Rap may be a relatively new genre, but many were surprised when hip-hop’s 50th anniversary was celebrated on August 11, 2023. In the New York City borough of the Bronx, DJs began to host block parties in 1973, spinning disco records on their turntables and scratching away during instrumental sections to pump up the crowds.
By the end of the decade, vocals were added to the mix — but not just any type of vocals. Whereas vocals for every other music genre until that point had been focused primarily on melody and harmony, rapped vocals instead were dominated by rhythm.
“Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang proved to be the first of the genre’s many watershed recordings in 1979, with a new wave reaching farther ashore into the pop music mainstream every few years. Without question, Run-D.M.C.’s cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” and the Beastie Boys’ debut album Licensed to Ill in 1986 made considerable inroads among rock listeners.
A golden age ensued, spawning many great albums in just a few short years. Producers made extensive use of sampling — taking elements of an existing recording — to create limitless sonic landscapes for rappers. At least, they did until they couldn’t anymore — a 1991 lawsuit made albums such as the Beastie Boys’ 1989 masterwork Paul’s Boutique (which samples over 100 songs) financially impossible from then on.
The 1992 album The Chronic by Dr. Dre was yet another watershed, and on multiple fronts. Production-wise, it was revolutionary: although plenty of samples were in the final mix, he, more than any producer before him, also used live instruments and synthesizers to shape both the top and bottom end (and get a more direct sound to boot).
Both west coast rap and gangsta rap were not new by this point (Dr. Dre was himself a former member of N.W.A), but Dr. Dre’s style of g-funk landed on the US pop charts — not only did The Chronic reach #3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, but its lead single “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Rap has been a permanent fixture of popular music ever since — in the mainstream and in the underground, in multiple languages across the globe.
Below are the rap albums the website AllMusic gives a full 5-star rating. I have divided them by decade for easier digestion. Click on the links below to jump further down the page.
Navigation
Studio Albums
- Run-D.M.C. – Run-D.M.C. (1984)
- Mantronix – Mantronix: The Album (1985)
- LL Cool J – Radio (1985)
- Run-D.M.C. – King of Rock (1985)
- Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill (November 15, 1986)
- Run-D.M.C. – Raising Hell (1986)
- Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded (March 3, 1987)
- Eric B. & Rakim – Paid in Full (July 7, 1987)
- DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince – He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper (March 29, 1988)
- EPMD – Strictly Business (June 7, 1988)
- Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (June 28, 1988)
- Eric B. & Rakim – Follow the Leader (July 26, 1988)
- N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton (August 9, 1988)
- Slick Rick – The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (November 1, 1988)
- Boogie Down Productions – By All Means Necessary (1988)
- Jungle Brothers – Straight Out the Jungle (1988)
- Stetsasonic – In Full Gear (1988)
- Ultramagnetic MC’s – Critical Beatdown (1988)
- De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising (January 24, 1989)
- Too $hort – Life Is… Too $hort (January 31, 1989)
- Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (July 25, 1989)
- The D.O.C. – No One Can Do It Better (July 25, 1989)
- Young MC – Stone Cold Rhymin’ (September 5, 1989)
- 3rd Bass – The Cactus Album (October 23, 1989)
- Ice-T – The Iceberg: Freedom of Speech… Just Watch What You Say (October 1989)
- The 2 Live Crew – As Nasty as They Wanna Be (1989)
Studio Albums
- Digital Underground – Sex Packets (January 1990)
- Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet (April 10, 1990)
- Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (May 16, 1990)
- LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out (August 1990)
- Gang Starr – Step in the Arena (January 15, 1991)
- Ice-T – O.G. Original Gangster (May 14, 1991)
- Main Source – Breaking Atoms (July 23, 1991)
- Cypress Hill – Cypress Hill (August 13, 1991)
- P.M. Dawn – Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience (September 24, 1991)
- A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory (September 24, 1991)
- Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black (October 1, 1991)
- Black Sheep – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (October 22, 1991)
- Ice Cube – Death Certificate (October 31, 1991)
- Leaders of the New School – A Future Without a Past… (1991)
- Organized Konfusion – Organized Konfusion (1991)
- Das EFX – Dead Serious (April 7, 1992)
- Beastie Boys – Check Your Head (April 21, 1992)
- Gang Starr – Daily Operation (May 5, 1992)
- Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Mecca and the Soul Brother (June 9, 1992)
- Dr. Dre – The Chronic (December 15, 1992)
- The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992)
