The Source is a
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based, monthly full-color
magazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
covering hip-hop music,
politicsPolitics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based publication
Hip Hop ConnectionHip Hop Connection is the longest running monthly periodical devoted entirely to hip hop culture. HHC has earned international recognition and was described by Chuck D as "the best magazine in the world".-History:...
.
The Source was founded as a
newsletterA newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...
in 1988. The current president of the publication is Jeremy Miller.
History
The Source was started originally by David Mays and Jon Shecter while they both attended
Harvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in
Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. The two were once radio disc jockeys and hosted
Street Beat on Harvard's student-run radio station
WHRBWHRB is a commercial FM radio station in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It broadcasts at 95.3 MHz and is operated by students at Harvard College.-History:...
. Mays and Shecter, were influenced by hip-hop and wanted to give praise by devoting coverage to the rising music genre.
Mays and Shecter decided to hire their college friends James Benard (as senior editor) and Ed Young (as
associateAssociate may refer to:* A business valuation concept.* A title used by some companies instead of employee.* A title used to signify an independent person working as if directly employed by the company of which they are an associate...
publisher), and the four men immediately became equal shareholders in the ownership of the magazine. At the time, Mays handled duties as the publisher for the magazine, and Shecter was the
editor-in-chiefEditing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
. The magazine's offices were moved from Massachusetts to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1990, a move that was made with the intention to expand the magazine into a mainstream market publication..
The magazine featured cover stories on the
crack/cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
epidemic, police brutality, and New York's investigations of high-profile emcees. The magazine also included many notable features, including the famous Unsigned Hype column. The publication has over eight million subscribers worldwide and remains one of the most popular hip-hop magazines in the world.
Spinoffs
As the
Source expanded, the magazine then became involved in television programs such as
The Source: All-Access and
The Source: Sound Lab. The magazine's annual awards show known as
The Source Awards honors both hip-hop and
R&BContemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
performers for their contributions to hip-hop. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest award given to an emcee who has contributed his/her time to succeeding in the hip-hop music industry.
The Source also releases a compilation album of hip-hop hits. The magazine expanded overseas with a
FrenchFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
-language version of the magazine, alongside
The Source LatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
and
The Source IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
magazine franchises. The company invested in mobile phones and ringtones under the Source Mobile Channel moniker, in which subscribers are offered their favorite choice of hip-hop ringtones.
The Source also invested in its own urban clothing apparel company.
The Source Awards
The first live
Source Hip-Hop Music Awards show was held in 1994, with the only notable event being 2pac running onstage during a set by
A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, interrupting their performance. No violence resulted, and Shakur was convinced to make an apology by members of the
Zulu Nation|rightThe Universal Zulu Nation is an international hip hop awareness group formed and headed by hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa. Originally known simply as the Organization, it arose in the 1970s as reformed New York City gang members began to organize cultural events for youths, combining local...
. During the show, hardcore rap group Onyx shot off live ammunition during their performance of the song "Throw Ya Gunz". Though not televised, the incident was caught on amateur footage and can be seen on Onyx's documentary DVD.
The second ceremony was held in 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at New York City's
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Unlike the first show, this installment was recorded for a later television broadcast. After accepting an award,
Death Row RecordsDeath Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
'
CEOA chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
Suge KnightMarion "Suge" Knight, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Black Kapital Records and co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including...
made comments imploring all aspiring artists to
"come to Death Row" if they wanted to make records without their executive producers appearing in every one of their songs and/or videos. Knight's statement was directed towards
Bad Boy RecordsBad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
' CEO
Sean "Puff Daddy" CombsSean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, who was prominently featured in his artists' recordings and videos at the time. (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ8PHt34vWQ) Many point to these comments, and the direction the show took afterwards, as a turning point in
the heightening tensions between East Coast and West Coast factionsThe East Coast–West Coast Hip Hop Rivalry was a feud in the 1990s between artists and fans of the Eastcoast and Westcoast hip-hop scenes. Seeming focal points of the feud were East Coast-based rapper The Notorious B.I.G...
