Meccapolis Top 100 NY Hip Hop Albums List (Full List In OP)

[FreshAIG]

Idahih is perfect, and it can still be played front to back with no corny shyt or aged. He never made anything close to this ever again (although I think flesh of my flesh is dope too def easily his second best). The production still holds up and still sounds fresh to this day. I feel like it gets underrated the more time that goes by and doesn’t always get its due or recognized in the tier it’s in. It’s in my personal top 10 at the bottom two slots.

I don’t really get the urge to bump ready to die that much no disrespect to the album. idk I guess one just aged way better than the other. The production sounds dated on half of RTD. Who shot ya (bonus track which I replace with me and my bytch anyway) and unbelievable are the songs that I listen to most and still play. Machine gun funk and everyday struggle are my other favourites from it.

I always said It's Dark is the most unique "street" rap album I ever heard. Not even X made another album like it. I love Ready to Die to death, but I think X performance on It's Dark stands up better.

 

[FreshAIG]

Bruh, it’s a Top 100–they’re not going to be able to fit every single album you like on it.

Aside from Cam’ron having way too many albums on here (could’ve just left it at CHWM and Diplomatic Immunity), all of the listed albums were more than worthy of Top 100 consideration.

You can’t just keep naming albums on a number restricted list and not mention the albums you think should be taken off of this list…

…so let us know which mentions you’re slighting and removing off of this list in favor of the albums you’ve been clamoring for to be included? And please don’t do the obvious and just name the albums from the 2010s

I think SDE is better than CHWM but CHWM is way more impactful

 

[FreshAIG]

All this.

I was waiting to see some Ace on there. I don’t get how SlaughtaHouse doesn't make a Top 100 NY albums list. Sittin' on Chrome and Disposable Arts could've definitely been mentioned too. They didn't even have Biz's Goin' Off, which is a NY staple and mad classic. A lot of revered classics were missing.

Slaughtahouse is a personal classic. I still play Big East on a weekly basis.

 

[g-ice]

Love The Infamous at #1. I’ll give this list that.

 

[K.O.N.Y]

That’s #112 on the extended list I’m not a bitter oldhead

Pop Smoke Meet the Woo 2 is literally on the current list and Meet the woo 1 is #110

but meet the woo 1 is better than 2

 

[Knucklehead]

Props on this list.
A lot of good choices.
Think it really stuck to the “Best NY Albums” theme not the “Best albums from rappers who happen to be from NY”

 

[Redwood]

Not mad at The Infamous being #1. It had a big impact, but compared to the other two though?

 

[mobbinfms]

This list just keeps getting better and better

 

[mobbinfms]

Watch infamous be #1

Called it the other day, I bet it is.

You were right

 

[Xtz23]

I always said It's Dark is the most unique "street" rap album I ever heard. Not even X made another album like it. I love Ready to Die to death, but I think X performance on It's Dark stands up better.

I agree man, couldn’t have said it better. You can check every box for this album x was hungry and the best rapper at that time, the album is a masterpiece not just a classic. It starts with the goat intro where x kills it and then he anchors the outro with that monstrous closing verse with the ultimate flow amongst some of the hardest spitters. And in between u got raw & gritty bangers, storytelling, songs where you could feel that pain about his life, how it’s goin down, a song where he’s talking to god (convo) and the devil (Damien). Damien is one of the best storytelling song series, Dmx is crazy for coming up with that story it’s legendary & the Damien character it works perfectly not many can do something on that level or at all. He was firing on all cylinders effortlessly that shyt is lightening in a bottle. 5 mic album easily

 

[g-ice]

This list just keeps getting better and better

Still too many egregious omissions. List was still a solid 7 out of 10 though.

 

[Don Jesus]

The elephant in the room is that Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and The Infamous inspired Nas’ album/career trajectory after 1995. If it wasn’t for those two albums Nas might have fizzled out like Mic Geromino.

If you disagree that’s cool. I’m not interested in having easily agreeable opinions

 

[Don Jesus]

Full list

 

[Mike Wins]

The elephant in the room is that Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and The Infamous inspired Nas’ album/career trajectory after 1995. If it wasn’t for those two albums Nas might have fizzled out like Mic Geromino.

If you disagree that’s cool. I’m not interested in having easily agreeable opinions

It go both ways though. Illmatic changed NY hip hop almost overnight far as the more modern flows and lyrical style, and also just making everyone step their game up.

Look at Juvenile Hell compared to The Infamous. The rap styles and flows used on a lot of 36 Chambers sound dated compared to Tical and Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords. BIG too, you can easily tell what tracks on RTD was recorded in 1993 compared to the later tracks they did in 1994. So you can say Illmatic had a similar influence on Infamous and Cuban Linx as those did on IWW.

Same way how everyone credit Rae and Cuban Linx for making the gangster aliases popular, but Nas first called himself Escobar on The Infamous earlier that year.

The Esco persona was fully realized on Fast Life and Mo Money Mo Murder, and both was recorded around the same time as Infamous and Cuban Linx.

 

[mobbinfms]

Full list

Thanks (to you or whoever did it) for taking the time and effort to compile the list. No one is ever going to agree on a Top 100 list (particularly a ranked one), but you got #1 right and that’s the most important thing.

Are you gonna bless the Coli with the extended list? Beyond the top 100?