 | Southernunderground by Cunninlynguists
Buy used from: £33.52 Mindblowing soulful beats combined with powerful lyrics that everyone can relate to. Avoids boring bragadoccia + gangsterisms. Just edges ahead of 'will rap for food'
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 | Illmatic: Parental Advisory by Nas
Buy new: £4.88 / Used from: £2.98 Simply the greatest rap album in history. As close to perfection as you will find in the genre
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 | Liquid Swords by Genius/GZA
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £3.67 The combination of intelligent lyrics, a tight flow + soul drenched beats mixed with kung fu samples make this an essential album. Also, B.I.B.L.E. might be the greatest rap song ever
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 | American Hunger by MF Grimm
Buy new: £13.98 Brilliant triple album from Grimm where he switches up his flow + production. The lyrics are hard hitting + political - a must have for all UG fans
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 | The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick by Slick Rick
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £5.99 Classic. Clever, witty lyrics over the finest beats of the day. Rick is still yet to be surpassed as an MC when it comes to charisma and story-telling ability
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 | Paid In Full - Eric B & Rakim by Eric B. & Rakim
Buy new: £3.48 / Used from: £2.45 Incredibly important and influential album in the history of rap. The beats sound a little dated but this only serves to emphasise Rakim's skills and cement his position as one of the best to do it
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 | 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul
Buy new: £2.98 / Used from: £3.20 Changed the rules and direction of rap music. Funky, multi layered sampled beats mixed with innovative lyrics. A must have
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 | Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z
Buy new: £3.48 / Used from: £2.23 Jays 1st + best album. Slick lyrics, varied flow + a cocky swagger make this album great
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 | Movies for the Blind by Cage
Buy used from: £7.45 Cage is clearly tapped in the head but this serves to make MFTB a compulsive, dangerous sounding album that you might love. The Clockwork Orange sampled 'Agent Orange' is a highlight
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 | Endtroducing..... by DJ Shadow
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £2.49 Not strictly hip hop but the monumental effect this album had on the producition of rap albums merits its inclusion. Eclectic mix of samples + instruments make this an incredible listening experience
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 | The Pretty Toney Album by Ghostface Killah
Buy new: £12.39 / Used from: £3.58 Carrying the torch for Wu Tang. Soulful + powerful beats with Ghost adopting his usual coke-rap, hectic but amazing style. I love this album - check for 'run' featuring jada
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 | Donuts by J Dilla
Buy new: £8.78 / Used from: £8.20 Jay Dee(R.I.P.) was a Detroit based producer who was behind a lot of The Roots + Slum Villages finest work (among others).Creative instrumental album with over 30 tracks( 1 min each). A Masterclass
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 | Ready to Die: The Remaster by The Notorious B.I.G.
Buy used from: £12.79 One of the great rap albums. Funky beats, hard, insightful + sometimes amusing lyrics. Biggie had something special
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 | Capital Punishment by Big Punisher
Buy new: £5.78 / Used from: £2.44 Pun (R.I.P.) was a lyrical moster with the best flow of all time. An Incredible album with Pun at the very top of his game. 'Tres leches' produced by RZA will make your jaw drop
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 | Misery Loves Comedy by Louis Logic and J.J. Brown
Buy used from: £3.15 Great UG album. Witty, self deprecating lyrics over jazzy beats. The title track is brilliant - 'people tell you the world's your oyster, if that's the case im allergic to seafood'
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 | Birth of a Prince by RZA
Buy used from: £18.87 BOAP offers typical but magnificent, soulful Wu production. Some of the songs have deep introspective introspective lyrics (e.g.Day To God Is 1000 Years, grits ) while some are just bangers!
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 | Masters of the Universe by Binary Star
Buy used from: £28.59 One of the best Underground hip hop albums of all time. Experimental album with much originality and replay value
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 | The Tipping Point by The Roots
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £1.98 The Roots more than deserve a mention. Not their most critically acclaimed album but my favourite as they stick to a wining formula + Black Thought is at his best
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 | Moment of Truth by Gang Starr
Buy new: £6.68 / Used from: £2.46 Doesn't get much better than this. Some of Premo's finest beats with Guru at his poetic, introspective peak. The title track and 'next time' are certified classics
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 | Deadringer by Rjd2
Buy new: £12.48 / Used from: £10.94 Outstanding album worth buying for the track 'deadringer' alone. Trip hop with a real punch. Quite similar to Shadow with the eclectic merging of music genres. Buy this!
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 | The Chronic by Dr. Dre
Buy used from: £3.00 All time G Funk classic that paved the way for a generation of artists. The Chronic also introduced the world to Snoop. 2001 is also spectacularly good
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 | Long Live the Kane by Big Daddy Kane
Buy new: £14.19 / Used from: £6.49 Slick, old school Eastcoast rap which oozes style and charisma. BDK proves he is lyrically one of the greats on this 1988 classic
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 | Mecca and the Soul Brother by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Buy used from: £4.99 CL Smooth's slick flow compliments Pete Rock's beautiful funk sampled beats. An unsung classic from a time where skills prevailed over marketting + promoting senseless violence
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 | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £2.53 Many consider this the greatest rap album in history. One of the most politically important albums ever made
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 | The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem
Buy new: £6.88 / Used from: £1.38 Em's best album. He spits pure venim and rage as all his multiple identities clash viciously. Amazing album that came to represent the rage and disillusionment of a generation of teenagers
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