Harlem Renaissance: The Best Albums Outta Harlem

What's the haps cats and dogs?!  This salute goes to a piece of history.  Harlem, before it became the personification of gentrification in today's times, belonged to Black people.  The community's richness is steeped with a highly regarded legacy, especially with the arts of painting/drawing and music.  Harlem is likewise home to the iconic Apollo Theater, and historic figures such as Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Count Basey, and W.E.B. Dubois resided there for a period of time.  Best known for the "Harlem Renaissance", tons of entertainers and artists all came on board to be a part of the flourishing section of Manhattan where all Blacks came together to etch more part of American history.  Fast forward nearly one hundred years later and hip-hop has also churned out some rather significant pieces of work throughout time as well.  Perhaps the first person to fully rep Harlem was pioneer Kurtis Blow, and from there other legends like DJ Hollywood, DJ Red Alert, The Treacherous Three,The Fearless Four, and Doug E. Fresh all carried Harlem on their backs as well.  Since then, artists such as Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Black Rob, and Immortal Technique all wave the Harlem flag as often as possible.  With that being said, let's get into the best project Harlem has produced.

25. A$AP Ferg- Always Strive And Prosper

A$AP Rocky isn't the only cat out the A$AP Mob that can go in.  A$AP Ferg is also a cat that is a star in his own right as well.  After the acclaim and success of his debut album, Trap Lord, he came back with an even more focused and cohesive album in Always Strive And Prosper.  Complete with impressive guests spots by the likes of Chuck D, Missy Elliot, his A$AP Mob and Big Sean, the album sounds more confident and more tightly put together, thus furthering A$AP Ferg's legitimacy as an emcee with or without his family.

24. Smoke DZA & Pete Rock- Don't Smoke Rock

If there's any producer in the game that can bring just good ol' fashioned lyrics out of someone, the legendary "Chocolate Boy Wonder" Pete Rock is one of the first that come to mind.  His latest success story is Smoke DZA, and the result was a sincerely bangin' album in Don't Smoke Rock.  While DZA isn't a bad emcee, Pete brought the best out of him, and some of his best bars to date.  Plus, P.R. presented his usual brand of superb production and it wasa enough for fans of that nineties/early thousands feel to thoroughly rejoice at this album.

23. Kool Moe Dee- How Ya Like Me Now

One of the eighties kings within hip-hop was Kool Moe Dee.  Formerly one-thirds of the Treacherous Three and known for one of the game's first true battles with Busy Bee, Kool Moe Dee delivered his second album, How Ya Like Me Now, in '87 in the midst of his rivalry with LL Cool J (even the album cover has his jeep running over a red Kangol hat indicative of LL).  The album was most known for two of his biggest singles ever in the title track and "Wild Wild West", and became the biggest selling album of his career.

22. A$AP Rocky- Long.Live.A$AP

Former drug dealer, turned emcee, Rakim Myers, also known as A$AP Rocky, was introduced to us by his mixtape, Live.Love.A$AP, which caused a buzz in NYC, and caused him to get signed to RCA.  The result was his debut album, Long.Live.A$AP, and it was an overall dope introduction on a mainstream level.  While not the type of lyricist that will impress you with intricate vocab and witty wordplay, he has a style and swag to him that is appealing, plus one can't deny that this A$AP Mob member delivered one hell of a posse record with underground favorites Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$, Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., Yelawolf, and Danny Brown, "1 Train".  Add along with it a platinum plaque and A$AP Rocky was officially here.

21. Kurtis Blow- Kurtis Blow

There's no way we give respect and props to Harlem, and not give it up for one of its first representatives in hip-hop.  The one and only icon himself, Kurtis Blow, released his debut full-length self-titled album in 1980, which contained the classic "The Breaks".  It's also heralded and widely known as the first hip-hop gold album, with "Breaks" being the first platinum single.  A pioneer to the utmost, this album showed that hip-hop could handle its business in the music world too.

20. Smoke DZA- Dream. Zone. Achieve

Smoke DZA's second album, Dream.Zone.Achieve basically was an expansion of his prior albums, but he stuck to the motto: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".  Stories of hustlin' and more hustlin' sound fairly decent over sounds provided by the likes of Pete Rock, Pro Era's Kirk Knight, Sean C & LV, DJ Dahi, and more heat from Harry Fraud.  This will not reinvent the wheel, but it will find you becoming a DZA fan, if not on the low. 

