30 Years of #1 Rap Albums: A Retrospective
Every Rap Album That Went #1 on the Billboard 200 (1987–2016)
1987
Beastie Boys — Licensed to Ill (“Fight For Your Right to Party!”) 7 weeks
The first-ever #1 comes from the Beastie Boys. Rap-rock is the path to commercial success. Run DMC & Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” is the 1st rap single to crack the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 5. The album it’s on, Raising Hell, peaks at #3. Licensed to Ill is certified diamond in 2015.
1988
NONE
This will literally never happen again.
1989
Tone Loc — Loc-ed After Dark (“Wild Thing” / “Funky Cold Medina”) 1 week
L.A.’s Tone Loc is the first solo rapper to go #1. LL Cool J’s Bigger And Deffer peaked at #3 in 1987. The year’s highest-selling album is Bobby Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel; R&B with harder beats and occasional rapping. This style is termed New Jack Swing. The stage is set for…
1990
MC Hammer — Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em (“U Can’t Touch This”) 21 weeks
Vanilla Ice — To The Extreme (“Ice Ice Baby”) 8 weeks
The conventional thought that rap music is a fad that will soon pass takes a beating. Afterthoughts today, Oakland’s MC Hammer and his white clone from Dallas sit atop the chart for over half a year and indisputably establish rap music as commercially viable. Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em sets a still-untouched record for most weeks at #1 for a rap album. Only 8 albums ever have been at #1 longer. It becomes the first diamond-certified rap album in 1991. A total of 9 rap albums have diamond status as of 2016.
1991
Vanilla Ice — To The Extreme (“Ice Ice Baby”) 8 weeks
N.W.A. — Efil4zaggin (“Alwayz Into Somethin”) 1 week
N.W.A. hits #1. Their landmark 1988 debut Straight Outta Compton peaked at #37. Ice Cube has since left the group. Their political content is replaced by more intense misogyny. Some are enthralled; others are appalled. All bets are off as to where this is heading.
1992
Kris Kross — Totally Krossed Out (“Jump”) 2 weeks
Ice Cube — The Predator (“It Was A Good Day”) 1 week
If Instagram existed in 1992, it would have been filled with pictures of kids wearing their clothes backwards, thanks to the duo a 19-year-old Jermaine Dupri discovered at an Atlanta mall. I may have taken such a picture myself as a youngster.
Ice Cube’s musical career hits its commercial peak. This coincides with the first softening of Cube’s angry, snarling image. With 2 other critically acclaimed albums under his belt, he has a strong claim to the title of best rapper alive.
1993
Cypress Hill — Black Sunday (“Insane In The Membrane”) 2 weeks
Snoop Doggy Dogg — Doggystyle (“What’s My Name”) 2 weeks
B-Real makes sounding nasal cool, and Cypress Hill takes stoner rap to the top of the chart.
Death Row Records’ iconic first release, Dr Dre’s The Chronic, peaked at #3. Snoop appeared on over half the tracks on that album, playing a co-starring role. The anticipation for his solo debut is unprecedented for a rap artist, and he delivers a classic of the genre. He’s also charged with murder when his bodyguard shoots a man in his defense.
1994
Snoop Doggy Dogg — Doggystyle (“Gin & Juice”) 1 week
Beastie Boys — Ill Communication (“Sabotage”) 1 week
Murder Was The Case Soundtrack (“Murder Was The Case”) 2 weeks
The Beastie Boys were the first to go #1, and now become the first rap act with multiple #1 albums. The guitar-driven “Sabotage” is a hit among rock fans as well.
Death Row releases the first #1 rap soundtrack. Snoop’s murder charge serves as a twisted promotional tool. Dr Dre & Ice Cube collaborate for the first time since Cube left N.W.A. 2Pac appears as a sniper and records a song (“Life’s So Hard”) that’s cut from the project. He declines to join Death Row at this time.
1995
At this point, we’ll start listing solos, group albums and soundtracks separately.
2Pac — Me Against The World (“Dear Mama”) 4 weeks
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — East 1999 Eternal (“Tha Crossroads”) 2 weeks
Dogg Pound — Dogg Food (“New York, New York”) 1 week
Friday Soundtrack (“Keep Their Heads Ringin”) 2 weeks
Dangerous Minds Soundtrack (“Gangsta’s Paradise”) 4 weeks
After being shot in an ambush and imprisoned on charges he vehemently denies in New York, 2Pac makes history as the first artist to have a #1 album while incarcerated. “Dear Mama” is unlike any rap single before it.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony peak with their smash crossover hit “Tha Crossroads”. Contemporary artists like Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rocky have credited Bone Thugs as pioneers in harmonizing with rap in the same flow. You can draw a line starting here through T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Kanye West all the way to Drake, Future, Travis Scott and Young Thug.
Tha Dogg Pound (Daz & Kurupt) crush the buildings with Snoop’s help after playing strong supporting roles on previous Death Row releases.
Ice Cube starts his transition to the movie world and Dr Dre helps the soundtrack go #1. Along with contributions from Cypress Hill, 2 Live Crew, Mack 10 and Cube himself, this terrific soundtrack also features old school R&B and funk hits from Rick James, Bootsy Collins and The Isley Brothers.
Coolio’s Stevie Wonder-sampling megahit “Gangsta’s Paradise” propels the other soundtrack entry. Weird Al Yankovic parodies it despite Coolio’s objections.
1996
2Pac — All Eyez On Me (“California Love”) 2 weeks
Nas — It Was Written (“If I Ruled The World”) 4 weeks
Makaveli (“Hail Mary”) 1 week
Snoop Doggy Dogg — Tha Doggfather (“Snoop’s Upside Ya Head”) 1 week
Rage Against The Machine — Evil Empire (“Bulls On Parade”) 1 week
Fugees — The Score (“Killing Me Softly”) 4 weeks
ATCQ — Beats Rhymes & Life (“Stressed Out” / “1nce Again”) 1 week
2Pac is bailed out of prison by Suge Knight and signs with Death Row Records. He is murdered (RIP) shortly after becoming the only solo rapper with 2 #1 albums. The Beastie Boys are the only other rap act with 2. He is the first to 3 when his first posthumous album, Makaveli, debuts at #1 as well. All Eyez On Me is certified diamond in 2014.
