debut album

Today in Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Iconic ‘Illmatic’ Album 29 Years Ago

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29 years ago today, Nas dropped his debut LP, ‘Illmatic.’ Released by Columbia Records in 94′ Nas recorded the album at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Produced by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and Nas himself, the bangers on the album will be embedded in Hip Hop culture as classics merely based on their production alone.

The album sold 60,000 in the first week and debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart. On January 17, 1996, the album was certified gold by the RIAA. In 2001 it earned a platinum certification after shipping 1,000,000 copies in the United States alone.

Lyrically, Nas delivered certified street verses on ‘Illmatic’ that influenced the majority of the ’90s and is regarded as one of the greatest LPs of all time by critics and major publications globally.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Iconic ‘Illmatic’ Album 29 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Ghostface Killah’s Debut Album ‘Ironman’ Was Certified Gold 26 Years Ago

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On this day in 1996, Ghostface Killah’s released highly anticipated debut album Ironman was certified gold by the RIAA. With exclusive in-house Wu production from True Master and the RZA coupled with Raekwon The Chef appearing on almost every song on the album, making this album one of the best concept albums completed by the nine man conglomerate to date.

The 16-track album featured several hits that bolstered the Wu Tang Clan’s status as the best rap collective in the game, including the haunting street saga “Motherless Child”, “All That I Got Is You” featuring Mary J. Blige and the late Popa Wu and “WInter Warz”, which appeared on the Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood soundtrack.

This album proceeded Ghost’s abstract lyrical content as witnessed on 2000’s Supreme Clientele LP, but it’s story telling premise keeps listeners glued to the cadence and rhyme style of Mr. Coles equally as much as they are attracted to RZA’s production.

Ironman finally reached platinum status in 2004, which still proves to be Ghost’s most successful album of his career. The WTC would follow up with albums that attempt to mirror the conceptual preciseness of Ironman, however, none of the Clan’s solo projects can be compared in its totality to that of Tony Starks.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Method Man and Redman Released Their Joint Debut LP ‘Blackout!’ 23 Years Ago

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On this date in 1999, Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man and Def Quad standout Redman collaborated on their first full-length studio album entitled Blackout! on the Def Jam Recording imprint.

Serving as a prequel to their 2001 blockbuster silver screen debut in How High, Red and Meth’s debut album, which was originally to be titled Amerikaz Most Blunted, debuted on No. 2 of US Billboard 200 and sold over a quarter-million copies in its first week.

The 19-track album failed to disappoint, churning out singles like “4 Sessions” featuring Queens legends LL Cool J and Ja Rule, the RZA-produced “Cereal Killer” and “Run 4 Cover” which featured Meth Wu cronies Street Life and Ghostface Killah.

Salute to Red and Meth for their timeless collaborations, especially this one that set the pace for their inevitable popularity that you see today!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Method Man and Redman Released Their Joint Debut LP ‘Blackout!’ 23 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Shyne Dropped His Eponymous Debut Album 22 Years Ago

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On this date in 2000, Bad Boy Records premiere artist Jamal “Shyne” Barrow released his self-titled debut album on the ever-popular Bad Boy imprint under the leadership of BB honcho, then known as “P. Diddy.”

Shyne’s debut album release was a bittersweet one, with his LP being dropped while the Belize-born rapper was serving 8-10 years in an upstate prison for a shooting in Club New York in Manhattan just a year prior involving his boss and then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. Despite Barrow having to do time behind bars, his album was an undisputed success, selling over a million copies in less than a year. It also was a tremendous help that Shyne’s voice was eerily identical to slain Bad Boy artist Notorious B.I.G.

With the album content surrounding Shyne’s real-life gangster image, the project’s leading singles, “Bad Boyz”, which features reggae legend Barrington Levy and the thug love story “Bonnie And Shyne”, were not only popular in the streets, but also did their numbers on-air, with the singles in constant rotation on the radio around the country.

Salute to Diddy, Shyne and the rest of the Bad Boy staff for bringing the people such a timeless Hip Hop classic!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Shyne Dropped His Eponymous Debut Album 22 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Notorious B.I.G.’s Debut LP ‘Ready To Die’ Dropped 28 Years Ago

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On September 13, 1994, Notorious B.I.G., alongside producers Easy Mo Bee, DJ Premier, Poke of the Trackmasters, and none other than “Puffy” (as Diddy was called then) as the executive producer, released the Hip Hop masterpiece known as Ready To Die.

As Big’s debut album, this highly anticipated release shows the lyrical prowess of the Bed-Stuy big man, and besides Method Man’s assistance on the epic “The What?” track, Mr. Wallace made it happen all by himself. Other than Nas’ Illmatic, no other solo emcee accomplished that feat during that era on the East Coast. Recognized as “The King Of New York” and as seen on a vintage 1995 Source Magazine cover, Big’s legacy was etched in stone with this LP.

Timeless classics from that four and a half mic-er include the DJ Premier produced “Unbelievable,” the back and forth storytelling adventures of “Warning” and “Gimme The Loot,” and the eerie title track itself were just a few of the highlights of this legendary project. That’s not to forget the mainstream success of singles such as “One More Chance,” the Brooklynplayalistic sound of “Big Poppa,” and of course the hood inspirational, Mtume-based “Juicy.”

