The Best Hip-Hop Songs & Albums: 2001

2001 brought some great music, including two classic albums and a whole host of great songs. It saw the Jay-Z/Nas beef highlighted by “Takeover” and “Ether” respectively, Jadakiss and Beanie Sigel exchanged words, some familiar faces made a return and there was a good balance of “mainstream” and underground hip-hop to enjoy.

Before we even get started, I have been trying for years to get my hands on J-Live’s The Best Part. I guarantee it deserves a spot on the Best Albums list based on the reputation of the album and based on J-Live’s abilities. But I can’t get the damn thing anywhere. Online doesn’t have it, unless I want to shell out $20 for it and iTunes is asking for $19 for the reissued double album with instrumentals. Not that that wouldn’t be cool to have, but I want the original version in CD form. I’m just stubborn like that.

Alright, now let’s get into it.

Best Songs

20. “What We Do” – De La Soul feat. Slick Rick
Great collaboration between hip-hop legends. The beat courtesy of Megahertz is fantastic as De La and Uncle Rickey speak on puberty and sexual discovery. The three pass the mic back and forth and flow together beautifully. Pos drops, “Ain’t gotta drug problem, but a love problem/But then again that may be one in the same.”

19. “Worst Comes To Worst” – Dilated Peoples
Alchemist uses William Bell’s “I Forgot To Be Your Lover” to perfection as Evidence and Rakaa go back and forth effortlessly. What else is new? The two have great chemistry. As the Mobb Deep-sampled line “when worst comes to worst” drops, Evidence jumps right in with “Set up shop and write a verse/Actually, that’s best come to best.”

18. “Keepin’ It Gangsta” – Fabolous
I’m not a big fan of Fabolous. Sometimes he impresses me and then his next track is more radio fluff. I know he’s regarded as a great spitter, but I’m indifferent. His debut dropped the same day as Jay-Z’s The Blueprint and I really had no interest in it. My roommate at the time did cop it and I will say that this song grabbed my attention right away. If Fab made more songs like this one I’d be a fan.

17. “No Escapin’ This” – The Beatnuts
The ‘Nuts bring it again with the lead single from Take It or Squeeze It. I remember my brother telling me about this song while I was on the pay phone in the hallway of my flat during my time studying abroad. Made me souped to hear it. No question that the production was going to be tight and having Greg Nice back for some ad-libs was a great touch. Psycho Les and JuJu bring some braggadocio as JuJu spits, “Don’t be humble, it’s better to pull/Believe you eligible/Get left like a vegetable.”

16. “Un-Hunh!” – Jadakiss feat. DMX
This shit is hard. X opens the track saying “I only gave you the crown so I could shoot it off your fuckin’ head,” and brings his normal energy throughout the track. Lyrically, Jada brings the heat, which you would expect and airs out his beef with Beanie Sigel on the third verse, “Had to stop eating red meat cause I ate too many Beanie Macs.”

15. “Beanie (Mac Bitch)” – Beanie Sigel
Speaking of Beanie Mac, Sigel dropped this as the first single to his second album, The Reason. Just Blaze brings a banger and Beans rips it to shreds with street tales and street slang on all three verses. Beans has a way of spittin’ similar words and flipping them that’s different then most MCs. I’ve always been partial to his way of rhyming and this song is a great example of his style.

14. “Bad Boy 4 Life” – Diddy feat. Black Rob & Mark Curry
This song has more sentimental value to me than most which is what got it on the list in the first place. This was the theme song of our house my senior year of college and you would’ve had to have lived it to understand the messed up dynamic of that house which makes this song what it is to me. Anyway, the song is dope regardless and Black Rob steals the show with his verse (not that it was too difficult sharing the mic with Diddy and Mark Curry, but still).

13. “Uzi” – Wu-Tang Clan
I knew the Wu was back when this song dropped and I couldn’t have been more excited for a new Wu album. Unfortunately the album was a bit of a letdown, but this single was classic Wu-Tang. Rza didn’t bring the old grimy sound of the early Wu albums, but he still provided a tremendous beat and the whole clan (sans Ol’ Dirty) was back in tact on this one.

12. “The Woman With The Tattoeed Hands” – Atmosphere
Slug is a tremendous storyteller. One of my favorites, in fact. And this song is a terrific example of his ability to craft a narrative on the mic. Slug discusses a night spent with a woman who gives him a spiritual eye opener tied in with a sexual experience. The lyrics are vivid and clever and the production sets the perfect tone for Slug’s story.

11. “The Burn” – Mobb Deep feat. Big Noyd & Vita
This song was my shit when it dropped. Just some straight up raw, hard hitting hip-hop from M-O-B-B. This belongs alongside the likes of “Shook Ones Part II”, “Survival of the Fittest”, “G.O.D. Pt. III” and “Quiet Storm” as one of Mobb’s greatest songs. Noyd has my favorite verse with, “But wait, you don’t think I live a pop life now/’Cause hey, you could get popped right now.”

