List of best-selling hip hop albums in the United States
This is a list of best-selling hip hop albums in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
Artist |
Album |
Year |
Label |
Subgenre |
Sales (millions) |
Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outkast |
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below |
2003 |
Arista |
Southern hip hop |
5.5 (double album) |
11× Platinum |
Eminem |
The Marshall Mathers LP |
2000 |
Aftermath |
Midwest hip hop |
10.3 |
10× Platinum |
Eminem |
The Eminem Show |
2002 |
Aftermath / Shady |
Midwest hip hop |
10 |
10× Platinum |
The Notorious B.I.G. |
Life After Death |
1997 |
Bad Boy |
East Coast hip hop |
5 (double album) |
10× Platinum |
MC Hammer |
Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em |
1990 |
Capitol |
Pop-rap |
10 |
10× Platinum |
2Pac |
All Eyez on Me |
1996 |
Death Row |
West Coast hip hop |
4.5 (double album) |
9× Platinum |
2Pac |
Greatest Hits |
1998 |
Death Row |
West Coast hip hop |
4.5 (double album) |
9× Platinum |
Beastie Boys |
Licensed to Ill |
1986 |
Def Jam |
Golden age hip hop |
9.2 |
9× Platinum |
Will Smith |
Big Willie Style |
1997 |
Columbia |
Pop-rap |
9 |
9× Platinum |
Nelly |
Country Grammar |
2000 |
Universal |
Southern hip hop |
9 |
9× Platinum |
Lauryn Hill |
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
1998 |
Ruffhouse / Columbia |
East Coast hip hop |
8 |
8× Platinum |
50 Cent |
Get Rich or Die Tryin' |
2003 |
Aftermath / Shady |
East Coast hip hop |
7.8 |
7× Platinum |
Dr. Dre |
2001 |
1999 |
Aftermath |
West Coast hip hop |
7.2 |
6× Platinum |
Puff Daddy and the Family |
No Way Out |
1997 |
Bad Boy |
East Coast hip hop |
7 |
7× Platinum |
Vanilla Ice |
To the Extreme |
1990 |
Capitol |
Pop-rap |
7 |
7× Platinum |
Fugees |
The Score |
1996 |
Columbia |
Alternative hip hop |
6 |
6× Platinum |
Nelly |
Nellyville |
2002 |
Universal |
Southern hip hop |
6 |
6× Platinum |
Eminem |
Encore |
2004 |
Aftermath / Shady |
Midwest hip hop |
5.1 |
4× Platinum |
50 Cent |
The Massacre |
2005 |
Aftermath / Shady |
East Coast hip hop |
5 |
5× Platinum |
2Pac |
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory |
1996 |
Death Row |
West Coast hip hop |
5 |
4× Platinum |
Jay-Z |
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life |
1998 |
Roc-a-Fella / Def Jam |
East Coast hip hop |
5 |
5× Platinum |
Eazy-E |
It's On ( |
1993 |
Ruthless |
West Coast hip hop |
5 |
5× Platinum |
DMX |
...And Then There Was X |
1999 |
Ruff Ryders / Def Jam |
East Coast hip hop |
5 |
5× Platinum |
Dr. Dre |
The Chronic |
1992 |
Death Row |
West Coast hip hop |
4.5 |
3× Platinum |
Eminem |
The Slim Shady LP |
1999 |
Aftermath |
Midwest hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony |
E. 1999 Eternal |
1995 |
Ruthless |
Midwest hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
The Notorious B.I.G. |
Ready to Die |
1994 |
Bad Boy |
East Coast hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
Snoop Dogg |
Doggystyle |
1993 |
Death Row |
West Coast hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
Wu-Tang Clan |
Wu-Tang Forever |
1997 |
Loud |
East Coast hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
Eminem and Various Artists |
8 Mile (soundtrack) |
2002 |
Shady |
Hardcore hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
Outkast |
Stankonia |
2000 |
Arista |
Southern hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
2Pac |
R U Still Down? (Remember Me) |
1997 |
Jive |
West Coast hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
DMX |
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot |
1998 |
Ruff Ryders / Def Jam |
East Coast hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony |
The Art of War |
1997 |
Ruthless |
Midwest hip hop |
4 |
4× Platinum |
Eminem |
Recovery |
2010 |
Aftermath |
Midwest hip hop |
3.7 |
3× Platinum |
Kanye West |
The College Dropout |
2004 |
Roc-a-Fella / Def Jam |
Alternative hip hop |
3.5 |
3× Platinum |
Lil Wayne |
Tha Carter III |
2008 |
Cash Money |
Southern hip hop |
3.5 |
3× Platinum |
Jay-Z |
The Black Album |
2003 |
Roc-a-Fella / Def Jam |
East Coast hip hop |
3.3 |
3× Platinum |
Kanye West |
Late Registration |
2005 |
Roc-a-Fella / Def Jam |
Alternative hip hop |
3.1 |
3× Platinum |
Jay-Z |
Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter |
1999 |
Roc-a-Fella / Def Jam |
East Coast hip hop |
3.1 |
3× Platinum |
Eminem |
Curtain Call: The Hits |
2005 |
Aftermath / Shady |
Midwest hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
2Pac |
Until the End of Time |
2001 |
Amaru |
West Coast hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
DMX |
Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood |
1998 |
Ruff Ryders / Def Jam |
East Coast hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Beastie Boys |
Ill Communication |
1994 |
Capitol |
Alternative hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Run–D.M.C. |
Raising Hell |
1986 |
Arista |
Golden age hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Jay-Z |
The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse |
2002 |
Roc-a-Fella / Def Jam |
East Coast hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Cypress Hill |
Black Sunday |
1993 |
Columbia |
West Coast hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Warren G |
Regulate...G Funk Era |
1994 |
Def Jam |
West Coast hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Beastie Boys |
Hello Nasty |
1998 |
Capitol |
Alternative hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Ludacris |
Back for the First Time |
2000 |
Def Jam |
Southern hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Kanye West |
''Graduation |
2007 |
Roc-a-Fella / Def Jam |
Alternative hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
G-Unit |
Beg for Mercy |
2003 |
G-Unit |
East Coast hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Ludacris |
Word of Mouf |
2001 |
Def Jam |
Southern hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Nelly |
Suit |
2004 |
Universal |
Southern hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Ja Rule |
Rule 3:36 |
2000 |
Def Jam |
East Coast hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
Ja Rule |
Pain Is Love |
2001 |
Def Jam |
East Coast hip hop |
3 |
3× Platinum |
See also
- List of best-selling albums in the United States
- List of best-selling albums worldwide
- Lists of best-selling albums by country
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of best-selling singles
- Top ten best-selling albums of the Nielsen SoundScan era (United States)
- Best-selling Albums by Year (USA)