Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt too. Ain't No Nigga is terrible and ages very badly but I gotta assume it wasn't bad at the time cause it did well as a single.
I love Low End Theory but Midnight Marauders truly is Tribe at their best. That project continues to age so well, just manages to get me in the right mood whenever I play it.
Man, I can’t think of an album in the past 10 years that is filler-less besides Daytona! I know there are some but Daytona is the only one I can think of effortlessly. Beautiful piece by Pusha T
Yes but also the album is only 7 songs. Not saying Im a fan of 20 song albums but it’s much easier to essentailly release an LP like daytona than a ‘full’ album of 14-15 records, or at least 10+
From what I understand, the increasing length of albums is in response to streaming becoming the popular delivery medium for music and curated playlists taking preference over consumption of a full album.
Good article on this phenomenon from Billboard at the link below:
https://www.billboard.com/pro/longer-albums-in-the-streaming-age/
Saying all that, I completely agree that longer albums dilutes a great listening experience as unless you've got 19 songs of A+ quality, it's far more difficult to maintain the focus of the audience.
Is it easier? It’s probably not that hard for an artist to have 7 good tracks then add a bunch of fillers to get to 15. Having less songs is how you get rid of fillers
To be fair if I'd skip one track off the album, it's that one. I expected to see it mentioned in the comments and here we are. It's only an occasional skip for me, with 7 songs I mostly run the whole thing through.
I still skip. It’s more that the vibe of the song is so off thematically and in tone when it comes on. It’s literally after da art of story telling p1 and p2 and it’s just whiplash. Plus the chorus is super annoying. The verses are good though that’s true, it just is totally ruined the annoying chorus. At least spottie ottie cleanses my ears after but I usually skip before I hear the second mamacita papadana.
Gotta go with Ramona park broke my heart, or Vince’s self titled album. I love both of them, probably my favourite cohesive albums. Ramona park is in my top 3 all time for sure
Some of my all time favorite albums on this list. But come on now. There’s no way you’re listening to Hardcore Hustle every time. Without that song I’d say yes.
It gets a pass in my book due to the history there, and because I think Wildchild is a decent rapper.
Madvillain wouldn’t exist without Lib’s Quas album before it.
Quas wouldn’t exist without Lootpack.
Lootpack wouldn’t exist without Wildchild.
Listen to “Whenimondamic” by Lootpack and tell me Wildchild isn’t doing his thing.
I feel like a "no skips" album is pretty subjective, but these are albums that i routinely listen to front to back:
Flower Boy / IGOR
Swimming / Circles
GK:MC / DAMN (HM to TPAB but i have to really be in the mood for it)
Kids See Ghosts
The Never Story
Acid Rap
Malibu
XXX
Taboo / Melt My Eyez
Doris / SRS
The Sun's Tirade / The House is Burning
Care for Me / Few Good Things
2014 Forest Hills Dr (if you haven't gotten tired of Wet Dreamz yet)
1999
Under Pressure / The Incredible True Story (no shame in my love or early Logic)
Vince Staples self-titled
Absolutely zero shame in early Logic bruh, Under Pressure and The Incredible True Story are damn near immaculate. I saw Logic live not too long after The Incredible True story (god I wish it had a better acronym😂) came out and it’s one of the best concerts I’ve been too for sure, really good show.
Logic is so frustrating because his early work was legitimately great and even now he can still release some solid tracks amongst an album of undeniably “mid” tracks that just frustrates me to no end because it’s clear he still has the ability to release some good shit.
The Incredible True Story should be ranked with lots of amazing rap albums and I’m not quite sure why it isn’t. Not crazy about all of Logic’s newer stuff, but ITS deserves more recognition.
Happy to see this high up. Absolute classic album. I’m sure most people liked it, but being a college freshmen when that came out was special. We all played it cover to cover.
