Ranking the 25 Rappers on Kool Moe Dee’s Rap Report Card
When the legendary Kool Moe Dee released his sophomore album, How Ya Like Me Now , in 1987, he also included a rap report card which rated himself and 24 of his rhyming peers.
Ranking Rick Ross’ First Week Album Sales
Rick Ross has quietly become one of the most consistent rappers in the game today, amassing a catalogue that few rappers could match.
The 50 Greatest Hip Hop Debut Albums of All Time
Hip-hop is a genre that is built on a foundation of innovation and creativity. And while many hip-hop legends have had long and fruitful careers, there’s something special about the debut album that holds a unique place in…
Profile: Wendy Day, Hip Hop’s Unsung Hero
Appearances can be deceiving. When you first Google up Wendy Day and you see a middle-aged white woman, who would fit in well working a normal 9-to-5 in an office somewhere, it’s hard for you to imagine how…
The 50 Greatest Title Tracks in Hip Hop History
What’s so special about a title track on a hip hop album? For the most part, rappers use title tracks as a way to represent an album’s core message
Song Battle Vol. 3: ‘Yeezus’ vs. ‘My Name Is My Name’
Welcome to volume three of the Song Battle series, where we take two classic hip hop albums and pit them against each other, song for song.
The 10 Greatest Hip Hop Songs About Hip Hop
Hip hop is a genre that celebrates not only the music itself but also the culture that surrounds it. And what better way to celebrate the culture than with a great hip hop song about hip hop?
The 50 Best Hip Hop Albums of the 1980s
When it comes to innovation and new styles of hip hop music, there isn’t a decade in history that can surpass the 1980s. It seemed like every other week there was a new classic being dropped.
The 50 Best Hip Hop Albums of the 1990s
The 1990s was the greatest decade in hip hop history, there’s no doubt about it. Wedged in between the innovative ’80s and the over-commercialised ’00s, the ’90s was the best of both worlds.
The 50 Best Hip Hop Albums of the 2000s
Coming out the transformative era that was the ’90s, hip hop flourished in the 2000s and quickly became, not only the dominant music genre of the decade, but also a cultural force.
The 50 Best Hip Hop Albums of the 2010s
The 2010s were a beautiful time for hip hop. Coming out the tumultuous 2000s , which saw the rise and (almost) fall of the music industry, hip hop was positioned to be the leading music genre across the…
12 Classic Hip Hop Albums with Only One Rap Guest Verse
One of the best things about hip hop music, versus other music genres, is the feature appearances on an album.
Ranking Lil Tecca’s First Week Album Sales
Ever since rising to mainstream fame with his 2019 hit single, “Ransom,” Queens-born rapper, Lil Tecca has continued to grow in commercial stature.
Ranking Big K.R.I.T.’s First Week Album Sales
When Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. made his entrance into the music industry, under the Def Jam umbrella, he was positioned to be the next big artist from the South.
Ranking Schoolboy Q’s First Week Album Sales
Schoolboy Q has low-key been one of the strongest selling rappers of the past few years. Here’s a fun fact, Q’s third album, Oxymoron , was the first Top Dawg release to top the charts. Kendrick’s good kid,…
Ranking the 20 Best Guest Verses on Kanye West Albums
Kanye has the incredible knack of coaxing out the best performances from his collaborators. He’s been doing it since The College Dropout days, all the way to Donda .
Top Five: The Best Rappers Alive of 1987
5. Big Daddy Kane Notable releases: “Raw” Key guest appearances: N/A Big Daddy Kane didn’t drop a project in 1987 but off the strength of his verses on “Raw” alone, it was enough to catapult him into the…
Ranking Wiz Khalifa’s First Week Album Sales
Ever since breaking into the rap game as part of Rostrum Records, Wiz Khalifa has been consistently prolific and a regular presence on the charts.
Ranking T.I.’s First Week Album Sales
The three kings of the mid-2000s Atlanta trap movement were Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy and T.I. Between these three rappers, they dropped numerous classics that helped shape what trap music is today.
Ranking Gucci Mane’s First Week Album Sales
Gucci Mane has never had a number one album or a platinum seller, but over the past decade he has become one of the most influential rappers in Atlanta .
The Top Five Best Hip Hop Songs Each Year, Since 1985
It’s hard enough trying to write a list about the greatest hip hop producers of all time or the greatest rappers of all time , but the best songs? That’s almost impossible.
The 25 Greatest Business Moves in Hip Hop History
Hip hop has always had a special relationship with commercialism, especially compared to other music genres. Oftentimes, the culture celebrates the business moves, just as much as the music itself.
The Top 30 Best Rappers of the 2010s
When we dropped our list for the 50 greatest rappers of all time , there was a lot of feedback about the younger generation being squeezed off the list.
Ranking Eminem’s Best-Selling Albums of All Time
As one of the best-selling artists in music history, Eminem has dropped over 10 number one albums , most of which have platinum or multi-platinum.
Ranking Tupac Shakur’s Best-Selling Albums of All Time
Tupac Shakur wasn’t in the rap game for very long; he made his come up with Digital Underground in early ’90s, and his musical peak probably 3-4 years at the most.
Ranking Wale’s First Week Album Sales
Over the past decade, Wale has amassed one of the best but underrated catalogues in the rap game. The man barely has any misses, even with the albums that didn’t sell that well.