We only had the chance to get one more album(prophetically named Life After Death) out of one of the game’s greatest lyricists before he was prematurely killed in Los Angeles in 1997. Still, this album will always remind us that B.I.G. was “Ready to Die” because his talent was and will always be larger than life.

Salute to Big (RIP), Premier, Easy, Poke, Lord Finesse, Diddy, Lil’ Kim, and the entire Wallace family for this classic masterpiece!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Notorious B.I.G.’s Debut LP ‘Ready To Die’ Dropped 28 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip-Hop History: Naughty By Nature Dropped Their Self Titled Debut Album 31 Years Ago

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On this date in 1991, the “Illtown(Irvington)” trio known as Naughty By Nature released their self-titled debut LP on the now-defunct Tommy Boy imprint.

This album, which within a six-month time span went platinum, dropped a series of singles that became instant anthems, making Naughty one of the best hook makers in Hip Hop of that era. Some of those smash singles include the “Uptown Anthem”, which features a rookie Tupac Shakur in the video as a promo for the cult classic flick Juice, the rags-to-riches story of “Everything Is Gonna Be Alright” and the millennial classic gem “O.P.P.”.

Salute to Treach, Vin Rock, and DJ Kay Gee for giving the culture such a classic piece of Hip Hop history!

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Naughty By Nature Dropped Their Self Titled Debut Album 31 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Gravediggaz Dropped Their Debut LP ‘6 Feet Deep’ 28 Years Ago

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On this date in 1994, WTC affiliates Gravediggaz dropped the crew’s groundbreaking debut album 6 Feet Deep. The group, composed of Prince Paul, Frukwan of Stetsasonic, RNS, Grym Reaper, Mr. Sime, and The Abbott himself aka the Rzarector, released this classic piece on Gee Street Records. The original title, Niggamortis, was changed in order to appeal to mainstream audiences.

The album ended up being a trailblazing prototype for what is now recognized as the “horrorcore Hip Hop” genre. It’s grizzly references to death, graves, and other snuff scenarios carved a lane for Gravediggaz all of their own.

Tracks like “Diary Of A Madman” and “Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide” led the album’s momentum as strong singles, but hidden gems like “Bang Your Head” and “Here Comes The Gravediggaz” were favorites of backpacking rap enthusiasts everywhere.

Salute to the Gravediggaz for this solid album! Peace!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Gravediggaz Dropped Their Debut LP ‘6 Feet Deep’ 28 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

House Of Pain Release 30th Anniversary Edition Of ‘House Of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics)’

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Tommy Boy Records celebrates the 30th Anniversary of House of Pain’s debut album House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics) with a deluxe digital edition, deluxe double LP limited edition on 180 gram white & orange opaque vinyl, with a free ‘Jump Around Rope’, and a limited deluxe edition cassette, all featuring newly imagined artwork from Tristan Eaton. Deluxe editions contain 5 Bonus Tracks available only at independent record stores. A standard edition vinyl LP, Compact Disc and Cassette also available. For all exclusive 30th anniversary release merchandise items, visit: https://houseofpain-store.com
 
Reflecting on what by now can be considered a cultural touchstone, the trio’s centerpiece Everlast, aka Erik Francis Schrody observed, “To be a part of something that has impacted the culture as much as House of Pain and ‘Jump Around’ did is beyond an honor and a blessing. As a kid with rap dreams, I never could have imagined 30 years later that our work is still being listened to and played in the biggest venues in the world.”
 
Everlast, DJ Lethal and Danny Boy formed House of Pain while attending high school and were signed to Tommy Boy Records after fashioning themselves as rowdy Irish-American hooligans, hitting the local rap & alternative music scene. Their debut album House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics) was released in 1992 and went multi-platinum, thanks to the smash hit single “Jump Around” which was produced by Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs. The song hit #3 on the Billboard Top 100 Chart in the US and charted Top 10 globally, including in the UK and Canada.
 
“Jump Around” has been named one of the best songs in Hip-Hop (NME, VH1, Q Magazine, The Source) and continues to remain not only a club classic, but also one of most recognizable sports anthems, energizing crowds at stadiums, arenas and ballparks throughout the world, with one of the most recognizable beats in hip-hop history.

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Today In Hip Hop History: MC Eiht Dropped His Debut Album ‘We Come Strapped’ 28 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history, West Coast legend MC Eiht released his debut LP, We Come Strapped. Featuring his group Compton’s Most Wanted, this gangsta rap classic is one of California’s pre-G Funk hits. Riding the popularity that came from his breakthrough single “Straight Up Menace” featured in the film Menace II Society, this album took the rap game by storm creating a new star on the West Coast.

Coming off group success, MC Eiht was no rookie and knew exactly what putting out a good album entailed. We Come Strapped followed a simple yet effective formula resulting in its success. This project is straight and to the point; no drawn out skits, no filler, and no big name features. Aside from a cameo from Spice-1, Redman, and his fellow Compton’s Most Wanted members, the album is entirely MC Eiht spiting cold gangsta rhymes over DJ Slip’s jazzy, keyboard heavy production.

Commercially the project was quite a success, peaking at #5 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop chart. The album was certified gold shortly after its release and continues to sell copies today. This album serves as MC Eiht’s most successful project to date.

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