ROUND 1: illmatic vs. Straight Outta Compton
Nas - illmatic (1994) Genre: East Coast hip-hop, boom bap Singles: Halftime, It Ain't Hard to Tell, Life's a Bitch, The World Is Yours, One Love Grammys: One nomination RIAA Certification: 2x Platinum Rolling Stone Rank: 44
Nas' debut album, which he began at 16 and released at only 20, would become a landmark for East Coast hip-hop and is considered by some to be the best hip-hop album, period. Hotly anticipated before and anything but a disappointment upon its release, illmatic tackles gang rivalries, poverty, and the ravages of the 90s Queensbridge projects with poetic deftness and unprecedented complexity that pushed the art of rap to new heights.
*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton (1989) Genre: West Coast hip-hop, gangsta rap Singles: Gangsta Gangsta, Express Yourself Grammys: N/A RIAA Certification: 3x Platinum Rolling Stone Rank: 70
N.W.A's notorious debut album would draw massive attention, both positive and negative alike. Earning the group FBI warning letters and getting them banned from MTV due to their contentious, exaggerated lyrics around gang violence, militant anti-authoritarianism, and blatant disregard for women, Straight Outta Compton would contribute significantly to the defining sound of gangsta rap and shift the focus of the West Coast rap scene. Despite its controversies, the album would become a smash success, being the first gangsta rap record to reach platinum certification with it's bombastic style and strong sense of personality.
*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.
Which album is more iconic?
illmatic
Straight Outta Compton