Photo: Alexander Richter.
Producer extraordinaire, DJ Premier presents his annual top 25 albums of the year list. Game at #1? Really? Thoughts? Opinions? Bueller?
25. Large Professor & Neek The Exotic – Still On The Hustle
24. Edo G – A Face In The Crowd
23. Ill Bill & Vinnie Paz – Heavy Metal Kings
22. Greneberg – Greneberg
21. Action Bronson & Statik Selektah – Well Done
20. Apathy – Honkey Kong
19. The Away Team – Scars And Stripes
18. Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne
17. Torae – For The Record
16. Bumpy Knuckles & Statik Selektah – Lyrical Workout
15. Common – The Dreamer, The Believer
14. Maffew Ragazino Sr. – Rhyme Pays
13. Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel
12. Drake – Take Care
11. Statik Selektah – Population Control
10. Random Axe – Random Axe
09. Malcolm And Martin – Life Doesn’t Frighten Me
08. Royce da 5’9″ – Success Is Certain
07. Phonte – Charity Starts At Home
06. 50 Cent – The Big 10
05. Reks – R.E.K.S.
04. M.O.P. & Snowgoons – Sparta
03. Evidence – Cats & Dogs
02. 9th Wonder – The Wonder Years
01. Game – The R.E.D. Album
Honorable Mentions: Fresh Vetz “Fresh 2 Def”, Pharoahe Monch “W.A.R.”, Raekwon “Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang”, Rasheed Chappell “Future Before Nostalgia”, Sadat X “No Features”, Showbiz & KRS-One “Godsville”, Skyzoo “The Great Debater”, The Regiment “The Panic Button”, The Roots “Undun”.
In closing, he releases a statement.
For all of you dumbfucks that are late or not hip to my yearly list, this is my own list of what I was bumpin’ for my enjoyment in 2011… Even though there were so fuckin’ many LPs that came out, I wish we had time to do Top 40 but fuck that… So if you don’t like my list, make your own… I ain’t mad atcha… Hate it or love it, I don’t give a fuuuuuck !!!
PREVIOUS: Making The Beat w/ DJ Premier & The 45 King (Video)
Fuck this pussy as list.. game at 1??
I dont give a fuck if he gives a fuck if i like that pussy ass list..where the fuck is section.80? this faggot as pussy
nice
i would’ve thought EV’s Cats & Dogs would be #1. being that he had alot of production on it. Also glad he put Action B. on there but I would have added Dr. Lectar instead of well done.
I’m not gonna go on a childish rant like “whoa” did, but honestly I understand everyone has their own tastes and could probably come up with a list that looks vastly different than this one. With that said, I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 didn’t even make the LIST. I wouldn’t have even minded if it didn’t make the top 10 on his list, but the fact it isnt even ON the list is truly baffling.
Section.80 is better than the R.E.D. album. Even THE GAME himself would agree with that.
^
And by a lot of production, you mean 2 tracks.
WOW Dj Premier…. this list is wack as hell… Game fuckin sucks ass
Good thing Premo doesn’t give fuck
hahah all of kendricks fans are butt hurt, including his biggest dickrider (Skake). section 80 was dope, not a clasasic tho. Premo has an east coast bias tho, even with game being #1. whatever tho. just one man’s opinion. dont get salty k dot stans…
Yall start hating, but probably couldn’t even come up with 25 albums you listened to in 2011. zzz
i think it is different for when you are a super producer when you listen to albums in hip hop. you know most of these guys already and they all would probably want to work with you. It is different mindset that we would not understand.
I bet If you asked eminem what was his favorite albums of this year I bet you would be surprised at what was in his top 10.
you have a whole different perspective of the hip hop game when you been in it for a long time. people today listen to music way differently than they did even 10 years ago. many just listen to the hot singles off albums instead of the whole album. also we go through new projects faster than ever. i bet you premo listens to the same album from beginning to end over 50 times. many only listen to the whole album once or twice
premo also produced born in the trap on the RED album; that album had overall dope production even if you aren’t feeling the game lyrically. straight up, reread this list and keep in mind production might be more of a factor for premo than the average listener. i don’t mean to just essentialize what premier looks for in an LP, just a theory
section.80 was a mixtape when it first came out…it did so well he decided to throw it up on itunes for a quick $$…#jussayin
@farazhemani
Section.80 and Returnof4eva had dope production as well, don´t see them on the list. But I understand what you and “Detroit89″ are trying to say: everyone listens to music in different ways and we all have different criteria to determine what´s a good album and what´s not.
