
Dating back to its earliest ties to graffiti culture, the visual component has always played a large part in hip-hop culture. Today's album art mostly serves as thumbtacks for NahRight posts or, at best, just another category on iTunes for OCD sufferers to perfect. But once upon a time, it mattered.
LPs were hung on walls, CDs were cracked open, and cassette J-cards were unfolded awkwardly and with as much anticipation as is given to today's Zshare links. From the Daisy Age fluorescence of De La Soul to the digital age fluorescence of Kanye West, we're proclaiming the finest moments of three decades' worth of hip-hop album art with our list of The 50 Best Hip-Hop Album Covers.
Words by Andrew Noz (@Noz)
Intro

Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III (2008)

Redman Dare Iz a Darkside (1994)

Madvillain, Madvillainy (2004)

Makaveli, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)

Freeway & Jake One, Stimulus Package (2010)

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, No Need for Alarm (1993)

50 Cent, Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)

De La Soul, De La Soul is Dead (1991)

Jay-Z, Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Schoolly D, Schoolly D (1986)

Smif-n-Wessun, Dah Shinin' (1995)

T.I., Paper Trail (2008)

KMD, Black Bastards (1994)

Master P, The Ghettos Tryin to Kill Me! (1994)

Comptons Most Wanted, Music to Drive By (1992)

DMX, Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood (1998)

King Tee, Act a Fool (1988)

Outkast, ATLiens (1996)

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988)

Kanye West, Graduation (2007)

LL Cool J, Bigger And Deffer (1987)

Snoop Doggy Dogg, Doggystyle (1993)

Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993)

Gang Star, Daily Operation (1992)

Public Enemy, Yo! Bumrush the Show (1987)

Boogie Down Productions, Criminal Minded (1987)

Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995)

Ice Cube, Death Certificate (1991)

EPMD, Business As Usual (1992)

Dr. Dre, The Chronic (1992)

Pharcyde, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992)

Scarface, Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991)

Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique (1989)

Eric. B & Rakim, Paid in Full (1987)

The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die (1994)

Run DMC, King of Rock (1985)

Kanye West, 808s & Heartbreak (2008)

Boogie Down Productions, By All Means Necessary (1988)

De La Soul, 3 Feet High And Rising (1989)

2 Live Crew, As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989)

Beastie Boys, License to Ill (1986)

Juvenile, 400 Degreez (1998)

A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders (1993)

Ol' Dirty Bastard, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995)

Geto Boys, We Can't Be Stopped (1991)

Too $hort, Born to Mack (1987)

Public Enemy, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

Nas, Illmatic (1994)

Ice-T, Power (1988)

A Tribe Called Quest, Low End Theory (1991)
