This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip-hop for the year 2004.
Released albums Release date Artist Album Label January 20 Dizzee Rascal Boy in da Corner Bank Records January 27 Twista Kamikaze Atlantic RecordsFebruary 3 Micranots The Emperor & the Assassin Rhymesayers Entertainment Various Artists Barbershop 2: Back in Business (soundtrack) Interscope RecordsFebruary 10 Kanye West The College Dropout Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam Recordings Del tha Funkee Homosapien The Best of Del tha Funkee Homosapien: The Elektra Years Rhino Entertainment, Elektra Records Drag-On Hell and Back Ruff Ryders Entertainment, Virgin Records February 24 Z-Ro The Life of Joseph W. McVey Rap-a-Lot Records Royce da 5'9 Death is Certain E1 Music Trillville and Lil Scrappy The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville & Lil Scrappy Warner Bros. Records, Black Market Records, Warner Records, Reprise Records Young Gunz Tough Luv Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam Recordings March 1 Noah23 & Jaffa Gate Ancient Israelites Older Than Anorthosite Northstar Imprint March 2 Cee-Lo Green Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine Arista Records Beans Now Soon Someday [EP] March 3 Tunnel Rats Tunnel Rats Uprok Records March 9 Bad Boy Records Bad Boy's 10th Anniversary... The Hits Bad Boy RecordsMarch 16 Clouddead Ten Big Dada, Mush Records Cassidy Split Personality Full Surface Records, J RecordsMarch 23 Blockhead Music by Cavelight Ninja Tune Cypress Hill Till Death Do Us Part Columbia Records Eyedea & Abilities E&A Rhymesayers Entertainment Knoc-turn'al The Way I Am L.A. Confidential Records, Elektra Records Madvillain Madvillainy Stones Throw Records Master P Good Side, Bad Side The New No Limit Records, Koch Records MURS & 9th Wonder Murs 3:16 The 9th Edition Definitive Jux N*E*R*D Fly or Die Star Trak Entertainment, Virgin Records Rap-a-Lot Records The Day After Hell Broke Loose Rap-a-Lot Records Skatterman & Snug Brim Urban Legendz Strange Music Various Artists Never Die Alone (soundtrack) Warner Bros. Records March 30 Lil Flip U Gotta Feel Me Sucka Free Records, Clover G Records, Columbia Records, Sony Urban MusicApril 6 Dark Lotus Black Rain Psychopathic Records Dilated Peoples Neighborhood Watch Capitol Records J-Kwon Hood Hop So So Def Recordings, Arista Records, Sony Music Entertainment Non Phixion The Green CD/DVD Uncle Howie RecordsApril 13 Illogic Celestial Clockwork Weightless Recordings Plague Language Farewell Archetypes Legendary Entertainment, Plague Language April 20 Automato Automato Ghostface Killah The Pretty Toney Album Def Jam Recordings April 27 D12 D12 World Shady Records, Interscope Records May 4 Ill Bill What's Wrong with Bill? Psycho+Logical-RecordsPetey PabloStill Writing in My Diary: 2nd EntryJive RecordsVarious ArtistsUnited Ghettos of America Vol. 2Smoke-a-Lot Records, Rap-a-Lot Records May 11 8Ball & MJG Living Legends Bad Boy South, Universal Music Group Gift of Gab 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up Quannum Projects MF Grimm Special Herbs + Spices Volume 1 Day by Day Entertainment Pete Rock Soul Survivor II BBE Records May 18 Method Man Tical 0: The Prequel Def Jam Recordings The Streets A Grand Don't Come for Free Various Artists The Third Unheard: Connecticut Hip Hop 1979–1983 Stones Throw Records Twiztid Cryptic Collection Vol. 3 Psychopathic Records UTP The Beginning of the End Rap-A-Lot Records, UTP Records May 20 Lecrae Real Talk Reach Records May 25 M.O.P. Mash Out Posse Fast Life Music, Inc. May 28 Various Artists Soul Plane Various Records June 1 Masta Killa No Said Date Nature Sounds June 8 The X-Ecutioners The Revolutions Sony Music De La Soul De La Mix Tape: Remixes, Rarities and Classics Spice 1 The Ridah June 15 Beastie Boys To the 5 Boroughs Capitol Records Proof I Miss the Hip Hop Shop Iron Fist Records Sabac Red Sabacolypse: A Change Gon' Come Psycho+Logical-Records June 22 Erick Sermon Chilltown, New York Motown Records Jadakiss Kiss of Death Ruff Ryders Entertainment, Interscope Records Phat Kat The Undeniable LP Barak Records June 27Noah23 Sigma Octantis Legendary Entertainment, Plague Language Mitochondrial Blues June 29 Akon Trouble SRC Records, UpFront Megatainment, Universal Music Group Goodie Mob One Monkey Don't Stop No Show Koch Records Headset Space Settings Various Artists The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 8 Image Entertainment Lloyd Banks The Hunger For More G-Unit Records, Interscope Records Slum Village Detroit Deli: A Taste of Detroit Capitol Records Lil Wayne Tha CarterCash Money Records July 13 Leak Bros. Waterworld Eastern Conference Records The Pharcyde Humboldt Beginnings Project: Deadman Self Inflicted Strange Music The Roots The Tipping Point Geffen Records 7L & Esoteric DC2: Bars of Death Babygrande Records July 27 Anybody Killa Dirty History Psychopathic Records Bigg Jus Black Mamba Serums v2.0 Big Dada OuterSpace Blood and Ashes Babygrande Records Terror Squad True Story Terror Squad Productions, SRC Records, Universal Records August 3 Body Head Bangerz Body Head