Virtual Hip Hop Museum

From BIRTH & EVOLUTION to RESURRECTION!

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GOOD Music's Cruel Summer Album Anniversary

In 2012, Kanye West released the compilation album Cruel Summer, a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label GOOD Music. Cruel Summer produced four singles, two of which charted within the top twenty of the Hot 100: "Mercy" and "Clique". West also directed a film of the same name that premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in custom pyramid-shaped screening pavilion featuring seven screens. Read more about Kanye West here.

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Rah Digga's Classic Album Anniversary

Rah Digga’s second album Everything Is A Story was due to be released on J Records in 2004, but for unknown reasons was not released. Many songs from the album had leaked to the internet in an unofficial 23-track album of unreleased material, and in 2010 Rah Digga released her own version of the album, featuring unheard tracks from the album not present on the leaked version. Rah Digga released a new album, Classic, on September 14, 2010. Production was handled by Nottz, and a promo single was released entitled "This Ain't No Lil Kid Rap".

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Drake's Certified Lover Boy Album Anniversary

On August 14, 2020 "Laugh Now Cry Later" featuring Lil Durk was released, which was intended as the lead single from Drake's album Certified Lover Boy, but not included on the final track listing. It debuted at number two on the Hot 100, and was nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. During an appearance on Fri Yiy Friday, a radio show supported by OVO Sound, Drake revealed Certified Lover Boy "is ready. [I'm] looking forward to delivering it". He then appeared on "Betrayal", a collaboration with Trippie Redd for Trip at Knight (2021). Certified Lover Boy was then released on September 3, 2021, becoming his tenth number-one album on the Billboard 200; every song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album was the first to chart nine songs on the top 10, with "Way 2 Sexy" becoming Drake's ninth number-one single. He subsequently set the record for the fourth-most cumulative weeks (52) at number one on the Hot 100, behind Mariah Carey, Rihanna , and The Beatles.

CLB was nominated for Best Rap Album and "Way 2 Sexy" was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. He was later named Billboard's Top Artist of the Year for 2021. On December 6, he withdrew his music for consideration for the Grammys, with multiple outlets noting his contentious relationship with the Recording Academy. Drake accumulated 8.6 billion on-demand streams in 2021, making him the most overall streamed artist of the year in the United States; one out of every 131 streams was a Drake song. Read more about Drake here.

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UGK's Super Tight Album Anniversary

Their second album, Super Tight, was released two years later, on August 30. Unlike their previous album, Super Tight managed to break into the Billboard Hot 200 and ultimately peaked at #95; their third album, Ridin' Dirty, peaked at #15. Ridin' Dirty would also be UGK's last album for the time being, as they went on a five-year hiatus not long afterward. Read more about UGK here.

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Kanye West's DONDA Album Anniversary

On June 30, 2020, West released the single, titled "Wash Us in the Blood", featuring fellow American rapper and singer Travis Scott, along with the music video, which serves as the lead single from his tenth studio album Donda, and draws similarities to the sound of his 2013 album Yeezus. However, in September 2020, West stated that he would not be releasing any further music until he is "done with [his] contract with Sony and Universal" in a Twitter rant about record company contracts, payments towards artists and musicians, and the topic of ownership of their masters. On October 16, he released the single "Nah Nah Nah." On October 29, a remix was previewed over Twitter, featuring American rappers DaBaby and 2 Chainz. The remix was released November 13. On December 25, 2020, exactly one year after the release of Jesus is Born, West's Sunday Service released a new EP entitled Emmanuel. The mini-album, executively produced by West, consists of 5 songs entirely in Latin based in the style of Gregorian chant. On that same date, Playboi Carti's Whole Lotta Red was released, with West serving as executive producer of the album and appearing on the track "Go2DaMoon."

On March 7, 2021, Cyhi the Prynce stated in an interview with VladTV that West had once again begun working on his upcoming album amid his divorce with Kim Kardashian. On July 17, Consequence posted a video of West in the studio with Tyler, the Creator on Instagram. The caption of the post suggested a late 2021 album release.

On July 19, 2021, American rapper Pusha T announced on Instagram that West would be holding a listening event for the album on July 22 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The following day Beats Electronics premiered a commercial during game six of the 2021 NBA Finals featuring athlete Sha'Carri Richardson, edited and scored by West using the track "No Child Left Behind". French producer Gesaffelstein later stated that he produced the song, which featured Cory Henry playing the organ. Immediately following the commercial's debut, Def Jam Recordings confirmed the album's July 23 release date and revealed that the listening event in Atlanta would be globally live-streamed on Apple Music. The album ultimately remained unreleased on that date.

