Lost

One of the most underrated double albums in the history of hip-hop, 1998’s Lost is the first solo release from 8Ball but it comes off more like a state of the union address for the entire Southern rap movement. 8Ball is the indisputable all-star of this album-length event, but he shares the spotlight with street rap heavyweights from all over the map. In addition to his partner MJG, there are contributions from Bun B (Houston), Busta Rhymes and Redman (New York), and Goodie Mob (Atlanta). There are two brilliant posse cuts, one dedicated to New Orleans (“Pure Uncut” features the No Limit crew) and the other to the Bay Area (“360°” brings together Spice-1, E-40 and Rappin’ 4-Tay”). The album is everything rap music aspires to be: a fusion of knowledge, technique, and soul. While Lost was largely ignored upon its release, it has aged better than many of the more-heralded New York rap albums from 1998. The 26-song behemoth is amazingly consistent, and “All 4 Nuthin’,” “Lost,” “Down and Out” and “Backyard Mississippi” are among the hardest, deepest rap music the American South has ever produced.