The term Mount Rushmore, most literally referring to the carved mountainside in Keystone, South Dakota, has been derived to mean the top four or pinnacle in instances outside of United States Presidents. For example, the Mount Rushmore of the Boston Celtics is Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy and Larry Bird.
HipHopDX has taken this idea and used it for the last two decades of Hip Hop music. In an effort to document the ever changing landscape of the art form, we have done this in four five-year installments which will be released on a weekly basis for the next month. Without further ado, here is Hip Hop’s Mount Rushmore.
*While technically these albums came out this year and are not being weighed in this decision, we wanted to add them for the sake of remaining current.
The Rundown
As Hip Hop turned almost 40 and entered middle age, the music began to get more experimental than it had been for the three decades prior. This list showcases that mid-life crisis with artists who all fall under the Hip Hop umbrella but have staggeringly different sounds. With streaming and illegal downloading services, the sales numbers also took a backseat to the cultural significance of an album and how well it succeeded in drawing people to live shows where the money is now made.
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Kanye West
Album(s): My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch The Throne, Yeezus
Sales: 3X Platinum between these albums
After the controversial Taylor Swift incident, Kanye West went off to Hawaii in an attempt to recluse himself and get back to what he does best: make music. The result was My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, an album that earned the coveted five mics in The Source and holds up as a candidate for greatest rap album ever. Since then he has given us Watch the Throne and Yeezus and with Swish rumored later this year, Kanye West shows no signs of slowing down.
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Drake
Album(s): Thank Me Later, Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, If Youre Reading This Its Too Late*
Sales: 3X Platinum between these albums
By the time Drake’s debut album Thank Me Later had been released, his mixtape So Far Gone and a handful of singles had already propelled him to stardom. The new face of Young Money took the world by storm in the blink of an eye. He proved to be more than a fad with consistent releases living up to the high standards he had established early on in his career. Both Take Care and later Nothing Was the Same aided and pushed forward the ascent of Aubrey Graham. Then there was the controversial out-of-nowhere drop of If Youre Reading This Its Too Late, which both cemented his status and placed his relationship with Young Money firmly into question.
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Kendrick Lamar
Album(s): Section.80, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, *To Pimp A Butterfly
Sales: 1X Platinum between these albums
Has there ever been a more beloved album to appear at number 113 on the billboard charts then Section.80 in 2011. This was the first major warning sounded to the Hip Hop world that it’s top notch was under siege by an undersized emcee from Compton who had wordplay and cadence that seemed superhuman. Kendrick Lamar would formally take his crown with good kid, m.A.A.d city the following year, and flex on his throne with his viral earth-shattering verse on Big Sean’s “Control.”
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Nicki Minaj
Album(s): Pink Friday, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, *The Pinkprint
Sales: 2X Platinum between these albums
Nicki Minaj was able to sell lots of albums and was a popular culture staple first with Pink Friday and later with The Pinkprint. Couple this with some of the greatest guest verses of the aughts, yes she out-rapped everyone on “Monster,” and you have a formidable resume. Coupled with labelmate Drake they were able to carry the banner for Young Money into a second decade-long after the heyday of Birdman and Wayne.
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Honorable Mention: Killer Mike & El-P (Run the Jewels), Tech N9ne
Killer Mike & El-P never managed to become friends of the mainstream but R.A.P. Music, produced by El-P, birthed the best Hip Hop tandem since OutKast and two classic albums in Run the Jewels and Run The Jewels 2 which have cultivated a cult following. The last five years have been paramount for Tech, as he’s placed a stranglehold on the independent lane that he dominates. He’s also worked with everyone from the likes of Andre 3 stacks to Eminem and has continued to push Strange Music into the minds of a mainstream audience while keeping his core fanbase happy. He tours relentlessly and in places others dare not tread like Milwaukee, Lansing, and Duluth.
