Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Spotify CLASSICS: 30 Classic Hip-Hop and R&B Albums From the Streaming Era

15/02/2024

Streaming has transformed not only the way fans listen to music, but also the way artists release music to the world. And while music has become a more song-driven culture in recent years, that doesn't mean albums have lost their impact. With the introduction of Spotify CLASSICS: Hip-Hop & RNB Albums of the Streaming Era, we're celebrating the classic albums that have stood the test of time, no matter the era.

Available in North America, Spotify CLASSICS is our first-ever program to celebrate catalog music. For the first iteration, we're looking at albums from the streaming era, 2015 to the present day. Through a selection process examining an album's holistic impact, our North American editorial team has put a spotlight on the ones that helped define the streaming era.

To inaugurate this new series, our editors have immersed themselves in the world of hip-hop and R&B, picking the 30 classic albums from the likes of Beyonc , Tyler, The Creator, Solange, Kendrick Lamar, JAY-Z, SZA, Travis Scott, and Future.

Anderson .Paak Malibu Steel Wool/Empire, 2016

After years of honing his craft in L.A.'s underground scene, Anderson .Paak finally had a breakthrough with his second studio album, Malibu. A true hybrid, Anderson collages pieces of funk, R&B, dance, and rap into a cohesive puzzle. Released independently, the album earned a Grammy nomination and served as a springboard for AP to become one of music's most multifaceted artists.

Beyonc Lemonade Columbia, 2016

Beyonc took the idea of the blockbuster album to new heights with her self-titled surprise in 2013, but less than three years later, she somehow managed to outdo herself on her sixth album, Lemonade. A reckoning with infidelity, the album is a visual and sonic tour de force that effectively lifted the star's otherwise impenetrable veil through a stunning display of vulnerability and catharsis. From its melding of genres to its incorporation of visual and fashion cues to its marketing, Lemonade has become a multidisciplinary blueprint in its own right.

Beyonc RENAISSANCE Columbia, 2022

Beyonc 's ability to outdo herself was already unparalleled, but then RENAISSANCE arrived. The full scope of its impact can't be known so soon, but already, it's clear that this album is truly special. It's conceptual like its predecessor, but beyond that, there's little in her catalog to point to for reference; this is Bey like we've never heard her before. Atop a soundscape of Chicago house, Detroit techno, bounce, ballroom, and their numerous derivatives, she sings, raps, and sing-raps, mightily proclaiming that dance music is Black music-then, now, and forever.

Bryson Tiller T R A P S O U L RCA, 2015

A product of 2010s post Drake R&B, Bryson Tiller's T R A P S O U L represented an evolutionary step in the merging of hip-hop and R&B. Stylistically, he covers the spectrum between rapping and singing, at times on the same verse. Combining vintage songwriting with futuristic production, T R A P S O U L offers up relatable love songs that strike a chord with a generation enamored by toxicity. While countless pop stars and R&B upstarts would go on to adopt Bryson's blueprint, T R A P S O U L remains the standard.

Cleo Sol Mother FLO/Tunecore, 2021

Becoming a parent permanently alters a woman's world, and when Cleo Sol arrived at that crossroads in her own life, she created a monument. Her aptly titled second album, Mother, is a beautiful and emotional project that reflects on her personal transformation and her complicated relationship with her own mom. There's a profundity to the songs-many of them recorded with her newborn son in her arms-that still feels like a rare gift.

Daniel Caesar Freudian Golden Child, 2017

Daniel Caesar went against the grain as trap soul was becoming the norm. The Toronto balladeer merges his gospel, soul, pop, and indie sensibilities into Freudian, a 10-track masterpiece that's unmistakably R&B. Released on the singer's label, Golden Child Recordings, the album features hits like Get You, as well as the Grammy-winning Best Part with H.E.R., which has earned over 1 billion streams on Spotify to date. Freudian is a testament to R&B's enduring appeal and the genre's capacity to reference the past, present, and future in its purest form.

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Bandana Keep Cool/RCA, 2019

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib released their first collaborative album, Pi ata, in 2014 during a transitional time in music. By the time they delivered the 2019 follow-up, Bandana, streaming had become the world's top medium for music discovery and melodies had all but replaced traditional rapping. Despite this, Bandana established the duo as leaders of a more vintage sound centered around lyricism and lo-fi beats-a counter-culture movement that's still inching toward the mainstream today.

Frank Ocean Blonde Boys Don't Cry, 2016 A critical darling since his 2011 breakout mixtape, Nostalgia, ULTRA, Frank Ocean stepped into a class all his own with his second album, Blonde. More sparse and atmospheric than previous releases, Blonde leans into his most endearing and enigmatic qualities. Emotions are high, but neatly contained narratives are few, which is fitting for an album that makes deconstruction-sonic and otherwise-its guiding principle.

