This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

for the year 2008.

Events

January

* The Game states that after his third album, '' L.A.X.'', he will retire. *

Freekey Zeekey Ezekiel Jiles (born October 13, 1975), better known by his stage name Freekey Zekey, is an American rapper best known as a founding member of now-defunct hip-hop group the Diplomats, which he helped form in Harlem in 1997 alongside his childhood ...

states that all is well with

Dipset The Diplomats (also known as Dipset) were an American hip hop collective formed in the summer of 1997 by childhood friends Cam'ron and Jimmy Jones in Harlem, New York City. The group was originally composed of Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Freekey Ze ...

, and they are working on new projects. *

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...

says that ''

Trilla ''Trilla'' is the second studio album by American rapper Rick Ross. It was released on March 11, 2008, by Poe Boy Entertainment, Slip-n-Slide Records and Def Jam Recordings. It features guest appearances from R. Kelly, T-Pain, Trey Songz, You ...

'' will be one of the best albums of 2008, and that he and Birdman are recording an album together, as well as making a movie together. *

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...

, and

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...

are listed in the

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

'' Times Union'' list of steroid trafficking. *

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

was rushed to the hospital due to complications of pneumonia, and reports said his weight had exceeded 200 pounds. *

Twista Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (also known as Tung Twista), is an American rapper. He is best known for his Chopper (rap), chopper style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastest ...

launches a new label called the Get Money Gang. *

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), known professionally as Flo Rida ( ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 debut and breakout single "Low (Flo Rida song), Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the ...

breaks a digital sales record, by selling over 470,000 digital units in one week. *

Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American rapper and singer. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals on several hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the ...

suffers a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

. *

L.A. Reid Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer who served as president and CEO of Arista Records from 2000 to 2004, as well as chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Mus ...

is named

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

President, after

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

stepped down to pursue other options. *

Joell Ortiz Joell Christopher Ortiz (born July 6, 1980) is an American rapper and former member of the group Slaughterhouse. Raised in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn's Cooper Park Houses, he first gained recognition after appearing in the Unsigned Hype colu ...

leaves

Aftermath Entertainment Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre in 1996. It operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed through Interscope Records. The label's roster includes artists ...

after not being able to produce music at the rate he wanted to.

February

* Devin the Dude leaves Rap-a-Lot Records. *A tabloid is circulated, that says

Benzino Raymond Scott (born July 18, 1965), better known by his stage name Benzino or Ray Benzino, is an American urban media proprietor, television personality, rapper and record producer. Benzino produced records (as part of the production team Hang ...

was with

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...

's wife in the past, but the magazine was later found out to be fake. *

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

president Christina Norman leaves her position. * The Game was given 2 months in jail because of his several incidents of violence. *

DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...

initializes a label under

, called We The Best Music. He signs his first artist,

Ace Hood Antoine Franklin McColister (born May 11, 1988), known professionally Ace Hood, is an American rapper. Born in Port St. Lucie and raised in Deerfield Beach, Florida, he was discovered by DJ Khaled and became the first act to sign with his rec ...

. *

Ruthless Records Ruthless Records was an American independent record label founded by Eric "Eazy-E" Wright and Jerry Heller in Compton, California on March 3, 1987. All of the Ruthless trademarks have been owned by Comptown Records, Inc. since 1987. Several ...

returns, with help from

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

Eazy-E Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E is often re ...

's wife Tomica Woods-Wright is the CEO of the re-formed company. *

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

says his album, ''

Nigger In the English language, ''nigger'' is a racial slur directed at black people. Starting in the 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been increasingly replaced by the euphemistic contraction , notably in cases where ''nigger'' is Use–menti ...

'', will be released in April. *

TVT Records TVT Records, originally Tee-Vee Toons, was an American record label founded by Steve Gottlieb in 1984. Initially created to release the '' Television's Greatest Hits'' series of classic TV theme tune compilations, the label would expand into ra ...

(home of

Lil Jon Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer. Regarded as a progenitor of the club-oriented hip-hop subgenre crunk, his production and voice presence were inst ...

