54 Rap Songs That Use the Same Sample
Since the beginning of the culture, hip hop music has been built off the back of sampling other genres.
Ranking Travis Scott’s First Week Album Sales
Over the past few years, Travis Scott has vaulted into the upper echelon of rap superstars, most notably after the release of his 2018 magnum opus.
Song Battle Vol. 1: ‘Ready to Die’ vs. ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…’
Welcome to the inaugural Song Battle series, where we take two classic hip hop albums and pit them against each other, song for song.
The Best Rap Bars in Hip Hop History
What distinguishes a good rap bar from a great one? What elements elevate a rap bar to become one of the most memorable in hip hop’s rich history? As we travel through the depths of hip hop, we…
24 Rappers and Their First Number One Song On the Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 number one song is the holy grail of pop music achievement. It took hip hop over a decade to its first number one song on the charts , and that was a Vanilla Ice…
A History of 56 Verified Hip Hop Songs Written By Ghostwriters
Hip hop has a long and controversial history with ghostwriters. While other music genres generally don’t make a big deal about who writes what, rap’s particular focus on penmanship and personal accounts has made ghostwriting a touch topic.
Ranking Migos’ First Week Album Sales
The impact of Migos extends far beyond their studio albums. Years before they dropped their 2017 masterpiece, Culture , they were defining an Atlanta rap generation with mixtapes like Y.R.N. (Young Rich Niggas) , No Label 2 and…
50 Rappers and Their Best-Selling Albums of All Time
Platinum plaques and chart-topping albums don’t mean everything in hip hop, but they do mean a lot, despite what people want to think.
26 Rappers and Their Best & Worst Reviewed Albums
Like Jay-Z once said – “Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?” While rap reviews may not hold the same weight today as they did back in The Source days, it’s still…
Ranking The Notorious B.I.G.’s First Week Album Sales
As one of the greatest rappers to ever touch the mic , Biggie had accomplished more in his time than other rappers in their entire career; almost singlehandedly shifting hip-hop’s attention from the West Coast back to New…
Ranking Jadakiss’ First Week Album Sales
Jadakiss has always been one of the most consistent and respected MCs in the game. With a catalogue that spans back to the late ’90s, the Yonkers rapper is still in today’s conversation about the best rappers alive.
Ranking A$AP Rocky’s First Week Album Sales
A$AP Rocky has always seemed like rapping was just a hobby for him, something that he was really good at, but never fully focused on. As one of the best rappers of the 2010s , Rocky firmly established…
The 32 Greatest Hip Hop Producer Line-Ups of All Time
Before Nas gathered up DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor and Q-Tip for the game-changing Illmatic , hip hop were dominated by one producer albums.
Every Single Sample Featured on J Dilla’s Donuts
In the world of hip-hop production, few names resonate as profoundly as J Dilla. The Detroit-born maestro wasn’t just a beatmaker; he was a sonic architect, painting expansive landscapes with layers of sound.
100 Rappers and their Age When They Dropped a Classic Album
There’s an ongoing myth that hip hop is a young man’s game. While that may have been true in the earlier days, where it seemed like every rapper was barely in the 20s dropping straight classics, things have…
Ranking 50 Cent’s First Week Album Sales
When 50 Cent stormed the rap game in ’02 off the strength of a handful of (now classic mixtapes), there was no understanding how big he was about to become.
The Top 15 Best Benny the Butcher Guest Verses
I wasn’t around when Wu-Tang was popping off in the ’90s, but I can imagine that the Griselda movement is similar in energy.
Every Nas Album Intro Song, Ranked
From the gritty streets of Queensbridge, Nas has always been a master storyteller, crafting narratives that captivate and provoke. One of the undeniable staples in his legendary arsenal is the power of his album intros. These tracks don’t…
The 28 Greatest Nas Guest Verses Of All Time
There’s a certain magic to a rapper who can hop on someone else’s track and absolutely murder their verse, leaving the listener in awe and desperate for more.
The Most Streamed Hip Hop Mixtapes of All Time
During the initial phase of hip hop, the genre was exclusively live, with its distribution occurring through tapes of parties and performances. The first hip hop mixtapes emerged in New York City in the mid-1970s, showcasing artists like…
The 53 Most Influential Hip Hop Songs of All Time
This is not a list of the best rap songs of all time, although many of these tracks would undoubtedly make that list as well. Instead, this list focuses on the most influential hip-hop records, measured by their…
The Best 3-Song Run on 58 Classic Rap Albums
So with a lot of these albums, you might be tempted just to say “all the songs are incredible.” Which is true for most of them, that’s why they’re classic rap albums.
The 11 Most Expensive Rap Videos Ever Made
Way back before Soulja was shooting DIY videos and Chief Keef was filming under house arrest, rappers were spending millions of their budget dollars on music videos.
The 50 Greatest Nas Beats Of All Time
Nas gets a tough rap when it comes to his choice of production. Over the years, he’s developed the reputation of picking uninspired, boring beats for his God-tier lyricism.
The Top 10 Greatest Inspectah Deck Guest Verses Of All Time
Inspectah Deck, aka the Rebel INS, may not have had the same solo success as his Wu-Tang brothers, but there’s no denying that bar-for-bar, he has the most memorable verses in the entire group.
Ranking DMX’s First Week Album Sales
R.I.P. to the late, great DMX. When he was doing it, there was no other rapper like him. When he was hot, he was scorching.
Ranking Tyler, the Creator’s First Week Album Sales
Tyler, the Creator has come a long way. From a 20-year old edgy kid eating cockroaches in the music video for “Yonkers” to becoming one of the most acclaimed musicians today, it’s been one hell of a decade…
Ranking Eminem’s First Week Album Sales
Eminem’s meteoric rise to fame and his continued commercial success over the years have solidified his status as one of the most iconic and influential rappers in hip hop history.
Profile: Nipsey Hussle, Running the Marathon Forever
The Marathon Continues . Crenshaw . Mailbox Money . Victory Lap . Nipsey Hussle’s catalogue encapsulated everything that he held dear to his heart: Los Angeles, entrepreneurship, patience and ownership.
Profile: Westside Gunn, From Buffalo to Paris Fashion Week
Westside Gunn never planned to be a rap star. In 2011, after he was released from prison, West set out to break into the music industry by managing his half-brother Conway the Machine.
The 18 Greatest Raekwon Opening Lines Of All Time
Raekwon the Chef has a knack for saying the perfect lines at the perfect time. There’s just something about his voice, crazy slang, laid back yet aggressive flow and choice of words.
The Top 10 Greatest Method Man Hooks Of All Time
Method Man aka Methtical aka Ticallion Stallion aka Johnny Blaze aka Hot Nixon with the golden flow and undisputedly the best rap voices of all time.
7 of the Best Rap Lyrics about The Wire
Almost two decades on since its premiere on HBO, The Wire has quietly grown in status as one of the greatest TV shows ever produced.
The Best Hip Hop Album, Every Year Since 1986 – ’00s Edition
Now that we’ve done the best hip hop records of the ’80s and ’90s , it’s time to move on to the noughts era. Coming into this decade, hip hop was transforming into one of the biggest genres…
The Best Hip Hop Album, Every Year Since 1986 – ’90s Edition
Now that we’ve got the best albums of the ’80s out of the way, it’s time to revisit my favourite hip hop decade – the good ol’ ’90s. In which case, it made creating this list even harder.
The Best Hip Hop Album, Every Year Since 1986 – ’80s Edition
Trying to create a list of the best hip hop albums of every year, from the ’80s to now is an almost impossible task. I nearly gave up when I thought about the extra crazy years like ’88,…
The 52 Greatest Rap Album Opening Lines of All Time
What’s the one thing all classics have in common? The first song absolutely sets it off. And what’s the most important thing about the first song? The opening lines.
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2020
2020 felt like a stop-gap year when you look back at it. Even with high-profile releases from Eminem, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, and others, it felt like most rappers were holding out until the pandemic blew over.
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2019
From J. Cole’s Dreamville album and Future’s seventh studio album, to Young Thug’s first number one debut and DaBaby’s second album in one year, we take a look at the biggest hip hop album first week sales of…
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2018
Migos’ highly anticipated sequel to 2017’s Culture , Kanye’s first album since The Life of Pablo , Cardi B’s sensational debut, Eminem’s surprise drop and Tha Carter V (finally), we take a look at the biggest hip hop…
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2017
Migos’ first pop superstardom moment, Future dropping two number one projects in back to back weeks, Jay-Z’s masterpiece grown up rap album, Kendrick hitting number ones across the board, we take a look at the biggest hip hop…
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2016
A Tribe Called Quest’s first album since 1996, J. Cole’s second platinum album with no features, Drake drops his highly anticipated blockbuster, Views , Kevin Gates becomes a Billboard conversation; we look at the biggest hip hop album…
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2015
Future turns into a monster and drops the album of his life, Dre returns with his first album since 1999, but it’s not Detox , Drake owns the year with two number one, platinum albums, and Kendrick releases…
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2014
Compared to the blockbuster years of 2013 (Kanye, Drake, Jay-Z, Eminem) and 2015 (Kendrick, Drake, Future), 2014 was a relatively quiet year for hip hop.
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2013
A sales battle between Kanye, Mac Miller and J. Cole; Eminem returns with the sequel to his greatest album of all time; Hov makes business moves with Magna Carta Holy Grail ; Drake drops his biggest release to…
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2012
Kendrick drops his highly anticipated major label debut; 2 Chainz solidifies his position at the top of the rap game; Nicki Minaj follows up with her sophomore; and Nas drops a new album after 20 years in the…
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2011
Mac Miller drops the biggest independently-distributed album since 1995; The Throne make their debut; Wale becomes a certified MMG rapper; Young Money runs the world.
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2010
Lil Wayne drops two albums in one year; Drake and Nicki Minaj make their Young Money debuts; Eminem makes his proper comeback and Kanye drops the greatest album of his career.
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2009
Young Money begin their takeover of the rap game; Jay-Z scores the first number one song in his recording career; Eminem drops his first album since 2004; 50 Cent starts his decline while Rick Ross ascends.
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2008
In 2008, we saw Lil Wayne score one of the biggest first week album sales in hip hop history with his monumental Tha Carter III .
