The Top 20 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of 2004 - The Big D Edition
Jan 23 '05
The Bottom Line What a crappy year... here's all you gotta listen to...
Yeah, I might be late, but then again, who's the smart one? Before I compiled my annual list of hip-hop albums I loved, I had to go back and revisit them and give each one a final spin. I also had about 2 or 3 album that I overlooked, all of which were listened to thoroughly by me in the past couple of weeks. A lot of the albums on here are very overlooked and to be honest it was very hard to compile a top 20 list. 2004 was garbage, regardless of what anybody thinks. Fact is, the 20 albums on this list could possibly the ONLY good albums of 2004 with the exception of 2 or 3, and that's not even a joke. We saw the typical mainstream trash come out, giving me yet another reason to be happy I don't watch BET, except for Throwback Thursday. Hell, the only reason I watch MTV is for Viva La Bam; Lord knows I'm damn sick of the 10,000 variety dating shows they have on there. Do they screen these people? But I digress; 2004 sucks.
Either way, I've done my best to compile the best albums of this past year, for your reading enjoyment. Were there non-hip-hop albums that were good that I listened to? Absolutely. However this list is only hip-hop cuts, mainly because I haven't heard ENOUGH of other genre's to truly make a viable top 20.
On a side note, 2004's had some of the worst movies in history come out. Movies such as Catwoman, Soul Plane, and New York Minute easily come to mind. I don't know if You Got Served came out in 04 or 03, but that movie is disposable, hog feces... but anyways
...Big D present... once again... the "Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2004"
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20. 7L and Esoteric - DC2: Bars of Death (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: This is War, Neverending Saga, So Glorious, Another Way Out
The list begins with one of the better produced albums of 2004, but that's almost all that it's got going for it. 7L is one of the more overlooked producers in the game. He always drops melodic beats and has that talented ability to make an emcee sound iller than he really does. Sometimes it works on this album, and other times it fails. Esoteric has been known in the past to drop gem-like verses, but something was missing here. Perhaps it's not just Esoteric, but more the presentation as a whole. Either way, this album is certainly worth listening to for the hot beats that 7L hits us with. The guy can make classics out of nothing.
REVIEW HERE
19. Akrobatik - The Lost Adats (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: U Can't Fuck Wit It, Convo, Woman, Ruff Enuff
When I was making this list, I soon realized that a lot of the albums on it will be greatly slept-on by the hip-hop community. I'm going to do my best to make sure that some of these great CDs are heard. Hell, when I say the word "slept-on", Boston native Akrobatik is an emcee who is damn-near the top of that list. 2000's Balance was ill, and Akro followed it up flawlessly. The great thing about this CD is that there are NO bad songs on it at all. Is every song a classic? No, but there is a consistency here that can't be matched. Akro seduces you with his battle raps, and keeps you with the reflective, poetic compositions like "Woman". I'm telling you now: Don't sleep, or you'll be sorry.
REVIEW HERE
18. J-Zone - A Job Ain't Nuthin But Work (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: A Friendly Game of Basketball, Edit These, Disco Ho, The Zone Report
In my review for this album I stated that I love hip-hop music so much because of how diverse it can be. There's so much variety that you'll always find SOMETHING to like, even if rap isn't your thing. Hell, this very list of albums is extremely diverse. J-Zone's A Job Ain't Nuthin But Work is really fun to listen to. Perhaps the novelty of this album is slowly wearing out (which happens with almost all of his releases), the music itself is tight. J-Zone's clown rap and hilarious concepts are awesome. I could've never thought up the kind of stuff that J did with this album, and all of his other ones. He is more creative than MF Doom... yeah I said it. While this is his weakest album yet, it shouldn't be overlooked if you're into this kind of shit.
REVIEW HERE
17. Supastition - Deadline (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: Boom Box, Homecoming, Soul Searching
North Carolina's own Supastition makes his debut on a Big D list here with his superb 10-track album Deadline. This album was one of the last CDs I heard on this list, and I was pretty surprised at how potent it is. Supastition is a talented underground emcee with an unrivaled passion and love for the hip-hop artform, and that in itself is respectable. This album, while far from perfect, has no bad songs and is a good reflection as to what a lot of people, including myself, feel qulity hip-hop should sound like.
