2003 was an important year for hip-hop. It was a year that veteran stars made their last significant artistic statements, hit makers established their pre-eminence, and newcomers made themselves known. The murders of 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. were no longer hanging like a cloud over the genre, and illegal downloading had yet to devour album sales, so stars like Eminem and Nelly were selling huge numbers. It was a transitional year; and now that a full decade has passed, we decided to take a look back at some of that year’s most significant rap albums.
These are not necessarily the best albums of 2003, but they each represent an important moment that occurred in the genre’s history during that year.
An icon “retired,” an eclectic duo from Atlanta went diamond, and the game was forever changed. Here are the 10 rap albums that defined 2003…