10. “Cross The Border” – Philly’s Most Wanted
I loved, loved, loved this song when it first dropped. I bought the CD single and played the shit outta it. It was another big song during my senior year of college, so it had sentimental value to me, but that value became even greater during the 2008 MLB playoffs as it became part of a 3-song soundtrack I had to listen to before each game of the Phillies postseason run. Great beat, catchy hook and a party banger that lyrically probably shouldn’t have been a party song. It just worked.

9. “Let’s Get It” – G. Dep feat. Diddy & Black Rob
The Al Green sample on this is just phenomenal. And while Dep had made other appearances before this song, this is what really introduced him to the hip-hop world. Dep spits dope verse after dope verse, before Diddy joins the fray with the memorable line “Not guilty and I’m filthy” regarding his trial that sent Shyne to jail. B.R. has another solid verse to finish the song out calling himself the “Eastside Soprano.”

8. “We Right Here” – DMX
When I think of artists that bring the most energy to a hip-hop track I think: 1. M.O.P. and 2. DMX. If I were to round out my top 5, I’d probably go with Onyx, Busta Rhymes and Redman. X has never been that super lyrical MC but his energy is virtually unrivaled. This song brought that energy is every way. X brings a style similar to “What’s My Name?” on this one and the formula works perfectly.

7. “Fuck You” – Pharoahe Monch
The electric guitars start off the track just right and then Pharoahe starts bringing it lyrically through the eyes of a crooked cop (inspired by Denzel Washington’s “Lorenzo” from Training Day). The production on this track would’ve been overpowering for a lesser MC, but Monch has such control whenever he spits that he makes the beat work for him not the other way around.

6. “Heart of the City” – Jay-Z
So many great songs to pick from off The Blueprint. When I made my Best of ’01 mix back in early 2002, I chose “Hola Hovito” to represent the album. At the time “Izzo” was overplayed, “Girls, Girls, Girls” had seen plenty of radio rotation and “Takeover” got worn out by me. In hindsight, the right track all along was “Heart of the City.” Kanye produced five songs on the album, all of them great, but this was the true standout. So much soul on this track and I think it really started to stand out for me when I saw Jay and The Roots perform this on MTV Unplugged. That shit was ridiculous.

5. “Daylight” – Aesop Rock
This is my favorite Aesop song ever. It contains some of the best lyrics you will ever hear and the production is off the charts. “No Regrets” grabbed me by the throat the first time I heard it, but after having time to sit down and digest the album, no song impressed me more than “Daylight.” Here’s the best line of 2001 (and one of the best lines of all-time): “Life’s not a bitch, life is a beautiful woman/You only call her a bitch because she won’t let you get that pussy/Maybe she didn’t feel y’all shared any similar interests/Or maybe you’re just an asshole who couldn’t sweet talk the princess.” Damn that shit is nice!

4. “Bottom Feeders” – Smut Peddlers feat. R.A. The Rugged Man
Smut Peddlers Porn Again was cool but left me a little disappointed and this song is the reason why. I got this song on a promotional disc and absolutely loved it. It gave me such high hopes for Cage & Mr. Eon’s collaboration that it was probably impossible for the album to live up to my own hype. Oh well. This song was sick. So many great punchlines on this one. R.A. has my favorite verse, “I live in Long Island, with a house of retards/And illegal aliens that need green cards/I’m a rap legend to little weird white kids/That carve shit in their arms like ‘I don’t wanna live.’”

3. “Break Ya Neck” – Busta Rhymes
Bussa-Buss over some Dr. Dre production? You damn right. This song was a club banger, a party starter, a song you could wyle out to in your car, it just knocked! Busta rhymes in perfect sync with the speed of the beat and keeps the energy up for 4+ minutes. I once DJ’d a formal and was forced to play some pop shit and some hip-hop songs that I would never listen to on my own personal time. But that music was what got this group of people on the dance floor, so I had no choice. During those songs, I threw this on and it kept the party going. Not even the Britney Spears/Shakira/Enrique Inglesias crowd could resist this song.

2. “Fight Music” – D-12
“Purple Pills” was my favorite song on D-12’s Devil’s Night at first, but “Fight Music” would go on to be one of my favorites to this day. The energy is off the charts. Proof’s verse would’ve been the best on the song, but Em absolutely rips this song apart. It’s one of my favorite Em verses of all-time. When he starts his verse, I have to stop and spit it along with him every time. “If I could capture the rage of today’s youth and bottle it/Crush the glass from my bear hands and swallow it/Then spit it back in the faces of you racists/And hypocrites who think the same shit, but don’t say shit.”

