25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time
3. 2Pac - All Eyez On Me
Whereas Illmatic is short and sweet, 2Pac's magnum opus All Eyez on Me is a twenty seven-track epic that is so good it still feels short at two hours long. The consistency of this album over its two dozen tracks sets it apart from Illmatic and Ready to Die, and into a realm unto itself. The beats are hard, the messages unflinching, the imagery inspired.
The question about who is the greatest rapper of all time will rage on forever, but with All Eyez on Me 2Pac makes one hell of a case for himself.
The record touches on everything from race, poverty, and living the "thug" lifestyle that is still synonymous with the rapper to this day. His flow, a perfect mix of angry and laidback, helped boost 2Pac to superstardom. From "Ambitionz az a Ridah" to "California Love", "Life Goes On" to "Can't C Me", 2Pac is at once a rebel and a poet, and All Eyez on Me begs the question: Where would he be had he not died after the album's release?