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Descovered a new group today, looking forward to checking them out. Very Fugee-esque. Black Moon

If you haven't known me for a long time, it might surprise you to learn that I spent my youth listening to hip-hop. Exclusively. (I suppose the flip side of that is that if you only knew me then, you'd be shocked to learn that I no longer listen to hip-hop. The rest of you probably just clicked here due to some search, and are wishing I'd get on with it already). I don't listen to it much anymore, other than the most popular, backpacker types (Common, Kanye, Lupe Fiasco, etc), nor do I listen to the music of my youth that often. I pared down my hip-hop CD collection from 400+ to somewhere around 30, and thrust myself into the world of indie rock as hard as I once followed urban American music.

My reasons for changing genres are varied. I'll try to avoid sounding like a lot of douchebags who say that hip-hop was only good when I was young, but as it got more commercial, it did lose some appeal. But that's not just it, because I could have simply turned away from the 50 Cents of the world to independent hip-hop artists like Jurassic 5. Nor am I going to suggest that I somehow came to my senses. Hip-hop is a valid art form, and the stuff I listened to in my youth was usually pretty good (well, more often than not). But, I do think growing up had a lot to do with it, not that the music is necessarily immature, but it is youth-orientated, more so than even rock-n-roll. At the time, while I couldn't exactly relate to the plight of urban African-Americans, I could relate to the youthful energy and the frustration of being an outcast, as all teenagers feel like that. And hey, maybe it was simply because 90s rock music sucked (I don't mean that. Well, not completely).

But just because I gave it up, doesn't mean I don't get nostalgic from time to time. And thus, I put together this playlist, audaciously titled "Best Hip-Hop Songs of the 90s". I'll cop to this right now: these are in no way THE 18 best hip-hop songs from the 90s. This is a playlist instead of a list-list, so the goal was to not just put the best songs that I could on it, but also to come up with a CD that flowed well and represented a good range of hip-hop throughout the decade. So when I was putting this playlist together, I did so with these guiding principles in mind:

1. No more than one song per artist- This one should be a given, and is a rule I've followed in mix-making most of my life. If you pack a mix with the same artist, it no longer feels like a mix, now does it? (The exception being, of course, single-artist career-spanning mixes). So for this playlist, I had to find the best songs from some my favourite artists, whereas if it were simply a listing of the 18 best songs, some artists double up. Note: the other exception to this rule is if an artist appears on another artist's song, or in the case of group and solo work (e.g., Method Man appears both as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan and for his own song).

2. Songs must flow well into one another- Given that this is already a chronological mix subject, I decided to arrange the songs by year. That way I could follow the music from junior high through to high school and finish in college. This chronological order gave me less flexibility in ensuring good flow, so sometimes superior songs were cut from the playlist simply because they didn't sound good with the other songs near it. This led to what might be my favourite hip-hop songs from the 90s, Public Enemy's "Welcome to the Terrordome" being cut from the playlist. It sounded too different from everything else, and didn't feel like a good way to start the playlist.

3. It had to fit on one CD- I'll be enjoying this mix on my iPod, where length doesn't matter. But I also wanted to record it as a mix for friends, so I had to make sure it fit on a CD. This is why it's 18 tracks long, instead of a figure that makes more sense, like 20. Also, this resulted in longer songs getting cut in order to fit more songs in (so a five-minute plus song would get cut instead of two 3 minute tracks).

4. I had to still enjoy the song for more than nostalgic reasons- When compiling the playlist, I either ripped or downloaded plenty of albums from my youth, and enjoyed listening to many of them. But then I tried to separate my nostalgia from my genuine feelings, trying to decide whether or not I'd still listen to a song like it if I were to hear it for the first time now. The result was basically no gangsta rap, and very little misogyny, which is a positive. It also led to even more of a backpacker feel. So be forewarned.

5. Awkward intros and outros led to deletion- Even when I lived and breathed this stuff, I couldn't stand how much space was wasted on hip-hop albums with annoying skits. Worse is when they bled into tracks, so songs that featured awkward intros or outros with the track were usually deleted. The big exception is with the first track, which has a brief intro, but that plays better given that it is the first track.

So keep these rules in mind as you go through the list, and feel free to listen to the tracks. In fact, I kinda hope you check at least some of them out, given that I just bought more memory for this blog - http://andythesaint.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/playlist-best-hip-hop-songs-of-the-90s/ - so I could put them up in here. So follow me back to the days of Starter caps and Timberland boots...

1. Can I Kick It? - A Tribe Called Quest (1990)
This song has practically become a hip-hop standard, used in any film or commercial looking to evoke the early 90s, powered by the sample of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side". I didn't actually get into the Tribe until 1991's Low End Theory, with this song marking one of the rare instances of me seeking older albums of an artist. At the time, I was always focused on staying current with music (a problem a lot of young people have, and not just with music), ignoring things even if they were merely a year old. But I couldn't ignore this track, forcing me to track People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm down (not an easy task back in the early 90s, when the selection of rap CDs available to a young lad in Calgary wasn't what it is today).

