Ode to Hip-Hop: 50 Albums That Define 50 Years of Trailblazing Music

by Kiana Fitzgerald, Russell Abrahams (Illustrator)

Celebrate the music that has shaped the culture and given us some of the greatest hits of all time with this vibrantly illustrated anthology, featuring 50 of the most lauded, controversial, and iconic hip-hop albums!

From underground roots to mainstream popularity, hip-hop's influence on music and entertainment around the world has been nothing short of extraordinary. Ode to Hip-Hop  chronicles the journey with profiles of fifty albums that have defined, expanded, and ultimately transformed the genre into what it is today. From 2 Live Crew's groundbreaking  As Nasty As They Wanna Be  in 1989 to Cardi B's similarly provocative  Invasion of Privacy  almost thirty years later, and more, Ode to Hip-Hop  covers hip-hop from coast to coast. Organized by decade and with sidebars on fashion, mixtapes, and key players throughout, the result is a comprehensive homage to hip-hop, published just in time for the fiftieth anniversary. Enjoyed in the club, at a party, through speakers or headphones--the albums in this book deserve to be listened to again and again, for the next fifty years and beyond.

Albums Kurtis Blow (self-titled, 1980); The Message (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, 1982); Run-D.M.C (self-titled, 1984), Hot, Cool & Vicious (Salt-N-Pepa, 1986); Paid in Full (Eric B. & Rakim, 1987); Straight Outta Compton (N.W.A, 1988); Lyte as a Rock (MC Lyte, 1988); As Nasty as They Wanna Be (2 Live Crew, 1989); Mama Said Knock You Out (LL Cool J, 1990); People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (A Tribe Called Quest, 1990); The Chronic (Dr. Dre, 1992); Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)  (Wu-Tang Clan, 1993); Black Reign (Queen Latifah, 1993); Doggystyle (Snoop Dogg, 1993); Illmatic (Nas, 1994); Ready to Die (The Notorious B.I.G., 1994); The Diary (Scarface, 1994); Funkdafied (Da Brat, 1994); Mystic Stylez (Three 6 Mafia, 1995); Hard Core (Lil' Kim, 1996); Ridin' Dirty (UGK, 1996); All Eyez On Me (2Pac, 1996); Supa Dupa Fly (Missy Elliott, 1997); Aquemini (Outkast, 1998); The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Lauryn Hill, 1998); It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (DMX, 1998); Things Fall Apart (The Roots, 1999); Da Baddest B***h (Trina, 2000); The Marshall Mathers LP (Eminem, 2000); The Blueprint (JAY-Z, 2001); Lord Willin' (Clipse, 2002); Get Rich or Die Tryin' (50 Cent, 2003); The College Dropout (Kanye West, 2004); Let's Get Thug Motivation 101 (Young Jeezy, 2005); King (T.I., 2006); Lupe Fiasco's the Cool (Lupe Fiasco, 2007); The Carter III (Lil Wayne, 2008); The State vs. Radric Davis (Gucci Mane, 2009); Pink Friday (Nicki Minaj, 2010); Watch the Throne (JAY-Z & Kanye West, 2011); Nothing Was the Same (Drake, 2013); To Pimp a Butterfly (Kendrick Lamar, 2015); DS2 (Future, 2015); Culture (Migos, 2017); Invasion of Privacy (Cardi B., 2018); Whack World (Tierra Whack, 2018); Eve (Rapsody, 2019); City on Lock (City Girls, 2020); Montero (Lil Nas X, 2021); Traumazine (Megan Thee Stallion, 2022)
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, History

224 pages, Hardcover

Published July 25, 2023

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

This book feels like being walked through a museum and taken on a tour of hip hop history. I think the only way this book would work for readers is really if you're simultaneously listening as you're reading or taking breaks between to listen to each album. Each album's description is merely a list of the facts surrounding the artist and the album, so if you're not listening, it would definitely be hard to appreciate what the author is talking about. However, for me, this was a really interesting read as it introduced me to a lot of artists and context I never might have had otherwise heard of. I also really appreciated her asides and "interludes" throughout the book to provide additional context and history that didn't neatly fit into her album descriptions.

I think you could ask anyone and each person would produce a different list of the albums that would define hip hop, but I think that Fitzgerald does a pretty good job of highlighting the ones that many would definitely agree are pivotal. I found it interesting seeing her balance those were good examples of genre-defining and genre-altering albums with ones that may have illustrated another concept or trend but had perhaps minimal commercial success. I personally found those that were lesser known or less impactful to not add too much for me as I listened along with the album (or maybe I honestly didn't like those songs that much).