I lost my respect for Premier…not because of Game being #1, not because of usual suspects (WTT, Take Care, Bad meets Evil, even though they’re all mediocre). I lost my respect for Primo, because he didn’t even mention Saigon’s “Greatest Story Never Told”! Even if this list is based on production quality, GSNT almost entirely consists of bangers from Just Blaze. C’mon!
Didn’t he have a beat on Game’s album? lol…
considering ‘beats’ production the list is aight. but lyrically, NO thank you.
instead of robbing their ish fools why not make your own instead of stealin everyones lists and gettin fame from there lists like u do every year and expecting fame from it.. FUCK yall
i think premo has lost his mind
face it people preem only makes this yearly list in order to stay relevant, he probably doesn’t care for most of the albums on this list and listens to music released in his youth. otherwise he had a beat on game’s album which explains the placing (although it doesn’t explain cats and dogs no being on the list)
Welp, from now on it’s fuck crotchety-ass DJ Premier for this shit.
Damn preem is losing his taste too?????!? wtf is going on here lol
Really tho? Wow.
@j co-fucking sign! did anyone even read what he said? a lot of fucking albums, mixtapes, EP’s came out last year. did it occur to ya’ll that he probably didn’t even listen to Section.80 yet? regardless if he was on the BET cypher. people need to really stop dickridin that man. kendrick is dope as fuck, but not to get all bent outta shape just cause he didn’t make the list. so what. it’s HIS list, not yours. the real question you should be asking is he put drake over common? but whatever. can’t judge because it’s not my list. but still a dope list. a lot of these albums were on my list too. #PremoIsGod
People so mad for what. When i read this , im like damn I missed out on a few albums. I gotta go get them. Kendrick def had one of my fav albums drop but still everyone is entitled to they own opinion.
to be fair it’s been a pretty weak year for hip hop albums games may very well be the best i haven’t heard it
he did a beat for the album though so it’s not exactly objectional
the big 10 though come on dawg thats a mixtape ffs wtf?
funny that he had drake’s album higher than em and royce lol who said hip hop was dead lol
@charliebrowncla nah it was the other way around. section.80 came out straight to itunes and then was put out free a week later. just sayin’
And if you thing I’m dickridin premo (no homo), maybe because that man has a catalog that reaches far beyond any of these new rappers out right now & that man has worked with or hung around some of the best to ever do it in this hip hop game. 2pac included. pay homage you fucking idiots.
WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TELLING A GROWN ASS NIGGA WHAT TO LIKE, THE NIGGA THAT BIRTH HIP HOP, THE NIGGA THAT MADE HIP HOP SOUND INCREDIBLE. this is a favorites list, not which album is better than who. you c section music snobs are fucking retarted. 90% of all you faggots looked at the the list and you probably had no idea about 16 albums on that list. and shake is mad lol, no section 80 for you faggots. (im a troll)
no saigon? no Big krit? no Kendrick? Take care better than watch the throne? WHAT THE FUCK PREEMO YOU’RE SLIPPIN
red wasnt aoty but classic list. everyone has their own taste bitchezz. premo dont fuck witchu niggaz
50 cent is on the list? and Curren$y/Cole aren’t? Take Care too? To each his own but damn, for a legend, he has some questionable taste.
DJ Premier is the man and deserves his respect no doubt about that, BUT this c-section is meant for opinions and mine is his “top 25″ is horrible. 30% of his picks is on point but the rest …wow
no section.80 or returnof4eva UNFORGIVABLE
That 9th Wonder album was fucking terrible, personally I’d put the Torae or Reks albums at the top of my list. But Preems list shows what an average year for albums it was…
yea why is everybody trippin?? he said it’s his own list and told us to make our own if we ain’t fuckin with his. not one person got a top 25 in this c-section
im sorry, but Section.80 needs to be on this list… he don fucked up
Besides K.Dot how you can Torae NOT top Game? Or even Phonte or Raven Sorvino, their albums are too ill. Thumbs down for not incl Elzhi I still play that in the kitchen.
