Cosmo Baker’s Favourite Rap Albums since 2000
Cosmo Baker – one of the guys who put together the excellent History of Hip Hop series here on this site – went on record with a long ass facebook post, which sparked some conversation to say the least. It’s just something these favourite lists do, because people keep arguing about taste. Cosmo has strong opinions on why one album made his list and another one doesn’t, so we wanted to give his list some room to breath and the audiovisual help a facebook post lacks.
On the following pages, we revisit his Favourite Rap Albums since 2000 and play three of our favourite tracks of each album… Enjoy!
So with no further adue, enter Cosmo Baker:
WHAT ARE MY FAVORITE RAP ALBUMS SINCE 2000? Glad you asked… This is like my Top Ten, with the honorable mentions at the bottom, and although they’re not in any particular order I’ll tell you why I chose these first ten for my favorites. Bear in mind these are my personal opinions as someone who’s has been listening to rap music their entire life, who understands music pretty well, and who has been an active DJ during this entire era. Also understand that the art of the album is dying so a big consideration to me was looking at these albums for what they were – complete works. There were a lot of other records out there that really could have don it but maybe they were too long meandering along with 22+ songs and shit. Or maybe they were so special guest feature ridden that they felt more like compilations than specific visions of an artist. Also, time changes, sounds change, music changes and tastes changes. A lot of stuff that I swore I would consider classics back in the day just didn’t stand the test of time when I revisited them. So all in all, the records below are the ones that I feel are the high-watermark of rap music in the last 13 years. Again, this is just my opinion, and I am sure that I must have forgotten and would love to add, but this list is something that I am going stick to.
50 Cent “Get Rich Or Die Tryin’” – Best rap album of that year and without question it was the record that really put New York back on after a very long lull. It created not just a superstar but also an industry in 50. Even if never replicates this he’ll still have this as his legacy (although I think he’s got one classic album left in him, 12 tracks, limited guests and producers, word to Noah Callahan-Bever, nahmean?)
Clipse “Lord Willin'” – People didn’t quite get “Grindin'” when it first came out but you have to straight up and down give this shit the credit for being a sick record, and in my opinion the pinnacle of The Neptunes era. Also it should be noted “We Got If For Cheap Volume 2 is just as good if not better than any album at the time, and probably is the greatest mixtape of the 2000s in my humble opinion.
Slum Village “Fantastic Vol. 2” – Even though it was floating around unfinished before 2000, to me this is the pinnacle of Dilla’s sound at a moment that he was bridging between the old and new phases of his career. Plus for sentimental reasons this was the one album that really reminds me when all that neo-soul shit was hitting (Common’s “Like Water For Chocolate” also does too but off the strength of personal reasons I went with “Fantastic.”)
Kanye West “Late Registration” – It was tough for me cause I love “Graduation” so much, and I really feel like dude actually did graduate on some next level shit to me. But I really can’t front on the Kanye and Jon Brion combination.
Scarface “The Fix” – This is my favorite album by Brad and to me proved to everyone why he’s the legend that he his. Face is one of the only dudes in the game to have not just the longevity but also the relevance. This album is damn near perfect.
OutKast “Stankonia” – Again this is to me a perfect example of them at their prime before their sound went through the metamorphosis that it did. Not as good as their masterpiece “Aquemini” but more of a solid front-to-back album than “Love Below / Speakerboxxx” which, while dope, was a little too long and somewhat fragmented to me.
Jay-Z “The Blueprint” – I was going to go with The Dynasty Roc La Familia which has aged incredibly well, and still may be my favorite Jigga album, but off the strength of impact I think Blueprint is the more important album for many different reasons, and it is a great complete album IMO.
Ghostface Killah “Supreme Clientele” – Okay, this is a clear favorite of people and honestly other than “Stroke Of Death” I think this album is flawless. I can easily say that it’s my favorite Wu-Tang record other than “Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers.”
Kendrick Lamar “good kid, M.A.A.D. city” – Okay, am I smoking dope? Nah, this is the best album I’ve heard since forever. And honestly the only reason why I didn’t rate this higher is cause I haven’t had the years to listen to this. But I know what I know and what I know is that there’s no other album that gave me such an emotional, visceral feeling that I get from this album other than my next choice. I also get the same feeling when I listen to the one other album this reminds me of, my all-time favorite rap album, Ice Cube’s “Death Certificate” – see any theme here?
Kanye West “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – Kanyeezy you did it again. Well, actually you did what I didn’t expect from you – to take your genius and your madness and to put it down on a record in such a way to make me so endeared to you and your false-bravado and humanity. Straight up this is Kanye at the top of his game, and this is any musician and the top of their game.
