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All Scarface Albums Ranked Best to Worst (2026)

Scarface has released eleven solo studio albums, and this page ranks all eleven, from Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991) to Deeply Rooted (2015). His Geto Boys records, the collaborative albums with Facemob and The Product, his compilations and his mixtapes are not ranked.

Scarface11 albums13 min readUpdated October 2026Southern Hip-Hop

Quick Take

Consensus PeakThe DiaryPerfect scores from The Source and XXLBest Entry PointThe FixKanye soul meets a veteran at his peakCommercial PeakThe UntouchableHis only number one album, with 2Pac

Why it ranks here

The Diary is short, focused and haunted. N.O. Joe and Mike Dean build slow, live-sounding funk, and Scarface writes about paranoia, mortality and street life with unusual candor. "I Seen a Man Die" became his first Top 40 hit, "Hand of the Dead Body" pairs him with Ice Cube and Devin the Dude, and "Mind Playin' Tricks '94" revisits the Geto Boys classic. It is one of the few albums to receive perfect ratings from both The Source and XXL.

Context

His third solo album, released October 18, 1994 on Rap-A-Lot and Noo Trybe; it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and went Platinum within two months.

Highlights

  • I Seen a Man Die
  • No Tears
  • Hand of the Dead Body
  • The White Sheet
  • Mind Playin' Tricks '94

Weak Spots

  • Intro, interlude and outro take space on a short album

Production

N.O. Joe · Mike Dean · Scarface · Uncle Eddie

Read our full The Diary review →

Influence

Set the standard for introspective Southern gangsta rap; "No Tears" later opened the film Office Space.

Replay Value

Exceptional — no wasted songs.

Why it ranks here

His first album for Def Jam South, where he was also president, The Fix pairs Mike Dean with a young Kanye West, the Neptunes, Nottz and Tony Pizarro. The result is soulful and grown, with Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel on "Guess Who's Back", Nas on "In Between Us" and Faith Evans on "Someday". It was met with critical acclaim, and Pitchfork later ranked it No. 185 among the top 200 albums of the 2000s.

Context

Released August 6, 2002 on Def Jam South, it debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with over 160,000 copies in its first week.

Highlights

  • Safe
  • In Cold Blood
  • Guess Who's Back
  • On My Block
  • In Between Us

Weak Spots

  • "Sellout" and "Heaven" are less memorable than the singles

Production

Mike Dean · Kanye West · The Neptunes · Nottz · Tony Pizarro

Influence

"On My Block" became one of his most beloved songs, and the album is a key early showcase for Kanye West's production.

Replay Value

Very high.

Why it ranks here

The Untouchable broadens his Houston sound with G-funk polish from Mike Dean, Tone Capone, N.O. Joe and Dr. Dre. "Smile" with 2Pac and Johnny P is one of the great posthumous 2Pac collaborations, and "Game Over" brings in Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Too $hort. Scarface's writing stays sharp and reflective on "Untouchable" and "Faith".

Context

Released March 11, 1997 on Rap-A-Lot, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 169,000 copies and went Platinum; "Smile" reached No. 12 on the Hot 100.

Highlights

  • Untouchable
  • Southside
  • Smile
  • Faith
  • Game Over

Weak Spots

  • Less cohesive than The Diary
  • A few mid-album tracks run together

Production

Mike Dean · Tone Capone · N.O. Joe · Dr. Dre · Scarface

Influence

Its cross-regional sound helped make Scarface a national star beyond Houston.

Replay Value

High — the singles still sound fresh.

Why it ranks here

Produced by Crazy C and Scarface himself, the debut is raw and violent, closer to a horror film than a gangster movie. Trouser Press noted its mix of dark humor and bluster, Robert Christgau singled out "I'm Dead", and "A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die" remains one of his signature stories. In 2009 the Houston Press ranked it sixth among the city's best rap albums.

Context

Released October 8, 1991 on Rap-A-Lot and Priority while he was still a member of the Geto Boys; it peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard 200 and went Gold in 1993.

