Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (Island Def Jam, 2005) by Young Jeezy

This is a solid debut album.  It depicted street life with catchy hooks, aggressive lyrics, solid beats, and commanding flows.  And even though Jeezy isn't necessarily a top tier lyricist, the emotion that he he puts into his delivery makes up for it.  The production is great (especially Mannie Fresh's "And Then What") and the collaborations with Jay-Z and Akon helped cross the album over and get it on the radar of the mainstream.

Release Therapy (Def Jam, 2006) by Ludacris

The fifth major label release from Ludacris finds him getting a bit more serious than his previous efforts.  He still puts forth humorous punchlines and raps about pretty girls ("Money Maker" and "Girls Gone Wild"), but they seem very out of place alongside his more serious content.  "Runaway Love" with Mary J. Blige has three verses all telling fictitious stories of three girls who ran away to escape problems that they faced at home.  "Do Your Time", which features numerous rappers, is about serving time in prison.  And "Grew Up a Screw Up" finds Luda and Jeezy exploring the tough personal circumstances that they each had to overcome.  Ludacris proved that he could be just as effective when he's serious as when he's funny.  However, he didn't quite figure out how to balance it properly on this go-round.

Raw Footage (Lench Mob, 2008) by Ice Cube

Raw Footage saw Cube get political like he was in the early part of his solo career.  "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It" is an excellent defense of hardcore hip hop.  "Why Me" is an insightful song told from the perspective of someone who has been shot and "Hood Mentality" questions people who limit their own potential because of their surroundings and situations.  Keith David also appears on the album for a few vocal interludes.  As far as production, beats come in from all over:  Emile from New York, DJ Crazy Toones from California and Maestro from Atlanta.  Guests include WC, Game, Young Jeezy and Cube's son Doughboy.  They're all good, but none outperform Cube on the mic.  Ice Cube is one of the best emcees of all-time and this album is one of his best releases in recent years.