1. Reasonable Doubt - released independently with the scope of a major label blockbuster. It is of my opinion that he reviewed Illmatic before it and added a hustler's mentality to the equation, greatly enhancing the scope of entertainment value. The theme of this album would be a good film . . and when that film is announced you you can up this thread and study this post more
2. Doggystyle - the young man with the most disctinct flow in the game debuts with an album that perfects the vision for what G-Funk could be. The album being 19 tracks highlights the fact that it didn't have to be squandered down in an effort to make it concise and cohesive. It wasn't a cheap smash and grab
3. The Chronic - to put it simple, this album revolutionized everything that came after it sonically. Before The Chronic hip-hop was one way, after The Chronic hip-hop was another way
4. Paid in Full - to put it simple, this album revolutionized everything that came after it lyrically. There is a hip-hop before Rakim and there's hip-hop after Rakim, for some that would make it number 1. Set the standard for a classic and every album above it is an album that surpassed that standard
5. Young Black Brotha - an independent release from the same month of the same year that Doggystyle came out and just like Doggystyle there was no need to spare the tracks. With nearly 75 minutes in running length and 21 tracks from a sole producer. The album is as consistent as any 12 track album
6. Illmatic - this album was to New York hip-hop as Obama's 2008 campaign was to politics. With the west coast reign in full-effect this album was hailed as if it was a baby born in a manger. With 10 songs from an all-star cast of producers it was a concise presentation of the young MC with a built-in consistency that left you with a certain feeling after playing it. Brought you back to the time that your parents were talking about when "albums were albums" and not just a bunch of tracks wrapped around a single
7. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - this album could be the center of curriculum for a liberal arts class
8. The Great Adventures of Slick Rick - a world where imagination rules and storytelling prevails.
9. No One Can Do it Better - The D.O.C. was like a mix of Rakim's pen and LL Cool J's delivery. This album might just represent the epitome of rapping at it's highest level
10. Mr. Scarface is Back - did you favorite rapper talk about suicide, dark feelings and killing themselves at the end of their album? Ya they lifted their blueprint from this album
Honorable mentions
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
Quik is the Name
Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Criminal Minded
Road to Riches
Long Live the Kane
Standard of Protocol - I did not include any rapper that was a member of a group at the time of their solo debut . . if I had we would have a list that was mostly ranking the Wu-Tang Clan's members debuts
at forcing Mac Dre in there. I was like "what album is Young Black Brotha? Who's that by? How come it's the only album in the entire list (honorables too) that I haven't heard nor heard of?"
. . . you know, cause they need their life curated like that 