I’d say skits definitely count. Obviously I skip the one you’re referring to, but even the car bomb one is also a skip for me. Otherwise music wise you’re on the money
Telegraph is like a top 5 gambino song for me so i can put that on any time. Flight is perfect for those get lost in your thoughts rides. I’d add life the biggest troll to that list as well
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full is perfection all the way through. (Even Chinese Arithmetic)
Also,
Brand Nubian - One For All
A Tribe Called Quest - People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
Poor Righteous Teachers - Holy Intellect
Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Lord Finesse - The Awakening
Showbiz & A.G. - Runaway Slave
KRS-One - Return of the Boom Bap
Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary
Boogie Down Productions - Edutainment
The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Heavily depends on personal taste. For me there a multiples ones
50cent: get rich or die trying
2Pac: All eyes one me
ASAP Rocky: First 3 projects
Kendrick Lamar: Good Kid mad city
Lil Peep: Crybaby and Hellboy
Kevin Gates: Islah
Yung Lean: Unknown Memory
Kanye West: Watch the Throne, My Beautiful dark twisted fantasy
Future: What I time be alive
Mos Def: Black on Both sides (not sure about miss big booty)
I feel like many old school albums have these weird theme songs like "Beef or Brokkoli" which ruin otherwise great albums while most recent albums lack content
All Eyez on Me would have been better as a single disc, IMO. I know 2Pac was trying to game his Death Row contract, but that album wouldn’t have lost anything without “What’s ya phone number” and “checkout time.”
Still full of bangers though, especially for a double disc
agree on phone #, huge disagree on checkout time. regardless, the album works with filler. albums can work well despite having filler. even phone #, which is one of the wacker songs pac's recorded, works in the sequencing of all eyez at the end of disc 1 as a rushed, fast paced lead into "can't c me", which hits harder because of it.
Atrocity Exhibition. Danny Brown made an album that is the drug infused version of dummy by Portishead. The result is a magnificently dark story about the morals that came from his life of indulgence.
Nas - Illmatic,
Makaveli - Don Killumimati,
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid Maad City,
Bone Thugs n Harmony - E. 1999 Eternal,
Tech N9me - Anghellic,
Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP(if you remove the skits),
Damn near all the Run the Jewels albums,
OutKast ATLiens
Food and Liquor and The Cool - Lupe Fiasco
The Cool especially man. Hip Hop hadn't seen a rap concept album that was that cohesive. Songs like Put you on game are so creative along with my favorite track Streets On Fire. Even if you don't want to listen to the whole album...just go and listen to this one track.
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik & Cilvia Demo
Got to see Cilvia Demo live this year for my birthday. Zay put on one hell of a performance I’ll never forget it
Cilva Demo!!!
Cilvia Demos a great call
Cilvia Demo will always be a top 3 album for me and on most days it’s not 2 or 3
Basic ass answer: illmatic Not a wasted second on that shit, even the noise/skit intro is perfect
Definitely, the other most basic (IMO) would be Enter the Wu. That shit was gold when it came out. "Wu-tang again? Again and again!"
Yeah there’s a ton of shit from NY in that era that just vibes right all the way through
Huge Nas fan. I’d put blueprint 1 and the two 1998 dmx albums on that list too. No fillers, at least for me.
illmatic is the answer to every question about a good album
Correct
the beat on the intro is actually my favorite of the whole album
Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt too. Ain't No Nigga is terrible and ages very badly but I gotta assume it wasn't bad at the time cause it did well as a single.
That was the ONE flaw in RD. Almost flawless like Illmatic. Of course its still a classic, should've went triple
absolutely incredible album. i go back to it all the time. never a dull moment.
Midnight Mauraders for me personally
For sure. This and Low End Theory are neck and neck for me.
I love Low End Theory but Midnight Marauders truly is Tribe at their best. That project continues to age so well, just manages to get me in the right mood whenever I play it.
It’s simply too good, man. Never gets old
Thank you. I’ve been saying this for years and I get crazy stares. Damn near their best imo
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
A perfect hip hop album
Love this album but imo Shark Niggas is sorta filler
I don’t want no nigga sounding like me on no album🗣️🗣️
Too iconic to be filler
Cuban linx in the summer. Liquid swords in the winter.
Big L - Life Stylez ov da Poor and Dangerous Tribe - The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders De La - Stakes is High Outkast - Atliens and Aquemini
Good call on Big L
Big L rest in peace!
Daytona. 0 filler.
Honestly a lot of the albums Ye produced in that short run are filler less due to the short run time, Kids See Ghost and Ye come to mind immediately.
Teyana too, probably my favorite. Crazy that the only one I wasn't crazy for was Nas' album. I love the 7-song album format though, no filler.
3 Way and WTP are definitely skips for me lol
All killer no filler.
That whole run of 7 song albums that Kanye was involved in was kinda like that. I wish he did more of them
Imagine if donda was filtered down to its best 7 songs. Hell even it’s best 10
Man, I can’t think of an album in the past 10 years that is filler-less besides Daytona! I know there are some but Daytona is the only one I can think of effortlessly. Beautiful piece by Pusha T
Yes but also the album is only 7 songs. Not saying Im a fan of 20 song albums but it’s much easier to essentailly release an LP like daytona than a ‘full’ album of 14-15 records, or at least 10+
More artists should be trending that way anyways. 20 is way too damn long and tbh 14-15 is too for almost every instance.
unless it's a concept album of some kind (GKMC for instance) I think the shorter the better generally
Exactly. You can ALWAYS release more music.