, and specifically between the Bad Boy and Death Row labels.
The Source held their award show in
Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, in 2000. The program had to be stopped after a fight broke out, resulting in only five of the fifteen awards actually being given out during the program, and two performances cut short. In addition,
DJ QuikDavid Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time....
was hospitalized after being injured in the melee. (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-SkHxbhnYo) As a result, Pasadena officials banned
The Source from having their awards held in the city in the future. The award show was recorded for later broadcast by the
UPNUnited Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
television network in the United States, and was heavily edited to exclude the fights. Despite ratings numbers that exceeded the previous year's broadcast, the bad publicity caused UPN to sever their ties with the
Source after the 2001 awards show from
MiamiMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.
The Source Awards were featured on
BETBlack Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
for one year; no
Source Awards program has been televised since.
Benzino and his role at The Source
After the original editors resigned from the publication, the magazine experienced several years of success as it grew along with the exploding popularity of rap music and hip-hop culture under the magazine's second editor-in-chief, Adario Strange. Several years later, with Selwyn Hinds in the editor's seat, it was suddenly announced that rapper - Raymond Scott, known as
BenzinoRaymond Scott from Boston Massachusetts, better known by hisstage name Benzino is an American hip hop media executive, and record producer....
-- had been made a co-owner of
The Source.
Benzino's relationship with the magazine dated back to its early days. He was a member of the
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-based group Almighty RSO when he first met David Mays while visiting
HarvardHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He needed support from Mays to get his group some credibility, and Mays soon became the Almighty RSO's manager. While Mays was gaining support from advertisers willing to invest in
The Source, Benzino managed to broker a label deal at
Tommy Boy RecordsTommy Boy Entertainment is an independent record label started in 1981 by Tom Silverman.-History:...
to distribute his group. The Almighty RSO was known for their controversial song "One in the Chamba". In 1994, Benzino pressured Mays to slip a three page article about the group into the magazine against the will of the editors. The article forced a major walk-out among staff members.
The magazine had indeed inserted favorable coverage to Benzino on various occasions (including the reformed Almighty RSO, now known as the Made Men). Even at
The Source Awards, Benzino, a relative unknown, performed at the show to the surprise of a stunned audience, who was expecting a more famous and talented performer. When Benzino was arrested in Florida after taping The Source Awards, Mays rallied for an investigation of the Miami police department for their treatment of the rapper, and threatened a boycott against Miami.
Benzino also received a notorious reputation as co-owner of the publication. Benzino threatened many staffers after an issue was raised about his new group, Made Men, being shunned for other performers. This is an example of the things that provoked a number of editors at
The Source to quit or walk out. In a 1999 issue, Made Men received a rating of four and-a-half mics for their album
Classic Limited Edition. However, the writer who reviewed the album doesn't exist. The rapper's involvement in the mic rating system caused the publication to lose a lot of credibility in the hip-hop community.
The feud with Eminem
In 2002,
BenzinoRaymond Scott from Boston Massachusetts, better known by hisstage name Benzino is an American hip hop media executive, and record producer....
