Most Slept on Rap Albums of My Time

I'm mostly all about basketball on here, and I have a few bball-related posts I'm working on, but for the time being I wanted to step away from sports and write about music. Specifically rap music. For me, rap was what I grew up listening to, from about 1991 up until around 2005 or so when mainstream rap music became pretty much untolerable.

My list of favorite albums reads like most other hip-hop heads' - Nas' "Illmatic", Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die", Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter the Wu-Tang" and so on. But beyond the more obvious and well-respected classics are the albums that don't often get mentioned in the same breath but I remember fondly just as much.

So here's my list of the most slept-on and underrated albums that came out while I was still a heavy listener of the music.

Young Bleed - My Balls and My Word 

 

Back in 1998, it seemed like No Limit Records had the game on lock in the south, or at least that's how it appeared to someone like me from the Midwest. Young Bleed came out with "My Balls and my Word" that year, and what seemed like another No Limit album initially resulted in some damn good rap upon first listen. While most other No Limit albums were produced by the Beats by the Pound production crew, this album was mostly produced by Nathan "Happy" Perez, who definitely brought the noise.


My favorite track - Lil Poppa Got a Brand New Bag


                                               Capone-N-Noreaga - The War Report

While not SLEPT-ON slept-on, this album still for some reason hasn't gotten the love that other QB rappers' albums, most notably Nas and Mobb Deep, have gotten. Capone was incarcerated while the album was still being recorded, but Noreaga managed to hold his own, especially on "Halfway Thugs" where dude went in with no hook or chorus. The beats were sick, classic East Coast style of the day.


My favorite track - "Halfway Thugs"





                                                Common - One Day It'll all Make Sense

Common's "Resurrection" was a certified classic which included the timeless "I used to love H.E.R.", but for some reason his solid follow-up wasn't as well-known to the masses. With the majority of the production handled by Chicago legend No ID, who mentored a young Kanye West, nearly every track on this album is a banger. Check out the "Stolen Moments" trilogy, and how Common had the courage to tackle a topic most rappers wouldn't touch on "Retrospect for Life"

My favorite track - "Retrospective for Life"


                                                     Cormega - The True Meaning

Another Queensbridge resident, Cormega had already long been known to many. From his solid debut album "The Realness" to his beef with Nas, Cormega already had respect before this album dropped. But he hit this one out the park. The combination of solid production and Cormega being even more honest and introspective than usual created a solid album.

My Favorite Track - "Therapy"


                                                         Do or Die - Picture This 

Being from the Chicago area, this list might be a little heavy on the Chicago rap, but if you don't like it make your own list. Back in the late 90's it seemed like everyone in the Chicago area was bumping their cd out their SUV. The Legendary Traxster was the main producer on this, and to this day "Po Pimp" is a Chi-town classic.


My favorite track - "Po Pimp"


                                                        Gang Starr  -Moment of Truth

DJ Premier is my favorite producer of all time, but "Moment of Truth" was the first Gang Starr album I copped, and I was definitely not disappointed. Of course, every track has a dope beat, and GURU (RIP) could hold his own on the mic. Outstanding guest appearances by the likes of Scarface, Inspectah Deck, MOP and Krumb Snatcha highlighted this album.


My favorite track - "Above the Clouds" featuring Inspectah Deck


                                                        Goodie Mob - Still Standing 

Before Cee Lo Green was known to all for "Gnarls Barkley" and "F You", he was down with the Goodie Mob, Outkast's lesser known label mates. This album hits hard from the get with the Cee Lo solo "The Experience" and doesn't let up from there. Though it can be a bit preachy at times, this was a solid showing by the Mob backed by The Dungeon Family's own Organized Noize.

My favorite track - "I Refuse Limitation"


                                                  Little Brother - The Minstrel Show

Little Brother's debut album "The Listening" was also criminally underrated and overlooked, but their second album should've gone triple platinum. Big Pooh and Phonte came with it over every 9th wonder beat. This is one of those albums that brings back memories for me. I was stationed overseas in Okinawa, Japan when I copped this at one of the record stores out in town (the PX on base only had those wack mainstream albums), and I used to bump this album every day in the ride on the way to and from work. I got a lot of looks from the older locals, and a lot of head nods and dap from the younger Okinawan cats. Hip-Hop's very much alive overseas.


My favorite tack - "Watch Me"


                                                  Psycho Realm -The Psycho Realm

Usually when you think of Chicano rap from LA, you think of eses, cholos and vatos rapping about lowriders, ladies and drugs. Usually when you think of B-Real, you think of Cypress Hill and um, drugs. Specifically the sticky-icky. But when B-Real caught a performance of socially conscious siblings Sick Jacken and Duke, he knew he had to find a way to let the masses hear them. So he teamed up with the duo and formed the trio Psycho Realm. Their debut album, and really only album with all members present, was solid, with outstanding production coming mostly from Jacken, but it never really made it past the ears of the most hardcore underground rap fiends and Chicano rap fans. Perhaps it was their different approach from the "typical" Chicano rappers. Afterwards, B-Real returned to his Cypress Hill duties, and Duke was shot in an altercation and left paralyzed. Jacken's still doing his thing, though.


My favorite track - "Lost Cities"


                                            Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek - Reflection Eternal 

Talib Kweli gained a little bit of fame after Jay-Z dropped his name on The Black Album's "Moment of Clarity" when Jay suggested he dumbs down for his audience to sell more albums and that if he brought it lyrically the way he'd like to, he'd bring it like Kweli. I actually disagree with that, I think even when Jigga "dumbs down" his lyrics he's still a better lyricist than Kweli. That being said, however, Kweli is no slouch, and his album with DJ Hi-Tek was a solid outing.

My favorite track - "Memories Live"


                                                           Twista - Adrenaline Rush 

Yet another Chicago classic that I felt was slept on by the masses. Twista gained a little bit of fame in the early 90's for being the record holder for the fastest rapper in the world. Which made him a bit of a gimmick more than a respected artist. All that changed when he released Adrenaline Rush in 1997. Suddenly, everyone from P Diddy to Jay-Z wanted him to guest star on their albums. And then he blew up with Kanye's "Slow Jamz". But Adrenaline Rush still remains his best offering. The Legendary Traxster was the main producer.

My favorite track -  "Overdose"....but I couldn't find a video so....."Adrenaline Rush" 


I'll end this with a few slept-on songs that I've really enjoyed listening to, even if the rest of the album the song was on wasn't good enough to make it to this list.

Fiend - "Live Me Long"


Tribeca - "Cold World"


Royce Da 5'9" - "Boom"


The Roots featuring Common - "Love of my Life"


Little Brother - "The Listening"


Kidz in the Hall - "Go Ill"


Theory Hazit - "Extra Credit"


Jean Grae featuring Cannibal Ox - "Swing Blades" 


Elzhi featuring Royce Da 5'9" - "Motown 25"


Away Team - "The Shining"


Atmosphere - "Little Man"