The album transcends both its sentimental aspects and instrumental/beat-tape formatting. An exhilarating and heart-wrenching labor of love from the late-great producer who literally composed this oeuvre from his terminally-ill hospital bed. Exquisitely arcane samples combine with chopped voice-lifts and layered loops to create genuine song structure and evocative themes. In the end, wrapping your mouth (and head) around the whole of Dilla’s Donuts’ concept is much like dealing with the trappings of the hip-hop lifestyle itself; the bittersweet taste in your mouth, the hole in your heart but enough soul to get you through in the end.
-M.F.D.