started a feud with
EminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
. After not receiving a 5 mic rating he felt he deserved for his
Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem started dissing The Source. Benzino claimed that Eminem was a product of the machine that sought to discredit black and Latino artists' contributions to hip-hop. Benzino released a diss record called "I Don't Wanna" where he claimed that Eminem was not real and true to the rap culture. It was not until Benzino dissed Eminem again with "Pull Up Your Skirt", that Eminem responded with 2 blistering diss tracks, first "The Sauce" and then "Nail in the Coffin". In "Nail in the Coffin" Eminem attacks the heart of
The Source by revealing their tactics of 'butt kissing motherfuckers for guest appearances' and claiming 'real lyricists don't even respect you or take you serious'. As the track ends, Eminem also announces that for those that don't know, the Source has a white owner. The song has a chorus, only at the beginning and the end, in between is one long verse filled with lyrical hatred. In 'The Sauce', very similar in lyrical theme, Eminem continues to attack Benzino and his magazine. He mentions the fact that Benzino is older, claiming this makes him less competition, and that he uses his son to help him financially as he suffers in the hip hop industry. The dissing continued on the track titled,"Bully", in which Eminem paints Benzino as a delusional bully, living in a fabricated life of denial as the following lyrics suggest. "That's what he says to himself, As he uses magazines to trash me
As he sits with both feet up at his desk, Smokes a bag of his weed, And starts imagining things, And he just can't see that he's manically depressed." "Bully"'s venom isn't directed solely at Benzino. Eminem spends the final verse picking apart former rap star, Ja Rule, for his ecstasy use and role as a "puppet" for Benzino's crew. He later put another diss track out toward Benzino titled "Go To Sleep", featuring DMX and Obie Trice. Obie Trice also dissed Benzino on the track "Welcome 2 Detroit City". Benzino then replied with the track "Die Another Day," to which Eminem responded with "Like Toy Soldiers" where he reviewed the entire battle with Benzino and vowed to end it because his best friend and fellow member of D12 Proof had been shot at a nightclub in Detroit.
The Source then went another route to discredit Eminem. It dug up an old tape in which a young Eminem was rapping racial slurs against Blacks and women. The magazine devoted its entire coverage to the discovery of the tapes, and also the (allegedly) negative impact that Eminem has had on the hip-hop industry. For his part, Eminem did not deny making the tapes; he claimed that he made them after a bitter break up with a black girlfriend (a situation upon which he elaborates on "Yellow Brick Road" on his
Encore album). He apologized for making the tapes but also exhorted the public to consider the origin of the allegations.
Nevertheless, Eminem sued The Source for defamation and copyright infringement. The federal courts allowed an injunction to limit the distribution of the tape's lyrics. The Source ignored the injunction and went forth to publish the entire lyrics on its website and in its magazine. By ignoring the injunction, The Source was found in contempt of court and were forced to pay Eminem and his label,
Shady RecordsShady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
a considerable sum in compensation. In 2005, lawyers for Eminem were preparing for trial over copyright infringement but abruptly withdrew stating that the rapper no longer had any issue with The Source. Mays and Benzino both countered the withdrawal of the lawsuit calling it a "cowardly" move. They both claimed they could finally expose the truth about Eminem and planned to eventually release the "racist tapes" in a future magazine. Nevertheless, The Source was satisfied with the results, and felt that the move was considered a win for both parties.
Benzino's firing
Benzino still continued to feud with Eminem, and many others associated to him. Internet bloggers had rallied a petition for the removal of Benzino and Dave Mays. Under pressure, Benzino decided to step down from his post at
The Source. In 2005, Benzino formally announced that he was resigning as chief operations officer and co-owner of
The Source. Benzino stated that his battle with Eminem and the magazine's publishers were hurting the revenue of
The Source. Within a few mere days Benzino announced that he returned to The Source as co-owner. Industry insiders believed that
The Source staged a fake event in order to encourage advertisers to invest in the controversial magazine. The rapper refuted his claims about saving
The Source, and instead blamed Interscope's chairman
Jimmy IovineJames "Jimmy" Iovine is an American music producer, entrepreneur and chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M.-Biography:...
. Benzino believed that Iovine was pressuring to fire rap mogul L.A. Reid if he didn't have Def Jam advertising removed from
The Source. The reason why Benzino stepped down was to save Reid's position as president of Island Def Jam, or so he claimed. Benzino then went on radio denouncing Def Jam's founder
Russell Simmons-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
for not participating in his smear campaign to expose Eminem as a racist. He had used racial comments about Simmons in the past forcing Def Jam to pull a vast majority of their ads from
The Source. As of today, Interscope, Def Jam,
Tommy BoyTommy Boy Entertainment is an independent record label started in 1981 by Tom Silverman.-History:...
,
VirginVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, Motown and
UniversalUniversal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
have pulled advertising from
The Source. It is noted that Benzino was signed to each of these labels before the massive decrease in general advertising.
