As a kid, I loved hearing rap on the radio - The Message, Buffalo Gals, (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew.
In 1984, I got my hands on Run-D.M.C. (self titled) and I've been hooked on hip hop ever since.

Here's a thread of my favourite albums over the years; 2019-1984. I'm challenging myself to choose only four albums per year (this will be difficult in the Golden Era).
Discussion and debate welcome. #hiphop

2019. In high rotation was Pivot Gang (You Can't Sit With US), IDK (Is He Real?), Rapsody (Eve) and GoldLink (Diaspora). #hiphop

2018. Great year for hip hop with amazing albums from Westside Gunn, J.I.D, Phonte, Joell Ortiz x Apollo Brown and Joey Purp. Stand-outs: Benny the Butcher (Tana Talk 3), Denzel Curry (TA13OO), Freddie Gibbs (Freddie) and Curren$y x Freddie Gibbs x The Alchemist (Fetti). #hiphop

2017. Migos (Culture), Future (Future), GoldLink (At What Cost) and Kendrick Lamar (Damn) topped the year for me. Dope releases from A$AP Twelvyy, Roc Marciano, Smino, Joey Bada$$ and A$AP Ferg. #hiphop

2016. Brilliance from Royce da 5'9" (Layers), A$AP Ferg (Always Strive and Prosper), Smoke DZA x Pete Rock (Don't Smoke Rock) and Run The Jewels (RTJ3). #hiphop

2015. Inspiring albums from Kendrick Lamar (To Pimp A Butterfly), Pusha T (King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude), Czarface (Every Hero Needs A Villain) and Joey Bada$$ (B4.DA.$$). #hiphop

2014. A year of superb collaborations with Royce da 5'9" x DJ Premier (PRhyme), Freddie Gibbs x Madlib (Piñata)
Souls Of Mischief x Adrian Younge (There Is Only Now) and Cormega x Large Professor (Mega Philosophy).
Creative storytelling and production at its finest! #hiphop

2013. A$AP Rocky ( http://Long.Live .A$AP), A$AP Ferg (Trap Lord), Hieroglyphics (The Kitchen) and Run The Jewels (RTJ). A$AP Mob were blowing up that year! #hiphop

2012. Kendrick Lamar (good kid, m.A.A.d city) was easily album of the year, followed closely by Sean Price (Mic Tyson), Nas (Life Is Good) and Wu Block (Wu Block), a grimey collaboration by Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch. #hiphop

2011. Royce and Eminem traded bars on Bad Meets Evil (Hell The Sequel), Sean P and Guilty Simpson traded bars over Black Milk beats on Random Axe (Random Axe), Phonte got smooth (Charity Starts At Home) and Elzhi dropped the world's most creative tribute (Elmatic). #hiphop

2010. Another year of superb collaborations.
Guilty Simpson x Madlib (O.J. Simpson), Strong Arm Steady x Madlib (In Search Of Stoney Jackson), Skyzoo x Illmind (Live From The Tape Deck) and Nas x Damian Marley (Distant Relatives) > check K'NAAN on 'Tribes at War' #hiphop

2009. Lessons in lyricism from Royce da 5'9" (Street Hop), Slaughterhouse (Slaughterhouse), Raekwon (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt II) featuring Ghostface Killah and Mos Def (The Ecstatic). #hiphop

2008. Nas (Untitiled), Elzhi x Black Milk (The Preface), The Roots (Rising) and Jean Grae x 9th Wonder (Jeanius) official release on Blacksmith Records. #hiphop

2007. So many dope releases from artists like Percee P, Talib Kweli, Boot Camp Clik, Wu Tang and Lupe Fiasco. KRS-One x Marley Marl hit my nostalgia feels. Stand-outs: Sean Price (Jesus Price Supastar), Pharoahe Monch (Desire), Little Brother (Getback) and M.I.A. (Kala). #hiphop

2006. AZ (The Format), Boot Camp Clik (The Last Stand), Murs x 9th Wonder (Murray's Revenge) and Clipse (Hell Hath No Fury) were front-runners to fantastic albums from The Game, Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Kenn Starr, Mos Def, The Roots and Public Enemy x Paris. #hiphop

2005. The car speakers got a work-out this year with AZ (A.W.O.L.), The Game (The Documentary), Young Jeezy (Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101) and Danger Doom (The Mouse and the Mask), an MF DOOM x Danger Mouse collaboration. #hiphop