Highlights

  • Mr. Scarface
  • Diary of a Madman
  • Money and the Power
  • A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die
  • I'm Dead

Weak Spots

  • Shock content dates some tracks
  • Production is thinner than on later albums

Production

Crazy C · Scarface

Influence

Established him as the Geto Boys' standout solo voice and set the dark storytelling tone of his early work.

Replay Value

Good — essential history.

Why it ranks here

Built mostly by N.O. Joe and Mr. Lee, with Erick Sermon on "It Ain't Part II", this album sold less than its predecessors but drew stronger reviews. "Look Me in My Eyes" is one of his most quietly menacing singles, "They Down with Us" with UGK remakes a Boogie Down Productions classic, and Jay-Z joins him on "Get Out".

Context

Released October 3, 2000 on Rap-A-Lot and Virgin, it debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and went Gold.

Highlights

  • Look Me in My Eyes
  • It Ain't Part II
  • They Down with Us
  • Get Out
  • In My Time

Weak Spots

  • The back half leans on guest-heavy tracks
  • A few interchangeable mid-tempo songs

Production

N.O. Joe · Mr. Lee · Mike Dean · Erick Sermon · Tone Capone

Influence

Its critical standing set up the Def Jam South era; he became the label's president in 2000.

Replay Value

High — one of his most rewarding front-to-back listens.

Why it ranks here

N.O. Joe produces most of The World Is Yours, giving Scarface a funkier, more spacious backdrop than the debut. "Let Me Roll" became a Hot 100 hit and "Now I Feel Ya" is one of his most personal early songs. At nearly seventy minutes it is less focused than the debut, but it topped the R&B/hip-hop album chart.

Context

Released August 17, 1993 on Rap-A-Lot and Priority, it reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the R&B/hip-hop chart and went Gold.

Highlights

  • Let Me Roll
  • Now I Feel Ya
  • Dying with Your Boots On
  • Mr. Scarface, Part III: The Final Chapter
  • I'm Black

Weak Spots

  • Seventy minutes with several interludes
  • Less acclaimed than the debut

Production

N.O. Joe · John Bido · Scarface

Influence

Began his long partnership with N.O. Joe, the producer most associated with his sound.

Replay Value

Good — the singles hold up best.

Why it ranks here

Promoted as his last studio album, Emeritus is one of his breeziest records. N.O. Joe, Mike Dean, Nottz, Illmind and Jake One keep the production soulful, and Lil Wayne and Bun B join him on "Forgot About Me". Metacritic's 85 is his best aggregate score; AllMusic said he sounded liberated by the decision to move on, and The New York Times noted a new nimbleness.

Context

Released December 2, 2008 on J. Prince Entertainment, Rap-A-Lot 4 Life and Asylum, it debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top Rap Albums chart.

Highlights

  • High Powered
  • Forgot About Me
  • Can't Get Right
  • Still Here
  • Redemption Song

Weak Spots

  • A few tracks feel like victory laps
  • Limited commercial push

Production

N.O. Joe · Mike Dean · Nottz · Illmind · Jake One

Influence

A graceful late-career peak; he returned seven years later with Deeply Rooted.

Replay Value

High — short and easy to return to.

Why it ranks here

Made is compact at twelve tracks and forty-two minutes, with N.O. Joe, Mike Dean, Tone Capone, Drumma Boy and Nottz on production. Pitchfork described it as small but deeply personal, Entertainment Weekly praised the reflective "Who Do You Believe In", and Metacritic averaged 80.

Context

Released December 4, 2007 on Rap-A-Lot and Asylum, it debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top Rap Albums chart.

Highlights

  • Never
  • Big Dogg Status
  • Girl You Know
  • Burn
  • Who Do You Believe In

Weak Spots

  • Rarely leaves his comfort zone
  • RapReviews noted it is not his best

Production

N.O. Joe · Mike Dean · Tone Capone · Drumma Boy · Nottz

Influence

Began the strong late run that Emeritus continued.

Replay Value

Good — compact enough to replay often.

Why it ranks here

His first album in seven years reunites him with N.O. Joe, whose piano loops and thick drums dominate. Nas, Rick Ross and Z-Ro join him on "Do What I Do" and John Legend on "God", which AllMusic called the key cut. RapReviews called it a vintage Scarface album, while Exclaim! felt it did not quite match his earlier work.