Ying Yang Twins The Ying Yang Twins are an American hip hop duo consisting of Kaine (born Eric Jackson on December 16, 1978) and D-Roc (born Deongelo Holmes on February 23, 1979). Despite the name, the duo are not twins, brothers or related in any way. They d ...

, and

Pitbull Pit bull is an umbrella term for several types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers. In the United States, the term is usually considered to include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American B ...

) closes down after 22 years in the business. *

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

says his album, ''

Tha Carter III ''Tha Carter III'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on June 10, 2008, by Cash Money, Universal Motown and Young Money Entertainment. It follows a string of mixtape releases and guest appearances on other hip hop a ...

'', will be released in April. *Producer and songwriter

Static Major Stephen Ellis Garrett Jr. (November 11, 1974 – February 25, 2008), known professionally as Static Major (and previously as Static), was an American R&B and hip hop producer, singer, rapper, and songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky. He is be ...

dies. *

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...

and DJ Revolution sign to

Duck Down Records Duck Down Music Inc is a New York City based record label, talent management, music-marketing, and consulting company founded by Drew "Dru-Ha" Friedman and Kenyatta "Buckshot" Blake in 1995. In Duck Down's 20-year existence, the company has rele ...

."KRS-One & DJ Revolution Sign To Duck Down"
HipHop DX. *

and

's feud continues, with Fat Joe saying that in a fair fight, 50 would probably beat him, but he would love to send him to the dentist.

March

Disturbing tha Peace Disturbing tha Peace Records (or DTP) is an American record label founded by rapper Ludacris, Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu, and Chaka Zulu's brother Jeff Dixon in 1998. History Beginnings Disturbing tha Peace was founded in 1998 by Christ ...

signs with

. *

and

continue to beef, especially through the internet and through videos.

G-Unit G-Unit (short for Guerilla-Unit). was an American hip hop group formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. After amassing a string of self-released mixtapes in the early 2000s, the group released ...

releases a mixtape called "The Elephant In The Sand". * G Unit's DJ, Whoo Kid, says he is going to retire. *

and

Royce Da 5'9" Ryan Daniel Montgomery (born July 5, 1977), known professionally as Royce da 5'9" (or simply Royce 5'9"), is an American rapper. Best known for his association with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, they became acquainted in 1997 and formed the hi ...

cease the beef. *

Chuck Philips Charles Alan Philips (October 15, 1952 – January 2024) was an American writer and journalist. He was best known for his investigative reporting in the ''Los Angeles Times'' on the culture, corruption, and crime in the music industry during the ...

of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' says that Diddy and Jimmy Rosemond were in on the assault of

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

, but Diddy denies the rumor. *

Jadakiss Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss (, ), is an American rapper who began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed w ...

speaks on his highly anticipated debut album with

. *

is set to be released on May 13, while L.A.X. is set to be released on June 24. *''Los Angeles Times'' reports that said Diddy knew about the

shooting before it happened were based on fraudulent documents, but the ''Los Angeles Times'' later apologized for the rumors. *

T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...

is found guilty for gun charges. *

pleads guilty on a domestic violence charge. *

Remy Ma Reminisce Kioni Mackie ( Smith; born May 30, 1980), known professionally as Remy Ma, is an American rapper and songwriter. Discovered by the late rapper Big Pun, she came to prominence for her work as a member of Fat Joe's group, Terror Squad ...

was found guilty of charges that were put against her last year, and could face up to 25 years in prison. *Former Dipset member

Max B Charley Wingate (born May 21, 1978), better known by his stage name Max B (short for Max Biggaveli), is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his solo ''Public Domain'' and ''Million Dollar Baby'' series of mixtapes, and introduc ...

is shot, and is said to be in

critical condition Medical state is a term used to describe a hospital patient's health status, or condition. The term is most commonly used in information given to the news media, and is rarely used as a clinical description by physicians. Two aspects of the pati ...

