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list Aug 31 2020 Written by

The Best 50 East Coast Hip Hop Albums Of The 1990s

[East Coast Hip Hop is a regional subgenre of Hip Hop that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip Hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the Bronx, New York; East Coast Hip Hop only became a distinct subgenre after artists from other regions of the United States emerged with different styles.]

For this piece, we have listed what WE think are the best 50 East Coast Hip Hop albums of the 1990s. Let us know your take in the comments!

Also read: The Best 50 West Coast Hip Hop Albums Of The 1990s 

50. Big L - Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous (1995)

The classic debut of one of the most naturally gifted and best punch-line emcees ever. Big L, rest in peace.

49. Pharoahe Monch - Internal Affairs (1999)

Internal Affairs is the solo debut from former Organized Konfusion member and brilliant lyricist Pharoahe Monch. After three acclaimed albums with Prince Po as O.K., Pharoahe went for a harder sound on his first solo outing. High energy and consistently good, this album may not be the ultimate classic some of us expected after his work on the O.K. albums, but it is a banger nonetheless.

48. Big Pun - Capital Punishment (1998)

Big Pun’s only album released during his lifetime, Capital Punishment is regarded as a classic if only because of Pun’s technical efficiency and incredible wordplay. Great production and plain awesome lyricism by one of the best emcees ever. Too many skits and some filler songs stand in the way of an even higher ranking on this list.

47. The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death (1997)

Biggie‘s sophomore album is one that will forever polarize opinions. Although commercially even more successful than his monumental debut Ready To Die, it is not quite as good. Even though Biggie stepped up his already off the charts storytelling abilities and rapping style a notch, the album is not as cohesive and consistent as his debut was. Much like 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me, the album is just a bit too long. Had they left out the Puffy shiny-suit pop songs and the skits and released the 14 best songs as one tight album, Life After Death would have been a super classic. As it is, it’s still an awesome album packed with classic tracks – just a tad short of the masterpiece it could have been.

46. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995)

One of the 4 classic Wu-Tang solo-albums following the crew’s monumental 1993 debut Enter The Wu-Tang. Ol’ Dirty Bastard: there’s no father to his style.

45. Eric B. & Rakim - Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990)

Eric B & Rakim "Let The Rhythm Hit Em" (1990)

On the heels of the super classics Paid In Full (1987) and Follow The Leader (1988) Eric B and Rakim drop their third album Let The Rhythm Hit Em. Maybe because of the epicness of their first two albums, this one is often overlooked in best-of Hip Hop album lists. It should not be though. Let The Rhythm Hit Em is a super tight album, a bit ‘darker’ sounding than the previous two, with Rakim as good as ever. Lyrically NO ONE can touch the R. The production is excellent as well (although the question is how much Eric B should be credited for that – look it up); the whole album is consistently dope, with a few stand out tracks, the title track, “In The Ghetto” and “Mahagony” first and foremost.

44. Redman - Muddy Waters (1996)

The third album in an incredible three-album run. After the classics Whut Thee Album and Dare Iz A Darkside, Redman dropped Muddy Waters, his absolute best album. Red’s lyrical ability is second to none. Bizarre and humorous lyrics delivered in that typical crazy Redman flow – Muddy Waters is an album that is not to be missed.

43. LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)

LL Cool J came back HARD with Mama Said Knock You Out. Produced entirely by Marley Marl and LL himself, it has a consistent feel to it and is a tighter effort than LL’s much-maligned third album Walking With A Panther (although there was plenty to enjoy there as well). Having a ‘come-back’ record – his fourth album already – as early in the Hip Hop game as 1990, shows LL is a bonafide Hip Hop pioneer and truly one of the GOATS.

42. Naughty By Nature - Naughty By Nature (1991)

Restyling themselves Naughty By Nature after a not bad but unsuccessful debut album under the name “The New Style”, NBN became a major commercial success. This album contains their well-known first hit singles and is solid through and through, no filler tracks here. Completely carried by Treach’s excellent skills as an emcee, this is an album that sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released.

41. Public Enemy Apocalypse - 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991)

the best east coast hip hop albums 1990s

Public Enemy‘s fourth effort continues the trend set by their previous outings: excellent, hard-hitting beats that perfectly complement Chuck D’s powerful voice and intelligent, thought-provoking messages. After the utter brilliance of It Takes A Nation… and Fear Of A Black Planet it was always going to be hard to come with a follow-up. Overall Apocalypse 91… may lack the special spark of its two predecessors, but there are enough strokes of brilliance here as well. Public Enemy will forever be one of Hip Hop’s most important and celebrated groups and Chuck D on of Hip Hop’s most respected and eminent figures. Apocalypse 91… is a strong part of P.E.’s excellent discography and should be in any Hip Hop fan’s collection.

