- The ’90s have often been referred to as hip-hop’s “golden era,” spawning icons like Snoop Dogg, Nas, and Jay-Z.
- Rap is now the most popular genre of music, with modern artists like Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Kendrick Lamar defining its rise in the past decade.
- Here are photos of 14 hip-hop icons at the beginning of their careers, compared to now.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The ’90s have often been referred to as hip-hop’s “golden era,” spawning icons like Snoop Dogg, Nas, and Jay-Z.
Rap has since overtaken rock as the most popular genre of music, with modern artists like Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Kendrick Lamar defining its rise in the past decade.
Here are photos of 14 hip-hop icons at the beginning of their careers, compared to now.
Dr. Dre released his solo debut studio album, “The Chronic,” in 1992.
The Grammy-winning album made him one of the best-selling American artists of 1993.
According to Forbes, Dr. Dre is now the second-richest figure in hip-hop.
In addition to his three studio albums, including the six-time platinum "2001," Dr. Dre has produced albums for rappers like 2Pac, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent.
In 2014, Apple purchased his Beats By Dre headphone line for $3 billion. In 2015, he produced the Oscar-nominated film "Straight Outta Compton" alongside Ice Cube.
The Grammy-winning superproducer is worth about $800 million, according to Forbes.
Nas' debut album "Illmatic," released in 1994, was an instant classic.
"Nearly 20 years after its release, Nas' debut album still looms large over hip-hop," Rob Kenner wrote for Complex. "Aside from exerting a profound influence over an entire generation of rappers, Nas' rhymes are studied as serious literature in universities around the world."
Widely considered one of the best MCs of all time, Nas went on to release three more solo albums and one joint album with The Firm before the end of the decade.
Nas released his 11th studio album in 2018.
"Nasir," the rapper's first album in six years, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 - making it his 12th top 10 album.
Nas has also dabbled in film and TV. Most recently, he served as an executive producer for "Gully Boy," a 2019 Hindi-language musical drama.
Snoop Dogg rose to fame in 1992 after he was discovered by Dr. Dre.
Snoop Dogg released his debut album "Doggystyle" in 1993, which became certified quadruple platinum the following year.
Snoop Dogg was recently awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
More recently - beyond releasing a gospel album and an eight-track EP in 2018 - the longtime rap legend has broadened his horizons. The third season of VH1's surprise hit show "Martha & Snoop," which he co-hosts with Martha Stewart, premiered in April.
Ice Cube is known as one of the founding artists of "gangsta rap."
Ice Cube initially rose to fame in the '80s as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. He later became renowned for his lead role in the group N.W.A. alongside Dr. Dre and Eazy E.
After a successful solo career, Ice Cube transitioned into film and entrepreneurship.
After his starring role in the 1991 film "Boyz n the Hood," Ice Cube wrote and starred in the "Friday" film series. He has since starred in films like "Barbershop," "Ride Along," "Are We There Yet?" and "21 Jump Street."
Ice Cube recently founded the BIG3, a three-on-three basketball league, which primarily enlists retired NBA players.
Missy Elliott launched her solo career in 1997.
Missy Elliott's debut solo album "Supa Dupa Fly" became, at the time, the highest charting debut for a female rapper, with it initially landing at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. She became known for infectious hits like "Get Ur Freak On," "Lose Control," and "Work It."
Elliott was recently awarded MTV's prestigious Video Vanguard Award.
According to a 2017 report from Billboard, Elliott has sold more than 30 million records in the US alone. She has won four Grammy Awards and recently became the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Redman was the "premier party rapper" of the '90s.
No rapper was "as consistent throughout the decade as Redman," wrote Complex's David Drake. "If a single word could describe his output, it was fun."
Redman released his debut solo album, "Whut? Thee Album," in 1992 - but Drake argued that he peaked with 1996's "Muddy Waters." Redman also began teaming up with Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man in 1995 and found massive success with their 1995 song "How High."
Redman recently performed at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards.
To celebrate the VMA's new home in Newark, New Jersey, local icons closed the show with a medley of their classic hits - including Redman's 1999 single "Da Rockwilder" from his joint album with Method Man, "Blackout."