My biggest critiques are the oversimplification of some of the historical, artist, and album context. There definitely felt like a lot missing, or almost a repetitive nature to some of the descriptions. I also wished throughout that there was any amount of critical discussion (not just pure adulation) of the albums or artists or especially the lyrics of the notable songs. Often the author would start discussing the lyrics of a song and then trail off with a coy phrase like "of course, you know the rest" which I found extremely frustrating, as I often had no idea what she was talking about or getting at. It made it confusing for me as to who the desired audience was - is it someone who wouldn't know enough about hip hop to need this tour through history or is it an insider who honestly would probably know most of this anyway and not read this simply because they would already have their own chosen 50 defining albums? The author did have a couple of notes about sexism and misogyny in the industry, but I found them a bit hollow as almost all of the albums she brought up had a lot of misogynistic lyrics which were not just not discussed but once or twice even brushed off (once to the effect of "we all know the lyrics are misogynistic but the song is just so good who cares").

But even with those frustrations, I still learned a lot, got exposed to a lot of new music and history, and appreciated the compilation of music and information that the author has created here in this book.

[Beverlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of hip-hop culture, I was excited to find a comprehensive book covering definitive albums from the last 50 years. I consider it extra special because I also found the trivia deck that complements the book. Because I was feeling extra, as I read I created a playlist and then realized…I don’t agree with all of Fitzgerald’s picks and I think that’s the point. People have opinions on any and every topic under the sun. Hip-hop culture is no different. I like that the book begins with recognizing that hip-hop is more than who rocks the mic but spans art, fashion, and language. Commentary from politicians and the media are secondary to lyrics from artists that are brutally honest about how government policies impact those not surrounded by wealth and privilege. It’s a reflection of people who were deemed as “other” by mainstream and that reflection is bold in its declaration of “so what, watch me be great anyway.”
On to the 50 definitive albums-
It’s important to make a distinction between definitive and best. Both are highly personal choices and unless there’s agreed upon rules to distinguish definitive or best from the rest, there’s going to be a lot of room for debate. I think definitive leans more towards influence and impact-how did this work change how hip-hop is viewed or appreciated. Did it change attitudes for better (hopefully)? I think best includes this but also is more about creativity and how people receive the creation. In short, an album can be definitive and the best, but the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
As a whole, I agree with several picks named. I’m especially appreciative of Fitzgerald being intentional with recognizing hip-hop’s women artists & LGBTQ+ artists.
What I found questionable was the omissions or lack of attention. Some artists are only mentioned as they relate to another or are completely ignored. They are:
1. Sugar Hill Gang
2. Public Enemy
3. MC Hammer
4. Bone Thugs N Harmony
5. Common
6. Roxanne Shante
7. Biz Markie
8. Kid N Play
9. Slick Rick
10. Heavy D
11. Ja Rule/Murder INC
12. Eve/Ruff Ryders
13. Foxy Brown
14. Mase/Bad Boy
15. Cam’Ron/Dipset
16. Mos Def & Talib Kweli/Rawkus Records
17. Juvenile/Cash Money
18. Master P/No Limit
19. Ludacris
20. Busta Rhymes
21. Nate Dogg
22. Nelly/St.Lunatics
23. Fresh Prince/Jazzy Jeff
* Granted I’m older so maybe that has a lot to do with my perspective.
4-stars because I think it’s an excellent conversation starter and a way to evaluate how much has changed and stayed the same in the last 50+years.

[Lawrence Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It took me back to a lot of albums and music I hadn't listened to in a long time.

[Kingsley Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 was the year of 50 years of hip-hop tributes. Many people jumped on the nostalgia tribute bandwagon this year commemorating a musical genre most thought would disappear faster than a disco cover song.

By September, 2023 it became quite easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. The great projects stood out from the duds.

I was extremely happy to add Kiana Fitzgerald's fresh hardcover book to my library. Ode To Hip-Hop: 50 Albums that define 50 Years of Trailblazing Music is an A+ project.

Kiana picks hip-hop artists and songs representing these decades:

The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
The 2020s

Wow! What an ambitious project. The meticulous nature of the research, storytelling, and wonderful prose is peppered in the pages with colorful illustrations by illustrator Yay Abe.

This is a book that needed to be written. My music anthropology captures real life experiences primarily with R&B, soul, rock, pop, disco, and jazz. Those are my strengths. "Ode To Hip-Hop" fills in lots of missing pieces absent from my own personal familiarity.

Don't get me wrong. I have some of the records, and have seen live in concert Whodini, Beastie Boys, RUN-D.M.C., Salt-N-Pepa, KRS-One, Public Enemy, Busta Rymes, Ludacris, DMX, and many others.

