The Top Twenty Albums of 1994

1994 was a monumental year for music, in particular it was a year of countless auspicious beginnings. It is hard to think of a better year for debut albums than 94, which was host to a new guard of rockers, rappers and everything in between charging onto the scene and shaking up the world all for the better. While the early 90s were all about finding a distinct sound divorced from the rampant iconography of the 80s, this year was firm in its identity and reveled in its desire to constantly innovate on what came before. This year is truly a cornucopia of all genres hitting high points, especially hip-hop which reaches its colloquially known Golden Age peak in this year, which is easy to see from all the classic rap records below.

I find it nearly impossible to qualify a favorite musical year overall but when I look at the twenty albums I've chronicled here it's hard to argue that this is the 90s at its very best. So sit back and enjoy these 20 favorites from 30 years ago!

#20 Brutal Youth - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (56 minutes, Alternative Rock/Power Pop)

Elvis Costello was dead-set on delivering an early career throwback with this album, getting back together with The Attractions for the first time in eight years to help reinvigorate his creativity. This record is one of the most sharp, clever and acerbic sets in Costello's discography, with a level of cutting humor and acidic punchlines that makes his early work seem tame. Usually an aging artist is content to soften, but Costello didn't want to at all, with this set feeling like it could have been released back in 1978 next to his most punk-inspired work. There are hints of heavier alt-rock and pop-punk influences on this, but it still feels remarkably Elvis in its effortless blend of cacthy pop hooks and ugly, loud punk riffage. This is the most vital Costello would sound for the entire decade, setting the scene for his resurgence in the 00s with The Imposters. Elvis is typically at his best when backed up by his familiar rogues gallery, and The Attractions elevate this from good to great. A true return to form.

Essential Tracks: "Kinder Murder" "Sulky Girl" "13 Steps Lead Down" "London's Brilliant Parade" "All the Rage"

#19 II - Boyz II Men (57 minutes, R&B/Pop-Soul)

Boyz II Men were already world-conquering superstars after their genre-fusing debut album, so their second platter had a lot to live up to, and while their sophomore record didn't quite reach the same dizzying heights, this is still a consistently delightful collection of both show-stopping ballads, steamy slow jams, and subtle hip-hop inflected swingers. This album is one of two distinct halves, with the first showing the quartet really embracing the sounds of the day with strutting drum loops and beat-boxed percussion letting the group riff over sparse, but punchy grooves. The Boys traded in their debut's heavy new-jack swing influence for elements of chill, almost trip-hop beats which let their vocals breath. However,this album truly shines the brightest when the group embrace their knack for slow jams and ballads. The back half of the record is stacked with stunning vocal showcases, living off of intricate harmonies and glorious vocal riffing. While some songs could be seen as formulaic, songs like "Thank You" and "Water Runs Dry" have funk and baroque influences, and the amount of a cappella selections shows the group's pure vocal strength in a beautiful way. While their debut had higher highs, this is B2M's definitive record. Everything the group does well, they do here.

Essential Tracks: "Water Runs Dry" "On Bended Knee" "Thank You" "I'll Make Love to You"

#18 Hard to Earn - Gang Starr (58 minutes, East Coast Hip-Hop/Hardcore Rap)

Gang Starr is the epitome of what brilliant alchemy can occur when a matchless producer finds a superb MC and each one pushes the other to continuously level up their craft, creating a duo that is truly unstoppable. While their earlier records leaned harder into punchy jazz rap, here DJ Premier cooks up some streetwise heaters with nasty, hard-hitting drum loops and punchy hooks to craft some of his most aggressive beats over which Guru takes a step back from his typical conscious rapping to deliver some hardcore gangsta-isms but with his genuine wit and deadpan delivery. Gang Starr were never really a gangsta group, but on this album they don the mafioso persona that was blowing up in the mainstream and show that no matter the subgenre, Guru and Preemo were not to be fucked with. Guru's smooth, sometimes monotone flow is perfectly suited to these Preemo concoctions with his razor sharp lyrics poking at the puffed chests of fake gangstas and bemoans the oppressive waves of gun violence in his city. While Guru kills here, this is more or less Premier's album, with some of his sickest, most impressive work behind the boards, and when it comes to production, not one other album from this year touches it. An impressive demonstration from the decade's dream team.

Essential Tracks: "Mass Appeal" "Tonz 'O' Gunz" "Speak Ya Clout" "DWYCK" "Code of the Streets"

#17 CrazySexyCool - TLC (56 minutes, R&B/Hip-Hop)

TLC's sophomore record sees the trio moving away from the high-energy new jack swing they made their name with and pivoting into a sultrier, moodier breed of hip-hop tinged R&B that befits their adult image. The synergy of the girls is at its best, with T-Boz and Chilli having grown into their smoky altos, their melodies always intertwining and letting Lisa Left Eye Lopes become the standout member with her quirky but thoughtful rap verses, giving them a unique feel from other girl groups of the era. The album is a pitch perfect melting pot of R&B and hip-hop influences, with features from up and coming stars like Busta Rhymes, Phife Dawg and André 3000 alongside soft bedroom ballads and Prince covers. The album title is a perfect description of the album's sound, emphasis on the trio's effortless cool.

Essential Tracks: "Waterfalls" "Red Light Special" "Creep" "Diggin' On You" "Sumthin' Wicked This Way Comes"

#16 Wildflowers - Tom Petty (1 hour and 2 minutes, Heartland Rock/Folk)

Tom Petty's second solo album takes the stripped down, softer approach he took on his debut "Full Moon Fever" and exchanges the supreme polish from Jeff Lynne's production with the earthiness of Rick Rubin, who allows Petty's beautiful compositions room to truly breathe. While Petty's work with The Heartbreakers had its moments of roostiness and country, here he exchanges the southern boogie and power-pop inflections of his star-studded band for some of his most earnest, singer-songwriter compositions. Petty for the first time in his career, almost twenty years since his debut, allows himself to sound like a rock veteran as opposed to a spirited upstart, leaning into his age to create a Neil Young-inspired set of songs which feel grounded in his immense life experience while remaining as melodic and memorable as his best punchy rockers. This is the ideal Petty album, with equal doses of quiet melancholic folk ballads, bluesy rockers and spirited pop-rockers all delivered by his weathered, but powerful voice. This album proves, with or without his Heartbreakers, Tom Petty was truly a generational talent. A soft, warm album made for the summertime.

Essential Tracks: "You Don't Know How It Feels" "You Wreck Me" "Wake Up Time" "To Find a Friend" "It's Good to Be King" "Crawling Back to You"

#15 Definitely Maybe - Oasis (51 minutes, Britpop/Hard Rock)

Some bands are just larger than life, which is evident from the opening notes of Oasis' rip-roaring, massive debut album, which makes no qualms asserting the obnoxiously talented Gallagher brothers as the rock gods of the decade. This album reeks of unearned confidence, with Liam's snotty delivery and self-mythologizing lyrics from Noel, they would be off-putting if not for the fact that this group was in fact, the real deal from the get-go. While some considered these lads a part of the Brit-pop crowd, they were delivering a product much heavier and rock oriented than many of their Kool Britannia contemporaries, with their guitar riffs drenched in fuzz and reverb, making every song as loud as humanly possible. While the rockers are blazing and ballsy, some of the record's best moments are the soaring power ballads which show off Noel's brilliant melodic talents and the softer side of Liam's snarling vocals. The drugged out haze of psychedelia and shoe-gaze lingers over many of the heavier, more spacey moments which differentiates them from the crowd and allows the album to wash over you with force and atmosphere. The brothers would continue their glorious ascent on their next album, but as far as debuts go, it's hard to find a more infectiously confident one.

Essential Tracks: "Live Forever" "Supersonic" "Rock N Roll Star" "Cigarettes & Alcohol" "Slide Away"

#14 Blowout Comb - Digable Planets (1 hour and 1 minute, Jazz-Rap/East Coast Hip-Hop)

Digable Planets sought out to double down on their immaculately jazzy New York style for their sophomore album, and in doing so they created one of the smoothest hip-hop albums of any era. The best way to describe this record is liquid jazz, with every beat feeling authentic and soothing but with an underpinning of noir funk. This is an album made for "cooling out" to, and the three MCs play perfectly off of the relaxed jazz-funk with their playful, soft flows making for a supremely easy listen. Butterfly maintains his spirituality with his lyrics and Doodlebug holds down the streetwise bars, but Ladybug is this album's breakout star, radiating charisma and a softness that is unusual for hip-hop, giving her lyrics and delivery a one of a kind feel. The album is an ode to NYC Black culture, with a jazzy noir edge that feels like the album plays in black and white as opposed to full color. While it may lack the stand out moments and hooks of their debut, this is the fully evolved Digable sound, liquid jazz you can't help but get lost in. Unfortunately this was their last record in a career that was much too short.

