good kid, m.A.A.d city (Top Dawg/Aftermath, 2012) by Kendrick Lamar

This album is already being hailed as an instant classic and I can't say I disagree.  Even this early in its release, there isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said.  Kendrick has a very different approach to gangsta rap and I think that has worked to his advantage.  The conceptualized album is brilliant and the way that the voicemails work to tie the story together is amazing.  The storytelling on "The Art of Peer Pressure" is stellar as well as the Janet Jackson sample on the cleverly titled "Poetic Justice."  And what better way to close out the album than with a song named after your hometown of Compton with the legendary Dr. Dre (Props to Mc Eiht for his guest appearance on "m.A.A.d city" too).  Section 80 is good, but I feel that this ups the bar even higher.  Kendrick has lived up to the hype and very well may be the voice of this next generation of rappers.

The Slim Shady LP (Aftermath, 1999) by Eminem

"Slim Shady, brain dead like Jim Brady/I'm a M80, you Lil' like that Kim lady/I'm buzzin, Dirty Dozen, naughty rotten rhymer/Cursin at you players worse than Marty Schottenheimer/You wacker than the motherfucker you bit your style from/You ain't gonna sell two copies if you press a double album/Admit it, fuck it, while we comin out in the open/I'm doin acid, crack, smack, coke and smokin dope then/My name is Marshall Mathers, I'm an alcoholic (Hi Marshall)/I have a disease and they don't know what to call it/Better hide your wallet cause I'm comin up quick to strip your cash/Bought a ticket to your concert just to come and whip your ass/Bitch, I'm comin out swingin, so fast it'll make your eyes spin/You gettin knocked the fuck out like Mike Tyson/The +Proof+ is in the puddin, just ask the Deshaun Holton/I'll slit your motherfuckin throat worse than Ron Goldman"

-Eminem, "Just Don't Give a Fuck"

Recovery (Aftermath, 2010) by Eminem

This album was vital to Eminem's legacy and it did not disappoint.  In my opinion, it is his best album since The Eminem Show.  The material on the album balanced the clever, "just don't give a fuck" attitude ("Cold Wind Blows") with strong substance ("Talkin' 2 Myself").  Lyrically, Eminem proves again that he is one of the best writers ever.  And in perhaps his most emotional record since "Mockingbird", atop a sample from "The Lost Boys" and production from Just Blaze, Eminem pays homage to Proof with "You're Never Over."  Dr. Dre's only track "So Bad" is decent, but Just Blaze and DJ Khalil are the album's star producers.  Taken as a whole, Recovery was Eminem's return to glory professionally and evidence that he was able to make music that grew with him personally.

Dr. Dre Presents The Aftermath (Aftermath, 1996) by Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre's first release on Aftermath, a compilation, wasn't a commercial blockbuster like his contributions to Death Row's catalogue.  However, his sound certainly did evolve.  The g-funk element that made Dre one of the best producers ever is absent here, but his knack for R&B production is apparent.  The best R&B track on the album, "Choices," samples the popular Issac Hayes' tune "The Look of Love" and again the use of it does not fail.  There is some hip hop on here.  Dre's contribution "Been There, Done That" deliberately separates himself from gangsta rap.  It's decent, but it's no "Let Me Ride."  And "East Coast/West Coast Killas" was a good show of unity at a time when hip hop was very divided.

Curtain Call: The Hits (Aftermath, 2005) by Eminem

Three of the four new tracks here are nothing spectacular at all.  "When I'm Gone" plays like an inferior sequel to "Mockingbird."  "Shake That", even with strong contributions from Nate Dogg, comes off as too silly and playful.  And "Fack" is just weird.  The one highlight of new material is the previously unreleased live version of "Stan" that Eminem performed with Elton John at The Grammys in 2001.  It was a legendary performance, moment in Eminem's career and event in hip hop history.  I'm glad it was finally released on record.  The only thing a recorded version of the performance doesn't capture is Mr. Mathers throwing his middle fingers in the air at the end.