REVIEW HERE
16. K-Os - Joyful Rebellion (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: Emcee Murdah, Man I Used To Be, The Love Song, Dirty Water
Fun is the name of the game here. In 2002, K-Os dropped Exit, which was probably the most overlooked album of that year and still remains horribly overlooked. The sequel Joyful Rebellion seems to be headed in the same direction. The album's fun and catchy blend of eclectic instrumentation and passionate hip-hop is something that I am positive a lot of people will dig, but it doesn't seem that way. There's been little uproar about this album, and that's not a good thing. While the replay value of the CD is a bit on the weaker side, the momentary value of the fun, emotional tracks will twist your soul. That reason itself makes it worth at least checking out. Don't sleep on this one.
REVIEW HERE
15. Odd Couple - Alchohol/ism (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: Between Your Legs, Double Fisted, Open the Mic, Por Que
Without a doubt this is 2004's sleeper hit. Louis Logic and Jay Love were already known for their talent, and they came together here for an awesome hip-hop album. The writing talent exhibited here will be forever overlooked, and that isn't a good thing. While the production was at times lacking, most of the beats were not only good, but great! It's blend of humor and battle rapping will keep you entertained tenfold, and it's songs are so damn catchy that you can't help to sing along, even if your voice sucks.
REVIEW HERE
14. The Roots - The Tipping Point (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: Star, Somebody's Gotta Do It, Stay Cool, Why
Everybody's raving about The Tipping Point. Whether it be hip-hop fans, non-hip-hop fans, commercial club-boppers or underground heads, everybody seems to love the album. Honestly, I didn't like it as much as one would think. The Roots are capable of so much more and have dropped some real masterpieces in the past (see Illadelph Halflife and Do You Want More?), but they didn't quite achieve that level here. This album will probably stand as the Roots weakest release, but that is by no means bad. With excellent memorable pieces like "Star", and "Stay Cool", as well as the vastly underrated "Don't Say Nuthin", this provided music fans an entertaining solution to their thirsts, even if it was for a short while.
REVIEW HERE
13. Xzibit - Weapons of Mass Destruction (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: Judgement Day, Cold World, Back 2 the Day It Was
X to tha Z makes his big return with this album, and what a BANG. Xzibit rids himself of the G-Funk Dr. Dre production and returns to his roots. This album has something for everybody, including actual GOOD club songs as well as introspection, consciousness, and that old school rugged style that X is known for. While the hardcore anthems are the backbone of the majority of Xzibit's work, it's his excellent conscious tracks like "Judgment Day" and "Back 2 the Day It Was" that make this album so replayable. Besides just that, Xzibit wins the fictitious award for skit of the year with "State of the Union". This is definitely worth your 12 dollars.
REVIEW HERE
12. MF Doom - Mm... Food (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: Potholderz, Guinnesses, Rapp Snitch Knishes, Vomitspit
It's not a big surprise that Doom be on this list multiple times. He seems to have the best work ethic of anybody in hip-hop nowadays, dropping 2 or 3 albums a year and with each one he tries something new. While I feel he's the most overrated guy out there, I must give credit where credit is due: Doom is pretty tight. With Mm... Food, Doom went with the "concept albums with no concept" approach yet again. Besides just the song titles, the album has little to do with food if anything at all. But that honestly doesn't matter because the CD was really good. A lot of hot beats and Doom's creative rhyming made this an album I was listening to non-stop for about a week. Will it stand the test of time? Ehhh... probably not, but it still stands as a great 2004 album.
REVIEW HERE
11. Kanye West - College Dropout (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: All Falls Down, Spaceship, Never Let You Down
Regardless of what I think of the man and how I hate his inflated ego and primadonna attitude, the man made a good album with College Dropout in February. On the strength of the smash "Through the Wire" and the successful follow-up singles, as well as the Twista collabo, Kanye made a lot of money this year and got nominated for countless awards, allowing his ego to further blow up like a balloon. While often lyrically weak, College Dropout was a fun album to listen to merely on the fact that the a lot of the actual songs were put together nicely, with often great beats and solid lyrics. If you'd ignore the tons of skits and couple of trash songs, this is really an addicting album this year which I can honestly say consumed all of my February and March.
REVIEW HERE
10. Madvillain - Madvillainy (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: Meat Grinder, Figaro, Strange Ways, Rhinestone Cowboy
Without a doubt the most overrated album of 2004. People left and right are stamping it with the "Album of the Year" label, and I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Yeah, Madlib delivers some of the hottest beats of the year and Doom is potent lyrically, but the album lacks that umph and often tries too hard to be "unique". Besides just that, Doom falls off much too often and bores me to pieces with his monotone voice and constant topic fiddling. However, the album definitely produced some of the year's best indie songs, but doesn't hold a candle to the majority of 2003's albums. However, this is still a worthy hip-hop choice, just don't kill yourself over it like everybody else.