Nas, with a big assist from Lauryn Hill, hits #1 with his sophomore album. His 1994 debut Illmatic was more critically acclaimed but topped out at #12. He becomes the first New York rapper to have a #1 solo album (unless you count New York-born 2Pac. Let’s not.)
Snoop is acquitted of the murder charge that hung over his head for over 2 years and goes #1 again based mostly on track record. Tha Doggfather is a severe artistic decline from his previous work.
Revolutionary leftist rap metal group Rage Against The Machine blends Public Enemy’s lyrical style, the Beastie Boys’ vocal style and the musicality of heavy metal. Trailblazers of a sub-genre known as Nu Metal, they are the most rap-centric of those bands. Other less rap-centric Nu Metal acts that have gone #1, such as Korn, are not being included here.
The Fugees’ biggest single is Lauryn Hill singing a cover of “Killin Me Softly”, but The Score is largely a rap album.
Tribe peaks commercially with their 4th album. Their 1990 debut was the first album ever rated 5 mics by The Source.
11 rap albums went #1 from 1987–94. 12 went #1 in 1995–96. The floodgates are now open; rap music is officially pop music.
1997
Scarface — The Untouchable (“Smile”) 1 week
Notorious BIG — Life After Death (“Hypnotize”) 4 weeks
Master P — Ghetto D (“Make Em Say Uhh”) 1 week
Ma$e — Harlem World (“Feel So Good”) 2 weeks
Wu-Tang Clan — Wu-Tang Forever (“Triumph”) 1 week
Puff Daddy & The Family — No Way Out (“I’ll Be Missing You”) 4 weeks
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — Art of War (“Look Into My Eyes”) 1 week
The Firm — The Album (“Phone Tap”) 1 week
Gridlock’d Soundtrack (“Wanted Dead Or Alive”) 1 week
Men In Black Soundtrack (“Men In Black”) 2 weeks
Houston veteran and star of the Geto Boys, Scarface, hits #1. His 1994 album, The Diary, peaked at #2. According to Scarface’s book, Stevie Wonder shed a tear when he heard “Smile” for the first time.
Master P and the No Limit soldiers arrive with a classic anthem as New Orleans takes its place at the big table. Originally titled Ghetto Dope, the album cover featured a crackhead getting high. Retailers objected and the project was re-branded.
The Notorious B.I.G. (RIP) doesn’t live to see his first #1 album. His 1994 debut, Ready to Die, peaked at #15. Biggie does it all here, whether it’s imitating Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s turbo flow on “Notorious Thugs”, going back and forth with Jay-Z on “I Love The Dough” or making party jams like “Mo Money Mo Problems”. Life After Death is certified diamond in 2000. Ma$e debuts with a bunch of crossover hits. Bad Boy shows it won’t stop despite the tragic loss of Biggie.
Big year for group albums. The Wu-Tang Clan hits its commercial peak with the monster single “Triumph” featuring the whole 10-member Clan. Their 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) remains their most critically acclaimed work, but it peaked at just #41.
Bone Thugs starts to have problems with Eazy E (RIP) gone. Ruthless Records begins to fall apart. Notice Bizzy breaking the album cover theme as the only one not wearing face paint. Despite the drama, they are still able to touch #1 again for a week. They replace, and the following week are again replaced by, Puff Daddy & The Family. Bad Boy’s takeover of mainstream hiphop is complete with 3 #1 albums this year.
Years later on “Forgot About Dre”, Dr Dre would rap the “Firm flopped”, but it does briefly touch #1. Cormega was originally in The Firm. He was replaced by Nature after disputes with Nas and manager Steve Stoute. 50 Cent was also considered.
Hey let’s pair a popular young black rapper with an old, crusty-looking white dude for our movie and soundtrack cover!
Formulas and jokes aside, these are solid albums featuring their rapper/actor stars. “Life is a Traffic Jam” has Tupac taking on a jazzy spoken-word flow and cadence, showcasing a versatility he never got the chance to explore further. “Just Cruisin” is one of Will Smith’s more underrated songs. His movies are now grossing hundreds of millions, dictating a career shift.
1998
DMX — It’s Dark & Hell Is Hot (“Ruff Ryders Anthem”) 1 week
Master P — MP da Last Don (“Make Em Say Uhh Pt 2”) 2 weeks
Snoop Dogg — Da Game Is To Be Sold Not To Be Told (“Still A G Thang”) 2 weeks
Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (“That Thing”) 4 weeks
Jay-Z — Vol 2: Hard Knock Life (“Hard Knock Life”) 5 weeks
Beastie Boys — Hello Nasty (“Intergalactic”) 3 weeks
According to Irv Gotti, Jay-Z and Damon Dash laugh at him when he suggests signing DMX to a record deal. Irv signs him anyway and a star is born. He stars in “Belly”, music video director Hype Williams’ first (and only) feature film, launching a movie career. He also contributes to the soundtrack, which peaks at #5.
Snoop gets off the sinking ship that is Death Row and onto the safety of the No Limit tank. “Still A G Thang” is great, the rest of the album not so much. Master P goes back-to-back with #1 albums. He’s riding high off the power move of signing Snoop.
Lauryn Hill is the first female solo rapper to have a #1 album, and wins Album of the Year at the Grammys. It’s a lot more R&B-heavy than expected. No one expects her to be a 1-album wonder at this point, but that’s just what happens.
Jay-Z gets his first #1 album. I attend my first hiphop show, the Hard Knock Life Tour, featuring Jay-Z and DMX. Method Man and Redman open, and let us know Blackout! is coming (it peaks at #3 next year). DMX is one of rap’s all-time great live performers. Jay-Z is not yet as seasoned and comfortable as he’ll become.
The Beastie Boys are back again with their 3rd #1 album, 11 years after the #1 success of Licensed to Ill. The addition of DJ Mix Master Mike brings a shift in their sound. Adam “MCA” Yauch makes a politically charged and still relevant speech at the MTV VMA’s.
