Album Genre: Hip-Hop

The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are is the first album by hip hop group the 2 Live Crew. It was released in 1986 on Luke Records to a great deal of controversy and promptly was certified gold by the RIAA. It includes the hits “We Want Some Pussy”, “Throw the ‘D’”, and “Cuttin’ … Read more

Planet Rock: The Album is an old school hip hop album by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force, released in 1986 as a collection of previous singles. The song “Planet Rock” was one of the earliest hits of the hip hop music genre and remains one of its pioneering recordings. The single’s liner notes include members … Read more

Licensed to Ill is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986 by Def Jam and Columbia Records. It was the first rap LP to top the Billboard album chart. It is also one of Columbia Records’ fastest-selling debut records to date and eventually … Read more

Yo! Bum Rush the Show is the debut album of American hip hop group Public Enemy, released in April 1987 on Def Jam Recordings. The group’s logo, a silhouette of a black man in a rifle’s crosshairs, is debuted on the album’s cover. Yo! Bum Rush the Show features a sample-heavy sound by production team … Read more

Straight Outta Compton is the debut studio album by rap group N.W.A, which, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County’s City of Compton in early 1987. Released by his label, Ruthless Records, on August 8, 1988, the album was produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, with lyrics written by … Read more

Run–D.M.C. is the debut album of American hip hop group Run–D.M.C.. Produced in 1984, it was considered groundbreaking for its time, presenting a harder, more aggressive form of hip hop. The album’s sparse beats and aggressive rhymes were in sharp contrast with the light, funky sound that was popular in hip hop at the time. … Read more