27 thoughts on “The Unkut guide to essential Queensbridge rap albums”

  1. Solid list. Strange to think about the amazing talent that relatively small and concentrated place has produced.

  2. I spent two years of my early teens in the New York State Division for Youth, being shuffled from Woodfield, to Spofford, to Pyramid before finally spending more than 12 months in Tryon. I met guys from every hood in NYC, but kids from Queensbridge outnumbered all the rest by a ratio of about 3 to 1. So QB hip-hop is embedded into my very being.

  3. @Slappy White: Sounds like you have the perfect qualifications to head up the CRC Goon squad.

  4. Good list I’d switch Infamous for Hell on Earth but either is a good choice

  5. @Robbie: Ha! I don’t know about that. Interesting story: I was in Spofford with that kid from Belly, the one who smoked a blunt with NaS on the park bench. All the YDA’s were constantly hounding him with questions about NaS and DMX, and all the kids were constantly challenging his street cred, mostly because the blunt he lit up in the movie looked so badly rolled. That’s funny to me now.

  6. @Ben: Both are essential but ‘The Infamous’ had more impact when it dropped.

  7. Dope including Albert Einstein which is my fav solo project from Prodigy (where is the vinyl) and Silent Partner from Havoc is also dope if a little short. As a Juice Crew head Born To Be Wild by Shan will always be his best full lp work!

  8. Great list. You forgot Big Noyd Episodes of a Hustla.

    And the Superlativeness of Hell on Earth can’t be ignored. The Infamous is the iconic abum due to Shook Ones and Survival of the Fittest but pound for pound Hell on Earth is a better album. Probably the only occassion of a golden age classic album followup that surpassed its predecessor.

  9. @Chaleee: I’m a huge Rapper Noyd fan but none of his albums are classics to me. Agreed about ‘Hell on Earth’ though, they perfected the recipe on that one.

  10. Yes Noyd’s albums aren’t classics, but The star of ‘Episodes of a Hustla’ is Havoc’s mid 90s production, which is a classic sound ;)

  11. missing infamous mobb’s “special edition” QB classic….
    peace
    kids
    CHAZE.

  12. episodes of a hustla effectively has like six songs on it. and none of them are that mindblowing.

    albert einstein is dense. a lot of work went into that thing.

  13. @CHAZE: That album has some great songs but also some clangers, so didn’t quite make the cut.

  15. Robbie I’m surprised and amazed (thought I shouldn’t be) that your so in love with street goon rap that you don’t think none of ATCQ’s output be on a list of essential QB listening. SMH

  16. I love Episode of a Hustla! Big Noyd’s debut LP is to The Infamous as AZ’s debut LP was to Illmatic.

    @mike h: Agreed on Y2K, it totally trumps the PHD album. I guess Robbie just needed something to bridge Intelligent Hoodlum and Illmatic.

  17. Oh wait, Robbie did include Y2K on his list. My bad.

  19. I still love that PHD record. Total no-nonsense, low-budget banger. Gets the job done.

    Glad Y2K is here too. One of the best records from 2000 – beyond.

  20. Big Noyd – Realize and Recognize pt2 feat mobb deep

    Big Noyd – All Pro feat.mobb deep and ty nitty

    Big Noyd – Usual Suspect

    all produced by Havoc. Don’t listen to the haters, hit up youtube and listen to the greatness

  21. Not that I’m slating this list but how can it be an essential list if you stipulate only one release per artist?
    Would prefer to see some all out conclusive decisive definitive list.
    Nice one as ever Robbie.

  22. Where are HNIC, Hell on earth, Murda Muzik, Return of the mac and Special edition? I see no artist appearing more than once on the list? Coincidence or that was a rule you followed?

  23. Oh, I just seen you limited the list to one release per group. Anyway, if it’s like that, HNIC should be there instead of Albert Einstein and Special edition is definitely missing.

  24. Man one more voice telling you you should make a definItive list.you aint even got to explain ur choices.

  26. If we’re talking about quality, I think “Thug Matrix 4118” is a better album than Trag’s first one. Always thought the fillers on “Intelligent Hoodlum” sucked and interrupted the flow, plus Marley Marl’s production was kinda mediocre on this one, while the beats on “TM4118” are sometimes simple but powerful and go well with Trag’s rhymes. In my opinion, “TM4118” is a top 5 QB album.

    Otherwise, your list is flawless.

  27. @kool max power: Thug Matrix 4118 wasn’t a proper album, it was a compilation that recycled a bunch of old tracks under alternate titles.

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