Top 100 Hip-Hop Albums 2000-2010. 71-80

Animalistic-Fauna (2010)

Animalistic get the honour (honour probably isn't the right word, I'm sure no one actually cares what I think) of being the only act from a non-English speaking country to make it into this top 100. The duo of Korhymes and SB hail from Utrecht in Holland although you cant really tell as they rap in English and their accents sound almost American but with an odd hint of Dutch, I actually thought they were from the US until I found their website. Their debut album 'Fauna' sounds so much like it was made in the early 90s, the first time I heard it I was pretty sure I was listening to golden age Pharcyde with its chilled out jazz samples, fun, energetic rhyme delivery and boom bap production. Anyone feeling nostalgic about the early 90s era of hip-hop should definitely check this album out.

You can download the album for free from the Animalistic website.

Busdriver- Cosmic Cleavage (2004)

Busdriver has always released some pretty odd stuff, but on this album he gets really bizarre. At only thirty minutes long this is a pretty short album but while it lasts it's an amazing trip through a psychedelic world of acid jazz and super fast raps. If you haven't heard Busdriver before this maybe isn't the best place to start but I think he's an amazing rapper and he really thrives on the weirdness of this project.

Dangerdoom- The Mouse And The Mask (2005)

I absolutely love Danger Mouse and DOOM so I had very high expectations for this album but unfortunately I was a bit disappointed, this is still a fantastic album, I was just expecting a classic. The beats are good, and so is the rapping, but I just feel that DOOM works better over instrumentals that are more dark and obscure. 'The Mouse And The Mask' is still really worth a listen though, you need to hear 'Crosshairs' and the bumping 'Benzi Box' featuring Cee-Lo.

David Banner & 9th Wonder- Death Of A Popstar (2010)

When I first heard about this project I thought it was a very weird pairing, David Banner was known for his heavy club bangers while 9th's vibe is a lot more chilled out and soulful. Surprisingly though they work perfectly together. 9th comes with his usual truck load of soul but Banner has toned down his style, his flow is more mellow while his lyrics are at times romantic and on some tracks even political. Songs 'Stutter', 'Be With You' and 'Silly' are all fantastic, this LP was definitely the surprise hit of the year.

Year Round Records- DJ Premier presents Get Used To Us (2010)

There isn't really that much that needs to be said about this album, we all know Premier is one of the best producers of all time (or at least you should know) and here we have an album full of his signature thumping beats. On top of Premier's sublime production we have an amazing all star cast of guest appearances featuring KRS One, Grand Puba, Lady of Rage and Saigon. You just cant go wrong here.

Heltah Skeltah- D.I.R.T. (2008)

Sean Price has been one of my favourite rappers for a while now and with fellow Boot Camp Clik member Rock joining him again on this album I knew it was going to be good. Heltah Skeltah do what they do best here with some of the best punchline raps in hip-hop, so don't expect any deep, uplifting lyrics, just total destruction of track after track. Both of these guys have almost unbeatable flows and they really prove it on this LP, especially with tracks like 'Insane' and the hilarious 'The Art Of Disrespekinazation'.

Micall Parknsun- Working Class Dad (2005)

Micall Parknsun has to be one of my all time favourite rap names, it's just so British, not only because of the reference but the humour behind it as well. This album is also very British, and quite on the gritty side of the UK scene. Parky has a gravelly voice, a flow that almost stabs the beat and sick punchline raps which go perfectly over the heavy UK style instrumental. 'Working Class Dad' is a serious head nod album, a classic example of the type of music we do so well over here on this side of the pond.

Mos Def- The Ecstatic (2009)

By the time 'The Ecstatic' came out I'd pretty much given up on Mos Def, I really liked his early work but he had been getting progressively worse as time went by. I only got this album because I'd heard Madlib did a lot of the beats, and as usual he delivered, helping make this one of Mos Def's best projects ever. With a great mixture of straight up hip-hop and some other tracks on a more jazzy soulful tip this is a great return to form.