Redman released a new single called "Black Man in America" in September. He's also the host of VH1's reality show "Scared Famous," which began airing in 2017. It has yet to be canceled or renewed.
Upon the 1996 release of his debut album, Jay-Z emerged as one of the rap greats.
Jay-Z founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 ahead of releasing his debut album, "Reasonable Doubt."
His musical prowess arguably hit its peak with his sixth and eighth solo projects, "The Blueprint" and "The Black Album," in 2001 and 2003.
Jay-Z is now known as a mogul and husband as much as a rapper.
In 2002, Jay-Z began collaborating with his now-wife, Beyoncé. They tied the knot in 2008 and released a joint album, "Everything Is Love," a decade later.
In addition to his roles as husband and father (Jay-Z and Beyoncé share three young children), the 49-year-old mogul has been focused on building his portfolio as a businessman. He recently made history as the first rapper to become a billionaire, according to Forbes.
Read more: Jay-Z is hip-hop's first billionaire. See how he and Beyoncé make and spend their money.
André 3000 was still a teenager when OutKast released their first album in 1994.
As one-half of the musical duo OutKast, alongside rapper Big Boi, André 3000 rose to fame with their debut album "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik."
Just 19 years old at the time, André 3000 quickly became a breakout star - especially following the duo's 2003 masterpiece "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below." He's often cited amongst the best and most influential rappers of all-time.
André starred in the 2018 sci-fi thriller "High Life" alongside Robert Pattinson.
"I always liked André 3000," French director Claire Denis explained. "I always liked Outkast, and I had this idea, if one day I do a film in English and I can cast American people I would like to meet André Benjamin and ask him."
"His agent said, 'No no no. Only if you come to meet him in Atlanta,'" she continued. "We went to Atlanta and we had a meeting in a restaurant... And then, he said yes. I'm surprised because I didn't think he would. His spirit was so easy."
The 44-year-old also boasts some of the best guest verses in recent memory, from "Solo (Reprise)" with Frank Ocean to "Sixteen" with Rick Ross.
Lauryn Hill shot to stardom with "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" in 1998.
Lauryn Hill's debut album was met with universal acclaim from both fans and critics. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, won album of the year at the Grammys, and has since gone eight-times platinum in the US.
Hill has largely retreated from the spotlight since the release of her debut album.
Hill largely retreated from the spotlight after the smash success of her magnum opus - released when she was just 23 years old - and has failed to produce a follow-up album. And while the impact of "Miseducation" still radiates throughout hip-hop, Hill has faced her fair share of controversies.
In 2013, she spent time in prison for tax evasion. She has a reputation for showing up late to concerts, or sometimes cancelling them altogether. Hill has also been accused of acting unprofessionally and failing to properly credit her collaborators.
Eminem won a Grammy and found mainstream fame in 1999 with his sophomore album.
After releasing his debut album "Infinite" in 1996, Eminem signed with Dr. Dre's record label. His sophomore album "The Slim Shady LP," released in 1999, won best rap album at that year's Grammy Awards and rocketed him to mainstream fame with hits like "My Name Is."
Eminem's third, fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth albums - 2000's "The Marshall Mathers LP," 2002's "The Eminem Show," 2009's "Relapse," 2010's "Recovery," and 2013's "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" - also won Grammys for best rap album. He has been labeled "the king of hip hop."
Eminem remains the best-selling rapper of all time.
Eminem surprise-released his 10th studio album, "Kamikaze," which became his ninth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Although it was met with a lukewarm reception from critics, it gave him the highest album sales of any artist in 2018.
After making his name as a producer, Kanye West broke out as a rapper with "The College Dropout" in 2004.
Kanye West garnered praise when he began to produce for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records in 2000, particularly in regards to his work on Jay-Z's 2001 album "The Blueprint."
But West was determined to forge a solo career, and even recorded his lead single with his jaw wired shut after a car crash.
"Through the Wire" helped drum up anticipation for West's debut studio album, "The College Dropout," which debuted at No. 2 on the chart and earned him a Grammy for best rap album.
West is expected to release his 10th studio album, "Jesus Is King," any day now.
