Last Consensus hip-hop classic?

What is the last album everybody can agree is a classic, i.e. an Illmatic, and Paid in Full, a Death Certificate, etc.

And please, no random ass shit that only YOU think is classic, I am honestly curious as to what we all think the last classic is.

Below The Heavens?

If not, I'd say S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.

Marshall Mathers / Supreme Clientele / Train of Thought / Blueprint
are the last all around HIP HOP classics imo

there have been countless of other underground and personal classics but if hip hop music all of a sudden ended today i probably wouldnt include any albums as genre definitive classics that came out after the ones i listed above......

Supreme Clientele and Train of thought are not widely enough recognized as classics to fit the mold, even though most consider them; same with Below the Heavens and SONOGRAM, and they are way more underground. I guess we can do two categories, last classic-quality album, and last actual hip-hop classic.


FYI Stillmaitc came out after both and as far as I know it's considered a hip-hop classic.

Below The Heavens and SONOGRAM is only considered classic by select underground heads...

I'd say stuff like The Blueprint. The Fix. College Dropout.

last classic were the ones i mentioned a few posts above

last Personal/Near-Classics: stuff like SONOGRAM, Masters of the Universe, Madvillainy, Quality Control, Aziatic, The Black Album, Game Theory, College Dropout, The Offering, Lets Get Free, The W, Rip the Jacker, Vaudeville Villain, Anghellic, The Fix, Donuts, Jesus Price Superstar


man its crazy i consider those near classics/personal classics....the drop off in quality since the 90's is kinda depressing now that im thinking about it lol i can think of basically 4 albums i consider hip hop classics since 2000, thats sad

I agree with Blueprint, Stillmatic, The Fix, and Supreme Clientele.

I want to add

Marshall Mathers
Its Dark And Hell Is Hot
Soul Food
The Resurrection (Geto Boys)
Ridin Dirty

Lets Get Free for sure. BTH and Sonogram also work.

I'd take The Blueprint, Stillmatic & Marshall Mathers LP

I was going to mention Let's Get Free but I have heard it catch a lot of flack from some about it's content. But I luv the f**king album!!

KRob86 wrote:

I was going to mention Let's Get Free but I have heard it catch a lot of flack from some about it's content. But I luv the f**king album!!

Hell yeah man. That album is powerful. Dead Prez is supposed to be dropping an album this year.

Let's Get Free hates white people.

That means I like it

Cise Starr wrote:

KRob86 wrote:

I was going to mention Let's Get Free but I have heard it catch a lot of flack from some about it's content. But I luv the f**king album!!

Hell yeah man. That album is powerful. Dead Prez is supposed to be dropping an album this year.

Not supposed they are...June 23rd!!

the samples i heard so far have not impressed kev, it sucks both their mixtapes and album since then sucked huh? if you haven't heard it yet m-1s solo album is dope as fuck man.

Oh yeah I got Confidental the first day it dropped, i'm real with dead prez fan. I will be buying this new one also str8 blind, hope I don't regret it. Only ones I semi regreted were Can't Sell Dope Forever and Turn Off The Radio Vol. 2.

Shon wrote:

Let's Get Free hates white people.

That means I like it

Haha I hear you man.

Steve wrote:

Supreme Clientele and Train of thought are not widely enough recognized as classics to fit the mold, even though most consider them; same with Below the Heavens and SONOGRAM, and they are way more underground. I guess we can do two categories, last classic-quality album, and last actual hip-hop classic.


FYI Stillmaitc came out after both and as far as I know it's considered a hip-hop classic.

I disagree with what you said about Supreme Clientele and Train of Thought. Everyone that owns those albums says that they're classic, myself included.

I co-sign what you said about Stillmatic though. it's a classic for sure. As are Blueprint, The Marshall Mathers LP, The Fix, and Food & Liquor (I know Lupe doesn't get much love in this forum, but it's a consensus classic among hip-hop heads nationwide. My friends all love it, and so do most critics).

Underground classics include the aforementioned Below The Heavens and SONOGRAM, as well as Quality Control.

Food & Liquor is not a consensus classics. It doesn't have enough mainstream appeal for mainstream cats, and underground cats know there is better.

T. Myers wrote:

Food & Liquor is not a consensus classics. It doesn't have enough mainstream appeal for mainstream cats, and underground cats know there is better.

Both RapReviews and HipHopDX gave it a perfect score, many people consider it a classic. I haven't heard anyone outside of this forum give it less than 4 stars.

KJ I agree with you on F&L being a classic. Most wouldn't agree though as Terry pointed out.

KJ Styles wrote:

T. Myers wrote:

Food & Liquor is not a consensus classics. It doesn't have enough mainstream appeal for mainstream cats, and underground cats know there is better.