1999
DMX — Flesh of My Flesh Blood of my Blood (“Slippin”) 3 weeks
Silkk The Shocker — Made Man (“It Ain’t My Fault Part 2”) 1 week
Foxy Brown — Chyna Doll (“Hot Spot”) 1 week
Nas — I Am (“Nas is Like”) 2 weeks
Eve — Ruff Ryders’ First Lady (“Gotta Man”) 1 week
Notorious BIG — Born Again (“Dead Wrong”) 1 week
Rage Against The Machine — The Battle of Los Angeles (“Guerilla Radio”) 1 week
Ruff Ryders — Ryde or Die Volume 1 (“Jigga My N***a”) 1 week
DMX releases his sophomore album at the end of 1998, just 7 months after his first one. It debuts at #1 too, continuing his meteoric rise.
If you ever doubt Master P’s genius, remember that his brother Silkk the Shocker — who literally cannot rap on beat — had a #1 album on his label.
Foxy Brown becomes the first woman to go #1 with a straight rap album. Those DMX and Jay-Z features help, but “Hot Spot” is a big single in its own right. Her 2001 follow-up Broken Silence is a better album. It peaks at #5.
Nas’ I Am was so heavily bootlegged that the original plans for it to be a double album were scrapped at the 11th hour. Much of the original tracklist was held back, new songs were added and it was released as a single disc. The rest ended up on future projects like The Lost Tapes, or didn’t come out at all. Amid the turmoil Nas still put together a very good album.
With the Ruff Ryders’ movement in full swing and momentum from her guest verse on The Roots’ Grammy-wining single “You Got Me”, Eve’s major debut tops the charts. We see 2 female rappers go #1 in the same year for the first and only time. We won’t see another for over a decade.
Biggie didn’t leave a ton of unreleased material behind. Some of the songs on Born Again are old verses over new beats. The highs still remind us that the world lost a great talent.
Rage Against The Machine goes back-to-back. They, along with a few other rap acts and lots of rock acts, play Woodstock ’99. Unlike the original Woodstock in 1969, there is considerable violence and Rolling Stone calls it a “debacle”.
The Ruff Ryders’ movement hits its peak with the release of a compilation including rappers from Roc-a-fella, Bad Boy, Def Jam, So So Def, Cash Money and Terror Squad. Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys’ future husband, produces 10 songs here.
2000
DMX — And Then There Was X (“What’s My Name” / “Party Up”) 1 week
Jay-Z — Vol 3: The Life & Times of S. Carter (“Big Pimpin”) 1 week
Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP (“Stan”) 8 weeks
Nelly — Country Grammar (“Country Grammar”) 5 weeks
LL Cool J — G.O.A.T. (“Imagine That”) 1 week
Mystikal — Let’s Get Ready (“Shake It Fast”) 1 week
Ja Rule — Rule 3:36 (“Put It On Me”) 1 week
Roc La Familia — The Dynasty (“I Just Wanna Love U”) 1 week
DMX is more popular than ever as “Party Up” becomes a huge hit. He appears in the movie Romeo Must Die with Jet Li and Aaliyah, and also collaborates with Aaliyah on the soundtrack, which peaks at #3.
Jay-Z releases the last of his Volume albums. “Big Pimpin” features the Texas duo UGK. Relatively unknown outside of the South, UGK is Jay-Z’s favorite rap group. We’ll see them again later. Jay is also arrested for allegedly stabbing Lance “Un” Rivera for bootlegging this album.
The biggest rap album of the year is undoubtedly Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP. After his major label debut The Slim Shady LP peaked at #2 last year, this one put him over the top. Nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys, Eminem is criticized for his anti-gay lyrics. At the awards show, he performs “Stan” with Elton John to show that those lyrics don’t represent his true feelings. The album is certified diamond in 2011.
Nelly comes out of nowhere to put St Louis on the map. His singles are everywhere this summer. The album is certified diamond in 2016.
LL Cool J gets a long-deserved #1 spot, even though this is not his best album. The original star solo rapper, LL is a pioneer who has remained relevant in entertainment for 30+ years.
After helping Silkk reach #1 last year, Mystikal shows he can thrive without No Limit. Cash Money is in the process of taking No Limit’s spot, if they haven’t done it already.
Up-and-comer Ja Rule’s sophomore album hits #1 after his debut, Venni Vetti Vecci, peaked at #3.
The Dynasty album has one of, if not the, greatest opening tracks in rap history. Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel peak here. It’s a little uneven but remains a shining monument to the Roc-a-Fella movement. “This Can’t Be Life” is the first Kanye West-produced Jay-Z song.
2001
2Pac — Until The End of Time (“Until The End of Time”) 1 week
Jay-Z — The Blueprint (“Izzo”) 3 weeks
Ja Rule — Pain Is Love (“Always On Time”) 2 weeks
DMX — The Great Depression (“We Right Here”) 1 week
D12 — Devil’s Night (“Purple Pills”) 1 week
Like all posthumous Tupac releases, this is far from ideally executed. The remixes generally pale in comparison to the unreleased originals. Still, to go #1 5 years after death is impressive, and there are enough gems to salvage the album.
Jay-Z pleads out to 3 years probation on the stabbing case which had him facing 15 years in prison. He loses the “Ether” / “Takeover” battle to Nas, but The Blueprint goes #1 while Stillmatic peaks at #5. A still relatively unknown Kanye West produces 5 tracks, and is making an impression on Roc-a-fella execs with his work here and last year’s Dynasty album.
Ja Rule and DMX both go #1 again. For DMX it’s his 4th straight #1 album. It includes a tribute to his recently deceased grandmother, cited as a great influence in his autobiography. With her gone, he starts spiraling. Ja Rule gets a 2Pac verse to pay tribute on “So Much Pain”.
Eminem’s D12 crew range from terrible to pretty good. He’s still the clear star. He ends Limp Bizkit with the scathing diss “Girls”. After selling 15 million records in the last 2 years, Fred Durst & co. quickly disappear. Never say that Eminem didn’t do anything for the culture.