REVIEW HERE
9. Mos Def - The New Danger (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: Ghetto Rock, Sunshine, War, Grown Man Business
People need to get over it. This is not a sequel to Black on Both Sides and was probably never intended to be. Mos Def expanded his horizons, sung on a few songs, touched on a few new topics and did his thing. This laid back approach allowed Mos to drop some of the best cuts of the year, including the infamous "Rape Over", which apparently you can't find anymore. Either way, Mos proved he was creative, had a voice, and had the talent to do just about anything.
REVIEW HERE
8. Masta Killa - No Said Date (4 Stars)
Key Cuts: No Said Date, Queen, High School, Silverbacks
It had been a long time coming, and Masta Killa did not dissapoint with his debut album. It's amazing that 11 years after the Wu-Tang splashed on the scene, one of the premier lyricists finally drops an album. Backed by some rugged production, a horde of the Wu's elite emcees, and those ever familiar prophetic vocals, Killa could hardly do no wrong. While the album suffered in the middle, the final moments picked up and really saved it and made it worth buying for sure.
REVIEW HERE
7. Murs/9th Wonder - Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition (4.5 Stars)
Key Cuts: Bad Man, 3:16, The Pain, Walk Like A Man
Last year's golden boy 9th Wonder teaming up with the commoner Murs proved worthy. Probably one of the most consistently excellent albums I have heard. It's a shame that this is only an EP, cause I wonder what Murs and 9th could've done together with more songs. Early 2004 found almost nothing but Murs pounding from my speakers repeatedly, and with beefed up lyricism, damn near God-like beats, and mature topics, you simply cannot find anything to measure up... except the albums coming up.
REVIEW HERE
6. Brother Ali - Champion EP (5 Stars)
Key Cuts: Champion Remix, Self Taught, Chain Link, Rain Water
This could be the best EP I have ever heard. I remember this being reviewed by Danibus when I was dead, but once I got a listen to it, I knew Danibus was 100% correct. No song on this album goes below 4 stars and everything is in the excellent to classic range. Ant's production has never been this good in years. Ali's lyrics are untouchable. Besides just that, "Rain Water" has been chosen by me as the greatest song of 2004, only slightly edging out "Walk Like A Man" from Murs. Both of these albums give you yet more of a reason why indie hip-hop will always reign supreme. I can't wait for Ali's next LP.
REVIEW HERE
5. De La Soul - The Grind Date (4.5 Stars)
Key Cuts: Much More, The Future, Church, Days of Our Lives, Rock Co. Kane Flow
Although technically this album wasn't as good as Ali's EP, this had more great songs on it and won based on its length. A lot of people are now labelling this as Album of the Year alongside Madvillainy, and I can honestly say that unlike Madvillainy, I agree with their choosing of De La Soul. Besides just De La Soul hitting us with one of their best albums to date, the guests on this album were nothing short of awe-inspiring. With a catalog consisting of MF Doom, Common Sense, and Ghostface spitting some of the best verses of the year, and Carl Thomas and Yummi harmonizing, this album was just beautiful. Shame on you if you don't have a copy.
REVIEW HERE
4. Foreign Exchange - Connected (5 Stars)
Key Cuts: Let's Move, Nic's Groove, Raw Vibe, All That You Are
If you don't own a copy of this album by now, you're seriously a fool. This is about as close to perfect musically as it can get. Nicolay's untouchable ability to make what I call "perfect" music drives me insane. Seriously, the beats on this album should be worshipped. Pooh and the other emcees bring it as best it can be brought. I honestly don't have much to say except that Little Brother's dynasty grows year after year, and well, GET THIS!
REVIEW HERE
3. Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer (5 Stars)
Key Cuts: Da Grind, H.O.O.D., Revelations, Beautiful, Soda and Soap, Brooklyn Masada
Emotional. Passionate. Powerful. Our final farewell to Masta Ace came synonymous with what is, in my opinion, his greatest work. Very few albums can evoke emotions and make you actually FEEL the artist, and Ace accomplished this. With a catalog of endless 5 Star songs, each one different and unique, each one equally excellent, there isn't much to bitch about here. Yeah, it's got a couple weaker cuts, but Ace isn't perfect. Is it too similar to Disposable Arts, ehhh... maybe, but is that really a bad thing? Either way, with unforgettable pieces of music like "Beautiful", "Brooklyn Masada", and "Revelations", Masta Ace is a certified legend now. Long Live Masta Ace!