Murs & 9^th Wonder- Murs 3:16: The 9^th Edition (2004)

Underground MC Murs and beat maker extraordinaire 9^th Wonder joined forces for the first time on '3:16', and created what is still by far my favourite album to come from their collaborations. Murs holds down the rapping with his usual excellent blend of funny lines and vivid story telling that has you laughing one moment and almost crying the next. 9th's beats are superb as usual, with plenty of soulful vibes and also some nice funkiness added into the mix.

Non Phixion- The Green CD (2004)

Unfortunately Non Phixion never got around to releasing a proper second LP before they disbanded , but this compilation of unreleased tracks and freestyles is a great substitute. The freestyles on here are great as the raw recordings really suit the hardcore style these guys have. There are some really superb unreleased songs on here too like the awesome 'Scum' with its haunting piano riff that almost gives me goose bumps. Hearing this album makes me sad because I cant help thinking about how much more amazing music we would have if they stayed together.

Top 100 Hip-Hop Albums 2000-2010. 81-90

Aceyalone- Magnificent City (2006)

If you're into underground hip-hop you should already know Aceyalone by now, with a large amount of releases as a solo artist and also as part of groups such as the incredible Freestyle Fellowship he is a very prolific guy. On this album Aceyalone works with producer RJD2 who has worked with many other greats like MF DOOM and Vast Aire as well as releasing his own beautifully eclectic sounding instrumental albums. The two work great together, Acey Alone has a nice straight forward flow and covers different topics in interesting ways, while RJD2 drops his usual amazing mixture of styles ranging from mellow acoustic tracks to stomping electronica.

Danny Brown- The Hybrid (2010)

Apart from a few guest spots this was the first I heard from Danny Brown, which seems kind of crazy because he's done so much in the past year, quickly becoming one of my favourite artists. Danny Brown's voice can take a bit of getting used to, it's hard to explain but his voice is very unique, which is always a great characteristic in a rapper. This album has some really raw beats like on the tracks 'Re-Up' and 'White Stripes' where Brown spits his crazy flow with some very explicit but definitely tongue in cheek lyrics. If you don't know Danny Brown by now, you will soon, and this is great early release from one of the most promising new acts around.

Guilty Simpson-Ode To The Ghetto (2008)

Guilty Simpson is now one of the major players in underground hip-hop but back when he released this, his debut album, he was fairly unknown. Guilty is a serious Detroit heavy hitter on the mic with a monstrous flow as you can hear on intense tracks like 'Robbery'. Add in production from Madlib, Black Milk and Mr. Porter and you have a Detroit classic.

Infinite Livez-Bush Meat (2004)

This really is the weirdest UK hip-hop album I've ever heard, so unless you're looking for something a bit different you probably wont enjoy it, but if you're open to strange music you will love it as much as I do. Infinite Livez is kind of like Roots Manuva on acid, the album is full of squeaky electronic noises over deep bass sounds as a back drop for Infinite Livez's odd raps about “white wee wee” and his adventures as the lactating man. 'Bush Meat' is some rare obscurity from the UK scene that makes me wish more MCs would go weird.

Kidz In The Hall-School Was My Hustle (2006)

Kidz In The Hall had the honour of having their debut album be the first release from the mighty Rawkus label when it was relaunched independently, which shows that someone must have seen something special in these guys. The duo consists of MC Naledge and producer Double-O while the whole album was overseen by big time beat maker Just Blaze. They make a great team with Naledge's conscious raps over upbeat and funky soul samples. Best tracks on the album for me would have to be 'Wassup Jo' with its classic Bob James sample and 'Cruise Control'.