2002
Eminem — The Eminem Show (“Without Me”) 6 weeks
Nelly — Nellyville (“Hot In Herre”) 4 weeks
Jay-Z — Blueprint 2 (“03 Bonnie & Clyde”) 1 week
Big Tymers — Hood Rich (“Still Fly”) 1 week
P Diddy & the Bad Boy Family — We Invented The Remix (“I Need A Girl”) 1 week
8 Mile Soundtrack (“Lose Yourself”) 2 weeks
Eminem becomes the first rapper ever to have the highest-selling album of the year. The movie 8 Mile comes out late this year. Em is at his peak, with an album & a soundtrack reaching #1 in the same year. The Eminem Show is certified diamond in 2011, making Em the first rapper with 2 diamond albums. 2Pac (All Eyez On Me & Greatest Hits, which peaked at #3) joins him in 2014.
Nelly took his time and made sure he had some hot singles herre for his sophomore album.
Jay-Z’s double album doesn’t measure up to 2Pac or Biggie’s, but is enjoyable in its own right. “The Bounce” is the first time most people hear Kanye West rap.
Shyne is serving 10 years in prison after last year’s trial relating to a 1999 club shooting. P Diddy faced 15 years but was acquitted of all charges. He’s back on top with a remix album.
Cash Money gets its first #1. The cartoonish braggadocio of the Big Tymers is a lot of fun. They shift away from cornerstones Juvenile (whose single “Ha” and remix with Jay-Z put them on the map) & B.G. and more towards Lil Wayne & Baby. Arch-rivals No Limit Records’ best days are behind them.
The 8 Mile Soundtrack is fantastic, with contributions from a wide range of artists, with Eminem showing up on 4 tracks. The 2nd single, 50 Cent’s “Wanksta”, essentially ends Ja Rule’s run and sets 50 up to take his place. All he’s got to do now is deliver a follow-up hit.
2003
50 Cent — Get Rich Or Die Tryin (“In Da Club”) 6 weeks
DMX — Grand Champ (“Where The Hood At”) 1 week
Ludacris — Chicken-n-Beer (“Stand Up”) 1 week
Jay-Z — The Black Album (“Dirt Off Your Shoulder”) 2 weeks
The Neptunes — Clones (“Frontin”) 1 week
Outkast — Speakerboxxx / The Love Below (“The Way You Move” / “Hey Ya”) 3 weeks
8 Mile Soundtrack (“Lose Yourself”) 2 weeks
Bad Boys 2 Soundtrack (“Shake Ya Tailfeather”) 4 weeks
50 Cent’s major debut is the highest-selling album of the year. He’s just the 2nd rapper to accomplish this after Eminem last year. “In Da Club” is everywhere, and Ja Rule is never the same again.
DMX drops his 5th straight #1 album. X secures a Patti LaBelle feature on “Thank You”, his customary one-song-for-God-per-album. On his next album — his first not to go #1 — he makes that song, “Lord Give Me A Sign”, a single.
Chicago-born, Atlanta-raised Ludacris gets his first #1 on his third try. His first two charted in the top 5 and are better albums, not that this is a bad one. His label, Disturbing tha Peace, also gives us Chingy, whose album Jackpot! peaks at #2.
Jay-Z drops his 6th #1. Danger Mouse mashes it up with The Beatles’ White Album to create The Grey Album. Jay cops to prioritizing commercial success & shouts out Talib Kweli & Common Sense on the Eminem-produced “Moment of Clarity”.
The Neptunes are responsible for producing a boatload of hits for a wide variety of artists. This is a compilation album where Pharrell gets to be on the mic more. Chad stays in the background.
Outkast becomes the 2nd hiphop act to win Album of the Year at the Grammys. Their previous 3 albums all peaked at #2. This is really 2 solo albums packaged together. There’s almost no continuity between the 2 discs. It’s certified diamond in 2006.
Bad Boys 2 is a bad-ass movie. “Shake Ya Tailfeather” features prominently in it and, along with the Jay-Z hit “La-La-La”, helps this soundtrack get to #1. The original Bad Boys Soundtrack peaked at #26 in 1995. It’ll be a while before we see the next #1 rap soundtrack.
2004
Twista — Kamikaze (“Slow Jamz”) 1 week
Jadakiss — Kiss of Death (“Time’s Up”) 1 week
Lloyd Banks — The Hunger For More (“On Fire”) 2 weeks
Nelly — Suit (“My Place”) 1 week
Eminem — Encore (“Just Lose It”) 2 weeks
Ludacris — Red Light District (“Pimpin All Over The World”) 1 week
Outkast — Speakerboxxx / The Love Below (“The Way You Move” / “Hey Ya”) 4 weeks
D12 — D12 World (“My Band”) 1 week
Beastie Boys — To The 5 Boroughs (“Ch-Check It Out”) 1 week
Jay-Z & R Kelly — Unfinished Business (“Big Chips”) 1 week
Jay-Z & Linkin Park — Collision Course (“Numb/Encore”) 1 week
In 1992, Twista was in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest rapper. The veteran’s collaboration with fellow Chicagoan Kanye West helps him hit #1.
Jadakiss, one third of The Lox, gets an assist from Nate Dogg to go #1 with his sophomore solo effort. Some will always remember him best from his shoe commercials with Allen Iverson.
The G-Unit movement and a couple of catchy hits help Lloyd Banks reach #1. Lloyd Banks tidbit: he was shot while leaving a Queens nightclub on September 10, 2001. He woke up in the hospital to the news of the 9/11 attacks.
Nelly released 2 albums on the same day, Sweat and Suit. Suit debuted at #1, and Sweat debuted at #2. The only other act to hold the top 2 positions simultaneously was Guns N Roses with 1991’s Use Your Illusion I & II. This is the last time we’ll see Nelly.
Eminem’s next album represents an artistic fall-off, with 50 Cent & Nate Dogg featuring on the only real highlight. After releasing 4 albums in the last 6 years, Eminem would not release another album of new material for 5 years.
Ludacris drops his 2nd straight #1 album. After appearing in 2 Fast 2 Furious and on the soundtrack (“Act A Fool”), Ludacris is established in both the music and movie worlds.
Eminem’s buddies are back with their sophomore effort. Like Encore, this also represents an artistic decline. They still make a hilarious video. Proof, the group’s de facto second-in-command, is killed in a 2006 Detroit club shooting. There has been periodic talk of a third D12 album but no major releases have come in over a decade.
