I think Check Your Head is more consistent and diverse than Paul's Boutique and I also the enjoy the organic nature of Check Your Head. Paul's is a damn good album for sampling, but I can think of more albums that use extensive samples (i.e. Fear of a Black Planet) very well compared to rap albums with the organic sound of Check Your Head.

It's neck and neck with Things Fall Apart and 'Rock You' is one of my favorite album openers ever. I gave the nod to Things Fall Apart because it has my favorite Roots song, '100% Dundee'.

MM...Food
How I Got Over

It is a tough call overall. I dig Paul's for the reasons you mentioned all the goofy samples and i think the lyricism was a huge step forward from Licensed. Check Your head they had some amazing beats and went experimental with the instrumental side a bit more. I didn't necessarily dig the thing they did with the vocals, kind of sounds like they're recording inside a trash can or something but I feel that record for sure it catapulted the Beasties to a totally different level much the way Pauls did. Extremely tough call for me, i'm Beasties in my heart for life.

I guess that's your opinion but I think that the sampling in Paul's Boutique was way more unique, interesting, and properly applied than "Fear...". That's not to take anything from Fear though, because I love that album too.

No masterpiece list is complete without Raekwons Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Biggie's -Ready To Die
Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life Vol 2
Twista's Adrenalie Rush-97 version
No Limit's T.R.U 2 Da Game- I was a big P fan back in the day
Lauryn Hill's- Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Wu-Tang- Forever

For starters..lol

The Usual suspects for me:
Nas: Illmatic
Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique
De La Soul: De La Soul is Dead
A Tribe Called Quest: The Low end Theory
J Dilla : Donuts
Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of....
Wu Tang Clan: Enter the Wu Tang clan

Practically speaking, 90% of the great masterpieces of hip hop were recorded during the golden age (1986-1994). After that the movement got took over by lawyers,accountants and marketing executives.

http://f0.bcbits.com/z/30/98/3098596991-1.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...strel_Show.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ricalMusic.jpg

:clap: Hell yes!! Nujabes music is so good, some of the illest hip hop minded beats ever. This album and the Samurai Champloo OST are always in heavy rotation in my music library.

________

http://assets.rollingstone.com/asset...b910b8096c.jpg

This album still holds up and has some heavy beats and dope songs to this day. I remember bumpin this album so much when I was younger. It may be a little cheesy at times but its mostly hip hop gold.

Oh snap, Japanese instrumental/jazz hip hop...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EFocQlYoq5..._1st_album.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rntablized.jpg

I see Mm.. Food has been named several times and its good, probably in the top 5 of DOOM's material but c'mon it's not a masterpiece. Meanwhile...

http://exclaim.ca/images/up-viktor_vaughn_lg.jpg

http://ughh.com/store/covers_large/TEG2409CD.jpghttp://ughh.com/store/covers_large/TEG2409LP-2-Back.jpg

Mmm.. Food is the **** dude, idk if it's his best, but I think almost everything by Doom that I've heard has been for sure a masterpiece. Seems like he can do no wrong.

Also, wanted to add some others for instrumental hip hop:

http://www.trip-hop.net/images/jacquettes/big/226.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W5hLK_E_Yf...ted+(1998).jpg

http://www.parisdjs.com/images/ninja...ied_Food_b.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5F2_AKXXZg...ala-Carpal.jpg

Not instrumental, but didn't see it mentioned earlier:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...XL._SY300_.jpg

So you think "Vaudeville Villain" is a masterpiece? Do you think it's better than Madvillainy?

Yeah, agree with this. Mm.. Food is perfectly good, but this album is closer to being a "masterpiece" for sure.

Vaudeville Villain is my favorite of his work. Madvillainy is my second favorite.

Nice. What is it about Vaudeville Villain that puts it above Madvillainy? The rhymes, delivery, production?

Jay Z - The Blueprint

Doggystyle
The Chronic
The Infamous
Hell on Earth
Murda Muzik
Ready To Die
Life After Death
Marshall Mathers LP
Slim Shady LP
Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Amerikkka's Most Wanted
Lethal Injection
Straight Outta Compton
Paul's Boutique
Blackout!
Reasonable Doubt
Nigga Please

^Lol, how in the hell is Nigga Please a masterpiece?

