Music is used to tell a story, and in my opinion no genre of music can tell a story like hip hop can. These are my top 3 must-listen-to albums with phenomenal story telling and beautiful sonic vibrations.

Starting off with the number one listen is, of course, To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. Regarded to be the second best hip hop album of all time, TPAB covers many topics on Kendrick’s journey to self discovery. This album includes themes of generational trauma, black-on-black violence, self love, self hate, and regret.

The second must-listen-to album is Illmatic by Nas. This album is so good I don’t think I can give it justice by describing it. Much like Kendrick’s TPAB, it is lyrically dense and sonically beautiful. It is widely regarded as the best hip hop album of all time. Make sure to give this a listen if you get a chance. It was the first hip hop album from a first person perspective with multiple producers.

And finally we have another fantastic album. The third and final album you should listen to is 4 Your Eyez Only by J. Cole. In my opinion, this album is one of the top albums we have in hip hop. This album, similar to TPAB, covers the vices and struggles in poor and black community.

All three of these albums have very unique sounds and something to differentiate them from others. These albums are stories of different black Americans and their struggles under systemic racism. Their stories sound beautiful and describe tragic stories that we can all learn from and empathize with. Give these albums a chance, and I promise you won’t regret it.