6. Wu-Tang Clan - Iron Flag. The Wu experimented with different sounds on this album, rather than stick to the same formula as its predecessors. This album was one of the better Clan releases. Ghostface and Rae shine very brightly on each track they were featured on *note "Babies"*. Iron Flag was different from other releases at the time, only having 12 tracks. "You've Been Warned" and "Babies" are my favorites off the album. I was having difficulty figuring out if I wanted to include this in the list, but after looking at every Hip-Hop and R&B release of 2001, I thought it was one of the best.
7. T.I. - I'm Serious. Now that Mr. Harris has solidified himself as a major player in the industry, it was only right that I include his debut album. Any true T.I. fan knows that his first album was his best. He came into the game proclaiming himself as "King Of The South" and years later, he proved it. This album was a banger from start to finish. "Still Ain't Forgave Myself", "Dope Boys", "Hotel", "I Chooz U", and "What's Yo Name" are classics. I'm Serious featured Too Short, Beenie Man, P$C and Pharrell. He chose great production at the time ranging from Jazze Pha to the Neptunes. T.I. also revealed his chemistry with producer DJ Toomp. It's a shame that this wasn't a commercial success but little did we know that this T.I.P. would take off like a rocket in 3 years...
8. Beanie Sigel - The Reason. 2001 was a great year for Roc-A-Fella Records being that "The Reason" came first then Jay-Z dropped on Sept. 11th. "Nothing Like It" was a wonderful way to begin the album where Sig dropped lines like "Pick you apart like you niggas is transparent...I spit words that skip through air..." Just Blaze sampled a classic EPMD record for "So What Cha Sayin'" where Beans and Bleek sparred with each other making a lovely combination. Then Beans showcased a more personal side with the legend Scarface on "Mom's Praying". Scarface clearly outshined the younger Sigel but the track showcased the chemistry between the two that would show in the future. "The Reason" also featured Jay-Z, Tha Dogg Pound and State Property. Overall, the album was showing Beanie Sigel's growth as an artist and it couldn't have come at a better time in Hip-Hop.
9. Ludacris - Word Of Mouf. WOM was Luda's best selling album to date selling almost 4 million copies. It was released early due to piracy issues but what else is new. Ludacris had incredible word play and said things that would register a few seconds late like "wait...what did he just say? Play that again." He saw his biggest success off the album with Nate Dogg on "Area Codes" which became a suburban favorite. He collaborated with Twista, Jagged Edge, Three 6 Mafia, Nate Dogg and Sleepy Brown on this album. Luda began to show the world with this album that he was a respectable lyricist with a nact for creating appealing music. I personally purchased "Word Of Mouf" twice as it is my favorite Ludacris release along with "Theater Of The Mind".
10. 2Pac - Until The End Of Time. This was the third posthumous album from the late, great Tupac Shakur. It featured original and remixed versions of songs Shakur recorded before his untimely death. In my opinion, this was the last acceptable release of 2Pac material. Everything after is completely remixed and watered down with collaborations from artists 2Pac didn't even like. UTEOT also featured production from his main producer Johnny J which made this release have an authentic feel. "Breathin'", "Happy Home", "My Closet Road Doggz" and "Last Ones Left" were standout tracks on "Until The End Of Time." 5 years after his death, his music was still relevant to the Hip-Hop culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment