Top 10 Hip Hop Albums for People Who Don't Like Hip Hop

Topping the list, we have what many consider to be A Tribe Called Quest's magnum opus. And for good reason, because this is a masterpiece in terms of jazz rap and just having a good time. Phife Dawg and Q-Tip have insanely good chemistry when it comes to sharing the mic, as most evident on Check The Rhime. The features on this album are also great, with the pinnacle being Scenario with Leaders of The New School. This was one of the first albums to fuse jazz with hip-hop, and boy, did they do it well.

Seriously, check this album out if you have time. You will not regret it.

Honestly, as much as I loved this album, I'd say one should get familiar with hip hop before going into this

Hip Hop albums for people who don't like Hip Hop? That's like making a list of Meats for Vegans.- Nik

This album is a fun listen, I'll say that. Like Endtroducing..., this album has samples as well, but since J Dilla was a renowned producer, he made beats to go in with the samples. And boy, are they good to listen to.

This is the more profane version of The Low End Theory, but that doesn't stop it from being awesome. You get serious stuff, humor, and laid-back rhymes on this track that are rapped by the much-improved Phife Dawg and Q-Tip. The jazzy beats are also a step-up from The Low End Theory, with Electric Relaxation being a prime example of that. This is the better album, but it's harder to get into than The Low End Theory, due to it being more profane.

Now this is considered by people who aren't rap fans to be one of the greatest albums, period. And it makes sense. Nas' intricate rhymes inspired by him growing up in the ghettos of Queensbridge are some of the best of all time, using many internal, multisyllabic, and compounded rhymes. The production is solid as well, utilizing funk, soul, and jazz samples into the beats, and doing it very well. In short, this album is nothing short of perfect, and a must-listen for any music fan.

And to think he only made this when he was 20.

Some people would consider this to be the greatest hip-hop concept album of all time. While I think To Pimp A Butterfly's concept is miles ahead of this ones, this one has a huge concept: a rapping computer prodigy battles a series of foes to become Galactic Rhyme Federation Champion. While the production is solid and the rhymes, while redundant at times, are great, the concept shines out above all. A must-listen.

Wow, this was one of the last albums I'd expect to see on a Top Ten list, but it is true. Anyone who's a hard fan of Gorillaz would probably know about this. Del the Funkee Homosapien is a fantastic rapper. He has great flow and his wordplay is progressive.

I know most of you don't like Kanye as a person. Go ahead, he pretty much deserves most of the hate. But he does not deserve to be hated as an artist when this masterpiece exists. I'll say it here, this is one of the most well-produced albums, period. Nothing falls short in this album. The manic tribal beat on Monster, the piano on Runaway, the guitar on Gorgeous, the triumphant feel on All Of The Lights; it's just all so perfect. The lyrics, guest verses (especially Nicki Minaj's), and Kanye's performance are great, but like Deltron 3030, the production is the centerpiece of the album. And boy, is it phenomenal.

This album sampled 105 songs for 15 tracks, 24 which appear on the last track. That's insane. The follow-up to the commercially successful Licensed to Ill was a commercial failure, but it was eventually recognized as one of the greatest albums, period. And for good reason, as it's arguably a more serious and sonically pleasing Beastie Boys album.

This is my favorite album of all time. Let that say something, because this album is entirely made of samples. And somehow, DJ Shadow managed to work those samples into cohesive, atmospheric masterpieces.

This is poppy Kanye West. He managed to make a good pop album, after years of making songs with soul samples on them. This is just him at his goofiest and most introspective, with tracks such as the ode-to-Chicago themed Homecoming; the braggadocious Daft Punk-sampled Stronger; and the lush Good Morning. This is Kanye at his most accessible, but probably at his weakest following The College Dropout, therefore why this isn't above MBDTF.

The is fun and poppy. More of a Pop Rap album and can get a Kanye hater yo listen and enjoy this beautiful work.

This was the first album that actually got me into rap music

Agree with this. I'm not a big hip-hop guy, but if you hate the hip-hop ethos, you'll still like this album. It's just a killer album, very intelligent too, with a very well-developed concept. Experimental and with jazzy instrumentals, too. So plenty of stuff for you even if you have a hard time getting into the genre.

If you listen to the whole album. This masterpiece is excellent.

This is a great sophomore album if I've ever seen one. In this album, Kendrick's telling a story about meeting up with his girlfriend, spitting freestyles in the backseat, and the death of his friend's brother. If that's not enough to reel you into this album, this album has incredible production, with tracks like Money Trees working a sample of Silver Soul by Beach House into it; Swimming Pools with its trap-oriented, yet atmospheric beat; and m.A.A.d city's G-Funk breakdown all contributing to it. One of the best albums of 2012, and one of the best albums, period.