Home / Music / AllMusic 5-Star Albums / Rap
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)