. *

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...

says that his first album in four years, ''

Brass Knuckles Brass knuckles (also referred to as brass knucks, knuckledusters, iron fist and paperweight, among other names) are a melee weapon used primarily in Hand to hand combat, hand-to-hand combat. They are fitted and designed to be worn around the kn ...

'', is set to be released later in 2008. *

talks about the fake Benzino/Fat Joe Hip Hop Weekly album cover(he says he did not create it), and fires "warning shots" at

April

*KL of

Screwball A screwball is a baseball and fastpitch softball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action. The pitch is sometimes known ...

dies of a heart attack. *

signs a $150,000,000 deal with

Live Nation Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American multinational Entertainment industry, entertainment company that was founded in 2010 following the Mergers and acquisitions, merger of Live Nation (events promoter), Live Nation and Ticketmaster. It ...

. *Despite the big signs Diddy made to get

Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

Mase Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Mase (often stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper. Best known for his work with Sean Combs, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, he signed with the label in 1996 ...

, and

, Diddy says that his biggest sign is

Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson ( ; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. ...

. *

Trina Katrina Laverne Kearse (née Taylor; born December 3, 1974), is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in the late 1990s for her collaborations with Trick Daddy on the singles " Nann Nigga", " Shut Up", and " Take It to da House". In 2000, ...

's album, '' Still da Baddest'', is the number 1 on the Rap albums on Billboard. *New Orleans rapper VL Mike is murdered on April 20 at age 32. *''

'' is pushed back again, to June. *

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music at the age of nine. He discovered th ...

and

TAG Body Spray TAG Body Spray was manufactured by TAG Fragrance Company, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble. It was first released in 2005. From 2005 to 2007, TAG Fragrance Company was part of Global Gillette, until Gillette was bought out by Procter & Gamble and ...

launch a hip hop record label. *

DJ Whoo Kid Yves Mondesir (born October 12, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Whoo Kid, is an American hip hop DJ. He is signed with G-Unit Records, its subsidiary, Shadyville Entertainment and was 50 Cent and G-Unit's tour DJ. Mondesir had two alb ...

says he doesn't want to retire, but he's not going to stick around until he's 40. *

The Trackmasters The Trackmasters, also known as Poke & Tone, is an American hip hop production outfit composed of Poke (Jean-Claude Olivier born January 21, 1970; Brooklyn, New York ) and Tone (Samuel Barnes born January 20, 1969; Brooklyn, New York). Active fro ...

return. *

Ja Rule Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised in New York City, Ja Rule became known for blending gangsta rap with pop rap, pop and contempo ...

says that soon he will release his new album, ''The Mirror''. * Bobby Valentino leaves

Disturbing Tha Peace Disturbing tha Peace Records (or DTP) is an American record label founded by rapper Ludacris, Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu, and Chaka Zulu's brother Jeff Dixon in 1998. History Beginnings Disturbing tha Peace was founded in 1998 by Christ ...

. *The UK ban of

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

is lifted. * The Game moves the release date on ''L.A.X.'' from June 24 to July 8.

May

* DMX is arrested in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

because of drug and

animal cruelty Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction of suffering or Injury, harm by humans upon animals, either by omission (neglect) or by commission. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm ...

charges. *MTV gets hip-hop hate because of the mediocre rappers that were on the list of the best. *

Suge Knight Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. ( ; born April 19, 1965) is an American former record executive, former National Football League, NFL player, and convicted felon, who is the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Knight was a central f ...

is assaulted and hospitalized. *

's case gets re-evaluated, and only has to serve 8 years in prison. *''

Mass Appeal Magazine Mass Appeal is an American media and content company based in New York City. The name originates from the Gang Starr song of the same name from the album '' Hard to Earn'' (1994). The company was founded in 1996 as a graffiti fanzine and since ...

'' calls it quits after 12 years running. * Rick Ross's ''

'' becomes the first hip hop album to be certified gold in 2008, due to the heavy airplay of his second single, " The Boss". *Dunk Ryders sign to

Cash Money Records Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Birdman (rapper), Bryan "Baby" Williams. The label gained prominence in the late 1990s for having signed and released albums for New Orleans– ...