Essential Tracks: "9th Wonder (Blackitolism)" "Jettin'" "For Corners" "Dog It" "Borough Check"

#13 The Main Ingredient - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth (1 hour and 16 minutes, Jazz-Rap/East Coast Hip-Hop)

The duo's debut album in '92 was a supremely strong platter of pristine boom-bap beats and thoughtful yet braggadocious lyrics from a rapper and producer that had once in a generation synergy. On this, their second and final collaboration both Pete Rock and CL Smooth have demonstrably upped their respective games to create one of the landmark NY albums of the era. CL was a solid MC before, but here he transcends and becomes one of the most charismatic and enjoyable lyricists of the year, weaving smooth and percussive flows akin to legends like Rakim and Guru on any subject from NY living to romance, spirituality to battle-rapping and more. The true star here though is Pete Rock who delivers a set of crisp, punchy beats that weave samples like a pro. Every track here could be just as good if it was purely instrumental hip-hop, rivalling even DJ Premier when it comes to perfectly tailoring beats to an MC. Everything he does behind the boards elevates what CL is able to bring, to craft a truly stellar hour of hip-hop. This power duo should have stuck it out and dropped a couple more classics, but as a swan song this is as good as it gets.

Essential Tracks: "I Get Physical" "Sun Won't Come Out" "Take You There" "I Got a Love" "All the Places"

#12 Ill Communication - Beastie Boys (59 minutes, Hip-Hop/Punk/Jazz-Funk)

For the first time in their career, instead of a radical shift in genre from album to album, The Beasties doubled down on the homegrown garage punk-funk sound of their third album "Check Your Head", and made a sequel. Sequels are rarely as good as the original, but in this case the two albums are not only spiritual siblings but are nearly identical in quality. Here the group focuses even more on instrumental tracks, which not only indulge in gritty funk, and hardcore leanings but play with elements of jazz as well, especially with Mario's keyboards adding dimension to the sonic palette. These instrumentals feel more fleshed out than "CYH", but the rapping is a bit less focused and forceful, with a bit too heavy of a reliance on vocoder effects that make some of their funniest bars nearly unintelligible. With assists from Q-Tip and Biz Markie, the group do still get lyrical over some of their best beats, led by infectious flute loops and jazzy keyboards with their trio chemistry remaining perfect. The sheer variety on display here is astounding, on no other hip-hop album would the best track be a roaring guitar-fuzz drenched punk song, but with the Beasties it is par for the course. The album is a great one to vibe out to, and shows the boys working with a sense of discovery that makes even the rare misses here feel special. Weird as hell and loving it.

Essential Tracks: "Sabotage" "Get It Together" "Sure Shot" "Root Down" "Bodhisattva Vow" "The Scoop" "B-Boys Makin' with the Freak-Freak"

#11 No Need to Argue - The Cranberries (50 minutes, Folk-Pop/Alternative Rock/Jangle-Pop)

The Cranberries are a deeply ethereal band, living at the cross-section of soft dream-pop, jangly indie and strident folk-rock and with this, their sophmore album, the quartet takes everything brilliant about their haunted debut album and expands on its unique sonic world with a staggering musical diversity. The whispy ballads that Dolors O'Riordan was unmatched at delivering with her sharp, yet gorgeously textured voice are still here in full force, but the band seems more confident in experimentation, delivering a few heavier alt-rock tracks including a few truly devastating protest anthems about The Troubles. O'Riordan's lyrics have never been better, in their subtle painterly and poetic descriptions of her emotional life, whether it be viewed through her family, her troubled romances or the fraught politics of her nation, and their complexity is paralleled by the rest of the group, who deliver charged, yet moody backdrops where O'Riordan's keening voice can truly shine brightest. If their debut album only hinted at their ghostly promise, this platter fulfills it to the widest extent, this is a distillation of everything brilliant about The Cranberries. A tour-de-force from one of Ireland's best.

Essential Tracks: "Ode to My Family" "Ridiculous Thoughts" "Zombie" "I Can't Be With You" "Daffodil Lament"

#10 Parklife - Blur (52 minutes, Britpop/Indie Rock)

Some albums go beyond genre, but others, they are the epitome of a genre, and Blur's third LP is a prime example of the latter. If you were to define Britpop in the dictionary, it would just be a photo of this record and you'd be right on the money. With this record, Blur fully fulfilled the charming potential they hinted at on their first two records by diving deep into the world of 60s-inflected Kool Britannia pop music that was emblematic of the times. Damon Albarn was the modern incarnation of Ray Davies, as just like with Davies did with The Kinks, Albarn crafts a series of gloriously hooky melodies with wickedly sharp lyrics which both send up the intricate oddness of British life while also delivering damning critiques of life in the 90s. The command of genre which the band has on this album should be studied, delivering endless diversity spirited rockers, soft emotive ballads, charming power pop anthems and even obscure oddities such as punk scorchers, hazy psychedelic jams, oddball instrumentals and a funky Euro-disco song to rule them all. Brit-pop as a genre spawned a lot of imitators and pretenders, but Blur stands chief among them as the poster boys for how to do the genre better than anyone else. Blur brought British music to the end of the century in triumphant fashion with this remarkable record.

