Bleep

Continually topping ‘greatest hip-hop albums of all time’ lists alongside the likes of Wu-Tang Clan and Nas, Gang Starr’s uber-braggadocios Step in the Arena is a singularity in the east coast style. Released in 1991, at a time when the states were in thrall to the west coast party scene, Guru and DJ Premier spun golden age beats and spat the sort of effortless lyrical power plays larger-than-life rap personalities couldn’t come close to topping.