What is the best mainstream crossover rap album of all time?

These albums brought hip-hop to the widest possible audiences without sacrificing quality. Which mainstream rap album is the ultimate crossover classic?

1. 1
   Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP

   Eminem's 2000 blockbuster, the fastest-selling rap album of all time that crossed hip-hop into every living room in America.
2. 2
   Jay-Z – The Blueprint

   Jay-Z's 2001 album that brought sophisticated rap to rock fans and redefined what a hip-hop classic could be.
3. 3
   Kanye West – Graduation

   Kanye's 2007 stadium-rap album featuring synth-pop crossover sounds, released in a historic chart battle with 50 Cent.
4. 4
   Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III

   Lil Wayne's 2008 commercial zenith selling over a million in its first week, with crossover hits on every radio format.
5. 5
   Drake – Take Care

   Drake's 2011 album that brought emotional rap to pop radio and spawned a new generation of melodic hip-hop.
6. 6
   50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin'

   50 Cent's 2003 debut, one of hip-hop's biggest crossover phenomena with 12 million copies sold worldwide.
7. 7
   MC Hammer – Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em

   MC Hammer's 1990 blockbuster, the first rap album certified Diamond, selling 18 million copies worldwide.
8. 8
   Run-DMC – Raising Hell

   Run-DMC's 1986 rock-rap crossover that introduced hip-hop to rock audiences through their Aerosmith collaboration.
9. 9
   Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill

   Beastie Boys' 1986 debut, the first rap album to reach number one, beloved by rock and hip-hop fans alike.
10. 10
    Will Smith – Big Willie Style

    Will Smith's 1997 debut album, a polished family-friendly crossover that brought rap to the widest possible audience.
11. 11
    Outkast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

    Outkast's 2003 Grammy-winning double album that crossed into rock, jazz, and pop while selling millions.
12. 12
    Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.

    Kendrick's 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning album that made rap history while topping pop and R&B charts globally.
13. 13
    Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy

    Cardi B's 2018 debut that dominated pop charts and became the first rap debut by a woman certified Diamond.
14. 14
    Travis Scott – Astroworld

    Travis Scott's 2018 psychedelic trap album that crossed hip-hop into rock festivals and mainstream pop radio.
15. 15
    Puff Daddy – No Way Out

    Puff Daddy's 1997 debut, a Bad Boy Records commercial juggernaut that blended hip-hop with pop and R&B production.