It's Halloween, we're pretty sure. The end of October marks the only cool holiday in existence. Even if you have to dodge black cats and SMH at blackface, it's a holiday that celebrates greusomeness, ghoulishness, and acting the fool, so it can't be all bad.
Hip-hop used to be a lot more shock-oriented. Nowadays, an offhanded comment can end endorsement deals, and most artists dance around the edges of offensive. Unless you're talking about an independent label like Tech N9ne's Strange Music, the horrorcore days of horroryore are gone. Everything is Art. Hip-hop's pulpy past is whitewashed.
So let's gaze back at some of the genre's most greusome, glorious, gripping, gut-wrenching album covers. Happy Halloween from Complex Magazine.
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Esham KKKill the Fetus (1993)
Brotha Lynch Hung Coathanga Strangla (2011)
Skull Duggery, These Wicked Streets (1998)
Lil 1/2 Dead, Steel on a Mission (1996)
Cage, Depart from Me (2009)
Run the Jewels, Run the Jewels (2013)
Ace Hood, Blood, Sweat and Tears (2011)
Mykill Miers, Take it In Blood (2010)
Lil Kim, Black Friday (2011)
Tru, Tru 2 Da Game (1997)
Three 6 Mafia, Live By Yo Rep (1995)
Dr. Doom, First Come, First Served (1999)
N.W.A, Niggaz4Life (1991)
Cypress Hill, Black Sunday (1993)
Wacka Flocka Flame, Flockavelli (2010)
Three 6 Mafia, Chapter 2 "World Domination" (1997)
Mellow Hype, Black and White (2010)
Flatlinerz, U.S.A. (1994)
Necro, The Prefix for Death (2004)
Necro, The Murder Murder Kill Kill EP (2012)
Necro, Death Rap (2007)
Dr. Octagon, Dr. Octagonacologyst (1996)
Mobb Deep, Juvenile Hall (1993)
Hell Rell, For The Hell Of It (2007)
Ice Cube, Death Certificate (1991)
Redman, Dare IZ A Darkside (1994)
Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge, Twelve Reasons To Die (2013)
Eminem, The Slim Shady LP (1999)
DMX, Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998)
Geto Boys, We Can't Be Stopped (1991)