1. “One Mic” – Nas
On the Best of ’01 mix I mentioned earlier, I chose “Ether” as my selection from Stillmatic. And while “Ether” is still a highly referenced song to this day, it has lost a little steam due to Nas and Jay squashing the beef and collaborating. Again, still a dope diss track, but not the same now that things are cool between the two of them. “One Mic,” on the other hand, has actually grown for me since its release 10 years ago. I can’t think of a better example of a hip-hop song from 2001. The production was terrific, the lyrics are on point and Nas’ decision to go from almost a whisper to building momentum as each verse progresses and then just straight out fire at the end of each verse was genius. And then switching it up and starting the final verse with the amped up flow to slowing down back to a mellowed voice and minimalist beat, that’s crazy. No other MC could’ve done this as effectively as Nas. This song is brilliant in every sense of the word.

Best Albums

10. I Told You So – Chino XL
If you want punchlines, you want Chino XL. The dude drops great line after great line. I’ve heard him do live acapella freestyles and the audience just hangs on every word. Much like Canibus and Ras Kass, he’s a lyricist in every sense of the word that producers just can’t match up to. Chino has plenty of swagger on songs like “What You Got,” “Nunca,” and “I Told You So,” but he also brings some great subject matter on songs like “Sorry” which finds Chino confessing his infidelity to his girl.

9. The Cold Vein – Cannibal Ox
I’ll admit it, I was late to the Can Ox party. I knew about the hype surrounding this album, I just didn’t take the time to give the album a quality listen when it came out. Aside from “The F-Word” I couldn’t tell you much about The Cold Vein in 2001. 10 years later, I have a better understanding of the album and while I think it’s a terrific effort, I’m not going to declare it a classic like so many before me. It’s dope music, no doubt and Vast Aire is certainly the star of the show, but to rank it among the likes of Illmatic, Ready To Die, Enter The 36 Chambers or The Chronic is off base. Still it deserves to make this list as it has a sound all to itself, which will bring listeners back for a long time to come.

8. Take It Or Squeeze It – The Beatnuts
If it’s a Beatnuts album, you know that you’re getting dope beats right off the bat. And of course this album is no exception. Great production from start to back and some really nice guest spots from Sean Black, Willie Stubz, Al Tariq, Problemz and Method Man. The ‘Nuts did try a more radio friendly sound on “Let’s Git Doe” featuring Fatman Scoop and missed, but it’s a rare miss in a great career. Standouts include “Prendelo,” “Contact,” “Yo Yo Yo,” “If It Ain’t Gangsta,” “No Escapin’ This,” and “Se Acabo (Remix)” with Mr. Meth.

7. AOI: Bionix – De La Soul
More good music from De La, which is par for the course. This was the second installment in the AOI series and I liked it slightly more than the first. The title track sets the tone nicely, as De La is on a feel good vibe for most of the album. The first single, “Baby Phat,” featuring Devin The Dude, may be the worst of De La’s singles, but it’s still good, which says a lot about De La’s career. The standouts are “Held Down,” “Watch Out,” “Special,” “What We Do (For Love),” “Peer Pressure” which features B. Real on the hook and “Trying People” which closes out the album perfectly.

6. Genesis – Busta Rhymes
I’ve always been a Busta fan and this is my favorite of his solo albums. With production credits from Just Blaze, The Neptunes, Pete Rock, Jay Dee, Dr. Dre, Nottz, Diamond D and Battlecat, it’s a who’s who of beat making. The only thing missing was a Premo beat. The album gets off to a fantastic start with banger after banger, until finally hitting a bit of a speed bump in the latter half of the album. “As I Come Back” was a great play on his “Scenario” verse and The Neptunes provide a great beat for the track, “Shut ‘Em Down 2002” uses the Pete Rock-remix of the Public Enemy classic from ’91 and lets Busta pay homage to the original in fine fashion. “Betta Stay Up In Your House” with Rah Digga, “We Got What You Want,” “Truck Volume,” “Pass The Courvoisier” and “Break Ya Neck” are all gems and among Busta’s best cuts.

5. Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs – Atmosphere
I had heard a few Atmosphere songs, but didn’t have any access to their albums. This is a collection of their EPs that was originally released as a tour only disc. Thankfully, this fantastic 15-song disc sold so well, it became a available in retailers as well. Some of my favorite Atmosphere songs live on this album including “Guns and Cigarettes,” “Don’t Ever Fucking Question That,” “If I Was Santa Claus,” “Mama Had A Baby and His Head Popped Off,” “The Woman With The Tattoeed Hands,” and “Nothing But Sunshine.” This offered a glimpse of what Slug would become as a storyteller on the mic and a much better example than their debut Overcast! of how good their music could be.