2. They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth (1992)
Of all the tracks on this mix, none make me feel as nostalgic as this one. Oddly, this track probably made me feel a wave of nostalgia even when I heard it for the first time back in 1992, even though it I had nothing to feel nostalgic about at the time. That's the feeling producer Pete Rock and rhyme-partner CL Smooth were going for, with "Reminisce" being right there in the title (and breathlessly repeated throughout the song). So when the jazzy horn and bass sample of Tom Scott's "Today" start playing, and C.L. begins his ode to fallen friend Trouble T-Roy, I'm consistently knocked flat with waves of emotion. There's a lot of dead homie tributes in hip-hop, and I'd say this one is the best of them.

3. Passing Me By - The Pharcyde (1992)
As a hard-luck high school kid who watched more of his crushes from afar than those that he scored with, I identified with this tale of schoolboy heartbreak a lot. I also listened to the album it was on, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, a lot, more often than most other albums, both because of its greatness and for a more simple reason: I had it on cassette. Instead of buying the CD, I recorded my friend Greg's copy (freeing me up to spend my money on other CDs). And since I had a Walkman at the time (rather than one of those big, clunky discmans), I ended up listening to things I had on cassette more often than the things I had on CDs, both because I had a long bus commute to high school, and the simple fact that I had fewer cassettes than I had CDs. In 92, I was still a couple years from my first car... which also featured a tape deck. I am old.

4. How Many MC's...... - Black Moon (1993)
Another album I had on cassette. So I had to download it recently, and was pleased to learn that it's still great. Enta da Stage served as a precursor to the great New York hip-hop that would dominate the mid-90s (along with Dr. Dre's G-Funk on the West Coast). This track is a more hard-edge than most of the tracks on this playlist, but Black Moon actually did wear backpacks in their debut video, so I guess this isn't totally out of place. The sparse production reminds me a little of Joy Division in the sombre mood it evokes, which is probably why I still dig it.

5. Soul by the Pound (Thump mix) - Common Sense (1993)
The Artist Formerly Known as Sense is probably my favourite rapper (although I'm not sure how I feel about Universal Mind Control). He's become the rapper you love even if you don't love rap, largely on the strength of his soul-infused Be album. He's matured considerably since his debut, but this track is still my favourite from his catalogue. It might lack the enlightened approach of later tracks that delved into the declining state of hip-hop, civil rights, or a letter to his unborn child, but you have to love the youthful energy of his unsigned hype phase, where he spit out rapid-fire lyrics over a booming bass track and samples of A Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian, and Redman. At the time, this track was a little frustrating, as it represented an awful trend in hip-hop: releasing superior remix versions of songs as singles, leading listeners like myself to buy albums in order to hear those singles, only to be let down by the far inferior album version. Instead, I had to get my fix by watching the video on VHS. Yes, VHS. It was like YouTube with electromagnetic tape.

6. 93 'til Infinity - Souls of Mischief (1993)
"This is how we chill from 93 'til...". Well, it's already been 15 years, and so far, the Souls of Mischief were right. Cause this jazzy track is still so very chill. Nostalgia story: I won a Rap City contest based on the Souls of Mischief crew the Hieroglyphics. The prize pack included this CD, a Casual comic book, a long-sleeved Hieroglyphics t-shirt and a Hiero logo medallion, which became the first piece of jewelry I'd ever wear. Eventually, it became a thing the girl I was seeing at the time would wear, like it was a letterman jacket or something. With one of those girls, the only way I could figure out that she was breaking up with me (because she was doing a piss-poor job of verbalizing it) was when she handed me the medallion back, which set a light bulb off. But don't worry, it wasn't that serious a relationship, so this song brings back no painful memories.

7. C.R.E.A.M. - Wu-Tang Clan (1993)
The jazzy early 90s give way to the gritty mid-90s with the Wu-Tang Clan, who were like nothing else I'd heard when they debuted in 93. RZA's sparse production picked up from the stripped down beats of Black Moon and added a cinematic scope. Every song felt like it was dipped in grime and darkness, made fascinating by the varied contributions of 10 MCs and their wildly different styles. Enter the Wu-Tang might be my favourite hip-hop album of all-time, and is currently the only one in my record collection.

8. Catch A Bad One - Del Tha Funky Homosapien (1994)
The original Hieroglyphics member, Del changed up his style significantly from his debut with this track, going from a fun-but-somewhat corny style of I Wish My Brother George Was Here to the haunting violin strings and clashing high hats that power this track. In it, the former hippy-esque Del who released the gimmicky "Mistadobalina" lets loose with in-your-face lyrics that assert his place at the top of the emcee hierarchy. It's interesting that he had to break away from his cousin Ice Cube in order to sound harder.