. *A

representative denies the reports of the $300,000,000 deal. *

co-signs Jay Electronica. *Nas changes the name of his formerly titled ''Nigger'' album to ''Nas''. *

Polow da Don Jamal Fincher Jones (born October 15, 1977 or 1978), known professionally as Polow da Don, is an American record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. He began his career as a recording artist in the late 1990s, leaving college to pursue a career with ...

is named the Songwriter of the Year by BMI. *

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

is released from

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

. *

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

David Paterson David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 55th governor of New York, succeeding Eliot Spitzer, who resigned, and serving out nearly three years of Spitzer's term from March 2008 to ...

pardons

Slick Rick Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence as part of Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. His songs " The Show" and ...

, ending his immigration woes. *A judge orders

to sell

Death Row Records Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. D ...

. *

Yung Joc Jasiel Amon Robinson (born September 20, 1980), better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper known for his 2006 single " It's Goin' Down", which peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Prior to its release, he sign ...

starts his own label under

Jive Records Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...

called Swagg Team Entertainment, signing

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

rap trio

Hotstylz Hotstylz is an American hip hop group from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2007. The trio, composed of Midwest rappers Krazee (Kryss Johnson), Meatball (Garren Hodge), and Raydio G (Raymond Jones), signed with Yung Joc's record label Swagg Team, ...

as its first act.

June

Trick Daddy Maurice Samuel Young (born September 27, 1974), better known by his stage name Trick Daddy, is an American rapper from Miami, Florida. He is best known for his 2004 single " Let's Go" (featuring Twista and Lil Jon), which peaked at number seven on ...

leaves

Slip-N-Slide Records Slip-N-Slide Records is an American record label, founded in 1994 by Ted Lucas. History Ted Lucas founded the label in 1994. Slip-n-Slide signed local rapper Trick Daddy Dollars in its early years; he debuted in 1997 with the locally popular albu ...

, and has talks with

. *Shakir Stewart gets promoted to Executive VP of Def Jam. *

Charli Baltimore Tiffany Lane (born August 16, 1974), better known by her stage name Charli Baltimore, is an American rapper, and television personality. Her stage name is taken from Geena Davis's character in the film '' The Long Kiss Goodnight''. Career Ch ...

re-signs with Murder Inc Records *

's album name changes again, to ''Untitled''. * The Game changes his release date of the album '' L.A.X.'' again, to July 22, and also says that he has made the decision to ''not'' make LAX his last album. *

's album, ''

'', sells over a million copies for its first week. This feat was last done by

's ''

The Massacre ''The Massacre'' is the second studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released on March 3, 2005, via Interscope Records, Eminem's Shady Records, 50 Cent's G-Unit Records, and Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. With production from Dr. Dre, ...

''. His debut single from the album, "

Lollipop A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker and sticky-pop. Lollipops are avail ...

" was #1 on Billboard 100 for 5 non-consecutive weeks. *

signs

8Ball & MJG 8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop music, hip hop duo from Orange Mound, Memphis, Orange Mound, Memphis, Tennessee. They met at Ridgeway Middle School (Memphis, Tennessee), Ridgeway Middle School in 1984. In 1993, the duo released their debut al ...

, while he continues to have beef with

Shawty Lo Carlos Rico Walker (March 22, 1976 – September 21, 2016), better known as Shawty Lo, was an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He initially came to prominence as a founding member of the Southern hip hop group D4L, and in 2000 founded D ...

and

. *The Orchard wins the bid for TVT Records to buy out the bankrupt label. *

is arrested for terrorist threats to his girlfriend. * DMX is arrested for not having a valid driver's license. * The Game's album, '' L.A.X.'', is once again pushed back, this time to August 26. * 2 Pistols falls after one punch at a BET Awards pre-party from Dolla after back-and-forth disses. *

D-Block A block of the periodic table is a set of elements unified by the atomic orbitals their valence electrons or vacancies lie in. The term seems to have been first used by Charles Janet. Each block is named after its characteristic orbital: s-bloc ...

is set to release a new album; their first group album since 2000. *Death Row is sold in an auction after

was ordered to sell the label; it was sold for 24 million dollars to Susan Berg. *

is set to release the album, ''

We Global ''We Global'' is the third studio album by American disc jockey and record producer DJ Khaled. It was released on September 16, 2008, by We the Best Music Group, Terror Squad Entertainment and Koch Records. The album contains guest appearances ...