40. Gang Starr - Daily Operation (1992)

Another Gang Starr album, another classic. Deep lyrics and deep beats – a testament to Guru‘s hypnotizing and intelligent emceeing and DJ Premier‘s superiority on the boards. If Step In The Arena was their breakthrough album, Daily Operation is the one that firmly secured Gang Starr’s place among Hip Hop’s elite.

After discovering their signature sound on Step In The Arena, Premier and Guru perfected it here, dropping another gem that can be played from beginning to end without having to skip any tracks. “Take It Personal”, “Soliloquy Of Chaos” and “Ex Girl To Next Girl” alone are enough to ensure the classic status of this album, but knowing the rest of the tracklist is completely up to par, makes Daily Operation a flawless part of Gang Starr’s impressive catalog.

39. Black Sheep - A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (1991)

This album is FUN. It’s also hugely underrated and rarely mentioned when classic Hip Hop albums are considered. It should be, though. Over 70 minutes in length, but not a minute too long – it’s filled with dope, humorous, clever tracks. Mr. Lawnge’s production is tight and Dres is an excellent emcee with a unique voice and flow.

38. Black Moon - Enta Da Stage (1993)

What’s the definition of a classic album? It has to be ‘timeless’, contain no filler tracks, have endless replay value and it has to be groundbreaking and influential. Enta Da Stage is such an album. As KRS One would say: this album is real boom bap – real hard beats and real rap. Rough, rugged & raw, the epitome of the early 90s NYC street sound – a must-have for NYC Hip Hop heads, if not for every real Hip Hop fan.

37. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)

jay z 1996

Jay-Z’s debut, and second-best album (after 2001’s The Blueprint). Because of a string of mediocre later releases and probably also because of his mega-successful business dealings, Jay Z has become a love-him or hate-him kind of figure. There’s no denying the excellence of this album, though. A young, hungry and ambitious Jay Z paints a compelling picture of his life as a hustler. Masterful production, brilliant lyricism, Reasonable Doubt shows us Jay Z at his peak as the Hip Hop artist he was (and not the business mogul he would become).

36. Gang Starr - Hard To Earn (1994)

Markedly darker – both sonically and lyrically – than their previous albums. Guru is great and especially DJ Premier is in top form as always, cementing their combined status of one the most consistent acts in Hip Hop ever. 1994 may just have been Premo’s very best year in terms of quality output (also think of his work for Jeru, Nas, and others). With cuts like “Code Of The Streets”, ”Suckas Need Bodyguards”, “DWYCK”, “Tonz ‘O’ Gunz” and especially the uber-classic “Mass Appeal”, Hard To Earn is one of the four timeless Gang Starr records.

35. Ghostface Killah - Ironman (1996)

Ghostface Killah‘s solo debut and one of the strongest albums in an all-around strong catalog from Wu-Tang Clan’s most prolific member. Also part of the epic run of classic Wu-Tang solo debuts.

34. Diamond D - Stunts Blunts & Hip Hop (1992)

the best 50 hip hop east coast 1990s

Yet another NYC classic, Hip Hop for connaisseurs. Diamond D always was a producer first and an emcee second and it shows – the beats on this joint are flawless from start to finish, no need to skip tracks on this album. An underrated Golden Age gem.

33. Jeru The Damaja - The Sun Rises In The East (1994)

In a year when Premier dropped another excellent Gang Starr album with Hard To Earn, he reserved his very best beats for Brooklyn emcee Jeru The Damaja. Jeru’s intellectual street flows combined with Premier’s best instrumentals result in a tight 10- song album with no filler tracks.

32. Wu Tang Clan - Wu Tang Forever (1997)

Wu-Tang Clan‘s second album had A LOT to live up to. In addition to their monumental debut, the classic Enter The Wu-Tang, there were 5 outstanding solo projects by Wu-Tang Clan members released prior to this sophomore effort. Wu-Tang Forever is a double album, which is always tricky. The risk is that the album loses focus and cohesiveness, that there are some tracks that will be seen as filler material and that the album simply is too long(winded).