Joshua "Fahyim" Ratcliffe was appointed to the publication. Ratcliffe abruptly left after he was ordered to lower the rating of Little Brother's
The Minstrel ShowThe Minstrel Show is the second studio album by hip hop trio, Little Brother. It followed the critical success of their 2003 debut, The Listening. The album was highly anticipated and touted as a probable breakthrough for the group, even before its release...
from four-and-a-half to four. Lil' Kim's release,
The Naked Truth, received the five mic rating instead. Although critics speculated that
Lil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
's manager was dating Dave Mays, this was the first time that a female rapper ever received the highest rating in the magazine.
The sexual discrimination lawsuit
The magazine has experienced their recent lawsuit from former editor-in-chief,
Kimberly OsorioKimberly Osorio is an American hip-hop journalist.Osorio began working at The Source magazine in 2000 as an Associate Music Editor and was later promoted to Music Editor...
. Osorio alongside Michelle Joyce, a former marketing executive, both filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the magazine over gender discrimination and
sexual harassmentSexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
. Osorio claimed that Benzino and his friends from Boston would get special treatment while the female staffers were to abide by the rules. Also numerous complaints about harassments to female staffers were turned down by Benzino and Mays.
Though the jury ruled that Osorio was not discriminated against and had not worked in a hostile environment as she claimed, it maintained that the magazine was vindictive in its retaliation and fired her unjustly. Osorio was awarded $15.5 million by the jury of six men and two women, a figure that was later contested by Mays and Scott,
http://moneycentral.msn.com/inc/news/providerredir.asp?feed=AP&Date=20061025&ID=6136114 who vowed to appeal the verdict.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/24/AR2006102401500.htmlhttp://www.nypost.com/seven/10252006/news/regionalnews/editors_new_source_of_woe_regionalnews_leonard_greene.htm http://www.wnbc.com/entertainment/10146836/detail.html
Unsigned Hype
Unsigned Hype is a column in the
The Source devoted to identifying promising new rappers who do not have record deals. Many famous or successful rappers were once featured, including
The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
,
EminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
,
DMXEarl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper and actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's...
,
50 CentCurtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
,
Immortal TechniqueFelipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
,
CommonLonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
,
Mobb DeepMobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
(appearing as Poetical Prophets),
Bishop LamontPhilip Martin , better known as Bishop Lamont is an American rapper from Carson, California. He was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label but left in 2010.-Biography:...
,
Ya BoyWilliam Joseph Crawford , better known by his stage name Ya Boy, is an American rapper from the Fillmore District, San Francisco. He is a younger cousin of San Francisco rapper San Quinn and also the cousin of Bills WR Steve Johnson. Crawford graduated from El Camino High School in South San...
,
Joell OrtizJoell Ortiz is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, and a member of the group Slaughterhouse.-Biography:Joell Ortiz was born to Puerto Rican parents. Ortiz grew up in the Cooper Park Houses in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York formerly signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath...
, Lil Flip, Streetz & Young Deuces,
DJ ShadowJoshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, Percee-P,
RascoKeida Brewer , known professionally as Rasco , is a rapper from San Francisco, California, United States, whose early recordings were released on Stones Throw Records...
,
ProofDeShaun Dupree Holton better known as Proof his stage name, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups Goon Squad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and most notably D12...
, German Shepard Shepherd, &
PitbullArmando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
.
The Source's Five-Mic albums
The Record Report is a special feature in the publication in which journalists rate albums. Ratings range from one to five
micsA microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
', paralleling a typical
five-star rating scaleStars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
. An album that is rated at four-and-a-half or five mics is considered by
The Source to be a superior hip hop album. Over the first ten years or so, the heralded five-mic rating only applied to albums that were universally lauded hip hop albums. A total of 45 albums have been awarded five mics; a complete, chronological list is below.
Albums that originally received five mics:
- People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by the alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released April 17, 1990 on Jive Records. Though the album was well-received critically, it had little mainstream appeal. The album did earn the band a devoted following,...