'', later in 2008. *

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

loses the sponsorship over violence, profanity, and obscenity in hip-hop videos. (Industry Ears and CNN,

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...

, Pepsi and General Motors pulled their ads from ''Rap City'' and ''106 & Park''.) *

The Clipse Clipse, also known as the Clipse, is an American hip hop duo from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Formed in 1994, it consists of brothers Gene "Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during the group's early years, whi ...

will release their album, '' Clipse Presents: Re-Up Gang'', later in 2008 on

Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch"), formerly known as Koch Records and Entertainment One (eOne) Music/Records, is an American independent record label and music management company based in New York City. It was formed in 1987 as a music div ...

. *

states that he is impressed by ''Detox'',

Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...

's new album. He also says that Dre will produce his new album. *

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

was reportedly booed at 2008's

Bonnaroo Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...

festival. A couple of days later, he responded with an all-caps rant post on his blog, KanyeUniverseCity.

July

*50 Cent sues

Taco Bell Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired ...

for $4 million because the food chain had used his name without permission. *

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...

is arrested on gun and drug charges. *Nas teams up with

MoveOn.org MoveOn (formerly known as MoveOn.org) is a progressive public policy advocacy group and political action committee. Formed in 1998 around one of the first massively viral email petitions, MoveOn has since grown into one of the largest and most i ...

and

Color of Change Color of Change is a progressive nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization in the United States. It was formed in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in order to use online resources to strengthen the political voice of African Americ ...

to obtain signatures to end the accusations of

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

. *Lil Wayne's album, ''

'', is certified double platinum. *

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (formerly known as B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e and also referred to as simply Bone Thugs or Bone) is an American hip hop group formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio. Consisting of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie ...

reunite after many years with the release of

Flesh-n-Bone Stanley Howse, better known as Flesh-n-Bone (born June 10, 1973),
is an American rapper know ...

from jail and the return of turmoiled group member

Bizzy Bone Bryon Anthony McCane II (born September 12, 1976),Whitburn, Joel (2008) ''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2006'', Record Research, , p. 97 better known by his stage name Bizzy Bone, is an American rapper, singer and the youngest member o ...

. They are recording a reunion album. *

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...

denies signing with

G-Unit Records G-Unit Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group. Founded in 2003 by rapper 50 Cent, the label was operated by Interscope Records until February 2014. Thereafter, distribution of G-Unit operated under Caroline Records a ...

. *It has been found out that popular Miami rapper Rick Ross used to be a correctional officer before becoming a rapper. *Veteran New Orleans rapper, Sporty T murdered inside of a trailer. *

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

DJ, K-Swift, dies in a swimming pool. *The mayor of

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

proclaimed July 22, "Trae Day", for

Trae Trae is a given name. Notable people with the name "Trae" include * Trae Bell-Haynes (born 1995), Canadian basketball player * Trae Coyle (born 2001), English footballer * Trae Crowder (born 1986), American comedian * Trae Elston (born 1994), Am ...

's help in the community and city. * Upcoming Rapper

Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...

Drops Mixtape A Kid Named Cudi Spawning Two Singles

Day 'n' Nite "Day 'n' Nite" is the debut single by American rapper Kid Cudi. The song was written and produced by Cudi alongside his longtime collaborator and friend, Brooklyn-based producer Dot da Genius. It was issued as Cudi's commercial debut single on Fe ...

And T.G.I.F..

