Album Anniversaries

On April 7, 1978, Prince released his first record, 'For You.' The boldly prophetic lyrics of the opening a cappella title track made it quite clear that this 19-year-old "one-man band" sensation planned to stick around for a long time: "All of this and more is for you / With love, sincerity and deepest care / My life with you I share."

Twenty-five years ago, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince released their breakthrough LP, 'He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper,' on March 29, 1988. The duo's second album might have been lighthearted and fun, but it was slightly ahead of its time and introduced the duo to mainstream audiences.

Brian McKnight’s seventh studio album, 'U Turn,' celebrated its 10-year anniversary yesterday. Released on March 25, 2003, the effort was a new direction in Brian’s life.

P.M. Dawn's 'The Bliss Album...?,' a record on which the group blurred the lines between hip-hop and soul even more than on their star-making debut, was released on March 23, 1993.

By the time Lil' Kim released her third album, she already had two successful LPs under her belt. 'Hard Core,' though it didn't break the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1996, landed in the No. 11 spot -- the highest debut for a female rapper at that time. Meanwhile, the 2000 release of 'The Notorious K.I.M.' entered the No. 4 spot on that same chart during the first week of its release. Whil

By the time Eminem signed 50 Cent to his Shady Records imprint in 2002, Fif had already made a name for himself in the New York mixtape circuit.

Brand Nubian made their mark on hip-hop with the group's 1990 debut, 'One for All.'

The late 1990s were a strange time for hip-hop. Fans may still have been swooning from the almost obligatory success of early albums like Biggie's 'Ready to Die,' but a surge in pop music was changing the momentum for many rap artists.

Before Heavy D and The Boyz dropped their fourth album ‘Blue Funk,’ they were engulfed in the early era of 1990s hip-hop. It was all gold rope chains and high top fades, some new jack swing and house party vibes back then.

When Dr. Dre released his debut album, 'The Chronic,' in 1992, he just left N.W.A. due to a contractual dispute with Ruthless Records and founded Death Row Records with co-founder Suge Knight. The Compton native was determined to prove to himself and the world how great of a producer he really is -- and he succeeded several times over with 'The Chronic.'