Future DS2 Epic, 2015

At the time of DS2's release, Future had come off of a five-month, three-mixtape run that included Monster, Beast Mode, and 56 Nights. Still, questions remained about whether he could conjure the same magic on a proper album. DS2 quickly silenced doubters as the Atlanta rapper elevated his signature brooding to new levels. A refined and focused album, DS2 both cemented an iconic run from the artist and forged a new way for trap-and popular-
LINK: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2024-02-15/classic-hip-hop-r-b-albums-str...
See more stories from spotify

Most recent headlines

09/12/2025

2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Pam Oliver, Sideline Icon Who Redefined the Role

2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Pam Oliver, Sideline Icon Who Redefined t...

09/12/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 2

SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 2By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - 7:17 am Print This Story | Subscr...

09/12/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Cloud Production Workshop Spotlights Live and Non-Live Workflows in the Cloud

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Cloud Production Workshop Spotlights Live and Non-Live ...

09/12/2025

Next-Generation Content Protection: Multi-Technology Security is Integral to Combating New Threats

Next-generation content protection: Multi-technology security is integral to com...

09/12/2025

CBS Sports Provides One-of-a-Kind Production' for UEFA Champions League Crossover Event

CBS Sports Provides One-of-a-Kind Production' for UEFA Champions League Cro...

09/12/2025

Spanish Professional Basketball League Relies on NETGEAR AV, MAM Tech for Seamless Production

Spanish Professional Basketball League Relies on NETGEAR AV, MAM Tech for Seamle...

09/12/2025

SVG Sit-Down: St. Thomas's Mike Gallagher and Casey Eakins on the Tommies' Bold Leap to Division I and How Video Plays a Key Role

SVG Sit-Down: St. Thomas's Mike Gallagher and Casey Eakins on the Tommies...

09/12/2025

Free Registration for the 2025 SVG Summit Closes Today at 5 p.m. ET!

Free Registration for the 2025 SVG Summit Closes Today at 5 p.m. ET!After the deadline, tickets will cost $150 to attend the eventBy SVG Staff Tuesday, Decemb...

09/12/2025

University of St. Thomas Ushers in Division I Era With New Arena and a Broadcast Operation Built for the Big Time

University of St. Thomas Ushers in Division I Era With New Arena and a Broadcast...

09/12/2025

Spotify Expands Music Videos in Beta to Premium Users in the US and Canada

For decades, music videos have done more than just accompany a song; they've shaped style, started conversations, and helped us fall in love with our favori...

09/12/2025

Leading the Charge: L3Harris' Advanced EW Technologies for Superior Battlefield Advantage

For decades, customers have turned to L3Harris capabilities in electronic warfar...

09/12/2025

L3Harris Propulsion Solutions: Securing the High Ground in Space

L3Harris propulsion systems enable agile maneuvering and resilience for U.S. spacecraft, supporting national security and mission success in the evolving space ...

09/12/2025

L3Harris Successfully Completes Critical Design Review of Key Components for Japan's New Geostationary Meteorological Satellite

L3Harris Technologies' imaging and sounding instruments will play a critical...

09/12/2025

James Shears Joins ThinkAnalytics as Senior VP, Advertising

LOS ANGELES James Shears has joined ThinkAnalytics as senior vice president, advertising, tasked with leading global strategy and commercial expansion of the co...

09/12/2025

Kathleen Kirby, Heidi Raphael Join Media Institute Board

VIENNA, Va. The Media Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization specializing in communications policy and the First Amendment, has named Kathleen Kirby o...

09/12/2025

Hollywood's Ecosystem for Combating Piracy

Throughout its century-plus existence, the motion picture industry has had to fight battles on multiple fronts to protect its content from piracy. From protecti...

09/12/2025

Football Shifts TV Viewing Towards Ad Supported Services

NEW YORK Fueled by football season, ad supported TV viewing in Q3 peaked in September, representing 74.7% of overall TV viewership in that month, per Nielsen...

09/12/2025

Digital Alert Systems Now Offers DC Power Option for DASDEC-III

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y. Digital Alert Systems has introduced the DAS3-DC-PS, a new DC power supply option for its DASDEC-III emergency alert system. Designed to meet ...

09/12/2025

Macky Beheshti Joins Advanced Systems Group as Director o...

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, announced the appointment of Macky Beheshti as Dir...

09/12/2025

Device Solutions Inc and Triveni Digital Secure Patent fo...

Triveni Digital and Device Solutions Inc today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted them a new patent for their novel ATSC 3.0 r...

09/12/2025

ThinkAnalytics appoints James Shears as SVP of Advertisin...

ThinkAnalytics, the global leader in AI-powered data analytics for TV and streaming, today announced the appointment of James Shears as Senior Vice President of...

09/12/2025

Dot Group Partners with SingleStore to Deliver Real-Time...

European data management specialists appointed as SingleStore champion partner, bringing unified real-time transaction, vector and analytics capabilities to org...

09/12/2025

Broadcast Solutions creates new business to lead on workf...

Broadcast Solutions, the leading systems integration group, has launched a new business, aimed at providing consultancy and design services across the media ind...

09/12/2025

FCC Delays Implementation of Foreign Sponsorship Rules

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau has once again delayed implementation of sponsorship identification requirements for foreign...

09/12/2025

#GALSNGEAR Announces 2026 Leadership Retreats

WASHINGTON #GALSNGEAR has announced two major leadership retreats in early 2026 that the group said are designed to equip women in media, entertainment, and tec...

