Hold your nose, here comes the cold water

Call me Ishmael. I'm Thursday Guy, and, to be completely honest, I couldn't tell you exactly what my theme will be. So, while I'm in the midst of my blogger's identity crisis, I will post a list of MY top 10 hip-hop albums in an epic two part installment.
As a disclaimer, let me just say: this list is going to be biased, opinionated; it's going to be devoid of the original importance or influence that each album had on its genre; it's going to be awesome. I am aware that I am perpetuating a played-out blog cliché. Just don't kick my ass until you read the list.

5-1:

5. Liquid Swords (1995) - GZA
The period between Enter The Wu-Tang and the group's second album, Wu-Tang Forever (1997), was basically a four year domination of the hip-hop genre by the Wu-Tang Clan. Six members (Ol' Dirty Bastard, RZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, GZA) released albums that ranged from really good to amazing and the aura of Wu-Tang was at its strongest and most enigmatic stage. Liquid Swords is similar in composition to 4 of the other 5 albums (the exception is RZA's side project with Gravediggaz) in that it's more of a Wu-Tang Presents: The GZA, since many Wu members are featured on the album. That being said, it is the best album of that ilk. It, like most Wu projects, was produced entirely by RZA, and he surpisingly shied away from his raw and crunchy production style, which he mastered (and repeated on Tical), to try a more keyboard-laden one.
GZA's infallible attack seems almost pedagogical in its delivery, teaching us the intricacies of crime and drug wars. They call him the Genius for a reason. I regret to say that I got my hands on Liquid Swords some eight years after it was released, when it dawned on me that maybe I should venture outside of my Nelly and Master P comfort zone, and to find out who made up the ubiquitous Wu-Tang Clan. That isn't to say that I would put this album any higher on the list had I owned it for longer, but I would definitely reconsider it.

Recommended Track(s): Duel of the Iron Mic, Living in the World Today, Gold, 4th Chamber.

4. Madvillainy (2004) - Madvillain (MF DOOM & Madlib)
DOOM has taken on multiple monikers-- Viktor Vaughn, King Geedorah, DangerDOOM (in tandem with DJ Danger Mouse), Zev Love X, Metal Fingers, to name a few-- during his tenure as one of the most revered and lauded figures of underground/alternative hip-hop scene. Raised in Long Island and NYC, via London, DOOM teams up with comparably dope west coast producer Madlib to make, in my opinion, obviously, one of the best hip-hop albums of all time.
The album is comprised of 22 short tracks (only three of which are over 3 minutes in length), a few of which don't include vocals. Madlib's tight and jazzy beats are flawless, and his bizarre sample choice (i.e. Steve Reich?) works to perfection. When DOOM does grace the mic with his injured, convoluted, and guttural flow, though, he once again floors us with his hilariously obscure pop culture references:
"The worst haters God on perpetrated are favors.
Demonstrated in the perforated Rod Lavers".

and depressing reflection:

"They pray four times a day, they pray five
Whose ways is strange when it's time to survive?
Some will go of they own free will to die
Others take them with you when they blow sky high
What's the difference? All you get is lost children
While abortion shit up behind the desk it costs billions
to blast humans in half".

Madvillainy dropped when I was a freshman in high school and had it come out earlier, it may have flirted more with Nas and Biggie on my list.
Oh, and it probably has the best weed tribute song of all time in "America's Most Blunted".

Recommended Track(s): Great Day, Strange Ways, America's Most Blunted, Accordion, Raid.

3. Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993) - Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu started with nothing aside from some shitty synths and utter insanity, but that's all ultra-nerd producer RZA, along with his cousins the GZA, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, needed. They compiled a group of aspiring MC's from Staten Island (Shaolin), and an arsenal of kung-fu movie samples and made an incredible album. It set the standard for hardcore hip-hop with it's risque and controversial lyrical topics and its crunchy production, but it also brought to our attention some pretty fucking great rappers (Meth, Ghost, Rae, GZA, ODB, and occasionally RZA himself).
The most amazing part of this album is its lyrical dynamic: from GZA's intelligent and scientific flow, to Ghostface's nonsensical diatribes; Method Man's slurred comedic genius to ODB's what the fuck is he talking about/is he speaking english rants, these rappers could not be more different in terms of technique, content, and delivery. This conglomeration causes each verse to pack a unique punch.
I first heard of this album after watching Rap City: Tha Bassment featuring the up-and-coming Ja Rule :( talking about his influences. I then got my friend who had the cool dad to take me to a local record store and buy me the album (the preteen equivalent of asking a hobo to buy alcohol). I spent the next few months or so viscerally savoring each lyric and relishing the fact that my mom had no idea of my emerging hip-hop obsession. Still the best combination of lewd, absurd, vulgar, and socially-conscious lyrics ever.

Recommended Track(s): Clan In Da Front, Wu-Tang (7th Chamber), Da Mystery Of Chessboxin', Method Man.

2. Illmatic (1994) - Nas
On Stillmatic, Nas brags "My first album had no famous guest appearances. The outcome: I'm crowned the best lyricist". Save a guest appearance by Brooklyn born AZ on "Life's a Bitch," Nas didn't use any help on the lyrical side of Illmatic. This may be true, but one of the best production teams of all time WAS helping the then prodigal 19 year old. Let's be honest, the aforementioned four producers could bring credibility to Skeet Ulrich if he wanted to rap. Aside from this, though, Nas exhibited his retrospective Queensbridge repping, optimism, and "we shall overcome" mentality to the fullest. The album is perfectly concise (10 songs), which makes you wonder how many tracks were originally cut, and, after listening, makes you realize that each song is perfect. I'm actually kind of glad that I heard this and Ready To Die years apart from one another because then I would have been a lot more conflicted over which album truly deserves the GOAT in my mind. It's really too bad that Illmatic was so good, and that it was instantly extolled as such because there was no way to replicate or better it, as Nas' subsequent tumble down the hip-hop staircase has shown us.

Recommended Track(s): Halftime, NY State of Mind, The World is Yours.


1. Ready To Die (1994) - The Notorious B.I.G.
And mayhem ensues. Many (including at least one of my co-bloggers) would put Illmatic here. And I pretty much agree: it's pretty much untouchable and as valid as hip-hop albums get; it was produced by Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Large Professor, DJ Premier, et al. It's flawless. I know, I know, I know. But, this is my list and I heard Nas in this order: It Was Written, Stillmatic, Illmatic, so it's no wonder I preferred Wallace to Jones.
I was 5 years old when Ready To Die dropped and about 7 years later, I acquired it via my friend who was a bad influence and wasn't allowed in my kitchen. I listened to it through blown out Casio headphones while lying prostrate in my eerily symmetrical bedroom, and once Biggie's saucy flow graced Dominic Owens and Kevin Scott's track on "Things Done Changed", I was hooked. Aside from the introduction, which is a quick recap of Biggie's life before rap, and the HORRIBLY inappropriate "Fuck Me (Interlude)", which I'm convinced can cause discomfort between a couple that has been married for 50 years, each song is a story that's laced with enough malice, humor, vulgarity, and violence to make you cringe, laugh, shudder, and vomit. What more can you ask?

Recommended Track(s): Machine Gun Funk, Everyday Struggles, The What.

My fingers hurt.

I was in quite a moral quandary over how to arrange these two posts. I decided that posting 1-5 would prompt more discussion because who's going to care if the jam they would have put at number 7 slips to number 8? Anyways, I beg you to argue with me. Please. Shout me a holler at smokedmeatblog@gmail.com.

So I will be yours truly each Thursday from now until I lose digit mobility to Carpal Tunnel's.