If your love affair with hip-hop has been platonic or hardcore, you will gain wisdom through the well vetted facts Kiana Fitzgerald presents in this book.

Her music centric story begins in the early 1970s examining the explosion of a new underground trend flying under the radar in the Bronx, New York.

The vision of Sugar Hill Records cofounder and CEO Sylvia Robinson is illuminated as a highlight of this decade.

Kurtis Blow, RUN-D.M.C., Salt-N-Pepa, Eric B. & Rakim, N.W.A., plus other artists jump from the pages as you learn more about the 1980s.

As we move on through the decades, virtually every year within the 50 year span receives a well written summary focusing on one or more artist.

The introduction to Ode To Hip-Hop: 50 Albums that define 50 Years of Trailblazing Music should not be overlooked. Fitzgerald digs deep into her rationale for creating this outstanding, well written, carefully researched and colorfully crafted resource. The book has both visual and cerebral appeal.

In her conclusion on page 178, Kiana says "from selecting albums to research to writing, working on this book has been the adventure of a lifetime."

She continues "there has never been a culture-shifting, trendsetting invention such as hip-hop."

I agree. Hip-hop is truly an American art form that has planted roots, blossomed rhymes, and bloomed beats as a bright rose of popular modern music, performing its lingo in different languages all over the world.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 44 of 2024; 4 out of 5 stars.

Ode to Hip-Hop is a book highlighting fifty hip-hop albums that have social and cultural impact to not only hip-hop culture, but pop culture at large. Some artists that were mentioned includes Kurtis Blow, Lil Kim, Eric B. and Rakim, Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, and Trina.

My overall thoughts: The author’s album choices are solid for the most part. I am actually surprised that The Low End Theory by ATCQ was not listed considering how influential that album has become in recent years, especially with burgeoning of alternative jazz hip-hop in mainstream. Reading about these albums is nothing too deep, but I really want a book about hip-hop albums that are classics, and the makings of how it came altogether. It makes sense the author showed a bias to southern artists’ and their albums since the author is from the South. But something I enjoyed was mentioning the 2020s and highlighting the Black female rap artists like Megan and City Girls which shows that Black female rap artists are killing it and dominating the rap scene.

It is still a good, solid book for fans of hip-hop and music in general. I will still recommend it.

[Paul Deveaux · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book lacks depth and ignores far too many artists. The essays on each album are rather short and don’t delve into any real musical or critical analysis. At the end of almost every essay is a blurb on how many were sold or where this album landed on the charts. That has never been what hip hop has been about. For J Dilla to just get a sidebar and not even be mentioned as a producer in any of the essays is criminal and borders on inexcusable. Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Public Enemy don’t have a single album on the list. Not to mention DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

There also seems to be a bias towards southern artists that is most likely because the author is from the south.

Simply put: skip it.

[Bill Jordan 4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important to remember when reading this that this is 50 albums that define hip hop from the author's perspective. It doesnt mean the top 50 albums or the 50 most definitive albums...I think thats important. It most likely wont be in line with your own list, but is an interesting perspective. Entries are short and dont delve too deep into any individual album, but they are interesting and still have some good tidbits of info throughout. If you are a big fan of a given artist listed, you likely know what the author presents already. Quick read over a day...loving anything about hip hop, I am appreciative of the book.

[Rhonda Hankins]

This book is fun. Nice graphic design throughout, good production, the book feels good in your hands. Author designates one album a year to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop. There is a good couple of pages about the artist.

I learned a lot of new titles, some new artists, eager to expand my listening.

[Nicholas Contreraz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did what similar types of books set out to do- get discussions and debates going about the albums. I disagreed with many of Fitzgerald's "picks" and did not love her descriptions of the albums. I do applaud her ambitious endeavor overall, but there are better books out there trying to do the same thing (See Shea Serrano's The Rap Yearbook".

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely illustrated, and well-written, I learned so much.
This was amazing! From South Bronx to Compton, Atlanta to Houston, Chicago to Carolinas and more.
TuPac, Jay-Z, Ye, Missy Elliot, Lil Kim, and so much more.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly comprehensive tour but like reading Wikipedia entries - basic facts, often simplified

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this out for my 19yo son who used it for a college class on Hip-Hop in film.

[Hope Zastrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun learning about a topic I knew very little about. I am still working on listening to all these albums but really enjoyed the book.

[Berslon Pank · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish there had been more depth to each essay.

[Kelly Lawler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an informative and fun read!! I keep it on the coffee table.

[Honey · Rating 3 out of 5]

playlist made 😼

[Tatyanna Jada🐚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a beautiful walk through of all the artist that have inspired us. With beautifully curated art.