The Beastie Boys get their fourth #1 album 17 years after their first one. The lead single debuts on the TV show “The O.C.”
Jay-Z, much like Eminem, could put his name on the cover of a frisbee and it would go #1 off of his track record at this point. His first joint album with R Kelly, 2002’s Best of Both Worlds, peaked at #2, which may have inspired the title Unfinished Business. They fall out over their tour. Collision Course is a 6-song rap-rock EP with Linkin Park, who released their own #1 album in 2003.
11 rap albums went #1 in 2004, the most ever in a single year.
2005
2Pac — Loyal To The Game (“Ghetto Gospel”) 1 week
Game — The Documentary (“Hate It Or Love It”) 1 week
50 Cent — The Massacre (“Candy Shop”) 6 weeks
Kanye West — Late Registration (“Gold Digger”) 2 weeks
Paul Wall — The Peoples Champ (“Sittin Sidewayz”) 1 week
Eminem — Curtain Call: The Hits (“Shake That”) 2 weeks
2Pac now has more #1 albums posthumously (3) than he did while alive (2). Eminem produces the album. Some fans take issue with Em manipulating Tupac’s vocals to have him say “G-Unit”, among other things.
The Game, new to Aftermath, and 50 Cent get along just long enough to create The Documentary with Dr Dre before falling out.
50 drops the highest-selling album of the year again. He makes a music video for every track, available on the special edition of the album.
Kanye West gets his first #1 album after his 2004 debut College Dropout peaked at #2. I see him in concert both before this album dropped at an outdoor venue, and on his official stadium tour afterwards. During the first show, Ludacris is the announced headliner but somehow ends up performing before Kanye after a long delay. Kanye then closes the show. During his set he performs the unreleased “Touch The Sky” and the crowd goes wild. The producer nobody thought could rap, much less carry an album, is now a bonafide rap star.
Houston’s Paul Wall shows goes from making grills to #1. His collaboration with Kanye West, “Drive Slow”, appears both on Late Registration and The Peoples Champ.
Eminem’s Greatest Hits goes #1. The fresh, Nate Dogg-assisted “Shake That” helps.
2006
Juvenile — Reality Check (“Rodeo”) 1 week
T.I. — King (“What You Know”) 1 week
Busta Rhymes — The Big Bang (“Touch It”) 1 week
Rick Ross — Port Of Miami (“Hustlin”) 1 week
Ludacris — Release Therapy (“Money Maker”) 1 week
Diddy — Press Play (“Come To Me”) 1 week
The Game — Doctor’s Advocate (“One Blood”) 1 week
Jay-Z — Kingdom Come (“Show Me What You Got”) 1 week
Young Jeezy — The Inspiration (“I Luv It”) 1 week
4 southern rappers get their first #1 albums in 2006. New Orleans’ Juvenile does it with his 5th major release, and 1st after leaving Cash Money for Atlantic. His hit singles “Ha” and “Back That A** Up” helped break Cash Money into the mainstream almost a decade ago.
For Atlanta’s T.I., it’s his 4th studio album. He also stars in the movie “ATL”, reaching a new level of commercial success and stardom. He’s also targeted in a shooting which leaves a childhood friend dead, and 3 others injured.
Miami’s Rick Ross hits #1 with his debut. “Hustlin” is a hit, and jokes about the real Noriega and 100 favors are all the rage.
The last of the southern rappers to get their first #1 is Atlanta’s Young Jeezy. His landmark 2005 Def Jam debut Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 peaked at #2.
Ludacris gets his 3rd #1 album in a row. He collaborates with Mary J Blige on “Runaway Love”, an uncharacteristically serious song for him.
Veteran Busta Rhymes joins Dr Dre’s Aftermath and hits #1 with his 7th solo album 15 years deep in the game. An iconic presence, Busta has a long line of hit singles and notable guest appearances. This is a crowning achievement for him.
Diddy hits the top spot once more with a little (or a lotta) help from his friends. It’s another compilation-type album for the Puffster.
The Game shows he can be successful without G Unit. The album title, Doctor’s Advocate, is a pledge of loyalty to Dr Dre, who is attempting to mediate the feud between The Game and 50 Cent. 50 claimed he deserved more credit for The Documentary, but he isn’t really missed here.
Jay-Z releases an album and of course it goes to #1 again. While the lead single is adequate and there are highlights, Jay himself ranks Kingdom Come as the worst of his solo albums. His collaboration with Coldplay’s Chris Martin plays a part in a rift between Jay-Z and Kanye West. It’s patched up when Kanye airs it out and expresses admiration on his next album.
2007
Nas — Hip Hop Is Dead (“Hip Hop Is Dead”) 1 week
Notorious BIG — Greatest Hits — 1 week
T.I. — T.I. vs TIP (“Big Things Poppin”) 2 weeks
Common — Finding Forever (“The Game”) 1 week
Kanye West — Graduation (“Stronger”) 1 week
Jay-Z — American Gangster (“Roc Boys”) 1 week
UGK — Underground Kingz (“Int’l Players Anthem”) 1 week
Nas gets his 4th #1 album with the controversially titled Hip Hop Is Dead. Featuring collaborations with Jay-Z, Kanye West and Snoop Dogg, the title is taken by some as a shot at emerging rappers from the South.
The Notorious BIG’s Greatest Hits is released almost exactly 10 years after his passing and debuts at #1.
T.I. considered quitting rapping after his friend was killed, but comes back with another #1 album. He’s later arrested trying to buy machine guns & silencers hours before the BET Awards.
15 years after his debut, Common has his first #1 with his 7th album overall, and 2nd on Kanye’s GOOD Music label. Kanye handles the majority of the album’s production.
Kanye also continues to establish himself with another #1 album of his own. Autotune enthusiast T-Pain appears on “Good Life”, perhaps sparking the idea for the next Kanye West album.
Jay-Z and Nas both go #1 in the same year for the first and only time. For Jigga, it’s a return to form inspired by the movie about Frank Lucas starring Denzel Washington. It’s also his 10th #1 album. He’s the only rapper to reach that mark. The only act with more than 10 is The Beatles. Jay will be joining them in the more-than-10 category shortly.
