BEANIE SIGEL – The B. Coming
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BEANIE SIGEL – The B. Coming

This third album is often regarded as Beanie Sigel’s masterpiece. On this blockbuster from Roc-A-Fella’s glory years, released while he was behind bars, the Philadelphia rapper - caught up by the criminal life he had been living - draws on the fury of a street hustler, the pride of a man who made it out, and the melancholy of a bad boy unable to escape the pull of the ghetto.
ALL STAR – Starlito’s Way 2
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ALL STAR – Starlito’s Way 2

After rubbing shoulders with the biggest names - Lil Wayne first and foremost - All Star changes course. Like the protagonist of "Carlito’s Way", a gangster trying to leave the life behind, he abandons flashy rap. On this double album, the Nashville rapper turns to resentment, abandonment, and bitterness. He becomes Starlito, one of the most respected rappers of the years to come.
MAX B & FRENCH MONTANA – Coke Wave
Posted inRap mixtapes

MAX B & FRENCH MONTANA – Coke Wave

One of the major mixtapes of 2009 was also a turning point in the careers of its creators. While French Montana would become a rap star, Max B was about to begin a seemingly endless prison sentence. But for the duration of this release, the two men, united by their hatred of Jim Jones, complement each other perfectly as they make songs from all kinds of sources their own.
50 CENT & G-UNIT – 50 Cent Is The Future
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50 CENT & G-UNIT – 50 Cent Is The Future

The phenomenal success of 50 Cent and G-Unit starts here. It begins with this mixtape, on which the rapper and his crew hijack other artists' beats and make them their own. It begins with this masterfully executed release, that will become the soundtrack of the summer of 2002. It is here, also, that 50 Cent cements the image of the untouchable gangster that will define his career.
DANNY BROWN – XXX
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DANNY BROWN – XXX

Danny Brown, the rapper with the towering shock of hair and broken teeth, has a bit of everything. Boom bap and weird rap. Drugged-out lyrics and “conscious” rap. Humor and seriousness. No track sounds quite like the next, and that is precisely what makes the Detroit rapper so compelling. A late bloomer at thirty, this seasoned veteran finally joins the big leagues with "XXX".
ABN – It Is What It Is
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ABN – It Is What It Is

Long before they came to blows, the so-called cousins Trae and Z-Ro worked together as a duo. This second Assholes By Nature album, in particular, is a real gem. The two Houston rappers unleash their tales of everyday crime at full throttle, with insolence, pride, and flash. Yet beneath the bravado, their warm voices and melodic, carefully crafted sounds also carry a hint of melancholy.
ADLIB – International Beats
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ADLIB – International Beats

After performing with Global Phlowtations - a collective within the extended Project Blowed family - Thavius Beck established himself first as one half of Labwaste, before earning further recognition through his solo work. His finest album, however, may well be this understated compilation of instrumental tracks, released only on CD-R and in digital format under his original alias, Adlib.
AWOL ONE & FACTOR – Only Death Can Kill You
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AWOL ONE & FACTOR – Only Death Can Kill You

In the 2000s, deep within the California underground that had emerged in the wake of Project Blowed, in that extraordinary world known only to a happy few, Awol One was almost a star. And yet it is not easy to single out one undisputed masterpiece in his catalogue. Unless it is this album - more consistent than most - released relatively later in his career with Canadian beatmaker Factor.
ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM – Tragic Epilogue
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ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM – Tragic Epilogue

After several years of activity around the Nuyorican Café and the Rap Meets Poetry movement, High Priest, Beans and M. Sayyid finally stretch out over a full-length album, accompanied by DJ E. Blaize’s electronic sounds and backed by a handful of underground hip-hop icons. True to their name, the Anti-Pop Consortium deliver a harsh, challenging brand of rap. But it’s absolutely brilliant.