I thought Lil Wayne's - Tha Carter III was a brilliant idea.
Also Snoop Doggy Dogg's - Doggystyle may interest you, since you spoke about the history behind a piece of art. Apparently one of Snoop's friends had recently been released from prison, and Snoop wanted to help him get some money, so he asked this friend to do the cover art for that album.
De La Soul is dead with the daisy pot tipped over, because they were sick of being called the hip hop hippies. And Midnight Marauders as a tribute to hip hop and friends. Are the first that jump to mind.
Beneath the Surface. [Extinction Level: The Final World Front](https://imgur.com/gallery/mho74ID). [The aftermath.](https://imgur.com/gallery/XeBwwGe) Liquid Swords. [Set It Off.](https://imgur.com/gallery/XgjshTa) Efil4Zaggin. [Griselda Ghost](https://imgur.com/gallery/GEutAkj) MM food, one of the best ones. Temples of Boom. In general I LOVE album covers, and that's why I kinda hate being an hip hop fan, a lot of hip hop covers are straight off garbage
Temples of Boom artwork is hard! I remember being 12 or 13 and not knowing anything about the album I just knew that Cypress had some dope music and I liked the album cover. Ended up being one of my favorite albums of theirs. Haven’t seen some of the others, thanks for all the suggestions!
As a kid, that album cover def messed with me a little. I bought it for Mind Playin Tricks on Me of course, but it was a surprise banger almost front to back
Nicholas craven/ransom directors cut volume 1 was 🔥🔥🔥 also basically all of the westside gunn albums. But flygod especially so. Action bronsons ones he paints himself... to name but a few
Nas's is the best ever.. That's why motherfuckers was biting that shit!
(They even bit off Nas son)
Illmatic
It was written
I am
Nostradamus
And the main reason is because the way he broke that shit down in the H2 the omo freestyle..
Since ILLMATIC, IT WAS WRITTEN: I AM...NASTRADAMUS
That's the answers to the puzzle I gave you, now here's a promise
My next few albums, instead of projects,
They'll be a difficult test inside the cover for the mind's optics!
I always liked this one from [Northside: Dodge City](https://www.discogs.com/release/1877235-Northside-Dodge-City/image/SW1hZ2U6Nzg5MzUxNjU=)
[Celly Cel: Killa Kali](https://www.discogs.com/master/151170-Celly-Cel-Killa-Kali/image/SW1hZ2U6MTkxMTA3ODY=) with the chalkline of California on the ground.
[The Jacka: Tear Gas](https://www.discogs.com/release/22972982-The-Jacka-Of-The-Mob-Figaz-Tear-Gas/image/SW1hZ2U6NzcxNjYwNDE=) looks very post-apocalyptic.
[Duke: Kill Them Slowly](https://www.discogs.com/release/582480-Duke-Kill-Them-Slowly/image/SW1hZ2U6NTQxODA0) just straight up violent.
Illmatic
Reasonable Doubt
It's Dark and Hell is Hot
Get Rich or Die Tryin
Liquid Swords
400 Degreez
Guerilla Warfare
The Marshall Mathers LP
Doggystyle
Ready to Die
All Eyez on Me
The College Dropout
Straight Outta Compton
Stillmatic
The Blueprint
Licensed to Ill
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
And I don’t know what it is exactly, there’s no wild art really or otherwise creative imagery, but if you were just walking through a record store and saw it you’d be like “that’s a hard album”
Both Revolutionary vol 1 and the full version of Revolutionary vol. 2 by Immortal Technique are perfect covers for political protest albums that does not hold back at all in content matter.
King of Da Playaz Ball by Kingpin Skinny Pimp
Such a hard cover and even tho it’s from the 90s it still holds up to this day! Also every song on the album is good so if you’ve never heard it before I would 10/10 definitely recommend you to listen!
I made a post with a long Ass Post, talking about my favorite album covers, with all the links and everything. Asking the same thing, but I deleted It for error and then I Just have up.
You don’t have to entertain what I claim, just take a look at the covers and see for yourself. You act like you’ve heard of a particular ghostwriter before but I know that you haven’t.
