Pitchfork recently released their list of the top 100 rap albums of all time, and there are definitely some takes. I’ve pretty much accepted that whenever a major voice in music makes a list, it’s bound to stir some controversy, and Pitchfork really put themselves in the brazen bull by ranking only 100 albums from a genre as diverse as hip hop.
They attempt to cater to everyone, adding a variety of picks to satiate fans of every style of hip hop. But the list falls flat. Everyone has their own opinions, personal biases, and unique tastes—and at times you can tell Pitchfork is pandering.
As fan of rap myself, with my own personal biases, unique opinions, and whatever, I definitely have some changes, so here’s 5 albums I would’ve liked to see included. Maybe you agree, maybe you don’t, maybe I put you on to something new. Read on to find out!
Redman – Muddy Waters (1996)
Redman already has an album on Pitchfork’s list with Dare Iz a Darkside (spot 78), which is pretty good, and is definitely worth noting among some of the top rap albums of all time. My main issue is that DID sounds far too repetitive. Redman produces most of it, but he’s stuck in a very similar sound for the whole album (the same damn baseline and drums for every track). In my opinion, Muddy Waters, the Redman release from a few years later, should have been included instead. DID has some really cool moments, but it gets tiring; Muddy Waters has a fresh feel for every track because Red takes more of a backseat role to the production of the album. Muddy Waters sounds like a complete project, while still bringing in the gritty funk that made his earlier albums so intriguing.
Muddy Waters isn’t your regular mid-90s rap project. It’s an amalgamation of everything hip hop, incorporating the smooth melodies of the West Coast with the gritty drums of the East. Redman is truly one of the weirdest, most unique rappers that hit the mainstream, and he shows that especially in this project, breaking up every few tracks with insanely bizarre skits.
This is one of my favorites because the replay value is through the roof; I can listen to this while walking to class, studying, cleaning, or doing just about anything. It’s got a feel good vibe that delivers an extra kick in the teeth when you get too comfortable. Highly recommend.
Give it a listen if you rock with slimy, left field beats and bars that don’t get too crazy.
Organized Konfusion – Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1994)
With gritty jazz and funk samples plus hard hitting drums like Nas’ Illmatic, paired with harsh flows similar to Wu Tang, Organized Konfusion’s Stress—The Extinction Agenda should be up there with some of the best rap albums to come out of NYC in the 90’s. However, poor promotion stunted the group back in the day, and the album only getting put on streaming a few years back has definitely left them fairly underground. The album only has two features (both on the same song), letting the chemistry between Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch, the two guys that make up the group, shine.
Although the album garnered high critical acclaim, the group has faded into obscurity, which is a shame because this album is such a gem, deserving of a spot on this list. That cover is dope too.
Give it a listen if you rock with 90s hip hop and want something fresh.
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata (2014)
The landmark album that transformed rapper Freddie Gibbs from a run-of-the-mill up and comer to an underground legend. In incredible work, Piñata was produced entirely by the legendary Madlib. The album took 4 years to record, and is considered by many to be the best rap album of the 2010s.
Freddie’s in full form on this one, rapping with crazy intensity and gliding flows, rapping gritty, autobiographical bars. The production on this is equally insane, with Madlib pulling dusty jazz and soul loops reminiscent of Blaxploitation soundtracks to create a nice contrast with Gibbs’ devilish bars.
I don’t have a ton to say about this one other than it’s one of the best modern hip hop albums I’ve heard. You could honestly add any of the albums Freddie’s done with a singular producer and I’d be happy with it, but Piñata is the crown jewel.
Give it a listen if you rock with angelic, soulful hip hop beats with hard ass lyrics.
Tyler, The Creator – Wolf (2013)
Hear me out…
Blog era Tyler was something else, and, while Bastard (which is in spot 94 on the list) has some gems, Wolf is his magnum opus from his early run. While he certainly has more polished albums that could be considered better, Wolf is the perfect balance between artistic Tyler and hardcore Tyler; it’s basically the best of both worlds, he still keeps the hard drums of his earlier stuff, while also adding in a more musical side to elevate the album and make it more mature. It feels like all his eras are represented within the album, with some songs being jarring and abrasive as hell (“Trashwang”), others having some of the prettiest chords you’ve ever heard (“Treehome95”), with the remaining being a nice mix between the two (“Cowboy”).
The thing that takes the cake for me on this one is Tyler’s rapping. It’s straightforward, clear, yet vulnerable. You can tell he wants to take things further than just shock value horrorcore raps. Really smooth flows too, which complement his raspy voice. The storytelling on this is captivating, tying in previous storylines he began on previous albums into a complex web, unfolding like a Tarantino film.
Tyler really starts to find his style on Wolf, and the rawness without overdoing it makes this one of my favorite Tyler albums, and my favorite of his rap endeavors (I don’t really consider Igor a rap album).
Give it a listen if you rock with melodic rap, crunchy, lofi drums, and elaborate storytelling.
Billy Woods – Aethiopes (2022)
I honestly never understood Billy Woods. I respected his stuff, but just thought he rapped up a storm of philosophical BS laid over screeching samples, and only had fans in hip hop subreddits. However, I finally gave this a full listen and everything clicked.
This is definitely one of his less accessible albums (hence why it took me a while to get into it), but a lot of people consider it his best, and for good reason. It’s got genuinely some of the best rapping I’ve ever ever heard; his delivery is effortless and unbothered, but solemn and slurred, almost like drunk slam poetry. He’s in no rush, making the listener fully digest every word. Even then, there’s so many layers to each song it’s impossible to understand each bar without Googling. Billy Woods is a super interesting dude, so if you’re interested definitely do a deep dive. A lot of his songs are of political nature or center around moral dilemmas, especially on this project, where he talks about colonialism and Black history, as well as detailing his childhood growing up in Zimbabwe during a political uprising in the 1980s.
Woods’ raps are abrasive, but the beats on this thing are next level rough on the ears. The backing tracks are less so beats and more so eerie loops that serve as a film score over Woods’ brooding sermons. There’s a lot of great samples on here too, which range from Ethiopian Jazz, Italian Prog Rock, and Reggae, making the sound of the album eclectic and left-field.
Overall, this is one of the best albums I’ve ever heard, which is why I believe it deserves a spot on the list. This isn’t something I’d put on on a random Tuesday, but that’s okay. I consider it the La Haine of rap. It’s potent, atmospheric, and endlessly uncomfortable.
Give it a listen if you rock with obscure samples, droning beats, and raw, politically charged lyricism.
And, as a bonus, here are some other albums that could make my list:
- 1999 – Joey Bada$$ (2012)
- Be – Common (2005)
- Breaking Atoms – Main Source (1991)
- Showbiz! – MIKE (2025)
- Live. Love. ASAP – Asap Rocky (2011)
- The Sun’s Tirade – Isaiah Rashad (2016)
- The Elephant Man’s Bones – Roc Marciano & the Alchemist (2022)
- DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar (2017)
- Enta Da Stage – Black Moon (1993)
- The Forever Story – JID (2022)
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