Context

Released September 4, 2015 on his Facemob Music label, it debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200.

Highlights

  • Rooted
  • The Hot Seat
  • Do What I Do
  • God
  • No Problem

Weak Spots

  • Low-key to a fault in places
  • Bonus tracks dilute the ending

Production

N.O. Joe · Mike Dean · Ervin "EP" Pope · Spuf Don

Influence

Showed his voice had lost nothing; it remains his most recent solo album.

Replay Value

Moderate to high.

Why it ranks here

My Homies runs over two hours across two discs, and Scarface does not rap on fifteen of its thirty songs. The guest list is impressive — 2Pac, Master P, Ice Cube, UGK, Too $hort, Do or Die and Devin the Dude — and some posse cuts hit hard, but it plays more like a Rap-A-Lot compilation than a Scarface album.

Context

Released March 3, 1998 on Rap-A-Lot, it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and went Platinum.

Highlights

  • My Homies
  • Southside: Houston, Texas
  • Homies & Thuggs (The Remix)
  • The Geto
  • 2 Real

Weak Spots

  • Scarface is absent from half the songs
  • Over two hours long

Production

Mr. Lee · Mike Dean · N.O. Joe · Tone Capone · Scarface

Influence

Showcased the wider Rap-A-Lot and Houston scene; "Homies & Thuggs" with 2Pac and Master P was released as a single.

Replay Value

Low as an album, better in pieces.

Why it ranks here

Like the first My Homies, Part 2 is a double album packed with guests, from Z-Ro and Ice Cube to The Game, Beanie Sigel, Lil' Flip and Bun B, with production spread across Bigg Tyme, Mr. Lee, Tone Capone, Mike Dean and others. "Definition of Real" and "My Life" with the Geto Boys are worth hearing, but the sprawl and uneven guests make it the least essential entry.

Context

Released March 7, 2006 on Rap-A-Lot, it debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200.

Highlights

  • Definition of Real
  • Never Snitch
  • Man Cry
  • Streetlights
  • My Life

Weak Spots

  • Far too long
  • Many tracks are guest showcases with little Scarface

Production

Bigg Tyme · Mr. Lee · Tone Capone · Mike Dean · N.O. Joe

Influence

Little lasting impact beyond a snapshot of mid-2000s Houston rap.

Replay Value

Low — a few songs at most.

Essay

The Complete Picture

Scarface's best albums — The Diary, The Fix, The Untouchable and his debut — sit comfortably among the best Southern rap records ever made, and even his late-career albums Made and Emeritus hold up well. The only real weak spots are the My Homies sets, which work better as label showcases than as Scarface albums.

Start with The Diary, then The Fix for the polished Def Jam South version of him. For the history, go back to Mr. Scarface Is Back and the Geto Boys records.

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Scarface Albums in Order

  1. 1991Mr. Scarface Is BackRanked #4
  2. 1993The World Is YoursRanked #6
  3. 1994The DiaryRanked #1
  4. 1997The UntouchableRanked #3
  5. 1998My HomiesRanked #10
  6. 2000The Last of a Dying BreedRanked #5
  7. 2002The FixRanked #2
  8. 2006My Homies Part 2Ranked #11
  9. 2007MadeRanked #8
  10. 2008EmeritusRanked #7
  11. 2015Deeply RootedRanked #9

Scarface Albums: Common Questions

What is the best Scarface album?
We rank The Diary (1994) as the best Scarface album, with a score of 9.3/10: Forty-three minutes of dark, reflective Southern rap.
How many Scarface albums are ranked here?
This ranking covers 11 Scarface projects, released between 1991 and 2015.
What is the earliest Scarface album in this ranking?
Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991) is the earliest release in this list. We rank it #4.
What is the most recent Scarface album in this ranking?
Deeply Rooted (2015) is the most recent release in this list. We rank it #9.
Which Scarface album is ranked lowest?
My Homies Part 2 (2006) sits at #11 with a score of 6.0/10.