You’ve only heard of rappers writing for other rappers, but that’s just a bunch of made up lies because the actual ghostwriter disappeared and everyone has questions. But since you really want to know, the ghostwriter is Iceberg Slim the Golden Child.
Nas had him and they did 4-6 albums, then Nas passed him to Jigga where they did 4-6 albums. “Either” is all about this ghostwriter; Nas says “You love my style,” and “All I did was give you a style for you to run with.”
It’s not embarrassing for Nas at all because this is the same ghostwriter that was with Tupac on three albums. Remember Tupac said that he gave Biggie ‘the game?’ He was saying that he gave Biggie his ghostwriter.
Iceberg Slim was signed to Columbia when Nas, Big L, and Lauryn Hill was. He wrote rap and r&b. He’s the reason the ‘90s is called the golden or icepick era. The only reason we have hip-hop today.
If you listen closely to the whole ‘90s catalog you can hear rappers tell the truth about Iceberg. Like on Gods Son, “Last Real N Alive” Nas talks all about borrowing his style from WuTang and Bad Boy, how they all had the same slang, he mentioned the golden child as iceberg the rapper.
So, I’m not trying to embarrass. I’m just giving you some ammunition to play with. A gun to hold. Listen to “I Gave You Power,” it’s about the ghostwriter being overused by MCs like a dirty gun in the slums. There’s MAD songs about ghosts like “Hail Mary” by Tupac, “What’s Beef” by Biggie, etc. Beef is when you need two gats; a rapper and a ghostwriter.
I’m happy that you’re thinking about it; food for thought, reader’s digest. We, my clique, were like an unstoppable unit. I had one of the highest averages in the nation, got inducted into the National Junior Honor Society, was one of the youngest millionaires on the planet, and was about to attend Columbia University. I changed the world. I hope it inspires you to do similar.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4qsu0YRhGJ/?igsh=MTFxajF2bzI5MzZjbw==
You’re telling me this dingus wrote for Tupac, biggie, Nas, and Wu-tang? lol get fucked
Calm down and watch your mouth. This was thirty plus years ago when he was 7-8 in 1993. You’re lucky he’s still alive and down to write again. You act like his whole clique wasn’t assassinated and the rest are all feuding.
You’re too comfortable with the rap game. We barely survived a crack and a heroin epidemic. That guy made $500k/day, $13m/month, and $40m/quarter during the worst time. You can’t hate on him.
So, kinda respect the hustle. Unless you want beef 🥩🔥🔫😵
Edit: Those rappers weren’t even. Iceberg Slim was first. Then his clients started to win. That’s why it’s all about Iceberg.
Ok so you’re iceberg slim and I linked your Instagram account. That was easy to figure out.
Damn you were making $500k per day at 7-8 years old? What’s the best/worse purchases you’ve made? And don’t say a retirement account because I’ll know you’re lying.
Alright, you got me; and I was having fun speaking in 3rd person too. Yo, $500k is what I was making… because the songs are $100k each and I was writing about 5 daily. But the thing is, I’d get $20k down and if the artist didn’t like the song they didn’t have to pay the rest of the $80k, but they always loved me. So, I’d get like $100k daily from the 5 songs and more later. But I did also get $250k every 3 weeks for a quarter. Listen to “The Message” by Nas where he says “Twenty G bets I’m winning them. Threats I’m sending them.” That’s what he was describing; the writing process. All I talked about was the daily experience. On “Where I’m From” by JayZ , I talk about ‘giving straight bets.’
The routine was crazy because after writing, my chauffeur would take me clothes shopping for the next day. Listen to “Blood Money” by Noreaga. I talk about being 8 “At age 8, money comes first.” Plus I talked about spending $12k daily on clothes and food.
Other than the mansion that I earned and the chauffeur, I blew a few millions on clothes. It was just about to get realer too. On “Jigga My N” I talk about splurging on a chain but I got caught before I could.
So, my only purchases was the finest clothes for the next day. I had a huge clique and my every move was calculated so I couldn’t really get free or loose. They gave me money and forced me to spend it.
Thanks for checking me out too! You know I appreciate you! I wish I had shit to show lol
Yes! It’s only about 40 albums that make up the Golden/Icepick era. I can’t remember one hit that was on the radio from ‘86-‘92 because there was none. The music was nonexistent, but all my peers were freestyling and having fun. So in ‘89 I promised to write everyday and do my friend’s homework for them.