Ranking the Top 30 Best Hip Hop Guest Verses of 2021
2021 has been one of the most exciting rap years in recent history. With a mix of high-profile releases from A-list rappers and quality underground releases, we saw a strong diversity in the albums dropped this year.
The 50 Greatest Hip Hop Producers of All Time
Just like the debates about who the greatest rappers of all time are , or who had the best guest verse , conversations around the best hip hop producers of all time are endless, and we’re never going…
Song Battle Vol. 2: ‘Reasonable Doubt’ vs. ‘It Was Written’
Welcome to volume two of the Song Battle series, where we take two classic hip hop albums and pit them against each other, song for song.
The Most Important Moments & Events in Hip Hop History, Starting From 1973
Despite it’s relatively young age, compared to other music genres, hip hop has had rich, diverse history.
The 25 Greatest Pusha T Songs Of All Time
King Push, kingpin, overlord. Over two decades in the game, Pusha T hasn’t strayed much away from coke rap. But goddamn there’s no one who does it better than him.
Ranking the 15 Greatest Griselda Posse Cuts of All Time
Griselda fans have been blessed ever since the group started their takeover of the rap industry. Since 2018, it seems like every other week featured a new Griselda drop.
A History of the Five Rappers Who Were the King of New York
When Kendrick Lamar declared himself the King of New York on Big Sean’s “Control,” he launched the rap game into a hysterical frenzy that hadn’t been seen since the days of 50 Cent. Evidently rappers today are too…
The Biggest Hip Hop Album First Week Sales of 2021
And just like that, we’re approaching the end of 2021. After an interesting 2020 where tours and album releases were either cancelled or postponed, it looks like things are starting to get back on track.
Ranking Cam’ron’s First Week Album Sales
Harlem’s finest Cameron Giles has never reached the commercial peaks of fellow New York rappers like 50 Cent or Jay-Z, but he’s managed to cultivate a loyal fanbase over the past two decades.
Ranking Lloyd Banks’ First Week Album Sales
Throughout his career, Lloyd Banks could never become the juggernaut that 50 Cent always wanted him to be. But he probably wanted to be.
Ranking Young Thug’s First Week Album Sales
After close to a decade of grinding with a series of mixtapes, Young Thug has finally hit the commercial level he’s deserved all along.
Ranking Nelly’s First Week Album Sales
In 2002, Jay-Z rapped on his Neptunes-produced single “Excuse Me Miss” that the “only dudes movin’ units – Em, Pimp Juice and us,” referring to himself, Eminem and Nelly.
Ranking Ja Rule’s First Week Album Sales
Before 50 Cent came through and crushed his career, Ja Rule was one of the biggest rappers in the game, with hit single after hit single.
Ranking Fabolous’ First Week Album Sales
Fabolous has just been spending the past two decades of his career quietly killing the rap game with his famed punchlines and enduring lyrical skills.
Ranking Ludacris’ First Week Album Sales
Ludacris is one of the greatest and most consistent rappers to come out of the South, there’s no doubt about it.
Ranking Missy Elliott’s First Week Album Sales
Missy Elliott is so slept-on in hip hop culture that it’s a crime. Not only is she one of the most innovative and exciting artists in history, she’s put out five platinum albums , that are a testament…
Ranking Nicki Minaj’s First Week Album Sales
Coming up in the game during the late 2000s off a series a mixtapes, including the breakout Beam Me Up Scotty , Nicki Minaj was positioned to be a force in the music world after signing to Young…
Ranking Mac Miller’s First Week Album Sales
When Mac Miller dropped his debut album, Blue Slide Park , in 2011, it topped the Billboard charts with 144,000 sold in its first week, making it the first independent album to go number one since 1995.
Ranking Lil Wayne’s First Week Album Sales
Making his solo debut in 1999 with Tha Block Is Hot , Lil Wayne’s prolificness hasn’t been matched by any other rapper at his level.
Top Five: The Best Rappers Alive of 2016
Honourable mentions Common Notable releases: Q-Tip Notable releases: Drake Notable releases: Danny Brown Notable releases: Kevin Gates Notable releases: Kanye West Notable releases: 5. Kendrick Lamar Notable releases: Key guest appearances: 4. J. Cole Notable releases: Key guest…
Top Five: The Best Rappers Alive of 2000
Honourable mentions: Jadakiss Beanie Sigel Prodigy Styles P 5. Big Boi Notable releases: Key guest appearances: 4. Jay-Z Notable releases: Key guest appearances: 3. Andre 3000 Notable releases: Key guest appearances: 2. Ghostface Killah Notable releases: Key guest…
Top Five: The Best Rappers Alive of 2002
Honourable mentions: Xzibit El-P Styles P Pusha T Missy Elliott Talib Kweli 5. Jay-Z Notable releases: Key guest appearances: 4. 50 Cent Notable releases: Guess Who’s Back?, 50 Cent Is the Future (with G-Unit), No Mercy, No Fear…
Top Five: The Best Rappers Alive of 2004
Top Five: The Best Rappers Alive of 2004 Honourable mentions: Masta Ace Nas Snoop Dogg 50 Cent Black Thought On the X track of the The Roots X album, The Tipping Point, Black Thought starts rapping, then you…
Top Five: The Best Rappers Alive of 1988
Honourable mentions: Biz Markie MC Lyte Kool G Rap Kool Keith 5. Ice Cube Notable releases: Key guest appearances: 4. Chuck D Notable releases: Key guest appearances: 3. Rakim Notable releases: Key guest appearances: 2. Big Daddy Kane…
