Joey Pixel’s top Music Albums

Track 01. Intro

I am a dedicated fan of 1990’s to present hip hop and rap, it’s my forte! T the same time I live for grime, naturally growing up in the south east of London, grime is my lifestyle...I even documented it in a DVD (PIXEL TV DVD VOL.1). But yeah, back to hip hop.

I have been a keen music listener from the ages of 11/12, when I got a walkman for Christmas; yes it was a tape cassette walkman where u has to be precise to get to the next track!
Sometimes the walkman would chew the tapes, and if you were up late the previous night trying to tune into déjà fm and you had managed to tape it, you was very very pissed.

Let me stop chatting shit so I can get into this.

These are the albums you must listen too before you die! (In no particular order)







Jadakiss – The Kiss Of Death
Jadakiss is a much underrated rapper, people do say he has respect on the streets, he keeps it real blah blah, but he simply goes deeper than that. First signed at Bad Boy records by Puff Daddy in 1996 as a trio we know as The L.O.X. The Yonkers outfit were recommended to Diddy by the late Notorious BIG, Jadakiss was the front man.
The album is a mix of funky, fresh tracks with a good gradient of content, ‘what you so mad at now’ is an instant club banger, whilst ‘why’ goes hard with morals and politics. ‘you make me wanna’ featuring Mariah Carey is one of the best wifey tracks ever made, but Jada shines lyrically on ‘still feel me’ and the last track ‘kiss of death’
This album is true classic!
Track to check – Still Feel Me




Mos Def & Talib Kweli - BlackStarr
Mos Def & Talib Kweli, what more can I say? Can you get any more ‘hip-hop’? Talib kweli is owns one of hip-hop’s sharpest tongues and Mos Def is a great musician through and through and the duo rep hip-hop to the most devastating effect.
From the outset of the album the pair set the pace with ‘astronomy’ where they share versus so intricately, maybe even better than jadakiss and styles p who in fact mastered the technique.
On ‘definition’ is where u realise that this album and the dynamic duo that is Mos Def & Talib Kweli are true hip-hop legends, this song is a complete banger! The pair ten brings in another hip hop legend in the form of Common Sense, hold on...Talib Kweli, Mos Def and Common...on the same track! I have found an answer to the question I asked earlier, this tune IS hip-hop, this album is HIP HOP and you need it in your life!
Track to check – Respiration (Ft Common)







Ghostface Killah – Ironman
Ghostface is one of the most flamboyant artists in rap; you can clearly see this in the album art. Probably the most celebrated artist in Wu Tang, ghostface goes solo to create a masterpiece, but he can’t take all the credit because he shares the LP with his barzin partner RaeKwon the Don and Cappadonna. This album does not really provide hits you can shake a leg to, but the beats and bars are the hardest out, Rae n Ghost offer verses that you definitely have to reload to get the best out of them, oh yeah by the way...Ghostface was the first artist to go platinum on Wu Tang, not Method Man.
Track to check – The Faster Blade (Ft RaeKwon)







Eminem – The Eminem Show
A white man in a Blackmans world, picture that. Not only did Em picture it, he conquered it! Eminem birthed the genre of ‘emo rap’. Allot is made of his early work, but this is by far is his defining moment, from the get go Eminem gets his politics on with ‘white America’. The sheer bravery of someone who releases songs about his deepest feelings and emotions grants my respect any day, Eminem apologises to his mother for tracks upon tracks of verbal abuse ‘cleaning out my closet’ is a track where Eminem gets a load of weight off his shoulders. ‘Drips’ featuring protégé Obie Trice is absolutely hilarious lol, ‘hailies song’ see’s Eminem swap vocals for bars and he does it effectively for his daughter. We all know Eminem for being dark and sinister, the Dr Dre produced and featured track ;say what you say’ is a terrific rap song with a heavy baseline, shits ‘ard ya’ll!
Track to check – Say What You Say





The Diplomats – Diplomatic Immunity
Cameron is a great business man by any rights, after creating a buzz for his future artist on his ‘Come Home with Me’ album. We get an insight of the characters like Jim Jones & Juelz Santana. When Rocafella records signed the diplomats, no one would have ever guessed the impact these Harlem natives would have on the whole world. Dipset are the most influential act in hip hop past the turn of the century, they were young, rich, fly, flamboyant and totally out of control, big jackets and big chains was their attire and an eagle for an emblem. The album shows that they don’t only look the part, they can all spit that shit, why does every1 in the hood say ‘what’s good’? Huh, Dipset bitch! Why at one point everyone wear pink? Huh, Dipset bitch! Why was it so appealing to get sucky sucky from a whore and send her dirty ass to the kerb? Huh, DIPSET BITCH! Brrrrrrrrrrrr Byrdgaaang, Byrdgang all daaaay! Dip Dip SET!
Track to check – Ground Zero




