Planet Rock: The Album
Artist: Afrika Bambaataa
Community Score: 7.50

All the important early 12"s from 1982-1984 are here, including "Planet Rock" and "Looking for the Perfect Beat," plus three previously unreleased tracks. (Recorded with Soulsonic Force.) ~ John Floyd, All Music Guide Read More

A Shade of Red
Artist: Redhead Kingpin and the F.B.I.
Community Score: 7.00

Shade of Red, the album debut for Redhead Kingpin and the F.B.I., was a set of entertaining rap tracks that are icy and confrontational at times. The lead singles "Pump It Hottie," "Do the Right Thing," and "We Rock the Mic Right" were hits on the R&B charts as well as the dance side. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide Read More

The Message - UK BONUS TRACK
Artist: Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
Community Score: 10.00

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five merged the Afrocentric consciousness expressed by such early rappers as Gil Scott-Heron and the Last Poets with b-boy production to create "The Message," an all-time rap anthem. It was the focal point of this LP, which also included "It's Nasty" and "Scorpio," two other strong cuts that might have been... Read More

Stone Cold Rhymin'
Artist: Young MC
Community Score: 10.00

Young MC wasn't given props at the time and he wasn't respected in the years following the release of his debut Stone Cold Rhymin', largely because he worked entirely in the pop-rap/crossover vein. All the same, that's what's great about his debut, since it's exceptionally clever and effective, a wonderful combination of deft rhymes and skillful... Read More

The Cactus Album
Artist: 3rd Bass
Community Score: 7.00

Besides the upper-middle-class frat-punks-in-rap-clothing shtick of the Beastie Boys and emissary/producer Rick Rubin, who both gained a legitimate, earned respect in the rap community, there were very few white kids in rap's first decade who spoke the poetry of the street with compassion and veneration for the form. That is, until The Cactus... Read More

Hot, Cool & Vicious
Artist: Salt-N-Pepa
Community Score: 8.30

One of the first albums to be released by an all-female rap group, Hot, Cool & Vicious is paced by its opening track, "Push It," one of the first rap songs to hit number one on the dance singles charts. Considering how little Salt-n-Pepa actually rap on "Push It," which is all about its instrumental hook, they maintain a surprisingly strong... Read More

All Hail the Queen
Artist: Queen Latifah
Community Score: 7.00
Walking With a Panther
Artist: LL Cool J
Community Score: 8.92

Released at a time when hip-hop's anxieties about crossover success were at a fever pitch, Walking With a Panther found LL Cool J trying to reinvent his sound while building on the commercial breakthrough of Bigger and Deffer. Even though the album succeeded on both counts, it did so in a way that didn't sit well with hip-hop purists, who began... Read More

Follow the Leader
Artist: Eric B. & Rakim
Community Score: 7.81

Having already revolutionized hip-hop, Eric B. & Rakim came up with a second straight classic in their sophomore album, Follow the Leader, which basically follows the same blueprint for greatness, albeit with subtle refinements. Most noticeably, Eric B.'s production is already moving beyond the minimalism of Paid in Full. Follow the Leader finds... Read More

3 Feet High and Rising
Artist: De La Soul
Community Score: 7.85

The most inventive, assured, and playful debut in hip-hop history, 3 Feet High and Rising not only proved that rappers didn't have to talk about the streets to succeed, but also expanded the palette of sampling material with a kaleidoscope of sounds and references culled from pop, soul, disco, and even country music. Weaving clever wordplay and... Read More

Paul's Boutique
Artist: Beastie Boys
Community Score: 8.52

Such was the power of Licensed to Ill that everybody, from fans to critics, thought that not only could the Beastie Boys not top the record, but that they were destined to be a one-shot wonder. These feelings were only amplified by their messy, litigious departure from Def Jam and their flight from their beloved New York to Los Angeles, since it... Read More

Loc-ed After Dark
Artist: Tone-Loc
Community Score: 6.00

A forgotten man in the rise of West Coast rap, Tone-Loc was effectively cut off from his hometown scene in Los Angeles by his unexpected pop success. Paced by the singles "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina" -- both co-written by a pre-fame Young MC, and some of the earliest productions by the legendary Dust Brothers -- Loc's debut album, Loc-ed... Read More