2004. Fabolous (Real Talk), Ghostface Killah (The Pretty Toney Album), Jean Grae (This Week) and Kanye West (The College Dropout) were dope in a year of solid releases from Nas, Madvillain, Masta Ace, Edo G x Pete Rock, Murs x 9th Wonder, Typical Cats, Oh No and Mos Def. #hiphop

2003. Hieroglyphics (Full Circle), Little Brother (The Listening), T.I. (Trap Muzik) and OutKast (Speakerboxxx / The Love Below). #hiphop

2002. Nas (God's Son), Cormega (The True Meaning), Missy Elliott (Under Construction) and AZ (Aziatic).
Pure lyricists. #hiphop

2001. Nas (Stillmatic), Wu-Tang Clan (Iron Flag), Jay-Z (The Blueprint) and Dilated Peoples (Expansion Team).
Fabolous and Masta Ace dropped some bangers. #hiphop

2000. Wu-Tang Clan (The W), Jurassic-5 (Quality Control), Cali Agents (How the West Was One) and Binary Star (Masters of the Universe). Bars. #hiphop

1999. MF DOOM (Operation: Doomsday), Method Man x Redman (Blackout!), Mos Def (Black On Both Sides) and The Roots (Things Fall Apart). Pharoahe Monch, Nas, Mobb Deep and Lootpack released great albums as well. #hiphop

1998. Hieroglyphics (3rd Eye Vision), Black Star (Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star), Outkast (Aquemini) and Cappadonna (The Pillage). #hiphop

1997. The year hip hop went pop and shiny suits dominated the charts. Thankfully there was Wu-Tang Clan (Wu-Tang Forever), Artifacts (That's Them), Camp Lo (Uptown Saturday Night) and O.C. (Jewelz). #hiphop

1996. Ghostface Killah (Ironman), Nas (It Was Written), Redman (Muddy Waters) and Jay-Z (Reasonable Doubt) were instant classics. The year had dope releases from Dr.Octagon, M.O.P. The Roots, 2Pac, OutKast, Ras Kass and Lord Finesse. #hiphop

1995. So many dope albums - Masta Ace Incorporated, AZ, Goodie Mob, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Smif-N-Wessun and The Pharcyde. Stand-outs: Big L (Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous), Raekwon (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx ...), GZA (Liquid Swords) and Mobb Deep (The Infamous). #hiphop

1994. Nas (Illmatic), Beastie Boys (Ill Communication), The Notorious B.I.G. (Ready To Die), OutKast (Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik). All classics. #hiphop

1993. Wu-Tang Clan (Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)), Souls Of Mischief (93' Til Infinity), Freestyle Fellowship (Innercity Griots) and Tha Alkaholiks (21 & Over). Competitive year with Digable Planets, King Tee, Kam, Masta Ace Incorporated and Lords of the Underground. #hiphop

1992. Das EFX (Dead Serious), The Pharcyde (Bizarre Ride II), EPMD (Business Never Personal) and Showbiz & A.G. (Runaway Slave). Meanwhile, Redman, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, Eric B. & Rakim, BDP, Pete Rock x CL Smooth, Too $hort and Lord Finesse all dropped bangers. #hiphop

1991. Cypress Hill (Cypress Hill), Ice Cube (Death Certificate), A Tribe Called Quest (The Low End Theory) and Main Source (Breaking Atoms). What a year ... Kokane, WC and the Maad Circle, Black Sheep, Gang Starr, KMD, Ice-T, Public Enemy, Scarface, CMW and O.G. Style. #hiphop

1990. Ice Cube (AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted), Above The Law (Livin' Like Hustlers), Brand Nubian (All For One) and Paris (The Devil Made Me Do It). Also ... Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, LL Cool J, Lord Finesse, BDP, Poor Righteous Teachers, Too $hort, 415 and London Posse #hiphop

1989. De La Soul (3 Feet High And Rising), Too $hort (Life Is ...), Cool C (I Gotta Habit) and Ghetto Boys (Grip It! On That Other Level). And ... Three Times Dope, The D.O.C., Kool G Rap, Roxanne Shante, BDP, Donald D, Big Daddy Kane, Beastie Boys, Ice-T and Low Profile. #hiphop

1988. The Golden Year. Public Enemy (It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back), BDP (By All Means Necessary), N.W.A (Straight Outta Compton) and Ultramagnetic MC's (Critical Beatdown). Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Stetsasonic, EPMD, MC Lyte, Run DMC, Ice-T ... #hiphop

