5 Elements of Classic Hip-Hop Albums
And the albums that have them
Justin Hartfield

1) A classic album captures the time and the mood of its era

A great hip-hop album captures the mood and attitude of that particular slice of time. NWA's Straight Outta Compton did this exceedingly well. It was derided by critics for its vividly detailed and explicative-laden lyrics, yet it was simply the realism of its depiction of an early 1990's ghetto which was the most unsettling. The members of the group lived the songs, and U.S. had its first glimpse of what live was really like for some young men in the ghettos of Los Angeles. Finally the inhabitants of the slums of America were given a nationwide forum to voice their perspectives. Their talent was undeniable, and many of the members would prove to be visionaries in their own right. NWA spoke of LAPD corruption well before the Rampart scandal. They introduced the world to the "dope-dealer."

When the events, the people, and the style of the era is matched perfectly with the beat, the lyrics, and the production of the album, a classic is born. A classic record captures the all of the life experiences of the artist and beams them into your subconscious. Their fingerprint in that time and place is forever engraved into the laser etchings of the compact disc.

2) Thought-provoking songs are key to making a classic record

Talib Kweli forces his listener to actively listen to his records by creating clever and multifaceted metaphors. T.I. never uses metaphors, but instead relies on perfect tonality and confident attitude. The sparse production and simple beats of Mobb Deep's Hell On Earth differ wildly from the exacting polymorphic tracks featured on DJ Quik's Trauma. But all of these records are more than some singles for the club and a couple of love songs for the radio. These records were concieved with a purpose and a direction. The lyrics were chosen carefully. The beats were sampled or played with attention to detail. Classic albums are never rushed. They are polished smooth; they are the gems of hip-hop worked over with the meticulousness of an accountant.

3) A classic album evokes strong emotions

Some albums inspire us to achieve greatness, like Jay-Z's Kingdom Come. Others make us feel us great, like N*E*R*D's In Search Of.... You don't ask someone if you like a rap album, you ask someone if they feel the album. Does it touch them personally? Does it resonate in your core as truth? Albums can bring emotions which are hardly ever expressed, or even ones that you didn't even know you had. The bottom line is this - if your head's not bobbing for nearly the entirety of the album, it's not a classic.

4) A classic album is sonic revolution

Every single classic rap album redifines the boundires of the genre. The difference between a great record and a classic is uniqueness. Classic records always provide a fresh perspective on life and "the Game", in general. These classic records force us to rethink matters in our own life and the best ones actually give clarity and direction toward our aspirations. When DJ Quik urges his listeners to "change the game" on his title track to the classic Balance + Options, the Quik is preparing his listeners for something unique - and delivers.

Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001 (which incidentally debuted in 1999, but Dre named it 2001 because he knew people would still be listening to it years later) also "changed the game." Chronic 2001 will go down in hip-hop history as the definition of a comeback album. At a time when Dr. Dre was being heavily criticized for moving out of the ghetto and failing to produce a hit record to follow up The Chronic, he birthed a masterpiece that he painstakingly incubated for more than three years. It turned hip-hop's focus back to the West, and Dre suddenly became the most successful producer in the history of hip-hop. Now that's a comeback.

5) A classic album gives us a glimpse into the reality of the artist

The overall philosophy of the artist must be represented throughout the work in order for the album to be worthy of classic status. The more powerful the rapper's message, the more powerful the album. So while 18 tracks about thick-assed women may be entertaining for a few spins, it will certainly never be a classic.

Sometimes the message is as simple as loving life, like N*E*R*D's In Search Of..., or a tribute to a certain plant, like Pharcyde's Humboldt Beginnings. Sometimes the message is one of self-empowerment; other times its filled with anger and revenge like Tupac's All Eyez On Me. 50 Cent's albums sell because we know he was shot several times. We know he is speaking from experience when he raps about being involved in drive-bys or robberies. We experience his pain when he raps of a lost love. We experience his ferocity when he avenges a friend's death.

Listening to a great album can give you a deeper understanding of the world, although if only vicariously. The classic album imparts knowledge, like osmosis through your headphones and into your brain. Jay-Z realises this; he is successful because his self-assured attitude rubs off on his listeners. This, of course, is why we have changed the name of this think tank to the HOVA Institute.

J. Hartfield's semi-complete list of classic hip-hop albums:

50 Cent - The Massacre
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Busta Rhymes - When Disaster Strikes
De La Soul- 3 Feet High And Rising
De La Soul- AOI - Mosaic Thump
De La Soul- Stakes Is High
DJ Quik- Balance & Options
DJ Quik- Rhythm-Al-Ism
DJ Quik- Trauma
DJ Quik- Under Tha Influence
Dr. Dre- 2001
Dr. Dre- Detox (Not released yet)
Dr. Dre- The Chronic
Eminem- The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem- The Slim Shady LP
Jay-Z - Blueprint
Jay-Z - Kingdom Come
Mobb Deep - Amerikaz Nightmare
N*E*R*D- In Search Of...
Pharcyde- Plain Rap
Shade Sheist - Informal Introduction
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
T.I. - Urban Legend
Talib Kweli- Quality
Talib Kweli- Reflection Eternal
Talib Kweli- The Beautiful Struggle
Tupac - All Eyez On Me
Tupac - Makaveli (The 7 Day Theory)
Visionaires- Pangea
Visionaires- Sophomore Jinx
Westside Connection - Terrorist Threats
Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers

M. Harrison's incomplete list of classic hip-hop albums:

Aesop Rock - Labor Days
Beastie Boys - License to Ill
Black Star - Black Star
Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
De La Soul- 3 Feet High And Rising
Dilated Peoples - The Platform
Dr. Dre- 2001
Dr. Dre- The Chronic
Eminem- The Eminem Show
Eminem- The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem- The Slim Shady LP
Jay-Z - Blueprint
Jay-Z - Kingdom Come
Jay-Z - Vol. 2 - Hard Knock Life
Jay-Z - Vol. 3 - Life & Times of S. Carter
Jurassic 5 - Quality Control
Mos Def- Black On Both Sides
Mos Def- The New Danger
Nas - Illmatic
N*E*R*D- In Search Of...
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Swollen Members- Bad Dreams
Talib Kweli- The Beautiful Struggle
Talib Kweli- Quality
Tupac - All Eyez On Me
Tupac - Makaveli (The 7 Day Theory)
Tupac - Me Against the World
Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (4)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by kizzle, March 22, 2008

kingdom come!?!?!?!?!?...are u on crack??? black album shud b on der insted of dat

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +1

...
written by cathal, April 23, 2008

are you for real... kingdom come???
u must reli be lik wat 6 years old. go and learn about real music. hip hop is not 50 fukin cent!!!! hes the biggest disgrace since vanilla ice

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

...
written by Capo, April 29, 2008

hmmm...

whoever wrote this doesnt know much about real hip-hop

because while i agree with the criteria, i dont agree with all of the albums selected

come on now, for real, 50 cents "The Massacre"?!!

thats def not a classic and N.E.R.D s stuff isnt either

yall neeed to learn up man, im not criticizing those artists but man, for it to be labeled classic it has to be classic

disagree with me?

holla at me

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

...
written by one, June 22, 2008

no biggie nigga u stupid.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: -1