9. Nappy Heads (Remix Radio Edit) - Fugees (1994)
As annoying as it was to find that Common Sense's Can I Borrow a Dollar? album didn't contain the single version of "Soul by the Pound", it was even worse with the Fugees' debut album Blunted on Reality, as the Fugees remixed every single they released from that album. And what was left on the album, both singles and non-singles, sucked. Wannabe hard vocals coming from Wyclef Jean, L-Boogie Lauryn Hill, and the other guy just didn't sound right, especially over the unimaginative production throughout the album, so that was a complete waste of money. Luckily, the remix version of "Nappy Heads" that they released as a single showed a lot more creativity, signalling that the band was one to watch. Their reunion performance of this track was the highlight of Dave Chappelle's Block Party. (Oh, and yes, I do know that the "other guy" is Pras Michel. I was being funny).

10. Mass Appeal - Gang Starr (1994)
A popular theme of 90s hip-hop was warning against the evils of rap music becoming pop music, and insulting those who crossover (EPMD's "Crossover" was a late scratch from this list). Oh how times have changed. It almost makes songs like Gang Starr's "Mass Appeal" sound quaint in a world where the biggest hip-hop artists (T.I., Kanye West, Lil' Wayne) are also the biggest names in pop music. Maybe this difference helps explain why I switched from hip-hop to indie rock: as it became more popular, hip-hop could no longer fulfil my immature need to avoid listening to things that are popular.

11. It Ain't Hard to Tell - Nas (1994)
It's kinda perfect to have this track follow "Mass Appeal", as Guru's lyric "maybe your soul you'd sell to have mass appeal" from the above song could easily apply to Nas, who followed up what might be the greatest debut solo hip-hop album of all-time with several diminishing returns. He went from being the heir apparent to Rakim with the street-wise poetry of Illmatic to rapping about money, hoes, and clothes in horrific attempts to go pop. Here, he's at his best, rapping over a brilliant sample of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" with a track that at the time seemed to signal the promise of a new voice, but in retrospect marks the apex of his career.

12. Juicy - The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
Maybe Nas saw all the dough Biggie was making being both gangsta and commercial, and decided he had to get in on that action. It's a little odd that this playlist has a song by the Notorious B.I.G., yet none by his nemesis 2Pac, given that at the time, I was firmly in the 2Pac camp. He was my favourite rapper throughout the decade, but his songs haven't aged as well. Mostly, it comes down to the fact that most of Pac's songs fail to live up to my number four rule above, whereas exactly one Biggie song (this one) did.

13. I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By - Method Man with Mary J. Blige (1995)
Ah, the hip-hop ballad, the area where many have tried, but only a few have succeeded. Most hip-hop ballads fall into one of two camps: either they're too earnest and wimpy to take seriously (a la LL Cool J's "I Need Love"), or they're too ridiculously hardcore and sexist that they fail as a love song (a la Notorious B.I.G.'s "Me and My Bitch", which is sampled in this song). Method Man's remixed "All I Need" (yet again another single that differs from the album track) manages to succeed where most fail, by being sincere without being corny, while maintaining Meth's street-cred without sounding like a punk. You get the impression that Meth's boo would actually enjoy having these lyrics written about her.

14. Shimmy Shimmy Ya - Ol' Dirty Bastard (1995)
I've loved this song since it came out, a perfect example of the craziness that made ODB so much fun. But it took Judd Apatow's Knocked Up to remind me how much. I think I ripped it onto my iPod as soon as I got home from the theatre.

15. Let Me Clear My Throat - Old-School Reunion Remix - DJ Kool with Biz Markie and Doug E. Fresh (1996)
Depending on when you were born, you might refer to this playlist as "old school". Which seems ridiculous to me, since the Old School already existed when this stuff was contemporary, but I suppose it's all relative. To me, old school is stuff like this song (in content if not in date), with party rappers from the 80s like Doug E. Fresh and Biz Markie rapping over infectious DJ beats, encouraging people to jump, or wave their hands in the air as though they are indifferent. Or something like that.

16. Paparazzi -Xzibit (1996)
If this playlist was an attempt to give a full overview of the landscape of hip-hop in the 90s, it would be a miserable failure for the simple fact that the West Coast is way underrepresented. There was a couple Oaktowners early with the Hieroglyphics crew, but that's not exactly what one thinks of when you think of 90s West Coast rap. Nope, you think of Dr. Dre-inspired gangsta rap, and this is the closest this list gets (featuring production from Tha Alkaholiks rather than Dre). What can I say? As a 31-year-old white dude, the gangsta rap just doesn't speak to me as it once did. This track manages to make the list because the haunting classical sample of Gabriel Fauré's "Pavane" (yes, I looked that up). It makes this more than your typical West Coast track, and is yet another entry into the "sell outs suck" meme of hip-hop (brought to you by the guy who went on to host an MTV show).

17. Big Pimpin' - Jay-Z with UGK (1999)
I had to write "very little misogyny" instead of "no misogyny" mostly because I couldn't cut this track from the list. It's probably my favourite Jigga track, and probably my favourite hip-hop track to whistle. The middle-eastern production by Timbaland meshes perfectly with Jay's vocals, along with the assists from the Underground Kings. I think a big factor for something making this list is if the production is more than your typical hip-hop beats, so "Big Pimpin'" qualifies, despite its more typical subject matter.