Both RapReviews and HipHopDX gave it a perfect score, many people consider it a classic. I haven't heard anyone outside of this forum give it less than 4 stars.

Ok, What did XXL and The Source give it? It's not a magazines or websites opinion that makes an album a classic. It's the fan's opinion, and the fact is Lupe doesn't get that kind of love and support. I think it's atleast 4 stars, but that is not a classic rating, is it?

T. Myers wrote:

KJ Styles wrote:

T. Myers wrote:

Food & Liquor is not a consensus classics. It doesn't have enough mainstream appeal for mainstream cats, and underground cats know there is better.

Both RapReviews and HipHopDX gave it a perfect score, many people consider it a classic. I haven't heard anyone outside of this forum give it less than 4 stars.

Ok, What did XXL and The Source give it? It's not a magazines or websites opinion that makes an album a classic. It's the fan's opinion, and the fact is Lupe doesn't get that kind of love and support. I think it's atleast 4 stars, but that is not a classic rating, is it?

I haven't read either of those in quite some time so I don't know what they gave it. The FANS on HipHopDX and RapReviews AGREED with what those sites said too and feel that it's a classic. They said the same about The Cool as well.

If you don't feel that it's a classic that's fine. Lupe is still considered somewhat underground so he doesn't get as much love from mainstream cats. But people that I know personally that listen to more than just commercial shit show Lupe the love and support he deserves outide of here and Amazon.

Lupe - not a classic


Supreme Clientele and Train of Thought are too underground to be classics, really dude.

Steve wrote:

Lupe - not a classic


Supreme Clientele and Train of Thought are too underground to be classics, really dude.

Of course you're gonna say Lupe's not a classic because you don't like him, so I don't even take what you have to say into account when it comes to him.

Since when is Ghostface underground though? I can see why someone would say that about Kweli even though I disagree, but Ghostface is NOT underground by any stretch of the imagination. He's been the most consistent member of Wu-Tang when it comes to solo albums.

The Cool is no classic KJ. It was pretty disappointing. F&L OTOH definitely was.

Stillmatic of course is the most recognizable out of all those listed.

KJ Styles wrote:

Steve wrote:

Lupe - not a classic


Supreme Clientele and Train of Thought are too underground to be classics, really dude.

Of course you're gonna say Lupe's not a classic because you don't like him, so I don't even take what you have to say into account when it comes to him.

Since when is Ghostface underground though? I can see why someone would say that about Kweli even though I disagree, but Ghostface is NOT underground by any stretch of the imagination. He's been the most consistent member of Wu-Tang when it comes to solo albums.

Supreme Clientele isn't a classic, MMLP, Blueprint, and Stillmatic are.


Just because I don't think he's fucking God like you doesn't mean that it's a classic. It's not. Nobody calls it a classic by and large, just a few misguided souls.

Cise Starr wrote:

The Cool is no classic KJ. It was pretty disappointing.

The most "mainstream" classic out of all those listed (not necessarily the best) is Game Theory.

I agree that the Cool isn't a classic, I was just saying that it is in certain circles. The Cool is 4.5 IMO though. I only skip two tracks on it.

I like Game Theory but to me it's 4.5 as well. It's dope as hell but not quite in the class of the Roots first three albums.

KJ Styles wrote:

I like Game Theory but to me it's 4.5 as well. It's dope as hell but not quite in the class of the Roots first three albums.

Yeah Game Theory isn't a classic per se but since it was listed as one I was just making an observation. I'd give it a 4.625 or so.

Supreme Clientele:

Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums #2
Billboard 200 #7

Units sold: over 700,000 copies

Train of Thought:

Billboard 200: #17
Top R&B/Hip-Hop: #5

Units Sold: This album is certified Gold by the RIAA.

Gold isnt enough man?

Dude, they are not CONSENSUS HIPHOP CLASSICS.


Does every album that's ever gone gold get classic now? Slim Thug "Already platinum" went Gold, so y'all bitches better recognize that's a hip-hop classic!

Jim Jones went Gold, hip-hop classic!

I think MIMS went Gold, hip-hop classic!

Steve wrote:

KJ Styles wrote:

Steve wrote:

Lupe - not a classic


Supreme Clientele and Train of Thought are too underground to be classics, really dude.

Of course you're gonna say Lupe's not a classic because you don't like him, so I don't even take what you have to say into account when it comes to him.

Since when is Ghostface underground though? I can see why someone would say that about Kweli even though I disagree, but Ghostface is NOT underground by any stretch of the imagination. He's been the most consistent member of Wu-Tang when it comes to solo albums.

Supreme Clientele isn't a classic, MMLP, Blueprint, and Stillmatic are.


