Eminem-The Eminem Show-2002
This album is Eminem’s most personal album and the man took an attempt to put all the crass humour aside and take a serious look at his journey towards superstardom, something which is quite evident from songs like “Cleaning Out My Closet”. The beats that are used in the album are exceptional and Eminem raps over some of the most high octane work of his career. This album was Eminem’s third consecutive success and cemented his place as one of the most important figures in rap history.
50 cent-Get Rich or Die Tryin’-2003
With the massive success of ‘In da Club’, the lead single, this album was the most anticipated debut record in a decade and went on to be a major milestone in pop culture. The fact that 50 cent survived 9 gunshots to his body also added to the mystique that surrounded the album prior to its release. The album had flawless production owing to the legendary Dr. Dre. The album showcased hip hop without apology and redefined the parameters of the genre
Jay-Z- The Black Album-2003
This was to remain Jay-Z's last album before he retired from making music. Even though his retirement didn't last, but at the time, the gesture seemed sincere, and it added to the shine of the album, and with good reason”The Black Album is fantastic. Jay-Z sounds insecure on this album and is obviously nervous that his legacy will be forgotten. And it's for the best. Jay-Z gives it all his all on The Black Album, rhyming and monitoring production with the insistence of an artist bent on proving something
Kanye West-Graduation-2007
Graduation marked the beginnings of Kanye West’s first major steps towards true superstar status and marked the moment of maturation that indicated there was a lot more to him than sheer eye-candy. He became increasingly ambitious, embracing more ambitious sonics, mastering pop songcraft and pushing the limits of his audience. Kanye was concerned that he was moving too quickly at bridging audiences, leaving behind his core in the interests of crossing over, but in the wake of the cross-genre experimentalism and extravagant glossiness of Graduation the concerns turned baseless
Lil Wayne-Tha Carter III-2008
Timing, anticipation, and atmosphere play such a huge role in how albums are received upon release and over the course of history, which is what makes this album special along with the its record sales. This album showed Lil Wayne at his technical peak and “Lollipop” was a darling for radio stations all over. Lil Wayne has a lot of excellent music, and most of it isn't on Tha Carter III, but for all intents and purposes, this is the album that matters. There was a lot of pressure on him at the time, but he delivered.