18. Ms. Fat Booty - Mos Def (1999)
I finish off with Mos Def, the rapper who was supposed to represent hip-hop's turn away from the excesses it was suffering through in the late-90s with a more positive, afro-centric approach (similar to that found earlier in the decade). Instead, he reached a small audience and seemed to focus on his acting career more than his music career, while hip-hop got more into excess than before. Oh well.

And there you have it, the best in 90s hip-hop brought to you by a 31-year-old white Canadian guy who doesn't listen to a whole lot of hip-hop anymore. Do with it what you will. Feel free to suggest omissions, as this might not be my last nostalgia exercise.

1.How did you get into 29? (Snowgoons)
Saw one of their Album in a Store and listened to it :D

2. What's the first song you ever heard by 22? (Bone-thugs-n-harmony)
Shotz to Tha Double Glock

3. What's your favorite lyric by 33? (Damian Marley)
Well did you know the pen
Is stronger than di knife
And they can kill you once
But they cant kill you twice
Did you know destruction of di flesh is not di ending to life
Fear not of the anti-christ

4. How did you get into 49? (memphis-bleek)
I saw a basketballvideo on YOutube and it had a Bleek song in the background

5. How many albums by 13 do you own? (Joe Budden)
None :D

6. What is your favorite song by 50? (KRS-One)
Return Of Tha Teacher

7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad? (Jay-Z)
Maybe Allure

8. What is your favorite song by 15? (Lupe Fiasco)
Must be Daydreamin'

9. What is your favorite song by 5? (CunninLynguists)
Damn they got so many great songs, but i would say Yellow Lines (feat. Phonte & Witchdoctor)

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy? (Black Milk)
Popular Demand , brings up memories

11. What is the worst song by 40? (Wordsworth)
Right Now , just dont like it :D

12. What is your favorite song by 10? (Freeway)
Walk Wit Me

13. What is a good memory you have involving 30? (AZ)
I hear him since 7th Grade, bes time of my life =)

14. What is your favorite song by 38? (Army of the Pharaoes)
Seven

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy? (Cormega)
Sleep Well (feat. Dwele) chilled out song

16. Is there a song by 25 that makes you sad? (Elohim Marino)
Think is pretty deep

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23? (Wu-Tang Clan)
Must be Gravel Pit

18. What's your favorite lyric by 11? (Vakill)
He is a Punchline Monster, to write one good lyric wouldn't be enough :D

19. Who is a favorite member of 1? (Little Brother)
Phonte

20. Is there a song by 14 that makes you happy? (Slum Villiage)
Selfish (Remix)

21. What is a good memory involving 27? (Jedi Mind Tricks)
Nah...

22. What is your favorite song by 16? (Ya Boy)
Holla At Your Boy

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47? (Black Moon)
Can't Remember

24. What is your favorite album by 18? (Olli Banjo)
Sparring 3

25. What is your favorite song by 21? (Blu & Exile)
Blu Collar Workers

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26? (Ras Kass)
The End with GZA

27. What is your favorite album by 3? (Zion I)
True & Livin ... fuckin classic

28. What is you favorite song by 2? (royce da 5'9)
Definitly Malcolm X

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32? (Immortal Technique)
Harlem Streets

30. What is you favorite song by 8? (Z-Ro)
City Streets

31. How many times have you seen 17 live? (The Game)
Never

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy? (The Last Emperor)
Tiger Trail , beat reminds me of holidays in Japan

33. How did you get into 12? (Crooked I)
heard some of his weekly freestyles on youtube

34. What is the worst song by 45? (Papoose)
Don't know

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34? (Jonesmann)
Homies

36. What was the first song you ever heard by 48? (Cassidy)
I'm a Hustla

37. How many times have you seen 42 live? (The Diplomats)
Never :D

38. What is you favorite song by 36? (Consequence)
I See Now (feat. Kanye West & Little Brother)

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28? (Kool Savas)
Das Urteil

40. What is you favorite album by 7? (Chamillionaire)
Ultimate Victory

41. Is there a song by 31 that makes you happy? (Gang Starr)
Moment of Truth is beautiful

42. What is your favorite album by 41? (Planet Asia)
Stick and Move

43. What is your favorite song by 24? (Mos Def)
Umi Says

44. What is a good memory you have involving 46? (Clueso)
He just makes great music

45. What is your favorite song by 35? (Fort Minor)
The Hard Way

46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy? (Common)
I Have A Dream

47. What is your favorite album by 4? (Nas)
Illmatic

48. Who is your favorite member of 37? (Kid Vishis)
Kid Vishis :D:D:D

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43? (Gentleman)
Superior , great lyrics

50. What is your favorite song by 20? (Tech N9ne)
Riot Maker

Well here's some help!
So i made this top 100 (for the year 2008) based on the opinions of 29 fok! users, who all sent in their personal top 20. So why not sharing it, it was a fuckload of work anyway. To give you an idea how votingprocess look like, the number 1.'s on the top 20's were worth 20 points and their number 20's 1 point. you do the math.