Little Brother- The Minstrel Show
Little Brother is still very unknown, have you ever heard of them? Honestly? Didn’t think so! But for real though this album is the shit. Little brother is a trio made up of 2 MC’s and a Producer/DJ.
Phonte is the lead MC and his cousin Rapper Big Pooh also strap bars, 9th Wonder is one of the best producers I’ve heard, in my opinion can better KanYe at sampling! Yes, I said it, and what? Lol, this is the most real ‘hip-hop’ album ever, there’s no lies or fabrication from Phonte and Pooh. We gain an insight into their personal lives, which are plain and normal, any young black man can relate to this album fully. ‘Hiding Place’ gives them an opportunity to show good they are lyrically, with a feature from the slum village new boy Elzhi; the three go hard, secretly Elzhi murders them both. The album single ‘Loving it’ shows how appealing backpack rap can be. This album is legendary!
Track to Check – Loving It





Mobb Deep – The Infamous
1995 saw a new wave of eastside gangster rap originally set by west side niggers. Mobb Deep epitomized the gritty streets of New York; their songs were a unique blend of hardcore street lyrics with upbeat hip hop beats. The album mostly produced by havoc has a bunch of hip hop classics including ‘Shook Ones’ and ‘up north trip’. This album has a true mix of rap and hip hop melodolicaly put together. A rap album in its truest form.
Track to check – Give up the Goods (Feat Big Noyd)





NaS - Stillmatic
NaS has had a career of ups and downs, 3 albums after Illmatic Nasir Jones drops a huge bombshell of which all new Yorkers can be proud of. The concept king went so hard on ‘Ether’ which is my all time favourite war song. The Ron Browz produced track gives NaS the chance to run down Jay-Z and Rocafella, order resumes. NaS again shows why he is the original street poet by telling a story in reverse on the track ‘rewind’ his time alongside Slick Rick really paid off. The self acclaimed king of new York goes deep to make a cult classic in the form of ‘one mic’, the poet then goes on to make another classic, ‘2nd childhood’. But what’s a NaS album without politics and positivity? ‘My country’ and ‘Rule’ bring the noise, and it is true that NaS broughtt in Amerie. This album was though super hyped by the legendary feud with Jay-Z.
Track to check - Ether






Jay-z – The Blueprint
When people mention Jay-z, they also mention that reasonable doubt was his finest work. I’m not going to knock that, the album was really good but...it was evident that Jay-z was only a young Brooklyn MC trying to really explode. He was a boss in an MC’s clothing. For Jay-Z to become the boss of rap he had to slightly commercialise, keep it street and appeal to women. Two of those things are sin to the ‘real’ hip hop fans but who gives a shit about them?
The Blueprint shows Jay-Z just edging over the hump from a Music Artist into a CEO. Jay-Z borrows a flow from slick rick to make the intro track ‘the rulers back’, then jay-z really has a dig at everyone in the game at the same time bigging up the roster of his label and then dedicates a verse to his rival NaS! This war was legendary only bettered by the late 2pac and Biggie Smalls. ‘Izzo’ and ‘girls, girl’s girls’ are two of Jay-Z’s timeless tracks. But what separates Jay-Z from the rest as a lyricist is broadcasted on ‘U don’t know’ and ‘All I Need’ but the cream of this album is the infamous ‘Renegade’, produced and featured by Eminem, who absolutely bodied Jay-Z on this track. This album is still Jay-Z’s finest.
Track to Check - All I Need





Dizzee Rascal – Boy in Da Corner
The only grime album to make top ten, it’s a shame alie? In the UK we are drowned by US Hip Hop and rap, 95% of what gets played on MTV Base is American, and 99% of what gets played on Channel U or AKA or whatever the hell it’s called is total garbage, so real grime music gets overlooked, but I swear we do have some talent in the British Isles. Dizzee Rascal aka UK’s messiah comes to the rescue with a timeless classic, the album was released in 2002/03 but the beats and bars have relevance and keeps a standard with today’s ever-growing grime scene. At this time there were thousands of MC’s in London but only a few could manage to record a track made of 3 32bar verses and 3 hooks, but Dizzee Rascal made a whole album. To this day, who has made a successful album of 100% GRIME? Not any watered down shit that people release when they get signed. Still Dizzee Rascal managed to sell 100,00units! The albums starts off hard and grimy with a heavy baseline with the track ‘cut em off’ which was produced by Dizzee Rascal himself, the single track is the rock and roll inspired ‘fix up look sharp’ which was an overused catch phrase back in dem days lol. The album goes from strength to strength with ‘Jus a rascal’, the Wiley produced ‘stop that’ and the cult classic ‘Jezebel’ this album includes a gem which is ‘Hold Ya Mouf’ featuring lengman God’s Gift, this tune is so grime I cant even say! If you are reading this from outside of the hood this album will give u a complete insight of what it’s like round here!
Track to check – Hold Ya Mouf Feat God’s Gift