Ok DJ Premier if ya gave the Game number 1 I guess I got to check it out didnt know he dropped an album I like the song with him and Tyler the Creator maybe he should have mentioned that one on the site
terrible list. primo faded like 6 years ago or longer. he wack now. that list is trying too hard and has a bunch of crap on it.
He probably did listen to Kendrick’s project… This is what Primo said he based his top 25 on:
I judge my list based on dope beats, dope rhymes, scratchin’ and cutting, creativity, uniqueness, originality, and overall packaging of the product’s integrity. I don’t care if you sold a million copies, that does not make it dope. I went through more than 60 LP’s released in ’09 on major and indie labels over and over to get it as close as i possible could to being satisfied with the list so here it is along with the list.
really dig how 50 cent made the list, that was a great mixtape.
My list is 20x better. Just sayin…
Here’s my lists for 2011 of what I consider to be the best Hiphop albums RELEASED… and when I say released, I mean they came out they way they are supposed to come out and that’s in physical format on either cd, vinyl or both. FYI: The lists are in alphabetical order.
Wicked’s Top 10 Hiphop Albums of 2011
Action Bronson – Dr. Lecter (CD) Action Bronson
Action Bronson & Statik Selektah – Well-Done (CD) Templar Label Group
DTMD – Makin’ Dollas (CD) Mello Music Group
Has-Lo – In Case I Don’t Make It (CD) Mello Music Group
Meyhem Lauren – Self Induced Illness (CD) Meyhem Lauren/J-Love
Neek The Exotic & Large Professor – Still On The Hustle (CD/LP) Fat Beats
Rashad & Confidence – The Element Of Surprise (CD) Ill Adrenaline
Rasheed Chappell – Future Before Nostalgia (CD) Kay-Dee
SmooVth – Red Dot Plot (CD) Digi Crates
Torae – For The Record (CD) Internal Affairs
Wicked’s Top 15 Honorable Mentions
DJ JS-1 – Ground Original 3: No One Cares (CD) Fat Beats
DRUMAT!C – Skool: 1st Session (CD) Digi Crates
eLZhi & Will Sessions – Elmatic (CD/LP) The JAE.B Group
Exile – 4TRK MIND (CD/LP) Soulspazm
Hassaan Mackey & Apollo Brown – Daily Bread (CD/LP) Mello Music Group
J-Live – S.P.T.A. (Said Person Of That Ability) (CD/LP) Triple Threat
K-Def – Night Shift (CD/LP) Redefinition
Knowlegde Nick – The Transcribed Sentiment (CD) Knowledge Nick
Malcolm & Martin – Life Doesn’t Frighten Us… (CD) Soulspazm
People Under The Stairs – Highlighter (CD/LP) Piecelock 70
The Roots – Undun (CD) Def Jam
Sean-Toure – Sound Channeller: The Invisible Man (CD) Rosachi Music
Superstar Quamallah & DeQuawn – Talkin’ All That Jazz (CD) Brick/Cotter
Wildelux And Mac – The Master Plan (CD) Digi Crates
yU – The Earn (CD/LP) Mello Music Group
* Also, these two are only EP’s, but they had to be mentioned… Grap Luva – Neva Done (CD/EP) on Slice-Of-Spice/Redefinition and Dem One – Audio Still Life (CD) on Sticky Note Records. And even though it’s not a real album, you can’t bring up 2011 without mentioning Celph Titled & Buckwild – Nineteen Ninety More (CD) on No Sleep Recordings.
