Rap Albums With Animals on the Cover

50 Cent reveals the artwork for his new LP, and more.

The Rundown: 50 Cent, Animal Ambition: An Untamed Desire to Win - Many people were writing off 50 Cent's hit-making ability, but the G-Unit general is silencing the masses with his fifth release Animal Ambition: An Untamed Desire to Win.Read on for a track-by-track look of Fif's first independent release since he left Interscope, a decisive statement that he still runs New York. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photo: G-Unit)

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Rap Albums With Animals on the Cover - 50 Cent won't let anything stop him from unleashing his fifth album (not even an Interscope deal). The disc, titled Animal Ambition, is set to drop in June and features cover art to match it's title and Fif's outlook: an image of a growling lion ready to pounce on its prey. Of course the Street King/Lion King Queens-bred native is not the only rapper to have included some kind of animal on his album cover. Read on.(Photo: G-Unit)

Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle - Based on his name, it's really no surprise that Snoop featured a dog on the album cover of his debut. In addition to the cartoon cover — which was a riff on the iconic image of Snoopy lying on a doghouse — the video for "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)" featured the Cali native morphing into a canine. (Photo: Death Row Records)

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Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle - Based on his name, it's really no surprise that Snoop featured a dog on the album cover of his debut. In addition to the cartoon cover — which was a riff on the iconic image of Snoopy lying on a doghouse — the video for "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)" featured the Cali native morphing into a canine. (Photo: Death Row Records)

Kanye West, The College Dropout - Kanye West has played an integral part in creating and popularizing an array of styles and images. Among those is the College Dropout bear, a mascot suit that Yeezy wore on his debut album cover. In different forms, a bear would later appear on the covers of his next two albums, Late Registration and Graduation. (Photo: Roc-a-Fella Records, Def Jam)

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Kanye West, The College Dropout - Kanye West has played an integral part in creating and popularizing an array of styles and images. Among those is the College Dropout bear, a mascot suit that Yeezy wore on his debut album cover. In different forms, a bear would later appear on the covers of his next two albums, Late Registration and Graduation. (Photo: Roc-a-Fella Records, Def Jam)

Birdman, Birdman - Half man, half bird? That's how Baby's self-titled debut packaged the part-time music mogul/part-time rapper, introducing the world at-large to Birdman's signature call.(Photo: Cash Money Records)

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Birdman, Birdman - Half man, half bird? That's how Baby's self-titled debut packaged the part-time music mogul/part-time rapper, introducing the world at-large to Birdman's signature call.(Photo: Cash Money Records)

DMX, Year of the Dog...Again - On the cover of his 2006 album, DMX was standing sturdy with a pitbull. X had long been associated with dogs, as his ad-libs were often barks and growls, and his previous album, Grand Champ, also featured a pit on the cover. (Photo: Ruff Ryders)

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DMX, Year of the Dog...Again - On the cover of his 2006 album, DMX was standing sturdy with a pitbull. X had long been associated with dogs, as his ad-libs were often barks and growls, and his previous album, Grand Champ, also featured a pit on the cover. (Photo: Ruff Ryders)

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Ludacris, Word of Mouf - Luda's Word of Mouf cover was quite a sight. The rapper's inflated head and enormous afro took up half the cover, while the rest was occupied by a fierce looking dog — also with an inflated dome. (Photo: Def Jam)

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Ludacris, Word of Mouf - Luda's Word of Mouf cover was quite a sight. The rapper's inflated head and enormous afro took up half the cover, while the rest was occupied by a fierce looking dog — also with an inflated dome. (Photo: Def Jam)

Tyga, Hotel California - The cover for Tyga's second Young Money album was pretty lavish. The Cali native rocked an enormous white fur coat while standing on a spectacular outdoor patio and kickin' it next to — yup — a tiger. (Photo: Young Money Records)

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Tyga, Hotel California - The cover for Tyga's second Young Money album was pretty lavish. The Cali native rocked an enormous white fur coat while standing on a spectacular outdoor patio and kickin' it next to — yup — a tiger. (Photo: Young Money Records)

Nas, Stillmatic - As he reasserted his greatness with Stillmatic, Nas squatted next to a pigeon in front of the New York skyline. Though not the fiercest animal, the bird is an integral part of life in the Big Apple and on its streets. (Photo: Columbia Records)

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Nas, Stillmatic - As he reasserted his greatness with Stillmatic, Nas squatted next to a pigeon in front of the New York skyline. Though not the fiercest animal, the bird is an integral part of life in the Big Apple and on its streets. (Photo: Columbia Records)

LL Cool J, Walking With a Panther - LL Cool J struck a b-boy stance with a large cat on the album cover for his third LP. LL rocked a Kangol and the panther was adorned with his pattented gold rope chain.(Photo: Def Jam)

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LL Cool J, Walking With a Panther - LL Cool J struck a b-boy stance with a large cat on the album cover for his third LP. LL rocked a Kangol and the panther was adorned with his pattented gold rope chain.(Photo: Def Jam)

Birdman & Lil Wayne, Like Father Like Son - On highlights such as "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" and "Leather So Soft," Birdman's straightforward, blue-collar bars are an effective complement for an at-his-peak Weezy's stream-of-consciousness non-sequiturs.(Photo: Courtesy Cash Money Records)

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Lil Wayne and Birdman, Like Father, Like Son - Like Father, Like Son, indeed. After Birdman became one with a bird on his album, he brought that same fetish for flying creatures to his collabo with Weezy, as the two Cash Money titans found themselves surrounded by dozens of white birds on their album cover. (Photo: Cash Money Records)

Lil Bow Wow, Beware of Dog - In another example of an album cover thematically following a rap moniker, Lil Bow Wow found himself restraining what looks to be a beast of a black dog on his debut album cover. (Photo: Columbia Records)

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Lil Bow Wow, Beware of Dog - In another example of an album cover thematically following a rap moniker, Lil Bow Wow found himself restraining what looks to be a beast of a black dog on his debut album cover. (Photo: Columbia Records)