Be (Geffen, 2005) by Common

Kanye West has referred to No I.D. as his mentor and West's production on Be is an example of the affect that No I.D. has had on him.  The jazzy beats, a few of which are also put together by J. Dilla, give Common a perfect opportunity to show his lyrical abilities.  One of my favorite rhymes ever is featured on this album.  In "Go" he says, "Freaky like the daughter of a Pastor, said I was bait for her to master/Little red corvette, now she was faster."

Life is Good (Def Jam, 2012) by Nas

It's been four years since Nas' last solo effort, but it's clear the wait was worth it after just one listen to Life is Good.  Whereas Nas' two previous solo albums addressed heavy cultural and social themes (Hip Hop is Dead and Untitled respectively), this time Nas gets personal with the poetic brilliance and insight that first captured listeners' ears over 20 years ago.  On the epic opener, "No Introduction", he rhymes, “Hood forever, I just act like I’m civilized/Really what’s in my mind is organizing a billion Black muthafuckas/To take over JP and Morgan Goldman and Sachs/And teach the world facts and give Saudi they oil back."  And "Locomotion" is Illmatic material for this generation.  However, this album is not all about reaffirming past achievements.  On "Daughters", Nas discusses being a single father to a teenage daughter and "Bye Baby" addresses the issue of his split with R&B singer Kelis.  Clearly, there is a strength in Mr. Jones' vulnerability and that is such a refreshing thing to hear in the current rap climate, especially from someone as gifted as Nas.  The Mary J. Blige-assisted "Reach Out" has the Queen of hip hop soul singing over flawless scratching and "Accident Murderers" finds Rick Ross, the album's only guest MC, dropping a surprisingly solid verse.  The album's only misstep is the Swizz Beatz produced "Summer on Smash"- Nas' clear attempt at radio spins, but it sounds forced and it's unnecessary.  With his legendary status in hip hop, radio is not required to draw an audience for Nas.  He can do that himself.  He has proven with Life is Good, like he has many times before, that real personal hip hop is powerful stuff and can connect with people in extraordinary ways (and the excellent production courtesy of No I.D., Salaam Remi, among others, doesn't hurt either).  And this just happens to be one of the best examples of that that hip hop and Nas have offered up in a very long time.

808s & Heartbreak (Roc-A-Fella, 2008) by Kanye West

Okay, Kanye West can't sing and auto-tune had been played out since Cher put out "Believe" ten years earlier.  However, Kanye is honest and open to a fault and that is why this album is a true piece of art that has and will continue to hold up.  After I heard Kanye's first verse on the album's second cut, "Welcome to Heartbreak," I was in.  Not surprisingly, the album's best-produced tracks find Kanye getting assistance from his mentor and fellow Chicago musical genius No I.D. ("Heartless", "See You in My Nightmares", and "Coldest Winter").  The only thing that I wish this album had that it doesn't is a studio version of "Pinocchio Story".  This album is kind of weird, but really cool at the same time.  In my opinion, Kanye is the only artist in hip-hop who could pull something like 808s & Heartbreak off.  It is a real rarity, especially in the modern marketplace, where art and commerce can combine successfully.  However, this is an example of something that achieved that feat.