Tha Carter III (Cash Money, 2008) by Lil Wayne

"Shyea/I'm right here, in my chair/With my crown and my dear/Queen B, as I share/Mic time with my heir/Young Carter, go farther/Go further, go harder/Is that not why we came?/And if not, then why bother?/Show no mercy ta Murciélagos/Far from being the bastard that Marcy had fathered/Now my name's been mentioned with the Martyrs/The Biggie's and the Pac's, and the Marley's and the Marcus'/Garvey, got me a molotov cocktail/Flow, even if you box well, can't stop the blows/Kaboom! The Roc Boy in the room/The Dopeboy just came off the spoon/Also, I'm so fly I'm on auto-/Pilot, where guys just, stare at my wardrobe/I see Euros, that's right, plural/I took so much change from this Rap game it's your go/Young!"

-Jay-Z, "Mr. Carter"

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.

Duets: The Final Chapter (Bad Boy, 2005) by The Notorious B.I.G.

On paper, this isn't a terrible idea.  However, in reality, it is.  Remixing a lot Biggie of verses from his two classics over "current" beats with "current" rappers contributing new verses just doesn't work.  It sounds fake and forced.  The only saving graces to the album are the songs with unreleased material.  "Whatchu Want" with Jay-Z and "Living in Pain" (produced by Just Blaze) with 2Pac, Mary J. Blige, and Nas are both descent records.  But they still come nowhere near making up for the rest of the project.

good kid, m.A.A.d city (Top Dawg/Aftermath, 2012) by Kendrick Lamar

This album is already being hailed as an instant classic and I can't say I disagree.  Even this early in its release, there isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said.  Kendrick has a very different approach to gangsta rap and I think that has worked to his advantage.  The conceptualized album is brilliant and the way that the voicemails work to tie the story together is amazing.  The storytelling on "The Art of Peer Pressure" is stellar as well as the Janet Jackson sample on the cleverly titled "Poetic Justice."  And what better way to close out the album than with a song named after your hometown of Compton with the legendary Dr. Dre (Props to Mc Eiht for his guest appearance on "m.A.A.d city" too).  Section 80 is good, but I feel that this ups the bar even higher.  Kendrick has lived up to the hype and very well may be the voice of this next generation of rappers.

Deep Cover Soundtrack (Solar, 1992) by various

This soundtrack is a classic for the title track alone.  The song is genius for so many reasons.  The beat is great, and the rhymes are solid.  Additionally, Dr. Dre, on of the best producers ever, used his first solo track to introduce a new artist-how brilliant is that?  And last but not least, that new artist was Snoop Doggy Dogg.  The song led to bigger things like The Chronic and Doggystyle.  But it would be wrong to not acknowledge where one of the greatest duos in Hip-Hop history began.

Volume 1 (Interscope, 1994) by Thug Life

This a very good album that complements Tupac's idea of "Thug Life" very well.  There is definitely a raw quality about the delivery of a lot of the material on this project.  However, there is certainly social commentary woven into it too.  "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" is a stand out and props to Warren G for the production on it as well.  Other highlights are "Pour Out a Little Liquor" and the somber "Cradle to the Grave."  Volume 1 is great and it makes me wish that more were made when Pac was still alive.

Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (MCA, 1990) by Eric B. & Rakim

Lyrically, of course, Rakim delivers.  And as far as the beats, Eric B. brings the goods.  However, i don't feel that this album is quite as good as the previous two albums from the duo.  It doesn't show much growth from the earlier work.  The title track, "In the Ghetto," and "Mahogany" are all classics, but the bragging about mic skills throughout most of the LP have been heard before.  In Rakim's case, it's pretty much true.  Yet, it does seemingly limit the album's potential.  Fortunately, it was all made up for on Eric B. and Rakim's next and final release, Don't Sweat the Technique.