Live stream will be available after this brief ad from our sponsors
ContestsEvents

LISTEN LIVE

Celebrating The Greatest Hip-Hop Album Covers Of All Time

Happy Birthday Hip-Hop! This year, we celebrate 50 years of incredible, ground-breaking music. In addition to the music, hip-hop artists have given us some of the most iconic album covers….

Collage of hip-hop album covers from Lil Wayne, ODB, Nicki Minaj, Nas
Cash Money/Universal Motown/Young Money/Elektra Records/WMG/Columbia/

Happy Birthday Hip-Hop! This year, we celebrate 50 years of incredible, ground-breaking music. In addition to the music, hip-hop artists have given us some of the most iconic album covers.

XXL magazine is out with their list of the 50 greatest album covers of all time.

From XXL: "When it comes to the essence of an album, oftentimes the cover art is just as captivating as the music. Since the popularization of hip-hop in the late 1970s and 1980s, rappers have supported their artistry with eye-catching imagery. As a result, many album covers have become iconic contributions to the culture."

There have been so many great album covers since the beginning of hip hop, and we decided to mention our favorites on the list.

Ramiro - Straight Outta Compton/ N.W.A. (1988)

Cover of N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton album

Ramiro - We Can't Be Stopped/ Ghetto Boys (1991)

Geto Boys album cover We Can't Be StoppedRap-A-Lot Records

Ramiro - Doggystyle/ Snoop Dogg (1993)

Cover of Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle albumDeathrow/Interscope

Ramiro - The Carter 3/ Lil Wayne (2008)

Lil Wayne's album cover of The Carters IIICash Money/Universal/Motown/Young Money

Ramiro - Return to the 36 Chambers/ ODB (1995)

ODB's album cover of his public assistance cardElektra Records/WMG

Pebbles - All Hail The Queen/ Queen Latifah (1998)

Wasn't on the original list, but should have been. It's The Queen!

Cover of Queen Latifah's All Hail the Queen albumTommy Boy

Pebbles - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (1996)

Cover of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill albumRuffhouse/Columbia Records

Pebbles - 3 Feet High And Rising/ De La Soul (1989)

Bright cover of De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Risong with the three members of the groupTommy Boy

Leroy - To Pimp A Butterfly/Kendrick Lamar (2015)

Cover of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a ButterflyTDE/Aftermath/Interscope

Leroy - Ready to Die/The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)

Notorious BIG REady to Die album cover with little baby on the frontBadboy/Arista

Leroy - Return to the 36 Chambers/ODB (1995)

ODB's album cover of his public assistance cardElektra Records/WMG

The complete list...

Check out the entire list of 50 at XXL.