Times Were Very Different: 24 Rap Albums That Turn 20 Years Old In 2024

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There are certain years, that as fans, we are blessed with a magnitude of quality music. 2004 was without a doubt one of those years. Times were different back then. Flip phones were super trendy and you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing tall tees and throwback jerseys. Another thing that was different was how people ingested their music. In a time where consumers worldwide were still going out to stores and buying their favorite artist’s CDs, album sales seemed to mean a bit more. 2004 seen some huge artists do huge numbers. Although some things were different 20 years ago, one thing has and will always remain the same. Great music will always live on and be remembered.

In 2004 we got a plethora of albums that will never be forgotten. Before Late Registration and Graduation, Kanye West officially introduced himself to the world with his debut album The College Dropout. Eminem, who was already arguably the biggest rapper on the planet at the time, continued his unprecedented run with his fifth studio album, Encore. After ten days the album had sold over 1.5 million copies. In the same year, the first installment of Lil Wayne’s legendary Tha Carter album series was released. In addition to these icons, certified legends (Snoop Dogg, Nas, LL Cool J) added to their already impressive resumes while some established hitmakers (Ludacris, T.I.) continued to cement themselves as bonafide superstars. There was even one artist (Nelly) who released two albums on the same day. In a history making feat, they went number one and two on the Billboard 200. Talk about impactful!

2004 gave us some real gems! The music was so good that some of the albums released that year are still in people’s rotations to this day. Some of the albums rank highly amongst the artist’s discography. Regardless of where they rank, there’s no debating how classic they are. To recognize the greatness of these projects, enjoy a gallery of some rap albums that turn/ed 20 years old this year. Let us know which ones are your favorites and if you think we missed any!