Source Award

''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the magazine's co-founder.

''The Source''s Five-Mic albums

The Record Report is a section in the publication in which the magazine's staff rates hip-hop albums. Ratings range from one to five mics, paralleling a typical five-star rating scale. An album that is rated at four-and-a-half or five mics is considered by ''The Source'' to be a superior hip hop album. Over the first ten years or so, the heralded five-mic rating only applied to albums that were universally lauded hip hop albums. A total of 45 albums have been awarded five mics; a complete, chronological list is below.

Albums that originally received five mics:

*'' People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' – A Tribe Called Quest
*''AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'' – Ice Cube
*''Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em'' – Eric B. & Rakim
*'' One for All'' – Brand Nubian
*'' De La Soul Is Dead'' – De La Soul
*''The Low End Theory'' – A Tribe Called Quest
*'' Illmatic'' – Nas
*''Life After Death'' – The Notorious B.I.G.
*'' Aquemini'' – Outkast
*''The Blueprint'' – Jay-Z
*'' Stillmatic'' – Nas
*'' The Fix'' – Scarface
*''The Naked Truth'' – Lil' Kim
*''Trill OG'' – Bun B
*''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' – Kanye West

Albums that were not rated upon their releases, but were later rated five mics in 2002:

*''Run-D.M.C.'' – Run-D.M.C.
*''Radio'' – LL Cool J
*'' Licensed to Ill'' – Beastie Boys
*'' Raising Hell'' – Run-D.M.C.
*''Criminal Minded'' – Boogie Down Productions
*'' Paid in Full'' – Eric B. & Rakim
*'' By All Means Necessary'' – Boogie Down Productions
*''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'' – Public Enemy
*'' Long Live the Kane'' – Big Daddy Kane
*'' Critical Beatdown'' – Ultramagnetic MCs
*'' Straight Out the Jungle'' – Jungle Brothers
*'' Strictly Business'' – EPMD
*'' The Great Adventures of Slick Rick'' – Slick Rick
*''Straight Outta Compton'' – N.W.A
*''No One Can Do It Better'' – The D.O.C.
*''All Eyez on Me'' – 2Pac

Albums that originally received 4.5 mics, and were later re-rated to five:
*''Breaking Atoms'' – Main Source
*'' Death Certificate'' – Ice Cube
*'' The Chronic'' – Dr. Dre
*'' Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'' – Wu-Tang Clan
*'' Ready to Die'' – The Notorious B.I.G.
*''The Infamous'' – Mobb Deep
*'' Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...'' – Raekwon
*''2001'' – Dr. Dre

Albums that originally received four mics, and were later re-rated to five:
*''Grip It! On That Other Level'' – Geto Boys
*'' Doggystyle'' – Snoop Doggy Dogg
*'' The Diary'' – Scarface
*'' Me Against the World'' – 2Pac
*'' The Score'' – The Fugees
*'' Reasonable Doubt'' – Jay-Z

Music

Compilation album

''The Source'' released a compilation album of hip-hop hits.

Albums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Source, The

African-American magazines
Annual magazines published in the United States
Biannual magazines published in the United States
Black-owned companies of the United States
Cultural magazines published in the United States
Hip hop magazines
Magazines established in 1988
Magazines published in New York City
Music magazines published in the United States
Newsletters
Political magazines published in the United States