August

Master P Percy Robert Miller (born April 29, 1967), better known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, dancer, actor and entrepreneur. He founded the record label No Limit Records in 1991, which was relau ...

gets the key to the city of

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

for the "Let The Kids Grow Day" project he organized. *Dr. Dre's daughter releases a controversial documentary called ''Daddy's Shadow'' talking about her dad not supporting her dreams of rapping. *

Big Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), known professionally as Big Boi, is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in Atlanta, he was one half of the Southern hip-hop duo Outkast along with rapper ...

and

Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, singer and activist. He made his recording debut on Outkast's fourth album ''Stankonia'' (2000), and guest appeared on the duo's Gr ...

end their 3-year feud. *

Yung Berg Christian J. Ward (born September 9, 1985), known professionally as Hitmaka, is an American record producer and former rapper. Ward began rapping under the stage name Iceberg in 2001, at the age of 14. His career was cut short, due to his time ...

is arrested for possession of a pistol and marijuana. *

and Mike Jones get into an altercation at the 2008 Ozone Awards. *Ice Cube's new album, ''

Raw Footage ''Raw Footage'' is the eighth studio album by American rapper Ice Cube. It was released on August 19, 2008, by his record label Lench Mob Records and EMI. The album features guest appearances from The Game, Butch Cassidy, Musiq Soulchild, Youn ...

'', is leaked onto the internet. *

Cam'ron Cameron Ezike Giles (born February 4, 1976), known Mononym, mononymously as Cam'ron, is an American rapper. Beginning his career in the early 1990s as Killa Cam, Giles signed with Lance Rivera, Lance "Un" Rivera's Lance Rivera, Untertainment, a ...

sold

Juelz Santana LaRon Louis James Sr. (born February 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of now-defunct hip-hop group, the Diplomats (also known as Dipset). He is best known for his appearances on group coho ...

's contract to Def Jam for $2 million, hence removing Santana from the Diplomats roster. *DJ Vlad sues Rick Ross for assaulting him. *50 Cent is #1 on ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

2008 Hip-Hop Cash Kings, making $150 million last year for his Vitamin Water deal, his sales of ''

Curtis Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...

'', and his G-Unit clothing, and his record label. Following behind is Jay-Z at #2, Diddy at #3, and Kanye West at #4. Common, Akon, & Lil Wayne made first time showings on the list. *

Da Brat Shawntae Harris-Dupart (née Harris; born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, she began her career in 1992 and signed with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings two years l ...

is sentenced to three years in prison for striking a woman with a

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...

bottle at an

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

nightclub in 2007. *The Game's new album, '' L.A.X.'', is leaked onto the Internet earlier than expected. *Dr. Dre's son, Andre Young, Jr., aged 20, was found dead on August 23, 2008. *

Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...

's new album, ''

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'', is leaked onto the Internet. *

's new album, ''

Exit 13 ''Exit 13'' is the twelfth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was released on September 9, 2008, on the record label Def Jam Recordings. It was his last album release with the label before his return 16 years later with The FORCE. Pr ...

'', is leaked onto the Internet a day before its release.

September

was hospitalized after being beaten up and robbed for his Transformers necklace in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Trick Trick Christian Anthony Mathis (born June 28, 1973), better known by his stage name Trick Trick, is an American rapper and record producer from Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. sta ...

's club, Plan B. *Kanye West was arrested for damaging two of the paparazzi's cameras. He posted bail for $20,000. *

's new album, ''

'', is leaked onto the Internet four days before its release. *

stated that his album '' Before I Self Destruct'' will be released on December 9, 2008, a week before Kanye's album will be released. *

suffers his second stroke in less than a year. He is reported in critical condition. *

's new album, ''

Paper Trail ''Paper Trail'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper T.I., released September 30, 2008, on Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. He began to write songs for the album as he awaited trial for federal weapons and possession charges ...

'', is released on September 30, 2008. It achieved gold status in its first week and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album sold 568,000 copies and became T.I.'s biggest debut to date. His album yielded two #1 hit singles (" Whatever You Like" & " Live Your Life"). *

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, spoken as "ludicrous" in American English), is an American rapper and songwriter. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age ...