Essential Tracks: "Girls & Boys" "Parklife" "End of a Century" "To the End" 'This Is a Low" "Tracy Jacks"

#9 Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik - OutKast (1 hour and 4 minutes, Southern Hip-Hop)

1994 was a monumental year for hip-hop, particularly for debut albums, of which there were many classics, but the most fun listen of the year may belong to the dynamic duo of André 3000 and Big Boi, who lay down a brilliant set of low-slung funk and buttery ATL flows on their superb debut platter. You would think these two MCs had been spitting for years judging based on their acrobatic bars, liquid flows and effortless chemistry but this was only the beginning. OutKast were never traditionalists when it came to hip-hop, but this is likely their most "typical" album, luxuriating in the sounds of the classic Dirty South scene. The funky, soulful beats from Organized Noize and the frequent appearances from fellow ATL legends Goodie Mob make this record a died in the wool ATL celebration, but even when working within the confines of particular sound these two can't contain their brilliance. The dynamic between Big Boi's street-wise, pimpin' verses and André 3K's more spiritually minded wanderings is already well-established, but on these beats for the only time in their career, Big Boi is the clear star here with André playing his quirky sidekick. The group's knack for fantastically catchy choruses is already on display, showing a pop edge that many of their dirty south peers lacked. OutKast even in their most embryonic form were light years ahead of the game. A marvelous record that sounds exactly like the gangsta-ass title.

Essential Tracks: "Player's Ball" "Git Up, Git Out" "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" "Ain't No Thang"

#8 Live Through This - Hole (38 minutes, Riot Grrrl/Grunge/Punk)

While many point to Nirvana's "In Utero" as the epitome of the tortured artist laying it all out on the table in a graphic, upsetting tour-de-force, I believe Cobain's controversial life-partner, Courtney Love's entry into the genre is at the very least its equal. This album, Hole's second, takes the absolutely vitriolic noise-rock of their debut and actually puts some damn brilliant songwriting behind the walls of guitar noise and Love's harsh, weathered vocals with each song having a gut-punch hook and stark, powerful lyrics where Courtney expresses her righteous feminist rage towards the systems meant to keep her down. The lyrical content here is still absolutely stirring and chilling to this day, with Love wrestling with body image, dysmorphia, rape, pitting women against each other and perhaps most powerfully are her treatises on her experience as a young mother and her attachment to her child which are as tortured and brilliant as anything her husband ever wrote. The band backs up Love's utterly transformative lyrics and growling vocals with harsh, but spirited rock and grunge, creating a wall of noise that any heavy rock ground should aspire to, while also letting the catchy vocal melodies shine through. When you catch yourself singing along, it makes you think about what you're actually saying, which is what the best protest music does. The best moments are when the band pulls back and allows Courtney the softer, chilly acoustic ballads where her voice creeps into your spine and makes a home there, goosebumps and all. Riot Grrrl doesn't start or end here, but it's hard to find a better example of feminist rage perfected in musical form.

Essential Tracks: "Doll Parts" "Violet" "Jennifer's Body" "Asking for It" "Plump"

#7 Blue Album - Weezer (41 minutes, Power-Pop/Indie Rock)

Sometimes a band, try as they might, can never surpass the manic, amateurish brilliance of their debut album, and with nerd-rockers Weezer that is definitely the case. These four geeks, cooped up in their garage created something magical, an album with crunchy, hard-rocking riffs and anthemic choruses meant not for stadiums, but for lonely nerds looking for a rock star they can connect with. These songs are the epitome of heavier power-pop, with simple harmonies and ebullient hooks, all led by the awkwardly charming Rivers Cuomo. Nearly every song is a knockout punch of memorable melodies, earnest emotive vocals and fuzzy guitars with hopeless romantic lyrics about nerds, incels and garage refugees. The worst thing Weezer ever did was grow up, because no matter how hard they tried to, they would never be as gloriously gawky and adolescent as this set. The perfect album for an awkward adolescence.

