Criteria: These Top 10 Must Listen To Rap/Hip‑Hop Albums for each year 1986‑1999 were ranked based on popularity, innovation, and overall quality of music.
Edited By: R. Thomas
Last Updated: 2010-01-29
Rap Albums 1986‑1999
1999
1. The Slim Shady LP - Eminem 2. Black on Both Sides - Mos Def 3. 2001 - Dr. Dre 4. Things Fall Apart - The Roots 5. Nia - Blackalicious 6. Operation: Doomsday - MF Doom 7. I Am... - Nas 8. Internal Affairs - Pharoahe Monch 9. Uncontrolled Substance - Inspectah Deck 10. A Prince Among Thieves - Prince Paul
1998
1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill 2. Aquemini - OutKast 3. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star - Black Star 4. Hello Nasty - Beastie Boys 5. Moment of Truth - Gang Starr 6. Capital Punishment - Big Punisher 7. Steal This Album - The Coup 8. Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life - Jay-Z 9. Heavy Mental - Killah Priest 10. Shut 'Em Down - Onyx
1997
1. Life After Death - The Notorious B.I.G. 2. Supa Dupa Fly - Missy Elliott 3. Wu-Tang Forever - Wu-Tang Clan 4. In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 - Jay-Z 5. The War Report - Capone-N-Noreaga 6. Jewelz - O.C. 7. Funcrusher Plus - Company Flow 8. The Carnival - Wyclef Jean 9. Uptown Saturday Night - Camp Lo 10. One Day It'll All Make Sense - Common
1996
1. The Score - Fugees 2. Endtroducing... - DJ Shadow 3. All Eyez on Me - 2Pac 4. Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z 5. The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory - Makaveli 6. It Was Written - Nas 7. ATLiens - OutKast 8. Soul on Ice - Ras Kass 9. Wrath of the Math - Jeru the Damaja 10. Ironman - Ghostface Killah
1995
1. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... - Raekwon 2. Liquid Swords - Genius / GZA 3. The Infamous... - Mobb Deep 4. Me Against the World - 2Pac 5. Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous - Big L 6. Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version - Ol' Dirty Bastard 7. Dah Shinin' - Smif-N-Wessun 8. Soul Food - Goodie Mob 9. Labcabincalifornia - The Pharcyde 10. Doe or Die - AZ
1994
1. Illmatic - Nas 2. Ready to Die - The Notorious B.I.G. 3. Resurrection - Common 4. The Sun Rises in the East - Jeru the Damaja 5. Word...Life - O.C. 6. Stress: The Extinction Agenda - Organized Konfusion 7. 6 Feet Deep - Gravediggaz 8. Tical - Method Man 9. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik - OutKast 10. Do You Want More?!!!??! - The Roots
1993
1. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Wu-Tang Clan 2. Enta da Stage - Black Moon 3. Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest 4. Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg 5. 93 'til Infinity - Souls of Mischief 6. Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) - Digable Planets 7. Black Sunday - Cypress Hill 8. Buhloone Mind State - De La Soul 9. Jazzmatazz - Guru 10. Innercity Griots - Freestyle Fellowship
1992
1. The Chronic - Dr. Dre 2. Daily Operation - Gang Starr 3. Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde - The Pharcyde 4. Check Your Head - Beastie Boys 5. Whut? Thee Album - Redman 6. Runaway Slave - Showbiz & A.G. 7. Mecca and the Soul Brother - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth 8. Live and Let Die - Kool G Rap & DJ Polo 9. Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop - Diamond D 10. Don't Sweat the Technique - Eric B. & Rakim
1991
1. The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest 2. Breaking Atoms - Main Source 3. Death Certificate - Ice Cube 4. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Black Sheep 5. De La Soul Is Dead - De La Soul 6. Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black - Public Enemy 7. Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion 8. I Wish My Brother George Was Here - Del Tha Funkee Homosapien 9. O.G. Original Gangster - Ice-T 10. Ain't a Damn Thang Changed - WC and the Maad Circle
1990
1. Fear of a Black Planet - Public Enemy 2. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - Ice Cube 3. Step in the Arena - Gang Starr 4. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm - A Tribe Called Quest 5. One for All - Brand Nubian 6. Wanted: Dead or Alive - Kool G Rap & DJ Polo 7. Take a Look Around - Masta Ace 8. Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em - Eric B. & Rakim 9. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J 10. Intelligent Hoodlum - Intelligent Hoodlum
1986 - 1989
1989
1. Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys 2. 3 Feet High and Rising - De La Soul 3. Road to the Riches - Kool G Rap & DJ Polo 4. Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop - Boogie Down Productions 5. It's a Big Daddy Thing - Big Daddy Kane 6. No One Can Do It Better - The D.O.C. 7. Grip It! On That Other Level - Geto Boys 8. The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say - Ice-T 9. Done by the Forces of Nature - Jungle Brothers 10. Unfinished Business - EPMD
1988
1. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy 2. Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A. 3. Critical Beatdown - Ultramagnetic MC's 4. The Great Adventures of Slick Rick - Slick Rick 5. Follow the Leader - Eric B. & Rakim 6. By All Means Necessary - Boogie Down Productions 7. Long Live the Kane - Big Daddy Kane 8. Strictly Business - EPMD 9. Straight Out the Jungle - Jungle Brothers 10. In Full Gear - Stetsasonic
1987
1. Paid in Full - Eric B. & Rakim 2. Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions 3. Yo! Bum Rush the Show - Public Enemy 4. Rhyme Pays - Ice-T 5. BAD: Bigger and Deffer - LL Cool J 6. Saturday Night! - The Album - Schoolly D 7. Down by Law - MC Shan 8. How Ya Like Me Now - Kool Moe Dee 9. Dana Dane With Fame - Dana Dane 10. Rock the House - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
1986
1. D.M.C.- Raising Hell - Run-D.M.C. 2. Licensed to Ill - Beastie Boys 3. Planet Rock: The Album - Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force 4. Oh My God! - Doug E. Fresh 5. Schoolly D - Schoolly D 6. Born to Mack - Too $hort 7. Hot, Cool, Vicious - Salt-N-Pepa 8. Is What We Are - 2 Live Crew 9. On Fire - Stetsasonic 10. Back in Black - Whodini