What is the best rap album of all time?

From Nas' Queensbridge poetry to Kanye's maximalist epics, rap has produced some of the most complex and innovative music of the past half-century. Vote for the rap album that changed everything.

1

Illmatic

A cinematic portrait of inner-city life in Queensbridge, widely regarded as the pinnacle of East Coast lyricism.

2

Ready to Die

Biggie's debut captures Brooklyn street life with cinematic storytelling and unparalleled flow.

3

The Chronic

The album that defined West Coast G-funk and launched a generation of rap stars.