UGK, Jay-Z’s favorite rap group, goes #1 shortly before Pimp C (RIP), the heart and soul of the group, passes away. There’s a book about his life and career any fan of rap would enjoy. Everyone, literally including his mother, agrees that he was both genius and madman. He inspired a lot of rappers that went on to surpass his fame.
2008
Rick Ross — Trilla (“The Boss”) 1 week
Lil Wayne — Carter III (“Lollipop”) 1 week
Nas — Untitled (“Hero”) 1 week
Young Jeezy — The Recession (“Put On”) 1 week
T.I. — Paper Trail (“Whatever You Like” / “Live Your Life”) 2 weeks
Kanye West — 808s and Heartbreak (“Heartless”) 1 week
Rick Ross proves he isn’t just a one-hit wonder with a strong follow-up. Rawse the Bawse jokes abound.
Lil Wayne jumps on the autotune train and drops the highest-selling album of the year in the U.S. He joins Eminem and 50 Cent (twice) as the only rappers to ever do so. He proclaims himself the “best rapper alive”. Jay-Z calls him “my heir” in a guest spot.
Nas wanted to title this album Ni**er. The plan was nixed due to backlash. So Untitled it is. Focusing mostly on black issues, Nas includes a diss song directed at Fox News fantastically titled “Sly Fox”. With Barack Obama running for President, the album ends with the Tupac and Obama-sampling “Black President”. Nas also guests on “My President” on The Recession, Young Jeezy’s 2nd consecutive #1 album.
Pending weapons charges don’t slow T.I. down. He hits his commercial peak with his 3rd straight #1 album. The 16-song album spawns 8 singles. “Whatever You Like” and “Live Your Life” both go to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. At one point they are #1 and #2.
Kanye West is not a good singer, so he autotunes all his vocals on this album. He recruits Kid Cudi, who also uses this style, to help write the album. T-Pain was “the autotune guy”. Rappers didn’t use it. With Kanye and Lil Wayne, who guests here, joining him and making it a wider trend, others will soon follow.
2009
Rick Ross — Deeper Than Rap (“Mafia Music”) 1 week
Eminem — Relapse (“Crack A Bottle”) 2 weeks
Fabolous — Loso’s Way (“Throw It In The Bag”) 1 week
Jay-Z — Blueprint 3 (“Empire State Of Mind”) 2 weeks
Black Eyed Peas — The E.N.D. (“Boom Boom Pow” / “I Gotta Feeling”) 2 weeks
Rick Ross’s past as a correctional officer becomes public knowledge. It doesn’t hurt him as he goes 3-for-3 on #1 albums. This is the first release on Ross’s new label imprint, Maybach Music Group.
Eminem is back after a 5-year hiatus. He’s still incredible. His skills are on full display here, as are his dark and disturbing (i.e. rapey) subject matter choices.
Fabolous hits #1 with his 5th album. His previous 4 all charted in the top-10. Ironically, this is his first album that doesn’t even go gold. Music sales in general are down thanks to streaming and digital pirating.
Jay-Z gets his 11th #1 album, moving into sole possession of 2nd place behind The Beatles’ record of 19. The other artists he was tied with at 10: Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen and Barbara Streisand. “Empire State of Mind” is his first #1 single. “Death Of Autotune” turns out to be not-so-prophetic, and perhaps a sign Jay is starting to lose touch.
The Black Eyed Peas win a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal album. They make heavy use of autotune and go for an electro pop sound. Great commercial success follows. “Boom Boom Pow” & “I Gotta Feeling” both hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. At one point they are #1 and #2.
2010
Ludacris — Battle of the Sexes (“How Low”) 1 week
B.o.B. — The Adventures of Bobby Ray (“Nothin On You”) 1 week
Drake — Thank Me Later (“Find Your Love”) 1 week
Eminem — Recovery (“Love The Way You Lie”) 7 weeks
Lil Wayne — I Am Not a Human Being (“Right Above It”) 1 week
Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (“Runaway”) 1 week
Ludacris goes #1 for the 4th time off of a hot single and an established track record.
B.O.B.’s debut album on T.I.’s Grand Hustle imprint hits #1 thanks to a couple of smash crossover singles, “Nothin On You” and “Airplanes”.
Drake built major momentum through his Comeback Season and So Far Gone mixtapes. Lil Wayne signed him to his label imprint Young Money, and the 2 of them combined with Kanye West and Eminem for a star-studded appearance on the More Than A Game Soundtrack. Sprite joined the party. Drake’s first major LP debuts at #1. 4 rappers who already have #1 albums (Jay-Z, T.I., Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne) make guest appearances. Also guesting is a rapper on the cusp of joining the club, Nicki Minaj.
Eminem is back with — at least in comparison to his last offering — a more feel-good album. He collaborates with Rihanna for the first time.
Lil Wayne becomes the 2nd artist to go #1 while incarcerated, after Tupac in 1995. He serves one year for criminal possession of a weapon after a plea bargain. The gun was registered to his manager, but found in a bag he ditched in a tour bus as cops approached.
Kanye comes back to rap but continues to bring elements of other genres into his mix, as well as a star-studded guest lineup. Nicki Minaj shines on “Monster” and is ready to blow up.
2011
Nicki Minaj — Pink Friday (“Super Bass”) 1 week
Lupe Fiasco — Lasers (“The Show Goes On”) 1 week
Game — The R.E.D. Album (“Red Nation”) 1 week
Lil Wayne — Tha Carter IV (“How To Love”) 2 weeks
J Cole — Cole World: The Sideline Story (“Work Out”) 1 week
Mac Miller — Blue Slide Park (“Frick Park Market”) 1 week
Drake — Take Care (“Take Care”) 1 week
Bad Meets Evil — Hell: The Sequel (“Fast Lane”) 1 week
Jay-Z & Kanye West — Watch The Throne (“Ni**as In Paris”) 2 weeks
Nicki Minaj drops her major debut and immediately establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with. She’s just the 4th female solo rapper to ever have a #1 album. Eminem, Drake, Kanye West and will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas make guest appearances.
