The Nine Yards
Artist: Paperboy
Community Score: 6.50

In the late '80s and early '90s, rap invaded the pop music world to the point where many rappers were considered mere pop artists. As a result, the genre produced an abundance of one-hit wonders who failed to reconnect with either rap or pop audiences after their moment of glory. Along with artists like Young MC, Candyman, Domino, and Positive... Read More

Prose Combat
Artist: MC Solaar
Community Score: 8.00

After his high-profile duet with Guru on the first Jazzmatazz project, French rapper MC Solaar proved himself a major contender for international rap stardom with his U.S. debut. With the rapid-fire rhyme flow of Souls of Mischief and the smooth delivery of Q-Tip, the young MC conveys more moods in French than most rappers can in English. The... Read More

It Takes a Thief
Artist: Coolio
Community Score: 5.70

Just when it looked like rap would completely succumb to the violent hyperbole and mean-spirited "realness" of gangsta rap, new blood entered the scene in 1994 to nudge the genre back toward friendlier turf. That new blood included Nas, Craig Mack, and Coolio, whose It Takes a Thief starts with the easy-rolling funk of Lakeside's "Fantastic... Read More

The Best of Kurtis Blow
Artist: Kurtis Blow
Community Score: 5.00

While he made many groundbreaking singles, Kurtis Blow was never a consistent album artist, making this best-of collection his definitive artistic statement. Throughout the early '80s, Blow helped define what rap could do, and these tracks confirm his status as one of hip-hop's legendary acts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

Hard to Earn
Artist: Gang Starr
Community Score: 7.89

Gang Starr came out hard on their 1994 album, Hard to Earn, an album notably different from its two predecessors: Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992). While those two classic albums garnered tremendous praise for their thoughtful lyrics and jazzy beats, Hard to Earn seems much more reactionary, especially its lyrics. Guru opens... Read More

Black Business
Artist: Poor Righteous Teachers

The Poor Righteous Teachers offered more Islamic and Afrocentric raps on this album, sometimes becoming overly pedantic, but also keeping the raps and rhymes flowing and the beats moving. Their material's propagandistic tone was offset to some extent by the use of reggae and funk influences, but few groups are more open about their religious and... Read More

Midnight Marauders
Artist: A Tribe Called Quest
Community Score: 8.33

Though the abstract rappers finally betrayed a few commercial ambitions for Midnight Marauders, the happy result was a smart, hooky record that may not have furthered the jazz-rap fusions of The Low End Theory, but did merge Tribe-style intelligence and reflection with some of the most inviting grooves heard on any early-'90s rap record. The... Read More

Buhloone Mindstate
Artist: De La Soul
Community Score: 8.40

The last album of De la Soul's creative prime, Buhloone Mindstate was also their last with producer Prince Paul. After the claustrophobic De la Soul Is Dead, Mindstate is a partial return to the upbeat positivity of 3 Feet High and Rising, though not its wildly colorful invention. Instead, Buhloone Mindstate takes a calmer, more laid-back... Read More

Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1
Artist: Guru
Community Score: 7.72

One of the first hip-hop records to successfully integrate jazz, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 is a surprising success for Guru. The rapper's warm grooves and laid-back rhymes fit in perfectly with the instrumental tracks provided by a cadre of jazz musicians. The way that the live playing is integrated on this album is different than the way it is done... Read More

Bring It On
Artist: Ali Dee

Add Ali Dee to the list of rappers successfully exploiting rap/jazz fusion. His cut "Dee Swings Jazz" expertly demonstrates the genres' shared qualities, and his whole release has both a loose, improvisational air and an edgy, combative street vibe. The single "Who's Da Flava" attracted the most attention, but there are other, equally sharp... Read More

My Life
Artist: Mary J. Blige
Community Score: 7.81