I forgot to mention this one though.
http://i2.listal.com/image/2459448/6...mini-cover.jpg

Madvillainy-personally my favorite from him. you cant go wrong with Food or Vaudeville Villain.
Good Kid M.A.A.D. City- Give it time for me to call it a classic. but I absolutely love this album from start to finish
Overcast-Nuff said
Illmatic- Still my favorite album period. I don't think nothing will top it. but that's just my opinion.
Slim Shady/Marshall Mathers LP- Grew up on those CD's
Chronic 2001-Dr.Dre might not be my favorite. but I love that album start to finish.
36 Chambers- WU TANG FOREVAA haha no but its a classic.
Liquid Swords-Gza is just the man


Tons of albums I like from start to finish but those albums above I can listen to anytime anywhere and would never skip a track.

As much as I love GKMC and Liquid Swords, they sort of double as mood-pieces, so I can't listen to them EVERYWHERE. For example, I wouldn't put them on hanging out with friends usually. (Liquid Swords I might if I had some Wu friends)

Physically pained to see GKMC mentioned.

I'm surprised you don't like it Goofle. What puts you off about it?

I just don't particularly like it much. Naff production, rubbish/off putting hooks, boring concept and some truly awful songs.

Perfect? Hm, that's a though one. I'll include those that are close to perfect too (9 out of 10).

Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (number 1 in my book!)
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Nas - Illmatic
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
The Roots - Undun
Talib Kweli - Prisoner of Conscious
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

There were some off-putting hooks, I'll give you that. (mainly Real and Compton) You're right, the concept wasn't incredibly unique but I can't deny the excellence of the execution. What songs did you think were truly awful?

It'd be so much easier to jam to GKMC with friends than Liquid Swords. GKMC is far more accessible not to mention so much easier to listen to due to superior production.

More modern production maybe, but I much prefer LS production.

Fishscale
Black Up
Madvillainy

And I have to agree with SoundgardenRocks, i did like some of the production on GKMC a good bit (mainly the mastering aspect i think) but no one beat on there can touch something like "4th Chamber" or the title track.

Exactly!

Good call on FS and Madvillainy too! Ghost has A LOT of damn good albums imo

Brother Ali - Shadows on the Sun
DANGERDOOM - The Mouse and the Mask
Gang Starr - Step in the Arena
Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill

been listening to Black Up a lot recently. Great album. Production is top notch.
Let's clear some space out, so we can space out.
I dunno, I don't feel Liquid Swords, I've never been able to connect with it, just always washes over me. I can see Kendrick's every word in Good Kid.

GKMC has acouple of tracks ill play at parties but yeah Liquid Swords is more individual. What albums what are considerd "masterpieces" youd play at a party?

me id play some

Outkast
Tribe called quest- Low End Theory

Im blanking out right now for what albums id play but theres acouple more.

@Goofle: Out of all the Beasties albums, LTI is your choice for masterpiece? You've got me curious now, what puts it above Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head for you?

Well album's that I consider masterpieces that I'd play at a party would be:

Redman - Whut Thee? Album
El-P - Cancer4Cure
Snoop - Doggystyle
Dre - 2001
Meth and Red - Blackout!
Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers

and I'd Jay-Z's Vol. 2. (although I'm not sure I'd consider that a masterpiece)

Dre 2001 definitely and Doggystyle. Redman wise I actually like Welcome To Da Bricks the most but I don't consider them classics in my opinion although I love Redman he says the funniest ****

@ Soundgarden - I dunno, it was just my favourite when I went on a binge a month or two back. I'll check the track listings after work and explain more then.

Alright. LTI is a good album, no doubt, but to me it was Beasties' party album. They were much more artistic and interesting on later albums imo

Fugees - The Score
Nas - Stillmatic
DMX - It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
Talib Kweli - Quality
Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night

I have LTI, PB and IL on the same rating in fairness.

Looking at the track listings, Ill Communication might be my fave.

IC is great too! Did you ever check out "Hello Nasty"?