*further notes; nieuw and nuevo mean -> new but i'm to lazy to change them into english words, and it makes the list looks like utter crap*

§ Position in the top 100 2008
§ Positie in the top 100 2005
§ number of points
§ Number of lists where the album appeared in
§ Artist + album (year)

001. | 004. | 287 | 18 | Nas – Illmatic (1994)
002. | 003. | 242 | 17 | Wu-Tang-Clan – Enter the Wu-Tung (36 Chambers) (1993)
003. | 009. | 181 | 12 | A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory (1991)
004. | 007. | 165 | 10 | Ultramagnetic MC’s – Critical Breakdown (1988)
005. | 010. | 151 | 10 | The Notorious B.I.G – Ready to Die (1994)
006. | 013. | 130 | 10 | Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle (1993)
007. | 002. | 114 | 10 | Eric B. & Rakim – Paid In Full (1987)
008. | 001. | 111 | 08 | Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)
009. | 005. | 103 | 07 | A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (1993) – 103
010. | 030. | 102 | 08 | Pete Rock & C.L Smooth – Mecca And The Soul Brother (1992)
011. |nuevo| 083 | 06 | Jeru the Damaja – The Sun Rises in the East (1994)
012. | 011. | 083 | 06 | Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992)
013. | 041. | 080 |07 | The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1992)
014. | 012. | 078 |10 | Mobb Deep – The Infamous (1995)
015. | 033. | 077 |08 | Big Daddy Kane – Long Live The Kane (1988)
016. |nieuw| 066 | 05 | Immortal Technique – Revolutionary Vol. 2 (2003)
017. | 027. | 061 | 05 | Mos Def & Talib Kweli – Are Black Star (1998)
018. | 017. | 058 | 05 | Cypress Hill – Black Sunday (1993)
019. | 025. | 052 | 04 | Big L – Lifestyles ov da Poor and Dangerous (1995)
020. | 008. | 057 | 05 | Nwa – Straight Outta Compton (1988)
021. | 053. | 054 | 03 | Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion (1991)
022. | 014. | 053 | 05 | The Roots – Do You Want More??!!??! (1995)
023. |nieuw| 051 | 03 | J.V.C. Force – Doin Damage (1988)
024. |nieuw| 051 | 05 | Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (1994)
025. | 019. | 049 | 04 | Organized Konfusion – Stress: the Extinction Agenda (1994)

