From Illmatic to Madvillainy, To Pimp a Butterfly to Aquemini, Tha Carter II to De La Soul Is Dead, we look at the best hip hop albums of all time, year by year.
With the hip hop community still reeling from the death of 2Pac the year prior, rap fans were hoping for a calmer year in 1997 but still bracing for the worst to happen.
It wasn’t long into the year before hip hop would lose another one of its young, incredibly talented artists when The Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down March 9 in L.A. while leaving the Vibe afterparty. In just 6 months, rap had lost two of its biggest and most influential figures.
But before Biggie was tragically murdered, he had finished putting the final touches on his sophomore album, Life After Death. It would be the project that took his name to the highest level of rap music and cement his legacy as one of the greatest rappers of the ’90s.
From Master P’s Ghetto D to Puff Daddy’s No Way Out and Jay-Z’s In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, here are the top 25 best hip hop albums of 1997.
25. KRS-One – I Got Next
Released: May 20, 1997
Label: Jive
Singles: “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”, “Word Perfect”, “Step into a World (Rapture’s Delight)”, “Heartbeat”, “A Friend”
Features: Redman, Angie Martinez, Mic Vandalz, Thor-El and Puff Daddy
24. Mack 10 – Based on a True Story
Released: September 16, 1997
Label: Priority
Singles: “Backyard Boogie”, “Only in California”
Features: Ice Cube, Allfrumtha I, E-40, Snoop Dogg, The Comrads and Too $hort
23. The Beatnuts – Stone Crazy
Released: June 24, 1997
Label: Relativity, Epic
Singles: “Find That”, “Do You Believe?”, “Off the Books”, “Here’s a Drink”
Features: Gab Gacha, Big Pun, Cuban Link, Hostyle, Blaq Poet, Don Gobbi, Horny Man
22. Del the Funky Homosapien – Future Development
Released: November 18, 1997
Label: Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings
Singles: N/A
Features: Casual
21. EPMD – Back in Business
Released: September 16, 1997
Label: Def Jam
Singles: “Da Joint”, “Richter Scale”
Features: Das EFX, Redman, Keith Murray, Nocturnal
20. Suga Free – Street Gospel
Released: June 24, 1997
Label: Polygram
Singles: “If U Stay Ready”
Features: Playa Hamm, DJ Quik, Hi-C, El DeBarge
19. Atmosphere – Overcast!
Released: August 5, 1997
Label: Rhymesayers Entertainment
Singles: N/A
Features: Beyond
18. Master P – Ghetto D
Released: September 2, 1997
Label: No Limit, Priority
Singles: “I Miss My Homies”, “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!”
Features: C-Murder, Silkk The Shocker, Mystikal, Pimp-C, Mo B. Dick, O’Dell, Sons of Funk, Kane & Abel, Mac, Fiend, Big Ed, Mr. Serv-On, Mia X, Mercedes, Lawand, Lil Gotti, Prime Suspects
17. O.C. – Jewelz
Released: August 19, 1997
Label: PayDay, FFRR
Singles: “Far From Yours”, “My World”, “Can’t Go Wrong”
Features: Organized Konfusion, Big L, Freddie Foxxx, Yvette Michele, Roc Raida
16. Three 6 Mafia – Chapter 2: World Domination
Released: November 4, 1997
Label: RED, Relativity, Hypnotize Minds
Singles: “Hit a Muthafucka”, “Tear Da Club Up ’97”, “Late Night Tip”
Features: Dayton Family, Prophet Posse, Project Pat
15. Rakim – The 18th Letter
Released: November 4, 1997
Label: Universal
Singles: “Guess Who’s Back”
Features: N/A
14. LL Cool J – Phenomenon
Released: October 14, 1997
Label: Def Jam, PolyGram
Singles: “Phenomenon”, “4, 3, 2, 1”, “Father”, “Hot Hot Hot”, “Candy”
Features: Ricky Bell, Ralph Tresvant, Busta Rhymes, The Lost Boyz, LeShaun, Keith Sweat, Canibus, DMX, Master P, Method Man, Redman, Tamia
13. Busta Rhymes – When Disaster Strikes…
Released: September 16, 1997
Label: Flipmode, Elektra
