The Battle of '99

[stype_ones]

You know the drilly.. Left a few off, add it in if you want.

[step one]

Dre. Jay Z 2nd.

[drizzle]

lot of solid albums here that still hold up well but Dre and Doom feel like the standouts historically

[Philaflava]

Damn forgot about Murda Muzik. The cool pick will be Doomsday but the correct answer is 2001.

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

I can scientifically prove why Operation Doomsday is slightly better than 2001: it doesn't feature Eminem.

[blastmaster]

Ultimately, the BG album is perfect. The best Cash Money release ever. Ghetty Green is perfect, Xxxplosvie is my favorite beat of all time and Vol 3 is my favorite Jay album, but Chopper City brings me so much enjoyment its crazy.

[ANU]

to me, operation doomsday is only the 3rd or fourth best ny album in that list after vol 3, murda muzik and art of storytelling. And in our lifetime is the best southern album in the list...

[stype_ones]

Was on the fence about a couple but ultimately had to go with Doom. Album just had the perfect sound to me. Only wish was that the original/demo whatever you want to call it Rhymes Like Dimes and The Finest were on there. He re-recorded both of those to their detriment.

BTW, if anyone has the original The Finest, please up that shit. Only heard Bob play it once and def don't have the tape anymore.

[stype_ones]

Vol 3 love still baffles me.

Murda Muzik is a really great album that gets slept on in many discussions. Obviously not on The Infamous or HOE level, but only a step below, imo.

[step one]

Other notables from '99

Gang Starr - Full Clip/Discipline
Beatnuts - Watch Out Now
Black Rob - Whoa
Black Rob ft The LOX - Can I Live
Common & Sadat X - 1-9-9-9
Dead Prez - Hip Hop
Drag On & Juvenile - Down Bottom
Ghostface - Mighty Healthy
Harlem World - Cali Chronic
GZA - Publicity
Missy Elliot ft Nas, Eve & Q Tip - Hot Boyz (remix)
Outsidaz - Dont Look Now/The Rah Rah
Pace Won - I Declare War
Rakim - Guess Who's Back/When I Be On The Mic
The LOX - Wild Out

[GUCCI CONDOMS]

If we factor in the leaked Murda Muzik album combined with the official release, then that wins. If not, then Ghetty Green takes this.

[tehgiftofgab]

Sslp

[Versive]

Doomsday
Ghetty Green
Things Fall Apart

not even close to close though

[KhillA]

BG by far

[Rhyme 4 Rhyme]

2001
Internal Affairs
SSLP

In order. First two being classics.

[madstadik]

Murda Muzik for me. Still a lot of great albums on that list. 99 was a pretty solid year in retrospect

[Kool Max Power]

Prince Paul ‎"A Prince Among Thieves" or The Roots, followed by Doom, Pharoahe Monch and Mos Def. Except for the MF Doom and Roots albums, I haven't listened to any album from the list in recent years...

[stype_ones]

Sort of intentionally left out Prince Among and Handsome Boy but can't really say why. Brewin did his thing on the Paul joint, though.

For some reason I'm not a huge fan of concept albums. I like them for what they are but in my brain I consider them separate from regular albums if that makes any sense.

[intuition]

in hindsight Doomsday. i revisit that record most.

in 99 it was 2001, BOBS, or Murda Muzik.

[samdoom]

If we factor in the leaked Murda Muzik album combined with the official release, then that wins. If not, then Ghetty Green takes this.

i'm sure i'm incredibly on this, but what stuff did the leaked version have that the retail didn't?

[Versive]

Oh shit I didnt' realize Prince Among Thieves dropped this year. That would top even Doomsday for me. It's not a better album overall, but Paul is my favorite producer and Brewin is my favorite rapper so I'd feel obliged.

[GUCCI CONDOMS]

If we factor in the leaked Murda Muzik album combined with the official release, then that wins. If not, then Ghetty Green takes this.

i'm sure i'm incredibly on this, but what stuff did the leaked version have that the retail didn't?

[drizzle]

Sort of intentionally left out Prince Among and Handsome Boy but can't really say why. Brewin did his thing on the Paul joint, though.

For some reason I'm not a huge fan of concept albums. I like them for what they are but in my brain I consider them separate from regular albums if that makes any sense.

I think there's a legit gripe against Prince Among Thieves specifically for being a narrative-driven concept album. It's an interesting idea and it's well realized and the beats and raps are good but the novelty wears off after a while and you don't get much replay value out of it. In retrospect I often wish Paul and Brewin just made a regular ass rap album together, I'm sure it would've been amazing.

[g9hood]

[g9hood]

s.o. 2 drug

[Versive]

Sort of intentionally left out Prince Among and Handsome Boy but can't really say why. Brewin did his thing on the Paul joint, though.

For some reason I'm not a huge fan of concept albums. I like them for what they are but in my brain I consider them separate from regular albums if that makes any sense.

I think there's a legit gripe against Prince Among Thieves specifically for being a narrative-driven concept album. It's an interesting idea and it's well realized and the beats and raps are good but the novelty wears off after a while and you don't get much replay value out of it. In retrospect I often wish Paul and Brewin just made a regular ass rap album together, I'm sure it would've been amazing.

I hear this. I guess I look at it differently, like I can never replay it without replaying the whole thing now. There was a time when I had favorite songs I would revisit, but I agree that wears off pretty quickly. However, I think it still works like a cool exploitation flick, fun to revisit every now and again and otherwise just appreciate from a distance for what it is -- an amazing collaboration.

FWIW, Prince Paul Presents Horror City, a narrative-less, Brewin-less album that evolved into APAT is amazing unto itself.

Of course, a Brewin-Paul album would have been (could still be?) even better.

[g9hood]

[clark bent]

if you just go track by track doomsday might be an all time top ten album but because it has previously released stuff and has tracks that were reorded in completely different times places and atmospheres it feels like a compilation or greatest hits to me and that always hurt it when comparing it what i would consider more true studio albums

that being said i voted for it here cause theres no other choise that comes close to it

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

easiest one. nothing touches chronic 2001. i like doomsday more than most too, slight edge over madvillain.

[aeokq]

Things Fall Apart is fantastic. My favorite Roots album. I chose that.

I like Doomsday but always thought it was a bit overrated. It's a holy grail underground album - I don't find the beats to be on that level though. Nice album don't get me wrong.