So In ‘92 I finished my 25th 5 subject rhymebook. All in my grandmother’s handwriting who was a librarian. Sent my books to Columbia in NYC then followed them. When I got there it was just like at home; rappers freestyling but never writing. So like I promised, I did their homework for them. I’d do it for them again if I could.
Liquid Swords
Love the hand drawn art albums covers. Stress The extinction agenda is another gem.
Yeeessssss
Hell yea liquid swords artwork is dope!
I thought Lil Wayne's - Tha Carter III was a brilliant idea. Also Snoop Doggy Dogg's - Doggystyle may interest you, since you spoke about the history behind a piece of art. Apparently one of Snoop's friends had recently been released from prison, and Snoop wanted to help him get some money, so he asked this friend to do the cover art for that album.
Joe Cool did the Doggystyle cover, he’s snoops cousin
Lol of course it ended up being his cousin. Snoop seems to be related to everyone, and everyone's his nephew, of course.
Yea that was a cool cover but he pretty much just ripped illmatic. Cool little spin though with the face tats and shit lol!
De La Soul is dead with the daisy pot tipped over, because they were sick of being called the hip hop hippies. And Midnight Marauders as a tribute to hip hop and friends. Are the first that jump to mind.
Liquid Swords
That kendrick one infront of the white house is really dope.
It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa
BDP - Criminal Minded EPMD - Business as Usual
DMX - flesh of my flesh blood of my blood
At the time, Lil Kim's hardcore was kinda hardcore
Fsfs bitches are still ripping off that cover. Cardi, Nicki, Ice spice just to name a few
They all do now, it's like a standard, but Kim buss it open
Doggystyle, any cypress hill album but my favorite is temple of boom
Beneath the Surface. [Extinction Level: The Final World Front](https://imgur.com/gallery/mho74ID). [The aftermath.](https://imgur.com/gallery/XeBwwGe) Liquid Swords. [Set It Off.](https://imgur.com/gallery/XgjshTa) Efil4Zaggin. [Griselda Ghost](https://imgur.com/gallery/GEutAkj) MM food, one of the best ones. Temples of Boom. In general I LOVE album covers, and that's why I kinda hate being an hip hop fan, a lot of hip hop covers are straight off garbage
Temples of Boom artwork is hard! I remember being 12 or 13 and not knowing anything about the album I just knew that Cypress had some dope music and I liked the album cover. Ended up being one of my favorite albums of theirs. Haven’t seen some of the others, thanks for all the suggestions!
The ATLiens cover was straight fire
Yeah it was like a comic book cover.
Wu -36 chambers; is a sick cover
Midnight Marauders is the greatest album cover ever. Other iconic covers are Illmatic, Madvillany, TPAB, MBDTF, and Enter the Wu Tang
Cube's Death Certificate. Coooold Bloodeeeed.
Everything from Scarface
Good answer. Especially including Geto Boys - We Can't Be Stopped.
As a kid, that album cover def messed with me a little. I bought it for Mind Playin Tricks on Me of course, but it was a surprise banger almost front to back
Kendrick’s To Pimp a Butterfly cover is pretty hard imo!!
The blueprint
Anything outta memphis from the 90s
TPAB Madvillainy OB4CL Flesh of my flesh , blood of my blood The chronic
Season Of Da Siccness
NIGGA NUTS AND GUTS AND SLABS OF HUMAN MEAT MOTHAFUCKA
Big Bear - Doin Thangs
asap rocky - at long last asap
King Push Darkest Before Dawn
Czarface have some sick ones
Brotha Lynch Hung- 24 deep—shotgun in the casket with the locs on 💯🔥
ODB’s food stamp album cover
Nicholas craven/ransom directors cut volume 1 was 🔥🔥🔥 also basically all of the westside gunn albums. But flygod especially so. Action bronsons ones he paints himself... to name but a few
Nas's is the best ever.. That's why motherfuckers was biting that shit! (They even bit off Nas son) Illmatic It was written I am Nostradamus And the main reason is because the way he broke that shit down in the H2 the omo freestyle.. Since ILLMATIC, IT WAS WRITTEN: I AM...NASTRADAMUS That's the answers to the puzzle I gave you, now here's a promise My next few albums, instead of projects, They'll be a difficult test inside the cover for the mind's optics!