-- A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
- Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em
Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em is the third album by groundbreaking hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released in 1990. The group's sound develops further, with Rakim adopting a deeper, more aggressive tone of voice, and more mature and serious subject matter...
-- Eric B. & RakimEric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
- AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted -- Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
- One for All -- Brand Nubian
Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MC's: Grand Puba , Sadat X and Lord Jamar , and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere...
- De La Soul Is Dead
De La Soul Is Dead is De La Soul's second full-length album, released in 1991 . The album was produced by Prince Paul, whose work on 3 Feet High and Rising was highly praised by music critics. The album was one of the first to receive a five mic rating in the Hip hop magazine The Source...
-- De La SoulDe La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
- The Low End Theory
The Low End Theory is the second album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released on September 24, 1991 through Jive Records, the album produced three singles: "Check the Rhime," "Jazz ," and "Scenario."-Conception:...
-- A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
- Illmatic
Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released April 19, 1994, on Columbia Records. Following his signing to Columbia with the help of MC Serch, recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording...
-- NasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
- Life After Death
Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released March 25, 1997 on Bad Boy Records. A double album, it was released posthumously following his death on March 9, 1997 and serves as his final studio album...
-- The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
- Aquemini
Aquemini is the third studio album by hip hop duo OutKast, released September 29, 1998 on LaFace Records. The title is a portmanteau of the two performers' Zodiac signs: Aquarius and Gemini...
-- OutkastOutkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
- The Blueprint
The Blueprint is the sixth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released September 11, 2001 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Its release was set a week earlier than initially planned in order to combat bootlegging. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2001 at Manhattan...
-- Jay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
- Stillmatic
Stillmatic received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
-- NasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
- The Fix
In 2009, Pitchfork Media ranked the album at #185 on their Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list.-Track listing:-Samples:Safe*"I've Got Nothing to Lose But the Blues" by Gwen McCraeIn Cold Blood*"And This is Love" by Gladys Knight & The Pips...
-- ScarfaceBrad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...
- The Naked Truth
The Naked Truth is the fourth studio album by rapper Lil' Kim, released on September 27, 2005. This album was released on the first day of Kim's sentencing, in which she went to jail for nearly a year on perjury charges.- Critical reception :...
-- Lil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
- Trill OG -- Bun B
Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas...
- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy -- Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
Albums that were not rated upon their releases, but were later rated five mics in 2002:
- Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. is the debut album of American hip hop group Run–D.M.C.. Produced in 1984, it was considered groundbreaking for its time, presenting a harder, more aggressive form of hip hop. The album's sparse beats and aggressive rhymes were in sharp contrast with the light, funky sound that was...
-- Run-D.M.C.Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
- Radio
Radio is the debut album of American rapper LL Cool J, released November 18, 1985 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. It serves as the label's first full-length album release. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1984 to 1985 at Chung King House of Metal in New York City...
-- LL Cool JJames Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
- Licensed to Ill
In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Sources 100 Best Rap Albums.It is still the only album by a white hip-hop act to receive the coveted 5 mics from The Source....
-- Beastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
- Raising Hell -- Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
- Criminal Minded
Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions is a highly influential hip hop album. Production on the LP is credited to 'Blastmaster' KRS-One and DJ Scott La Rock , but in interviews it has been revealed that an uncredited Ced-Gee of The Ultramagnetic MCs had a key role in crafting the sound of the...
-- Boogie Down ProductionsBoogie Down Productions was a hip hop group that was originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album, Criminal Minded. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the...
- Paid in Full
Paid in Full is the debut album of American hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released July 7, 1987, on the Island-subsidiary label 4th & B'way Records. The duo recorded the album at hip hop producer Marley Marl's home studio and Power Play Studios in New York City, following Rakim's response to Eric...
-- Eric B. & RakimEric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
- By All Means Necessary
By All Means Necessary is the second album from hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, released in 1988, on Jive Records. After the murder of DJ/Producer Scott La Rock in 1987, MC KRS-One moved away from the violence that dominated their debut Criminal Minded and began to write socially conscious...
