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

[Soymuscle Mike]

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.

Not taking anything away from Havoc, that's my 3rd favorite producer ever...but his production never sounded like it did on The Infamous and I always attributed that to Tip.

That's not a diss, if anything it makes Hav more impressive because I think HOE is him really digging into his own bag and the result is incredible.

 

[MisterMajesty]

You can make the argument that Black Sheep isn't a n NY group either.

Brand Nubian's debut not cracking the top 100 is comical. The Top 10 had me laughing out loud.

One for all not being here was a bit of a wild one to me, being that brand nubian are basically the prototype "street but conscious" rap group.

 

[mobbinfms]

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.

Yeah but Shook Ones dropped before the album and Tip isn’t credited on the vinyl in any way. And the 12 inch version sounds identical to the album version. So I surmise that Tip had nothing to do with that song.

Agree with you on Tip helping with the drums on the album. The album version is night and day in regards to the drums as compared to the advance. And some of the joints were reworked entirely beyond just the drums. That being said, I don’t believe the demo/advance was mixed/mastered, so it’s not really a fair comparison.

But you’re close to people who were intimately involved in the creation of the album. You should ask them these question on a song by song basis. I’d love to hear the answers.

 

[Awesome Wells]

You can make the argument that Black Sheep isn't a n NY group either.

Brand Nubian's debut not cracking the top 100 is comical. The Top 10 had me laughing out loud.

One for All is one of my favorite albums of all-time. That's Top 5 for me.

I wanted that album so bad when I was a kid, that I copped the bootleg from the dude who used to have the tapes on the towel on Broadway, for $3, when I was like in the first grade. LOL!! Untouchable classic! Haven't stopped playing that damn album in 30+ years.

 

[mobbinfms]

You can make the argument that Black Sheep isn't a n NY group either.

Brand Nubian's debut not cracking the top 100 is comical. The Top 10 had me laughing out loud.

Meccapolis admitted Brand Nubian not being on there was an oversight on IG. So at least it wasn’t an intentional snub like Diamond D.

 

[mobbinfms]

Not taking anything away from Havoc, that's my 3rd favorite producer ever...but his production never sounded like it did on The Infamous and I always attributed that to Tip.

That's not a diss, if anything it makes Hav more impressive because I think HOE is him really digging into his own bag and the result is incredible.

Hav really changed his production style album to album and doesn’t get enough credit for it.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Yeah but Shook Ones dropped before the album and Tip isn’t credited on the vinyl in any way. And the 12 inch version sounds identical to the album version. So I surmise that Tip had nothing to do with that song.

Agree with you on Tip helping with the drums on the album. The album version is night and day in regards to the drums as compared to the advance. And some of the joints were reworked entirely beyond just the drums. That being said, I don’t believe the demo/advance was mixed/mastered, so it’s not really a fair comparison.

But you’re close to people who were intimately involved in the creation of the album. You should ask them these question on a song by song basis. I’d love to hear the answers.

He should be. He mixed the entire album.

He's talked about mixing Shook Ones too. Those are also his drums. Matt and them brought him in because Hav had the ideas and records, but he didn't know how to mix and his drums didn't have the knock they said the beats needed for the project. Tip came in and changed/engineered every song, and then added his drums to tracks that he wanted to sound bigger. Dude has always been a genius. He didn't even want people to know he did any of it. Which is why nothing says produced by him. He wanted them to just say "The Abstract" did it.

 

[Walt]

One for All is one of my favorite albums of all-time. That's Top 5 for me.

I wanted that album so bad when I was a kid, that I copped the bootleg from the dude who used to have the tapes on the towel on Broadway, for $3, when I was like in the first grade. LOL!! Untouchable classic! Haven't stopped playing that damn album in 30+ years.

The OG super-bootlegged album. First album where I saw/heard a Harlem block party just let the entire album ride on repeat instead of playing other artists.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Not taking anything away from Havoc, that's my 3rd favorite producer ever...but his production never sounded like it did on The Infamous and I always attributed that to Tip.

That's not a diss, if anything it makes Hav more impressive because I think HOE is him really digging into his own bag and the result is incredible.

Yeah, I kinda always looked at The Infamous as being a Tip & Havoc thing.

Because Tip really oversaw that project. Havoc had all the right ideas, and he gave Tip the basis for those tracks, but Tip took them and turned them into some other sh*t and really kicked everything up to the next level. But I think Hav watched all of that and learned. Dude was mentored by Large Professor, Tip and Premier, when he was still a teenager, lol. So I think that's why HOE worked so nicely. He had been around GOAT's forever.

 

[WIA20XX]

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.

Now you tease my Plug One style
And my Plug One spectacles
You say Plug One and Two are hippies
No, we're not, that's pure plug bull

 

[Awesome Wells]

The OG super-bootlegged album. First album where I saw/heard a Harlem block party just let the entire album ride on repeat instead of playing other artists.

EXACTLY!

I was hearing it outside all day. People playing it in cars, around the way, in the park, etc. So I needed it. I had a trash bootleg copy too. The sh*t had the same songs for the tracklist printed blurry on BOTH sides! LMAO!! But I played that joint until it popped and I was able to get the real retail copy.

 

[Walt]

EXACTLY!

The sh*t had the same songs for the tracklist printed blurry on BOTH sides!

 

[Ziggiy]

Q-Tip is the most underrated producer at this point.

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

I’d argue RZA is the most underrated producer. People REALLY gloss over how much he achieved in such a short period. I feel like RZA gas a true GOAT argument right up there with Dre, Kanye, and Q-Tip

 

[MisterMajesty]

Wait, speaking of brand nubian...were is dead prez on this list?

 

[prophecypro]

Wait, speaking of brand nubian...were is dead prez on this list?

They from Florida though, even though their music feels more New York especially the first album.

Not sure if they had ever moved up to NY and made music for a long time there (which is how I think Gang Starr qualifies)