Bangerz, Vol. 1 Body Head Entertainment, Universal Records Masta Ace A Long Hot Summer M3 Records MF Doom VV:2 Insomniac, Inc. Theodore Unit 718 August 10 Brand Nubian Fire in the Hole Babygrande Records Kutt Calhoun B.L.E.V.E. Strange Music Mobb Deep Amerikaz Nightmare Jive Records Mr. Hyde Barn of the Naked Dead Psycho+Logical-Records Mystikal Prince of the South... The Hits Jive Records Shyne Godfather Buried Alive Def Jam Recordings Suburban Noize Records The Royal Family Suburban Noize Records August 17 Northern State All City 213 The Hard Way Doggystyle Records, G-Funk Entertainment, Dogg Foundation, TVT Records August 24 E-40 The Best of E-40: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow Sick Wid It Records, Jive Records The Foreign Exchange Connected Barely Breaking Even Jedi Mind Tricks Legacy of Blood Babygrande Records Jim Jones On My Way to Church Diplomat Records, Koch Records Ma$e Welcome Back Bad Boy Entertainment MC Breed The New Prescription Psychopathic Records Pitbull M.I.A.M.I. TVT Records Young Buck Straight Outta Ca$hville G-Unit Records, Interscope Records August 31 Insane Clown Posse The Wraith: Hell's Pit Psychopathic Records LL Cool J The DEFinition Def Jam Recordings September 7 Rob Sonic Telicatessen Definitive Jux September 14 Dem Franchize Boyz Dem Franchize Boyz Universal Records Dizzee Rascal Showtime Nelly Sweat Derrty Entertainment, Universal Records Nelly Suit September 21 Jean Grae This Week Babygrande Records k-os Joyful Rebellion Lil' Romeo Romeoland The New No Limit Records, Koch Records Necro The Pre-Fix for Death Psycho+Logical-Records Saul Williams Saul Williams Fader Label The Alchemist 1st Infantry ALC, Koch RecordsVarious ArtistsShark Tale: Motion Picture SoundtrackGeffen Records, DreamWorks Records, UMG Soundtracks September 28 Heiruspecs A Tiger Dancing Shawnna Worth tha Weight Disturbing tha Peace, Def Jam Recordings Guerilla Black Guerilla City Virgin Records Talib Kweli The Beautiful Struggle Rawkus Records October 5 De La Soul The Grind Date AOI Records The Game Untold Story Get Low Recordz I-20 Self Explanatory Disturbing tha Peace, Capitol Records October 12 Busta Rhymes The Artist Collection: Busta Rhymes BMG International Gold Chains And Curly Cie When The World Was Our Friend Mos Def The New Danger Rawkus Records, Geffen Records October 19 Beans Shock City Maverick Bizzy Bone Alpha and Omega Blaze Ya Dead Homie Colton Grundy: The Undying Psychopathic Records Jin The Rest is History Ruff Ryders Entertainment, Virgin Records Juvenile The Greatest Hits Cash Money Records, Universal Records Lil Wyte Phinally Phamous Hypnotize Minds Productions Q-Unique Vengeance Is Mine Uncle Howie Records October 26 Afrika Bambaataa Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light Tommy Boy Records Goretex The Art of Dying Psycho+Logical-Records Lateef & the Chief Maroons: Ambush Quannum ProjectsJay-Z & R. KellyUnfinished BusinessRoc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam Recordings, Jive Records, Rockland Records Trick Daddy Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets Atlantic Records Wu-Tang Clan Legend of the Wu-Tang: Wu-Tang Clan's Greatest Hits BMG Heritage Records November 1 Noah23 Jupiter Sajitarius 2nd Rec November 2 Ying Yang Twins My Brother & Me TVT RecordsNovember 9 Ed O.G. My Own Worst Enemy Fabolous Real Talk Desert Storm Records, Atlantic Records Handsome Boy Modeling School White People Elektra Records Ja Rule R.U.L.E. Murder Inc. Records, Def Jam Recordings November 12 Eminem Encore Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records, Web Entertainment November 16 Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Greatest Hits Ruthless Records Chingy Powerballin' Full Dekk Music Group, Capitol Records Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz Crunk Juice BME Recordings, TVT Records MF Doom Mm..Food Rhymesayers Entertainment Monoxide Child Chainsmoker LP Psychopathic Records R.A. the Rugged Man Die, Rugged Man, Die Nature Sounds Snoop Dogg R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece Doggystyle Records, Star Trak Entertainment, Geffen RecordsNovember 23 Apathy Where's Your Album?!! Axe Murder Boyz The Unforgiven Forest Canonize Productions The Diplomats Diplomatic Immunity 2 Diplomat Records, Koch Records UTP Nolia Clap (EP) Rap-A-Lot Records, UTP Records Various Artists Blade: Trinity (soundtrack) New Line RecordsNovember 30 Nas Street's Disciple Ill Will Records, Columbia Records T.I. Urban Legend Grand Hustle Records, Atlantic Records December 7 Cam'ron Purple Haze Roc-A-Fella Records, Diplomat Records, Def Jam Recordings Ludacris The Red Light District Disturbing tha Peace, Def Jam Recordings Various Artists The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 9 Image Entertainment Yung Wun The Dirtiest Thirstiest Full Surface Records, J Records December 14 Xzibit Weapons of Mass Destruction Open Bar Entertainment, Columbia Records, Sony Music 2Pac Loyal to the Game Amaru Entertainment, Interscope Records December 21 Mannie Fresh The Mind of Mannie Fresh Cash Money Records, Universal Records
Highest-charting singles