4. Stillmatic – Nas
2001 was the year of the Nas-Jay-Z beef and served as a return to form for Nas. After 1999’s forgettable Nastradamus, fans craved the Nas of old. You know, the Nas who released Illmatic. So Nasty Nas responded with Stillmatic, an ode to his classic opus. The title track, which is the album intro, lets the listener know that Nas is back in a major way. He follows with the aforementioned roasting of Jay-Z on “Ether” before the album’s lead single and Sopranos-influenced “Got Ur Self A…” kicks in. The rest of the album stays on the same level with the slick “Rewind,” which finds Nas telling a story in reverse, the Song of the Year in “One Mic,” and the Amerie assisted “Rule.” Hov isn’t the only MC under attack, as Nas also rips into Prodigy, Cormega and Nature on “Destroy & Rebuild.” Nas was hungry on this release and the end result was another great album. No, it wasn’t Illmatic, but it’s certainly a worthy sequel.

3. Devil’s Night – D-12
While I was studying abroad, my flatmate constantly wanted to listen to hip-hop music with me and he loved D-12’s “Shit On You.” He was also a big fan of “Under The Influence” from Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP. When I went back home that summer, he decided to come visit me, so I went out and got the D-12 album because I knew he’d want to hear it. Well the whole album turned out to be my favorite disc of the summer and one of my favorites of the year. I knew Em would bring it, but I wasn’t sold on the rest of the group. All 6 hold their own on the album and their chemistry is evident. There are a few throwaway tracks in “Nasty Mind” and “Pimp Like Me,” but otherwise the rest of the album is fire. Em absolutely rips “Shit Can Happen,” “Fight Music,” and “Revelation,” while the rest of the group stars on the excellent “Pistol, Pistol” and “That’s How…”

2. Labor Days – Aesop Rock
I couldn’t be happier that I picked this album up at my college bookstore on a whim. I had heard a little about Aesop from my brother, but that was it. When I saw the disc sitting there, I decided to pick it up and popped it in my discman for the walk back to my house. Great decision! If you don’t know Aesop Rock, shame on you. And if do know Aesop Rock, but haven’t heard this album, then you need to renounce your love of hip-hop immediately. Lyrically, this is one of the sharpest and most complex hip-hop albums you’ll find. And Blockhead’s production is the perfect backdrop for Aesop to spit over. “Daylight,” “Flashflood,” “No Regrets,” “The Tugboat Complex Pt. 3,” “Battery” and “9-5er’s Anthem” could all be on the Best Songs list. They’re just that damn good. “No Regrets” is story telling at its finest and anyone who’s ever worked a shitty job just to pay the bills can easily relate to “9-5er’s Anthem.” Seriously, if you haven’t heard this album, stop reading right now and go find it. I don’t care how you get your hands on it, just do it!

1. The Blueprint – Jay-Z
This album will always have special meaning to me as it was released on Sept. 11, 2001. I remember driving to Best Buy after my 8 a.m. class to pick up the album and listening to Howard Stern after the Twin Towers had collapsed. It was one of the most surreal days of my entire life and one I will never, ever forget. The fact that a hip-hop classic dropped the same day is mere coincidence. But what this album did for me and my roommate on that awful day goes beyond words. We needed an escape. We needed a release. And the greatest CD of Jay-Z’s storied career allowed us a diversion from the horrible events that took place that day. Of course we never really stopped thinking about what was going on in New York City and Washington D.C. But when life started to return to normal we always looked back on this album and thought of that day. As for the album itself, it’s a hip-hop classic, plain and simple. Every track is tremendous and it was the perfect way for Hov to ditch the commercial bullshit he was putting out (“Money Ain’t A Thang,” “Can I Get A…” ring a bell?) and return to the top of his game. Going with in-house production from two relatively unknown producers named Just Blaze and Kanye West was a ballsy move for a No. 1 artist, but boy did it ever pay off. Kanye blessed Jay with beats for “Takeover,” “Izzo,” “Heart of the City,” “Never Change” and “Girls, Girls, Girls (Remix),” while Just Blaze was responsible for “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “U Don’t Know,” and “Song Cry.” And of the 14 tracks, those are 8 of the top 9. The other? The Eminem produced and assisted “Renegade,” which led to Nas’ famous line from Ether, “Eminem murdered you on your own shit.” I talked about Em’s verse from “Fight Music” being one of my favorites of his, but this is the best guest spot Em’s ever done. There’s no need to hit the skip button at any time during this album, just let it play from start to finish. Thank you Jay for this classic album. It came at a time when we desperately needed it and it has withstood the test of time as an all-time great.

So there’s 2001. I had the pleasure of finding a few new favorites in Atmosphere and Aesop Rock, was pleasantly surprised with D-12’s offering and got to see Nas and Jay, two of the best that have ever done it, regain their form.