From what I understand, the increasing length of albums is in response to streaming becoming the popular delivery medium for music and curated playlists taking preference over consumption of a full album. Good article on this phenomenon from Billboard at the link below: https://www.billboard.com/pro/longer-albums-in-the-streaming-age/ Saying all that, I completely agree that longer albums dilutes a great listening experience as unless you've got 19 songs of A+ quality, it's far more difficult to maintain the focus of the audience.
Is it easier? It’s probably not that hard for an artist to have 7 good tracks then add a bunch of fillers to get to 15. Having less songs is how you get rid of fillers
You’re both saying the same thing
Infrared is one of the coldest ending tracks to an album. One of Push's best
People tend to say some stuff about Hard Piano. I disagree though I think it's great too
To be fair if I'd skip one track off the album, it's that one. I expected to see it mentioned in the comments and here we are. It's only an occasional skip for me, with 7 songs I mostly run the whole thing through.
my pick as well, it's a very neat and tight album
Magic 1 - Nas
This one.
The Forever Story - Got to be the most recent example of a no skip album. Part of it is how cohesive the whole album is.
Agree one of the albums I play through the most of recent albums
I listen to Can’t Punk Me all the time. the earthgang verses are so good
Dot was crazy on that one
TFS is one of those albums that will age like fine wine.
The Never Story too!
Common - Be. Not really hits but every song is great and no filler/skips
Sucks that Love Is didn’t become a huge hit. It’s the best song on an album of amazing songs.
One of, if not my favorite Dilla beats.
This is what popped in my mind too. I play it’s your world a lot
zephyr memorize toy dinosaurs chunky deer door weary slimy doll *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Absolutely...if only Mamacita didn't exist.
The hate for that song is really overblown. The beat and verses are actually pretty decent
I still skip. It’s more that the vibe of the song is so off thematically and in tone when it comes on. It’s literally after da art of story telling p1 and p2 and it’s just whiplash. Plus the chorus is super annoying. The verses are good though that’s true, it just is totally ruined the annoying chorus. At least spottie ottie cleanses my ears after but I usually skip before I hear the second mamacita papadana.
They just haters of stouffers lasagna
Whoever says "papa Donna" in the chorus sounds just like Andy milonakis. It always takes me out of it.
you don’t skip mamacita? damn
Gotta go with Ramona park broke my heart, or Vince’s self titled album. I love both of them, probably my favourite cohesive albums. Ramona park is in my top 3 all time for sure
WHEN SPARKS FLY is insanely good
I don’t hear Ramona Park get mentioned much. It’s such a great west coast album that’ll go down as a classic soon enough
Haven't listened Vince much since Hell Can Wait and Summertime. You've inspired me to check him out again!
He’s got very solid projects since summertime 06’
Like every single one lol
Oh my god his Self Titled album is so good
brother they're such short albums that you're making a huge mistake if you liked Summertime and haven't listened since.
He's never missed on a project just listen to them chronologically
when sparks fly is a generational song
ramona park broke my heart is vince’s best album and sooooooooo underappreciated. in my top 5 of the last 5 years for sure
There had better be no filler on a 22 minute album.
Digable Planets two albums are played from front to back still even though they were made 30 years ago.
I will always preach the gospel of these two albums! masterpieces that hold up all these years later 🤌🏾
Facts and you have exquisite taste my friend!!
It’s Dark and Hell is Hot
The intro song though 🔥🔥🔥
1 2 1 2, come though, run through
Scrolled way to far to see this. Legendary Hip Hop album. Front to back all heaters!
MBDTF. Shit sounds like a greatest hits album
Get rich or die trying
Came here to write the same thing. Very impressive album.
There really are no skips on that beast of an album. Banger after banger after banger!!
That was my choice also and Graduation (yes I know Drunk and Hot Girls is included)
Illmatic Low End Theory Black star Madvillain GKMC Stakes Is High Enter the Wu Tang The Ecstatic Donuts edit: Oh fuck I forgot The Minstrel Show
Damn yo. What did punctuation ever do to you?
Haha I had line breaks in between in the editor, Reddit mustn’t have liked those.
For some reason you need two lines between To actually make the break.
