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").

Hip Hop is Dead (Def Jam, 2006) by Nas

This is Nas' fourth classic album (following Illmatic, It Was Written, and Stillmatic).  The title makes a bold statement, but what I like about the content is that it doesn't attack current music as much as it recognizes and pays homage to what came before ("Carry on Tradition" and "Where Are They Now").  The collaboration with Jay-Z is solid [but I wish they both spit more than 1 verse].  The sample of music from The Godfather Pt. II for the beat to that song made it epic which is of course very fitting.  Other highlights on the album include "Let There Be Light," Blunt Ashes," and "Hustlers."  The final part of the album's final cut, "Hope," is Nas rhyming accappella.  It is very powerful how Nas brought hip hop back to the essence with that.  Hip Hop is Dead reaffirms that Nas is one of the most brilliant minds music has ever seen.  And his skills on the mic prove that hip hop is something worth saving.

Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection (Universal, 2001) by Boyz II Men

Boyz II Men is my favorite boy band and this is a greatest hits collection that collected all the hits.  For as successful and talented as the group was in their prime, finding enough cuts to fill an album is not the problem.  Therefore, the only thing that could fault the album is its track sequencing. It's almost perfect.  The only change I would make, and this is just my opinion, is that its opening cut, "Motown Philly", is a little upbeat for the ballads that they were most known for. And for that reason, I would've put it a little later in the CD.  Because their first two mega-blockbuster albums came out before and right as I was being introduced to popular music, I never owned the original LPs.  However, because of the group's tremendous success, I was still very aware of their music.  Therefore, this album not only finished the group's contract with Universal, but also put all the hits from one of the most popular groups of the 90s in one place for me to enjoy.

Dangerously Delicious (Comedy Central, 2012) by Aziz Ansari

Although I felt his debut was a bit stronger, Aziz Ansari's latest offering, Dangerously Delicious, does not disappoint.  He sounds more confident on this album which is great, but so much so at times that he comes across cocky.  However, those moments are few and far between.  For me, the best bit on the album is where he brings the audience up to speed on his cousin Harris and talks about his college essay.  Ansari also tells a funny anecdote about 50 Cent and a grapefruit soda.  His comedic timing and delivery are excellent, and that makes his subject transitions very easy.  Aziz continues to prove himself a gifted performer on television, the big screen, and on record.  Overall, Dangerously Delicious serves as another great addition to the body of work of one of the most promising comics to emerge on the scene in recent years.

Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam, 1990) by Public Enemy

"As I walk the streets of Hollywood Boulevard/Thinkin' how hard it was to those that starred/ In the movies portrayin' the roles, of butlers and maids, slaves and hoes/Many intelligent Black men seemed, to look uncivilized when on the screen/Like a guess, I figure you to play some jigaboo/On the plantation, what else can a nigger do?/And Black women in this profession/As for playin' a lawyer, out of the question/For what they play, Aunt Jemima is the perfect term/Even if now she got a perm/So let's make our own movies like Spike Lee, cause the roles being offered don't strike me/There's nothing that the Black man could use to earn/Burn Hollywood burn"

-Big Daddy Kane, "Burn Hollywood Burn"

Cheers (Shady, 2003) by Obie Trice

I bought this album the the day that it was released.  It opened alongside Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.  I bought that too, but I started with Cheers because I didn't have time at the moment for a double album.  I really liked "Rap Name" and "Love Me" from the 8 Mile soundtrack.  However, I didn't know if he had the endurance for a full album.  After one listen, I knew that he did.  Cheers has very little filler (the only two tracks that I skip over are "Spread Yo Shit" and "Got Some Teeth"), and lyrically I thought that it was even a bit better than 50's Get Rich or Die Tryin'.  I met Obie a few years ago in Detroit, and got a chance to tell him how great I thought Cheers was.  He was real humble about it, and it was a great experience for me, as a writer, to develop my style and approach to conducting interviews.

My Way (LaFace, 1997) by Usher

This is what Usher's debut was supposed to sound like.  However, when he released his self-titled debut three years earlier, he was too young to be believable.  Fast forward a  few years and have Jermaine Dupri step in to assist on the writing and production end.  The result is My Way.  The opening lines of "Nice and Slow" are suggestive but not too far-fetched, "My Way" was catchy, and "U Make Me Wanna" was teenage drama without the bubble-gum pop that weighs down so much music that intends to present a youthful perspective.  Usher, along with Justin Timberlake, have gone on to become two of the biggest stars of their generation and this was the album that Usher needed in order to prove that he was the real deal and jumpstart down a path that would lead to one of the most successful careers in modern R&B.