Top 5 Mixed/Mastered Hip Hop Albums

[verb1]

I'm trying to get some ideas of newer, post-Y2K CD's to bring to the studio to compare overall sound. With that in mind, what are y'alls top 5? (Let's see how many top 5 lists start with Dre 2001!)

[The Beatsmith]

After Dre 2001 there's a steep fall off in quality imho

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by The Beatsmith

After Dre 2001 there's a steep fall off in quality imho

Even with the Dre produced stuff that has come out since as well. 2001 is a good CD for reference because it is loud and mostly mono with sparse instrumentation. But, it all depends on what you are looking for...

I'm feeling Jimmy D's mixes on the new Timberlake album, but I guess that's R&B/pop.

[The Beatsmith]

Yes indeed, there's a lot more lee-way to get that nice, "well produced", big sound when the beats are so sparse

[The Beatsmith]

Another suggestion:

- Talib Kweli and Hi Tek - Reflection Eternal.

I also like having some 'dirtier' sounding, grimey hiphop to check my mixes against, as that's often a sound that you have to strive to achieve. Can't always overpolish everything!

I've been known to pull up 36 chambers... .

As Tony said, it really depends on what you want to go for.

[Lee702]

People Under the Stairs "Stepfather" and not hip hop but Jill Scott "Who Is Jill Scott?"

[verb1]

Originally Posted by Lee702

Jill Scott "Who Is Jill Scott?"

That album was well done. Can't go too wrong with a Bob Katz recommendation either.

[The Beatsmith]

Bump, i'm interested in what other people suggest/come up with, too

Peace

[Jack P]

Jay Z - Blueprint - is best i've heard.

[andrewj]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

I'm feeling Jimmy D's mixes on the new Timberlake album, but I guess that's R&B/pop.

I do not know the straight borderline between HipHop and RnB/Pop, but to me there are a lot more RnB things which are engineered in a superb way than in the HipHop genre!

No please no...

[LCD]

1. Dr. Dre - Chronic 2001
2. DJ Quik - Trauma
3. Any Cash Money album that Mannie Fresh mixed
4. TI - Urban Legend
5. Any Ludacris album

[andrewj]

Okay then:

For True HipHop or better what I call HipHop:

G-Unit - I wanna get to know you
Ruff Ryders - Ruff Ryders Anthem
50 Cent - In the Club
Nelly - Well actually a lot of him!

Well this is the stuff I think that sounds nice!

I know there are a lot more, but these are the ones I hear often!

[GOT MILK?]

Late Registration ....an extremely pleasing sound to my ears (a pretty decent record as well).

[The Marrvel]

the last Fabolous album sounded really good to me.

[P. Rene]

For me DRE always stands out, Outkast albums and belive it or not my fav is the ghostface supreme clientele.... boy the cleanest wu cd too date lol, i think the ME of that album posted in the mastering forum also.

[(DC)]

Originally Posted by andrewj

Okay then:

For True HipHop or better what I call HipHop:

G-Unit - I wanna get to know you
Ruff Ryders - Ruff Ryders Anthem
50 Cent - In the Club
Nelly - Well actually a lot of him!

Well this is the stuff I think that sounds nice!

I know there are a lot more, but these are the ones I hear often!

Wow, that's the first time i've heard g-unit and nelly be called "real hiphop".

On Topic:

1. Dr. Dre - The Chronic (The ideas fell in place perfectly... huge and very clear sound)
2. Nas - The Illmatic (The most pleasing album to listen to... my favorite)
3. Guru - Jazzmatazz Volume 1 and 2 (The amount of live music and sampling in these 2 volumes is nuts... amazing to listen to... especially if you're into live hiphop recording...)

Those 3 deserve mention... I dont recall any others that really caught my attention for the quality of the final product.

[3rdeyeKnight]

For a clean, crisp sound, I just cant think of any other Hip-Hop album that tops the Chronic 2001. I recommend the instrumental version. I keep it in my CD changer at all times for referencing. DJ Quick's Trauma album is a very close contender. The sonics are outstanding-I have the instrumental version to that one as well.

On the east coast I recommend The Dynasty's Roc La Familia, and Jay-Z's Blue Print-Young Guru does a great job on those.

And eventhough this doesnt count as an album, anything done by The Track Masters(Tone and Poke)...and if you're not familiar with their work, peep:
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Trackmasters

[lynn ness]

i know you said "post-y2k" but imo, hip-hop engineering adopted way too many pop sensibilities after 2000 -- for a good spectrum of that true hip-hop sound, i would recommend peeping:

nas - illmatic
tribe - low end theory/midnight marauders (also see; nearly any bob power project)
group home - livin' proof
digable planets - blowout comb
smiff n wessun - dah shinin'

honorable mentions:

o.c. - word... life
b.i.g. - ready to die

really too many to name, but those are a few sure wins... enjoy.

[andrewj]

Originally Posted by (DC)

Wow, that's the first time i've heard g-unit and nelly be called "real hiphop".

Okay, sorry for that.

I am not so sure where the border lies!

If HipHop is just the hard stuff without vocal hooks then The Roots is not HipHop as well?

Mhh... N.O.R.E. perhaps?

This is hard for me!

[Osten Powers]

I think the new Busta Rhymes album "The big bang" on vinyl sounds very good to me!

[beat you down]

a lot of recent stuff sounds too squashed to me.

[Cgbravo]

Originally Posted by beat you down

a lot of recent stuff sounds too squashed to me.

loudness wars lol

[mgthefuture]

Jay-Z - American Gangster
DJ Khaled - We Global
Eminem - The Eminem Show
Timbaland - Shock Value
P. Diddy - Press Play

So many good albums to reference the various sounds of today's hip hop, mixed at top grade.

I like to spectral analyze these in Ozone and EQ match with my similar tracks, as a starting point.

Still trying to figure out stereo imaging and multi-band compression though

[Masterer]

Originally Posted by The Marrvel

the last Fabolous album sounded really good to me.

Duro mixed that to a great 1" machine.

Great low end. He's cool with not having his records smashed in mastering too.

It's not rocket science making a record sound good.

[MikeyMike]

Three Six Mafia "Choices" soundtrack.

[Silver Sonya]

I just got it today on double 180g vinyl.

- c

[Darwin James]

The new Darwin James album supposedly sounds great, too bad the rapper sucks so bad.

[Traxx]

Ice cube Raw Footage...

[T. Gundersen]

If you wanna be technical about it, Dre's 2001 was released in '99.

I don't think I can gather an actual top 5, but my fav. album sonically is T.I.'s "King". I really like some of the cuts on Rick Ross' "Trilla" as well as "Deeper Than Rap", but there are some cuts on those that I really dislike as well (still speaking pure sonics here). Ludacris' "Theater Of The Mind" was pretty good to me as well.

On the pop/urban side, I really like The Dreams "Love vs. Money" - the title track is epic to me .

Sidenote: I really disliked Timbalands "Shock Value". Too bad, because I do like his tracks, and I'm not too particular on sonics, but I can't stand listening to that album.

[RealSon]

Originally Posted by The Beatsmith

Another suggestion:

- Talib Kweli and Hi Tek - Reflection Eternal.

I also like having some 'dirtier' sounding, grimey hiphop to check my mixes against, as that's often a sound that you have to strive to achieve. Can't always overpolish everything!

I've been known to pull up 36 chambers... .

As Tony said, it really depends on what you want to go for.

Most definitely one of my favourite hiphop albums of all time. Not only music wise, but also the mixing & mastering was superior.