19. Cam'ron- Confessions Of Fire

Former Jay-Z-affiliate Undeas founded his own label Untertainment in the mid to late nineties, which house two people: Charli Baltimore and Cam'ron.  Cam had previously been a part of Harlem act Children Of The Corn, with Herb McGruff, Murda Mase, Big L, producer Digga, and the late Bloodshed.  However, they all split up after Bloodshed's unfortunate passing and he went to the Un-brella (get it *chuckle*).  Cam's debut, Confessions Of Fire, was a pretty personal and cohesive effort that was a great introduction into us knowing who Cameron Giles is.  Standouts were definitely there and showed that his first effort was a nice one to start.

18. A$AP Rocky- A.L.L.A.

By 2015, A$AP Rocky was considered among the new jacks of bringing NYC back to prominence.  His debut album, Long.Live.A$AP, was quite intriguing and was overall dope, but it was missing more of himself.  He fixed that and any other errors that were with the debut and crafted the very formidable follow-up, A.L.L.A. (At Long Last A$AP).  Dedicated to the late founder, the album was Rocky at his finest.  More experimental and dare I say trippy, this was a very ambitious album, and one that definitely fit moire to the paradox that Rocky is.  A knockout on several different areas.

17. Diplomats- Diplomatic Immunity

When Cam'ron jump ship to Roc-A-Fella, he brought his Diplomats tandem with him, which was Jim Jones, Freaky Zeaky, and young gunna Juelz Santana.  Their debut double album, Diplomatic Immunity, was clocked full of heat, courtesy of the production team The Heatmakerz, who many believe outdid the chipmunk soul style of production way too much on this release.  Even then, any type of mishaps the group may have had, the production was s till so strong that it made up for it.  The click was definitely a unit on here and it truly showed us the potential of Santana all over here.

16. Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew- The World's Greatest Entertainer
 

All hail the legend himself, Doug E. Fresh.  After his exciting debut album, Oh My God, he and his Get Fresh Crew were up to continue the party with his second effort, The World's Greatest Entertainer.  Every bit as funky as the first, the album was led by the infectious single "Keep Risin' To The Top".  This album was the definitive album from him and solidified him as a bonafide star.  Maybe he was in fact "The World Greatest Entertainer".

15. Cam'ron- Come Home With Me

After two gold selling albums, Cam'ron finally migrated over to Roc-A-Fella Records thanks to homeboy Dame Dash.  He, likewise, brought his Diplomats team over with him.  His Roc-A-Fella debut, Come Home With Me, was him finally coming into the potential we all knew he had since his aforementioned debut, Confessions Of Fire.  Sounding more confident and hungrier than ever, the album was led by the crazy first single "Oh Boy".  From there, Cam was on fire, and presented his most complete album to date.  With a platinum plaque added to his name, Killa Cam had finally arrived.

14. Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew- Oh My God!

After the release of the seminal, iconic maxi-single "The Show" b/w "Ladi Dadi" with Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh became a star.  In '86, he and his Get Fresh Crew released their first album, Oh My God!, and it was true instant classic.  A highly influential and legendary album, Fresh was on his way to becoming one of hip-hop's biggest acts, and there was no denying that Fresh would become a legend with an album like this. 

13. Dave East- Hate Me Now
 

Many consider Nas' protege, Dave East, as one of the futures of NYC hip-hop.  His delivery and style is so vintage nineties NY, and he's looked at to bring the Big Apple back to prominence.  His eighth mixtape, Hate Me Now, is his first under Nas' Mass Appeal Records and showed just how cold this cat is.  Raw lyricism mixed with excellent production works very well for this standout emcee.  His ridiculous cut "Demons" set the stage for quite the potent album, and showed Dave East is nothing to keep sleeping on.

12. Black Rob- The Black Rob Report

After the platinum plus success of his very highly impressive debut, Life Story, Black Rob attempted to reclaim that same success with his sophomore album, The Black Rob Report.  While it may have been missing some of the commercial formulas that made his debut a big time hit across the board, it still contained a lot of grime and grittiness, maybe even more so than Life Story.  At a time where Bad Boy was strictly cookie cutter at this time, Robert Ross came back after his five year delay and came back and smacked people in the face to remind them that the real had returned.

11. Ma$e- Harlem World

Bad Boy needed a new star with the highly tragic and senseless death of Biggie.  Diddy presented former Children Of The Corn member, Murda Mase.  He rechristened him as Ma$e, and he became the label's boy wonder.  His boyish charm and addictive personality, mixed with his laid-back flow, was a hit with the ladies, and his debut album, Harlem World, was as anticipated as anything else during that time period, including Biggie final album, Life After Death.  The album was filled with hits virtually wall to wall, and catapulted Ma$e to earn Best Rap Album and Best New Artist nominations at the Grammys.  On top of the fact that the album sold nearly four million units.

