Here Are The Final 4 Greatest Of All-Time Hip-Hop Albums, As Decided By You

In September of 2015, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: what is the greatest Rap Album Of All-Time? “Finding The GOAT Album” has considered more than 120 albums from the 80s, 90s and 2000s (40 in each), with options for wild card and write-in candidates. Today (March 29) closed the Elite 8 Round of “Finding The GOAT Album.” You—the voters—have chosen what you determined to be the Final 4 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All-Time.

Tomorrow (March 30) begins the Final 4, with battles Wednesday and Friday (April 1). After the polls close Sunday (April 3) The championship round will take place Monday (April 4).

Forty albums from the 1980s and another 40 in the 2000s were included before Wild Card voting. Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders, Nas’ Illmatic and The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die are the Final 4. Curiously, all four remaining albums were released in November, 1993 and September of 1994, with Tribe and Wu-Tang both released on November 9, 1993.

There are several contributors to multiple albums in this distinguished quartet. Method Man, Q-Tip, Large Professor, and DJ Premier all worked on two of the four works. The albums, all of which are platinum certified, won by margins of 9% or greater. Additionally, none of these albums received Grammy Awards in any category.

Here are the results from the Elite 8 round:

Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers (72%) vs. Eric B. & Rakim’s Paid In Full (28%)

Nas’ Illmatic (72%) vs. Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…(28%)

A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders (64%) vs. Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (36%)

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die (54%) to Dr. Dre’s The Chronic (46%)

Related: This Mix Of The 16 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time Is 21 Minutes of Heaven (Audio)