All Eyez On Me goes quintuple platinum and remains one of the most famous rap records of all time.
The State named it one of the year's best albums and hailed it as "possibly the boldest and most important rap record ever made.
In recent months, Dr. Dre had been at work on his self-proclaimed "final" album, "Detox," one of the most eagerly awaited rap records of the decade.
The nominees for Album of the Year, the evening's most prestigious prize, include three rap records: "Awaken, My Love!," by Childish Gambino; "4:44," by Jay-Z, and "DAMN.," by Kendrick Lamar.
Peanut Butter Wolf has a new mix CD called "Live 45," which chooses most of my favorite early eighties rap records, even though Mr. Wolf lived on the opposite coast and is several years younger than I am.
As with most rap gigs, the reliance here on the recorded instrumental makes for shoddy sound.
Things are a little more gloomy in Detroit, where we find the Guinness World Record holder for the most rap albums ever: Esham.
One of the most important forces in breaking rap acts in the US, key DJs including Clinton Sparks, Felli Fell, Cipha Sounds and DJ Drama are flown in to be honored at the Mixshow DJ Awards and to hear the latest rap records months before the rest of the world.
But "Illmatic," widely considered one of the greatest rap records of all time, is among them.
"Tha Carter III" isn't just the most anticipated major- label rap record of the year, it's pretty much the only one.