10. Juelz Santana- What The Game's Been Missing

The Diplomats/Dipset's golden boy was Juelz Santana.  After showing off his talents on two consecutive Cam'ron albums and The Diplomats album, he debuted with his fairly dope debut, From Me To You.  However, it was his sophomore album, What The Game's Been Missing, that people really got to see all of what Juelz could offer.  He shined over tracks that ranged from decent to straight fire, especially cuts like "Shottas", "O Yes", and the highly infectious "Clockwork".  Every bit as personal as, if not more than, his debut, Juelz Santana definitely had next with this very excellent effort, ultimately going gold.

9. Dave East- Kairi Chanel

After gaining a new audience and firmly introducing himself on his aforementioned mixtape, Hate Me Now, he stepped it up on many levels with his follow-up, Kairi Chanel.  The mixtape named after his daughter is undeniably as gutter and street as anything you'll hear presently, but this time he elevated his storytelling abilities, such as on tracks like the sheisty "Keisha" and the powerful and gripping "Don't Shoot".  Sounding more and more like the next big star outta NYC, East manhandles every track he's on and even differs up styles off and on as well.  This effort truly showed that Nas' protege is fully ready for mainstream/commercial success and once his Mass Appeal/Def Jam debut drops, don't say nobody didn't warn you.

8. Big L- The Big Picture

After the mindless murder of ferocious, yet highly witty, lyricist Big L, everybody was wondering what kind of posthumous music would we hear from one of the game's most talented lyricists.  His debut, Lifestylez Uv Tha Poor & Dangerous, introduced us to this kid, but it was his posthumous effort, The Big Picture, where we really get a good look of what could've been a massive superstar in the works.  The album was all filled with either unreleased cuts or underground singles that one could've only heard from mixtapes.  It was clear by the end of the album that L was in a lane of his own and if the rumors were true about him becoming signed to Roc-A-Fella around the time of the shooting, it would've been possible that he could've been the breadwinner besides Jay in that camp.  Without question, one of the most underrated albums one will hear to this day.

7. Immortal Technique- The Third World

By 2008, Immortal Technique was one of the most feared and respected emcees throughout all of the underground.  His highly acclaimed Revolutionary series was still garnering more and more fans for the Peruvian emcee.  He hooked up with DJ Green Lantern to release The Third World, which could easily be compared to his Revolutionary series in terms of his topics of institutional racism, classicism, poverty, and corrupt politics.  Angry and hostile, IT presented tracks that were sure to create anarchy and angst among many communities.  Based on cuts like "Open Your Eyes", "Reverse Pimpology" and the dramatic title track, this album wasn't, and still isn't, for the shook.

6. Cannibal Ox- The Cold Vein

During the time when El-P was just fucking up the entire underground with his efforts including landmark albums like Company Flow's Funcrusher Plus, and his own Fantastic Damage, he also delivered two young Harlemites named Vordul Mega and Vast Aire, collectively Cannibal Ox.  Their debut, The Cold Vein, is unquestionably, undeniably, and undisputedly raw.  Grittiness and grime is the makeup of this album, Regarded as one of the most revered underground albums of the nineties, The Cold Vein was dark and ugly, yet it showed just how fantastic of a producer El-P was and how good of a tag team Aire and Mega were.  Yet another classic project with El-P's stamp on it.

5. Black Rob- Life Story

After making an intriguing impression of Diddy's No Way Out album, as well as Ma$e's Harlem World, it was time for Black Rob to have his own shine, and his debut, Life Story, lived up to every expectation it had for it.  Able to provide some aspects of radio while staying loyal and true to the streets, this album is as raw as it is catchy, and is as honest as it is star-making.  Shaking the pavement with his lead single, the anthemic "Whoa", he followed with searing cuts like the previously heard "I Love You Baby", the fantastic "You Don't Know Me", and the fabulous remake of Slick Rick's "Children Story", "Thug Story".  This debut is easily comparable to other phenomenal debuts during this time such as Beanie's debut and labelmate Shyne's debut, plus it went platinum to boot.  Black Rob was officially here.