Essential Tracks: "Say It Ain't So" "Buddy Holly" "Only in Dreams" "Undone (The Sweater Song)" "My Name Is Jonas"

#6 Dookie - Green Day (39 minutes, Pop-Punk/Rock)

Green Day's third album is not only where the power-trio finally put all the pieces together to create a cohesive, memorable body of work, but even more than that, these three snotty teenagers stumbled into the definitive pop-punk record of any era. These songs are simple, to a fault sometimes, but that adds to their immediate, adolescent charms where Billie Joe's snarling vocals and lyrics detailing a burned out adolescence give voice to a lost, endlessly frustrated generation while also touching on taboo subjects like queerness, masturbation and drug abuse. The intra-band dynamics lead every song to be electrifyingly powerful, with Mike Dirnt's driving bass lines and Tre Cool's thunderous drumming giving the song's a hint of bouncy funk while Billie Joe Armstrong's nasty guitar caterwauls monstrous riff after riff. No album rockets the listener back to high school angst more than this one. Before the rock operas and grand political statements, Green Day started off as the torch bearers for Gen X boredom distilled into a frustrated, electric record full of brilliantly punchy songs. Pop-punk has never been quite so incredible.

Essential Tracks: "When I Come Around" "Longview" "Basket Case" "Welcome to Paradise" "Pulling Teeth" "Burnout"

#5 Day for Night - The Tragically Hip (59 minutes, Rock/Folk Rock)

The Tragically Hip's fourth album is one of the group's most textured and brooding works, building on the immaculate rock song-craft of "Fully Completely" and indulging in dark, moody atmospherics to play off of their heavier sound. The Hip have rarely ever rocked as hard as they do on this album, with crunchy guitar work and thundering drums, but the genius is the way the band allows the song's to build moodily before the cathartic release of the choruses. Gord Downie's writing is hitting a true peak, with his evocative poetic lyrics befitting the mysterious vibe the album cultivates and letting his unique voice ring out on these stadium ready anthems. The Hip's loudest album is perhaps also their most insular and off-kilter, but that's what makes them such a trailblazing group. The heaviness is off-set by some of the band's most haunting folk ballads and a few slow groovers making for an album that feels truly nocturnal. A masterpiece from a band at the top of their game. The sound of cold Canadian nights distilled into an hour of arresting, brilliant rock.

Essential Tracks: "Grace, Too" "Nautical Disaster" "Scared" "So Hard Done By" "Inevitability of Death"

#4 Ready to Die - The Notorious B.I.G. (1 hour and 9 minutes, East Coast Hip-Hop/Hardcore Hip-Hop)

Biggie knew his was the shit from the moment he stepped onto the scene, because only someone with an ungodly amount of self-confidence would put such a gloriously self-involved, laudatory album out as their debut, but even fewer people actually had the talent to back up all the posturing, because dammit, Biggie was the baddest motherfucker around and everyone knew it. Biggie's flow is monstrously smooth and punchy when necessary, he spits like a prize-fighter, landing each punch line with a vocal uppercut, letting his brassy baritone vocals ride the beat. Speaking of beats, many here are outstanding cuts from legends like Easy Mo Bee and DJ Premier, and even the sample-heavy Puffy beats aren't lame as they would become in the ensuing years. While many of the classic highlights here feature Big spitting furious bars about his mafioso gangsta lifestyle, he also demonstrates an insane amount of stylistic range and lyrical subject matter for a fresh rapper, touching on his come-up, the struggles of living as a poor Black man in NYC, the good old days of his parents generation, countless ladies' anthems and sex jams and best of all, a chilling eulogy where he dives into his own tortured psyche, knowing what he does is bad, but knowing he is unable to do anything else due to his circumstances. Some may call this a simple gangsta rap record, but they would be dead wrong, this record has an intense emotional depth to it few other veteran rappers could touch, let alone newcomers. While Big only had one more album in him, the man was ready to die from the get-go, and if this was his one and only statement he would still be one of the GOATs.