- Freestyle Fellowship – Inner City Griots (April 28, 1993)
- Souls of Mischief – 93 ‘Til Infinity (September 6, 1993)
- A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (November 9, 1993)
- Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle (November 23, 1993)
- Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (November 1993)
- Nas – Illmatic (April 19, 1994)
- Jeru the Damaja – The Sun Rises in the East (May 24, 1994)
- The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (September 13, 1994)
- 2Pac – Me Against the World (March 14, 1995)
- Mobb Deep – The Infamous (April 25, 1995)
- Aceyalone – All Balls Don’t Bounce (October 24, 1995)
- GZA – Liquid Swords (November 7, 1995)
- Goodie Mob – Soul Food (November 21, 1995)
- Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995)
- 2Pac – All Eyez on Me (February 13, 1996)
- Fugees – The Score (February 13, 1996)
- Dr. Octagon – Dr. Octagonecologyst (May 6, 1996)
- Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (June 25, 1996)
- Missy Elliott – Supa Dupa Fly (July 15, 1997)
- Company Flow – Funcrusher Plus (July 28, 1997)
- Black Star / Mos Def / Talib Kweli – Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (September 29, 1998)
- OutKast – Aquemini (September 29, 1998)
- Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (February 23, 1999)
- The Roots – Things Fall Apart (February 23, 1999)
- Mos Def – Black on Both Sides (October 12, 1999)
Compilations
- Various Artists – Hip Hop Greats: Classic Raps (1990)
- Whodini – Greatest Hits (June 1990)
- Various Artists – West Coast Rap: The Renegades (1992)
- Various Artists – Street Jams: Electric Funk, Vol. 1 (1992)
- Various Artists – Street Jams: Electric Funk, Vol. 2 (1992)
- Various Artists – Street Jams: Hip-Hop from the Top, Vol. 1 (1992)
- Kool Moe Dee – Greatest Hits [Jive] (1993)
- Grandmaster Flash / Melle Mel & the Furious 5 – Message from Beat Street: The Best of Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & the Furious Five (April 19, 1994)
- Kurtis Blow – The Best of Kurtis Blow (June 7, 1994)
- Various Artists – Street Jams: Electric Funk, Vol. 3 (1994)
- Various Artists – Street Jams: Electric Funk, Vol. 4 (1994)
- Various Artists – Street Jams: Hip-Hop from the Top, Vol. 4 (1994)
- Marley Marl – Marley Marl’s House of Hits (June 11, 1995)
- Various Artists – Def Jam Music Group Inc. 10th Year Anniversary (November 21, 1995)
- LL Cool J – All World: Greatest Hits (November 5, 1996)
- Various Artists – The Sugar Hill Records Story (February 4, 1997)
- RZA – The RZA Hits (June 22, 1999)
Studio Albums
- Kid Koala – Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (February 22, 2000)
- Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (May 23, 2000)
- Jurassic 5 – Quality Control (June 6, 2000)
- Quasimoto – The Unseen (June 13, 2000)
- OutKast – Stankonia (October 31, 2000)
- Jay-Z – The Blueprint (September 11, 2001)
- Missy Elliott – Under Construction (November 12, 2002)
- Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner (January 20, 2004)
- Kanye West – The College Dropout (February 10, 2004)
- Madvillain – Madvillainy (March 23, 2004)
- Gorillaz – Demon Days (May 24, 2005)
- Kanye West – Late Registration (August 30, 2005)
- J Dilla – Donuts (February 7, 2006)
- Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury (November 28, 2006)
Compilations
- Beastie Boys – Video Anthology (October 10, 2000)
- Biz Markie – The Best of Cold Chillin’ (October 17, 2000)
- Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – The Best of Cold Chillin’ (October 17, 2000)
- Big Daddy Kane – The Very Best of Big Daddy Kane (March 6, 2001)
- Afrika Bambaataa – Looking for the Perfect Beat: 1980-1985 (March 20, 2001)
- Brand Nubian – The Very Best of Brand Nubian (September 18, 2001)
- Busta Rhymes – Total Devastation: The Best of Busta Rhymes (October 2, 2001)
- Run-D.M.C. – Greatest Hits [Arista] (September 10, 2002)
- Cash Money Millionaires – Cash Money Records Platinum Hits, Vol. 1 (November 19, 2002)
- Run-D.M.C. – Ultimate Run DMC (October 28, 2003)
- Various Artists – Tommy Boy’s Greatest Hits [2003] (July 8, 2003)
- Eminem – Curtain Call: The Hits (December 6, 2005)
- Whodini – Funky Beat: The Best of Whodini (June 6, 2006)
- Missy Elliott – Respect M.E. (September 11, 2006)
Studio Albums
- Death Grips – The Money Store (April 23, 2012)
- Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city (October 22, 2012)
- Kanye West – Yeezus (June 18, 2013)
- Danny Brown – Old (October 1, 2013)
- Calle 13 – MultiViral (February 28, 2014)
- Shabazz Palaces – Lese Majesty (July 29, 2014)
- Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 2 (October 24, 2014)
- Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (March 16, 2015)
- Vince Staples – Summertime ’06 (June 30, 2015)
- Future – DS2 (July 17, 2015)
- Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book (May 12, 2016)
- Kae Tempest – Let Them Eat Chaos (October 14, 2016)
- A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service (November 11, 2016)
- Tyler, The Creator – Flower Boy (July 21, 2017)
Compilations
- Various Artists – Giant Single: The Profile Records Rap Anthology (January 31, 2012)
