Now there’s finally a rep from the East Coast on the Top 10 list!  Arguably, Jay’s most soulful album, The Blueprint, catches him at the peak of his game.  With R &B samples all over the place, Jay takes shots at Nas, proclaims his innocence and trades verses with Eminem.

This album was where Jay figured out his comfort zone as an artist. He had reached the pinnacle of commercial success on Vol. 2 but was missing the artistry displayed on Reasonable Doubt.  Jay took a risk on The Blueprint going with two unknown producers, Kanye West and Just Blaze, and they delivered not only his two hit singles, “Izzo (H.O.V.A)” and “Girls, Girls, Girls”, but also redefined the sound of the genre.  Jay took a risk which was unheard of for a rapper of his stature and it paid off big time.

To kick off the new “Top 10s” section on LOUD.com, we started with the centerpiece of hip hop: the album.  The LOUD.com staff had some heated debates over our final 10 list but we finally came to a conclusive, and sure to be controversial, list of the Top 10 Greatest Hip Hop Albums of All Time.

This 1996 classic was certified platinum four hours after being released.  It went on to sell over 10 million albums.  With the huge single, “California Love” remix leading the way,  All Eyez On Me churned out classics such as “Only God Can Judge Me”, “2 Of Americaz More Wanted” and “Can’t C Me”.  Arguably, Pac’s greatest album, it was released exactly 7 months before his death.