The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (commonly shortened to The 7 Day Theory or Don Killuminati and sometimes called Makaveli) is the fifth studio album by Tupac Shakur. Released under his new stage name Makaveli, it was his first studio album to be posthumously released. The album was completely finished in a total of seven days during the first week of August 1996. The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four days. These are among the very last songs Shakur recorded before his fatal shooting on September 7, 1996. The album was originally due for release in March 1997, but due to his death, Suge Knight released it four months earlier.
The 18th Letter is the debut solo album of emcee Rakim, released November 4, 1997 on Universal Records. It is his first release of new material, following a five-year hiatus after Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992) as duo Eric B. & Rakim. The album features production by Clark Kent, Pete Rock, Father Shaheed, Nick Wiz, and DJ Premier. It contains lyrical themes that concern the hip hop’s golden age, Rakim’s rapping prowess, and the state of hip hop. The album debuted at number 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and sold 500,000 copies in the United States. A deluxe version of The 18th Letter was sold with the compilation disc The Book of Life (UD2-53111) an Eric B. & Rakim greatest hits collection. The Book of Life was also issued separately as a double vinyl LP in 1997.
Uncut Dope: Geto Boys’ Best is the first compilation album by the Geto Boys, released on November 3, 1992 on Rap-a-Lot and Priority Records. The album peaked at #147 on the Billboard 200. The compilation contained tracks from their first four albums: Grip It! On That Other Level (1989), The Geto Boys (1990) and We Can’t Be Stopped (1991), although their first album, Making Trouble (1988), is only represented by the DJ recording, “Balls and My Word” (renamed to “And My Word” in the album’s liner notes). Uncut Dope also contained two previously unreleased songs: “The Unseen” (which is the first Geto Boys song with Big Mike) and “Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta.” The latter had a prominent appearance in the movie Office Space.
Tha Block Is Hot is the debut studio album by hip hop recording artist Lil Wayne; it was released on November 2, 1999, by Cash Money Records. The album is nearly free of profanity, due to his mother’s wishes. The album debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 229,500 copies in its first week, and selling 117,000 copies in its second week. On December 10, 1999, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over one million copies in the United States. By 2012 it had sold over 1.4 million copies.
Everything is Everything is the third album from Hip Hop group Brand Nubian and the second released by the trio of Sadat X, Lord Jamar, and DJ Sincere. The album received mixed reviews and mediocre sales at the time of its release, despite a pair of popular singles, “Word Is Bond” and “Hold On.” The album is completely produced by Lord Jamar except the Sadat X solo song “Alladat,” which was produced by D.I.T.C. member Buckwild.
Stankonia is the fourth studio album by hip hop duo OutKast, released October 31, 2000 on La Face Records. The album was recorded in the duo’s recently purchased Atlanta recording facility, Stankonia Studios, allowing for fewer time constraints and more musical experimentation. The duo worked to create an expansive and experimental musical aesthetic, incorporating a diverse array of musical styles that included funk, drum ‘n’ bass, gospel, techno, psychedelia, and rock into a Dirty South-oriented hip hop context. During the recording sessions, André 3000 worked to move beyond traditional rapping in favor of a more melodic vocal style, an approach to which Big Boi and other producers were initially unaccustomed. Lyrically, the duo touches upon a wide range of subject matter, including politics, misogyny, sexuality, African-American culture, parenthood and personal introspection. Stankonia features appearances from many local Atlanta musicians whom the group discovered while visiting clubs in the city. Stankonia received universal acclaim from music critics. The album debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling over 530,000 copies the first week. It produced three singles, “B.O.B”, “Ms. Jackson”, and “So Fresh, So Clean”; “Ms. Jackson” became the group’s first single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. At the 2002 Grammy Awards, OutKast won Best Rap Album for Stankonia and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Ms. Jackson”. In 2003, the album was ranked number 359 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Taste of Chocolate is the third album by emcee Big Daddy Kane, released in late 1990 on Cold Chillin’ Records. After the success of his first two albums, Long Live the Kane and It’s a Big Daddy Thing, Taste of Chocolate became Kane’s first album not to reach Gold sales status. The album received mostly good reviews, though not on the level of his first two efforts. Taste of Chocolate includes the singles “Cause I Can Do It Right”, “It’s Hard Being the Kane” and “All of Me”. The first single from the album “Cause I Can Do It Right” is notable for it’s music video, which had an appearance from adult film star Heather Hunter.
