It’s a complicated measure. The trifecta they call it or the menage´or the three-peat. Three is special and odd. It’s a prime in a room full of squares or boiled downs. And what’s more difficult? The creation of three great things in a row. One and you may have gotten lucky; two and you’re really talented, but three? They carve your face somewhere after that and the fall from grace, while still brutal, is less so knowing you created a trinity, holy or not.
It’s so rarely ever done — the album three-peat — that you have to sit and ponder for a while and ask yourself if anyone’s really ever done it at all? But their have been times when through sheer force of will someone or a group has shot through past two and split their dead-eye arrow in half, right down the middle. We present only nine of them here, but here are our picks for artists who managed to pull off the album hat-trick.
Killer Mike and El-P
Albums: R.A.P, Run The Jewels, Run The Jewels 2
R.A.P was Killer Mike’s sixth studio album. Mike’s chronically undervalued 2011 project Pl3dge (the third project in The Pledge series) saw Mike at, maybe, his most militant. In an interview with HipHopDX he even went this far: “Yeah, I got concerns that they’re gonna kill me. I’ve got concerns that unless enough people wake up and pay attention to what I’m saying, either I’m going to have to stop saying it or I’m going to get killed for saying it—one or the other.”
Pl3dge was political. It was controversial and it was polysonic. FlyLo is in the credits for Gods sake. But it would be his partnership with the sci-fi tongued, aggressive cult producer El-P that would take both of their visions and form Hip Hop’s two-pronged Voltron. As R.A.P became the phenomenon that it was, placing Mike’s internal struggles against a backdrop of comic book musings and rage, the two looked at each other and knew a good thing when they saw it. They teamed up and Run The Jewels came next, and three classic recordings later, the renaissance of both artists seems complete. What’s next? Run The Jewels 3, of course, and the melting of even more faces to follow.
Kanye West
Albums: The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation
Sometimes an accident will change your life. It did so for one Kanye West, who went from being the ill-tempered “My life is dope and I do dope shit” Roc-a-Fella producer to the hard charging futurist with the earnest flow. That accident also changed his cadence, allowing him to bend words to fit in that Chi-town drawl that’s entrenched us to his sound. It’s taken dramatic turns with each iteration, as a whole new Kanye seems to rise out of his soul for each album. The College Dropout was a sort of Native Tongues revival-cum-comedy routine over soaring, immaculate production that included “Jesus Walks” and “All Falls Down.” The second was more commercial, as Late Registration shifted with his sudden fame (one he never doubted for a moment) as “Gold Digger,” and “Diamonds” flooded your streets, your hallways, and synapses. Graduation was the culmination of pre 808s Kanye, where he molded Electronic influences with anime (“Stronger”), trap (“Can’t Tell Me Nothing”) and sheer genius. Then his entire life changed in an instant and 808s and Heartbreak would go on to define an entire genre. But the first three Ye´records stand as a timestamp, and a clarion call to what Rap would become.
LL Cool J
Albums: Radio, Bigger And Deffer, Walk With A Panther
Everyone knows Radio changed Rap forever, ushering in a kind of popularity the genre had yet to see up to that point. “I Can’t Live Without My Radio,” “Rock The Bells” and the “I Need A Beat (remix)” are ubiquitous classics, and sound as fresh now as they did 30 years ago. Then Bigger And Deffer came along to change things again. The bravado was there in “I’m Bad” and “Get Down” but so was something for the ladies in “I Need Love.” That song changed, well, everything, and that formula has been relaid and remolded countless times since. Walk With A Panther would follow, and it would be controversial for what seemed like its tone deaf one man parade to have the good times continue. But, with the pleasure of time, we can see it for what it truly is: a slick, finger licking good time amidst a spiders web of social upheaval. “Going Back To Cali,” “Big Ole Butt” and “Jingling Baby” still makes every party complete. And although it wasn’t as appreciated as it should have been then, we can now admit the truth: Walk With A Panther was a great commercial record.
OutKast
Albums: ATLiens, Aquemini, Stankonia
It would be their penultimate farewell, duel solo records masquerading as a double-disc that would get them their Grammy. But we all know better. The Organized Noize produced super-duo featured the brash machinations of Big Boi with the understated artistry of Andre Benjamin for five incredible runs at the throat of Rap. We can only choose three, and while Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik was incredible, 3000 had yet to find the polish that would push him into G.O.A.T considerations for years to come. It’s safe to say he began to awaken on ATLiens as Big Boi continued his multi-syllabic, multi-cadence assault on Hip Hop. Then, a complete and utter shift in sound came along in the form of Aquemini. It was something, literally, that you had never heard before. That you needed to hear, and that you wondered why you’d never heard before. Such was the genius of ‘Kast. It was the iPhone of it’s moment, and featured jams that literally shoved the genre forward. Then Stankonia, an equally different, equally transcendent record featuring songs like “B.O.B” and “So Fresh, So Clean” it was a 24 song thrill ride. A jagged feature film in musical form. That would be close to the beginning of the end for this dynamic duo. But, God, what a run.
