10 Hip-Hop Albums Every New Fan Should Listen To

10. Good Kid - M.A.A.D City

The Album: Though his talent had been heralded for years (check out Rigamortus on Section.80) Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City was Kendrick Lamar's grand entrance to the mainstream of hip-hip and announced him as the next great rapper.  

On the album Kendrick demonstrates his story-telling ability (on a level unseen since Nas's Illmatic) and lyrical genius well beyond his years.  It follows Kendrick's life as a teenager trying to survive in Compton.  

It's a beautiful mix of technical prowess (Backseat Freestyle) and honest introspective narrative that deserves its title of a "modern classic" and its place as the most recent album on this list.

Standout Track:  Backseat Freestyle (Honorable Mention: Swimming Pools, Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZW7et3tPuQ

If You Dig This, Check Out: To Pimp a Butterfly-His funkier but just as brilliant follow-up.