Cypress Hill
Artist: Cypress Hill
Community Score: 8.22

It's hard enough to transform an entire musical genre -- Cypress Hill's eponymous debut album revolutionized hip-hop in several respects. Although they weren't the first Latino rappers, nor the first to mix Spanish and English, they were the first to achieve a substantial following, thanks to their highly distinctive sound. Along with Beastie... Read More

Greatest Hits - CLEAN
Artist: 2Pac
Community Score: 7.40

Greatest Hits is a strange release. Sure, Tupac Shakur had more than enough hits to make a terrific compilation, but its appearance in the fall of 1998 felt a bit like another opportunity to milk his catalog, simply because of the plethora of releases, from previously unheard recordings to interview discs and bootlegs. Even with these misgivings... Read More

Stupid Doo Doo Dumb
Artist: Mac Dre
Community Score: 9.50

Due to various legal troubles, Mac Dre didn't have the opportuntity to deliver a full-fledged follow-up to his second album, Young Black Brotha, until 1998 -- five years after YBB was released. The resulting record, Stupid Doo Doo Dumb, doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, mainly because it's missing the production of Khayree. His... Read More

Based on a True Story
Artist: Mack 10
Community Score: 5.67

When Mack 10 returned in 1997 with his second album, Based on a True Story, the West Coast gangsta movement had began to simmer in the aftermath of Death Row's dissolution, 2Pac's death, Too Short's retirement, Dr. Dre's confusion, and Ice Cube's move to Hollywood. Mack gladly fills the void with a spirited album that's proudly Cali and proudly... Read More

187 He Wrote
Artist: Spice 1
Community Score: 7.60

Spice 1 continues his bleak, stripped-down version of gangsta rap with 187 He Wrote, an album that can be harrowing and appalling. Throughout the record, the spare, funky production keeps the music engaging, making the disturbing lyrics cut even deeper. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

The Chronic
Artist: Dr. Dre
Community Score: 8.12

With its stylish, sonically detailed production, Dr. Dre's 1992 solo debut The Chronic transformed the entire sound of West Coast rap. Here Dre established his patented G-funk sound: fat, blunted Parliament-Funkadelic beats, soulful backing vocals, and live instruments in the rolling basslines and whiny synths. What's impressive is that Dre... Read More

Sons of the P
Artist: Digital Underground
Community Score: 6.00

If it ain't broke, don't fix it: Sons of the P offers more of the loopy humor and P-Funk fixations that made Digital Underground's debut album, Sex Packets, an instant classic. And if Sons of the P doesn't quite hit the absurd heights of its predecessor's best tracks, it's still a strong, engaging listen and an entirely worthy follow-up. The... Read More

Greatest Hits - DEATH ROW
Artist: 2Pac
Community Score: 8.69

Greatest Hits is a strange release. Sure, Tupac Shakur had more than enough hits to make a terrific compilation, but its appearance in the fall of 1998 felt a bit like another opportunity to milk his catalog, simply because of the plethora of releases, from previously unheard recordings to interview discs and bootlegs. Even with these misgivings... Read More