The Source's Five-Mic Albums
The Record Report is a special feature in the publication in which journalists rate albums. Ratings range from one to five mics', paralleling a typical five-star rating scale. An album that is rated at four-and-a-half or five mics is considered by The Source to be a superior hip hop album. Over the first ten years or so, the heralded five-mic rating only applied to albums that were universally lauded hip hop albums. A total of 45 albums have been awarded five mics; a complete, chronological list is below.
Albums that originally received five mics:
- People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm -- A Tribe Called Quest
- Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em -- Eric B. & Rakim
- AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted -- Ice Cube
- One for All -- Brand Nubian
- De La Soul Is Dead -- De La Soul
- The Low End Theory -- A Tribe Called Quest
- Illmatic -- Nas
- Life After Death -- The Notorious B.I.G.
- Aquemini -- Outkast
- The Blueprint -- Jay-Z
- Stillmatic -- Nas
- The Fix -- Scarface
- The Naked Truth -- Lil' Kim
- Trill OG -- Bun B
- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy -- Kanye West
Albums that were not rated upon their releases, but were later rated five mics in 2002:
- Run-D.M.C. -- Run-D.M.C.
- Radio -- LL Cool J
- Licensed to Ill -- Beastie Boys
- Raising Hell -- Run-D.M.C.
- Criminal Minded -- Boogie Down Productions
- Paid in Full -- Eric B. & Rakim
- By All Means Necessary -- Boogie Down Productions
- It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back -- Public Enemy
- Long Live the Kane -- Big Daddy Kane
- Critical Beatdown -- Ultramagnetic MCs
- Straight Out the Jungle -- Jungle Brothers
- Strictly Business -- EPMD
- The Great Adventures of Slick Rick -- Slick Rick
- Straight Outta Compton -- N.W.A.
- No One Can Do It Better -- The D.O.C.
- All Eyez on Me -- 2Pac
Albums that originally received 4.5 Mics, and were later re-rated to five:
- Breaking Atoms -- Main Source
- Death Certificate -- Ice Cube
- The Chronic -- Dr. Dre
- Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) -- Wu-Tang Clan
- Ready to Die -- The Notorious B.I.G.
- The Infamous -- Mobb Deep
- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... -- Raekwon
- 2001 -- Dr. Dre
Albums that originally received four mics, and were later re-rated to five:
- Grip It! On That Other Level -- Geto Boys
- Doggystyle -- Snoop Doggy Dogg
- The Diary -- Scarface
- Me Against the World -- 2Pac
- The Score -- The Fugees
- Reasonable Doubt -- Jay-Z
Read more about this topic: The Source (magazine)