Meek Mill and Rick Ross are red hot after dropping their first collaborative project together, Too Good To Be True. It dropped this past Friday, November 10, and it looks like it is going to bring in around $35,000 in week one. Do you think these sales are shockingly low? Be sure to tell us in the comments section if the record was better than what the projected sales indicate. Even though the numbers are not as high as other mainstream artists’ tapes have been, Meek was not bothered by it one bit. “It says me and Ross on pace to sell 35k first week I would post if it said 350k… I’m too nice and rich to be rapping in a controlled music environment.”
He is definitely right about the last statement. There are plenty of nice tracks on the record. There are also some solid guest performances. Some of the more surprising ones come on the “SHAQ & KOBE (Remix)” with Damian Lillard and Shaquille O’Neal. Meek is continuing to ride high, especially after this latest Funk Flex freestyle on HOT97. He and Rick Ross hit up the radio station and Meek laid down some hot bars over a few beats.
One of them includes an oldie but goodie. That being The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Warning.” HipHopDX broke down some of the lyrics from that beat and they scream Meek. “They gon’ put a tracker on your Hawk and try to keep it on you / Gotta play your part and they start scheming on you / Knock ’em out the park right when they start speaking on you / N****s rocking ice and trying to slide without them heaters on you / That’s how you get caught lacking.”
What are your initial thoughts on Meek Mill’s freestyle over The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Warning?” Is this his best off-the-dome performance ever? Is he the best freestyler in the game right now? We would like to know what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Meek Mill, as well as everything else going on around the music world.
Hip hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The genre of music started as a niche movement in The Bronx, New York, in the early 1970s. Now, hip hop is the world’s biggest genre of music and is greatly impactful on pop culture. The volume and history of hip hop as a culture and genre can be overwhelming for anyone who would like to learn more about it. Today, we’ve compiled a list of seven of the best hip hop albums that one must listen to.
It must be emphasized that this list is not exhaustive and does not even begin to encompass the full scope of hip hop music. These selections attempt to display a wide variety of albums that were important for the development of the genre. Each album on the list has no skippable tracks and is considered iconic in most cultural discussions. Take a look at the list of seven of the best hip hop albums of all time that are essential listens.
An East Coast bias is often understood as hip hop was born in New York, and many of its greatest lyricists come from the area. Even if one favors the traditional hip hop sounds of New York, one cannot deny that Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle is one of the best hip hop albums of all time. Dr. Dre produced Snoop’s debut album in 1993, establishing the G-Funk sound and paving the way for the entire West Coast. The two established their chemistry on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, but Doggystyle combined calm and aggressive to completely redefine gangsta rap. Many of hip hop’s greatest artists from all regions cite Doggystyle as an inspiration.
Nas – Illmatic (1994)
Many classic hip hop albums helped shape the New York sound before 1994, but Nas reset the standard for lyricism with Illmatic. The album contains timeless boom-bap production that transports the listener to New York in the 1990s. Nas’s impeccable rhyme style and his storytelling ability raised the bar for the art of rapping. Illmatic’s concise tracklist also set the standard for what qualifies as a timeless piece of art. Nas was only 20 years old at its release, making Illmatic even more impressive.
Ready to Die is one of hip hop’s most iconic albums and is arguably perfect. The Notorious B.I.G. cemented his legacy with his debut album before his untimely passing. Ready to Die solidified Biggie as an all-time great, blending his tough persona with deep thinking and vivid imagery. Ready to Die showcases Biggie’s unique and irreplicable flow and delivery.The album helped shape what a commercially successful hip hop should look like, creating a formula for rappers with crossover appeal. While Ready to Die is distinctly New York, Biggie’s lyrical ability and the album’s appeal transcended location.
