r/OldSchoolHipHop

1993 is one of hip-hop’s strongest and most important album years. In the same 12-month stretch, rap got the G-funk classic in Doggystyle, two foundational New York classics in Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Midnight Marauders, plus major underground records from De La Soul, Black Moon, Souls of Mischief, Del, etc.

The range was ridiculous. We got to witness polished radio dominance, hardcore East Coast rap, Southern flavor, and Bay Area weirdness all at a high level.

See below for my list of best rap albums in 1993:

Wu-Tang Clan: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders
Snoop Dogg: Doggystyle
De La Soul: Buhloone Mindstate
Black Moon: Enta da Stage
Souls of Mischief: 93 ’til Infinity
KRS-One: Return of the Boom Bap
Del the Funky Homosapien: No Need for Alarm
Scarface: The World Is Yours
Cypress Hill: Black Sunday

For me, the top three are nearly impossible to debate. 36 Chambers is considered to have the greatest impact on Hip-Hop as a whole. Midnight Marauders may be the smoothest, most consistent front-to-back listen. And Doggystyle is the definitive G-funk album and one of rap’s best debuts ever.

The rest of the list may be controversial, but I’d be curious to see the comments and hear what I missed.

What are your favorite albums of 1993 and which album am I underrating or leaving out?