NaS- God’s Son
With the controversially titled album NaS makes another 5star record straight after stillmatic, after the beef with Jay-Z cooled down NaS drops another great album full of contradictions, concepts and controversy. 2003 was the year when hip hip was slowly beginning to die, but the Queens Bridge poet brings it right back with ‘made you look’ the remix featuring Ludacris and Jadakiss is a big tune. Slick Rick again influences NaS in the track ‘Last Real Nigga’ where NaS tells how he saw his rap career from when he started to the present time, NaS is a true lyricist. The street banger of the album comes on when NaS calls his Bravehearts crew on the Salaam Remi track ‘Zone Out’. Another hit is the track ‘Hey NaS’ which features his Ex Wifey Kelis, ‘I Can’ was the album single and engaged kids to make the feel good song of the year. Alchemists Heavy based ‘book of rhymes’ complemented NaS freestiling flow, ‘Warriors Song’ is beautifully harmonised by the queen of neo-soul Alicia Keys to bring back the soulful flavour of NaS once done by Laryn Hill. If you are as observant as me, you will realise that the ‘Revolutionary Warfare’ track was borrowed by N.A.S.T.Y crew in NASTY gangbanger. ‘Dance’ is a track dedicated to his late mother, it’s emotional!
Track to check – Made You Look





NaS – Illmatic
It’s such a cliché that illmatic comes first in everybody’s list, but it must be known that this album has 11 tracks of pure piff, when I first got this album I was 15 and I had a CD walkman, the skip button never got used when this cd was inside, its back to back of fire. The LP consists of the finest producers in Hip-Hop including Pete Rock, Q-Tip, LES, Large Professor and DJ Premiere, are you nuts cuz? Do some research on those cats if you don’t know what’s good? There’s no pint me pinpointing ‘good’ tracks on this LP its just too hard, all I can say is listen to the record front to back! But I am going to big up ‘life’s a Bitch’ featuring the Firm team mate AZ and the pair are own two of the most sharpest tongues in the game and they tear the LES track into shreds.
Track to check – ALL OF IT






RaeKwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Wu Tang are a complex and diverse unit made up of a good blend of MC’s and characters, RaeKwon brings the street element to the crew. RaeKwon brings the gully streets to the mic to bring you the epic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, alongside, his barzin partner Tony Starks aka Ghostface Killer! The track ‘Rainy Days’ has a nice sample and a hectic drum line to it and the melody was then bitten by timbaland in the Fabolous and Ne-Yo track ‘Make You Better’. But the albums highlights are ‘can it all be so simple’ and ‘heaven and hell’ and ‘verbal intercourse’ featuring NaS boasts three of the greatest street poets on 1 track!
Track to check – Heaven and Hell






Wu Tang Clan- Enter the Wu Tang: 36 Chambers
Rza, Gza, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, RaeKwon, Inspecta Deck, ODB, U- God and the master killer are the frontline of the most influential music collective in hip-hop, Wu Tang were caught in a transition of Classic Hip Hop and Gangster rap. Like Dipset, Wu Tang is much more than music and beyond a movement; many people regard it as religious! They have the most diverse fan base in the world it’s just so crazy. If I was to write about Wu in-depth I would end up with a book, it’s that deep!
Anyways, the album’s highlights are actually the skits, this is where we get to customs of the crew’s individual characters, musically the album offers the crème de la crème of hip hop, C.R.E.A.M cash rules everything around me, CREAM! Get the money dollar, dollar bill ya’ll! Brap! Lol
Track to Check - C.R.E.A.M.







Organized Konfusion – Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Another rap duo; Prince Po and Pharaoh Monch unite to make a definitive hip hop record back to back with banging beats and prolific drums, this album provides us with unaldulterated hip-hop straight from the mother’s womb! ‘The Extinction Agenda’ is an upbeat, fast tempo record for Prince Po and Mr Monch to spray their fast flows and it works, ‘Bring It on’ displays the many, many flows of the dynamic duo, in ‘why’ the slightly more melodolic track of the album they get their concept hats on and get to work. But this album is more about party anthems and ‘Lets Organize’ featuring Q-Tip doesn’t disappoint. Its HIP HOP in da HOUSE!
Track to check-The Extinction Agenda