Missy Elliott
Albums: Supa Dupa Fly, Da Real World, Miss E… So Addictive
There wasn’t a female alive that dared to sonically change the landscape of Hip Hop until Missy Elliott hit the scene with Supa Dupa Fly. Before Nicki, Drake and the hundreds of other singers/rappers began blurring genre lines, Misdemeanor could give slick rhymes on tracks like “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” then belt vulnerability with “Beep Me 911.” As the Virginia-native utilized Timbaland’s spaced-out funk to set the standard for how MCs approach his unique production, she continued to push the super-producer into her sophomore album Da Real World. The beats got darker and features more unique; that includes what’s technically Beyonce’s first solo rap feature. Taking a left turn, Miss E… So Addictive essentially introduced early EDM elements that obviously still resonate throughout Hip-Hop today. Don’t believe it? Take a listen to “Scream A.K.A. Itchin” or “Get Ur Freak On.”
A Tribe Called Quest
Albums: People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm, The Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders
The debut from Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed Muhammad forever stands as a landmark album in “Golden Era” Hip Hop. There was a jazz like cool that lent itself well to now classic tracks ranging from “Bonita Applebum” to “Can I Kick It.” Their follow-up, The Low End Theory, eventually set the blueprint for alternative Rap of the early to mid-90s. For those who thought the three(technically four counting Jarobi) were soft backpackers, “Show Business” and “Scanerio” were nice kicks to the jaw. However, Midnight Marauders turned A Tribe Called Quest not only into music’s best but featured one of the most epic album covers of its era.
Eminem
Albums: Slim Shady LP, Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show
Dr. Dre took a chance on a lanky white boy from the Detroit trailer parks with a storied history in the local area battle rap scene. The end result were three groundbreaking albums from one of the greatest MCs in HIp-Hop history. The Slim Shady LP was a striking debut that reached into the psychotic mind of Aftermath Record’s first star. Who else could be bold enough to call out his own boss on “Guilty Conscious?” More of a personal affair, The Marshall Mathers LP became one of the highest selling records of all time. Eminem eventually fused both concepts of himself and his Slim Shady persona to perfection for The Eminem Show. If he not challenging “White America,” or giving insight into his childhood through “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” he’s giving that classic dark humor on “Without Me” and “Drips.”
Beastie Boys
Albums: Licensed to Ill, Paul’s Boutique, Check Your Head
Three white kids from Brooklyn changed Rap forever with Hip Hop’s forever with Licensed to Ill. For heaven sakes, that album alone delivered seven of the highest charting rap tracks of the 80s. Most importantly, The Beastie Boys established a set of rules on how to make good Hip Hop without the sleazy feeling of cultural appropriation. “Paul Revere,” “Brass Monkey,” and “No Sleep Till Brookyln” all easily stood on their own. Leaving Def Jam and moving to Capitol Records, Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock utilized the Dust Brother’s unique production for the even better Paul’s Boutique. Their third studio album Check Your Head is to this day considered one of the best rock/Hip-Hop fusion hybrids.
Common
Albums: Resurrection, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, Like Water For Chocolate
Chicago’s legendary purveyor of conscious rap became a household name after the “I Used To Love H.E.R.” featured Resurrection. Follow-up One Day It’ll All Make Sense was a last hurrah for Common and No I.D. as the two wouldn’t work for years exclusively. However, Like Water For Chocolate became a breakout moment for the Mr. Lonnie Lynn Jr. commercially as well as critically. That could be due in part to the standout production from J Dilla which gave Common his first big hit “The Light.”
Andre Grant is an NYC native turned L.A. transplant that has contributed to a few different properties on the web and is now the Features Editor for HipHopDX. He’s also trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot. Follow him on Twitter @drejones.
Ural Garrett is an Los Angeles-based writer and photographer. For the past several years, he’s written for numerous publications ranging from HipHopDX to SoulTrain. When not covering music, video games, films and the community at large, he’s in the kitchen baking like Anita. Follow him on Twitter @Uralg.
How the fuck 2pac or Ice Cube not on this list ?
