The Coming (Elektra, 1996) by Busta Rhymes

Along with Michael Jackson, Sting and Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes is one of the best artists to go solo and really come into their own after leaving a group.  "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" is better than Sugarhill Gang's "8th Wonder." "It's a Party" is an overlooked gem and Busta holds his own alongside Redman and Q-Tip on "Ill Vibe" and "Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad" respectively.  Production-wise, DJ Scratch and Easy Mo Bee provide music that unleash the dragon accordingly. 

The Velvet Rope (Virgin, 1997) by Janet Jackson

The part in that episode of Family Guy where Brian shoots at a copy of this album is really funny.  The album is too long and has too many interludes.  But I really like a couple tracks on here.  "Got 'Til It's Gone" with Q-Tip and the Joni Mitchell sample does Joni's "Big Yellow Taxi" justice, "Go Deep" is a great upbeat song, and "Together Again" is rightfully one of the biggest hits of Janet's career.  All the sexual material on the album is cool, but nothing is left  to the imagination and so it comes across as shock for shock's sake instead of intimate expression (the cover of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" and how Janet made it a song about lesbian love was pretty dope though).