Gettin' It (Jive, 1996) by Too Short

This album is good, but a bit repetitive in terms of beats and content.  The album offers nothing new, but that doesn't mean it's not an enjoyable collection of tracks to rattle speakers with while cruising down the highway.  Put simply, it's Too Short doing what Too Short does which is exactly what it should've been considering this was billed as his "retirement" album when it was released. 

Unfinished Business (Roc-A-Fella/Jive, 2004) by Jay-Z and R. Kelly

Put simply, this is a bad album.  It clearly seems like it was an attempt to sell records along with their tour (which also flopped).  The fact that this album's material is sometimes referred to as leftover stuff from the Best of Both Worlds sessions from 2002 is bad enough.  Considering that album's best records were mediocre at the very best though, it seems foolish to release stuff from the cutting room floor from those sessions.  However, that logic still didn't stop this release from happening.

Backstreet Boys (Jive, 1997) by Backstreet Boys

I did own this album (I sold this along with a lot of other albums at a time when I needed money).  It is something I am embarrassed about, but that was popular music at the time when I was 10.  For what it's worth, it does hold some nostalgic value because this was the year that I really got into music and I knew not just rap, but pop too front to back from about '97-2000.  I knew everything on MTV and pop radio at the time.  Obviously, a large majority of that music has faded over the years, but those records took me outside my comfort zone and I began to learn what type(s) of music the masses do and do not respond to.

Underground Kingz (Jive, 2007) by UGK

"Man I'm a middle finger figure (figure), a million dollar mission/Poppin like Orville Redenbacher (bacher), with a whippin in the kitchen (kitchen)/Yayo like Dontrelle Willis (what?), we the trillest/On the mound, I'm holdin that whole South down, I know you feel us/We the realest walkin the planet, can't stand it/Pass away, wanna fight us/Start to swingin, wanna kill us/Blast away, wanna stab us/Get to stickin but make sure you cut us deep/'Cause I betcha we comin back a couple hundred brothers deep (oh!)/Pimp and Bun, we run the streets, which streets? Man, pick your hood/Don't matter, we represented, cross us? (yeah) We gon' get you good/Them Down South veterans (huh), ain't nobody better than/gonna tell your next of kin or your brethren, let us in cousin" 

-Bun B, "The Game Belongs to Me"

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Jive, 1990) by A Tribe Called Quest

Tribe put out a fantastic debut album.  The production on "Bonita Applebaum" is ridiculously good.  And "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is really great too.  The album is certainly a classic piece of work, but it didn't see Phife reach his full potential as an emcee.  Fortunately, the group realized this too and made the necessary adjustments for their sophomore masterpiece.  

Life Is… Too Short (Jive, 1990) by Too Short

In my opinion, this is Too Short's best album.  Everything about it is cool.  The album cover, the lyrics, the production.  It is also very well-rounded in terms of content.  It has his trademark pimp talk as well as his social commentary.  I really dig the way the title track was paid homage to as well on UGK's album from just a couple years ago when it was covered and updated with Short Dog himself.  Although Short was not the most talented rapper in the late 80s/early 90s, he was certainly one of the most charismatic.

Can't Stay Away (Jive, 1999) by Too Short

Short Dog's first post-retirement album is a descent "comeback" album, but it relies a little too heavily on the then-current scene on late 90s rappers to draw an audience instead of just giving Too Short fans what it is that they'd been missing for three years.  There is a bit of that with "More Freaky Tales," Can't Stay Away," and "Ain't No Bitches."  But the CD is 17 tracks long, and so that still leaves 14 more tracks that could've taken a different approach in order to make the album not as spotty.

Midnight Marauders (Jive, 1993) by A Tribe Called Quest

Tribe's third album is fantastic; they're one of the only groups who put out three classic albums in a row (props to Run-D.M.C. and Outkast as well).  This album, though not at widely remembered as The Low End Theory, is just as good.  "Oh My God" is an excellent beat, and "Lyrics to Go" is absolutely amazing.  This is also an album that needs to be played from beginning to end.  It really is an experience listening to this album.  I think it's cool that the Wayans Bros. used "Electric Relaxation"  at the opening of their show too.

