Underrated Hip-Hop albums?
 

Which albums do you think are underrated/overlooked? Not necessarily ones you like by underground artists that you feel deserve mainstream recognition or whatever, I mean ones that people tend to forget?

Here's one I think is very underrated:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

Dizzee Rascal - Showtime

Been listening to this loads recently, everyone knows how good his debut was and is quick to mention that to the point where this is almost forgotten about. It is every bit as good in my opinion and better in places. There's nothing in the mould of Brand New Day on it but he took the sound of the first one and polished it up a bit, mostly self produced, his production is still pots and pans in places (which is part of the appeal) but easier on the ear. His flow is tighter and there's more aggression on here.


Dizzee Rascal Hype Talk - YouTube


Dizzee Rascal - Graftin - YouTube

What about you? What albums do you think are underrated? (And why?)

Did a search for similar threads and couldn't find any.

Showtime is a decent album for sure, though I don't think it's quite up to the level of his first one.

I dunno, it's not far off imo, 1st one had the shock factor for a lot of people who had never heard that sound before, so the 2nd can't possibly have the same effect as the first. Plus it has a few better songs whereas on this like I said it's more aggressive.

But technically, I think it's as good. Definitely underrated anyway, a lot of people think BIDC and ignore all his other stuff.

Both quality though.

Boom Bip & Doseone - Circle

Vakill - Armor of God

Ugly Duckling - Bang for the Buck

Greenthink - Blindfold

K Dot O Dot - Trap Jesus

People Under the Stairs - Fun DMC

The K Dot O Dot is the only album I know on this list. I'll definitely be checking the rest out.

I really like Iron Galaxy, but I think Architechnology is what Iron Galaxy wants to be. Comparisons aside, it's an amazing 90's alternative hip hop album.

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Interesting. If you want the more abstract, go for Greenthink/Boom Bip & Doseone, if you want more standard/golden age sounding, People Under the Stairs/Ugly Duckling, and Vakill is just a spitter.

Kendrick Lamar-Section.80

Smif-N-Wessun - Dah' Shinin

Heltah Skeltah - Nocturnal

Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes, and Life

Sage Francis - Human the Death Dance

Jay-Z - American Gangster

Reminds me of Jedi Mind Tricks

Curren$y- Pilot Talk 2

Mobb Deep - Murda Muzik

This one is underrated in the press I think. Got terrible reviews when it came out.

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4577980808626324&pid=1.7

^ I think it's slightly above average.

I don't know about that album being underrated. Sure lots of people like to name drop Low End Theory first but this album was nominated for two grammys and was number one on billboard charts at the time.

Here are some albums that should have of had more mainstream attention:
(some of these records aren't 100% hip hop)
Blu & Exile-Below the Heavens
Grand Invincibile-Winter
Action Bronson-Dr Lecter
Mad Villiain-Madvillainy
Shad-TSOL
Dizzy Rascal-Boy In Da Corner
The Streets-A Grand don't come for free
Cannibal Ox-The Cold Vein
Tricky-Pre Millenium Tension
Deltron-3030
Black Milk-Tronic

Maybe at the time, but in the present, it's often overlooked in favor of their first three albums.

@Goofle: What's your fav Pac album?

Same here, but what makes it better than MATW for you? The beats?

I don't really know, very rarely listen to 2pac these days. Just gave it a better rating on RYM.

Lol, poor Goofle, listens to so much music that it becomes hard to remember details. :laughing:

Oh, youre a Ghostface fan right, have you checked out the stream of his new album yet?

NPR Media Player

I'd love to hear what you think if you get the chance to listen to it.

I have not. Will wait to download it or hear on Spotify though.

And I just don't find Tupac memorable. Most of his stuff sounds the same.

Really? For me 2Pacalypse Now is a million miles away sound-wise from All Eyez. Even MATW is very different sounding.

If you don't mind, could you link a few songs in particular that sound different?

Sure

From 2Pacalypse Now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An6xqwOUYGU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G36TCDG_vDU

From AEOM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9KWYwczHEw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqauSXTRAow

Thanks. Just from listening for a few seconds I see where you are coming from, but they are still quite similar. I think on "Trapped" the tone is a lot deeper, but all that's really different from "How Do U Want It" is the higher pitched guitar lines or whatever.

Hm, you think? I thought that Trapped was much more steeped in funk while How Do U Want It is more of a pop-hop tune. I agree that the way 2Pac spits doesn't have as much variety as his actual production though.

Should compare MATW, 7DT and AEOM.

Lyrically, those albums are completely different beasts haha! :)

A better example of sound diversity from 2Pacalypse would be Part Time Mutha (Or Brenda) and Something Wicked.

A lot of the tracks on AEOM are different in sound as well imo. Run The Streetz and Ambitionz Az A Ridah for example. Polar opposites of each other in terms of sound.

^I dunno, I mean, instrumentally, they are very different, but sonically, they feel sorta similar to me. They have that All Eyez gloss if you know what I mean.

Run Tha Streetz sounds more like something that'd be on MATW than AEOM, imo.

Listening to 7 Day Theory, still as good as I remembered it.

Nice, what's your favorite tracks on there?

What's your fav Pac album btw?

Tracks: To Live & Die in LA, Krazy, Against All Oddz

I don't think there's a weak track on here though.

Favourite album, dunno. I'd probably go with MATW but 2Pacalypse is great too. It's a bit rough around the edges but that adds to the appeal I think, and it contains some of his best tracks. You can hear the Ice Cube influence on it though.

AEOM is good, has some great tracks but I think the others feel more like albums. Holla At Me is one of my favourite Pac songs ever.

Nice track picks. I'd also throw in "White Manz World" for my favs. You're right about the Cube influence. He was really on the political tip on his debut.

AEOM was recorded so quickly and in so much quantity that you're right, it doesn't feel as cohesive or album-like.