XXL magazine 25 essential independent hip-hop albums

blessingindisguise · Post by **blessingindisguise** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:53 pm

http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=84371&page=6

which ones would u put on this list they missed out on?
Blu shoulda really pressed up more copies of that album. Though i think he didn't wanna deal with all the sample issues.

atmosphere-overcast
Jedi mind tricks-violent by design
cannibal ox-cold vein
mf doom-madvillain
deltron 3030
z-ro self titled
e-40-tha hall of game
too short-first albums on 75 girls were influential to the bay
my bad forgot bout Binary star masters of the universe
black star debut
three six mafia-chapter 1: the end
lil keke-don't mess wit texas

it's plenty of more in my mind but those are very well known and praised.

Employee · Post by **Employee** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:54 pm

List is incomplete without Sage Francis and/or B. Dolan.

Employee · Post by **Employee** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:55 pm

Ummm..........Blu has no business being on this list anywhere. Are you fucking kidding me?

blessingindisguise · Post by **blessingindisguise** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:57 pm

Blu album was very solid employee. Personal journals by Sage is his best work imo.

Employee · Post by **Employee** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:58 pm

Also, Hell's Winter? Is the Hot Topic staff filling in??

WTF.

Employee · Post by **Employee** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:04 pm

blessingindisguise wrote:Blu album was very solid employee. Personal journals by Sage is his best work imo.

Maybe, man. I think that album is a pile of dog shit within a pile of dog shit that came from the ass of a human who shits dog shit. Blu is probably more overrated than Scarface.

I was kidding about Li(f)e boy and his BFF.

DLG · Post by **DLG** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:15 pm

yeah Hell's Winter is a solid album, especially compared to what he's doing now, but it should be on the list at all, any other def jux release from the golden era or an early sage album would have been better

Career Over Like Mike(NJJ) · Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:32 pm

Can't believe they went for Madvilllain over Operation Doomsday. Rhymes Like Dimes alone is better than the entirity of Madvillain.

As far as noughties indie rap albums go, they really should've had one of these on there :

J-Zone - Pimps Don't Pay Taxes
The Jacka - The Jack Artist
Devin The Dude - Just Tryin' Ta Live
Cormega - The Realness
Turf Talk - West Coast Vaccine
Masta Ace - Disposable Arts

Mansfield Status · Post by **Mansfield Status** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:37 pm

Nonphixion - The Future is Now
Thirstin Howl III - Skillionare

Dope(Sick) · Post by **Dope(Sick)** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:47 pm

The Tech Nine album they picked is one of his worst. He has much better material than that album.

dubs · Post by **dubs** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:05 pm

Chris S says:

damn. i got a pretty nice cd collection going and i like to add to it with Below the heavens but i guess i might get it off iTunes first.

you should try to get up on some Atmosphere. the rapper, Slug, is just incredible and the producer, Ant, is just as impressive. check out When Life Gives You Lemonsג¦

sleazy_j · Post by **sleazy_j** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:06 pm

List is dumb. Consider what is on the first page. All of those listed might have been "independent releases" at their time, but that's due to major labels having no interest in the fad called "rap music" back then. They mix up "under the radar" albums that are only sold through independent distributors with albums that are on borderline independent labels (Lil Jon, TVT) that actually have big marketing budgets and mainstream radio and video rotation.

The Frankest · Post by **The Frankest** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:09 pm

Employee wrote:I was kidding about Li(f)e boy and his BFF.

Funny because it's true then

Sage's whole Sick of Waiting series is an amazing do-it-yourself accomplishment.

Playboy Tre - Liquor Store Mascot (street album/ mixtape)
Ayentee - Peasant Symphony (still fucking impressed)

GM Dizzy Skillespie · Post by **GM Dizzy Skillespie** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:10 pm

i truly do not understand the point of this list.

I recognize that Paid In Full, Criminal Minded and Enta Da Stage are technically indie records... but they are also widely considered CLASSIC.

why make a list that appears as though you're digging for indie with B.G.'s first record, but slack off with obvious choices like Black Moon.

I hate how much the music industry loves God Loves Ugly. I truly wish people had caught on around Lucy Ford and not this record.

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:16 pm

I Drive A Lexus wrote:Can't believe they went for Madvilllain over Operation Doomsday.

First thing I thought. Completely faggotry going on with that list.

KITFUNK · Post by **KITFUNK** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:48 pm

List is, as to be expected, completely crap.

(avoiding the painfully obvious ones)

Big Bang Boogie
Invisible Empire
The Darkest Cloud
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Starving Art
A New Way of Thinking
Risen
Feast or Famine
Starchild
The 18th Letter
The Album (Questionmark Asylum)
Phunk Whucha Heard
The Visualz
Procreations
Ascension
SONOGRAM
The Ripple Effect
World Ultimate
The Impatient EP
Stories About Nothing
Scars and Pain EP
Chronicle of Two Losers: First Edition
Paradise Lost
Ism & Blues
Like It Should Be
Progression
Freezing World
Rip the Jacker
Foundation
Honest Racket
Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album

A well rounded selection of albums to choose from.