026. | 063. | 048 | 05 | KRS-One – Return of the Boom Rap (1993)
027. | 062. | 048 | 05 | Dr. Octagon – Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996)
028. | 006. | 047 | 06 | De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
029. | 043. | 047 | 04 | Dr. Dre – 2001 (1999)
030. | 022. | 045 | 05 | Madvillain – Madvillainy (2004)
031. | 015. | 042 | 03 | Mos Def – Black on Both Sides (1999)
032. | 094. | 039 | 03 | Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth – Funky Technician (1989)
033. |nieuw| 039 | 04 | Lords of the Underground – Here Come the Lords (1993)
034. |nieuw| 039 | 03 | Typhoon – Tussen Licht en Lucht (2007)
035. |nieuw| 038 | 03 | Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele (2000)
036. | 024. | 036 | 02 | GZA/Genius – Liquid Swords (1995)
037. | 016. | 036 | 04 | Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996)
038. |nieuw| 035 | 03 | Opgezwolle – Eigen Wereld (2006)
039. |nieuw| 034 | 03 | Stetsasonic – In Full Gear (1988)
040. |nieuw| 032 | 03 | Black Sheep – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (1991)
041. |nieuw| 032 | 03 | Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995)
042. | 051. | 031 |03 | Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill (1986)
043. |nieuw| 031 |02 | OutKast – Aquemini (1998)
044. | 049. | 031 |02 | Smif-N-Wessun – Dah Shinin (1995)
045. |nieuw| 030 | 03 | Showbiz & A.G – Runaway Slave (1992)
046. | 038. | 030 | 03 | Slick Rick – The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988)
047. | 054. | 029 | 04 | Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded (1987)
048. |nieuw| 029 | 03 | Pete Philly & Perquisite – Mindstate (2005)
049. |nieuw| 029 | 03 | Gang Starr- Moment of Truth (1998)
050. | 031. | 029 | 04 | Eminem – Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
051. | 075. | 028 | 02 | Paris – The Devil Made me Do It (1990)
052. |nieuw| 027 | 04 | Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (1999)
053. |nieuw| 027 | 02 | Cypress Hill – Ill = Temples of Boom (1995)
054. |nieuw| 027 | 02 | Madlib – Shades of Blue (2003)
055. | 050. | 026 | 04 | Quasimoto – The Unseen (2000)
056. |nieuw| 025 | 02 | J-Zone – Pimps Don’t Pay Taxes (2002)
057. | 078. | 025 | 02 | Jay-Z – The Blueprint (2001)
058. | 061. | 025 | 03 | MF DOOM as Viktor Vaughn – Vaudeville Villain (2003)
059. | 020. | 025 | 03 | Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (1989)
060. |nieuw| 024 | 02 | KRS-One – KRS-One (1995)
061. |nieuw| 024 | 02 | Del tha Funkee Homosapien – I Wish My Brother George Was Here (1991)
062. |nieuw| 023 | 02 | Schoolly D – Schoolly D (1986)
063. |nieuw| 022 | 02 | Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
064. | 098. | 022 | 03 | Black Moon – Enta Da Stage (1993)
065. | 023. | 021 | 03 | Cypress Hill – Cypress Hill (1991)
066. | 048. | 021 | 02 | Gang Starr – Daily Operation (1992)
067. | 101. | 020 | 04 | Souls of Mischief - 93 ‘Til Infinity (1993)
068. | 018. | 020 | 03 | 2Pac – All Eyez On me (1996)
069. |nieuw| 020 | 02 | Redman – Whut? Thee Album (1992)
070. | 072. | 020 | 01 | Tuff Crew – Back To The Wreckshop (1989)
071. |nieuw| 020 | 01 | Pete Rock – Petestrumentals (2001)
072. |nieuw| 020 | 01 | Ugly Duckling – Bang For the Buck (2006)
073. |nieuw| 020 | 01 | DuvelDuvel – Puur Kultuur (2007)
074. |nieuw| 020 | 01 | Pharoahe Monch – Internal Affairs (1999)
075. |nieuw| 019 | 01 | dälek – Absence (2005)
076. | 045. | 019 | 01 | Opgezwolle – Spuugdingen op de Mic (2001)
077. | 087. | 019 | 02 | Jurassic 5 – Quality Control (2000)
078. |nieuw| 019 | 01 | Tha Alkaholiks – likwidation (1997)
079. |nieuw| 019 | 01 | Big L – The Big Picture (2000)
080. |nieuw| 019 | 01 | Blockhead – Music by Cavelight (2004)
081. | 088. | 019 | 01 | Roots Manuva – Run Come Save Me (2001)
082. |nieuw| 019 | 01 | Common – Resurrection (1994)
083. |nieuw| 019 | 01 | Clipse – Hell Hath no Fury (2006)
084. | 029. | 019 | 01 | Opgezwolle - Vloeistof / Brandstof (2003)
085. | 060. | 018 | 03 | Digable Planets – Reachin’ (A new Refutation of Time and Space) (1993)
086. |nieuw| 018 | 01 | Mantronix – Musical Madness (1989)
087. |nieuw| 018 | 02 | Obie Trice – Cheers (2003)
088. | 037. | 018 | 01 | Stereo MC’s – Connected (1992)
089. | 056. | 018 | 01 | The Roots – The Tipping Point (2004)
090. |nieuw| 018 | 01 | Kubus – Buitenwesten (2005)
091. | 076. | 018 | 01 | DJ Shadow – Endtroducing... (1996)
092. |nieuw| 018 | 01 | T-K.A.S.H – Turf War Syndrome (2006)
093. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | RJD2 – Deadringer (2002)
094. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | Opgeduveld – Opgeduveld (2002)
095. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | Stezo – Bring the Niose (1989)
096. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | Mac Mall – Illegal Business (1993)
097. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | Eminem – The Eminem Show (2002)
098. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | Blahzay Blahzay – Blah Blah Blah (1996)
099. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | Kool Keith – Black Elvis/Lost in Space (1999)
100. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | Ghostface Killah – Ironman (1996)
101. | 034. | 017 | 02 | Redman – Muddy Waters (1996)
102. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | IAM – L’Ecole du Micro D’argent (1997)
103. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | Killah Priest – Heavy Mental (1998)
104. |nieuw| 017 | 01 | Pete Rock & C.L Smooth – The Main Ingredient (1994)

This should get you started, have fun with it
If you can think of some more memorable albums; you're invited to throw them in the comments.

Update :
some more recommendables coming from the comments:

Various Artists - Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - The Album (2000)
Sage Francis - Personal Journals (2002)
Boogie Down Productions - Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop (1989)

THURSDAY 17th !

The Toasters
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Neon Neon
Foals
The Hoosiers
Goldfrapp
Birdy Nam Nam live
Bikinians
Austin Lace
Compuphonic
Moonbootica
Matt Walsh
Zombie Nation
Tiga
Alter Ego live
Ivan Smagghe
Elvis Ghettoblaster
General Mindy
The Teenagers
Mystery Jets
The Whitest Boy Alive
D.I.M.
Modeselektor live & Pfadfinderei (vj)
Ellen Allien
Brodinski
The Glimmers
kofeee
Burning Heads
Murdock
High Contrast & MC Wrec
DJ Friction
Pendulum djset with MC Jakes
Shy FX & MC RD
Sub Focus
Two-Star Hotel
Steak Number Eight
Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & The True Loves
Dub Trio
EZ3kiel
Hocus Pocus
Birdy HardERS aka Birdy Nam Nam (DJ Pone, Need, Crazy B, Little Mike) vs Partyharders (Mon Colonel, papy harders, The Shore) & special guest : Busy P


FRIDAY 18th !