Ridin' Dirty (Jive, 1996) by UGK

Bun B is an incredible rapper; there's no doubt about that.  And so the great thing about this album is the production.  Pimp C's production is a breath of fresh air- it's real music and that creates a great juxtaposition to the gritty raps.  Content-wise, it isn't much difference from other rap cliches.  However, it's not the west coast funk or the heavy bass that's often apparent in the south.  Therefore, it ultimately creates something that hasn't really been heard before.  I think it's an incredible album and it's one that I always play straight through from beginning to end.

Cocktails (Jive, 1995) by Too $hort

This is standard Too $hort fare.  Dirty raps over funky tracks.  "Cocktales" is a great updated version of "Freaky Tales."  The other stand out track is "We Do This" with 2Pac, MC Breed, and Father Dom.  The album also ends on a high note with "Sample the Funk" where Short Dog pays homage to funk legends like George Clinton, James Brown, and the Ohio Players.

Return of the Boom Bap (Jive, 1993) by KRS-One

KRS-One's solo debut is a phenomenal release.  DJ Premier, one of Hip-Hop's greatest producers ever, handles the bulk of the project's production.   And my favorite cut on the album is not even one of the two singles, "Sound of Da Police" or "I Can't Wake Up."  The record that stands outs the most to me on this release is "Outta Here."  In my opinion, along with Jay-Z's "December 4th", they are two of the best autobiographical Hip-Hop records ever made.  I saw an interview with DJ Premier online from a few years ago where Premo hinted at doing a sequel to the album with Mr. Parker.  Hopefully, that's still in the works.

Born to Mack (Jive, 1987) by Too $hort

The memorable contribution to hip-hop from this set is "Freaky Tales."  The nine and a half minute rap about sexual escapades cemented Short Dog as a playboy in hip-hop culture.  The bass of the beat and the dirty raps are timeless.  There are rappers who adopted a similar approach later, but no one did it as well as $hort's original.  The album cover is really cool too with the clear picture of the Cadillac and Too $hort barely in sight.

Short Dog's in the House (Jive, 1990) by Too $hort

This is a classic album in Short Dog's catalog.  It has his signature X-rated rhymes over funk inspired tracks. And "Hard on the Boulevard" and  "Ain't Nothin' But a Word to Me" with Ice Cube are the best ones on this release.  However, the album's highlights are "The Ghetto" and "It's Your Life" where Mr. Shaw gets socially-conscious (which he has done before as well) and addresses the plight of people in tough areas and encourages them to make positive choices.  Short Dog's in the House has thought-provoking content and music to ride to.  Over twenty years since its release, it still holds up and that's not surprising to me at all.

The Low End Theory (Jive, 1991) by A Tribe Called Quest

The fact that ATCQ got jazz legend Ron Carter to play double bass for "Verses from the Abstract" proves that the group had the intelligence and ambition to take hip hop past the confines of a drum machine.  And it was just that connection, the one between rap and jazz, that ATCQ will forever be remembered for.  However, that is far from all this album has to offer.  "Check the Rhime" is one of the best hip hop singles ever and "Scenario" is one of the greatest collaborations ever put on wax.  Last, but not least, the other thing that is very noticeable about this album, when compared to the group's debut, is that Phife Dawg has much more of a presence this go round.  The interplay between him and Q-Tip is flawless and often times gives off an improvisational feel- much like the jazz culture that this hip hop album so masterfully embraces.

He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper (Jive, 1988) by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

For as monumental as this album is (one of its singles, "Parents Just Don't Understand," was the first song ever to win a Grammy in the Best Hip Hop/Rap Single category), it seems that it is underappreciated.  This is a very good album.  DJ Jazzy Jeff's scratching and cutting is superb, and Will's writing and rapping are uniquely his own.  "Nightmare on My Street" is a clever, light ode to horror films and Charlie Mack [First Out of the Limo] is a great shout out to his body guard ("Apollo Creed is a sucker/Charlie Mack could be Drago").  And "Time to Chill" has a nice mellow vibe.  "Here We Go Again" is an excellent reintroduction of the duo.  The aforementioned "Parents Just Don't Understand," of course, is timeless (and props to Ben Affleck for mentioning the song when talking with Will Smith in Jersey Girl).  Overall, this is a great hip hop album that still holds up almost a quarter of a century since its release.

