Throughout the past 12 months, truly discovering real Rap, there are some albums that to me stand out as the most prominent. Known to all slight Hip-Hop-heads, neither one of them will come as any surprise, and my listing might seem a little unoriginal - yet, no one can debate that these albums have helped defining Rap as we know it.
With two albums from '93, one from '94 and one from '95, they are all within the new-school style, where my taste in Rap also resides. They are all listed on virtually every "top Rap albums of all time"-ranking, and I'm probably not the only one having them as my all-time favourites.
Of course, there are albums which I like almost just as much, but these top four are the ones where I can honestly say thay I love EVERY single track. In fact, while listening to the albums, I can rap along on every verse and hook, as well as whistle and hum every tune; I know them inside out, and I've probably listened to all of them over a hundred times together.
As stated, there are other albums that might as well be here - but none of them have had the same impact as these four have. Now, with no further ado, let me introduce them to you in random order.
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
In November 1993, a pinnacle of Rap-music was reached with the release of this legendaric album. Never before had anything like it seen daylight, and all thanks to nine guys from Staten Island with a fetish for martial arts movies. The Wu-Tang Clan, comprised of producer RZA, GZA The Genius, Ghost Face Killer, Method Man, Raekwon The Chef, Inspectah Deck, Ol' Dirty Bastard, U-God and Masta Killa, made sure that every single Rap-lover on the planet knew that the Shaolin was there to stay. The RZA's razersharp beats over the other members astounding vocal and lyrical skills, gave this gritty album the recognition it deserved.
Black Moon - Enta Da Stage
Being released only three weeks before, Enta Da Stage was undoubtedly overshadowed by the Wu-Tang's 36 Chambers. Yet, Buckshot Shorty's first album, together with DJ Evil Dee and The 5 Foot Excellerator, stands out as one of the hardest hitting releases of all time. The magic formula of Buckshot's original flow and voice over the impecable production of the brothers Evil Dee and Mr. Walt of The Beatminerz, made it so that this album would never be overseen by any self-respecting Rap-music fan.
Nas - Illmatic
While by many being praised as THEE best Rap-album ever, Illmatic have also wedged its way into my heart. Nasty Nas' debute album caused havoc over 14 years ago and still is one recieving heavy rotation on people's playlists. With production from The Large Professor, L.E.S., Pete Rock, Q-Tip and DJ Premier, it was from its conception hailed as an all-time classic. Nas' depiction of the street life in the Queensbridge housing-projects, together with beats that only producers of the caliber above could have deviced, it was ensured a place in the history books.
Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Bronx might have created it, but Queens definitely took it to the next level. A year after Nas' 94 bombshell release, a duo from the same projects, more precisely the 41st Side, dropped an album so mind-boggling complete that it have might not yet seen a successor. Prodigy and Havoc's sophmore album was truly a representative of the quality of Rap-music in '95. Its generally dark and gritty soundscape provided by rapper and producer Havoc is occasionally breached by patches of lighter tunes in courtesy of Rap-legend Q-Tip. An all time legendary album in the spirit of true Rap.
