UGK - Ridin' Dirty (1996)

Genre: Hip-Hop
Website: Myspace
For Fans Of: Chamillionaire, Z-Ro, rap in general

This is one of the best rap albums of all time. People will tell you that Wu-Tang's 36 Chambers, or Nas' Illmatic or perhaps Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt among other things are the best that hip-hop has to offer. They're right. Illmatic was undoubtedly a pinnacle of rap in terms of quality and innovation. My problem is that all of the fawning is directed to but a few albums, and there are some absolute gems that are neglected. UGK's (Underground Kingz) Ridin' Dirty is such a gem. Its beats are sublimely catchy, its lyrics are hard-hitting and -while not being amazingly intricate- are superb in their storytelling potency. This is a must if you are looking to get into hip-hop, enjoy the occasional bit of rap, or are a huge fan of the genre. Although if you're a huge fan of the genre, you know all this already.

ALBUM: UGK - RIDIN' DIRTY