This feature was originally published on March 7, 2013.
When the calendar finally flipped from the ‘90s to the ‘00s, hip-hop was nearing its commercial peak. The decade began with some of the biggest budgets for a few of the genre’s most successful stars in history. The first decade of the 2000s were defined by a variety of shifts. The rise of regional scenes, particularly the dominance of Atlanta and the South in general, had a major impact on the genre. There was also the arrival of some of the genre’s biggest stars: 50 Cent, Kanye West, Ludacris et al.
Video equipment became less expensive, and stars were soon minted from the comfort of their own living rooms. The decade began with TRL and 106 and Park, and ended with the all-consuming crowdsourcing of YouTube and WorldStarHipHop. We’ve looked at all the major hip-hop clips of the Aughts, from Jay-Z's smashes to Missy Elliott's breakthroughs, from the big budgets to rising amateurs, and everyone in between.
These are The 50 Best Rap Videos of the '00s.
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