* Last but not least, gotta mention Rebels To The Grain with their album HARVEST SEASON on the Stuckinthetrees label. It’s currently only available digitally, but look out for the CD release very soon. It’s a seriously dope album outta Los Angeles, CA. Don’t sleep, suckas! Same goes for the Bumpy Knuckles & Statik Selektah album LYRICAL WORKOUT, it’s dope, but it’s currently only a digital release… look for the CD to come out soon. And same with Maffew Raggazino Sr. and his album RHYME PAYS as the Deluxe Edition CD will be out soon. And lastly, the Dela album TRANSLATION LOST is dope (digital only) and expected to be released on CD & Vinyl soon. Stay tuned…
Finally…
Wicked’s Top 12 Most Disappointing Albums
Apathy – Honkey Kong (CD/LP)
Blaq Poet – Blaq Poet Society (CD)
Blu – NoYork! (CD)
Evidence – Cats & Dogs (CD/LP)
Game – The RED Album (CD)
Has-Lo – Conversation B (CD/LP)
Kool G Rap – Riches, Royalty & Respect (CD/LP)
KRS-One & Bumpy Knuckles – Reality Check (CD)
MED – Classic (CD/LP)
Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun – Monumental (CD/LP)
Royce Da 5’9” – Success Is Certain (CD/LP)
Statik Selektah – Population Control (CD)
* For the record, I bought just about every album that came out in the underground this year on cd, vinyl or both. I know there’s a lot of other albums with dope songs on ‘em, but overall the albums themself aren’t that good as a whole in my opinion. And there was a lot of GOOD albums that came out in 2011, but they were not great albums and were not worthy of making my Top 25. It is what it is…
And one more thing…
There were a lot of releases in 2011 of older stuff from the 80s and mostly 90s… Big ups to the dope labels Chopped Herring, No Sleep, Dope Folks, Six2Six, Diggers With Gratitude, Slice-Of-Spice, GoodFelons, etc. And big ups to some of the BEST labels this year for new Hiphop releases… Redefinition aka REDEF, Mello Music Group, Digi Crates, Fat Beats, Soulspazm, Ill Adrenaline, etc. And of course I gotta big up spots like Fat Beats and Underground Hiphop dot com along with the local spots here in the Bay, Streetlight Records on Bascom Ave. in SJ, Amoeba Records in SF on Haight and in Berkeley on Telegraph and Rasputins in multiple locations around the Bay.
peace
I like premier but this list is fucked up. Nigga was on a good one. Kendrick Lamar had the best LP this year period. And where is Dom Kennedy at?
no Kendrick Lamar, Curren$y, or Big K.R.I.T.
no thank you
thos list sucks
listen to some real music premo
R.E.D. was dope. I’d definitely put it in my top 10, but not number 1.
Kenrick, Saigon and KRIT missing… smh Game at 1#
No Pete Rock and SNW? For real?
I’m sorry but there’s a lot of sorry ass shit on there. Drake? Watch The Throne? And I liked R.E.D. Album but that doesn’t deserve to be in no top list of 2011. But it’s what he enjoyed so whatever
lmao Shaun D. aka Wicked is a clwon
How is KGR, Evidence, and Apathy have disappointing albums?? Those albums were ill
GAME WINS AGAIN MUTHAFUCKAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHA……AND DID IT OCCUR TO YALL THAT KRIT AND KENDRICKS PROJECTS WEREN’T STUDIO ALBUMS FUCK FACES KRIT = MIXTAPE AND KENDRICK = EP NOT LP….BUT I DO AGREE IF HE PUT 50′S MIXTAPE UP HE SHOULDA AT LEAST PUT KRIT AND KENDRICK UP THERE
BUT IT IS HIS OPINION SO FUCK YALL NIGGAS (WAYNE VOICE)
Thank GOD nobody cares about DJ Premier anymore, because his taste in music is pathetic.
Game’s the Red Album was one of the biggest flops of 2011. Come on now. The rest is actual pretty on point. Switch Game with Kendrick and I’m fine with it.
@Run: Making a comment like that completely shows your age and how long you’ve been into hip hop. You don’t know shit. So stop.
lol @ y’all kendrick stans
Premo’s list is pretty dope. Nice combination of mainstream and underground. Idk why he put R.E.D as #1, but there is some good shit on that CD. Nice to see Undun get an honorable mention, the only thin I’m curios about is how Bad Meets Evil lands on anyone’s favorites list..I like both Em and Royce but to me that LP was ass, maybe I’ll give it a few more listens and see what’s up, same with R.E.D.
Not sure if for a fact if all of these were the past year so bear with me on dates and ish I AM NOT LOOKING IT UP.