Following the July 22 listening party at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, West had taken up temporary residence in one of the stadium's locker rooms, converting it in to a recording studio to finish the recording and mixing with Mike Dean. Videos and photos posted to social media also showed featured artists Playboi Carti and 2 Chainz recording vocals in the locker room a day before the listening party. A second listening party event at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium took place on August 5, 2021, with West stating that the album would be released on the same day. However, this did not materialize. On August 18, 2021, he announced a third listening party scheduled for August 26, 2021 at the Soldier Field Stadium in Chicago. After multiple delays, Donda finally released on August 29, 2021. Read more about Kanye West here.

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Amil's All Money Is Legal Album Anniversary

Soon after Major Coins broke up, Amil decided to follow a solo career. She became a part of the group associated with Jay-Z's label, Roc-A-Fella, joining the 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour. After the tour she appeared as a guest on albums for Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, and Funkmaster Flex. Amil released her first solo project through Roc-A-Fella, All Money Is Legal, in late 2000. 

"For a female in this game to write her own stuff is a big statement," Amil says. "I hope that with All Money Is Legal, people will get the chance to hear what I have to say and the life that I've lived." 

All Money Is Legal gives you many facets of that life. For example, "Quarrels," which Amil calls the deepest cut on the album. "Quarrels" features Carl Thomas and talks about temptations and the Devil. "Smile" is an honest and unflinching page out of Amil's biography. On "How U Wanna Get Down," Amil steps out of her role as outspoken rapster and offers proof of her prowess as a singer. According to Amil, "All of these songs were just in me and finally it was time to let them out." 

In 2005, Amil temporarily re-formed "Major Coinz" and released songs on the mixtape circuit including the single "Glamorous Life" which was featured on MTV Mixtape Monday. In a 2006 interview, when asked whether female MCs are forced to meet standards that male MCs are not, she said: "Oh, yeah. Definitely. You have to be picture-perfect and you have to meet the standards of the perfect woman. That's unreal to me. Real women do not have plastic-looking bodies. The average woman is not a size 0. You can do what you have to do to keep yourself looking like that or you could just be you. Me, I choose to just be me." Read more about Amil here.

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The Roots' Game Theory Album Anniversary

Game Theory is the seventh studio album by hip hop band The Roots, released August 29, 2006, on Def Jam Recordings. The group's first release for the label after leaving Geffen Records, the album was recorded by the Roots mostly using the Apple-developed software application GarageBand. A darker, grittier album with minimal emphasis on hooks in comparison to their previous work, Game Theory features a stripped-down sound similar to the work of Public Enemy, with lyrics that concern sociological themes and the late hip hop producer J Dilla.

The album debuted at number nine on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 61,000 copies in its first week. It produced two singles and achieved moderate sales success. Upon its release, Game Theory received acclaim from most music critics and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. To date, the album has sold over 200,000 copies in the United States. Read more about The Roots here.

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Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV Album Anniversary

He came back to his fullest in 2011 when releasing the fourth installment of "Tha Carter", selling 964,000 copies in its first week. Through "Tha Charter IV", he posted the biggest sales week for a male solo artist of all time after Usher's "Confessions" (1.10 million) and Garth Brooks' "Double Live" (1.09 million).

He occupied the third and fourth places at the same time with his first best sales week contributed by "Tha Charter III", before Justin Timberlake barged in with "The 20/20 Experience" which pulled "Tha Carter IV" to the fifth slot on the list. Read more about Lil Wayne here.

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Rapsody's Idea of Beautiful Album Anniversary

The Idea of Beautiful is the debut studio album by American rapper Rapsody. It was released on August 28, 2012, by independent record label It's A Wonderful World Music Group. The album was released after the critical acclaim of her mixtapes such as Return of the B-Girl (2010), Thank H.E.R. Now (2011) and For Everything (2011); as well as the release of her extended play (EP) The Black Mamba (2012).

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Aesop Rock's None Shall Pass

None Shall Pass is the fifth studio album by Aesop Rock. It was released on Definitive Jux on August 28, 2007. The album features production by Blockhead, El-P, Rob Sonic, and Aesop Rock himself. Guest appearances include DJ Big Wiz, Cage, Breeze Brewin, El-P, Rob Sonic, and John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats. The album's artwork was done by Jeremy Fish. It debuted at number 50 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 13,000 copies in its first week through independent hip hop label Definitive Jux.

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Trina's Diamond Princess Album Anniversary

Still maintained her rebellious nature of making controversial compositions which contained sexual and profane lyrics, Trina afterwards came up with her second work entitled "Diamond Princess" on August 27, 2002. Although the sale of this sophomore effort could not surpass the amount scored by its predecessor, the album's result was quite amazing as it soared to number 14 of The Billboard 200. Some of its tunes, like "No Panties" and "B R Right" also received major airplays on some radio stations, unquestionably enhancing her status and superiority among other female rappers in American music scene. Read more about Trina here.