Masta Ace- A Long Hot Summer (2004)

Masta Ace has been rapping since the late 80s, this guy is a serious veteran, and you can tell. 'A Long Hot Summer' was Ace's fifth solo LP and could probably be labelled a concept album as there is a narrative running through it, telling the story of Masta Ace's summer in Brooklyn and touring with his friend Fats Belvedere. There's a real New York feel to this album, straight up boom bap beats from the likes of 9th Wonder, Khrysis and Marco Polo with some expert Mcing, as can be expected from the legendary Ace.

Skyzoo and Illmind- Live From The Tape Deck (2010)

Duck Down has been one of the strongest labels of recent years and in 2010 they brought us this superb collaboration with Skyzoo on the mic and Illmind taking care of production. Skyzoo's smooth New York flow goes great over Illmind's floaty, futuristic beats. This is a really nice chilled out album that makes you just want to drift off into space.

The Bug-London Zoo (2008)

Before dubstep became the pathetic farce it is today, there were people like UK producer The Bug making fresh sounding, experimental electronic music. The beats sound quite similar to dubstep but are a bit more interesting, with a dark style and strange rhythms. The vocals are provided by some big names in UK reggae and grime such as Flow Dan, Spaceape and Warrior Queen. This album (although still amazing) doesn't sound overly fresh but at the time of its release it was pretty revolutionary.

The Coup-Pick A Bigger Weapon (2006)

The Coup have been making excellent music for years and this album is no exception. All the beats are very funky and sound like they were played on live instruments which is quite rare in hip-hop. Their strong political views are very apparent on this album with intelligent tracks like 'Last Stand' and 'My Favorite Mutiny' among some of the stand outs. It's not all too serious though as they liven things with more light hearted tracks like the ridiculously smooth 'IJustWannaLayAroundAllDayInBedWithYou'.

The Left-Gas Mask (2010)

Apollo Brown has been making some of the best beats around for the last few years, creating a sound somewhere between Premier and RZA, his ability to turn a beautiful soul sample into a brutally banging instrumental is amazing. Apollo Brown joins forces with MC Journalist to bring us this great album. The rapping is good on here but it really is all about the beats, other producers need to take note.

Top 100 Hip-Hop Albums 2000-2010. 91-100

Awon & Kameleon Beats- Love Supersedes (2010)

I hadn't heard anything from these guys before this album, and I haven't heard anything since, I'm not sure if that's my ignorance or their lack of releases, either way, I want to hear more. Everything on here is so gloriously smooth and soulful, Kameloen Beats really knows how to flip those soul samples. Awon has a soothing voice with a nice flow and is lyrically pretty positive, rapping about life and love. Overall a superb collaboration from two guys we need to hear more from.

Black Milk- Tronic (2008)

Black Milk had a lot to live up to after releasing his astonishing “Popular Demand”, unfortunately “Tronic” isn't quite as good, but that doesn't mean it's not a great album, because it really is. There is a different feel to this album, he had said he wasn't going to use soul samples like he did on his previous release (although he does use some and admits to this on “Try”) and instead a lot of the backings on here are more electronic and live sounding. This album is Black Milk really coming into his own and proving what a versatile producer he is as well as continuing to show that he may not be the best MC around but he is far from the worst.

Mr Lif-Mo' Mega (2006)

Mr. Lif returned with more heavy hitting political rap in 2006 on Mo' Mega. I'll probably get a lot of hate for writing this but I prefer this album to any of his others, even "I Phantom" which is thought of by many as his best work. One of the main things I love about this LP is the variety, there's the usual brutally militant tracks on here but there's also some funkier lighthearted songs like “Murs Is My Manager” and “Washitup!” that make this into an excellently balanced listen.

Nottz- You Need This Music (2010)

Nottz has been around for quite a while doing production work for the likes of Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg and Scarface but in 2010 he picked up the mic and dropped his debut studio album. This is a really good album album with a nice mix of vibes, from bouncy boom bap to more soulful joints. The title is very apt, we definitely need more music like this.