Essential Tracks: "Juicy" "Gimme the Loot" "Suicidal Thoughts" "Things Done Changed" "Warning" "Big Poppa" "Machine Gun Funk" "Everyday Struggle"

#3 Grace - Jeff Buckley (51 minutes, Singer-Songwriter/Alternative Rock)

Sometimes a great voice is all it takes to make an album worth a listen, and with the late Jeff Buckley's debut album that is certainly the case. During his tragically brief career, Buckley only released this single studio record, but he packed a lot into a small package, delivering soaring, operatic vocals which radiated anguish, emotion and raw talent like very few other singers. His range is indomitable, whether he be singing as gently and softly as possible or blasting out over the heavier rock songs. While his keening voice is the main attraction, Buckley's song-craft is excellent as well, creating an album that pulls from both soft, vocal jazz and grungy alt-rock in equal measure, creating a rough but melodious album full of raw, sometimes ugly emotion but always delivered in gorgeous fashion. Even the covers he performs feel like his own songs due to how commanding his performances are. Few albums feel truly reminiscent of the genius of Miss Nina Simone, but this stands chief among them. This album is sweet, soothing and utterly gut-punching in equal measure, allowing Buckley's angelic tenor to glide across these melodies with ease and grace. This album is nothing if not graceful, a showcase for a supreme talent robbed from us far too soon. If this was only the beginning, Lord knows where he could have gone next.

Essential Tracks: "Lover, You Should've Come Over" "Last Goodbye" "Hallelujah" "Grace" "Dream Brother"

#2 The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails (1 hour and 5 minutes, Industrial Rock/Metal/Ambient)

Some albums you only listen to once, not because they are bad, but because they are so incredibly brilliant and utterly devastating that to listen again would be dangerous. The second record from industrial legends Nine Inch Nails is certainly one of those records. The immense emotional honesty, desperate clawing at sanity and painful explorations of depression, rage and hatred are palpable and intense. This is a musical cry for help from the archetypal tortured artist Trent Reznor, who with his raw, shrieking vocals, thunderous industrial percussion and bone-chilling ambient textures is able to conjure a hellish sonic universe which parallels his own internal turmoils. No album in my experience presents a more haunted and authentic representation of the lowest emotional moments any human can experience. The blend of insane high energy screaming rockers, sultry lustful mid-tempo grinders and the soft ambient pieces which soothe the pain makes the album perfectly paced, a harrowing journey that needs to be experienced in full to be appreciated. This album is not for the faint of heart, but there is incredible beauty in this hellish descent into madness and self-harm. It is only an incredibly brave artist who could release such a heart-wrenching record, and Reznor is nothing if not confessionally brave. This is suicidal poetry at its artistic peak. Thankfully Reznor found his way out of the spiral before it was too late, but this album is gripping testimony from the edge of sanity. Not an album to listen to all the time, but every once in a while, nothing comes close to this haunted soliloqut.

Essential Tracks: "Hurt" "Closer" "March of the Pigs" "A Warm Place" "The Downward Spiral" "I Do Not Want This" "Piggy" "Mr. Self Destruct"

#1 llmatic - Nas (39 minutes, East Coast Hip-Hop)

Hip-hop more than any other genre is home to countless classic debut albums, because more often than not, a rapper only gets one chance to make an impression, the public deciding on impact whether they're the next big thing or not. This leads hip-hop to have a storied history of brilliant debuts, but none compare to this, the first LP from New York's finest MC, Nas, who delivers a captivating, career-defining performance over ten tracks in which he spits fiery verse after verse, filled to the brim with conscious bars and clever quotables. This is a lyrical album first and foremost, with Nas showing off his impeccable flows over gritty, boom-bap beats. The fact that Nas was only 19 when this released is still mind-blowing, as he spits like a seasoned veteran, making sure every moment he has on the mic is utterly star-making, so much so he only features a single guest-verse across the whole project and he never gets close to being monotonous. From infectious brag-raps and old school nostalgia to street-wise conscious poetry for his friends in the lock up, Nas never lingers on one topic for too long, painting a varied and beautifully realistic portrait of growing up poor in NYC. While Nas is the main attraction, every beat here is pristine provided by a murderer's row of east coast legends, with boom-bap bangers from DJ Premier and Pete Rock or mellow jazzy beats from Q-Tip and Large Professor, the musicality of this record is prime east-coast golden age goodness. Unlike most hip-hop records this is a breezy 40 minute listen, not even coming close to overstaying its welcome in the age of CD bloat. Overall, while other albums might be showier and flashier, if you're looking for the peak of hip-hop artistry, you can't find better than this. Perhaps the greatest rap album of all time and easily the best from 94.

Essential Tracks: "The World Is Yours" "It Ain't Hard to Tell" "N.Y. State of Mind" "Halftime" "Life's a Bitch"

Thanks for taking this journey through 1994 with me. The Best of 2004 is soon to come!

Happy Listening!