Alright y’all, it’s about that time, the best of 2002 according to me. A lot of you underground cats were upset at HHDX’s Top 20 due to it’s lack of love to artists below the radar. Have no fear, 2002 was an excellent year for hip hop and it was very hard for me to chose my favorites. All in all, I copped over 140 albums that dropped in 2002, but I didn’t hear everything so if your favorite album didn’t make the cut, maybe I just didn’t hear it. Or maybe it was wack.
Top 30 Albums (only top 10 are in order)
1. Mr. Lif – I Phantom (Definitive Jux)
2. Atmosphere – Godlovesugly (Rhymesayers Ent.)
3. Eminem – The Eminem Show (Shady/Afermath)
4. Mars Ill – Sound Methods (Uprok)
5. Nas – God’s Son (Ill Will/Columbia)
6. Rjd2 – Deadringer (Definitive Jux)
7. J-Live – All of the Above (Coup D’Etat)
8. Jurassic 5 – Power In Numbers (Interscope)
9. Non-Phixion – The Future Is Now (Uncle Howie)
10. El-P – Fantastic Damage (Definitive Jux)
* Common – Electric Circus (MCA)
* The Roots – Phrenology (MCA)
* Motion Man – Clearing The Field (Threshold)
* Illogic – Got Lyrics? (Weightless)
* Cage – Movies For The Blind (Eastern Conference)
* GZA – Legend of the Liquid Sword (MCA)
* People Under The Stairs – O.S.T. (Om Records)
* El Da Sensei – Relax, Relate (Seven Heads)
* Scarface – The Fix (Def Jam South)
* KRS-One – Profits vs. Prophets (KOCH)
* Blackalicious – Blazing Arrow (MCA)
* Jay-Z – The Gift & The Curse (Roc-A-Fella)
* Edan – Primitive Plus (Lewis Recordings)
* Xzibit – Man vs. Machine (Open Bar/Loud)
* Capital D & The Molemen – Writers Block (All Natural)
* Large Professor – First Class (Matador)
* The Beatnuts – The Originators (Landspeed)
* 7L & Esoteric – Dangerous Connection (Brick/Landspeed)
* Copywrite – The High Exhalted (Eastern Conference)
* Devin The Dude – Just Tryin’ Ta Live (Rap-A-Lot)
Top 10 EP’s
1. Aesop Rock – Daylight EP (Definitive Jux)
2. The Demigodz – The Godz Must Be Crazy (Ill Boogie)
3. Mr. Lif – Emergency Rations (Definitive Jux)
4. Soul Position (Rjd2 & Blueprint) – Unlimited (Rhymesayers Ent.)
5. Emanon – Anon & On (Ill Boogie)
6. Murs & Slug – Felt (Rhymesayers Ent.)
7. Mars Ill – Blue Collar Sessions (Ill Boogie)
8. High & Mighty – Air Force 1 (Eastern Conference)
9. Yesh – Into Fresh Things (Ill Boogie)
10. Nas – Illmatic To Stillmatic Rmx EP (Ill Will/Columbia)
Best Compilations
1. Definitive Jux Presents II (Definitive Jux)
2. 8 Mile OST (Shady/Aftermath)
3. Eastern Conference All-Stars 3 (Eastern Conference)
4. Urban Renewal Project (Chocolate Industries)
5. Battleaxe Warriors II (Battle Axe)
6. DJ Babu – Duck Season (Sequence)
7. DJ Unknown & DJ Mekalek – Ain’t No Love (OST Entertainment)
8. Fat Beats Volume 2 (Fat Beats)
9. DJ Next – Back To The Grill Again (Otter Pop Entertainment)
10. One Big Trip OST (Heiroglyphics Imperium)
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Best New Old Stuff
1. I.N.I. – Centre of Attention (Soul Brother)
2. Nas – The Lost Tapes (Ill Will/Columbia)
3. Louis Logic – Debacle In A Bottle (????)
4. 2Pac – Better Dayz (Death Row/Amaru)
5. Large Professor – The LP (Geffen)
6. Percee P – Now & Then (????)
7. Cormega – Hustler/Rapper (Body Shop)
8. Buc Fifty – Bad Man (Battle Axe)
9. King Tee – Thy Kingdom Come
10. Pacewon – Won (Rufflife)
Best ‘Other’ shit
1. Cee Lo – Cee Lo Green & His Perfect Imperfections (LaFace)
2. K-os – Exit (EMI)
3. N.E.R.D. – In Search of… (Virgin)
4. DJ Shadow – Private Press (MCA)
5. Dan The Automater – Lovage (75 Ark)
Artist of the year: Eminem
Simply put, the most successful year for a rapper, ever.
Runner-up: Mr. Lif
Truly a product of Chuck D and KRS-One, proved his brilliance in 2002.
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Producer of the year: Rjd2
No one made more incredible beats in 2002, I don’t think anyone will in 2003 either.
Runner-up: The Neptunes
It was hard to not give them the nod with the huge year they had, probably responsible for more album sales than anyone this year.
Most slept-on emcee: Soulheir the Manchild (Mars Ill)
Pick up a Mars Ill album, listen, recognize.
Runner-up: Devin The Dude
No one seemed to mention his excellent LP, “Just Tryin’ Ta Live” or his lovable style on the mic
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Label of the year: Definitive Jux
Was there any doubt? Just check the lists and see how many albums they contributed.
Runner-up: MCA
The Roots, GZA, Common, Blackalicious, Talib Kweli, DJ Shadow…enough said.
3 Songs That Everyone Should Hear:
1. Mr. Lif – Home of the Brave
2. J-Live – Satisfied
3. Nas – I Can
So there you go, that is the way I sees it. Thank you to the artists who made it memorable and big fuck you’s to the following: Ja Rule & Murder Inc., Nelly, Big Tymers, Benzino and The Source for fucking up the game. Love me, hate me, feel free to tell me
