In 2001, rap artists were attempting to define the direction of rap music in the new millennium. At the turn of the century, some big artists of the 90s sought to continue their dominance in the decade ahead. Others sought to release their breakout albums to establish their place in the new millennium. These three no-skip rap albums are turning 25 this year, though that may be hard to believe.
‘the blueprint’ by jay-z
Coincidentally released on September 11, 2001, Jay-Z‘s sixth studio album is often referred to as his masterpiece. At the time, Jay-Z was in the middle of two highly publicized criminal court trials. While being the butt of multiple diss tracks, Jay-Z redeemed his status with The Blueprint. The album debuted at No. 1, stayed there for three weeks, and sold 427,000 copies in its first week. Eminem was the only guest featured on the album, appearing on the track “Renegade”.
‘stillmatic’ by Nas
For his fifth album, Nas left behind his gangster rap edge. Instead, Nas approached this album philosophically, reflecting on American society as a whole. As a response to Jay-Z’s track “Takeover” from months earlier, Nas delivered the diss track “Ether”. Ultimately, this snap-back revitalized Nas’s career, re-legitimizing the rapper following a near-fatal blow from Jay-Z’s diss track. “Ether” proved Nas was still in the rap game. Stillmatic debuted at No. 8 and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. On the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the album went to No. 1 in early 2002.
‘word of mouf’ by ludacris
By 2001, Ludacris had released three albums in two years. Word Of Mouf brilliantly paired humor and hip-hop, appealing to young listeners at the turn of the century. The lead single, “Area Codes”, was included on the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack. A second single, “Rollout (My Business)”, became one of Ludacris’ signature tracks due to the popularity of its music video. The track earned Ludacris a nomination for Best Male Rap Solo Performance at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards. His fourth single from the album, “Move Bitch”, became another signature track. It was his first single to break into the top ten, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.
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