Facts about Hip-Hop

1. 07

   Nas's 1994 debut album Illmatic featured production from DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Q-Tip, establishing it as one of hip-hop's most critically acclaimed releases despite modest initial sales.

   Hip-HopMay 14sharemusiccritical-acclaim1990s
2. 06

   Tupac Shakur's 1996 double album All Eyez on Me debuted at number one and became the first hip-hop record to sell over 10 million copies worldwide.

   Hip-HopMay 14sharemusicsales1990s
3. 05

   Wu-Tang Clan's 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) featured nine members and became a cornerstone of East Coast hip-hop despite initial commercial underperformance.

   Hip-HopMay 14sharemusic1990ship-hop
4. 04

   Eminem's 2002 album The Eminem Show sold 1.332 million copies in its first week, setting the record for fastest-selling hip-hop album in history.

   Hip-HopMay 14sharesalesrecords2000s
5. 03

   Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang became hip-hop's first major record to reach mainstream success when it peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979.

   Hip-HopMay 14sharemusic1970scharthistory
6. 02

   In 1973, DJ Kool Herc invented the breakbeat by isolating and looping the instrumental percussion sections of funk records at parties in the Bronx.

   Hip-HopMay 14sharemusictechniqueorigins
7. 01

   Grandmaster Flash's 1982 single The Message became hip-hop's first top-40 chart hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

   Hip-HopMay 14sharemusichistory1980s