-- Boogie Down ProductionsBoogie Down Productions was a hip hop group that was originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album, Criminal Minded. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the...
- It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
-- Public Enemy
- Long Live the Kane
Long Live the Kane is the debut album by MC Big Daddy Kane, released by Cold Chillin' Records in 1988. It was produced by Marley Marl and established both him and Kane as premier artists during hip hop's golden age...
-- Big Daddy KaneAntonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
- Critical Beatdown
Critical Beatdown is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs, released October 4, 1988, on Next Plateau Records. Production for the album was handled primarily by the group's rapper and producer Ced-Gee, who employed a E-mu SP-1200 sampler as the album's main instrument...
-- Ultramagnetic MCsThe Ultramagnetic MC's is an American hip hop group based in Bronx, New York. Originally founded by Kool Keith, the group is composed of Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as Roadmanager and backup DJ. A former member, Rooney...
- Straight Out the Jungle
Straight out the Jungle is the debut album from hip hop group Jungle Brothers. The album marked the beginning of the Native Tongues collective, later featuring popular artists like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep....
-- Jungle BrothersThe Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
- Strictly Business -- EPMD
EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
- The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
-Samples used:*"Children's Story" samples "Think " by Lyn Collins & "Nautilus" by Bob James*"The Moment I Feared" samples "Funky Drummer" by James Brown", "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" by Bob James & "Peter Piper" by Run-D.M.C....
-- Slick RickRichard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
- Straight Outta Compton
The lyrics on the album were mainly written by Ice Cube and MC Ren. Critics of the album expressed their view that the record glamorized Black-on-Black crime, but the emcees stated that the group was simply showing the reality of living in the areas of Compton, California, and South Central Los...
-- N.W.A.N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....
- No One Can Do It Better
No One Can Do It Better is The D.O.C.'s debut album, released on June 16, 1989. It reached number-one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, while peaking in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA three months after it was released, and platinum...
-- The D.O.C.Tracy Lynn Curry , primarily known by his stage name The D.O.C., is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and a creative force behind the gangsta rap group N.W.A, where he co-wrote many of their releases. He has...
- All Eyez on Me
All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released February 13, 1996 on Death Row Records and Interscope Records....
-- 2Pac
Albums that originally received 4.5 Mics, and were later re-rated to five:
- Breaking Atoms
Breaking Atoms is the debut album of American hip hop group Main Source, released July 23, 1991 on Wild Pitch Records. Production for was handled by the group and took place during 1990 to 1991 at Homeboy Studio, Power Play Studios, and Libra Digital in New York City...
-- Main SourceMain Source was an innovative, acclaimed Toronto and New York-based hip hop group comprising Toronto natives Sir Scratch, K-Cut, and Queens native Large Professor...
- Death Certificate
Death Certificate is the second studio album by American rapper Ice Cube, released October 29, 1991 on Priority Records. Highly anticipated with over one million advanced orders, the album was certified platinum in sales on December 20, 1991...
-- Ice CubeO'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
- The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
-- Dr. DreAndre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
- Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Enter the Wu-Tang is the debut album of American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released November 9, 1993, on Loud Records and distributed through RCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City, and it was mastered at The Hit Factory...
-- Wu-Tang ClanThe Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
- Ready to Die
Ready to Die is the debut album of American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released September 13, 1994 on Bad Boy Records. The first release on the label, it features production by record producer and Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse,...
-- The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
- The Infamous
Upon its release, The Infamous earned critical acclaim and was widely considered to be a cornerstone album of New York hardcore rap. Rolling Stone magazine originally rated the album 3½ out of 5 stars, and called it "a darkly nihilistic masterpiece". It, however, gave it a 5 out of 5 star rating in...
-- Mobb DeepMobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is the solo debut album of American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, released August 1, 1995, on Loud Records in the United States...
