This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2011.

Events

January

Shady Records Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's ''The Slim Shady LP'' (1999). Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful i ...

signs

Slaughterhouse A slaughterhouse, also called abattoir (), is a facility where animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a packaging facility. Slaughterhouses that produce meat that is no ...

and Yelawolf. *

Decon Records Decon'' is a New York-based creative studio that houses production, creative, strategy, and music divisions. The company creates campaigns on behalf of brands and advertising agencies. History Originally named Deconstruction Company, the comp ...

signs Roc Marciano.

February

* For the rap categories of the 2011 Grammy Awards,

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

wins two Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album while

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

wins Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or a Group, and Best Rap Song. *

pairs up with auto manufacturer

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

to star in a two-minute-long advertisement that aired during the

2011 Super Bowl Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...

, which was hailed by critics as being "authentic" and "rousing", and which is reported to have contributed to the boost in Chrysler's first quarter profits.

March

* Singer

Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer and rapper. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning the ...

dies on March 15, 2011. * '' Lasers'' by

Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, ''Lupe Fiasco's ...

debuts at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 204,000 copies its first week. It is the first rap album to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 in 2011.

April

* Detroit rapper Fuzz Scoota joins the rap group

D12 D12 (an initialism for The Dirty Dozen) was an American hip hop collective from Detroit, Michigan. Formed in 1996, the group achieved mainstream success with its lineup of ''de facto'' leader Eminem, Proof, Bizarre, Mr. Porter, Kuniva and Swift ...

. * Krayzie Bone splits from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. * The scheduled May 16 release of Lil Wayne's ''

Tha Carter IV ''Tha Carter IV'' is the ninth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on August 29, 2011, through Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. Recording sessions for the album began in late 2008, short ...

'' is delayed. *

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

awarded 100% of the digital royalties from his first album '' The Chronic'' in a lawsuit from Death Row Records. *

Lil B Brandon Christopher McCartney (born August 17, 1989), professionally known as Lil B and as his alter ego The BasedGod, is an American rapper. Lil B has recorded both solo and with Bay Area group The Pack. His solo work spans several genres, ...

names his new album ''I'm Gay'', sparking controversy and death threats.

May

* M-Bone of Cali Swag District dies from multiple gun wounds in front of the liquor store in Inglewood, California. * ”Macho Man” Randy Savage dies of a heart attack brought on by atherosclerosis in Seminole, Florida.

June

stirs controversy, calling United States President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

"the biggest terrorist in America". *

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...

drastically slims down 88 pounds, currently weighing 265 pounds, in reaction to the death of seven of his friends due to obesity. * Ja Rule begins his two-year prison sentence for gun charges stemming from a 2007 arrest in New York City. * The late

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...

's 40th birthday celebrated on June 16 at a venue in Atlanta, hosted by his mother, Afeni Shakur and comedian

Mike Epps Michael Elliot Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He played Day-Day Jones in ''Next Friday'' and its sequel, ''Friday After Next'', and also appeared in ''The Hangover'' and ''The Hangover Part III'' as "Bla ...

. Notable performing acts included Erykah Badu and

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

, among others. *The manhunt for hip-hop record executive James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond ends with his arrest by US Marshals and DEA agents in NY City and a subsequent charge for heading a cocaine trafficking ring. *It is revealed that

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

is suffering from

Graves' disease Graves' disease (german: Morbus Basedow), also known as toxic diffuse goiter, is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. It frequently results in and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. It also often results in an enlarged thyr ...

. * 2Pac's '' Greatest Hits'' album is certified

diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of car ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. * Bad Meets Evil's '' Hell: The Sequel'' becomes the first group album to debut at #1 on Billboard 200, but the second hip hop act to have a #1 album in 2011. * Shawty Lo signs a deal with 50 Cent's G-Unit Records.

July

DMX Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album ''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'' in 1998, to both critical acclaim ...

is released from prison. *

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...

's '' Rolling Papers'' is the first rap album to be certified gold in 2011. *

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

is released in the United States, amid a much-publicized disagreement over the film's vision between Q-Tip and director Michael Rapaport.

August

*''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

'' publishes Hip Hop Cash Kings 2011, placing

first ($37 million), followed by Diddy ($35 million). The rest follow as

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

($16 Million),

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

($15 Million), Birdman ($15 million),

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

($14 million)

($14 million),

($11 million)

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

($6.5 million) and

B.o.B Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later, ...

($5 million). *Brooklyn rapper Kampane is found dead in a suspected homicide. *

and

's ''

Watch the Throne ''Watch the Throne'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, collectively known as The Throne. It was released on August 8, 2011, through Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to the re ...