Too Hard to Swallow (Jive, 1992) by UGK

This is a really gritty album.  It's very aggressive and raw-sounding.  However, these factors complement Bun B and Pimp C's abilities because their writing still stands out, even amidst the aggressive content.  "Something Good" is a great record as well as "Pocket Full of Stones."  The beats are really hard, and UGK's sound would eventually evolve with the input of better productions and melodies.  But, in 1992, this was a tough album that established them as underground royalty.  Within a few years, they would become one of the greatest duos in hip hop history.

The Best of Both Worlds (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/Jive, 2002) by Jay-Z & R.Kelly

This album certainly didn't live up to the hype.  The controversy surrounding R. Kelly at the time didn't help either.  The album still has its strong points though- Jay-Z delivers solid raps and The R brings catchy hooks.  The production suited both of these guys' strengths well too.  The problem is that the songs are very cookie cutter and generic both musically and lyrically.  And for two artists who forever changed their respective genres with their innovative styles and amazing talents, a lot more was expected from this project.  Some of this was redeemed though at Jay-Z's Madison Square Garden show when the two of them came out and performed the title track and "Take You Home With Me" while all of NY sang along.

Me Against the World (Jive, 1995) by 2Pac

"When I was young, me and my mama had beef/Seventeen years old,kicked out on the streets/Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face/Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place/Suspended from school; and scared to go home, I was a fool/with the big boys, breakin' all the rules/I shed tears with my baby sister/Over the years we was poorer than the other little kids/And even though we had different daddy's, the same drama/When things went wrong, we'd blame mama/I reminisce on the stress I caused, it was Hell/Huggin' on my mama from a jail cell/And who'd think in elementary?/Heeey! I see the penitentiary, one day/And runnin' from the police, that's right/Mama catch me, put a whoopin' to my backside/And even as a crack fiend, mama/You always was a black queen, mama/I finally understand, for a woman it ain't easy tryin' to raise a man/You always was committed/A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it/There's no way I can pay you back/But the plan is to show you that I understand/You are appreciated"

-2Pac, "Dear Mama"

Homebase (Jive, 1991) by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

"It's late in the day and I ain't been on the court yet/Hustle to the mall to get me a short set/Yeah I got on sneaks, but I need a new pair/Cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there/The temperature's about 88/Hop in the water plug, just for old times sake/Break to ya crib, change your clothes once more/Cause you're invited to a barbeque that's starting at 4/Sitting with your friends cause y'all reminisce/About the days growing up, and the first person you kiss/And as I think back makes me wonder how/The smell from a grill could spark up nostalgia/All the kids playing out front/Little boys messin' round with the girls playing double-dutch/While the DJ's spinning a tune, as the old folks dance at your family reunion/Then six o'clock rolls around, you just finished wiping your car down/It's time to cruise so you head to the summertime hangout/It looks like a car show/Everybody come lookin' real fine/Fresh from the barber shop or fly from the beauty salon/Every moment frontin', and maxin'/Chillin' in the car they spent all day waxin'/Leanin to the side, but you can't speed through/Two miles an hour so everybody sees you/There's an air of love and of happiness/And this is the Fresh Prince's new definition of summer madness"

-The Fresh Prince, "Summertime"

R. (Jive, 1998) by R. Kelly

Even disregarding the fact that it's a double album, R. is R. Kelly's most well-rounded album.  There's hip hop, R&B, and gospel.  And, for the most part, Kells pulls it all off successfully.  Some songs are better than others, but the album never seems to drag on.  The fact that he puts Celine Dion and Cam'ron on the same album is crazy enough ("I'm Your Angel" and "We Ride" respectively).  But the fact that he put an inspirational song for a movie starring Bugs Bunny (Space Jam's "I Believe I Can Fly") and a materialistic record like "Only the Loot Can Make Me Happy" on the same album, and they're both incredibly catchy, is even crazier.  And then, of course, there are a few sex records too ("Half on a Baby" and "Get Up on a Room").