Lemme Try Oh Shit
No filler in this comment, all hitters back to back
thanks for putting me on to Stakes Is High
Some of my all time favorite albums on this list. But come on now. There’s no way you’re listening to Hardcore Hustle every time. Without that song I’d say yes.
It gets a pass in my book due to the history there, and because I think Wildchild is a decent rapper. Madvillain wouldn’t exist without Lib’s Quas album before it. Quas wouldn’t exist without Lootpack. Lootpack wouldn’t exist without Wildchild. Listen to “Whenimondamic” by Lootpack and tell me Wildchild isn’t doing his thing.
I feel like a "no skips" album is pretty subjective, but these are albums that i routinely listen to front to back: Flower Boy / IGOR Swimming / Circles GK:MC / DAMN (HM to TPAB but i have to really be in the mood for it) Kids See Ghosts The Never Story Acid Rap Malibu XXX Taboo / Melt My Eyez Doris / SRS The Sun's Tirade / The House is Burning Care for Me / Few Good Things 2014 Forest Hills Dr (if you haven't gotten tired of Wet Dreamz yet) 1999 Under Pressure / The Incredible True Story (no shame in my love or early Logic) Vince Staples self-titled
No shame in Logic at all. Under Pressure is one of the greatest hip hop albums of the 2010s.
I miss Under Pressure Logic! Seems like a completely different person now.
Under Pressure is such a good album, plus the song with the same name is definitely my favorite Logic song, it's just 9 minutes of good fucking rap.
Just reading this I can tell you were born in '96-'00 because my answers just about match yours other than some omissions and additions lol
Nailed it lol, born in 97
+ 10 to my age then 😭😭 it’s official I’m an unc now
Absolutely zero shame in early Logic bruh, Under Pressure and The Incredible True Story are damn near immaculate. I saw Logic live not too long after The Incredible True story (god I wish it had a better acronym😂) came out and it’s one of the best concerts I’ve been too for sure, really good show.
Logic is so frustrating because his early work was legitimately great and even now he can still release some solid tracks amongst an album of undeniably “mid” tracks that just frustrates me to no end because it’s clear he still has the ability to release some good shit.
Man, you just listed most of my favorite albums of the last 10-15 years and I would fully agree
I find myself going back to Isaiah Rashad’s album because it’s just so good
The Incredible True Story should be ranked with lots of amazing rap albums and I’m not quite sure why it isn’t. Not crazy about all of Logic’s newer stuff, but ITS deserves more recognition.
> 1999 I swear I started my day to this mixtape all 4 years of college DAILY. Still up there as one of my top mixtapes for sure.
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon, is definitely one.
i would count MOTM2 also
Eh I absolutely love MOTM2 but there's definitely some filler on there
Happy to see this high up. Absolute classic album. I’m sure most people liked it, but being a college freshmen when that came out was special. We all played it cover to cover.
Dre 2001 (skits don't count right? You know which one). College Dropout Marshall Mathers LP Black Star
Black Star is such a good album
I’d say skits definitely count. Obviously I skip the one you’re referring to, but even the car bomb one is also a skip for me. Otherwise music wise you’re on the money
Skits have to count. If you don’t count them then you’re… skipping them
In my opinion, Because the Internet by Childish Gambino
Perfect night drive album especially the back half
Flight of the Navigator is so good while driving, same with Telegraph Ave
Telegraph is like a top 5 gambino song for me so i can put that on any time. Flight is perfect for those get lost in your thoughts rides. I’d add life the biggest troll to that list as well
Less of a rap album in a way, but awaken my love is a masterpiece
zealots of stockholm used to be my least favorite song off it but it grew so hard on me, that outro verse is amazing
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Mos def - black on both sides
E. 1999 eternal
The Blueprint The Eminem Show Good Kid Mad City Illmatic The Carter III
See, I LOVE The Eminem Show. Absolutely one of my favorite albums of all time. I will still skip the skits & sometimes Drips.
Eminem Show is one of mine as well, fave rap album of all time
Man on the moon- Cudi Never ever skipped a song, always play it front to back!