Adrian Sherwood + Ghetto Priest
Agnostic Front
Ambivalent
Arid
ASHANTI 3000 + Renegade Soundwave
Backfire!
Battles
Beans
Bonde do Role
Boys Noize
Carl
Digital Mystikz, Loefah and MC Sgt Pokes
DJ Orgasmic
Do or Die
Dreadzone live & Earl 16 & MC Spee
Flat Earth Society meets Jimi Tenor
French Cowboy
Future of the Left
Grimelock
H2O
Harvey Milk
Heartthrob live
Ice Cube
Iration Steppas meets Improvisators Dub
J D Samson & JO Fateman aka Men (le tigre dj set)
Jakob Maersk
Jeronimo
Life of Agony
Magda
Merauder
Milanese feat. Ben Sharpa live
More Rockers Show
My Mortality
Omnikrom
Orfeo
Oxbow
Pinback
Pop Levi
Poulycroc
Principles of Geometry
Ratatat
Richie Hawtin
Roni Size/Reprazent live
Saint André
SebastiAn
Sierra_Sam & Marcus Vector live
Spoiler NYC
SURFING LEONS
Surkin
The Bug feat. Warrior Queen, Flowdan (roll deep) and Ricky Rankin (roots manuva)
The Enemy
The Germans
The Notwist
Triggerfinger
Ultraphallus
V.O.
Vibronics + Parvez (Dub Factory) + Echo Ranks + Jah Marnyah + Madu Messenger
Visionary Underground feat. Dr Das
Wax Tailor
Wu-Tang Clan
X Makeena
Yuksek DJ Set
Zenzile


SATURDAY 19th !

Abyss
Arkangel
autoKratz
BEAT COMMUNITY feat. Hud Mo - Dorian Concept - Infinitskills - SirOJ
Black Moon
Blu
Bochum Welt live
Born From Pain
CASSIUS Dex'n'Fx
Cataract
Cazals live
Ceephax Acid Crew live
Chuck Dukowski Sextet
Clark live
Coming Soon
Death by Stereo
DJ Krush
Droon
Drumcorps
F.L.A.M.E. « flexa lyndo altered magic ensemble »
Flying Lotus
Gildas & Masaya
Gilles Peterson
Hardfloor live
Hatebreed
Heaven Shall Burn
I Am X
Lagwagon
lefto dj set
Louis Logic & Blueprint & JJ Brown & P.Dateh
Mad Sin
Meat Puppets
Michael Rose & Dubline
Midnite
Miracle Fortress
Mr Scruff
Omar Perry & Homegrown Band
Otto Von Schirach live with Esperanza, DJ Urine & 666cent
Planey
Punks Jump Up
Quit Your Dayjob
Soil & Pimp Sessions
South Central live
Steel Pulse
Superlux
Syd Matters
Takana Zion & Manjul
The Bones
The Caroloregians
The Chargers
The Elegant Garage Gunners
The Heliocentrics
The Herbaliser live
The Incredible Punish Yourself Pictures Show
The Subs live
Tim Vanhamel
Typhoon
UFO goes UFA
Woven Hand
X&trick
Zu vs dälek


SUNDAY 20th !

Akro with live band
Alborosie & Shang yeng clan
Alpha Blondy and the Solar System
AqME
Asva
BB Brunes
Beat Torrent (dj's pfel & atom from c2c)
Casey
Chrome Hoof
Collie Buddz
Depotax
Didier Super et son groupe
Digikid.84 live
diskJokke
DJ Mendi
DJ QBert
D'Giuliann
Earth
Efterklang
Enon
Fujiya & Miyagi
Gogol Bordello
Heavy Trash feat. MATT VERTA-RAY & Jon Spencer
Hollywood Porn Stars
hugo freegow
Jay Mayhem
Kruger
La Kinky Beat
Lady Saw & the scrucialists
Lofofora
Mad Caddies
Madrugada
MishMash Soundsystem
MiSSiLL
Mizol-K
Nestor!
Psykick Lyrikah
Raxinasky
Set The Tone
Shameboy
Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar live
Shout Out Louds
Sinik
Slagsmålsklubben
Subtle
Svinkels with live band, djs and visuals
Team William
The (International) Noise Conspiracy
The Fall
Moonshine Playboys
The Raveonettes
Tortoise
Tunisiano
WaxDolls


and still www.dourfestival.eu
20th Dour Festival

2Pac - Me Against the World

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders

Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of...

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique

Black Moon - Enta Da Stage

Black Sheep - A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded

Brand Nubian - One for All

Busta Rhymes - When Disaster Strikes...

