The “top five” conversation is one of the most enduring debates in hip-hop (so much so, Chris Rock even made a movie about it). Part of the reason for that is its adaptability; with just one or two tweaks, the question can open up infinite avenues of discussion. For instance, rather than applying the question to rappers, it can be applied to albums; it can also be given conditions that make it a more complex question than it seems on the surface.
That’s what Just Blaze and Katty Customs do in this week’s episode of Fresh Pair, prompting their guest T.I. to divulge his list of the top five most influential Atlanta rap albums. As one of the godfathers of trap rap, T.I. is one of the best folks to ask, and since he’s so fiercely loyal to his soil, it means his answers have the potential for a lot of depth.
Right off the bat, he names OutKast’s SouthernPlayalisticCadillacMusik, the group’s debut and the album most widely credited with putting Atlanta rap on the map, then OutKast’s Dungeon Family compatriots Goodie Mob’s first album, Soul Food. Both are easy picks, but not exactly obvious ones, especially since so much time has passed it’d be easy to forget their influence. Both groups have had bigger albums, as well; OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is one of only a handful of rap albums to ever earn Diamond status from the RIAA.
Tip gets into some more surprising picks, adding Young Thug‘s first Slime Season and Future‘s original Dirty Sprite. Both mixtapes could also be considered left-field picks, as both rappers have also had more successful tapes in those series (Slime Season 3 is largely credited as Thugger’s mainstream breakout, which he’d been working toward since appearing on a string of hits in 2014. He was recognizable already — SS3 made him the juggernaut he is today. Meanwhile, DS2 landed after Future’s legendary three-mixtape run in 2015 and delivered his first-ever No. 1 debut). Each tape, though, extends roots and themes that resonate throughout Atlanta rap today and even influence outsiders like Roddy Ricch and 03 Greedo.
T.I.’s last pick, interestingly enough, is much more recent: 21 Savage‘s I Am > I Was. Tip specifically name-checks Savage’s J. Cole-featuring single “A Lot,” which could absolutely be seen as a bit of a turning point for the trap genre (and for J. Cole). The song upended a lot of fans’ expectations for both rappers, showing that Cole could lighten up and dabble in more commercial fare without losing his flair for lyrical drama, while 21 showed that he could hang with one of the consensus best straight-up spitters around.
Watch a clip from the latest episode of Fresh Pair above and catch the full episode Wednesday 10/12 at 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT.