25 of the most memorable rap album titles

Snoop Dogg has always always played into his dog moniker, which was evident on his debut album Doggy$tyle. There’s also a lot to take in when looking at the imagery of the album cover. First it showcases a dog house with a sign that says “Beware of Dogg!!,” then there’s a dog catcher with a frightened look on his face, then there’s a dog sitting on top of the house, and lastly there's a dog seemingly in the doggy$tyle sex position. It’s easily one of the classic albums in hip-hop history that helped showcase how the West Coast rap scene was on the rise. 

If any artist deems themselves as fly, then they haven’t met the flyest of them all: Missy Elliott. Her talent, style, and confidence put everyone on notice when she released her debut album properly titled, Supa Dupa Fly. Missy has always brought an eclectic and futuristic sound and look to her artistry. Whether it was heard in the lyrics or production, or the visions in her music videos, she’s always been regarded as an artist who is light years ahead of everyone else. Not only is Supa Dupa Fly an album title, but it’s a persona that Missy exudes on a daily.

In 2015, Kendrick Lamar released his critically-acclaimed sophomore album To Pimp a Butterfly. A butterfly often symbolizes rebirth, transformation, growth, and joy. In an MTV interview, Lamar explained how the album was originally named Tu Pimp a Caterpillar, but he ended up using a butterfly metaphor instead saying, “For me, it represents using my celebrity for good. Another reason is, not being pimped by the industry through my celebrity.” In a way, the album represents a rebirth for Lamar’s artistry, because it sounds sonically different than his previous album, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, and shows how artists can breathe new life as they continue to elevate in their careers. 

Public Enemy brought a different type of storytelling to their music, centered around bringing politics and social commentary to the genre. It was evident on the group’s sophomore album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Contrary to the group’s name, they were the voice of the people on topics of empowerment among Black people, and it was heard on singles like “Rebel Without a Pause” and “Bring the Noise.” In interview with Entertainment Weekly, Public Enemy member Chuck D described the album as a “call to arms and a challenge,” because he wanted to make sure the group was getting the message across to the Black community. 

There are different meanings to the word “ill,” but in the hip-hop culture, the word is an adjective meaning something that’s cool, nice, crazy, dope, etc. Nas took the word to another level when released his debut album Illmatic. In a 2009 interview with XXL, Nas described the title saying, “Illmatic is supreme ill. It’s as ill as ill gets.” And over the last three decades, Illmatic is often listed as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. The album featured classic songs like “N.Y. State of Mind” and “The World Is Yours.” 

Throughout Kanye West’s career, he’s always been the type of artist who speaks his mind on any occasion. However, the impact of his words could easily be a gift and a curse. In 2010, West released his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, sort of his “comeback” album since the Taylor Swift outburst at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Many critics counted him out after the VMAs incident, so this album was a way to get back in the public's good graces. All of the adjectives used in the album’s title reflect on the types of sounds he aims for in the songs.

When N.W.A. came on the scene, they wanted audiences to know where they were hailing from with their debut album Straight Outta Compton. Not only did they showcase the West Coast sound, but they helped usher in the gangsta rap genre. However, due to the group’s lyrical content, they were often criticized for being violent, and were hated and targeted by law enforcement. From a fan’s standpoint though, N.W.A. was a group of storytellers who described their often grim, dangerous daily lives. 

One of the interesting things about The Notorious B.I.G. is how much he centered death in his album titles. Whether it was his debut album Ready To Die or his sophomore album Life After Death, there were tracks that highlighted a person facing their fateful last day. However, the Life After Death title spoke volumes compared to his first album, because it was released just two weeks after he was murdered. The title helps showcase how fans were robbed of seeing B.I.G.’s star rise, but also shows how people still celebrate him to this day even though his life was tragically stolen. 

50 Cent has always been really vocal of how he was a target of getting shot nine times, and still survived a near-death experience. He made sure to recount a lot of his life experiences on his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin,’ particularly on songs like “What Up Gangsta” and “Many Men (Wish Death).” Not only have critics deemed the album one of the best in hip-hop history, but the title is a declaration of 50’s life, as well as a statement that people use in their everyday lingo. 

A person of royalty always holds the power, so it’s no wonder that Queen Latifah titled her third album Black Reign. By that time, Latifah was already crowned as a leading lady in hip-hop. Latifah has always infused feminism into her raps, while also calling out sexism and misogyny. Empowering women while calling out how women were treated by men was a common theme on tracks like “I Can’t Understand” and “U.N.I.T.Y.” It’s pretty evident that Latifah helped establish a voice for women that is still being heard in music today. 

Nothing Was the Same is arguably Drake’s most sonically-driven and cohesive album to date. It was his third studio album and the title perhaps showcases how much his life and career changed up until that point. It gives the sense of Drake taking on sounds more creatively and on the record he’s a lot more confident in his rhymes, while looking back on his past with topics on family, friends, relationships, and success. It’s the album in which fans heard “Started From The Bottom” and “Worst Behavior,” but more importantly, the title is a prophecy of how much Drake has elevated the genre.

In 1995, just a year prior to his tragic death, 2Pac released his third album Me Against the World. 2Pac was always the type of rapper who would speak his mind, whether that was in his music or in interviews. This album title implies what the rapper had endured in his life, using different survival tactics, dealing with the world’s socioeconomic issues, and facing any enemies and trials. 

When Outkast came onto the scene, they advocated about the South's abundance of then-unrecognized hip-hop talent, and they just wanted other people to respect them and their hometown of Atlanta. Critics and fans were well aware that the style of Outkast was something that people weren’t used to, which made their sophomore album ATLiens, the perfect title. Not only did it represent their city, but the term of being an “alien" refers to being something not of this world. In an interview with The Guardian, André 3000 stated, “Being an alien is just being yourself, when people don’t understand you. We just trying to let everybody know there’s a place for everybody in the world.”

There’s no doubt that Jay Z has established himself as one of the most successful rappers in hip-hop, but he’s also regarded as one of the best MCs to hit the microphone. Part of holding him to such high regard is due to his lyricism and sound on his sixth album The Blueprint. Obviously the term "blueprint" is defined as a design plan; in a way, Jay shows people how much he captures the design and essence of hip-hop on this album. Between the rock elements on songs like “Takeover,” or the soulful samples on “Girls, Girls, Girls,” and “Song Cry,” Jay shows that he’s one of one, by design. 

In 1999, Mos Def released his debut album Black on Both Sides, a project that highlighted his hometown of Brooklyn, hip-hop, and of course, Blackness. On “Umi Says,” Def reflects on his desire for Black people to experience freedom from all injustices, while also staying present in the moment. He then delves into how White artists appropriate Black music and culture on the properly titled track “Rock n Roll.” Mos is passionate and creative throughout the album’s entirety to help listeners get a better understanding of social issues, Black excellence, his upbringing, and how Blackness is perceived.

In 1998, DMX released his debut album It’s Dark and Hell is Hot. From a religious standpoint, Hell has always represented evil and darkness. On the album, DMX poetically raps (sometimes with aggression and pain in his voice) about a man struggling to fight his demons as he tries to find some light in the world.

Cardi B’s debut studio album Invasion of Privacy uses a title that refers to how celebrities' lives completely change when their fame starts rising. In an interview with Sway Calloway, she explained the title: “When I was doing my album these past couple of months, my privacy has been invaded the most. I feel like I give people a lot and people still want more.” Especially in the era of social media, it’s evident that some fans and critics may feel like they’re entitled to know the ins and outs of a celebrity’s life. The fame can be nice, but maybe some celebrities like Cardi still want to keep some things as private as possible. 

In 2013, J. Cole released his sophomore studio album Born Sinner. On the first track “Villluminati,” a choir is heard singing, “I’m a born sinner / But I die better than that, I swear,” and Cole follows with the lyrics, “It’s a lot darker this time.” Cole mentioning darkness plays into someone feeling they’ve reached the darkest points in their life and are searching for light at the end of the tunnel. Luckily, Cole seems to get more in a brighter mindset on songs like “Crooked Smile” and “Sparks Will Fly.” 

In 1996, A Tribe Called Quest released its fourth studio album Beats, Rhymes and Life. Although some ATCQ fans label this album as one of their least favorites by the group, it’s the type of album title that sums up the essence of storytelling in hip-hop. Beats, Rhymes and Life still gives the production that ATCQ is known for, infusing mellow soul and jazz elements with hip-hop, a type of sound that’s always made them a standout group since the genre’s birth.   

When Travis Scott announced his 2016 album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, many fans thought there would be some reference or at least a feature from R&B singer Brian McKnight. However, Scott explained the title in a Billboard interview saying it’s,”...basically about all my friends and growing up here [in Missouri City]. It’s a social connection trap from what you want to do and how you want to express yourself.” Basically, Scott doesn’t want to feel like his life or circumstances are holding him back, so he wants fly like a bird and set himself free. He gets a chance to do just that on songs like "Through the Late Night, “Outside,” and “Pick Up The Phone.” 

Rick Ross makes plenty of biblical references on his fifth studio album God Forgives, I Don’t. He sets the tone for the album on the intro titled “Pray for Us,” which uses an excerpt of a prayer from the movie Baby Boy, a scene in which the protagonists ask to be forgiven for their sins and for any wrongdoing. He then goes into a hustler’s mentality on “Pirates,” in which he says, “Prayin’ on you n's, sinners full of hate / God forgives and I don’t, only hustler’s relate.” 

Class is in session and Jeezy is the professor on his debut album Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101. His mindset is evident from the album’s eponymous opening track, with the first lyric saying “You gotta believe,” before he goes into telling his rags-to-riches story. Some of the other hit singles include “Go Crazy” and the Akon-assisted hit “Soul Survivor.” Throughout Jeezy’s career, he's continued to use the thug motivation theme on subsequent albums. Jeezy simply wants to put listeners up on game — it’s up to them whether or not they choose to take notes. 

Back in Trick Daddy's early days, he would use the word "thug" a lot on his album titles. One of the most interesting instances came in 1998 with the release of his sophomore album www.thug.com. Using a web URL for his title while also incorporating a webpage image as the album cover highlights the era when the Internet started to truly go mainstream. Besides the album title being a sign of the times, the album included Trick's hit single "Nann." 

MC Hammer was often criticized for being more of a dancer than a rapper, but being entertaining and creative helped him become a commercial success with his sophomore album Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em. Hammer wanted to make sure he showed listeners exactly who he is with the album’s opening track properly titled, “Here Comes the Hammer" and his hit single "U Can't Touch This." Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em became the first rap album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and the first rap album to reach diamond-selling status. Don't hurt 'em, indeed. 

Thanks to Ice Cube's role being a founding member of N.W.A., he was already beloved by fans, but also seen as an enemy to others. It was only evident with how he was viewed by fans and critics that the name of his solo debut album would be AmeriKKKas Most Wanted. In an interview with XXL, Cube explained the title saying, “It was inspired by the TV show 'America’s Most Wanted.' I had this way to spell America with the three K’s, and that kinda represents the America that we were dealing with during Reaganomics." Cube wanted to be the voice for his people, while also calling out the nation about how Black people were treated — treatment that is unfortunately still going on today.