Rap has been around for a long time and there has been millions of albums. But only a few can make the top ten list so here are my faves for the greatest of all time:
1. 2Pac-All Eyez On Me
2. N.W.A-Straight Outta Compton
3. Eric B. & Rakim-Paid In Full
4. Eminem-The Eminem Show
5. Public Enemy-It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
6. Dr. Dre-The Chronic
7. Snoop Dogg-Doggy Style
8. Ice Cube-Death Certificate
9. LL Cool J-Bigger and Deffer
10. 50 Cent-Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
That's mine, what's yours?
[Edited 5/14/07 1:03am]

i'm not a snoop fan, but i was wondering if you meant Doggystyle instead of Doggy World. (I wouldn't know if the latter was an album or not). Hard to pick 10 and rank 'em but here's my list (my order from 10-2 is negotiable)

1) It Takes a Nation of Millions - P.E.
2) Stakes Is High - De La Soul
3) Blowout Comb - Digable Planets
4) Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
5) One for All - Brand Nubian
6) Illmatic - Nas
7) Paid in Full - Eric B. & Rakim
8) 93 Til Infinity - Souls of Mischief
9) Mos Def & Talib - Blackstar
10) The Chronic/Doggystyle (as u can see, not a fan of the genre but these albums were landmarks)

In no order:

1 - 3 Feet High And Rising - De La Soul
2 - It Takes a Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back - P.E.
3 - Enter the 36 Chambers - Wu Tang
4 - Reachin' A New Refutation of Time and Space - Digable Planets
5 - The Low End Theory - ATCQ
6 - The Cactus Album - 3rd Bass
7 - To The East Blackwards - X-Clan
8 - Paid in Full - Eric B & Rakim
9 - The Chronic - Dr. Dre
10 - Sex Packets - Digital Underground

Honorable Mention: By All Means Necessary - BDP; De La Soul Is Dead - De La Soul; People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm - ATCQ; Run-D.M.C. - Run-D.M.C.; Midnight Marauders - ATCQ

1 It takes a nation of millions to hold us back / Public Enemy
2 Doggystyle / Snoop Dog
3 Raising hell / Run DMC
4 Straight outta compton / NWA
5 Ready to die / Notorious Big
6 The Chronic / Dr. Dre
7 Criminal minded / Boogie down productions
8 The Marshall Matters LP / Eminem
9 Mama said knock you out / LL Cool J
10 AmeriKKKa's Most wanted / Ice Cube

1. The Message- Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
2. Raising Hell - Run DMC
3. It's A Big Daddy Thing- Big Daddy Kane
4. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
5. 3 Feet and Rising - De La Soul
6. The Low End Theory- Tribe Called Quest
7. Blackstar - Mos Def & Talib Kweli
8. Reflection Eternal - Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek
9. Black On Both Sides - Mos Def
10.Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde - The Pharcyde

1) 36 Chambers - Wu-Tang Clan
2) It Takes a Nation of Millions.. - Public Enemy
3) Raising Hell - Run DMC
4) Straight Outta Compton - NWA
5) Paid in Full - Eric B. & Rakim
6) The Chronic - Dr. Dre
7) Ready to Die - Biggie
8) The Adventures of.. - Slick Rick
9) Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
10) License to Ill - Beastie Boys

1. It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy: The greatest hip-hop album there is, and most likely, ever will be. The beats and lyrics were visionary. How many hip-hop albums get the party started AND drop knowledge at the same time? This album put hip-hop on the map as an art form. Few other albums come close.

2. Raising Hell, Run-DMC: Not one of my very favorites, but it introduced hip-hop to the masses and helped give it staying power.

3. Three Feet High and Rising, De La Soul: This album rivals Nation of Millions. It expanded the boundaries of hip-hop and hip-hop style. It encouraged MCs to develop their own styles and perspectives instead of following the crowd.

4. The Low End Theory, A Tribe Called Quest: Fused hip-hop and jazz in such a way that it took hip-hop to a new level, but in such a way that they stayed true to its roots.

5. Blowout Comb, Digable Planets: People sold the DPs short as a novelty act, but this followup to Reachin' was nothing short of brilliant. A love letter to NYC, a revolutionary manifesto, and a brilliant blend of beats and rhymes. This album is an underappreciated masterpiece.

