23 Hip-Hop Albums Turning 25 This Year

With classic albums from the Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, De La Soul and others, 1989 was one of the most important years of hip-hop's golden era.

Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique

Big Daddy Kane, It's A Big Daddy Thing

Biz Markie, The Biz Never Sleeps

Boogie Down Productions, Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop

The D.O.C., No One Can Do It Better

De La Soul, 3 Feet High And Rising

EPMD, Unfinished Business

Gang Starr, No More Mr. Nice Guy

Ghetto Boys, Grip It! On That Other Level

Heavy D. & The Boyz, Big Tyme

Ice-T, The Iceberg/Freedom Of Speech... Just Watch What You Say!

Jungle Brothers, Done By The Forces Of Nature

Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo, Road To The Riches

Kwame, The Boy Genius

Atlantic Records

L.L. Cool J, Walking With A Panther

MC Lyte, Eyes On This

Nice & Smooth, Nice & Smooth

Queen Latifah, All Hail The Queen

Special Ed, Youngest In Charge

Three Times Dope, Original Stylin'

Young MC, Stone Cold Rhymin'

2 Live Crew, As Nasty As They Wanna Be

3rd Bass, The Cactus Album

BONUS: Public Enemy, "Fight The Power"

Subsequently included on Public Enemy's Fear Or A Black Planet in 1990, "Fight The Power" was first featured on the soundtrack for Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing in 1989.