All he raps about is killing cops. Other than Brenda’s got baby none of those songs are playable. If i was strictly for my n####s, me against the world, and all eyez on me. That is another story. You can make a case for Ice Cube. You can’t even say Nas after illmatic it was down hill for a couple albums. How can you follow up the greatest hip-hop album? And the dude below me puts jay-z ha.
2pacalypse now was a political album. Did you even listen to it? The ONLY people that didn’t get on that were the stans that hopped on the Pac wagon after Me Against The World. It’s a dope album, a cult classic and certified gold for a debut. Not considered up to par with 5 mic albums, but still dope non the less. Listen to it and not the singles.
MISSY??? WHERES JAY AT? WHERE SCARFACE AT??WHERE MOBB DEEP AT?? HELL EVEN 50 COULDA BEEN ON HERE
Wack list! Kanye?, Missy? LOL Where is Cypress Hill? Gang Starr? etc
How can you possibly argue against Kanye’s inclusion in this list based on those three albums
Love seeing people get mad at lists. It’s just someone’s opinion. Go make a blog and make your own list and stop bitching. It’s one thing to disagree but to get mad at another man’s opinion… Yal need to get grown
Ghostface, Redman, Wutang, The Roots, (MF) Doom, come to mind.
50 Cent? (GRODT, Beg for Mercy & Massacre)
Kanye is far and away the leader in this respect. Those 3 albums changed Hip Hop and would still be considered classics if they were released in 2015.
Ironically, nobody has stayed true to their base moreso than Kanye did in the 2000s.
Im mad he didnt do Ye NEXT 3 albums…those were amazing also
808, MTDF, Yeezus was DOPE!
Fabolous
Lupe Fiasco: F&L, Cool, Lasers, F&L2, Tetsuo & Youth
MF DOOM: OperationDoomsDay., Take Me To Ur Leader, VV1, VV2, Madvillainy, MM..FOOD, The Mouse & The Mask
GFK: Ironman, Supreme Clientele, Bulletproof Wallets
Wu-Tang Clan: 36 Chambers, Forever, The W
.
lasers and FL2 are garbage. tetsuo and Youth hasn’t even come out yet. Lupe stans are the absolute worst people in hip hop.
LASERS WAS PURE GARBAGE
ya i agree with the WU trifecta for sure! Also, and even though some were technically “solos”, Enter the 36 Chambers – Tical – Return to the 36 Chambers – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx – Liquid Swords – Ironman – Wu-Tang Forever… THAT was a helluva run!
J cole
ICE CUBE TOPS EVERYONE
1990: AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted
1991: Death Certificate
1992: The Predator
1993: Lethal Injection
I agree 100. He fell off after that but that was a nice run. Also, no mention of DMX? It’s Dark and Hell is Hot-Flesh of my Flesh-And then? Hell of a run with even The Great Depression debuting at #1 with less acclaim/singles. I am not a huge fan but that’s impressive.
DMX AND Ghostface Killah’s first 3
Yo Outkast first 3, Stankonia was aight. Low End Theory is better than Midnight, but it does have one of the best Covers EVER not just for it’s era. Acknowledge Common and Kanye for going beyond 3, and how can you sleep on De La Soul, DOOM, Cypress Hill, PE, Cube, and Organized Konfusion?
Jay-Z does not deserve to be on this list. He always will drop a dud every other or every third album. I would say MF DOOM would be a good add. Operation Doomsday – Vaudeville Villain – Madvillainy all classics. MIC was in between but a true group album. Eminem dropped D12 in between MMLP and MNMS. Ghostface could be included if you consider that his labelled destroyed BULLETPROOF WALLETS by failing to clear samples. Nice article nonetheless, get you thinking.
Nas and Ghost deserve some love
Where in the hell are Ice Cube, Jay Z, De La Soul, and Tupac on this list?
they didnt go 3 for 3 buddy
T.I. – Trap Musik, Urban Legend, King
Whut….The Album, Dare iz a Darkside, Muddy Waters….REDMAN
For starters: Me against the world, All eyes on me, 7 days theory
Then.
I don’t know what this list is based on, but as a hip-hop cultural impact here in Europe, 50 cent is one of the biggest names. As far as I could surf the internet around when 50 first dropped some major tracks,he had a pretty huge hype around him. The hype was so big that he helped Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, Game and Tony Yayo (even if his succes was relative) read platinum records. What other rapper did that? None. 50 cent can’t be left out of this list.