Peace.

Mindbender Futurama · Post by **Mindbender Futurama** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 1:37 am

25? automatically

there are at least 25 essential indie albums that came out from 1997-2000 alone.

i love XXL, but they don't know underground shit.

Texas Raised Mikey · Post by **Texas Raised Mikey** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 4:51 am

KITFUNK wrote:List is, as to be expected, completely crap.

(avoiding the painfully obvious ones)

Big Bang Boogie
Invisible Empire
The Darkest Cloud
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Starving Art
A New Way of Thinking
Risen
Feast or Famine
Starchild
The 18th Letter
The Album (Questionmark Asylum)
Phunk Whucha Heard
The Visualz
Procreations
Ascension
SONOGRAM
The Ripple Effect
World Ultimate
The Impatient EP
Stories About Nothing
Scars and Pain EP
Chronicle of Two Losers: First Edition
Paradise Lost
Ism & Blues
Like It Should Be
Progression
Freezing World
Rip the Jacker
Foundation
Honest Racket
Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album

A well rounded selection of albums to choose from.

Peace.

indianaJ0nes · Post by **indianaJ0nes** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:04 am

Employee wrote:List is incomplete without Sage Francis and/or B. Dolan.

true knockin, b.dolan is HIGHLY underrated

darkwingduck · Post by **darkwingduck** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:17 am

Mansfield Status wrote:Thirstin Howl III - Skillionare

take out madvillain and sub Op: Doomsday. Or keep both actually.

ardamus · Post by **ardamus** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:41 am

Employee wrote:Ummm..........Blu has no business being on this list anywhere. Are you fucking kidding me?

How else did he really get his exposure? Think about it. Exile was somewhat known from his shit with Aloe Blacc. But no one knew who Blu was until Below The Heavens came out.

Piff Tannen · Post by **Piff Tannen** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:42 am

list is weird and bad

ardamus · Post by **ardamus** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:58 am

Tech N9ne's "Killer" shouldn't be in there. "Anghellic" would've been a better choice.

Employee · Post by **Employee** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 12:16 pm

ardamus wrote:
Employee wrote:Ummm..........Blu has no business being on this list anywhere. Are you fucking kidding me?
How else did he really get his exposure? Think about it. Exile was somewhat known from his shit with Aloe Blacc. But no one knew who Blu was until Below The Heavens came out.

Is he essential though? You should be larger than thay guy (no homo because how I worded that is wildly gay).

ardamus · Post by **ardamus** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 12:19 pm

Employee wrote:
ardamus wrote:
Employee wrote:Ummm..........Blu has no business being on this list anywhere. Are you fucking kidding me?
How else did he really get his exposure? Think about it. Exile was somewhat known from his shit with Aloe Blacc. But no one knew who Blu was until Below The Heavens came out.
Is he essential though? You should be larger than thay guy (no homo because how I worded that is wildly gay).

Oh I see what you mean. In my opinion, no its not essential. I guess I was looking at how much of a buzz it got on the indie scale and the impact it made.

M A T L O C K · Post by **M A T L O C K** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 2:14 pm

Co-sign on Paradise Lost.

KITFUNK · Post by **KITFUNK** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 2:29 pm

Texas Raised Mikey wrote:
KITFUNK wrote:List is, as to be expected, completely crap.

(avoiding the painfully obvious ones)

Big Bang Boogie
Invisible Empire
The Darkest Cloud
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Starving Art
A New Way of Thinking
Risen
Feast or Famine
Starchild
The 18th Letter
The Album (Questionmark Asylum)
Phunk Whucha Heard
The Visualz
Procreations
Ascension
SONOGRAM
The Ripple Effect
World Ultimate
The Impatient EP
Stories About Nothing
Scars and Pain EP
Chronicle of Two Losers: First Edition
Paradise Lost
Ism & Blues
Like It Should Be
Progression
Freezing World
Rip the Jacker
Foundation
Honest Racket
Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album

A well rounded selection of albums to choose from.

Peace.

Acquired taste, perhaps? I think it's dope. Been getting mad spins from me and I can tell it's gonna age nicely.

Kid That's Lifeless · Post by **Kid That's Lifeless** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 2:47 pm

None of those albums are "essential" independent albums. Most of them are just "very good" independent albums.

Referring to KITFUNK's list, not the XXL list.

Dat_Triflin_Ass_Dude · Tue Jul 06, 2010 3:09 pm

how's E. 1999 bone's 1st album?

Dat_Triflin_Ass_Dude · Tue Jul 06, 2010 3:12 pm

how bout deltron 3030