Mobb Deep’s The Infamous set the benchmark for rough, rugged, and gritty hip hop music. The dusty yet beautiful production from Havoc and the violent rapping from Prodigy defined a sound of hip hop. While an album like Illmatic helped define the sound of New York, The Infamous created a lane of New York hip hop with its hardcore beats and rhymes. The Infamous was a landmark release for ‘90s rap and remains influential today as its sound permeates the underground scene.
JAY-Z – The Blueprint (2001)
JAY-Z’s name comes up in almost every discussion of the greatest rappers of all time. Many, including Jay himself, consider Reasonable Doubt, his debut album in 1996, his best. However, The Blueprint is an undeniable masterpiece. JAY-Z’s five previous albums showed that he could adapt to the current sound of hip hop and surpass others while doing so. The Blueprint saw Jay leading the charge instead. The album’s chopped and looped samples and JAY-Z’s skillful charisma made The Blueprint such a monumental album.
Madvillain – Madvillainy (2004)
Almost every album on this list was a critical and commercial success that took hip hop to new heights. MF DOOM and Madlib’s 2004 collaborative album as Madvillain defined the essence of underground hip hop. Madlib’s experimental sampling and MF DOOM’s lyrically dense and clever bars were unprecedented. The album’s rapping and production were innovative and influenced a lane of artistry that encourages creativity. Diehard rap fans still celebrate Madvillainy as a classic album, representing the ultimate collaboration between two of the underground’s greatest talents.
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
Kanye West’s fifth studio album is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of modern music. While Ye’s four previous albums are classics in their own right, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is his magnum opus. It encompassed the soul, arrangement, musicality, and experimentation of Kanye’s previous albums, skillfully blending genres to create an entirely new sound. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was arguably the peak of Kanye West’s lyrical skill, displaying effortless braggadocio and vulnerability. Released in 2010, the album set the bar high for modern music and has influenced contemporary hip hop and beyond.
As 2023 gears up for new music, many artists are letting us know there’s heat on the way. The latest to do so is LL Cool J, who promised fans a new album in 2023. Moreover, his last studio project was ten years ago, with 2013’s Authentic. Given his classic catalog and incredible impact, he set up big musical expectations for the year.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 07: LL Cool J attends SiriusXM and Pandora Playback with Mount Westmore including E-40, Too Short & Ice Cube at SiriusXM Studios on December 07, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Furthermore, he tweeted the announcement as part of his 55th birthday celebrations last Friday (January 14). While he didn’t directly acknowledge the big day, he shared a video of DJ Z-Trip gifting him a custom art piece. Also, he shared his big plans for the year and set himself up for a grand return.
“I’m competing with myself on this new album. Wait til you hear this MF,” the MC tweeted. “This year B. It’s coming.”
Moreover, his previous album Authentic arrived five years after his swan song for Def Jam, Exit 13. While he was on the legendary label, he released a project every two or three years from 1987 to 2008.
Even though excitement is high for a long-awaited return, this isn’t the first time he’s teased it. In fact, he teased the release of G.O.A.T. 2 in various interviews in 2014, a sequel to his eighth studio project. Despite his absence in the music lane, he is still a monumental figure in hip-hop and found success in other lanes such as acting.
In 2018, he founded Rock The Bells, a brand focused on uplifting hip-hop culture and communities. Its namesake is LL’s 1985 hit of the same name. Through original content, business partnerships, merch, and more, they preserve the genre’s history and contributions. Most recently in August of 2022, they held the first Rock The Bells Festival. It featured Rick Ross, Ice Cube, Lil Kim, Remy Ma, Scarface, Fat Joe, and many more.
Next, the brand’s eyes are set on the inaugural Hip Hop Experience Cruise to celebrate the art form’s 50-year history. In partnership with Sixthman, the Norwegian Pearl is hosting the cruise from Miami to The Bahamas from November 14th to November 17th this year. Still, performers haven’t been announced, but Trina and Trick Daddy will welcome guests with a concert as part of a kick-off party.
Are you excited for LL Cool J’s new album dropping in 2023? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for updates on hip-hop history and new releases.