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Eve's Eve-Olution Album Anniversary

Eve-OlutionEve next set about establishing a movie career; she made her box-office debut in the Vin Diesel action blockbuster XXX, which was released in the summer of 2002. Not long after, she was also seen in a prominent supporting role in the Ice Cube comedy Barbershop. Amid all this activity, Eve released her third album, Eve-Olution, in August 2002. It debuted in the Top Ten and found Eve returning to the soul singing of her youth on a surprising number of tracks. The single "Gangsta Lovin'," which featured guest vocals from Alicia Keys, was a number two smash on both the pop and R&B charts, and the follow-up "Satisfaction" was nominated for a Grammy. In early 2003, Eve signed with the UPN network to produce and star in a multiracial sitcom about a fashion designer, and she continued acting in movies, with roles in Barbershop 2, The Cookout, and The Woodsman. A full return to music was attempted in 2007 with Here I Am, an album featuring productions from Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and Pharrell, but after a couple singles were serviced to radio, the album was shelved by Eve's label Interscope. A starring role in the film Whip It and a recurring character on the television show Glee kept her busy until 2013 when Lip Lock landed. The album featured guest shots from Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliot, and Juicy J, and was released by Eve's label, From the Rib. Read more about Eve here.

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Biz Markie's I Need A Haircut Album Anniversary

He seemed poised for ever-increasing success when he released his 1991 album I Need a Haircut. In fact, the disc received generally good reviews-- Hip-Hop Connection praised it as "dope," while Black Radio Exclusive called it "super-hype," adding, "All Markie fans will love this one"--and surged initially on the strength of the popular "What Goes Around Comes Around" and the bathroom serenade "T.S.R. (Toilet Stool Rap)."

But a musical snippet, or sample, that appeared on the cut "Alone Again" was borrowed from a 1972 pop hit of the same title by British vocalist Gilbert O'Sullivan and was used without O'Sullivan's permission. A lawsuit followed--the litigation monitored closely by the music business as it was the first to address the legality of the widespread practice of sampling--and Biz Markie lost; federal judge Kevin Duffy ordered sales of I Need a Haircut stopped. Attorney Lawrence A. Stanley, analyzing the case for the Source, opined that Markie's legal team "failed to launch an even remotely credible defense." In any event, the rapper received more mainstream publicity for this setback than for any of his previous successes. He was especially dismayed by O'Sullivan's suit because, as he told the Source, "I loved that song since I was a little kid." Read more about Biz Markie here.

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G-Unit's The Beauty of Independence EP Anniversary

On August 25, 2014, G-Unit surprised fans with an extended play (EP) titled The Beauty of Independence, which was released at midnight, via digital retailers.

After the first EP, the group released music videos for "Watch Me" and "Changes". G-Unit planned to release the second EP in November, but after the release of The Beauty of Independence, it was announced that the album would divided into two parts, The Beauty of Independence and The Beast Is G-Unit. The group planned to release The Beast in late October, but the EP was pushed back to a later release in 2015. On November 10, 2014, a deluxe version of The Beauty of Independence was released, containing two new songs, "Ease Up" and "Big Body Benz". Read more about G-Unit here.

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The High & Mighty's Home Field Advantage Album Anniversary

Home Field Advantage is the debut studio album by hip hop group The High & Mighty. It was released on August 24, 1999 via Rawkus Records and was produced mostly by DJ Mighty Mi, but also featured production from Alchemist and Reef. It features guest appearances from Bobbito García, Cage, Defari, Eminem, Evidence, Kool Keith, Mad Skillz, Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Thirstin Howl III, What? What? and Wordsworth.

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Tha Alkaholiks' 21 & Over Album Anniversary

21 & Over is the debut album by West Coast hip hop group, Tha Alkaholiks. It is highly praised, and has been described as "the quintessential West Coast party album." It has ten tracks, timed at only about 35 minutes, but it contains three singles, "Make Room," "Likwit" and "Mary Jane." The only single that contains vocals from anybody other than Tash and J-Ro is "Likwit," which features King Tee. King Tee is responsible for founding Tha Alkaholiks, and the track's title is a reference to the Likwit Crew that he created. Lootpack and Threat are the only other guest vocalists on this album, but production is provided by Tha Alkaholiks, King Tee, Lootpack and Derick "D. Pimp" Williams. Nu-Metal versions of 2 of their songs are on Loud Rocks, one with Crazy Town covered "Only When I'm Drunk" also on Crazy Town's 1999 album The Gift of Game, and "Make Room" featuring Sugar Ray.

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Rapsody's Eve Album Anniversary

Eve is the third studio album by American rapper Rapsody, released on August 23, 2019. Each song is named for an influential black woman, including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Myrlie Evers, and Aaliyah.Eve also samples artists like Phil Collins (his hit single "In the Air Tonight" was sampled on the second track "Cleo"), Nina Simone and Herbie Hancock.