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

WIA20XX

Superstar
Joined
May 24, 2022
Messages
6,073
Reputation
2,877
Daps
19,259
bet. the Chronic is irrelevant

Good reply, because if you start talking about outside of NYC and influence, Ice Cube is way more important than most NYC mcs, and straight outta Compton is way more important to NYC hip hop than 95% of your list.

Who's gonna take the bait?
 

Mike Wins

Superstar
Joined
Sep 11, 2014
Messages
3,117
Reputation
1,171
Daps
12,850
Its not even an argument about Illmatic causing a paradigm shift lyrically, its a FACT. Everyone from Tupac to Jay-Z to Kanye West to Kendrick Lamar has spoken on the influence Illmatic had on them lyrically. Illmatic had artists like Common, GZA and PRODIGY going back to the drawing board and switching up their styles. They’ve all said it out of their own mouths.

Any argument that The Infamous is more influential than Illmatic is fundamentally flawed. NOBODY of artistic repute within the culture has ever claimed this. It would be like saying Rhythm Nation is more influential than Thriller. Ridiculous

Right. Second half of 1993 you still had a bunch of New York artists on the Das EFX wiggity wiggity stiggity stiggity style or more animated, dated flows. Even on a lot of 36 Chambers. Like Method Man, the track, for example. Classic track but nobody was rhyming like that anymore a year later. After Illmatic in early 1994 that shyt was dead basically overnight. The smoother, more precise rhyme style was in fashion right away.

I understand Illmatic fatigue but to pretend that it ain't have a major impact right away in New York is wild.
 

Awesome Wells

The Ghost of Jack Tripper
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
9,273
Reputation
3,115
Daps
28,273
Reppin
Uptown, NYC
Low End Theory could be above Illmatic definitely, its how you want to judge it, some albums cause paradigm shifts sonically and some do lyrically. I think Illmatic caused people to rap different, Q tip caused people to produce different, thats really the difference.

This here.

Q-Tip is one of Hip Hop's most important people. The Infamous isn't the album it is today, without Tip. He changed the whole album. And that's one of my favorites of all time, so I'm good with it being #1 for the city. Tip's influence is unavoidable. He's been a part of some of Hip Hop's best sh*t ever. Including Illmatic, so he's always been Top 3 and one of my GOAT's.
 
Last edited:

mobbinfms

Veteran
Supporter
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Messages
37,311
Reputation
15,400
Daps
93,595
Reppin
TPC
This here.

Q-Tip is one of Hip Hop's most important people. The Infamous isn't the album it is today, without Tip. He changed the whole album. And that's one of my favorites of all time, so I'm good with it being #1 for the city. Tip's influence is unavoidable. He's been a part of some of Hip Hop's best sh*t ever. Including Illmatic, so he's always bene Top 3 and one of my GOAT's.
Q-Tip is the most underrated producer at this point.

He didn’t have anything to do with Shook Ones Pt 2 though.
 

Budda

Superstar
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
10,371
Reputation
832
Daps
26,924
This here.

Q-Tip is one of Hip Hop's most important people. The Infamous isn't the album it is today, without Tip. He changed the whole album. And that's one of my favorites of all time, so I'm good with it being #1 for the city. Tip's influence is unavoidable. He's been a part of some of Hip Hop's best sh*t ever. Including Illmatic, so he's always bene Top 3 and one of my GOAT's.

Q tip is underrated as a figure in Hip Hop to the casual fan, i've said before he might be top 5 influential artists in rap history, if you look at what hes done by himself and his group but also his contributions to others, as you say Infamous, Illmatic, his influence on Kanye Dilla, Dre, its almost unparalleled.
 

Awesome Wells

The Ghost of Jack Tripper
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
9,273
Reputation
3,115
Daps
28,273
Reppin
Uptown, NYC
Right. Second half of 1993 you still had a bunch of New York artists on the Das EFX wiggity wiggity stiggity stiggity style or more animated, dated flows. Even on a lot of 36 Chambers. Like Method Man, the track, for example. Classic track but nobody was rhyming like that anymore a year later. After Illmatic in early 1994 that shyt was dead basically overnight. The smoother, more precise rhyme style was in fashion right away.

I understand Illmatic fatigue but to pretend that it ain't have a major impact right away in New York is wild.