Relapse (Aftermath, 2009) by Eminem

I like this album more than the general consensus did.  I do feel that it was way too one dimensional as far as the drug content though.  However, I liked hearing the Slim Shady persona again.  Production-wise, the drums bang on my "My Mom" and the sample of "Reaching Out" is very effective on "Beautiful."  The extreme violence (i.e. "3 A.M.", "Stay Wide Awake") sounds a bit forced, but the dark humor does find its footing by the end of the LP ("Underground").  And I do think "We Made You" is one of the weakest songs in Eminem's entire catalogue, but, to counter that, "Deja Vu" is one of the best.

The Documentary (Aftermath, 2005) by Game

The Documentary is one of the best albums of the 00s.  The production is top-notch, and Game single-handedly brought the West Coast back into the hip-hop spotlight after nearly a decade away from it.  Despite the feud with 50, one of the album's best tracks is  Game's collaboration with him on "Hate It or Love It."  Game is guilty of name dropping a a bit excessively throughout the album, however, particularly on the title track, he is very clever with it.  "Runnin'" has a surprisingly strong guest verse from Tony Yayo and Game correctly admits to Eminem killing him on his own shit  with "We Ain't."  Other highlights include "Dreams" and the confessional "Don't Need Your Love."  This album is one of the reasons why I still want G-Unit to get back together.

Encore (Aftermath, 2004) by Eminem

For as dumb as a lot of this album is (i.e. "Big Weenie", "Just Lose It, "Ass Like That", "Rain Man"), there are still some very solid tracks on Eminem's fourth major-label release.  "Yellow Brick Road" is a screenplay-detailed account of what led up to those controversial freestyle tapes and "Like Toy Soldiers" is his call for a truce with The Source and Murder Inc.  "Mockingbird", a song for his daughter, is one of the best songs of his career.  And the title track with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, in my opinion, surpasses "Crack a Bottle"- a collaborative song the three hip-hop icons would release five years later to much fanfare.  Despite the album's highlights, Encore failed to live up to the standard Eminem set for himself with his previous releases.  But this album's shortcomings, as well as the ones on 2009's Relapse, made Eminem's 2010 release, Recovery, one of the best revivals hip-hop has ever seen.

The Eminem Show (Aftermath, 2002) by Eminem

I really like how much Em's songwriting skills were showcased on this album.  Not to say that The Marshall Mathers LP didn't have its moments (i.e. "Stan", "Kim", "The Way I Am"), but, for the most part, Marshall Mathers was more about punchlines, verses, and delivery than actual complete songs.  Although the production was not quite as solid this go round, Eminem more than made up for it with lyrical content and records such as "White America", "Cleanin' Out My Closet", "Square Dance", and "'Til I Collapse."

2001 (Aftermath, 1999) by Dr. Dre

I like this album and I think it has definitely held up over time.  However, I don't think it is as good as The Chronic.  This album has too many skits, and mediocre verses.  With the exception of Eminem, Snoop, Devin the Dude, and Xzibit, the other emcees makes the album feel too crowded.  Jay-Z does great ghostwriting for the project, but his few contributions obviously can't save all the rapping on the album.  As far as production, "Fuck You" and "Xxplosive" are the best tracks Dre has done in the post Death Row era of his career.  In hindsight, 2001 served its purpose.  It made Eminem a superstar the same way that The Chronic did for Snoop and proved that after a few rough years Dre still had not lost his midas touch.  "Smoke weed everyday!"  R.I.P. Nate Dogg.

The Marshall Mathers LP (Aftermath, 2000) by Eminem

Mr. Mathers’ third album is his greatest.  It is a cliche statement, but a very understandable one, much like saying Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the magnum opus of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Eminem is one of the most technically skilled rappers ever and that combined with his exemplary writing ability makes for a hardcore rap album that is witty, personal, disturbing, and sad all at once.  It is a feat that had not been achieved before and has not been matched since.

The Big Bang (Aftermath, 2006) by Busta Rhymes

A noteworthy mistake which occurs with this release is that the album's first single, "Touch It", is produced by Swizz Beatz instead of Dr. Dre.  Nothing against Mr. Dean ( "Money, Cash, Hoes" is one of the best beats ever), but Busta's signing to Aftermath warrants a more pronounced collaboration between himself and the good doctor.  Other than that promotional misstep, this is a fantastic fifty-eight minutes of music.  And "Been Through the Storm", which features Stevie Wonder, is especially outstanding.