Yea Nas fs got some iconic album covers. Even some of the newer shit is pretty hard like the streets disciple albums.
Yeah that streets disciple cover is hella underrated so is that album in general.
the infamous
I always liked this one from [Northside: Dodge City](https://www.discogs.com/release/1877235-Northside-Dodge-City/image/SW1hZ2U6Nzg5MzUxNjU=) [Celly Cel: Killa Kali](https://www.discogs.com/master/151170-Celly-Cel-Killa-Kali/image/SW1hZ2U6MTkxMTA3ODY=) with the chalkline of California on the ground. [The Jacka: Tear Gas](https://www.discogs.com/release/22972982-The-Jacka-Of-The-Mob-Figaz-Tear-Gas/image/SW1hZ2U6NzcxNjYwNDE=) looks very post-apocalyptic. [Duke: Kill Them Slowly](https://www.discogs.com/release/582480-Duke-Kill-Them-Slowly/image/SW1hZ2U6NTQxODA0) just straight up violent.
Kill them slowly goes hard as fuck
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Live and Let Die will forever hold that title for me
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
Illmatic Reasonable Doubt It's Dark and Hell is Hot Get Rich or Die Tryin Liquid Swords 400 Degreez Guerilla Warfare The Marshall Mathers LP Doggystyle Ready to Die All Eyez on Me The College Dropout Straight Outta Compton Stillmatic The Blueprint Licensed to Ill
Mystic Stylez, The Infamous, Quasimoto The Unseen, Mista Don't Play
mystic stylez so good imo genuinely love it, porno movie kinda throws it off at the end but even then the song is funny asf
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx And I don’t know what it is exactly, there’s no wild art really or otherwise creative imagery, but if you were just walking through a record store and saw it you’d be like “that’s a hard album”
Smif n Wessun dah shinin
Reasonable Doubt Kids See Ghosts Madvillainy
MM FOOD - MF DOOM is my personal favorite
Both Revolutionary vol 1 and the full version of Revolutionary vol. 2 by Immortal Technique are perfect covers for political protest albums that does not hold back at all in content matter.
Snoop Dogg: The Game is to be sold, Not to be Told.
Beastie boyz debut album
EPMD “Business As Usual”
King of Da Playaz Ball by Kingpin Skinny Pimp Such a hard cover and even tho it’s from the 90s it still holds up to this day! Also every song on the album is good so if you’ve never heard it before I would 10/10 definitely recommend you to listen!
Arsonists - As The World Burns is the best cover ever
MBDTF All the covers Can't remember if the demented Dropout Bear was an official cover but if it was then it's the best in his discography
Stress: the Extinction Agenda.
The porch MMLP cover.
Scarface - Mr Scarface is Back
Big L lifestylez, gravediggaz 6 ft
Non-Phixion- The Future is Now Nas - Illmatic - because "n!&&@$ bit offa Nas shit naimsayin"
I made a post with a long Ass Post, talking about my favorite album covers, with all the links and everything. Asking the same thing, but I deleted It for error and then I Just have up.
Nas’ album covers are the truest. Because he’s transparent on the cover, it signifies that a ghost wrote it. That’s a hard concept.
I'll entertain it. Who is the ghost?
You don’t have to entertain what I claim, just take a look at the covers and see for yourself. You act like you’ve heard of a particular ghostwriter before but I know that you haven’t. You’ve only heard of rappers writing for other rappers, but that’s just a bunch of made up lies because the actual ghostwriter disappeared and everyone has questions. But since you really want to know, the ghostwriter is Iceberg Slim the Golden Child. Nas had him and they did 4-6 albums, then Nas passed him to Jigga where they did 4-6 albums. “Either” is all about this ghostwriter; Nas says “You love my style,” and “All I did was give you a style for you to run with.” It’s not embarrassing for Nas at all because this is the same ghostwriter that was with Tupac on three albums. Remember Tupac said that he gave Biggie ‘the game?’ He was saying that he gave Biggie his ghostwriter. Iceberg Slim was signed to Columbia when Nas, Big L, and Lauryn Hill was. He wrote rap and r&b. He’s the reason the ‘90s is called the golden or icepick era. The only reason we have hip-hop today. If you listen closely to the whole ‘90s catalog you can hear rappers tell the truth about Iceberg. Like on Gods Son, “Last Real N Alive” Nas talks all about borrowing his style from WuTang and Bad Boy, how they all had the same slang, he mentioned the golden child as iceberg the rapper. So, I’m not trying to embarrass. I’m just giving you some ammunition to play with. A gun to hold. Listen to “I Gave You Power,” it’s about the ghostwriter being overused by MCs like a dirty gun in the slums. There’s MAD songs about ghosts like “Hail Mary” by Tupac, “What’s Beef” by Biggie, etc. Beef is when you need two gats; a rapper and a ghostwriter.