Polyrhythm Addicts- Break Glass (2007)

Polyrhythm Addicts is formed of DJ Spinna, Mr Complex, Shabaam Sahdeeq and Tiye Phoenix (Apani B was originally in the group but was replaced by Phoenix on this album). All three MCs in this group are great on the mic, dropping tight flows over smooth boom bap beats. If you like mid 90s underground hip-hop then this is definitely for you, just turn it up loud and nod your head.

Q-Tip- The Renaissance (2008)

When I heard about this release I really wasn't expecting a great deal from it, obviously A Tribe Called Quest were one of the greatest rap groups ever, but I thought Q-Tip's first solo album was pretty terrible and when I found out he did most of the beats for this himself I really lost hope. But on actually hearing the album I was pleasantly surprised, there are some great beats on here and Q-Tip is really on point with his rhymes. My favourite track on the album is “Renaissance Rap” with its amazingly eery beat, which for some reason isn't a track as itself on the CD but is located at the end of the song “Move”. It's great to see that Q-Tips hasn't lost it, this LP is up there with the fantastic material he released with Quest.

Marco Polo- Stupendous Adventures Of Marco Polo (2010)

Marco Polo was creating some great beats in 2010 but it seems he was keeping a lot of the best ones for his own album. Featuring loads of MCs from the very strong Duck Down roster amongst others. With tracks like “So Basic feat. Surreal” and “The Bridge feat. Promise” on it this was one of the best albums of the year.

The Grouch-Three Eyes Off The Time (2009)

The Grouch has been releasing albums since 1995, staying underground as part of the mighty Living Legends crew and in 2009 he hit us with this fantastic piece of dopeness. DJ Fresh takes care of the production with some amazingly futuristic, bass heavy beats. The Grouch has a smooth, laid back flow and his lyrics on this album are very mature, covering topics such as family life and the story of his career. This is an older MC coming with a fresher sound than the majority of the new generation in rap.

The Perceptionists- Black Dialogue (2005)

Def Jux mainstays Mr. Lif, Akrobatik and DJ Fakts One joined forces on this project to form The Perceptionists. As with their solo works this album is full of gritty political tracks which all really pack a punch. It's good to hear different styles from them on this album though, with some more chilled out tracks like “Love Letter” and “Breathe In The Sun”. Altogether a really good album with a nice mixture of vibes.

Ty- Upwards (2003)

This is UK MC, Ty's second solo album and is a wonderfully bouncy and (as the title may suggest) uplifting piece of music that even gained him a Mercury Music Prize nomination (not that awards mean anything but it's kind of nice for good music to get noticed). The beats on this LP are gloriously funky and Ty comes with that positive UK vibe, no guns and violence here, just good times. This is the kind of music that makes you want to party in the sunshine, even if you are stuck in rainy old Britain.

Top 100 Hip-Hop Albums 2000-2010

The first decade of the new millennium is not really known for it's great hip-hop but it was definitely there, and lots of it, so I thought I'd put together a good list of albums that everyone should hear. I couldn't possibly put them into a chart, ordering them on how good they are, so I've put them in brackets of ten, 1-10 being the best and 91-100 being the worst (but still great), this is still a fairly rough order as it's hard to compare some albums. I know a lot of people will probably disagree with my choices but it's music isn't it, it's always going to be subjective, these are just 100 albums that I think are really good, that I think everyone should hear. So don't get angry if your favourite albums aren't in this, I've probably even forgotten some of my favourites too, just enjoy it and I hope you discover some new music that you love.

Intro

I've been meaning to do this for a long time and I've finally got around to it. I've been obsessed with hip-hop for 11 years now, I cant get enough of it. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that the genre went rubbish a while ago and the only good stuff is from the 90s, but this really isn't true, it's just quite hard to find sometimes. So to save you all the effort of looking for it yourselves I'll be posting the best of what I find on here along with a bit of new dance music and maybe a little bit now and then letting you know if there's something good on TV, just generally letting you all know what's interesting at the moment. I hope you all enjoy it.