Top 20 whatever order including mixtapes
Slaine & Statik
Reks REKS
Evidence Cats and Dogs
Kendrick Section 80
Has-Lo in case I don’t make it
Asher Roth Pabst and Jazz
Atmosphere Family Sign
Common Dreamer/believer
Roots Undone
Bad Meets Evil
Watch the Throne
Phil Ades A different world
Statik Selektah Population control
Raekwon Sholin vs. Wu-tang
Cyhi Da Prynce Royal Flush 2
Consequence Hand shakes and middle fingers
9th Wonder- Wonder Years
Game- Red Album
Childish Gambino Camp
Cunninlynguists- Onierology
Makes sense that some of the albums that are high Premier was on in some capacity…
On another note, I thought 9th’s album was complete garbage & Phonte’s was a bit overrated..Probably because I expected more from them
Oh no! DJ premier has an opinion and he doesn’t listen to the same music as me! c’mon guys he’s said before that he listens to HARDCORE rap. do any of ya’ll know the difference? I’m suprised anything these dudes post is on that list. sometimes people jam different shit and at some time or another all you fools are just gonna have to accept that
no section.80 ?
how whack! jay and kanyes album is too over-rated! it shoud of been jay and nas
1. Saigon – Greatest Story Never Told
2. Kendrick – Section 80
3. Raekwon – Shaolin vs. Wu Tang
4. The Roots – Undun
5. Talib Kweli – Gutter Rainbows
6. Game – RED Album
7. J. Cole – Sideline Story
8. Big KRIT – Return of 4Eva
9. Schoolboy Q – Setbacks
10. Jay and Kanye – Watch the Throne
He always has a horrible list. Its nothing new, but Game? *scratches head*
random axe album actually came out?
Fuck this
illiterate motherfuckers. it’s his list. he can listen to and like whatever he likes. not everyone thinks kendrick lamar is the second coming of christ.
no roots on the list… Premo is retarded
Premier is retarded when it comes to lists. Good beats tho
stupid list
Welcome 2 Hell >> Success Is Certain
^^^Hell: The Sequel >> Success Is Certain ****
Large Professor came out with somethin… wer can i et that??
Preemo will always be an il; producer but his personal tastes are fuckin wack. Tech N9ne All 6′s & 7′s shits on his entire list.
IF YA LIST DONT HAVE ELZHI ELMATIC THEN UR LIST AINT SHIT!
MY Favorites of 2011 List (Album’s & Mixtapes)
This list is in alphabetical order. 44 albums or mixtapes in total. Check ‘em out!
The 58′s – The 58′s
Action Bronson – Dr. Lecter
Atmosphere – The Family Sign
B. White – The Evidence
Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel
Beedie – The Beat Bully
Big K.R.I.T. – ReturnOf4Eva
Boaz – The Transition
Brotha Lynch Hung – Coathanga Strangla
Casual – The Hierophant
Charlie Slum – Sounds And Coffee
Chevy Woods – The Cookout
The Come Up – In Good Hands
Curren$y – Covert Coup
Elzhi – Elmatic
Fabolous – The S.O.U.L. Tape
The Game – The R.E.D. Album
Grimez – Grimey Brown (The One Week Theory)
Gucci Mane – Return Of Mr. Zone 6
Gucci Mane & Waka Flocka Flame – Ferrari Boyz
Incubus – If Not Now, When?
Jedi Mind Tricks – Violence Begets Violence
JR Writer – Still Standing 2 – Kill ‘Em Dead
JR Writer – Still Standing 3
Juicy J – Rubba Band Business 2
Juicy J – Blue Dream & Lean
L.E.P. Bogus Boys – Now Or Neva
Lil Wayne – Tha Carter IV
MyKoolB – I Can’t Hold It In
MyKoolB – They Think I’m Blowin’ Smoke
Opio & Equipto – Red X Tapes
Primavera Vills – The Shorthand Legend
Pusha T – Fear Of God
Raekwon – Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang
Smoke DZA – Rolling Stoned
Snoop Dogg – Doggumentary
Stalley – Lincoln Way Nights (Intelligent Trunk Music)
Tech N9ne – All 6′s And 7′s
Tyler, The Creator – Goblin
Wale – Ambition
Wiz Khalifa – Rolling Papers
Wu-Tang Clan – Legendary Weapons
Yelawolf – Radioactive
Young Jeezy – Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition
@strife nice choices overall