| Release Date[1] | Artist | Album | Label |
|---|
| January 1 | Boosie Badazz | For My Thugz | Trill Entertainment |
| January 8 | Deepspace5 | The Night We Called It a Day | UpRok |
| January 22 | KRS-One | Spiritual Minded | Koch Records |
| X-Raided | Deadly Game | JLM Entertainment |
| January 29 | C-Bo | Life as a Rider | West Coast Mafia Records, Warlock Records |
| State Property | State Property Soundtrack | Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam Recordings |
| February 5 | Aesop Rock | Daylight | Definitive Jux |
| February 12 | Heather B. | Eternal Affairs | Sai Records |
| PSD | All I Want | Gateway Entertainment |
| February 24 | Souljahz | The Fault Is History | World Entertainment, LLC. |
| February 25 | Deep Puddle Dynamics/Anticon | We Ain't Fessin' (Double Quotes) | Anticon |
| February 26 | The High & Mighty | Air Force 1 | Eastern Conference Records |
| The X-Ecutioners | Built From Scratch | Loud Records, Columbia Records |
| February 26 | Aim | Hinterland | Grand Central Records |
| March 12 | N.E.R.D. | In Search Of... [Second Version] | Virgin Records, EMI |
| New Breed | Stop the Music | UpRok, EMI CMG |
| March 19 | R. Kelly & Jay-Z | The Best of Both Worlds | Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam Recordings, Jive Records, Rockland Records |
| Rasheeda | A Ghetto Dream | D-Lo Entertainment |
| Edan | Primitive Plus | Lewis Recordings |
| March 26 | Eazy-E | Impact of a Legend | Ruthless Records, Epic Records |
| k-os | Exit | Astralwerks |
| Non Phixion | The Future Is Now | Uncle Howie Records |
| Ying Yang Twins | | Koch Records |
| April 2 | J-Live | All of the Above | Coup D'État |
| April 5 | Pezet/Noon | Muzyka Klasyczna | T1-Teraz |
| April 8 | O.S.T.R. | 30 minut z życia | Asfalt Records |
| April 9 | Twiztid | Mirror Mirror | Psychopathic Records |
| April 16 | Sage Francis | Personal Journals | Anticon |
| April 23 | Cee-Lo | Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections | Arista Records |
| April 26 | 50 Cent | Guess Who's Back? | Full Clip Records |
| April 30 | Blackalicious | Blazing Arrow | MCA Records |
| Count Bass D | Dwight Spitz | High Times |
| May 7 | Kastro & E.D.I. | Blood Brothers | Outlaw Recordz |
| Naughty by Nature | IIcons | TVT Records |
| May 14 | Cam'ron | Come Home with Me | Roc-A-Fella Records, Diplomat Records, Def Jam Recordings |
| El-P | Fantastic Damage | Definitive Jux |
| May 18 | Noah23 | Quicksand | Plague Language[2] |
| May 21 | Big Syke | Street Commando | Riviera Records |
| Camp Lo | Let's Do It Again | Dymond Crook Records |
| May 26 | Eminem | The Eminem Show | Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records |
| May 28 | Lil' Keke | Birds Fly South | Averice |
| June 4 | People Under the Stairs | O.S.T. | Om Records |
| June 11 | Atmosphere | God Loves Ugly | Rhymesayers Entertainment, Fat Beats Records |
| AZ | Aziatic | Motown |
| Spice 1 | Spiceberg Slim | Hard Tyme Records, Riviera Records |
| June 14 | 1200 Techniques | Choose One | Rubber Records, Sony Records |
| June 18 | Wyclef Jean | Masquerade | Columbia Records |
| June 22 | Baracuda72 | Tetragammoth | Plague Language[3] |
| June 24 | O.S.T.R. | Tabasko | Asfalt Records[4] |
| June 25 | Cormega | The True Meaning | Legal Hustle Entertainment |
