Release Date[1] | Artist | Album | Notes |
January 14 | Various Artists | Rhyme & Reason: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | - Debuted at no. 16 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Gold
|
January 28 | Camp Lo | Uptown Saturday Night | |
Various Artists | West Coast Bad Boyz II | - Debuted at no. 16 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Gold
|
February 4 | Kool Keith | Sex Style | |
C-Bo | One Life 2 Live | |
February 11 | Frankie Cutlass | Politics & Bullshit | |
Funkmaster Flex | The Mix Tape, Vol. II | - Debuted at no. 19 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Gold
|
February 18 | Luniz | Bootlegs & B-Sides | |
TRU | Tru 2 da Game | - Debuted at no. 8 on the Billboard 200
- Certified 2 x Platinum
|
March 4 | Soul Assassins | The Soul Assassins, Chapter I | - Debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard 200
|
March 11 | Ghetto Mafia | Straight from the Dec | |
Scarface | The Untouchable | - Debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200
|
March 25 | The Notorious B.I.G. | Life After Death | - Debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Diamond
|
Warren G | Take a Look Over Your Shoulder | - Debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Gold
|
Tracey Lee | Many Facez | |
April 8 | 3X Crazy | Stackin' Chips | |
Big Mike | Still Serious | |
Crime Boss | Conflicts & Confusion | |
Us3 | Broadway & 52nd | |
April 15 | Artifacts | That's Them | - Debuted at no. 134 on the Billboard 200
|
April 22 | Ill Al Skratch | Keep It Movin' | |
May 6 | Steady Mobb'n | Pre-Meditated Drama | |
May 13 | Juvenile | Solja Rags | |
May 20 | Boot Camp Clik | For the People | |
KRS-One | I Got Next | - Debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Gold
|
Various Artists | I'm Bout It | - Debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200
|
June | Esham | Bruce Wayne: Gothom City 1987 | |
June 1 | Down Ta Erf | Down Ta Erf | |
June 3 | Wu-Tang Clan | Wu-Tang Forever | - Debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200
- Certified 4 x Platinum
|
Jungle Brothers | Raw Deluxe | |
World-famous Beat Junkies | The World Famous Beat Junkies Volume 1 | |
Teflon | My Will | |
June 10 | Mike Ladd | Easy Listening 4 Armageddon | |
June 17 | Capone-N-Noreaga | The War Report | - Debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard 200
|
Lil' Keke | Don't Mess wit Texas | |
The Lost Boyz | Love, Peace & Nappiness | |
Boogiemonsters | God Sound |
June 24 | The Beatnuts | Stone Crazy | |
Craig Mack | Operation: Get Down | |
Cru | Da Dirty 30 | |
Insane Clown Posse | The Great Milenko | |
Twista | Adrenaline Rush | - Debuted at No. 77 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Gold
|
Mia X | Unlady Like | |
The Lady of Rage | Necessary Roughness | |
Wyclef Jean | Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival | - Debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200
- Certified 2 x Platinum
|
July 1 | B.G. | It's All on U, Vol. 1 | |
Ghetto Twiinz | In That Water | |
July 11 | Slum Village | Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1) | |
July 15 | DJ Pooh | Bad Newz Travels Fast | |
Missy Elliott | Supa Dupa Fly | - Debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Platinum
|
July 22 | Company Flow | Funcrusher Plus[2] | |
Puff Daddy & the Family | No Way Out | - Debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200
- Certified 7 x Platinum
|
July 29 | Bone Thugs-n-Harmony | The Art of War | - Debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200
- Certified 4 x Platinum
|
D-Shot | Six Figures | |
Rampage | Scout's Honor... By Way of Blood | |
Trick Daddy | Based On A True Story | |
August 5 | Atmosphere | Overcast! | |
Killarmy | Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars | |
Mr. Serv-On | Life Insurance | |
Various Artists | How to Be a Player | |
August 12 | Hed PE | Hed PE | |
August 15 | Aesop Rock | Music for Earthworms | |
August 19 | O.C. | Jewelz |
Royal Flush | Ghetto Millionaire |
August 26 | Coolio | My Soul | - Debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Platinum
|
Diamond D | Hatred, Passions and Infidelity | |
Latryx | The Album | |
The Mossie | Have Heart Have Money | |
Tha Alkaholiks | Likwidation | |
September 2 | Master P | Ghetto D | - Debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200
- Certified 3 x Platinum
|
September 16 | Gravediggaz | The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel | - Debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Platinum
|
Mack 10 | Based on a True Story | - Debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Gold
|
Busta Rhymes | When Disaster Strikes... | - Debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Platinum
|
September 23 | EPMD | Back in Business | - Debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Gold
|
MC Breed | Flatline |
Organized Konfusion | The Equinox |
The X-Ecutioners | X-Pressions |
No I.D. | Accept Your Own and Be Yourself (The Black Album) |
September 30 | Common | One Day It'll All Make Sense | - Debuted at No. 61 on the Billboard 200
|
RBL Posse | An Eye for an Eye | - Debuted at No. 70 at the Billboard 200
|
October | Natas | Multikillionaire: The Devil's Contract | |
October 14 | Kinfusion | Da Unhatched Breed | |
Jurassic 5 | Jurassic 5 | |
LL Cool J | Phenomenon | - Debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Platinum
|
Rawkus Records | Soundbombing | |
October 21 | The Firm | The Album | |
Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz | Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album | |
Salt-n-Pepa | Brand New | |
October 28 | Hot Boys | Get It How U Live! | |
Luniz | Lunitik Muzik[3] | |
Mase | Harlem World |
Mood | Doom | |
Psycho Realm | The Psycho Realm |
Spice 1 | The Black Bossalini | |
November 4 | Jay-Z | In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 | - Debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Platinum
|
Jedi Mind Tricks | The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness | |
Mic Geronimo | Vendetta | |
Rakim | The 18th Letter | |
Three 6 Mafia | Chapter 2: World Domination | |
November 10 | MC Lyte | Badder Than B-Fore | |
November 11 | B.G. | It's All on U, Vol. 2 | |
Luniz | Lunitik Muzik | |
Luke | Changin' the Game | |
MC Eiht | Last Man Standing | |
Mystikal | Unpredictable | - Debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200
- Certified Platinum
|
Timbaland & Magoo | Welcome to Our World | |
November 18 | 5th Ward Boyz | Usual Suspects | |
Del the Funky Homosapien | Future Development | |
MJG | No More Glory | |
November 25 | DFC | The Whole World's Rotten | |
Twiztid | Mostasteless | |
Will Smith | Big Willie Style | |
2Pac | R U Still Down? (Remember Me) | - Debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200
- Certified 4 x Platinum
|
December 16 | Eminem | Slim Shady EP | |
Ice Cube | Featuring...Ice Cube | |
Queen Pen | My Melody | - Debuted at No. 78 on the Billboard 200
|
December 23 | 8Ball & MJG | Lyrics of a Pimp | |