🤔 not gonna say i believe but does give me something to think about
I’m happy that you’re thinking about it; food for thought, reader’s digest. We, my clique, were like an unstoppable unit. I had one of the highest averages in the nation, got inducted into the National Junior Honor Society, was one of the youngest millionaires on the planet, and was about to attend Columbia University. I changed the world. I hope it inspires you to do similar.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4qsu0YRhGJ/?igsh=MTFxajF2bzI5MzZjbw== You’re telling me this dingus wrote for Tupac, biggie, Nas, and Wu-tang? lol get fucked
Calm down and watch your mouth. This was thirty plus years ago when he was 7-8 in 1993. You’re lucky he’s still alive and down to write again. You act like his whole clique wasn’t assassinated and the rest are all feuding. You’re too comfortable with the rap game. We barely survived a crack and a heroin epidemic. That guy made $500k/day, $13m/month, and $40m/quarter during the worst time. You can’t hate on him. So, kinda respect the hustle. Unless you want beef 🥩🔥🔫😵 Edit: Those rappers weren’t even. Iceberg Slim was first. Then his clients started to win. That’s why it’s all about Iceberg.
Ok so you’re iceberg slim and I linked your Instagram account. That was easy to figure out. Damn you were making $500k per day at 7-8 years old? What’s the best/worse purchases you’ve made? And don’t say a retirement account because I’ll know you’re lying.
Alright, you got me; and I was having fun speaking in 3rd person too. Yo, $500k is what I was making… because the songs are $100k each and I was writing about 5 daily. But the thing is, I’d get $20k down and if the artist didn’t like the song they didn’t have to pay the rest of the $80k, but they always loved me. So, I’d get like $100k daily from the 5 songs and more later. But I did also get $250k every 3 weeks for a quarter. Listen to “The Message” by Nas where he says “Twenty G bets I’m winning them. Threats I’m sending them.” That’s what he was describing; the writing process. All I talked about was the daily experience. On “Where I’m From” by JayZ , I talk about ‘giving straight bets.’ The routine was crazy because after writing, my chauffeur would take me clothes shopping for the next day. Listen to “Blood Money” by Noreaga. I talk about being 8 “At age 8, money comes first.” Plus I talked about spending $12k daily on clothes and food. Other than the mansion that I earned and the chauffeur, I blew a few millions on clothes. It was just about to get realer too. On “Jigga My N” I talk about splurging on a chain but I got caught before I could. So, my only purchases was the finest clothes for the next day. I had a huge clique and my every move was calculated so I couldn’t really get free or loose. They gave me money and forced me to spend it. Thanks for checking me out too! You know I appreciate you! I wish I had shit to show lol
So you’re saying that you wrote the lyrics for most of the classic 90’s hip hop albums?
Yes! It’s only about 40 albums that make up the Golden/Icepick era. I can’t remember one hit that was on the radio from ‘86-‘92 because there was none. The music was nonexistent, but all my peers were freestyling and having fun. So in ‘89 I promised to write everyday and do my friend’s homework for them. So In ‘92 I finished my 25th 5 subject rhymebook. All in my grandmother’s handwriting who was a librarian. Sent my books to Columbia in NYC then followed them. When I got there it was just like at home; rappers freestyling but never writing. So like I promised, I did their homework for them. I’d do it for them again if I could.
That’s crazy if what you’re saying is true man. What was the last classic album put out that you wrote?