-- RaekwonCorey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
- 2001 -- Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
Albums that originally received four mics, and were later re-rated to five:
- Grip It! On That Other Level
Grip It! On That Other Level is the second album by Houston hip hop group the Geto Boys, then known as the Ghetto Boys. Following the disappointing results of the group's first album, Making Trouble, Rap-A-Lot Records replaced original rapping members, Sire Jukebox and Prince Johnny with Scarface ...
-- Geto BoysGeto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
- Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
-- Snoop Doggy DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
- The Diary
The Diary is the highly acclaimed third album from rapper Scarface. This album is one of the few to receive a perfect rating from both The Source Magazine and XXL...
-- ScarfaceBrad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...
- Me Against the World
Me Against the World is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Tupac Shakur. It was released March 14, 1995 on the Interscope Records label. The album was composed of un-used tracks from the Thug Life era, and from other studio sessions from 1993 to 1994...
-- 2Pac
- The Score
The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide February 13, 1996 on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip hop music scene in the...
-- The FugeesFugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
- Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt is the debut album of American rapper Jay-Z, released June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States and on Northwestside Records in the United Kingdom. The album features production by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and guest appearances from Memphis Bleek,...
-- Jay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
Albums
| Year |
Album |
Chart Positions |
| US The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
US Hip-Hop Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
|
| 1997 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits is the first annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released December 16, 1997 and distributed through Polygram Records, Hip Hop Hits Volume 1 features eighteen hip hop and rap hits...
|
38 |
25 |
| 1998 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 2 The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 2 is the second annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released November 10, 1998 and distributed by Polygram Records, Hip Hop Hits Volume 2 features eighteen hip hop and rap hits...
|
46 |
29 |
| 1999 |
The Source Hip Hop Music Awards 1999 The Source Hip Hop Music Awards 1999 is a music compilation album contributed by The Source magazine. Released August 17, 1999 and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Music Awards 1999 is the first annual album produced by the magazine to focus on its nominees of the now-defunct award show,...
|
45 |
53 |
| 1999 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 3 The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 3 is the third annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released November 30, 1999 and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Hits Volume 3 features seventeen hip hop and rap hits...
|
45 |
29 |
| 2000 |
The Source Hip Hop Music Awards 2000 The Source Hip Hop Music Awards 2000 is a music compilation album contributed by The Source magazine. Released August 15, 2000 and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Music Awards 2000 is the second annual album produced by the magazine to focus on its nominees of the now-defunct award...
|
17 |
16 |
| 2000 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 4 The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 4 is the fourth annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released December 12, 2000 and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Hits Volume 4 features seventeen hip hop and rap hits. It went to number 35 on the Top...
|
43 |
35 |
| 2001 |
The Source Hip Hop Music Awards 2001 The Source Hip Hop Music Awards 2001 is a music compilation album contributed by The Source magazine. Released August 14, 2001 and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Music Awards 2001 is the third annual album produced by the magazine to focus on its nominees of the now-defunct award show...
|
28 |
34 |
| 2001 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 5 The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 5 is the fifth annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released December 18, 2001 and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Hits Volume 5 features sixteen hip hop and rap hits...
|
47 |
38 |
| 2002 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 6 The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 6 is the sixth annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released December 10, 2002, and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Hits Volume 6 features eighteen hip hop and rap hits...
|
35 |
31 |
| 2003 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 7 The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 7 is the seventh annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released December 9, 2003, and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Hits Volume 7 features fifteen hip hop and rap hits...
|
89 |
46 |
| 2004 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 8 The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 8 is the eighth annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released June 29, 2004, and distributed by Image Entertainment, Hip Hop Hits Volume 8 features sixteen hip hop and rap hits...
|
45 |
43 |
| 2004 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 9 The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 9 is the ninth annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released December 7, 2004, and distributed by Image Entertainment, Hip Hop Hits Volume 9 features sixteen hip hop and rap hits...
|
75 |
36 |
| 2005 |
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 10 The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 10 is the tenth annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine and the final album in the Hip Hop Hits series to date. Released July 26, 2005, Hip Hop Hits Volume 10 features sixteen hip hop and rap hits...
|
60 |
47 |
External links