FACTS!

I had a conversation with Sadat X recently. And we were cracking up because in '93, there were MC's who had only been rocking for like 6-7 years who were considered "old school" already! Hip Hop has always dated things weirdly, lol. KRS had only been out for a few years, and was already seen as an old head by '93. Return of the Boom Bap, which is a wild classic and wasn't on this list, was supposed to be his way of going into the "new school".

We were buggin' out over how we were already telling MC's just several years into their careers back then, that they were the "old rappers". LOL!! It's hilarious.
 

MisterMajesty

All Star
Joined
Mar 17, 2017
Messages
2,033
Reputation
335
Daps
3,974
Reppin
South London
My total argument is too vast for this forum. You’re right in some points but I disagree with others. We at Meccapolis probably will eventually make a post explaining our entire reason

Another thing is Most people saying Illmatic should be number one don’t understand the importance of the albums above it. Especially Low End Theory.

The Nas praise is cool until it comes at the other cost of other equally important legends. Dr Dre said Low End Theory inspired the Chronic
it might be too much for 100, but i'd love a description of like...say the top 30. Hell, this makes me want to take a crack at my own top 100 NY rap albums myself (though i ain't from NY fwiw. I have heard most of these albums sans 15)
 

Awesome Wells

The Ghost of Jack Tripper
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
9,273
Reputation
3,115
Daps
28,273
Reppin
Uptown, NYC
Q-Tip is the most underrated producer at this point.

He didn’t have anything to do with Shook Ones Pt 2 though.

Tip mixed the whole album.

Those are his drums too. He gave Havoc his drum kits for a lot of those tracks. So joints like "Q.U. Hectic" and "Survival of the Fittest", all produced by Hav, but he was using Tip's kits. That's when the album turned around. Matt and Schott are my OG's, so I had the advance copy before Tip changed everything. Both versions are like night and day. He really made this album what it is today.
 

MisterMajesty

All Star
Joined
Mar 17, 2017
Messages
2,033
Reputation
335
Daps
3,974
Reppin
South London
Tip mixed the whole album.

Those are his drums too. He gave Havoc his drum kits for a lot of those tracks. So joints like "Q.U. Hectic" and "Survival of the Fittest", all produced by Hav, but he was using Tip's kits. That's when the album turned around. Matt and Schott are my OG's, so I had the advance copy before Tip changed everything. Both versions are like night and day. He really made this album what it is today.
So THAT is why Bonita applebum and god pt3 have the same drums...

Also, is that advance copy on the net to hear?
 

Awesome Wells

The Ghost of Jack Tripper
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
9,273
Reputation
3,115
Daps
28,273
Reppin
Uptown, NYC
also for the NY heads in here (particular @Awesome Wells, @FreshAIG )...Is gangstarr a NY duo? Premier is from Texas...Guru is from boston.
Why are they on the list?

They'll always be NY because they formed here.

Premier always says that his sound and everything that Gang Starr was about was born in New York. So Large Professor teaching him how to use the SP, and him meeting Guru in NY and them moving to the Bronx together and deciding to make Gang Starr a duo, all comes from the city.
 

Awesome Wells

The Ghost of Jack Tripper
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
9,273
Reputation
3,115
Daps
28,273
Reppin
Uptown, NYC
So THAT is why Bonita applebum and god pt3 have the same drums...

Also, is that advance copy on the net to hear?

True, but that was a famous break though. Everyone was using those drums back then. HAHA!



Yeah, that OG version of The Infamous has kinda always been around online. Shouldn't be too hard to find, at all.
 

Mike Wins

Superstar
Joined
Sep 11, 2014
Messages
3,117
Reputation
1,171
Daps
12,850
This here.

Q-Tip is one of Hip Hop's most important people. The Infamous isn't the album it is today, without Tip. He changed the whole album. And that's one of my favorites of all time, so I'm good with it being #1 for the city. Tip's influence is unavoidable. He's been a part of some of Hip Hop's best sh*t ever. Including Illmatic, so he's always bene Top 3 and one of my GOAT's.

I hate to say it but I think it's true, Tip and Tribe in general don't get the credit they deserve because they labeled as "conscious" and not seen as "street" enough by too many listeners.

:francis:
 
Top