Not the case here. Sure, it could have done with fewer tracks (and certainly with fewer skits), but overall this is an excellent album and great addition to the Wu-Tang catalog. Sadly, Ol’ Dirty Bastards’ input is very limited, but the others are lyrically on point, with RZA producing some of his most captivating soundscapes ever.

31. Nas - It Was Written (1996)

Although Nas‘ debut album Illmatic initially sold underwhelmingly, it was an overwhelming critical success. So, how to top or even equal a classic like Illmatic? An impossible task, even if It Was Written turned out to be another excellent Nas album. Going for a more commercial-friendly sound here and there, and trying out the mafioso subgenre on some tracks, It Was Written just feels a little less tight and coherent than Illmatic did. Nas’ lyrical brilliance is still on full display, though. With It Was Written Nas cemented his status as one of the most talented, all-around skilled emcees in the game.

30. Main Source - Breaking Atoms (1991)

best hip hop albums 1990s

Large Professor, one of Hip Hop’s most respected producers, exploded on the scene with this classic album – showing both his extraordinary talents on the boards and on the mic. Breaking Atoms is an important and hugely influential album in the history of Hip Hop and a testament to the brilliance of Large Pro. And not to forget: this album contained the official debut on wax from young Queensbridge emcee Nasty Nas, with a brilliant opening verse on the dope posse cut “Live At The BBQ”.

29. KRS One - Return Of The Boom Bap (1993)

After 5 albums as Boogie Down Productions, KRS-One decided to start releasing albums under his own name. In his 30-year career, KRS dropped many classic albums – this is one of his best. Lyrics, flow, delivery, message, beats, diversity – this album has everything. “Sound Of Police”, “Outta Here”, “Mad Crew”, “Return Of The Boom Bap”, “Uh Oh”, “I Can’t Wake Up” – you know you can’t go wrong with KRS-One. On later albums KRS’ lyricism would occasionally be let down by weaker beats, but not here. With the likes of DJ Premier, Showbiz, Kid Capri, and KRS himself on the boards the result had to be a classic.

28. A Tribe Called Quest - Peoples Instinctive Travels On The Paths Of Rhythm (1990)

The third part of the Native Tongues triple classic album introduction to the world (the first two being the Jungle Brothers‘ Straight Out The Jungle and De La Soul‘s 3 Feet High And Rising) – People’s Instinctive Travels On The Paths Of Rhythm introduces us to A Tribe Called Quest.

People’s… is a musical masterpiece. An innovative fusion of hard beats and jazzy samples, combined with fun, clever and positive lyrics – mainly from Q-Tip (Phife was still finding his voice here and his lyrical skills would improve significantly on Tribe’s follow up The Low End Theory). This one – along with Tribe’s 2nd and 3rd album, should have a place in any music (not just Hip Hop) lovers record collection.

27. De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate (1993)

the best 50 east coast hip hop albums of the 1990s

De La Soul‘s third album, De La Soul’s third classic. Few groups in Hip Hop, if any, can boast both the longevity and consistency De La Soul has shown over the years. Buhloone Mind State arguably is the most underappreciated album of De La Soul’s first four. The reason for that probably is that it has less commercial appeal than the others. Artistically it is every bit as strong, though – cohesive and consistent throughout – an artistic peak for both De La Soul and producer Prince Paul. De La Soul’s first four albums are all classics, this one is definitely up there with the others.

26. Showbiz & AG - Runaway Slave (1992)

the best 50 east coast hip hop albums of the 1990s

This is a flawless album: top-notch production from Showbiz (and Diamond D) and guest appearances from Lord Finesse and Big L (among others) – along with O.C.’s Word… Life this may just be the best DITC album in a series of excellent albums. Amazingly consistent and entertaining throughout. The album flew well under the mainstream radar but was quickly recognized as a classic by true heads. Quintessential NYC early 90’s Hip Hop.

25. O.C. - Word…Life (1994)

best hip hop albums 1990s nineties

O.C.‘s Word… Life is very similar to Nas’ Illmatic in many ways (excellent beats, clever lyricism, overall cohesiveness), but undeservedly much less revered. Maybe due to bad promotion by O.C.’s Wild Pitch label, maybe because the competition in 1994 was so awesome – whatever the reason: Word… Life flew so far under the radar it’s ridiculous. This easily is one of the best Hip Hop albums of 1994. Don’t sleep on Word… Life.