De La Soul – The Grind Date
De la Soul are the veterans of the game that never really blew like a RUN DMC or a NWA, never the less the Long Island Trio come hard on this album, and I swear they’re all like 40years old and shit lol. The one thing missing from the De La Soul mixing pot was the beats, in previous records they were simply weak, but this time around the beats bang and so do the vocals and the two connect like Nokia, no word of a lie. ‘Much more’ is a wonderfully sampled track once used by ghostface, the tune features Yummy Bingham and the two MC’s of the camp rip it up. The title track, ‘the grind date’ has a great bass line with a slow and clear flow laid on top, ‘He Comes’ is another 70s orientated soul sampled track that even KanYe West can be proud of. My favourite tune of the album is the Common Featured ‘Days of our lives’, but then again ‘NO’ featuring Butta Versus has a very sick beat with matching vocals, when u can’t really pin point an album highlight, you know that you’re listening to something wonderful.
Track to check – Rock Cocaine Flow Feat MF Doom





50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Trying
As soon as you hear the coin drop, and the G,g,g,g,g,g,g,Geeeee unit! It’s a wrap, it’s 50! This album was a breath of fresh air into the hip-hop game. Dre and Eminem unleash a hungry young monster into the game and 50 wants rappers for lunch, first artist...Ja Rule. 50 proves he can spit when the track ‘patiently waiting’ produced and featured by Eminem drops, ‘heat’ is banging street track. ‘bloodhound’, ‘like my style’ and ‘don’t push me’ features his gang members Tony Yayo, Young Buck and Lloyd Banks, and you can evidently hear the hunger in all of their voices. This album is why 50 Cent is a nationally respected MC as a man? People have their own opinions. One thing for sure is that whatever he does, he has everybody on the edge of their seats.
Track to check – Many Men





Notorious B.I.G – Ready To Die
The late Notorious BIG is my 2nd favourite rapper of all time, his flow is unmatched even till this day, no one has managed to mix hardcore gangster bars with old school beats and a killer flow, BIG is truly musically talented, he had the swagger of a boss and the charm of o jazz man, probably the most complete rapper ever. His debut album ‘Ready to Die’ shows that you can talk the most greaze and still sell shitloads of records, ‘Gimme the Loot’, ‘Machine gun funk’ and ‘What’ featuring Wu Tangs own Method Man are stand out tracks. Juicy still manages to raise hairs up on the back of my neck though, this album is a collection of tracks u can jus jam and nod your head to.
Track to Check – Juicy







The Game – The Documentary
The rap game, 2005, Westside is oh so dead out! Queue The Game! Dr Dre’s protégé The Game releases an album on G-Unit /Aftermath/Interscope and it is a total west side resurrection. This album has two of the best people co-producing it, 50 Cents hustlers’ ambition and Dre’s sheer musical talent brings the Compton mixtape king to life. Beat makers on this album are second to none. They include Dr Dre, KanYe West, Havoc, Scott Storch, Just Blaze, Timbaland and many more, the albums jus has hit after hit, ‘Westside story, Hate it or love it, higher, put you on the game, church for thugs’ are all bangers. The game is not known for being the greatest lyricist but he can still strap bars in a major way! He is regarded as one of the realest rappers in the business, when the Game speaks, people listen. Features from G-unit, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Marsha Ambrose, Faith Evans, Mary J Blige and Nate Dogg really engraves this album in the west coast hall of fame.
Track to Check – Father Like Son Feat Busta Rhymes






Skinnyman – Council Estate of Mind
UK Hip Hop’s finest always seems to come from a white dude, I don’t know why lol, but L.Man, Jehst, Skinnyman and Plan B are secretly running things, well until Giggs came along anyways. The 2002 album is skinnyman's 1 and only LP but the album packs a serious punch. Sick beats, sick barz, songs straight from the gutter of London that everyone in the hood can relate to, most songs are angry, but u can always catch the London vibe from the Finsbury stick thin rapper. The album boasts no features and a few funny skits from an unknown British film, if anybody knows the film in the skits, please let me know. Skinnyman gets political from the outset on ‘F*ck the Hook’, and complains some more on ‘Loves Gone from the streets’. This is a solid album to say the least.
Track to check – Council Estate of Mind





Common – Finding Forever
I was originally going to review ‘Be’ but when I think deeply about it, I enjoyed this album allot more. Ever since Common got signed to G.O.O.D the influence of KanYe West really brought the best out of the fellow chi-town native. Conscious rappers don’t really tend to make it big, but common broke all boundaries when He came out and this follow up is just as good if not better. The singe track ‘The People’ is an uplifting track with beat made by KanYe, it’s going to work it goes straight into another hit ‘driving me wild’ featuring our very own Lily Allen, then another hit ‘I want you’ featuring Will.I.Am. Common typically uses mellow and relaxed beats to accompany his laid back vocals, never has spoken word sounded so good, like musically. If the formula aint broke, don’t fix it. As the album plays on, the concepts and themes get more personal and serious, this is an album with very few flaws. Neo-Soul rap god!
Track to check –Misunderstood





I strongly suggest you acquire these albums and listen to them intensively before u are deceased, no word of a lie baby.
Next Blog soon come!




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Joey Pixel aka Jose Soza