Alright people, what is the best Rap album since 2000?

Speech - Spiritual People

I've never heard of him/them. Any info? Like, who/what do the sound like, where they're from, etc.

Speech used to be/ is the front man for Arrested Develpoment. Since '96 he's been doing his own brand of hip-hop soul. I can't dexcribe what he sounds like becauseit's pretty unique, but it definitely has a neo-soul vibe to it. He lives in Fayetteville, GA.

Ah. Cool. I think I've heard of Arrested Developement from somewhere... Did they have a big hit I'd know?

I don't want to pick just one...so I'll put down a couple:

Revolutionary Volume 2- Immortal Technique
BlackStar- Mos Def and Talib Kweli

EDIT: Really, I could go on all day, but I'm guessing you're looking to buy, so start with those two. whitemilesdavis had a good suggestion too.

They were the darlings of MTV and college radio in Fall 1992. Their biggest hit was probably "Tennessee".

They had two minor hits with the follow-ups "Everyday People" (a cover) and "Mr. Wendell"

I knew I recognized thier name from somewhere. I think it was some history of hip hop show the mentioned them...


And I'm really not looking to buy right now, I was just trying to create some discussion, so feel free to list until you run out of albums.

I got you here LFV. Just give me a day or two and I'll have a killer list for you.

Cool. I was just feeling like I was neglecting my mod duties. Decided to try to generate some discussion, and it's been a while since the last hip hop thread...

Yikes. I have not really felt much hip hop in the last 5 or 6 years. I can't even possibly tell you the "best" album, cause I haven't heard anything that I even considered all that good lately.

Not to mention, I seem to have a real hard time putting something from 2000-on into a list. My brain just kind of puts 1996 till now in this weird grouping.

Seriously, the only thing I can think of is Kanye's "College Dropout", which doesn't hold up at all, and pretty much sucks now that Kanye went all teh ghey.

Let me add a few:

Sin-A-Matic- Louis Logic
Like Water for Chocolate- Common
Cold Vein- Cannibal Ox
DangerDoom- MF Doom and Dangermouse
The Lost Tapes- Nas

GREAT choices.

Thanks man. I thought you might agree with most of those.

Ah, good call on the DangerDoom. Thats the one thing I recall listening to and being impressed and pretty stoked about. It just didn't jump into my head.

I don't listen to much hip hop and the little that I do is typically from the 90's.

But I liked the first Kanye West cd quite a bit.

Kayne West's first CD was very good, especially the production....but it hasn't really endured for me.

INMO, its endured better than his second one already B)

Cause his second one pretty much blows.

I really like "Gone" and I'm fairly fond of "Roses" and "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", but three songs do not an album make, especially once I got tired of "Gold Digger".

I think it took me five minutes to get sick of "Goldigger." There are a few good tracks on the Late Registration, and if it wasn't that the previous disc was so good, it wouldn't have been so noticably disappointing.

Okay...

Common - Like Water For Chocolate
Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP
Jay-Z - Blueprint
Nas - Stillmatic
Nas - The Lost Tapes
Nas - God's Son
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Kanye West - College Dropout
The Alchemist - 1st Infantry
Nas - Street's Disciple
The Game - The Documentary
Common - Be
Kanye West - Late Registration
T.I. - King

Just an opinion issue....but I wouldn't put The Game, Common's Be, Kayne's Late Registration, or T.I.'s King on that list. I respect your opinion and your list, but I wouldn't consider any of those classics or anywhere near it.

I wouldn't say those albums are classics or anything, but they're all good-really good, besides he asked for the best albums from this decade, and those were some imo.

Total right to your opinion, of course. I'm just trying to generate some discussion, being much more of an underground hip hop fan it's interesting to see some more mainstream choices.