J COLE did 3 for 3
DRAKE 3 for 3
KENDRICK is a future 3 for 3…b/c SECTION80 & GK,MC are both solid albums
my personal fave..SAIGON 3 for 3…..GSNTone 3 and 3!….LOL…for ppl who love underground & indie HIP HOP!…
Ludacris- Back For the First Time, Word of Mouf, Chicken & Beer. Good list though. Omitting Jay-Z was an interesting decision. It’s almost like the list was to point out Jay-Z hasn’t done it, which he hasn’t.
Reasonable Doubt, Vol. 1 & Vol 2. Shit U can even go Vol. 1, 2 & 3. Fuck it Vol. 3, Dynasty & The Blueprint. Hov’s done it.
Once again, agreed with this. Ludacris was incredible on his first 3 albums. Next best thing out of Atlanta after Outkast.
Vol 1 is trash…Vol 2 was commercially successful but ultimately trash as well
TIP 3 for 3 TRAP MUSIK URBAN LEGEND & KING…most definately during his best period…PAPER TRAIL was he very last good album!….he needs to retire now though…
KANYE WEST is 4 for 4…..#808s and HEARTBREAK was “YE be4 he went crazy!…LOL
This article is good because it opened up for me to want to listen to a couple of these albums mentioned. I would say that you forgot DMX’s first 3 albums who was the first person that came to mind when I read the header.
I do agree with a lot of these. however they are missing Ice cubes first three albums. Amerikkkas most wanted, Death certificate, The predator. All three both commercially and critically hit albums.
Public Enemy-Yo! Bum rush the show, It Takes a Nation Of Millions to hold us back, Fear of A Black Planet
BDP-Criminal minded, By All Means Necessary,Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop
Run Dmc-Run DMC, Kings of Rock, Raising Hell
De La Soul-3 feet High and rising, De la soul is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate
2pac-Me against the world, all Eyez on Me, Makaveli album
Eric B and rakim-Paid In full, Follow the Leader, Let the Rhythm Hit Em
Gang Starr-Step in the Arena,Daily Operation, Hard to Earn
Nailed it.
get missy elliots bitch ass outa there. id put 50 in there instead if were talkin get rich, massacre, and beg 4 mercy. i know thats a g-unit album but it was raw. fuck curtis
werdd. kendricks a future 3 for 3. the roots tooo. everyones sleeping on black thought, might even have 4 in a row. do you want more, illadelph halflife, things fall apart, phrenology
completely agree with all choices
Agreed.
Lil Wayne’s the carter 1, 2 and 3.
Even though he fell off pretty bad after that, Carter 2 and 3 are classics.
The Carter and Carter 2 are classics.
Carter 3 is garbage.
Carter 3 was his downfall. Carter 1&2 remanin very dope
Of all 3 for 3 Tribe is my favorite
No Redman? Whut the album, Dare iz a dark side and Muddy waters???
Shame on this list.
Everybody now that when it comes to quality The Eminem Show was just another rap album except HHDX
Ice Cube: AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, Death Certificate, The Predator.
Where’s hiphop without them?
Pac went 6 for 6
2pacalypse Now
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
THUGLIFE VOL.1
Me Against The World
All Eyez On Me
7 Day Theory
I do agree. Biggie was also perfect. He was 2 for 2.
so stankonia is better than southerplayalistic? Eminem Show is better than Infinite? Okay..
yes eminem show is a hundred times better than infinite
WTF?! Where MIGOS at?
No Label, Young Rich Niggas, No Label 2 and Rich Nigga Timeline…that’s 4 damn classics in a row!
We will be talk about Rich Nigga Timeline the same way we talk about Ready To Die! Even hipster ass Pitchfork had Rich Nigga Timeline as one of the best albums of the year.
Fuck this site!
Man Migos fucking sucks. You dare to put them on this list??? Smfh.
This is why no one can talk Hip Hop DX serious.
No
EPMD
Eric B. & Rakim
Public Enemy
Boogie Down Productions
Das EFX
Poor Righteous Teachers
Your writers need to step thei game up!
Stop whining please.
What about WWO – W Witrynach Odbicia?