24. The Fugees - The Score (1996)

A great commercial as well as a critical success, The Score was a massive improvement on The Fugees‘ enjoyable but uneven Blunted On Reality debut album. The Score is a timeless piece of music and it paved the way for Lauryn Hill‘s monumental genre-bending solo debut The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.

23. MF Doom - Operation: Doomsday (1999)

What a comeback! After a long hiatus following his brother’s death and the end of KMD, Zev Lov X reinvented himself and came back on the Hip Hop scene as MF DOOM. He would go on to release a myriad of excellent albums and collaborations – and Operation: Doomsday is up there with the best of his work.

22. Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night (1997)

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Camp Lo‘s Sonny Cheba and Geechi Suede come off as sort of hybrid of OutKast, The Pharcyde, and De La Soul. Their insanely smooth flows and outstanding creativity and originality make for an atypical late nineties NYC Hip Hop album. Even though it contained the smash hit “Luchini (This Is It)”, Uptown Saturday Night never really got the recognition it deserved, certainly not at the time of its release. It has aged really well though and is deservedly recognized now by many as the masterpiece it is.

21. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Main Ingredient (1994)

The Main Ingredient (Pete Rock & CL Smooth) 1994

Lacking a monster hit-single like “T.R.O.Y.” from their classic full-length debut album Mecca And The Soul Brother, The Main Ingredient is often overlooked when it comes to considering Hip Hop’s best albums. That is wrong because this one is just about as flawless as its predecessor. True enough: CL Smooth isn’t the greatest emcee or lyricist, but these albums are all about Pete Rock’s production, which is as good as ever on this top-notch feel-good album.

20. Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth (1998)

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Few artists can boast a catalog as consistent as Gang Starr‘s. Ask six fans about their favorite Gang Starr album and they may all pick a different one. That says enough about the overall excellence of their work. Moment Of Truth is Gang Starr’s fifth and arguably most cohesive of all their albums. Lyrical genius from Guru and musical genius from DJ Premier – Hip Hop doesn’t get much better than this.

19. The Roots - Things Fall Apart (1999)

best hip hop albums of the 1990s nineties

With Questlove laying down the perfect instrumentals and Black Thought’s thoughtful, socially-conscious rhymes (not to mentions his exceptional emcee skills), Things Fall Apart is yet another excellent The Roots album, their fourth. With additional rhyming from Malik B, Dice Raw, and guests like Common and Mos Def, you know you can’t go wrong with this Roots crew album.

18. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996)

Is this Kool Keith‘s best album (outside Ultramagnetic’s debut Critical Beatdown)? In a catalog as deep and diverse as Kool Keith’s, it may be hard to choose – but Dr. Octagonecologyst definitely is our Kool Keith solo favorite. An all-time underground favorite, Dr. Octagonecologyst simply is a near-perfect album. Production by Dan The Automater is absolutely phenomenal. Innovative, eery, spaced-out: the instrumentals provide the perfect backdrop for Kool Keith’s trademark bizarre lyrics.

17. Mobb Deep - The Infamous (1995)

mobb deep the infamous 1995

An album that will forever polarize opinions. Considered an absolute classic and an all-time top 10 album by many, there are also those who find it inaccessible because of the overly gritty and dark nature of the album. Wherever you stand, there can be no denying this is a landmark album, both production-wise and lyrically. Mobb Deep brought their A-game on their second album and The Infamous will always be seen as one of the most important mid-90s East Coast albums.

16. De La Soul - Stakes Is High (1996)

best hip hop albums of the 1990s nineties

Another De La Soul masterpiece. All of their first four albums are classics in their own right, this one may just be their most mature and confident effort up till then. No gimmicks, just straight-up Hip Hop. De La Soul easily is one of the most consistent acts in Hip Hop ever and they are truly Hip Hop’s elite.

15. Public Enemy - Fear of A Black Planet (1990)

best hip hop albums nineties 1990s

How do you follow up on the best Hip Hop album ever made? The answer is: with Fear Of A Black Planet. Building on the perfection of It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988), Fear Of A Black Planet consolidated Public Enemy‘s status of the most important Hip Hop group of the time. Fear Of A Black Planet is fiercely political, intelligent, unrelenting, uncompromising, profound, powerful, intense, boundary-pushing – a landmark album in (Hip Hop) music history. Perhaps a little less accessible than It Takes A Nation… but equally important.

14. Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus (1997)

best hip hop albums 1997

Underground Hip Hop at its finest. A hate-or-love-it kind of album for many due to its innovative and experimental nature, but undoubtedly a classic. Company Flow, consisting of El-P (beats & rhymes), Big Juss (rhymes) & DJ Mr. Len (beats & scratches), dropped this gem to bless Hip Hop in a time period where shiny suit rappers and gangsta posers were already getting most of the spotlight, proving real Hip Hop will always survive – if necessary underground. Ahead of its time and very influential, Funcrusher Plus paved the way for countless left-field Hip Hop acts, who were (and are) instrumental in keeping the genre fresh.

13. The Roots - Illadelph Halflife (1996)

Illadelph Halflife Album Cover

The Roots’ best album? Hard to pick a favorite in a discography of such outstanding overall quality, but on Illadelph Halflife everything works. This is a LONG album, but there are few, if any, wasted moments. This is smooth, jazzy Hip Hop at its finest, with live instrumentation and exceptional lyricism – true brilliance from Philly’s legendary Roots crew.

12. GZA - Liquid Swords (1995)

best hip hop albums 1995

Liquid Swords is another highlight in the Wu-Tang (solo) catalog. The album would have been even higher on this list if GZA & RZA hadn’t overdone it a bit on the skits/intro’s, but the actual songs on this one are all true bangers. Elite production by the RZA as per usual in that era, and the trademark dope Wu-Tang lyricism. Classic Wu-Tang.

11. Mos Def - Black On Both Sides (1999)

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Mos Def’s masterpiece. Mos Def is one of the most underrated emcees out there – but he has a unique voice and his flow is tight, plus he’s intelligent, humorous, passionate, creative, and socially conscious. Black On Both Sides is a must-have for any and all Hip Hop fans.

10. Gang Starr - Step In The Arena (1991)

best hip hop albums 1990s nineties

On their second album, Gang Starr started coming into their own sound. Guru‘s supremely recognizable monotone voice and DJ Premier‘s signature style of DJing really come together here. This is a long album but there are no filler tracks, you can listen to the whole album without having to skip a song. The start of a near-flawless 4-album-run.

9. Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998)

the best 50 east coast hip hop albums of the 1990s

Both Mos Def and Talib Kweli planned to release their solo albums around the same time, but they postponed their individual projects and decided instead to collaborate on a full-length LP – and what a collaboration it is. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star is a timeless piece of music that gets better with every passing year.

8. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (1991)

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De La Soul more or less invented the rap-skit and to this day, they remain one of the very few acts who know how to use it. Where in 95% of the cases skits do not add anything, except annoying breaks in the flow of albums, De La actually knows how to use a skit in the right way – to give a thematic and coherent feel to an album.

De La Soul Is Dead is a long album, but packed with brilliance, musically and lyrically. A marked change in style and feel to their equally brilliant debut 3 Feet High & RisingDe La Soul Is Dead showed a darker and more contemplative side of De La Soul. Gone is the happy-go-lucky positivity of their debut, instead we get De La’s disillusioned vision on the state of Hip Hop, which would turn out to be highly prophetic. This album was so ahead of its time, Hip Hop still hasn’t caught up yet.

7. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die (1994)

Another landmark album and an all-time classic. The Notorious B.I.G. made a big splash on the scene with his classic debut single “Party & Bullshit”. Expectations were high for his full-length debut album and boy did he deliver with Ready To Die. One of the most naturally gifted emcees and storytellers in the Hip Hop game ever, everything came together for him on this album. Excellent production throughout with Biggie’s simultaneously brash and vulnerable lyrics to top off the banging instrumentals.

6. Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx... (1995)

The best Wu-Tang solo album? We think so. It’s not even a ‘real’ solo album – every Wu-Tang Clan member appears on the album and production is in the more than capable hands of RZA. That makes this album even more of a group effort than most other Wu-Tang solo releases.

After Kool G Rap, Raekwon can be seen as one of the pioneers of the mafioso sub-genre and this album is one of the best, if not THE best of its sort. Only Built For Cuban Linx… was loosely composed to play like a film with Raekwon as the “star,” fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah as the “guest-star,” and producer RZA as the “director.” The cinematic feel of the album, along with the top-notch production and emceeing, make this one an all-time classic.

5. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca And The Soul Brother (1992)

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A timeless musical masterpiece, tasteful and irresistible. After the excellent All Souled Out EP they dropped the year previous, Pete Rock & CL Smooth followed up with this brilliant album. Pete Rock’s multi-layered, horns-filled, bass-heavy boom-bap production is simply masterful. CL Smooth delivery serves as another instrument to complete the musical feast this album is from start to finish. Incredibly consistent throughout, Mecca And The Soul Brother is one of Hip Hop’s all-time greatest albums.

4. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders (1993)

the best 50 east coast hip hop albums of the 1990s

Faced with the impossible task of following up on the flawless masterpiece that is The Low End Theory, Tribe delivered an album that is every bit as awesome as its predecessor. There can be no greater praise. As fresh today as it was on the day it was released: the mark of a true classic.

3. Wu Tang Clan - Enter The Wu Tang (1993)

the best 50 east coast hip hop albums of the 1990s

What can be said about this seminal album that hasn’t been said a thousand times over already? One of the most innovative, groundbreaking, influential, and important Hip Hop albums EVER. New York’s answer to Dr. Dre’s worldshaking The Chronic of the year previous. RZA’s incredible innovative production resulting in that trademark dirty and gritty Wu-Tang sound, complemented by 9 emcees who all bring their A-game and show crazy versatility and never-seen-before lyrical creativity: unbeatable.

2. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory (1991)

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The Low End Theory is the definitive statement about what creativity, innovation, artistry, fun and raw talent can produce. Building on the quality work of their debut, Tribe perfected the fusion of jazzy influences and bass-heavy Hip Hop beats. The album is so coherent and consistent, it almost feels like one long song – in this case, a good thing. Phife, who only played a small part on the first album, really increased his skills as an emcee and establishes a perfect interplay with the always exceptional Q-Tip. Clever lyrics and smooth and warm music – this album is nothing short of perfect.

1. Nas - Illmatic (1994)

One of the very best Hip Hop albums in history, period. A young and hungry, insanely talented emcee comes together with some of the finest producers in the game, who all bring their best work. No skits, no fillers – just nine 5-star tracks that combine into a seminal work that will forever be revered as one of the most important releases in Hip Hop. Illmatic is a monumental masterpiece.

Honorable Mentions

  • Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth Funky Technician (1990)
  • Brand Nubian – One For All (1990)
  • Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1990)
  • EPMD – Business As Usual (1990)
  • Masta Ace – Take A Look Around (1990)
  • Poor Righteous Teachers – Holy Intellect (1990)
  • Boogie Down Productions – Edutainment (1990)
  • Intelligent Hoodlum – Intelligent Hoodlum (1990)
  • Organized Konfusion – Organized Konfusion (1991)
  • Redman – Whut? Thee Album (1992)
  • Eric B. & Rakim – Don’t Sweat The Technique (1992)
  • Hard Knocks – School Of Hard Knocks (1992)
  • Boogie Down Productions – Sex & Violence (1992)
  • Beastie Boys Check Your Head (1992)
  • Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Live And Let Die (1992)
  • Lord Finesse – Return Of The Funky Man (1992)
  • EPMD – Business Never Personal (1992)
  • Digable Planets Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) (1993)
  • Ultramagnetic MCs – The Four Horsemen (1993)
  • Organized Konfusion – Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1994)
  • Gravediggaz – 6 Feet Deep (1994)
  • Digable Planets – Blowout Comb (1994)
  • The Beatnuts – The Beatnuts (1994)
  • Method Man – Tical (1994)
  • Redman – Dare Iz A Darkside (1994)
  • Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (1994)
  • Smif-n-Wessun – Dah Shinin’ (1995)
  • KRS-One – KRS-One (1995)
  • AZ – Doe Or Die (1995)
  • Jeru The Damaja – Wrath Of The Math (1996)
  • A Tribe Called Quest – Beats, Rhymes & Life (1996)
  • Mobb Deep – Hell On Earth (1996)
  • O.C. – Jewelz (1997)
  • Cru – Da Dirty 30 (1997)
  • Capone-n-Noreaga – The War Report (1997)
  • Jedi Mind Tricks – The Psycho-Social… (1997)
  • Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty (1998)
  • DMX – It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot (1998)
  • Prince Paul- A Prince Among Thieves (1999)
  • Method Man & Redman – Blackout! (1999)
  • Dr. Dooom – First Come, First Served (1999)

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2 responses to “The Best 50 East Coast Hip Hop Albums Of The 1990s”

  1. No Qualms says:

    Honestly it doesn’t get any better than this 💯

  2. RedTomaco says:

    That’s a very good list, thanks, there are a couple albums that I haven’t heard.
    Personally I miss Hold It Down by Das EFX.

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