I've the list of CLASSIC hiphopalbums only has 10 places I suppose it will contend the following albums:

1) Erik B & Rakim - Paid in Full
2) BDP - By All Means Neccesary
3) Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Breakdown
4) Reakwon - Only Build 4 Cuban Lynx
5) Outkast - Aquameni
6) Nas - Illmatic
7) ATCQ - Midnight Marauders
8) The Notorious BIG - Ready to Die
9) Dr Dre - The Chronic
10a)The Fugees - The Score
10b)Slick Rick - Great Adventures of Slick Rick
10c)Blackstar - Talib Kweli & Mos Def are .....

future classics are (everything produced after 2000 can not be named classic):

1) Little Brother - The Listening
2) Madvillain - Madvillainy
3) De La Soul - The Grind Date (I told you!!!!)
4) Common - BE (again.... I told you!!!!)
5) Slum Village - Fantastic Vol.2

Tip: Keep your eyes on the following producers, because they are gonna bring you the new classics;

Symbolyc One, Nicolay, Khrysis, 9th Wonder, Kanye West, Madlib & Dangermouse

dj sun, your measurement criteria is on point, glad you posted that up. and i can't believe i forgot about tribe! their first album is definitely an up-there classic, and you can play it all the way thru and nod your head the whole time. . .that and low end theory were their best.

as far as underrated albums that don't get play these are what i likes:
end of the beginning - murs
ravipops - c-rayz walz-
meiso - dj krush
all of the above - j-Live!

um...what's good with the absence of the Fugees? The Score?!?!?! I know I'm not the only one praying at night that they get back together...

great suggestions... but of all the Tribe albums, the very first (Instinctive Travels) is one of the all-time best (and has not been mentioned yet). I think a measurement criteria would be: can you put the record on, let it play all the way though, then flip it again and again... then come back years later and it still has that same feel and you can play it and play it all the way through again. I think "Instinctive Travels" plays that way, as does Slick Rick's "Great Adventures" ... The Brand Nubian early lps as well as Digable & Pete Rock & CL...

if we're talking classic then:

mecca and the soul brother - pete rock and c.l. smooth
criminal minded - boogie down productions
paid in full - eric b. and rakim
lyte as a rock - mc lyte
enter the wu-tang (36 chambers)
great adventures of of slick rick
organix - the roots
reachin' a new refutation of time and space - digable planets

I agree that Welcome 2 Detroit is a great record...but I don't think it falls into that category of classic hip hop. Definitely a gem though (as everything Jaydee touches is).

As for the Complex Catolgue, definitely a slept on compliation. But it's just that, a compliation. Too bad Complex never put out a great album.

To me, the best hip hop album of the last 5 years is Lootpack "Soundpieces: The Antidote". I'd add that to all time classics.

This is always as 2 hard!

Of course both Tribe & De La´s 1st & 2nd then:

Pete & C.L. "Return of The Mecca"
Souls Of Mischief "93 til' Infinity

I also have 2 pretty new albums:

Mr. Complex "The Complex Catalauge"
Jay Dee "Welcome 2 Detroit"

The things is that about new stuff that it don´t has had as long time 2 grown as album which were released for 10 years, I'm pretty sure that it problably will take 10 years before partypeople would really appreciate "Welcome 2 Detroit" as it's worth.
And I'm sorry 2 say that if u slept on it, U problably have 2 wait for like 10 years before they rerelease it... ; )

All the above sounds good to me, but please......let's not forget "Dana Dane with Fame! Dana Dane with Faaaaame!!!" :-)

Can't leave out these 6 classics:

Gangstarr "Daily Operation" (best Gangstarr album, period);
The Beatnuts "The Beatnuts" (unbelievalbe LP...few beatmakers in history can top Fashion, JuJu and Psycho LES);
Black Sheep "A WOlf In Sheep's Clothing" (sounds as hot in 2004 as it did in 1991. And still funny);
Digable Planets "Blowout Comb" (timeless classic);
Eric B & Rakim "Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em (Rakim at his best, Eric B with his best beats, one of the most slept on albums ever);
Diamond D "Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop" (D.I.T.C. landmark)..

How bout the most underrated/slept on hip hop albums of all time??

I can definitely agree on the choices in albums that were already spoken about.

I was listening to some old school myself the past few days and it made me miss those days from 87-95 that created so many great hip-hop joints.

Eric B& Rakim- Paid in full
Wu-Tang clan- Enter the 36 chambers
Black Moon- Enter the stage (most underrated hip hop album.)
Common- Resurrection
Raekwon- Only built for Cuban links
Nas-Illmatic (of course)
Pete Rock/CL Smooth- Main Ingredient
Notorious B.I.G.- Ready to Die (Even though Puffy almost ruined hip-hop in the late 90's)
Dr. Dre- the Chronic
Big Daddy Kane- Long live the Kane( his best album in my opinion)

Why can't they make album like this anymore?