1997 in hip hop music explained

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 1997.

Released albums

Release Date[1] ArtistAlbumNotes
January 14Various Artists Rhyme & Reason: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
January 28Camp LoUptown Saturday Night
Various ArtistsWest Coast Bad Boyz II
February 4Kool KeithSex Style
C-BoOne Life 2 Live
February 11Frankie CutlassPolitics & Bullshit
Funkmaster FlexThe Mix Tape, Vol. II
February 18LunizBootlegs & B-Sides
TRUTru 2 da Game
March 4Soul AssassinsThe Soul Assassins, Chapter I
March 11Ghetto MafiaStraight from the Dec
ScarfaceThe Untouchable
March 25The Notorious B.I.G.Life After Death
Warren GTake a Look Over Your Shoulder
Tracey LeeMany Facez
April 83X CrazyStackin' Chips
Big MikeStill Serious
Crime BossConflicts & Confusion
Us3Broadway & 52nd
April 15ArtifactsThat's Them
April 22Ill Al SkratchKeep It Movin'
May 6Steady Mobb'nPre-Meditated Drama
May 13JuvenileSolja Rags
May 20Boot Camp ClikFor the People
KRS-OneI Got Next
Various ArtistsI'm Bout It
June Esham
June 1Down Ta ErfDown Ta Erf
June 3Wu-Tang ClanWu-Tang Forever
Jungle BrothersRaw Deluxe
World-famous Beat JunkiesThe World Famous Beat Junkies Volume 1
TeflonMy Will
June 10Mike LaddEasy Listening 4 Armageddon
June 17Capone-N-NoreagaThe War Report
Lil' KekeDon't Mess wit Texas
The Lost BoyzLove, Peace & Nappiness
BoogiemonstersGod Sound
June 24The BeatnutsStone Crazy
Craig Mack
CruDa Dirty 30
Insane Clown PosseThe Great Milenko
TwistaAdrenaline Rush
Mia XUnlady Like
The Lady of RageNecessary Roughness
Wyclef JeanWyclef Jean Presents The Carnival
July 1B.G.It's All on U, Vol. 1
Ghetto TwiinzIn That Water
July 11Slum VillageFan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)
July 15DJ PoohBad Newz Travels Fast
Missy ElliottSupa Dupa Fly
July 22Company FlowFuncrusher Plus[2]
Puff Daddy & the FamilyNo Way Out
July 29Bone Thugs-n-HarmonyThe Art of War
D-ShotSix Figures
RampageScout's Honor... By Way of Blood
Trick DaddyBased On A True Story
August 5AtmosphereOvercast!
KillarmySilent Weapons for Quiet Wars
Mr. Serv-OnLife Insurance
Various ArtistsHow to Be a Player
August 12Hed PEHed PE
August 15Aesop RockMusic for Earthworms
August 19O.C.Jewelz
Royal FlushGhetto Millionaire
August 26CoolioMy Soul
Diamond DHatred, Passions and Infidelity
LatryxThe Album
The MossieHave Heart Have Money
Tha AlkaholiksLikwidation
September 2Master PGhetto D
September 16GravediggazThe Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel
Mack 10Based on a True Story
Busta RhymesWhen Disaster Strikes...
September 23EPMDBack in Business
MC BreedFlatline
Organized KonfusionThe Equinox
The X-EcutionersX-Pressions
No I.D.Accept Your Own and Be Yourself (The Black Album)
September 30CommonOne Day It'll All Make Sense
RBL PosseAn Eye for an Eye
OctoberNatas
October 14KinfusionDa Unhatched Breed
Jurassic 5Jurassic 5
LL Cool JPhenomenon
Rawkus RecordsSoundbombing
October 21The FirmThe Album
Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz
Salt-n-PepaBrand New
October 28Hot BoysGet It How U Live!
LunizLunitik Muzik[3]
MaseHarlem World
MoodDoom
Psycho RealmThe Psycho Realm
Spice 1The Black Bossalini
November 4Jay-ZIn My Lifetime, Vol. 1
Jedi Mind TricksThe Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness
Mic GeronimoVendetta
RakimThe 18th Letter
  • Certified Gold
Three 6 Mafia
November 10MC LyteBadder Than B-Fore
November 11B.G.It's All on U, Vol. 2
LunizLunitik Muzik
  • Certified Gold
LukeChangin' the Game
MC EihtLast Man Standing
MystikalUnpredictable
Timbaland & MagooWelcome to Our World
November 185th Ward BoyzUsual Suspects
Del the Funky HomosapienFuture Development
MJGNo More Glory
November 25DFCThe Whole World's Rotten
TwiztidMostasteless
Will SmithBig Willie Style
2PacR U Still Down? (Remember Me)
December 16EminemSlim Shady EP
Ice CubeFeaturing...Ice Cube
Queen PenMy Melody
December 238Ball & MJGLyrics of a Pimp

Highest-charting singles

Title! scope="col"
ArtistPeak position
"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"P. Diddy feat. Mase1
"I'll Be Missing You"P. Diddy feat. Faith Evans & 112
"Hypnotize"The Notorious B.I.G.
"Mo Money Mo Problems"The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Mase
"It's All About the Benjamins"P. Diddy feat. Lil' Kim, The Lox & The Notorious B.I.G.2
"Look into My Eyes"Bone Thugs-n-Harmony4
"Feel So Good"Mase5
"Dangerous"Busta Rhymes9
"C U When U Get There"Coolio featuring 40 Thevz12
"Smile"Scarface featuring 2Pac & Johnny P.
"Ghetto Love"Da Brat ft. T-Boz
"Up Jumps da Boogie"Timbaland & Magoo featuring Aaliyah & Missy Elliott
"I Shot The Sheriff"20
"Street Dreams"Nas22
"I Miss My Homies"Master P ft. Silkk the Shocker, Pimp C & Sons of Funk25
"Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"Busta Rhymes27
"If I Could Teach the World"Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
"What They Do"The Roots34
"Smokin' Me Out"Warren G ft. Ronald Isley35
"ATLiens"OutKast
"Backyard Boogie"Mack 1038
"Gangstas Make the World Go Round"Westside Connection40

Highest first-week sales

Number! scope="col"
AlbumArtist1st-week sales1st-week positionGenre
1Life After DeathThe Notorious B.I.G.690,0001East Coast Hip Hop
2Wu-Tang ForeverWu-Tang Clan612,0001East Coast Hip Hop
3No Way Out561,0001East Coast Hip Hop
4R U Still Down? (Remember Me)2Pac549,0002West Coast Hip Hop
5The Art Of WarBone Thugs-n-Harmony394,0001Midwest Hip Hop
6Harlem WorldMase270,0001East Coast Hip Hop
7Ghetto DMaster P260,0001Southern Hip Hop

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Top 100 Hip-Hop Albums of 1997.
  2. Web site: Funcrusher Plus - Company Flow Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic. AllMusic. 2018-05-05.
  3. Web site: Lunitik Muzik - The Luniz Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic. AllMusic. 2018-05-05.