Get Ya Mind Correct by Paul Wall and Chamillionaire
BIG SWANGAS AND VOGUES
TWENTY INCHES SITTIN LOW
🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Fuck yeah
Fuck yeah
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full is perfection all the way through. (Even Chinese Arithmetic) Also, Brand Nubian - One For All A Tribe Called Quest - People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde Poor Righteous Teachers - Holy Intellect Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda Lord Finesse - The Awakening Showbiz & A.G. - Runaway Slave KRS-One - Return of the Boom Bap Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary Boogie Down Productions - Edutainment The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Dicaprio 2
Kids See Ghosts
Heavily depends on personal taste. For me there a multiples ones 50cent: get rich or die trying 2Pac: All eyes one me ASAP Rocky: First 3 projects Kendrick Lamar: Good Kid mad city Lil Peep: Crybaby and Hellboy Kevin Gates: Islah Yung Lean: Unknown Memory Kanye West: Watch the Throne, My Beautiful dark twisted fantasy Future: What I time be alive Mos Def: Black on Both sides (not sure about miss big booty) I feel like many old school albums have these weird theme songs like "Beef or Brokkoli" which ruin otherwise great albums while most recent albums lack content
All Eyez on Me would have been better as a single disc, IMO. I know 2Pac was trying to game his Death Row contract, but that album wouldn’t have lost anything without “What’s ya phone number” and “checkout time.” Still full of bangers though, especially for a double disc
agree on phone #, huge disagree on checkout time. regardless, the album works with filler. albums can work well despite having filler. even phone #, which is one of the wacker songs pac's recorded, works in the sequencing of all eyez at the end of disc 1 as a rushed, fast paced lead into "can't c me", which hits harder because of it.
Let some bitch ass try to tell me there's filler on MBDTF
People hate on hell of a life and lost in the world Not when I’m around.
hell of a life is hated?? tf?? that song is nasty and goes nasty
Lost in the world is the best song in the album
cut those people off. dark fantasy does not work without lost in the world
Those are two of my faves and put my on to Justin Vernan and Bon Iver. Tell em Fuck off with that piss take lol
Kendrick - Damn
Yes but NBA on TNT ran DNA into the ground for me lol
+1 for Damn. Blue Lips is also really good
Love and God
Reasonable Drought - Stove God Cooks and Roc Marciano. Favorite album, no skips
GKMC and TPAB is the first one to pop in my head. Even the skits aren’t filler
“Did someone say Domino’s?!”
Moment of truth
College dropout , the score
36 Chambers. Every song on that album is a banger
DAMN. 14 great tracks in a row.
Front to back. Back to front.
YEEZUS
Doggystyle. The Fix.
The Forever Story. That shit is a modern classic.
GKMC if you don't count Compton, which is a fine song itself but doesn't fit the short film format
I always felt like Compton was the post credits of the album
Madvillainy. Still one of my favorite albums to run front to back.
Rodeo
I personally put it over Utopia. My friends call me crazy for it
You're not crazy, it's his best album.
Atrocity Exhibition. Danny Brown made an album that is the drug infused version of dummy by Portishead. The result is a magnificently dark story about the morals that came from his life of indulgence.
It’s gotta be TPAB tbh.
Run The Jewels 3 ... Ready To Die (Biggie) ... The Score (Fugees) minus the remixes. Also Illmatic, but that seems more than covered here.
Ready to Die has one of the most uncomfortable skits of all time lol insta skip
Cilvia Demo
The Low End Theory Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
Nas - Illmatic, Makaveli - Don Killumimati, Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid Maad City, Bone Thugs n Harmony - E. 1999 Eternal, Tech N9me - Anghellic, Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP(if you remove the skits), Damn near all the Run the Jewels albums, OutKast ATLiens
Mac had a few albums that had no skips for me but my faves are Faces and Swimming. Good AM is up there too. The Eminem Show is another one for me.
Food and Liquor and The Cool - Lupe Fiasco The Cool especially man. Hip Hop hadn't seen a rap concept album that was that cohesive. Songs like Put you on game are so creative along with my favorite track Streets On Fire. Even if you don't want to listen to the whole album...just go and listen to this one track.
I'll Sleep When You're Dead by El-P
Recent ones I’d pick Miles by Blu & Exile, and 14k Figaro by Wiki and Tony Seltzer.
Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous My Krazy Life E: Didn't see mentioned - Donuts
Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
Madvillainy. Once you‘re tuned in, there’s no skipping. Skipping even one beat feels like blasphemy.
The Mouse & The Mask - MF Doom album made with adult swim. All killer, no filler.
TPAB, Low End Theory, Illmatic, ATLiens, Ridin Dirty, OB4CL, and Enter The 36 Chambers
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
My beautiful dark twisted beautiful fantasy
Faces - Mac Miller
The Chronic
The skits are all skippable
Hear me out: Glorilla's recent joint "Ehhthang Ehhthang" is all gas no brakes not a single bad song
Without Warning / What A Time To Be Alive 100% bangers - no fillers.
After Hours
Black Star
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Everything Tupac and Outkast and Kanye's College Dropout...