10 Hip-Hop Albums Turning 10 Years Old in 2016

Jedi Mind Tricks – Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell

While Jedi Mind Tricks had slowly built a cult-like following over their previous four albums, their fifth release would be the one to get widespread acclaim and really grow their fan base. Ten years later, the brand, logo and album cover are near iconic amongst hip-hop heads. Vinnie Paz had established a reputation for spitting those hardcore, violent lyrics, and he even kept up that rep that same year with Army of the Pharaohs’ debut album, The Torture Papers, but this release with Jedi Mind Tricks saw him get much more diverse. It was still hardcore, but much more topical and concept-heavy than any other JMT release before or after, with songs about the Vietnam war, sweatshops, and mental health. Not to mention featuring R.A. The Rugged Man with what’s widely regarded as the best rap verse of the decade.

 

Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor

Over Lupe Fiasco’s ten-year career, he’s suffered from that classic debut problem, where all of his releases (to varying degrees) have been criticized for not living up to this first album of his. Food & Liquor was unique for its time, with a strong display of wordplay, lyricism, and an unapologetic, true-to-self personality. With our first impression from his lead single being an image of a nerdy skateboarder, Lupe Fiasco’s raw, uncompromising talent has made this album stand the test of time. Collaborations with The Neptunes, Kanye West, Mike Shinoda and Jay-Z also made this the closest to traditional-sounding hip-hop Lupe has ever been. This would be the start to a roller coaster of a career.

 

Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead

Similar to Busta Rhymes’ situation in 2006, Nas also started a new chapter of his career with a change of scenery, squashing his beef with Jay-Z and signing to Def Jam Records. This album was also a bold statement, as mainstream hip-hop at the time was shifting away from the traditional sound of rap music and almost becoming a parody. Whether or not Nas was right with the statement album title can be an article on its own, but it did cause several MCs to strive to be the ones to bring hip-hop back to life, in turn making the quality of the music better over time. As for the album itself, it remains a highlight in Nas’ discography with unique concepts, samples and collaborations. It also remains an awesome tribute to traditional, golden-age hip-hop from a golden-age MC.

 

The Roots – Game Theory

With a discography as great and as consistent as The Roots’, each of their albums are bound to be standouts for the year. Like the previous album on this list, Game Theory was also The Roots’ first album after signing a new deal with Def Jam Records, and they’re still with the label today. It was a much more politically and socially driven album with a darker tone than some of The Roots’ previous work, but it still had its fun jams. Black Thought sounded as dope as ever spitting sharp rhymes over Questlove’s drums, and the production was great all the way through (with a couple tributes to J Dilla). The Roots still perform songs off of this album regularly at their live shows, and it will be remembered as their last one with their longtime bassist, Hub.

 

T.I. – King

2006 was a big year for T.I.. While he had built a large fan base and established his fame over his three previous albums, King is when he really blew up into a superstar. The album is a standout in his discography, not only for the music but for the way it was used to help establish T.I.’s acting career, providing much of the sounds to his first film, ATL. It spawned the Grammy Award-winning single “What You Know,” which is still considered one of his biggest hits to date, and officially made Tip a chart-topper. T.I. also used this album to continue laying the groundwork for some of his epic collaborations on future albums, inviting heavyweights like UGK and Common to rap with him, and also using production from Just Blaze, Mannie Fresh and The Neptunes.

What was your favourite hip-hop album from 2006? What impact do you think these albums had on today’s hip-hop? We know there are several albums from 2006 we left out! Hit us up on Twitter at @SYpherSights and/or @CultVultures!