Top 5 Aftermath Albums
Aftermath Entertainment is a label imprint founded by one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, Dr. Dre. Since its inception in 1996, it has bolstered numerous talented artists from the likes of Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game and Kendrick Lamar.
This list is not my personal top 5 favourite Aftermath albums, I will put that at the bottom of the page. This list is based on what I believe is to be the top 5 most important albums for Aftermath as a label and the albums that define Aftermath Entertainment.
5. 50 Cent - Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
Standout tracks - What Up Gangsta, Patiently Waiting (Ft. Eminem), Many Men (Wish Death), In Da Club, 21 Questions (Ft. Nate Dogg)
At the time of writing Drake is arguably the biggest rapper right now, who has had an unprecedented run for over a decade. But I would argue that Drake has never reached a two year apex, similar to 50 Cent between 2003 to 2005. Curtis Jackson’s popularity was monumental during those two years, it seemed as if it was easy for 50 Cent to create hits. His debut studio album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, spawned countless hit singles from “P.I.M.P.”, the Nate Dogg featured ballad of “21 Questions” to the monster smash of “In Da Club”. The album sold over 800,000 copies within its first week and helped Aftermath remain on the mountain top of the rap game. From Dr. Dre’s “2001”, Eminem’s first three albums to now 50’s debut, Aftermath was a force to be reckoned with.
4. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
Standout Tracks - Stan (Ft. Dido), Who Knew, The Way I Am, Kill You, The Real Slim Shady
Some albums are so impactful they are moments in time, and Eminem’s second LP is just that. Following up his debut LP from a year prior, The MMLP is a mixture of Eminem the rapper, Slim Shady the alter ego and Marshall Mathers the man who has gone from rags to riches within a short period of time. That mixture led to a darker and sinister album, compared to his debut LP, “The Slim Shady LP”. The “MMLP” is quite remarkable in the sense that Eminem poked fun at mainstream culture and everything about him and the album was anti-pop, yet Eminem was a huge part of pop culture. From The “MMLP” having the highest selling first week sales for any rap album and selling over a million copies within a week, his performance of “Stan” with Elton John to his performance on MTV with a whole army of white men, who dressed just like him and bleached their hair blonde. The MMLP is an album that defined not only Eminem’s career, but also defined the early 2000s as a whole.
3. Dr. Dre - 2001
Standout tracks - The Watcher, Still D.R.E. (Ft. Snoop Dogg), Xxsplosive (Ft. Hittman, Kurupt, Nate Dogg and Six-Two), What’s The Difference (Ft. Eminem and Xzibit), Forgot About Dre (Ft. Eminem)
The Doctor’s first album under his imprint was an album that was needed to revitalise the west-coast producer’s career. The world didn’t receive an album for seven years from Dre and prior to the introduction to Eminem, Dr. Dre was struggling to get the wheels of his label going. From the failed album from The Firm to his critically flawed compilation album, “Dr. Dre Presents: The Aftermath”.
Along with the success of Eminem’s debut album, “The Slim Shady LP”, which was released only a few months prior, “The Chronic 2001” relit the flame on Dre’s career. The album consists of extraordinary instrumentals and Dre took his beats to a whole new level. Over two decades on from the albums release, the LP consists of both classic cuts, and singles that have grown to become definitive West Coast gems.
2. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a butterfly
Standout tracks - Wesley’s Theory (Ft. George Clinton and Thundercat), These Walls (Ft. Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat), Alright, How Much a Dollar Cost? (Ft. James Fauntelroy and Ronald Isley), The Blacker the Berry
Along with his major debut “good kid, m.A.A.d. city”, Kendrick Lamar kept the lights on for Aftermath during the 2010s. A decade which saw 50 Cent leave the label, questionable releases from Eminem and only one album from Dr. Dre. For the most part of a decade Kendrick Lamar was the only exciting artist on Aftermath.
Kendrick’s third album, “To Pimp a Butterfly”, is by far the most important Hip-Hop album from the last decade. With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement to the controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s presidential campaign run, it was an album that came out at the right time and it is an album that defines a generation. Besides the content and the concept of the album, it also stood out sonically, compared to the popular sounds of Trap music that was ruling the mid 2010s.
1. Eminem - The Slim Shady LP
Standout tracks - My Name Is, Guilty Conscience (Ft. Dr. Dre), Brain Damage, ‘97 Bonnie & Clyde, Just Don’t Give a Fuck
It’s always said that Eminem needed Dr. Dre, and it’s true, even Eminem will always admit to that. However, Dr. Dre and Aftermath as a label needed Eminem just as much. Dre needed something fresh and new, his attempts with other artists since his departure from Death Row weren’t successful. Eminem was what Dre needed, a pure lyricist with shock value and dark humour. Something else also stood out about Eminem… a white rapper who could actually rap! In 1999 that was essentially unheard of.
Eminem’s debut album might not be the most cohesive or polished out of his first three, yet two decades on it’s still a fantastic debut with witty and humorous lines and it’s importance is huge. It also showcases how great Dr. Dre is as a producer, because it’s a collab that is strange however he made it work so well. “The Slim Shady LP” kicked off the label’s run and without it I doubt we would of received the artists and the albums that came after it.
My top 5 favourite aftermath albums
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city
Dr. Dre - 2001
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin’
Eminem - The Eminem Show