Singles: “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See”, “Dangerous”, “Turn It Up (Remix)/Fire It Up”
Features: Lord Have Mercy, Dolemite, Spliff Star, Jamal, The Flipmode Squad, Rampage, Anthony Hamilton, The Chosen Generation, Sean “Puffy” Combs, Mase
12. Slum Village – Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)
Released: July 11, 1997
Label: Counterflow, Donut Boy Recordings
Singles: N/A
Features: Phat Kat, 5 Elementz
11. Puff Daddy – No Way Out
Released: July 22, 1997
Label: Arista, Bad Boy
Singles: “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”, “I’ll Be Missing You”, “It’s All About the Benjamins”, “Been Around the World”, “Victory”
Features: The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, Mase, Lil’ Kim, Carl Thomas, Jay-Z, Black Rob, The LOX, Ginuwine, Twista, Foxy Brown, Faith Evans, and 112
10. Jay-Z – In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
Released: November 4, 1997
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Singles: “(Always Be My) Sunshine”, “The City Is Mine”, “Wishing on a Star”
Features: Puff Daddy, Lil’ Kim, Backstreet, Babyface, Foxy Brown, Sauce Money, Too $hort
9. Common – One Day It’ll All Make Sense
Released: September 30, 1997
Label: Relativity
Singles: “Retrospect for Life”, “Reminding Me (Of Sef)”, “All Night Long”
Features: Lauryn Hill, Posdnuos, Trugoy, Cee-Lo, Malik Yusef, Erykah Badu, Black Thought, Q-Tip, Canibus, Lonnie “Pops” Lynn
8. Scarface – The Untouchable
Released: March 11, 1997
Label: Rap-A-Lot, Noo Trybe
Singles: “Smile”, “Mary Jane”, “Game Over”
Features: Roger Troutman, Lisa Crawford, Daz Dillinger, Devin the Dude, K.B., 2Pac, Johnny P., Devin the Dude, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Too Short
7. Camp Lo – Uptown Saturday Night
Released: January 28, 1997
Label: Profile, Arista
Singles: “Luchini AKA This Is It”
Features: Trugoy the Dove, Butterfly, Jungle Brown, Karachi R.A.W. and Bones
6. Mase – Harlem World
Released: October 28, 1997
Label: Bad Boy, Arista
Singles: “Feel So Good”, “What You Want”, “24 Hrs. to Live”, “Lookin’ at Me”
Features: Kelly Price, DMX, Puff Daddy, Lil’ Kim, Pharrell Williams, Billy Lawrence, 8Ball & MJG, Busta Rhymes, Total, Lil’ Cease, Jay-Z, 112, The LOX, Black Rob, Monifah
5. Capone-N-Noreaga – The War Report
Released: June 17, 1997
Label: Penalty, Tommy Boy, Warner Bros.
Singles: “Illegal Life”, “L.A., L.A.”, “T.O.N.Y. (Top of New York)”, “Closer”
Features: Imam T.H.U.G., Busta Rhymes, Havoc, Tragedy Khadafi, Castro, Musaliny, Mendosa, Troy Outlaw, Mobb Deep
4. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – The Art of War
Released: July 29, 1997
Label: Ruthless, Relativity
Singles: “Look Into My Eyes”, “If I Could Teach the World”
Features: Mr. Maje$ty, 2Pac, Souljah Boy, Tre, Mo Thugs Family
3. Missy Elliott – Supa Dupa Fly
Released: July 15, 1997
Label: The Goldmind, Elektra
Singles: “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)”, “Sock It 2 Me”, “Beep Me 911”, “Hit Em wit da Hee”
Features: Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine, 702, Magoo, Da Brat, Lil’ Kim, and Aaliyah
2. Wu-Tang Clan – Wu-Tang Forever
Released: June 3, 1997
Label: Loud, RCA
Singles: “Triumph”, “It’s Yourz”, “Reunited”
Features: Cappadonna, Streetlife, 4th Disciple, True Master, and Tekitha
1. The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death
Released: March 25, 1997
Label: Bad Boy, Arista
Singles: “Hypnotize”, “Mo Money Mo Problems”, “Sky’s the Limit” / “Going Back to Cali”
Features: 112, Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim, Mase, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Too $hort, Angela Winbush, D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C., R. Kelly, The Lox, and Puff Daddy