1987. Dope on plastic. Public Enemy (Yo! Bum Rush The Show), BDP (Criminal Minded), Eric B. & Rakim (Paid In Full) and L.L. Cool J (BAD). Rap was evolving. MC Shan, Ice-T, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, T La Rock, N.W.A and the Posse and Kool Moe Dee. #hiphop

1986. Beastie Boys (Licensed to Ill), Salt N Pepa (Hot, Cool & Vicious), Schoolly D (Saturday Night! The Album) and Just-Ice x Mantronix (Back To The Old School). Run DMC was Raising Hell, 2 Live Crew wanted somethin', Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force rocked the planet. #hiphop

1985. Run DMC (King Of Rock), Mantronix (Mantronix), L.L. Cool J (Radio) and Schoolly D (Schoolly D). #hiphop

I remember meeting graffiti kids in wider hip hop circles who handed me copies of these on TDK D tapes. So good.

1984. Rock Steady Crew (Ready For Battle), World Famous Supreme Team (Hey DJ 12"), Divine Sounds (What People Do For Money 12") were fun and exciting.
But Run-D.M.C (self titled) was a game changer - raw, tough and confident. Them 808 beats! #hiphop

The best part of putting this list together was listening to 36 years of amazing music - so I'm going to add to it.

Here's some #hiphopGems I bumped over the years (1989-2020), from compilations and mixtapes to independent and major releases. Enjoy. #hiphop

1987-88. StreetSounds (UK) has a dope series of electro compilation alums and Hip Hop 17 (mixed by Mixmaster Tee) was the best. Kings of Pressure x The Bomb Squad (You Know How To Reach Us), Three Times Dope (Original Stylin') and Tall Dark & Handsome (self titled). #hiphop

1989-90. Uptown (Dope On Plastic) from Brooklyn could spit "Rehearsed the curse to reimburse your change purse".
Demon Boyz (Recognition), Rated X (...And Then Came) and Mob Style x Azie "A.Z." Faison (The Good, The Bad, The Ugly). #hiphop

1991-93. Kaotic Minds Corruptin' aka KMC (Three Men With The Power Of Ten), Chunk (Chunk II: Still The Menace), Mad Kap (Look Ma Duke, No Hands) and King Tee (The Triflin' Album). California represent! #hiphop

1993-96. Del The Funky Homosapien (No Need For Alarm), Kam (Neva Again), Black Moon (Enta da Stage) and Ras Kass (Soul On Ice). Styles. Bars. #hiphop

1997-2000. Cru (Da Dirty 30), Rasco (Time Waits For No Man), Prince Paul (A Prince Among Thieves) and my favourite Jedi Mind Tricks album (Violent By Design) with Jus Allah. #hiphop

2002-04. Planet Asia (The Grand Opening), the unofficial album remix of Nas by 9th Wonder (God's Stepson), the internet leaked studio album by AZ (Final Call) and Theodore Unit (718), composed of Ghostface Killah, Trife Da God, Cappadonna, Shawn Wigs and Solomon Childs. #hiphop

2004. MF DOOM (mm..Food?), Typical Cats (Civil Service), Mos Def (The New Danger) and Kazi x Oh No (The Plague). Spitkickers! #hiphop

2004. Mixtapes and rarities: Royce da 5'9" (The M.I.C.), M.I.A. x Diplo (Piracy Funds Terrorism; Volume 1), SpitKicker presents The Next Spit Vol.3 (hosted by MF DOOM) and Oktober (Projekt:BUILDING) - 'Hell To Pay' is a banger. #hiphop

2004-05. The UN (UN Or U Out), The Leak Bros (Water World), Boyz N Da Hood (self titled) and the superb debut from M.I.A. (Arular). All-Star talent: Roc Marciano, Dino Brave, Mike Raw, Laku, Cage, Tame 1, Young Jeezy, Jody Breeze, Big Gee, Big Duke and M.I.A. #hiphop

2005. Juice (All Bets Off), Lone Catalysts (Good Music), Supastition (Chain Letters) and State Property (The Lost Files) with big tracks from Freeway, Sparks, Young Chris, Oschino and the ever dope Peedi Crakk. #hiphop

2005. Lyricists. http://One.Be .Lo (S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.), Ohmega Watts (The Find), Lightheaded (Wrong Way) and Main Flow (Notebook Assassins). #hiphop

2005-06. Median (The Path To Relief EP), Kenn Starr (Starr Status), PackFM (Whatduzfmstand4?) and Rhymefest (Blue Collar). #hiphop

Looking at this thread, I bumped many a hip hop gem across 2004 and 2006 ... the same time I got my 20GB Apple iPod 4. lol.