09/12/2025

Cox Media Group, Verizon Trade Barbs Over Possible Blackout

WASHINGTON With a Dec. 15 deadline looming for a new retransmission consent and carriage deal between Cox and Verizon, the two parties have started trading barb...

09/12/2025

Samba TV Secures New Funding of up to $60 Million

SAN FRANCISCO Samba TV has announced that it has secured new financing from Horizon Technology Finance Corporation, an affiliate of Monroe Capital, with an init...

09/12/2025

Survey: 75% of Cord-Cutters Ditched a Streaming Subscription in 2025

Many cord-cutters looking to reduce their monthly cable or satellite bills are also cutting back on streaming costs, according to new research from All About Co...

09/12/2025

Shure Takes Center Stage at CMAs, Latin Grammys

LAS VEGAS and NASHVILLE, Tenn. Shure technology played a critical role during the broadcast productions of the 59th Annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena i...

09/12/2025

Nixer to address AV market demands for speed visibility a...

Unveiling of new CV1, web-browser workflows and Milan roadmap for mission-critical AV environments Nixer Pro Audio will return to Integrated Systems Europe (IS...

09/12/2025

How to Prepare for Daylight Saving Time in WO Automation for Radio

Spring Forward Are you ready to spring forward? The following steps will automate your transition from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time. Ensure all WO Aut...

09/12/2025

Judy Murray calls for PE to be a priority for all schools in Scotland to support girls develop leadership skills and engage in sports

Tuesday 9 December 2025 Judy Murray calls for PE to be a priority for all schoo...

09/12/2025

Kyocera and Rohde & Schwarz demonstrate OTA characterization of mmWave PAAM at CES 2026

Kyocera and Rohde & Schwarz demonstrate OTA characterization of mmWave PAAM at C...

09/12/2025

Riedel and Racing Electronics Announce Strategic Partnership to Revolutionize U.S. Motorsport Communications

Wuppertal December 9, 2025 Riedel and Racing Electronics Announce Strategic Pa...

09/12/2025

Verified: LinkedIn crosses 100M member milestone

Verified: LinkedIn crosses 100M member milestone From LinkedIn Published on Dec 9, 2025 Categories: Company News, Featured News LinkedIn Corporate Communi...

09/12/2025

Highlights of the Year 2025

Another year, another 12 months of amazing adventures. We are pleased to bring you our Highlights of the Year 2025. We've worked hard and played hard this...

09/12/2025

Redefining Remote Production Through Cloud-Connected Workflows

Original article published in TV Tech: https://www.tvtechnology.com/equipment/bmg-redefines-remote-production-through-cloud-connected-workflows When I started ...

09/12/2025

N-Series wireless mic system now available in the United States

DPA Microphones today announces the immediate availability of its new N-Series Digital Wireless Microphone System for customers throughout the U.S. In addition ...

09/12/2025

Building Confidence in Retail Media: A Q&A with WPP Media's Jason Wescott

Jason, before we get into the detail, what first got you involved in retail media standards? And how did you come to chair IAB Europe's Retail and Commerce ...

09/12/2025

She can dance, she can jive: Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins revealed as third contestant for Dancing with the Stars 2026

Current Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins has been revealed as the third contestant...

09/12/2025

December 08, 2025

An easier approach to recreate the powerful nerve-blocking molecule found in shellfish A Scripps Research-led study resolves the challenge of synthesizing saxit...

08/12/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 1

SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 1By SVG Staff Monday, December 8, 2025 - 6:56 am Print This Story | Subscribe Story Highlights The 2025...

08/12/2025

2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Bill Rasmussen, the Entrepreneur Who Dreamed Sports Into a New World

2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Bill Rasmussen, the Entrepreneur Who Drea...

08/12/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Live Production Innovation Workshop Goes Deep on ST 2110, MXL, AR/XR, and More

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Live Production Innovation Workshop Goes Deep on ST 211...

08/12/2025

#GALSNGEAR Announces East, West Leadership Retreats for 2026

#GALSNGEAR Announces East, West Leadership Retreats for 2026By Ken Kerschbaumer Monday, December 8, 2025 - 9:10 am Print This Story | Subscribe Story High...

08/12/2025

MediaKind Acquiring Harmonic's Video Business to Create New Streaming-Video Heavyweight

MediaKind Acquiring Harmonic's Video Business to Create New Streaming-Video ...

08/12/2025

Platinum White Paper: Sony HDR/SDR Camera Shading Techniques for Live Production Applications

Platinum White Paper: Sony HDR/SDR Camera Shading Techniques for Live Production...

08/12/2025

SVG Sit-Down: NESN's Kenny Elcock and Harmonic's Jean Macher Talk Next-Gen Distribution for Live Sports

SVG Sit-Down: NESN's Kenny Elcock and Harmonic's Jean Macher Talk Next-G...

08/12/2025

Monsters Funday Football,' ESPN's Latest Live Animation Effort, Advances the Altcast Art Form Again

Monsters Funday Football,' ESPN's Latest Live Animation Effort, Advances...