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Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
(1987, 4th & Broadway)
And Rakim said, "Let there be flow." And there was flow. And it was damn good.
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Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions
(1988, Def Jam)
Titles included "Louder Than a Bomb," "Party for Your Right to Fight," "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos." A manifesto - no further explanation needed.
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NWA - Straight Outta Compton
(1988, Ruthless/Priority)
West Coast rap arrives with the click-click of an AK-47 and a hearty "F*ck the Police." Even the FBI was listening.
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The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
(1989, Capitol)
Clowns no longer, the boys become wax-wielding bohemians with ceaseless wit, a love for the oddly placed thump, and more rhymes than J.D.'s got Salingers.
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A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
(1991, Jive)
Arguably the perfect lovechild of the so-called Daisy Age, with rhythms as sophisticated as the Tribe's verbal rapture.
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Dr. Dre - The Chronic
(1992, Death Row)
Sometimes you don't know what you need until it's given to you. The doctor, who created the ominous production sound of West Coast hip-hop, had the perfect prescription.
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Method Man - Tical
(1994, Def Jam)
Now you don't have to go all the way to Staten Island to be scared out of your wits.
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The Fugees - The Score
(1996, Ruffhouse/Columbia)
This canny combination of Lauryn Hill's soul, Wyclef Jean's pop flair, Pras' Pras-ness and an overall Bob Marley jones made for the most commercial hip-hop album ever.
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Jay-Z - Vol. 2: It's a Hard Knock Life
(1998, Def Jam)
Art and commerce collide as the stone-faced Lord of the Real throws around street stories and bling bling to ... the Annie soundtrack?
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Ol' Dirty Bastard - Nigga Please
(1999, Elektra)
Genius or madman? With no censor between addled mind and roaring mouth, a man called Bastard journeys into the heart of his own darkness; a mean 'hood best traversed with body armor. Hip-hop might just end here.
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