Music
5 Albums That Define Every Decade of Hip-Hop
The self-titled LP by the Sugarhill Gang, released in 1980, is widely regarded as the genre’s first full-length record. Three rappers select the albums that have captured the spirit of the medium in the years since.
The 1980s
‘Paid in Full’ (1987) by Eric B. and Rakim
Eric B. and Rakim’s debut is significant for its progressive lyrics, avant-garde turntablism and innovative use of internal rhyme schemes. Rakim’s writing is dense with references to everything from the Five Percent Nation to “Soul Train.” His quasi-mythic verses alternate between the optimistic spirit of traditional gospel hymns, as in “How I Got Over,” and gloats about surpassing other rappers. These themes “appealed to the urban community,” says Slick Rick, 61, who released his first record the following year. “He was telling the story of his own growing up.”
The 1990s
‘Supa Dupa Fly’ (1997) by Missy Elliott
“Supa Dupa Fly,” Missy Elliott’s debut, “was just so different and captivating,” says Trina, 51. Released at a time when hip-hop was speeding toward new realms of commercial success while simultaneously reeling from the deaths of young stars like 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G., the album has a freaky, off-kilter sensibility that captures the weirdness of the moment. It layers Elliott’s complex vocal delivery — a mix of earnest R&B singing and cheeky raps — over the producer Timbaland’s skittering, syncopated beats. The video for the title track, in which Elliott performs in a vinyl suit that resembles a garbage bag, is “one of the most iconic of all time,” Trina says. “It made you really want to be creative in this game.”
The 2000s
‘Scorpion’ (2001) by Eve
In an era when many prominent women rappers had to be associated with a crew of men in order to catch on, “Eve was profound,” Trina says. “She was going after everything that she wanted, and just constantly pushing through this male-dominated industry and succeeding.” The Philadelphia rapper’s second album underscores the lyricism, intelligence and charm that made her a star. Her foray into West Coast sounds, and collaborations with pop stars like Gwen Stefani on “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” presaged the sonic versatility of everyone from Nicki Minaj to Lil Uzi Vert to PinkPantheress.
The 2010s
‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ (2010) by Ye
With his fifth studio album, Ye, the rapper then known as Kanye West, amplified his maximalist tendencies, delivering a concept LP that is gloriously unwieldy — both cluttered and cohesive. “It’s like rap opera,” says Tierra Whack, 30. “The long songs, the multiple beat switches, the orchestra, the extended outros. It reminded artists that hip-hop isn’t just one thing.” The album’s grand instrumentation, done by Ye himself, and an all-star lineup of producers, including RZA, NO I.D. and Mike Dean, serve as the bedrock for the musician’s boastful, nightmarish bars and intentional Freudian slips. “ ‘So Appalled’: That’s one of the greatest beats ever made,” Whack says. The album “felt like something we weren’t supposed to have. It felt like a leak, almost. It was so monstrous and dominant.”
The 2020s
‘Certified Lover Boy’ (2021) by Drake
This album’s infamous cover, designed by the artist Damien Hirst, features a grid of pregnant-woman emojis and represents the apotheosis of Drake’s ability to seize the attention economy. The rapper’s sixth album recommits to his ladies’ man persona and complicates his ideas about love and celebrity in the social media era. It also explores many of his longstanding interests: paranoia, isolation, transactional relationships and frenemy duplicity. “A lot of these songs I really relate to,” Whack says. “Like ‘No Friends in the Industry,’ because you learn quick that a lot of this isn’t real; people are putting on an act. I was like, ‘All right, he’s talking real talk and not just trying to make a hit.’”
These interviews have been edited and condensed.