| N.O.R.E. | God's Favorite | Thugged Out Entertainment, Def Jam Recordings |
| Nelly | Nellyville | Universal Records |
| Will Smith | Born to Reign | Columbia Records |
| Mr. Lif | Emergency Rations | Definitive Jux |
| July 2 | Eyedea | The Many Faces of Oliver Hart or How Eye One the Write Too Think | Rhymesayers Entertainment |
| X-Raided | City of Kings | Out of Bounds Records |
| July 8 | Roots Manuva | Dub Come Save Me | Big Dada |
| July 9 | Onyx | Bacdafucup Part II | Koch Records |
| Styles P | A Gangster and a Gentleman | Ruff Ryders, Interscope Records |
| July 16 | Juicy J | Chronicles of the Juice Man | Hypnotize Minds, North North Records |
| KJ-52 | Collaborations | BEC Recordings |
| July 23 | Jean Grae | Attack of the Attacking Things | Third Earth Music |
| The Beatnuts | The Originators | Landspeed |
| Jumpsteady | The Chaos Theory | Psychopathic Records |
| Lil Wayne | 500 Degreez | Cash Money Records |
| Public Enemy | Revolverlution | Koch Records |
| July 30 | Richie Rich | Nixon Pryor Roundtree | Ten-Six Records |
| Knoc-Turn'al | L.A. Confidential presents: Knoc-Turn'al | Elektra Records |
| August 6 | Cage | Movies for the Blind | Eastern Conference Records |
| Project Pat | Layin' da Smack Down | |
| Scarface | The Fix | Def Jam South |
| Big Mello | The Gift | KMJ Records |
| August 13 | Do or Die | Back 2 the Game | Rap-A-Lot Records, Virgin Records |
| Luniz | Silver & Black | Rap-A-Lot Records, Virgin Records, Asylum Records |
| Slum Village | Trinity (Past, Present and Future) | Capitol Records |
| August 20 | Angie Martinez | Animal House | Elektra Records |
| Clipse | Lord Willin' | Star Trak Entertainment, Jive Records |
| DJ Jazzy Jeff | The Magnificent | BBE Records |
| Tray Deee | The General's List | Empire Music Werks |
| August 27 | Devin the Dude | Just Tryin' ta Live | Rap-a-Lot Records |
| Eve | Eve-Olution | Ruff Ryders Entertainment, Interscope Records |
| GRITS | The Art of Translation | Gotee Records |
| KRS-One | The Mix Tape | Koch Records |
| Lil Flip | Undaground Legend | Sucka Free, Loud Records, Columbia Records |
| Promatic | Promatic | Koch Records |
| Trina | Diamond Princess | Slip-n-Slide Records, Atlantic Records |
| September 9 | Outlandish | Bread & Barrels of Water | RCA Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment |
| Jehst | The Return of the Drifter | Low Life Records |
| September 10 | Shade Sheist | Informal Introduction | MCA Records |
| September 16 | Boom Bip | Seed to Sun | Lex Records |
| September 17 | Mr. Lif | I Phantom | Definitive Jux |
| September 23 | DJ Vadim | U.S.S.R. The Art of Listening | Ninja Tune |
| September 24 | 54th Platoon | All or Nothin' | FUBU Records |
| Nas | The Lost Tapes | Ill Will Records, Columbia Records |
| Tech N9ne | Absolute Power | Strange Music |
| September 25 | Paktofonika | Archiwum kinematografii | Gigant Records |
| October 1 | Xzibit | Man vs. Machine | Open Bar Entertainment, Loud Records, Columbia Records |
| 7L & Esoteric | Warning: Dangerous Exclusives | Brick Records |
| October 7 | K-Gee | Bounce to This | Instant Karma |
| October 8 | Boot Camp Clik | The Chosen Few | Duck Down Music |
| Jurassic 5 | Power in Numbers | Interscope Records |
| Krumb Snatcha | Respect All Fear None | D&D Records |
| Large Professor | 1st Class | Matador Records |