Neneh Cherry - Raw Like Sushi

Clipse - Lord Willin'

Common - Like Water for Chocolate

Cypress Hill - Black Sunday

De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising

DMX - It's Dark And Hell Is Hot

Dr. Dre - 2001

Missy Elliott - Da Real World

Eminem - The Slim Shady LP

EPMD - Strictly Business

Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full

The Foreign Exchange - Connected

Fugees - The Score

Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth

GZA/Genius - Liquid Swords

Goodie Mob - Still Standing

Ice Cube - The Predator

Jadakiss - Kiss Of Death

Jay-Z - The Black Album

Wyclef Jean - Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee Allstars

Jeru the Damaja - Wrath Of The Math

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Wanted: Dead or Alive

Talib Kweli - Quality

Latyrx - The Album

LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out

M.I.A. - Kala

Method Man - Tical

Mobb Deep - The Infamous

Pharoahe Monch - Desire

Mos Def - Black On Both Sides

Mystikal - Let's Get Ready

Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken and Gritz

Nas - Illmatic

Naughty by Nature - Naughty By Nature

Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die

OutKast - Aquemini

Pete Rock - Soul Survivor

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother

Poor Righteous Teachers - Holy Intellect

Prince Paul - A Prince Among Thieves

Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Queen Latifah - Black Reign

The Roots - Things Fall Apart

Run-D.M.C. - Run-D.M.C.

Slick Rick - The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick

Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle

Stereo MC's - Connected

The Streets - A Grand Don't Come for Free

T.I. - Trap Muzik

Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Beatdown

Kanye West - Late Registration

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

A lot of hip hop is great. There is great hip hop everywhere. West, East, South, Europe, Japan, and even Canada. Throwing out a whole region's output of hip hop is lame and pretty much makes you a douche bag. If you voice your opinion and it reads: "TEH SOUTH SUCKS! LOL LIZEN TO ATMOSPHERE," you are turning off fans of southern rap to Atmosphere (which is a good thing haha, but I digress) because they see that idiots like you listen to them. If you make the blanket statement that a geographical area sucks at making rap music, then you should probably shut the fuck up. You can only make a statement like that if you've listened to all the music from whatever region you're complaining about. But noone can do that. So don't make statements like that.

Here are 10 good songs from different regions of space son

West
Messy Marv - Wakin' Em Up
Ice-T - New Jack Hustler
Cypress Hill - I Ain't Goin' Out Like That
Aceyalone - The Guidelines
Kurupt - Who Ride Wit Us
2Pac - Pain
Ice Cube - A Bird in the Hand
Westside Connection - Bow Down
Casual - Get Off It
Spice 1 - Welcome to the Ghetto

Midwest (added for more dope trax!)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - 1st Of Tha Month (DJ Premier's Phat Bonus Remix)
Kanye West - Gone
Crucial Conflict - Hay
Common - Resurrection (Extra P Remix)
J.U.I.C.E. - All That Glitters
Rabies - Legless Be The Legacy
Lupe Fiasco - Daydreamin'
Rhymefest - Dynomite (Going Postal)
Royce da 5'9" - Boom
Eminem - Still Don't Give A Fuck

East
Ultramagnetic MC's - Watch Me Now
Trends Of Culture - Valley Of The Skinz
Diamond D - K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)
Group Home - Supa Star
Smoothe Da Hustler - Broken Language
Black Moon - How Many MC's...
De La Soul - I Am I Be
Masta Ace - Jeep Ass Niguh
Godfather Don - 3 The Hard Way
Main Source - Fakin' The Funk

South
Trae - Real Talk
8Ball & MJG - Friend Or Foe
Scarface - Hand Of The Dead Body
Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks On Me
K-Rino - Illusions
Lil' Wayne - Dr. Carter
Juvenile - Gone Ride With Me
Master P - Bourbons & Lacs
Devin the Dude - What A Job
OutKast - Jazzy Belle

Europe (Only 3 because I still need to listen to more :)
IAM - La Saga
Braintax - Back To The Riviera
Blak Twang - Fearless

Japan (Only 3 because I don't wanna repeat artists AND I need to listen to more Japanese hip hop)
Grooveman Spot - Levitation (Ver. 2.0)
Nujabes - Feather
DJ Mitsu The Beats - Pursuits Of Clarity

Canada (only 4 for the same reasons as the above)
k-os - Rise Like The Sun
Kardinal Offishall - Bang Bang
Frankenstein - Rain Is Gone
Marco Polo - Marquee

Basically the point of this journal was to let hip hop fans know that there's always more out there and you should always keep looking. If you hated all the songs I posted from any of the regions, you're probably a douche (jk...maybe), but in reality you just need to not be close-minded and find dope hip hop from that region yourself. If you're still a close-minded dick and continue to ignorantly make blanket statements about different regions of rap, then I at least hope that you found some good songs from what I posted.

Nokturnal Mortum - Lunar Poetry
Pitchshifter - Industrial
Empyrium - Weiland
Black Moon - Enta Da Stage
Neun Welten - vergessene Pfade
Dark Sanctuary - Les Mémoires Blessées
Arcana - Dark Age of Reason
Blut aus Nord - MoRT
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet
Summoning - Oath Bound
Atrium Carceri - Cellblock

Check Out:

Dead Can Dance - Into the Labyrinth
Elend
Swans
Gates of Ishtar
Tenhi
Mind Necrosis Factor - Entropy
Grief
Northaunt
dälek
Techno Animal