5 Mic Albums Only

[Drain Bamage]

Never heard Paul's Boutique. But again, Beastie Boys were never known for their lyricism.

 

[Organic Damage]

I'm willing to be corrected. Post me a song that'll blow my ears off.

 

[RDUBYA]

lil kim? wut

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

Admittedly I am a newjack (Wu-Tang Forever got me into hiphop) but I find it hard to relate to the simplistic lyrical style pre-mid-90s. Maybe Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane and Rakim, but beyond them, a lot of guys sound basic.

But I can acknowledge the impact at the time was probably much different than in hindsight lacking the historical context.

Easy coast rap at that time was much more about the lyrics than the west coast that produced party music and gangsta rap

 

[Post 2 Decision]

How can you pick when they're all so good at rhyming words

 

[DeJulez]

Which One is your Fav.

Source 5 Mic Albums. These are God Tier Albums


Albums that originally received five mics:

• People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm – A Tribe Called Quest
• Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em – Eric B. & Rakim
• AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted – Ice Cube
• One for All – Brand Nubian
• De La Soul Is Dead – De La Soul
• The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
• Illmatic – Nas
• Life After Death – The Notorious B.I.G.
• Aquemini – Outkast
• The Blueprint – Jay-Z
• Stillmatic – Nas
• The Fix – Scarface
• The Naked Truth – Lil' Kim
• Trill OG – Bun B
• My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

I would go with Outkast Aquemini over everyone else but would take Scarface The Fix next.

You should post the full list. Or I can do it.
These are just the ones that were given 5 Mics upon their debut.
They went back and awarded around 40 other albums 5 mic status. Ones that didn't get reviewed initially or ones that were 4.5 mics and they bumped them up to 5 Mics.

Lil Kims Naked Truth is like a 3mic album but she was dating the editor at the time and was given 5 mics. Really that was pretty much the final straw for The Source magazine in the public's eye.
Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is another 3mic album. Not even a top 3 Kanye album but by 2008 the Source was basically done for.

Out of the list its without question probably Illmatic by Nas as the best album on there. You can argue A Tribe Called Quest or Ice Cubes debut solo album.
But its one of those.

 

[DeJulez]

This is the full list


Albums that originally received five mics:

• People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm – A Tribe Called Quest
• Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em – Eric B. & Rakim
• AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted – Ice Cube
• One for All – Brand Nubian
• De La Soul Is Dead – De La Soul
• The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
• Illmatic – Nas
• Life After Death – The Notorious B.I.G.
• Aquemini – Outkast
• The Blueprint – Jay-Z
• Stillmatic – Nas
• The Fix – Scarface
• The Naked Truth – Lil' Kim
• Trill OG – Bun B
• My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

Albums that were not rated upon their releases, but were later rated five mics in 2002:

• Run-D.M.C. – Run-D.M.C.
• Radio – LL Cool J
• Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys
• Raising Hell – Run-D.M.C.
• Criminal Minded – Boogie Down Productions
• Paid in Full – Eric B. & Rakim
• By All Means Necessary – Boogie Down Productions
• It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back – Public Enemy
• Long Live the Kane – Big Daddy Kane
• Critical Beatdown – Ultramagnetic MCs
• Straight Out the Jungle – Jungle Brothers
• Strictly Business – EPMD
• The Great Adventures of Slick Rick – Slick Rick
• Straight Outta Compton – N.W.A
• No One Can Do It Better – The D.O.C.
• All Eyez on Me – 2Pac

Albums that originally received 4.5 mics, and were later re-rated to five:

• Breaking Atoms – Main Source
• Death Certificate – Ice Cube
• The Chronic – Dr. Dre
• Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) – Wu-Tang Clan
• Ready to Die – The Notorious B.I.G.
• The Infamous – Mobb Deep
• Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... – Raekwon
• 2001 – Dr. Dre

Albums that originally received four mics, and were later re-rated to five:

• Grip It! On That Other Level – Geto Boys
• Doggystyle – Snoop Doggy Dogg
• The Diary – Scarface
• Me Against the World – 2Pac
• The Score – The Fugees
• Reasonable Doubt – Jay-Z

 

[DeJulez]

lil kim? wut

In 2005, after Kimberly Osorio had been unlawfully fired, Mays and Benzino appointed Joshua "Fahiym" Ratcliffe to the E.I.C. post at the publication. That same year he abruptly resigned after he was ordered to lower the rating of Little Brother's The Minstrel Show from four-and-a-half to four. Lil' Kim's release, The Naked Truth, received the five mic rating instead. Although critics speculated that Lil' Kim's manager was dating Dave Mays, this was the first time that a female rapper ever received the highest rating in the magazine

 

[Long Dark Blues]

From that list, the first Tribe record.

But, honestly, When Disaster Strikes by Busta Rhymes is better than all of the ones listed. It's definitely in the running for best hip-hop album of the 90's, IMO.

 

[Liquid Smoke]

All my posts are 5 mic posts.

 

[Fugazy]

Lil Kim?

For reals?

Psh

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

Which One is your Fav.

Source 5 Mic Albums. These are God Tier Albums


Albums that originally received five mics:

• People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm – A Tribe Called Quest
• Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em – Eric B. & Rakim
• AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted – Ice Cube
• One for All – Brand Nubian
• De La Soul Is Dead – De La Soul
• The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
• Illmatic – Nas
• Life After Death – The Notorious B.I.G.
• Aquemini – Outkast
• The Blueprint – Jay-Z
• Stillmatic – Nas
• The Fix – Scarface
• The Naked Truth – Lil' Kim
• Trill OG – Bun B
• My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

I would go with Outkast Aquemini over everyone else but would take Scarface The Fix next.

On that list?


‘Low End Theory’ without even having to think about it. That album is a masterpiece

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

BlackStar I would cosign. Lyrically The Chronic does not deserve 5 mic IMO.

Never heard Paul's Boutique. But again, Beastie Boys were never known for their lyricism.

Of the albums in OP I would have to pick Illmatic. Though I feel that list is on some bullshit. A Lil' Kim album got 5 mics?

Paul’s Boutique is known for its innovation and being ahead of its time, it’s a really good experimental album.


Chuck D had a great quote about it something along the lines of ‘no one wanted to say it at the time, but the Beastie Boys had the best beats..’ or some shit like that.

 

[hillelslovak87]

Liquid Swords above all........

 

[hillelslovak87]

On that list?


‘Low End Theory’ without even having to think about it. That album is a masterpiece

Back in the days when I was a teenager, before I had status and before I had a pager.......

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

Liquid Swords above all........

For me, ‘36 Chambers’ is better as is ‘6 Feet Deep’ by the Gravediggaz

 

[hillelslovak87]

For me, ‘36 Chambers’ is better as is ‘6 Feet Deep’ by the Gravediggaz

But does 36 Chambers have as many Kozure Okami references? No? Exactly.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

But does 36 Chambers have as many Kozure Okami references? No? Exactly.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

expect nothing less from the goat

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

Back in the days when I was a teenager, before I had status and before I had a pager.......

Haha.. that’s the one


So many great tracks on that album. Tribe was almost always on point