5. Nas

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

I Am...

• Columbia

The current king of all rappers isn't about to abdicate his throne for anyone. The disc is Nas' best yet, packed with plenty of the street savvy poetry and power grooves that have been his calling card since his 1994 breakthrough Illmatic. This time out, he delivers and then some on tracks like the money-fueled duet with Puff Daddy, “Hate Me Now,” the take-no-prisoners sizzler “I Wanna Talk to You,” and the raunchy split-up saga “K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” One of the best songs on the album is the duet with Aaliyah on “You Won't See Me Tonight,” which shows the rhyme-master's softer side.