's pool house gets set on fire. *Kanye West has pushed his album ''808s and Heartbreak'' to November.

October

* Maino allegedly smacked

in the face. *

C-Murder Corey Miller (born March 9, 1971), better known by his stage name C-Murder, is an American rapper. He initially gained fame in the mid-1990s as a part of his brother Master P's label No Limit Records, primarily as a member of the label's supergr ...

supposed to appear in court on October 14, for his murder trial. * Johnny J, a Hip-Hop producer known for producing many of

's songs, dies after allegedly committing suicide by jumping of a tier of a county jail. *

releases first single "Get Up" off new album Before I Self Destruct due December 9. *

tells

Shade 45 Shade 45 is American rapper Eminem's hip-hop station on Sirius XM Radio channel 45 and Dish Network channel 6045. History Eminem established his channel, Shade 45, that plays uncut hip-hop. Eminem also established a new morning show, ''Sway in t ...

that his new album will be called ''

Relapse In internal medicine, relapse or recidivism is a recurrence of a past (typically medical) condition. For example, multiple sclerosis and malaria often exhibit peaks of activity and sometimes very long periods of dormancy, followed by relapse or r ...

''. *

new album 808s and Heartbreak to be released November 25. *

signs to Universal Republic Records and plans to release next album sometime in 2009. *

stated that he will release the reissue of ''

'', naming it ''Tha Carter III: The Rebirth''. He now has another boy named Dwayne Carter III. He also won 9 BET Hip-Hop Awards the same day. *

Lil Boosie Torence Ivy Hatch Jr. (born November 14, 1982), better known by his stage name Boosie BadAzz or simply Boosie (formerly Lil' Boosie), is an American rapper. Hatch began rapping in the 1990s as a member of the Southern hip hop collective Concentr ...

has been arrested for marijuana and weapons possession in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

November

* Shakir Steward, president of Def Jam Records, died of a self-inflicted gun wound. *

Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, record producer and Music education, music educator. Born and raised in Chicago, he gained mainstream recognition for his gue ...

stated that ''Lupe E.N.D.'' will be his final album, but it will be a triple CD set. *

Chamillionaire Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (), is an American rapper. He began his career in Houston's hip hop scene in the late 1990s. He was briefly signed with the local record label Swishah ...

releases his first single from his third studio album,

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

, called Creepin' (Solo) featuring

. *

MC Breed Eric Tyrone Breed (June 12, 1971 – November 22, 2008), better known as MC Breed, was an American rapper best known for his singles " Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'", which peaked at #66 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and " Gotta Get Mine" (fe ...

passes away at the age of 36. * '' 8 Mile'' actor, De'Angelo Wilson dies of suicide by hanging.

December

* Another arrest warrant is issued to DMX. *

has the most Grammy nominations for the Grammy Awards 2009 of eight nods. Jay-Z & Kanye West both received 6 nominations each, while T.I. & Lupe Fiasco both received 4 nominations each. * Chingy has been dropped from DTP/Def Jam Records due to lackluster sales on his fourth album, ''

Hate It Or Love It "Hate It or Love It" is a song by American rapper the Game featuring fellow American rapper 50 Cent. It was released as the third single from the former's debut studio album ''The Documentary'' (2005). The song was produced by Cool & Dre with ...

''. * Plies releases his 3rd studio album in less than 17 months titled, '' Da Realist''. *

Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American cult leader, preacher and mass murderer who founded and led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978. Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrat ...

was arrested for allegedly beating up a friend of the R&B singer

Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. Regarded as a leading figure of Contemporary R&B#2000s, 2000s R&B music, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, includi ...

outside the

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...

store in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in December 2008; he has pleaded not guilty.

Albums

Highest-charting singles

Highest first week sales

As of December 31, 2008.

Highest critically reviewed albums (Metacritic)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008 In Hip Hop 2000s in hip-hop

Hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

Hip-hop by year

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Albums

Highest-charting singles

Highest first week sales

Highest critically reviewed albums (Metacritic)

See also

References