"Jesus Is King" has been delayed multiple times, despite various release date announcements.
Eight of West's nine existing studio albums - save for 2018's "Ye" - have peaked at number No. 1 and been met with critical and commercial acclaim. He has won 21 Grammys and is often cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Forbes recently named West the fourth-richest rapper in the world.
West is known as a pop culture icon as much as a rapper, particularly following his high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian in 2014.
He has also, however, created a muddied and controversial image in recent years: Many fans have expressed disappointment with West's open support of President Donald Trump and his nonsensical claims about slavery being a "choice," among other outbursts.
Drake's world domination began in 2009 with his third mixtape.
After quitting acting to focus on his music career, Drake released "So Far Gone" under his self-created October's Very Own label.
The mixtape's most successful track, "Best I Ever Had," was released as its lead single. The song was nominated for two Grammy Awards - best rap solo performance and best rap song - and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Best I Ever Had" kicked off Drake's reign over the charts. He would later become the first-ever artist to log eight straight years on the Hot 100, a run that eventually ended in 2017 with 431 consecutive weeks.
Drake has mastered the world of streaming and holds multiple chart records.
Drake's most recent album, 2018's "Scorpion," became his eighth to debut at No. 1 and was streamed over 170 million times in its first 24 hours, breaking a Spotify record (one of many that he currently holds).
In June 2018, Drake beat the Beatles' 1964 record of having the most songs in Billboard Hot 100's top 10 at any one time - the record was five, and Drake managed seven.
Later that year, in October, Drake set a new record for number of singles in the same chart in a calendar year - he beat the existing Beatles record of 11 by one more, securing 12.
The Toronto rapper has been nominated for 42 Grammys, winning four. His Grammy-winning sophomore album, "Take Care," was recently named the 13th best album of the decade by Pitchfork.
Nicki Minaj earned recognition in 2010, before she even released her first studio album.
Nicki Minaj signed with Lil Wayne's label in 2009 after releasing a string of buzzy mixtapes.
The following year, she earned a Grammy nomination for her guest verse on Ludacris' song "My Chick Bad" and blew fans away on Kanye West's posse cut "Monster," delivering a scene-stealing verse that "single-handedly justifies her deafening buzz," AV Club's Nathan Rabin wrote at the time.
Her debut studio album, "Pink Friday," promptly shot to the top of the chart and cemented her dominant role in the decade's rap landscape. All four of her albums have peaked at either No. 1 or No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Minaj recently announced her retirement from music.
Despite her continued reign as the highest selling female rapper of all time, Minaj has been trailed by controversies in recent years.
After her 2018 album "Queen" failed to debut at No. 1, Minaj lashed out at rapper Travis Scott - whose album beat hers for the top spot on the chart - his partner Kylie Jenner, and even their infant daughter. She blamed the family's promotional tactics, as well as Spotify, for her album's under-performance.
Minaj has also been under fire for collaborating with the controversial rapper Tekashi69, appropriating and fetishizing Asian culture, and recently getting engaged to a man convicted of attempted rape and manslaughter. She announced her decision to retire in September.
Kendrick Lamar released his beloved debut album "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" in 2012.
After dropping the stage name K-Dot, receiving a co-sign from Lil Wayne, and scoring a coveted spot in XXL's 2011 "Top 10 Freshman Class," Kendrick Lamar had created some buzz in the hip-hop community.
But as soon as he dropped "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" in 2012 - which was nominated for album of the year at the 2013 Grammy Awards, has been certified triple platinum, and holds the Billboard 200 record for longest-charting hip-hop album - he became a cultural icon.
Lamar is often cited as the best rapper working today.
All four of Lamar's albums, including the soundtrack he curated for Marvel's "Black Panther," have been nominated for album of the year at the Grammys.
Pitchfork recently crowned his 2015 album "To Pimp a Butterfly" as the fourth best album of the decade and his 2015 single "Alright" as the best song of the decade. He has a Pulitzer Prize.
It has been argued by many critics and writers - from Rolling Stone, Billboard, MTV, Vice, and more - that Lamar is the greatest rapper of this generation.