The Battle of Los Angeles (Epic, 1999) by Rage Against the Machine

Overall, I prefer Rage's two previous albums to this one.  However, this is still a great piece of work.  I love the George Orwell and the 1984 references.  Michael Moore directing two music videos for the project is cool, and I think it's a true testament to the band's popularity and skill that this album opened against Mariah Carey and still managed to take the top spot on the album chart its opening week.

Supreme Clientele (Epic, 2000) by Ghostface Killah

In my opinion, this is the second best Wu-Tang solo album ever (number one being Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx).  Lyrically, Ghostface has always been interesting and this album is no exception.  The best song is "Child's Play."  With piano-heavy production courtesy of RZA, the track itself is also a highlight.  The album isn't overloaded with features, which, especially in today's Hip-Hop climate, is a rarity.  Vibe once ranked the album as one of the 10 best Hip-Hop albums ever.  I don't know if I'd put it that high, but it's definitey in the upper echelon.

The Day (Epic, 1996) by Babyface

This album has some very memorable tracks, the most popular being "Everytime I Close My Eyes."  Overall though, the project, in my opinion, showcases Babyface's ability as a writer more than his chops as a singer.  "Simple Days" is a wonderful look back on childhood  and LL proves why he's one of the best at hip hop love songs with "This is For the Lover in You."  The other thing that Edmonds does here really well is merge hip hop and R&B (without getting a singer to just sing over a rap beat).  This is a good release, but the best showcase of Babyface's talents are his collaborations with other artists such as Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.

Rage Against the Machine (Epic, 1992) by Rage Against the Machine

This album is sonically incredible.  I'm aware that I'm probably not saying anything new at all.  However, considering I'm not into metal very much, I was very impressed.  Rock and rap have, of course, been merged.  But the way rap and metal is combined on here is great.  The guitar riffs on "Killing in the Name" are some of my all-time favorites and "Bombtrack" is a phenomenal album opener.