REVIEW HERE
2. Wordsworth - Mirror Music (5 Stars)
Key Cuts: 12 Months, Trust, Be A Man, Shoulder, Guardian Angel, Run, Unity, That Way
Perhaps no other album that I have ever reviewed or listened to has managed to get as many 5 Star songs total than this one. Just when I thought A Long Hot Summer was gonna steal the coveted Best Album trophy, Wordsworth drops this damn-near perfect album and drops my jaw. Not one bad song. Not one. Maybe 2 disposable songs, but of course, when everything around it is damn-near perfect, how can it measure up? The beats on this album must've been made by 10,000 alien geniuses inside of an underground lair, because I've almost never heard such sublime production like what's on here. Wordsworth is never, ever whack and never has been, and he's probably the sickest, most consistent lyricist this entire year. This is not just one of the best of 2004, but may one day be in the list for best of ALL TIME.
REVIEW HERE
...And the #1 Best Album of 2004 is....
1. Nas - Street's Disciple (5 Stars)
Key Cuts: A Message to the Feds, Just A Moment, Reason, War, Thief's Theme
Well, it's been 10 years. I'll try to say this as best I can: Illmatic Chapter 2. No, that wasn't a joke. Overrated? My ass. This album is possibly the most complete hip-hop release I have heard since, whooo... probably 1996. Nas covers just about every topic imaginable, each with charisma and maturity, while also dismantling the things that annoy him. The lyrics? Brilliant. The production? Damn-near Flawless. The album is a freakin masterpiece, and I will stand by that forever. Sure, there are some who don't agree, but I will fight this battle forever. It seems like every ten years, the stars line up perfectly right for Nasir Jones and he creates something which will be treasured for generations to come. Will the third chapter arrive in another ten years? Only time will tell.
REVIEW HERE
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Here are my awards for the year. There are some new awards, as well as old favorites. Enjoy...
Big D's 2004 Hip-Hop Awards
Best Song of the Year: Brother Ali - Rain Water
(Runner Up: Murs - Walk Like A Man)
Worst Song of the Year: Ciara f/ Petey Pablo - Goodies
(Runner Up: Young Buck - Shorty Wanna Ride)
Best Mainstream Single of the Year: Pitch Black - It's All Real
(Runner Up: Ghostface Killah - Run)
Best Comeback Album: Wordsworth - Mirror Music
(Runner Up: Mos Def - The New Danger)
Best Producer: Nicolay [Foreign Exchange - Connected]
(Runner Up: Ant [Brother Ali - Champion EP / 9th Wonder [Murs/9th - Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition])
Debut Album of the Year: Foreign Exchange - Connected
(Runner Up: Masta Killa - No Said Date)
Best Lyrical Display: Nas - Thief's Theme
(Runner Up: Ghostface Killah [De La Soul - He Comes])
Biggest Dissapointment of the Year: Eminem - Encore
(Runner Up: Talib Kweli - The Beautiful Struggle)
Best Beat: Murs - Walk Like A Man [9th Wonder]
(Runner Up: Nas - Just A Moment [L.E.S.])
Most Creative Song Concept: J-Zone - Edit These
(Runner Up: The Odd Couple - Between Your Legs)
Most Creative Musicianship in an Album: Foreign Exchange - Connected
(Runner Up: J-Zone - A Job Ain't Nuthin But Work)
Best Guest Appearance: Ghostface Killah [De La Soul - He Comes]
(Runner Up: Common Sense [De La Soul - Days of Our Lives])
Most Overrated Album: Kanye West - College Dropout
(Runner Up: Madvillain - Madvillainy)
Best Re-Mastered Album of 2004: Nas - Illmatic
(Runner Up: O.C. - Word... Life)
Best Song Performance: J-Love - Between Your Legs
(Runner Up: Masta Ace - Revelations)
Rakim/KRS-One Award for Artist(s) of the Year [Lifetime Achievement]: De La Soul
[Previous Winners: Nas (2001), Common (2002), Canibus (2003)]
Top 10 Best Songs of 2004
10. The Odd Couple - Between Your Legs
9. De La Soul f/ Common - Days of Our Lives
8. Xzibit - Back 2 the Way It Was
7. Nas - War
6. Wordsworth - Shoulder
5. Nas f/ Quan - Just A Moment
4. Foreign Exchange - Let's Move
3. Masta Ace - Beautiful
2. Murs - Walk Like A Man
1. Brother Ali - Rain Water
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Niggas wanna be the King but the Ace is back...
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