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Hip-hop started with DJs and MCs rapping at block parties in the Bronx, and quickly grew into a genre with its own albums. By the mid-1980s, known as the “golden age” of hip-hop, the genre exploded across America and beyond, evolving into various styles and sub-genres. The best hip-hop albums vary — they can be energetic and angry, humorous, or offer deep insights into society, but they all echo the original voice of overlooked and underrepresented African-American youth who were determined to be heard. In this list, we celebrate the genre by highlighting the 25 greatest hip-hop albums to ever exist.