4. Immortal Technique- Revolutionary Vol. 1

In '01, Harlem native, by way of Peru, a hard-nosed, controversial battle emcee named Immortal Technique had been buzzing within the underground for his hardcore views of global politics and anarchist approach to the government.  His debut, Revolutionary Vol. 1, was an album filled with rage, yet also brutal honesty with exceptional lyricism and storytelling abilities.  Starting with the "Creation & Destruction" freestyle over the beat for CNN's "L.A., L.A." remix, he rips it apart, but it's other cuts such as the highly controversial "Dance With The Devil", "The Poverty Of Philosophy", and "The Prophecy" that capture the angst and uprising dreams that tend to embody this game-changing emcee.  One of the most incredible underground albums to ever exist in any time period.

3. Big L- Lifestyles Ov Tha Poor & Dangerous

One of the least appreciated crews in all of hip-hop is D.I.T.C., a crew that consists of Fat Joe, O.C., Show & AG, Diamond, and Lord Finesse.  Another member of this legendary crew was Lamont Coleman, also known as Big L.  Seen as the lyrical monster of the crew, his sharp tongue, highly witty wordplay, and almost unparalleled overall lyricism made him a problem.  Originally a member of Children Of Da Corn with Ma$e, Cam'ron, Digga, and Bloodshed, L went on to join the crew, and undert them, he dropped his debut, Lifestylez Ov Tha Poor & Dangerous.  The album was simply a complete effort from start to finish.The album also marked one of the first times we ever heard Jay-Z, Ma$e, Herb McGruff, and Cam'ron on an album, but on top of that, boardwork from Diamond, Showbiz, Lord Finesse, and Buckwild made this album a gem of an album.  Now regarded as a hip-hop classic, Big L showed just how high his potential to be a star was with this phenomenal debut.

2. Immortal Technique- Revolutionary Vol. 2

After the memorable debut that was Revolutionary Vol. 1, Immortal Technique came back with the sequel, Revolutionary Vol. 2, and it was every bit as angst and in your face as the first one, only even more gripping topics such as the drug trade, the prison system, and conspiracy theories concerning 9/11.  Much like "Dance With The Devil" was the cut that caused the most noise to be made, the attention-grabbing "Peruvian Cocaine" is the highlight here, as several different emcees act as different cocaine ingredients to show how cocaine was made and how it got shipped to the U.S.  This is one of several powerful and stunning cuts that prove that there's a method behind the rage that is Immortal Technique.  He's education on wax.  Perhaps an even angrier KRS or Chuck D.  In any case, Technique delivered the two most middle-finger-at-the-government albums this millennium may have been exposed to.  In this day and age with the Trump regime, this album is all the more important.  This is more than just a hip-hop classic, this is one of our modern society.

1. Puff Daddy & The Family- No Way Out

Many are likely having a screwface on right now asking, "How the hell would he put this at number one considering the prior past few albums he mentioned?"  This is why.  Diddy was, is, and will always be Harlem.  Bad Boy was grounded and rooted in Harlem, but was centered around a huge lyrical powerhouse who would become a future legend from Brooklyn.  After his untimely death, Diddy somehow pulled himself together after mourning the death of his biggest artist and close friend, and presented an unexpected classic with No Way Out.  The album was more than shiny-suit type fluff and materialism.  This was a man in mourning and in anger over the death of someone so close to him.  Let's not forget he watched him die.  The emotions that were all through him were profound and with the help of his Bad Boy family, primarily The Lox (at that time), Black Rob, and Ma$e, Diddy brought it all together to deliver something featured one of the most incredibly produced albums of the nineties, as well as an album that showed that, in spite of his pain, Diddy was a warrior and would persevere through this ordeal, and he did.  Who can deny that "Victory" is one of the hardest anthems in the history of that label?  Plus overall, this was a victory, and deserves to be mentioned as one of the most reluctant gems one will ever encounter.

Honorable Mentions

Ma$e- Double Up
Cam'ron- Purple Haze
Juelz Santana- From Me To U
Jim Jones- Hustler's P.O.M.E.
Jim Jones- On My Way To Church
Immortal Technique- The Martyr
P. Diddy & The Family- The Saga Continues
Charles Hamilton- This Perfect Life
A$AP Mob- The Cozy Tapes Vol. 1
A$AP Ferg- Trap Lord
A$AP Rocky- Live.Long.A$AP


As you can see, Harlem is a hot bed of talent and legendary performers and emcees that further legitimize the legacy and influence of this esteemed, iconic section of Manhattan, NYC.  There's a ton more other talent just waiting to be heard and blow up for their hood.  Stars such as the ones mentioned plus others such as JR Writer (hold your head), Max B (hold your head, wavy!), and the ever controversial and outspoken Azaelia Banks are just some of those who continue to wave the Harlem flag and will show the rest of the NYC boroughs that there's still hell up in Harlem.  Until next time folks!