EPMD (Strictly Business, Unfinished Business, Business as Usual, Business Never Personal)
Redman (Wut Thee Album?, Dare iz a Darkside, Muddy Waters, Doc’s da Name 2000)
Ice Cube (Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, Kill at Will, Death Certificate, The Predator, Lethal Injection)
Ghostface (Ironman, Supreme Clientele, Bulletproof Wallets, The Pretty Tony Album, Fishscale, More Fish, Big Doe Rehab, Apollo Kids)
GZA (Liquid Swords, Beneath the Surface, Legend of the Liquid Sword, Pro Tools, Grandmasters)
2Pac (Thug Life, Me Against the World, All Eyez on Me, The 7 Day Theory)
Mobb Deep (The Infamous, Hell on Earth, Murda Music, Infamy)
Scarface (Mr. Scarface is Back, The World is Yours, The Diary, Untouchable, My Homies, Last of a Dieing Breed, The Fix, Balls and My Word, Made, Emeritus)
Nas (Illmatic, It Was Written, I Am)
Jay Z (The Dynasty, The Blueprint, The Black Album)
Jay-Z was considered a washed up sell out when he dropped the Black album…. He made a comeback in 2012 tho…. Life and times of shawn carter is probably his hottest album. Followed by Vol 2 hard knock life. Then Blueprint. dynasty was a group album.
I do like VOL 3 a lot…I’ve always disliked VOL 2, damn near every song on there annoys the hell out of me…I think The Black Album is his 2nd best album, personally…The Dynasty is still ill group or not
on the topic of Jay-z, his only “classic” albums are RD, The blueprint, The Black Album and American Gangster
No doubt…the list calls for 3 consecutive “fantastic” albums, though.
You are just naming artists full discography, not very objective- i mean you can’t tell me that Ghostface Supreme Clientele is not his last great album, everything after that is not up to that, good sterling efforts but not as good as his first 2, Infamy by Mobb is not on the same level as The Infamous or Hell On Earth, you named ALL Scarface albums ffs- do you not see that is not being objective, you are saying they are all fantastic, you just sound like a stan… Illmatic is Nas finest moment, imo, i know some people prefer It Was Written, but you cant compare I Am to those 2 albums cos it is a confused album that is in nowhere near the same league as his first 2….i hope you get my point, about having favourite artists and just saying all their shit is classic when that is clearly not the case…
lanky white boy? em is like 5 foot 6
DMX
It’s Dark & Hell is Hot, Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood & Then There Was X
I don’t even like DMX and I agree to that
LL’s Walk With a Panther isn’t that great..
Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, Apocalypse ’91: The Enemy Strikes Black
KRS-One/Boogie Down Productions- Criminal Minded, By Any Means Necessary, The Blueprint
De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul is Dead, Bahloone Mind State
ghostface could of been on here…more than a few times. good call on the common and kanye
Not three classics in a row though, only two – Ironman, Supreme Clientele
Three classics in total – Ironman, Supreme Clientele, Fishscale
But Bulletproof Wallets and Pretty Toney were weak in between
I bet Kendrick joins this list once his new album drops cause Section 80 and GKMC are both excellent
Where’s Mobb Deep? Infamous, Hell On Earth, Murda Musik
Why no Mobb Deep or Gang Starr or Ice Cube (Straight Outta Compton, Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, Kill At Will, Death Certificate) for real HIP HOP heads, this is a HIP HOP site, no ??? EPMD first 3 albums, Redman first 3 albums, fuck me DE LA SOUL made 3 of Hip Hops greatest albums with 3 Ft, De La Soul Is Dead and buhloone Mind State…you lot need to step your Hip hop game up and stop thinking your readers want journalists such as D Harling copy and pasting TMZ celebrity gossip
You should change the sites name to URBANGOSSIP DX or something, in fact i believe The Zulu Nation should be chapping your door for perpetrating a fraud, they should pull your card on that name cos it is misleading…
miss me with that missy, straight garbage- she only was considered hot cos of timbalands beats, i don’t know ANY heads that listen to her or give her props, give me Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte, Latifah, Jean Grae, Remy Ma even…
Eminem- nah, one good album, your headline is 3 FANTASTIC in a row, major dick riding for no apparent reason…fuck his singalong hooks too.
Common- really? Like Water For Chocolate is a prettty lame album, couple of great tracks but overall the album was a letdown, so was One Day It’ll All Make Sense…
CO-SIGN except for the MIssy Part, Missy’s dope…. Beyond that, I mean, these mfs didnt even include 2pac?!? (Strictly4my / Me Against The W / All eyes on me) ….. I felt they was reaching on the Common looks too, Be was his best album it would have to be included in his “3 in a row” somehow, the rest of his albums arent on par IMO…. Not Including Ice Cube is ridiculous, his first 3 albums were all bangers… UM SCARFACE ANYONE?!? CAMRON?! KRIT?!
… This is actually a really dope article to reflect on hiphop with, but its really incomplete.
Where’s Pac
Mobb Deep:
1.) The Infamous
2.) Hell on Earth
3.) Murda Muzik