Ironman is the debut solo album by rapper Ghostface Killah, released on October 29, 1996, by Epic Records. It was produced by fellow Wu-Tang Clan member RZA. The album’s music draws prominently on blaxploitation films and soul samples. More so than on other solo debuts from the group’s members, Ironman contains references to the Nation of Gods and Earths. Ironman sold 156,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number two on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 8, 1997 and by February 9, 2004, it had earned a platinum certification for shipping one million copies in the United States. Many music critics have praised the album for Ghostface Killah’s imaginative lyricism and RZA’s production style, with some revering it as one of the greatest Wu-Tang solo albums of all time.
Harlem World is the critically acclaimed multi-platinum debut album by hip hop recording artist Mase, released October 28, 1997. The album was nominated at the 41st Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album.
Gazing at the Moonlight is the debut studio album by hip hop recording artist Hopsin. The album was released on October 27, 2009 by Ruthless Records. The title refers to “Gazing at the Moonlight” hoping and wishing on a dream to come true. This was Hopsin’s only record released with Ruthless Records, to this day its the latest studio album released by Ruthless Records, this album created bitter tension between Ruthless Records and Hopsin due to the lack of promotion and financial compensation for the album, causing Hopsin to diss Ruthless in various songs such as “Sag My Pants”. The album stylistically incorporates elements of horrorcore and the contrast of this pop rap and comedy hip hop, horrorcore can be heard on songs such as “Sexy Cyber”, pop rap can be heard incorporated into the albums various hooks such as “I’m Here” and “Break It Down” and comedy hip hop on “Pans in the Kitchen”. In various interviews Hopsin discourages fans against buying the CD due to the fact its release on Ruthless however although the iTunes edition is widely available, the CD cannot be commonly found in music stores and is considered rare as the physical CD edition costs between $20-30 dollars.
Only God Can Judge Me is the eighth studio album by hip hop recording artist Master P, released October 26, 1999 by No Limit Records and Priority Records. It was considered a “comeback album” for the established rapper, as 1998’s MP Da Last Don was slated to be his final release. It was produced primarily by Master P and Carlos Stephens as well as Jermaine Dupri, and features several guest contributions from fellow rappers such as Nas, Jermaine Dupri, Mac, Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal and Magic.
Krush Groove is a 1985 Warner Bros. film that was written by Ralph Farquhar and directed by Michael Schultz (who also produced the movie, along with George Jackson and Doug McHenry). This film is based on the early days of Def Jam Recordings and up-and-coming record producer Russell Simmons (renamed Russell Walker in the film), portrayed by Blair Underwood in his feature film debut. Russell Simmons was the film’s co-producer and story consultant; he also had a cameo in the film as a club owner named Crocket.
Otis Jackson Jr. was born October 24, 1973, known professionally as Madlib. He is a DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer. He is one of the most prolific and critically acclaimed hip hop producers of the 2000s and has collaborated with different hip hop artists under a variety of pseudonyms, including MF DOOM (as Madvillain), as well as the late J Dilla (as Jaylib). Madlib has described himself as a “DJ first, producer second, and MC last and he has done several projects as a DJ, mixer, or remixer.
Expansion Team is the second album from West Coast hip hop group Dilated Peoples. The release is widely considered the group’s best album, led by the hit rap single “Worst Comes to Worst”, sampled from William Bell’s “I Forgot to Be Your Lover”. Expansion Team features production from Dilated members Evidence and Babu, as well as popular underground rap producers DJ Premier, The Alchemist, Da Beatminerz, Questlove of The Roots and JuJu of The Beatnuts. Album guests include Guru of Gang Starr, Black Thought of The Roots, Tha Alkaholiks and Beat Junkies members J-Rocc, Rhettmatic and Melo-D.
