It's debatable, Illmatic has no weak tracks and no skits and is a better lyrical display and it's just amazing how Nas painted the streets and it's just well produced love the jazz samples too many rappers claimed the album as inspiration and too many tributes have been made.
Personally for me Chronic is top 5, Illmatic and The Infamous are pretty much tied. IMO MM>LET, Doggystyle>AEOM slightly, to me Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is Kast's best album.
i hear what you sayin' and all but the chronic has no weak songs either. the skits on the chronic are all classics too. dr. dre along with the d.o.c., snoop, daz n kurupt, lady of rage, nate, and jewell all captured the image and sound of the streets and the l.a. riots especially with songs like lil ghetto boy
that 20 sack pyramid is the best skit of all time. that skit was so great that they even included it at the beginnin' of the let me ride music video
as far as influence and inspiration goes, the chronic changed hip hop forever. with dr. dre makin' g funk popular with the chronic that sound was not only big on the west but the east and down south too. as far as east and the south go, you had mc lyte with ruff neck, ll with his how i'm comin single in 93', biggie with big poppa, jermaine dupri with da brat tryin' to go the snoop route etc. the chronic's inspiration and influence was everywhere! hell, even adina howard's freak like me came after the chronic!