Since I started reviewing hip hop music for the Daily, people have asked me what albums are considered the best of all time. Well, I can only speak for when I started to listen to hip hop. The list I am compiling is from 1989 to the present. I know some peeps are gonna be mad and upset but, oh well! Hip hop is a multi-dimensional genre of music with different areas bringing different flavors to the game. So, I am gonna break the categories down into the top albums on each coast: East, West, Dirty South and Midwest.

East Coast Top 10

1. Nas – Illmatic (Columbia)

2. Notorious B.I.G. – Ready To Die (Bad Boy)

3. Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Loud)

4. Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Def Jam)

5. LL Cool J – Walking With a Panther (Def Jam)

6. Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death (Bad Boy)

7. Tribe Called Quest –

Midnight Marauders (Jive)

8. Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (Priority/Roc-A-Fella)

9. De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising (Tommy Boy)

10. The Roots – Do You Want More?!!!??! (Geffen)

Honorable Mentions:

Gang Starr – Moment of Truth (Noo Trybe/Virgin)

Big Pun – Capital Punishment (Relativity)

West Coast Top 10

1. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle (Death Row)

2. Dr. Dre – The Chronic (Death Row)

3. 2Pac – Me Against the World (Atlantic)

4. NWA – Straight Outta Compton (Ruthless/Priority)

5. Ice Cube – Amerikkka’s Nightmare (Jive)

6. 2Pac – All Eyez on Me

(Death Row)

7. Ice Cube – Predator

(Priority)

8. 2Pac – Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (Priority)

9. “Murder Was the Case” Original Soundtrack (Death Row)

10. DJ Quik – Quik Is The Name (Arista)

Honorable Mentions:

Dr. Dre – 2001 (Aftermath/Interscope)

Eazy-E – Eazy Duz It (Priority)

Midwest Top 10

1. Common – Resurrection (Relativity)

2. Twista – Adrenaline Rush (Atlantic)

3. Bone Thugs `N Harmony – E 1999 Eternal (Relativity)

4. Common – Like Water for Chocolate (MCA)

5. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (Interscope)

6. Da Brat – Funkdafied (Sony)

7. Nelly – Country Grammar (Uptown/Universal)

8. Common – One Day It’ll All Make Sense (Relativity)

9. Bone Thugs `N Harmony – Creepin on Ah Come Up

(Ruthless)

10. Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (Interscope)

Honorable Mentions:

Do or Die – Picture This (Rap-A-Lot)

Crucial Conflict – The Final Tic (Uptown/Universal)

Dirty South

1. Outkast – Aquemini (La Face)

2. Goodie Mob – Soul Food (La Face)

3. 8Ball & MJG – On Top of the World (Suave/Relativity)

4. Outkast – Southernplayalsticadillacmusik (La Face)

5. Mystikal – Unpredictable (No Limit)

6. Scarface – The Diary (Rap-A-Lot/Noo Trybe)

7. Juvenile – 400 Degreez (Uptown/Universal)

8. Master P – Ice Cream Man (No Limit)

9. The Hot Boys – Get It How U Live! (Cash Money)

10. Outkast – ATLiens (La Face)

Honorable Mentions:

Jermaine Dupri – Jermaine Dupri Presents: Life in 1472 (So So Def)

UGK – Ridin’ Dirty (Jive)

All of these Hip Hop albums have made an impact in their respective geographical regions and all of these artists have taken their area of hip-hop music to another level in the whole spectrum of the genre.

Be on the lookout for part two of this series where I will break down what I feel are the top ten hip hop albums of all-time.