'' becomes the fastest-selling rap album in 2011, selling 436,000 copies its first week, beating

's third studio album '' Lasers''. It is also the third rap album to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. *''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' names

"the King of Hip Hop". *

rushed to a hospital in St. Louis from a skateboarding incident, suffering a wound over his eye. *In response to West and Jay-Z's single " H•A•M",

fires back at

in his song "It's Good" regarding "Baby's Money". One of the collaborators on the track Jadakiss denies involvement in the beef. Lil Wayne states there would not be any repercussions.

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

, the other collaborator, was unaware of the beef at the time of recording. *Rapper

Royce da 5'9" Ryan Daniel Montgomery, known professionally as Royce da 5'9" (or simply Royce 5'9"), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Montgomery is currently one half of the rap duo Bad Meets Evil with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, and ...

releases fifth and final independent album Success Is Certain which debuts at #25 on the US Billboard Hot 200. * T.I. is released from prison.

September

*''

'' is certified

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. * Pusha T of the

Clipse Clipse, also known as The Clipse, is an American hip hop duo, chiefly active from 1994 to 2010. It consists of brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during the group's early years, while No Mal ...

signs a solo record deal with Def Jam Records. *

's ''

'' sells 965,000 copies its first week, making it the fastest-selling rap album and the overall second-fastest-selling album of the year. It also becomes the fifth rap album to debut at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200. He also has 12 singles appear on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the first week of September. * T.I. was brought back to prison due to conducting business with VH1 reality show producers for his upcoming reality show, delaying his release date to late September. Later, T.I. was released to a halfway house to complete his sentence. * Ray J and Fabolous were involved in an altercation with each other in Las Vegas, where the match between

Floyd Mayweather Floyd may refer to: As a name * Floyd (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Floyd (surname), a list of people and fictional characters Places in the United States * Floyd, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Floyd, Iow ...

and

Victor Ortiz Victor Ortiz (born January 31, 1987) is an American professional boxer and film actor. He held the WBC welterweight title in 2011, and was formerly rated as one of the world's top three active welterweights by most sporting news and boxing web ...

occurred. *

announced his intent to record two more ''Tha Carter'' albums, a joint album with Juelz Santana, and a second

Young Money Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne. Young Money's president is Lil Wayne's lifelong friend and fellow rapper Mack Maine. The label was an imprint of Cash Money Records and is distributed by Republ ...

compilation album.

October

J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...

's debut album '' Cole World: The Sideline Story'' sells 218,000 copies in its first week, charting at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. *

has suffered two seizures while traveling to cities to perform. *It is reported that

is recording sequels to '' I Am Not a Human Being'' and '' Rebirth''. *

announces that a GOOD Music compilation album will be released sometime in spring 2012. *Rapper/Model Lola Monroe signs onto

's label Taylor Gang.

November

*Brick Squad Monopoly affiliate RoseMo700 is gunned down in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on November 3 while on his way home at the age of 26. *Legendary rapper Heavy D dies at his home in Beverly Hills, California. *

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

files a countersuit against

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...

citing her multiple prison sentences lead to the credibility of the reference and her ineligibility to file her lawsuit in New York, being a California resident. * Erick Sermon suffers a heart attack. * Juicy J of

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...

signs a solo deal with

's Taylor Gang Records. * Take Care sold 630.000 in this debut week, being the second #1 album of

, and the third fastest selling album of 2011 (behind

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

and

December

* Strange Music signs

Prozak Steven T. Shippy, better known by his stage name Prozak, is an American independent rapper and film director from Saginaw, Michigan. He's a member of the group Project:Deadman with Mike E. Clark as well as the group Bedlam with Madness and Stap ...

. *

1017 Brick Squad The New 1017 Records, also known as 1017 Global Music, LLC and formerly 1017 Brick Squad, So Icey Entertainment, & 1017 Eskimo, is an American record label founded by Gucci Mane after his departure from Mizay Entertainment and the closing of So ...

affiliate Slim Dunkin is shot and killed in an Atlanta studio. *

Waka Flocka Flame Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. Signing to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. Records in 2009, he became a mainstream artist with the release of his singles "O Let's ...

's second studio album Triple F Life: Friends, Fans and Family is pushed to a 2012 release date because of the death of Slim Dunkin.

Released albums

Highest first-week sales

Highest-charting singles

Number one albums in Europe

Highest critically reviewed albums

Metacritic

AnyDecentMusic?

References

{{List of years in hip hop music 2010s in hip hop music Hip hop Hip hop music by year