6. Paid In Full, Eric B. & Rakim: When it comes to groundbreaking beats, Eric B. put it down. Combine that with the greatest MC that ever lived, Rakim, and you have a classic album.

7. Death Certificate, Ice Cube: Yeah, it's offensive on many levels, but it, imho, is the best gangsta rap had to offer. Dope beats and rhymes with a West Coast flavor and revolutionary message. It was a "concept album," with a "death" and "life" side.

8. Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A.: Undeniably the most influential album in hip-hop history, when you look at the state of hip-hop today. In hindsight, it showed that the pairing of Dre's beats and Cube's lyrics were almost unbeatable.

9. Criminal Minded, Boogie Down Productions: The East Coast's prelude to Straight Outta Compton. Like Paid In Full, produced some of the most memorable jams in hip-hop history.

tie:

10. Only Built For Cuban Linx, Raekwon: Had the feel of a gangster movie. With RZA's production and the genius and Raekwon and Ghostface, whom I consider the heir to Rakim, on the mic, it was tight from start to finish.

10a. Madvillainy, Madvillain: Only reinvented hip-hop. Two vets of the game, Madlib and Madvillain, make hip-hop interesting again.

Honorable mentions:

Radio, Done By The Forces of Nature, Ready to Die, Illmatic, Edutainment, The Devil Made Me Do It, Midnight Marauders, Stakes Is High, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Whut? Thee Album, Resurrection, Hard To Earn, The Infamous, St. Elsewhere

Illmatic Nas

Criminal Minded Boogie Down Productions

Paid In Full Eric B. and Rakim

Rhyme Pays Ice-T

Black On Both Sides Mos Def

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back Public Enemy

Fear Of A Black Planet Public Enemy

The Low End Theory A Tribe Called Quest

Raising Hell Run DMC

Straight Outta Compton NWA
[Edited 5/12/07 13:34pm]

OMG, how could i forget 36 Chambers, a must add to ANY list fa sho. but it at #2 for me. and make DeLa & Digable a tie at third.
[Edited 5/12/07 13:52pm]

A question for the RAP aficionados.

I just read an article on...



...Too Short in the current issue of Waxpoetics.

Now that I think about it, he was the 1st one I heard doing the gangsta-rap type thing.
His The Mack of the Century... comp is around here somewhere but I haven't listened to it yet.


Where do you feel he ranks?


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Gangsta Rap pioneering probably goes to Ice-T (1987's "6 in the Morning") and then shortly after was NWA that blew the door wide open for most of what you hear now. Short was more about sex, pimping, and hoes more than gangster/thuggery, but those can also be considered elements of "gangster life".

Afronomical said:

You´re right about Ice-T being the first real gangster rapper, however, his 12" "6 N Tha Mornin´" came out in 1986, maybe even 1985 ( not sure whether Dog N Tha Wax or 6 N Tha Mornin came out earlier ).1987 was the year he released his Rhyme Pays album....in my opinion, his best album ever.

NWA and their kind of gangster rap were already known in the LA area before their "Straight Outta Compton" album came out because , just like Ice-T, they had already released some 12" singles such as Dopeman and Boyz N Tha Hood before the album came out. Both 6 N Tha Mornin and the NWA 12" s sound slightly different and rawer than the album versions.

And before Dr.Dre and NWA became all gangsta, they tried to jump on the purple band waggon by dressing Prince-style, with ruffle shirts, purple lace and long jheri curls.
...back in the old World Class Wreckin Cru days...

And it´s true what you say about Too Short, he´s more of a sex rapper than a gangster rapper...I used to have all his old releases, even the rare ones, but found them a bit boring as I got older and got rid off it all.
[Edited 5/13/07 2:44am]

Actually, "Boyz In The Hood," Eazy-E's first single, and undeniably a classic, was as blatant a ripoff of Schooly D's "PSK (what does it mean)" as it gets. If you've heard "PSK" you know what it means.

Also, people speak on Straight Outta Compton starting it all, and of course, you did have Ice-T's Rhyme Pays before that. But in between, you had Criminal Minded.