Lupe Fiasco hits #1 with his 3rd album. His first 2 are more critically acclaimed, and most of the buzz surrounding this album involves his conflicts with Atlantic Records. Fans successfully petition and protest for a release date for this album. It has been over 3 years since his last album, The Cool, was released.
Game reconnects with Dr Dre and goes #1 for the 3rd time. While Game gives a flimsy cover story about the album title, the lead single “Red Nation” and its video removes all doubt: it’s a reference to the Bloods street gang. The video is banned from TV but popular online. Lil Wayne is featured on the song, and also drops his 3rd #1 album.
J Cole created a buzz with his mixtapes The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights. He landed himself a deal at Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label. His album is held back until he makes a radio hit, which ends up being “Work Out”.
Mac Miller also hits #1 with his major debut after years of putting out mixtapes, most notably 2010’s K.I.D.S.
Drake’s sophomore effort goes #1 as he showcases his range. The Weeknd claims he gave half an album to Drake here. He makes an appearance on “Crew Love”. Other songs, such as “Shot For Me”, sound right up his alley. “HYFR” is likely the first bar mitzvah rap video.
Eminem teams up with Royce the 5'9 for an EP. They can both rap their asses off, but perhaps their styles are too similar. “Fast Lane” is easily the highlight.
Watch The Throne, on the other hand, is an absolute triumph. Jay-Z and Kanye West have been working together for over a decade, and developed great chemistry. The up-and-coming Frank Ocean is exposed to the widest possible audience. Jay-Z has done collaborative albums before but this one is in a league of its own.
2012
Nicki Minaj — Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (“Starships”) 1 week
Nas — Life Is Good (“Daughters”) 1 week
Rick Ross — God Forgives, I Don’t (“So Sophisticated”) 1 week
2 Chainz — Based on a T.R.U. Story (“No Lie”) 1 week
Nicki’s sophomore album hits #1 too, making her the first female rapper ever to have multiple #1 solo albums. Rappers have been making pop records for years, but Hot 97 still sees fit to criticize “Starships” for being too pop.
Nas divorces Kelis and holds an empty dress on his album cover. “Bye Baby” is addressed directly to her. Amy Winehouse makes a posthumous appearance on “Cherry Wine”. This is Nas’ 6th #1 album. Jay-Z and Eminem are the only rappers with more.
Rick Ross gets his 4th #1 album in 5 tries. His last album, Teflon Don, peaked at #2. He must have been so disappointed. Here, he lands 2 notoriously rare guest features in Andre 3000 and Dr Dre, illustrating his status as one of the respected premier artists of his generation.
2 Chainz used to be signed to Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace record label as part of Playaz Circle. After being let out of his deal with DTP, he goes #1 with his Def Jam debut.
2013
A$AP Rocky — Long.Live.A$AP (“F*ckin Problems”) 1 week
Kanye West — Yeezus (“Bound 2”) 1 week
Wale — The Gifted (“Bad”) 1 week
J Cole — Born Sinner (“Power Trip”) 1 week
Jay-Z — Magna Carta Holy Grail (“Holy Grail”) 2 weeks
Drake — Nothing Was The Same (“Hold On, We’re Going Home”) 1 week
Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (“The Monster”) 2 weeks
After his highly-acclaimed 2011 mixtape Live.Love.A$AP, Harlem-born A$AP Rocky hits #1 with his major debut. Rocky’s real name is Rakim. He was named after perhaps the best rapper not to make this list. His namesake’s 1997 album The 18th Letter peaked at #4.
Kanye West starts dating Kim Kardashian and feeling himself way too much, even for Kanye. This album is the result.
Fresh off getting mocked by the Raptors’ announcers during a Wizards home game, Wale goes #1. The Washington DC native becomes the 2nd Maybach Music Group artist with a #1 album, after founder Rick Ross.
J Cole’s sophomore album goes #1. The highlight is the unique “Let Nas Down”. It’s about how Nas hates J Cole’s breakout hit “Work Out” and how J Cole feels bad about it.
Jay-Z’s 13th #1 album had a strange rollout. Samsung bought 1 million copies and distributed them via an app. The app had technical issues. Jay referred to the situation as “not cool”. The album itself is not Jay-Z’s best.
It is now an event when Drake releases an album. He also joins the NBA’s Toronto Raptors as their “global ambassador”, and opens a private club at the Air Canada Centre. He helps the team by distracting opponents.
This is Eminem’s 8th #1 album, without counting the 8 Mile Soundtrack or the 2 D12 albums. Jay-Z is the only rapper with more. Em still raps his ass off, and the single with Rihanna is fantastic, but there are few good songs otherwise. The Grammys still see fit to award Eminem Best Rap Album for some reason.
2014
ScHoolboy Q — Oxymoron (“Studio”) 1 week
Rick Ross — Mastermind (“The Devil Is a Lie”) 1 week
Wiz Khalifa — Blacc Hollywood (“We Dem Boyz”) 1 week
Lecrae — Anomaly (“All I Need Is You”) 1 week
J Cole — 2014 Forest Hills Drive (“No Role Modelz”) 1 week
Former oxycontin dealer Schoolboy Q is the first Top Dawg Entertainment artist with a #1 album. The first album under their deal with Interscope (Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City) peaked at #2.
Rick Ross gets his 5th #1 album. That’s as many as 2Pac and DMX. Unlike them, he has never sold a million copies of any of his albums. Times have changed in the music business. In December of this year, the Billboard 200’s chart methodology is updated to factor in streaming and digital track sales.
Wiz Khalifa, on the other hand, already has 2 platinum albums to his name before hitting #1 for the first time.
Lecrae dominates the gospel charts, where this is his 5th straight #1 album since 2008. Those albums charted at 60, 17, 15, 3 and 1 on the Billboard 200. Billboard promptly bans rap from the gospel charts.
J Cole goes 3-for-3. All 3 are platinum. Though none of the album’s singles chart higher than #36, Cole has built a dedicated fanbase over the course of his career. He performs a protest song on Letterman that isn’t commercially released, displaying artistic authenticity.
