The late Guru, for his part, adapted to the change in sound like he’d been waiting for it his entire career. Times change, and after facing criticism for his perceived reliance on jazz samples, Gang Starr’s resident sonic wizard DJ Premier flipped the bird to the naysayers by crafting nearly an hour’s worth of hard-hitting, relatively jazz-free beats. Jeezy puts it best on “Standing Ovation,” when he proclaims, “I am the trap.” - E. Bringing a well-earned authenticity to his aspirational rhymes, the Atlantan stood toe-to-toe with fellow dope boy (and label boss) JAY-Z on “Go Crazy,” crafting a trap music opus over anthemic beats from frequent collaborator Shawty Redd, Mannie Fresh, and Akon. Jeezy – Thug Motivation 101Ĭoming off his classic Gangsta Grillz mixtape Trap or Die, Jeezy brought his trademark rasp to the big-time on his major label debut without sacrificing the larger-than-life Snowman persona that brought him there.

Ill Na Na is a big moment in the now-long history of proving women are just as commercially viable as men, but it’s also great rapping from front to back with talented producers behind the boards. Even on a song about sex and romance like “Get Me Home,” she’s in control and never once relents. She presented a different lane for women in hip-hop, shunning baggy clothes and never faking modesty about her sexual desires, while positioning herself as a queen of pen crime who ran with her own crew, The Firm, and put other rappers in their place if they got out of line. Although Method Man, JAY-Z, and Havoc all came out to play on the album, no one upstaged Foxy.

Having already shown that hanging with the fellas presented no problem, Foxy topped some of them on her solo debut. Foxy Brown – Ill Na Naįoxy Brown was 18 when she dropped Ill Na Na, but she raps like a grown woman. Lil Wayne had a tight grip on the 2000s, and The Carter II helped him make that grip even tighter. Back then, so many of us could spit “Fireman” and “Hustler Musik” start to finish without hesitation. Young Mula Baby’s fifth album had the perfect cocktail of club-appropriate jams and disgustingly sick freestyle flows. Still, The Carter II reigned amid the onslaught of releases in 2005. Way before he was “President Carter” with a sweet tooth for some “Lollipop” and “Truffle Butter,” Lil Wayne was steadily pumping out fire album after fire album. Breaking down 50 years of LPs by immediate impact and lasting influence, it’s easy to pick out instant classics like To Pimp a Butterfly and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, or groundbreaking releases from the likes of Missy Elliott, Wu-Tang Clan, and OutKast.

A portion of proceeds from sales benefits Chance the Rapper’s SocialWorks.Įver since DJ Kool Herc laid down the foundation of hip-hop with his innovative record breaks, countless albums have been released from all sorts of regional scenes and subgenres that have sprouted from the concrete. Keep an eye out for all our Hip-Hop 50 content throughout the month, and check out our exclusive merch featuring our Hip-Hop 50 design at the Consequence Shop. You can also check out our list of the 50 Best Hip-Hop Songs of All Time. It all begins today with our list of the 50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of All Time. From unique artist interviews to insightful essays and more, we’ll explore the history of rap from a variety of angles. While the official birthday is August 11th, 2023, we’ll be commemorating five decades of this culture-defining movement with a month-long celebration. This month marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

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