The West Coast put gangsta on the map, but it can be debated whether they originated it.

namepeace said:

I bought both records right when they came out ( PSK and Boyz N Tha Hood) and while I agree with you that KRS One should also be mentioned as a pioneer of gangsta rap, I don´t see any similarities between PSK and BoyzN Tha Hood...do you mean the beat ? The lyrics ? There´s no similarity at all, IMO.

KoolEaze said:

Yeah 6 in the morning was in 86 thanks. And I remember the wreckin crew looking all glam and stuff but don't put NWA out there like that, they came after that was never glammed up.

Thing is, Ice-T ripped off PSK with 6 in the morning and then Eazy E ripped off Ice-T's 6 In The Morning with Boyz In The Hood. Same rap style.

1. Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions
2. It Takes A Nation of Millions... - Public Enemy
3. The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
4. Run D.M.C. - Run D.M.C.
5. The Chronic - Dr. Dre
6. Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.
7. 3 Feet High & Rising - De La Soul
8. Death Certificate - Ice Cube
9. Paid In Full - Eric B. & Rakim
10. Ready To Die - The Notorious B.I.G.

Not in order:

Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
Dr.Dre - The Chronic
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Too $hort - Short Dogs In Da House
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
2pac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
Ice Cube - Death Certificate
Hammer - (TIE DRAW) Lets Get It Started/The Funky Headhunter
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Nas- Stillmatic

F*** 10. I need 11!
[Edited 5/13/07 11:18am]

Muddy Waters (Redman)
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (Tupac)
The Infamous (Mobb Deep)
Vol.2: In My Lifetime (Jay-Z)
Dirty Harriet (Rah Digga)
efil4zaggiN (NWA)
The Diary (Scarface)
Wu-Tang Forever
Eyes On This (MC Lyte)
Ghetto Dope (Master P)

most of you have stated
the obvious ones already...
Ready To Die, Illmatic, 3 Feet High...
Only Built..., Chronic/Doggystyle
The Great Adventures...

nobody mentioned this one:


other mentionables:
Hardcore (Lil' Kim)
We Can't Be Stopped (Geto Boys)
Supreme Clientele (Ghostface)
Tical (Method Man)
I'm Serious (TI)
Paul's Boutique (Beastie Boys)
Me Against The World (Tupac)
Uptown Saturday Night (Camp Lo)

@theAudience - I love Too $hort
and wanted to be him when I was a kid
him & Slick Rick were my favorite rappers
[Edited 5/13/07 11:31am]

namepeace said:

PSK = Park Side Killers

BTW, Schooly D counts as the first ever gangsta rapper.....despite the fact the media didn't called this style "gangsta rap" until NWA released the single Gangsta Gangsta. Before then, Eazy-E describe NWA's music as "reality rap" as in the kind of rap songs that were about the harsh realities of the streets of Los Angeles.
[Edited 5/13/07 11:28am]
[Edited 5/13/07 11:29am]

No Particular Order:

2Pac - Me Against The World
UGK - Ridin' Dirty
Poison Clan - Poisonous Mentality
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Snoop - Doggystyle
Warren G. - Regulate G-Funk Era
Eightball & MJG - On Top Of The World
OutKast - (Tie) Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik/Aquemini
B.I.G. - Ready To Die
Scarface - The Diary

Well, yes and no. His first cut was about his gang in his hood but soon after that he changed his style towards a more black consciousness appeal.

KoolEaze said:

Listen to the cadence and meter of the rhymes.

Afronomical said:

I don't disagree. I was shocked when I heard the cut. But he was as early as anyone on that "gangsta" tip, hence my point.

DirtyChris said:

I beg your pardon? All but Great Adventures was mentioned before you posted, and I put 2 of these in my top 10 (3 Feet High and Only Built).




A top 20 or top 40 album, IMHO.



I could get with all of those.



I dug Born To Mack and Life Is . . . Too Short. One of the most underrated pioneers of the West Coast sound. I told some heads one time that I heard a little Too Short in Biggie's style and they laughed me out of the room. Until they heard Too Short on Life After Death.
[Edited 5/13/07 16:50pm]

namepeace said:

The Great Adventures...
was mentioned by uPtoWnNY

the first one that comes to my mind is:

datdude said:

sorry. I'll correct it now. thanks.