2015
Drake — If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (“Energy”) 1 week
Big Sean — Dark Sky Paradise (“I Don’t F*ck With You”) 1 week
Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp A Butterfly (“Alright”) 2 weeks
Wale — The Album About Nothing (“The Matrimony”) 1 week
A$AP Rocky — At. Long. Last. A$AP (“LSD”) 1 week
Meek Mill — Dreams Worth More Than Money (“All Eyes On You”) 2 weeks
Future — DS2 (“F*ck Up Some Commas”) 1 week
Fetty Wap — Fetty Wap (“Trap Queen”) 1 week
Drake & Future — What a Time to Be Alive (“Jumpman”) 1 week
Empire: Season 1 Soundtrack — 1 week
Furious 7 Soundtrack (“See You Again”) 1 week
Drake’s surprise “mixtape” is a huge success. After the initial wave of dominance, Funkmaster Flex unveils reference tracks by Quentin Miller and Meek Mill accuses Drake of using ghostwriters regularly. Drake has his revenge on Meek.
Detroit’s Big Sean, Ariana Grande’s ex-boyfriend, becomes the 2nd GOOD Music artist with a #1 album. Speculation that their relationship is a publicity stunt becomes so rampant that GQ asks him about it directly.
Kendrick Lamar goes #1 and receives universal acclaim. The hook from “Alright” is chanted at protests. The album is heavily influenced by Tupac and concludes with Kendrick “interviewing” Pac.
Wale repeats his #1 success with lots of references to Seinfeld. The album title and song titles, along with snippets from the show in the actual music are all Seinfeld callbacks. Add to the Seinfeld legacy that it inspired Wale’s best album to date.
ASAP Rocky goes 2-for-2 on his major releases. The cover is a tribute to A$AP Yams, the founder of the A$AP Mob who passed away early this year. Say no to drugs, kids.
After Meek Mill’s 2012 Maybach Music Group debut peaked at #2, the follow-up hits #1. A month later, after he calls out Drake for using writers, “Back to Back” comes out and his momentum comes screeching to a halt.
Future and Fetty Wap are both prolific users of autotune, singing and rapping exclusively through that technology. They take what T-Pain, Kanye and Lil Wayne started to a new level. Future is the most successful of the new wave of autone rappers, despite T-Pain’s objections. An entire wave of artists hit the mainstream following in Future and Fetty Wap’s footsteps. Live performances often require a backing vocal track since vocal effects are a key part of the records.
Drake and Future’s “mixtape” draws a conceptual comparison to Kanye & Jay’s Watch The Throne. While it’s nice enough, it doesn’t approach the highs of that purported predecessor. “Jumpman” is the only single here, while Watch The Throne had 7 singles.
Empire catches on beyond all expectations. Veteran producer Timbaland oversees the music.
Wiz Khalifa’s tribute to Paul Walker highlights the soundtrack to Furious 7. Ludacris is in the movie but not on the soundtrack.
The 2004 record of 11 #1 albums is matched. Technology is ushering in change: Autotune facilitates a blurred line between rapper and singer; Apple, Google, Spotify and Tidal do battle in the streaming wars.
2016
Future — Evol (“Low Life”) 1 week
Kendrick Lamar —untitled unmastered. (“untitled 07 | levitate”) 1 week
Kanye West — The Life of Pablo (“Famous”) 1 week
Drake — Views (“One Dance”) 13 weeks
DJ Khaled — Major Key (“For Free”) 1 week
Travis Scott — Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (“Pick Up The Phone”) 1 week
Jeezy — Trap Or Die 3 (“Let Em Know”) 1 week
J Cole — 4 Your Eyez Only 1 week (“Deja Vu”) 1 week
ATCQ — We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service (“We The People”) 1 week
Suicide Squad: The Album (“Sucker For Pain”) 2 weeks
The Hamilton Mixtape (“Satisfied”) 1 week
Future drops his third #1 album in 2 years, solidifying himself as the king of the autotune rapper sub-genre.
After Kendrick Lamar performs at the Grammys, LeBron James tweets Top Dawg Entertainment to release his untitled tracks. So they do.
Kanye releases his album via Tidal, streaming and downloads. No physical copies are available. He updates the album with altered and new tracks a few times. His new musical direction is heavily Future-influenced. GOOD Music’s Future clone Desiigner guests on “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2”. The album tour is a disaster as Kanye comes out as a Trump supporter, rants and raves, cuts shows short and cancels the rest of the tour. He is later hospitalized.
Views makes a big splash. Like Lauryn Hill’s debut, it’s more R&B-heavy than expected. Regardless, no rap album (at this point we use that term loosely) has been at #1 longer other than Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em. Since signing with Young Money, Drake has released 6 albums, with 2 being classified as “mixtapes”. All 6 have gone #1. He moves ahead of 2Pac, Rick Ross & DMX — who all have 5 — into a tie with Kanye West & Nas. Eminem (8) and Jay-Z (13) are the only rappers with more #1's.
DJ Khaled makes all-star compilations, and the stars have gotten brighter over time. The 14 tracks on his 9th album feature 19 artists that have already released #1 albums. Travis Scott becomes the 20th shortly afterwards. Kid Cudi guests for a worthy sequel to his 2008 hit “Day ’N’ Nite”.
Jeezy gets his 3rd #1, his first in 8 years. The first 2 installments of the Trap Or Die series were classified as mixtapes. J Cole joins DMX and Drake as the only rappers whose first 4 albums hit #1. He kicks Kanye while he’s down on “False Prophets”, but it doesn’t make the final cut.
A Tribe Called Quest’s reunion album comes out just months after Phife Dawg’s passing (RIP). It is their second #1 album, and comes a full 20 years after their first. Guests include contemporaries like Busta Rhymes and new schoolers like Kendrick Lamar.
Suicide Squad’s gross is over $700 million in theaters. It has the most successful soundtrack of the year. About half of it includes rap, with the rest being pop, R&B and rock. It counts!
“Hamilton” is the show on Broadway. An all-star cast from Nas & Common to Sia & Kelly Clarkson features alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda. Rap dominates yet another area of the arts. The record of 11 #1 rap albums (2004, 2015) is tied again. It don’t stop!
