Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper the Notorious B.I.G., released on March 25, 1997, on Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. A double album, it was released sixteen days after his murder. It features collaborations with guest artists such as 112, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Mase, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Too $hort, Angela Winbush, D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C., R. Kelly, the Lox, and Puff Daddy. Life After Death exhibits the Notorious B.I.G. further delving into the mafioso rap subgenre. The album is a sequel to his first album, Ready to Die, and picks up where the last song, "Suicidal Thoughts", ends.
Me Against the World is the third studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on March 14, 1995, by Interscope Records and Out da Gutta Records and distributed by Atlantic Records. 2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impending prison sentence, troubles with the police, and poverty.
Reasonable Doubt is the debut studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on June 25, 1996, by his own record label Roc-A-Fella Records and distributed by Priority Records. The album features production provided by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and also includes guest appearances from Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige, Jaz-O, and the Notorious B.I.G., among others. The album features mafioso rap themes and gritty lyrics about the "hustler" lifestyle and material obsessions.
Critical Beatdown is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs, released on October 4, 1988, by Next Plateau Records. Production for the album was handled primarily by the group's rapper and producer Ced-Gee, who employed an E-mu SP-1200 sampler as the album's main instrument. Music journalists have noted the album for its innovative production, funk-based samples, self-assertive themes, and clever lyrical rhymes by Ced-Gee and rapper Kool Keith.
No One Can Do It Better is the debut studio album by The D.O.C., released on August 1, 1989, by Ruthless Records and Atlantic Records. It reached no. 1 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, while peaking in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA three months after it was released, and Platinum on April 21, 1994. This was the only solo album The D.O.C. was able to record before a car accident resulted in crushing his larynx and permanently changing his voice. In recent years, however, he has been undergoing vocal surgery. He would not release another album until 7 years later, with Helter Skelter (1996), also released by Warner Music Group, but on Giant Records rather than Atlantic. "The Formula" has been seen as the song that invented G-funk.
Southside is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist Lloyd. It was released on July 20, 2004, by The Inc. Records and The Island Def Jam Music Group. The singer teamed with several of record producers such as Chink Santana, Rodney Jerkins, Irv Gotti and Jasper Cameron, among others.
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor is the debut studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on September 19, 2006, on 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album features production from The Neptunes, Kanye West, Mike Shinoda, Craig Kallman, Prolyfic, Needlz, Soundtrakk, and Brandon Howard. Jay-Z, Chill, and Fiasco himself are credited as the executive producers for the album. Songs on the record discuss poverty, Islam, terrorism, racism, and individuality.
Charm is the critically acclaimed third studio album from American rapper/record producer Danny!, and the first of his records to be released commercially. As evidenced in the title, Charm was a huge milestone in Danny!'s career; after two unsuccessful attempts to make a name for himself in the music world, the record unanimously won rave reviews, culminating in the inclusion of the album on the 49th Annual Grammy Awards short list and, eventually, a record deal with Definitive Jux Records.
The College Kicked-Out is the debut album from American rapper/producer Danny! Originally slated for an October 12 release date, The College Kicked-Out finally saw the light of day on November 2 after being delayed by bootlegging.
Dream, Interrupted is an instrumental hip hop album by American rapper/producer Danny!, and the fourth release under Danny's personal 1911 Music/Badenov Records imprint. Dream, Interrupted was released exclusively in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2006 prior to seeing a stateside release the following year.
Danny Is Dead, the first EP and fourth studio album from American rapper/producer Danny!, is a half-hour-long EP that was released July 17, 2007 on Danny!'s 1911 Music/Badenov Records vanity label. The eight-song record is the extended play follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2006 album Charm and composed primarily of reducia from Charm's standout tracks.
Dream, Fulfilled is the second instrumental hip hop album by American rapper Danny!, released on April 23, 2007 under the 1911 Music/Badenov Records imprint. It is a sequel to his 2006 instrumental album Dream, Interrupted and, like its predecessor, was initially released under Danny's birth name solely in the United Kingdom for reasons still undetermined.
Blaqkout is a collaboration album by rapper/record producer DJ Quik and rapper Kurupt. It is completely produced by DJ Quik. The album debuted at #61 on the Billboard 200, selling 10,000 copies its first week.
Persona is the seventh studio album by the American entertainer Queen Latifah. It was released on August 25, 2009, by Flavor Unit Entertainment. The album marked Queen Latifah's return to hip-hop music since 2002. Persona includes a mix of Latifah rapping and singing and features guest verses by Missy Elliot, Marsha Ambrosius, Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men, Busta Rhymes, and Mary J. Blige.
Where Is Danny? is the sixth studio album by American rapper and producer Danny!. It follow the rapper's 2008 album And I Love H.E.R.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Where Is Danny? was originally titled Project X, but the name was changed shortly before its release. The record—marketed primarily as a lo-fi "anti-album"—is a milestone in Danny!'s career, as it is his twelfth release yet only his first for Interscope Records after being signed to the label for a little more than half a year.
Radioactive is the second studio album and major label debut by American rapper Yelawolf. It was released on November 21, 2011 through Shady Records and Interscope Records.
The Dreamer/The Believer is the ninth studio album by American rapper Common. It was released in the UK on December 19, 2011 and in the US on December 20 through Warner Bros. Records alongside Common's newly launched Think Common Music Inc. Common's longtime friend and frequent collaborator No I.D. handled the album's production entirely himself.
Untitled is the debut EP by Los Angeles, California rapper Hodgy Beats, member of hip-hop collective Odd Future. It was released on February 24, 2012. It is Hodgy Beats' first solo release since his 2009 debut mixtape, The Dena Tape. Announced on February 20, 2012, the EP was released on the 25th of the same month. The project features production by Juicy J, The Alchemist and Flying Lotus. Lyrically the record deals with thoughts about self-reflection, the contemplation of death, and a struggle with drugs. The EP received mostly positive reviews from music critics.
It Was Written is the second studio album by American rapper Nas, released on July 2, 1996, by Columbia Records. After the modest commercial success of his debut album Illmatic (1994), Nas pursued a more polished, mainstream sound for It Was Written. Produced largely by Trackmasters, it departed from the debut's raw, underground aesthetic and embraced mafioso and gangsta themes. The recording also marked the first appearance of Nas's short-lived supergroup The Firm, featuring the rappers Foxy Brown, AZ, and Cormega.
King's Disease is the twelfth studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on August 21, 2020, through Mass Appeal Records and marketed by Universal Music Group. It succeeds his eleventh album, Nasir, released two years prior. The album features guest appearances from Charlie Wilson, Hit-Boy, Big Sean, Don Toliver, Lil Durk, Anderson .Paak, Brucie B, Nas's supergroup the Firm, Fivio Foreign, and ASAP Ferg.