| Tela | Double Dose | Rap-a-Lot Records |
| UTP | The Compilation | Orpheus Records |
| 7L & Esoteric | Dangerous Connection | Brick Records |
| October 10 | Young Buck | Born to Be a Thug | UTP Records, Thug Entertainment |
| October 15 | Coolio | El Cool Magnifico | Riviera Records |
| Da Heabussaz (Three 6 Mafia & Fiend) | Dat's How It Happen to'M | Hypnotize Minds, Fiend Entertainment |
| LL Cool J | 10 | Def Jam Recordings |
| Supastition | 7 Years of Bad Luck | Freshchest Records |
| October 21 | Bushido & Fler | Carlo Cokxxx Nutten | Aggro Berlin |
| October 22 | Big Syke | Big Syke | RideOnUm Records, Rap-A-Lot Records |
| Choppa | Choppa Style | Take Fo' Records |
| Jay Tee | High Caliber | 40 Ounce Records |
| Jel | 10 Seconds | Mush Records |
| The Streets | Original Pirate Material | Locked On Records, 679 Recordings |
| Field Mob | From tha Roota to tha Toota | MCA Records |
| October 28 | WWO | We własnej osobie | Prosto[5] |
| October 29 | Bone Thugs-n-Harmony | Thug World Order | Ruthless Records |
| Jungle Brothers | All That We Do | Jungle Brothers Records |
| Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz | Kings of Crunk | BME Recordings, TVT Records |
| Penny | The Clockforth Movement | Plague Language[6] |
| Various Artists | Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture 8 Mile | Shady Records, Interscope Records |
| November 5 | Insane Clown Posse | | Psychopathic Records |
| Soul-Junk | 1957 |
| November 9 | Sev Statik | Speak Life | UpRock, EMI CMG |
| November 12 | Indo G | Contact | Blackhouse Entertainment |
| JAY-Z | | Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam Recordings |
| Fat Joe | Loyalty | Terror Squad, Atlantic |
| Missy Elliott | Under Construction | The Goldmind Inc., Elektra Records |
| Swollen Members | Monsters in the Closet | Battle Axe Records |
| WC | Ghetto Heisman | Def Jam Recordings |
| November 19 | C-Bo | Desert Eagle | Warlock Records |
| Canibus | | Mic Club Music |
| Ja Rule | The Last Temptation | Murder Inc Records, Def Jam Recordings |
| Talib Kweli | Quality | Rawkus Records, MCA Records |
| November 22 | Fettes Brot | Amnesie | 'Yo Mama's Recording |
| November 26 | 2Pac | Better Dayz | Amaru Entertainment, Death Row Records |
| Birdman | Birdman | Cash Money Records |
| Busta Rhymes | It Ain't Safe No More... | Flipmode Records, J Records |
| Royce da 5'9" | Rock City | Columbia Records, E1 Music, Game Recordings |
| Snoop Dogg | Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$ | Doggystyle Records, Priority Records, Capitol Records |
| The Roots | Phrenology | Geffen Records, MCA Records |
| Will Smith | Greatest Hits | Columbia Records |
| Kool G Rap | The Giancana Story | Koch Records |
| Erick Sermon | React | J Records |
| Nighthawks (Cage & Camu Tao) | Nighthawks | Eastern Conference Records |
| December 10 | Common | Electric Circus | MCA Records |
| Felt | | Rhymesayers Entertainment |
| Proof | Electric Cool-Aid: Acid Testing | Iron Fist Records |
| 504 Boyz | Ballers | The New No Limit, Universal Records |
| GZA | Legend of the Liquid Sword | MCA Records, Universal Records |
| December 13 | Nas | God's Son | Ill Will Records, Columbia Records |
| December 17 | Indo G | Christmas N' Memphis | Big Face |
| Lil' Romeo | Game Time | The New No Limit, Universal Records | |