Just because I don't think he's fucking God like you doesn't mean that it's a classic. It's not. Nobody calls it a classic by and large, just a few misguided souls.

If that last comment is referring to Lupe, I already said what I gotta say about that and it stands, so I'm not going any further with it, we can just agree to disagree.

As for Supreme Clientele and Train Of Thought. Most fans feel that it's classic, as do many critics so it's a classic. Just because Ghost and Kweli don't have the star power of Jay Z, Nas, or Em doesn't mean that their albums aren't classics.
If you don't feel that they are based on the material then you're entitled to your opinion, but to say or imply that they aren't classics because they have less noteriety is inaccurate.

Yeah Supreme Clientele was not a undaground cd it got nationwide props and great reviews in evey outlet I checked. Plus he went gold during a time when a lot of mega artist were sucking up most of the spotlight so that's gangsta.

Train Of Thought imo is not a consensus classic because it is not to me. But I can see why it gets the rank, great album.

We are talking CONSENSUS hip-hop classics. None of this other little garbage man. Ghostface MAYBE, MAYBE, gets close but he just wasn't big enough to release a hip-hop classic. Kweli definitely not either.

Everyone already knows these are classic to me, but they are NOT HIPHOP CLASSICS.

Steve wrote:

We are talking CONSENSUS hip-hop classics. None of this other little garbage man. Ghostface MAYBE, MAYBE, gets close but he just wasn't big enough to release a hip-hop classic. Kweli definitely not either.

Everyone already knows these are classic to me, but they are NOT HIPHOP CLASSICS.

the reason i pointed out the 700,000 copies is cuz you were saying its too underground, i wasnt saying every Gold album should be classic

and if you're saying SC isnt classic cuz it wasnt big enough than does that mean albums like Daily Operation and Mecca and the Soul Brother arent classics cuz they didnt sell?

Supreme Clientele is 5 stars through and through. However, for many reasons, It fell on def ears at the time of it's release, and may not be a consensus. It could have been RZA's lack of involvement that turned off underground heads. It could have been that The Clan's waning star power at the time. Either way it wasn't received with open arms at first, but those who did give it a chance knew it was a great alnum.

Slang Editorial wrote:

Steve wrote:

We are talking CONSENSUS hip-hop classics. None of this other little garbage man. Ghostface MAYBE, MAYBE, gets close but he just wasn't big enough to release a hip-hop classic. Kweli definitely not either.

Everyone already knows these are classic to me, but they are NOT HIPHOP CLASSICS.

the reason i pointed out the 700,000 copies is cuz you were saying its too underground, i wasnt saying every Gold album should be classic

and if you're saying SC isnt classic cuz it wasnt big enough than does that mean albums like Daily Operation and Mecca and the Soul Brother arent classics cuz they didnt sell?

This ^^^^ is the EXACT POINT I'm trying to make as well! Just because an artist isn't a superstar doesn't mean that their albums can't be classic.

everyones talking about SC anf F&L which are albums that are often talked about as classics. but K Rob threw in The Resurrection (Geto Boys) and no one went at that. i almost never hear about that album and when i do i dont see the words classic. dont get me wrong its a good album but how come k rob can get away with what ever he wants on these forums

lol...look @ topic of the day, he is complaining about being singled out by everyone.

The Resurrection is a classic album to me, but there is no way it is widely regarded as a consensus classic

T. Myers wrote:

The Resurrection is a classic album to me, but there is no way it is widely regarded as a consensus classic

Exactly, the only album named Resurrection that's a consensus classic is Common's.

KJ Styles wrote:

T. Myers wrote:

The Resurrection is a classic album to me, but there is no way it is widely regarded as a consensus classic

Exactly, the only album named Resurrection that's a consensus classic is Common's.

Naw KJ Geto Boys Resurrection is just as consensus as Common's, ask most fans/semi fans in the west, south, and midwest and they will agree.

KRob86 wrote:

KJ Styles wrote:

T. Myers wrote:

The Resurrection is a classic album to me, but there is no way it is widely regarded as a consensus classic

Exactly, the only album named Resurrection that's a consensus classic is Common's.

Naw KJ Geto Boys Resurrection is just as consensus as Common's, ask most fans/semi fans in the west, south, and midwest and they will agree.

most fan, no east coast. most fans of most rappers say most album they drop are classic. this is a consensus, maybe you didnt get that part

Anybody said Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders, and It Takes a Nation of Millions?

TheHazardous wrote:

Anybody said Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders, and It Takes a Nation of Millions?

We're talking about RECENT classics here.

KJ Styles wrote:

TheHazardous wrote:

Anybody said Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders, and It Takes a Nation of Millions?

We're talking about RECENT classics here.

another point, didnt that geto boys album come out in 96