Music in the Post-9/11 Era
9 Breakout Artists, 11 Impactful Albums
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Music in the Post-9/11 Era\r - The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, had an immeasurable impact on our nation — the whole world in fact. It changed the way we go about our day-to-day lives and ushered us into a whole new way of living in the post-9/11 era. Within the last 10 years since the attacks, music in the post-9/11 era has gone through its own changes, the increased use of the digital music space, auto-tune hits and crunk music, just to name a few. In that time we have seen the birth of some of the brightest stars and the release of significant albums that helped to define a decade. Here’s a rundown on nine breakout music stars and 11 impactful albums that helped change music in the post-9/11 era.
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Kanye West\r - \rMr. West first made noise as the beatsmith behind Jay-Z's classic album, The Blueprint, which was released on September 11, 2001. After laying a soulful soundscape for Hov, Yeezy made his debut as a rapper on his own classic album, College Dropout, in 2004. It was the introduction to hip hop for one of the most complex and creative talents — of all time.\r \r \r(Photo: Adrienne Battistella/PictureGroup)
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Drake\r - On the strength of his critically acclaimed mixtape So Far Gone, Canadian rapper Drake kicked in the doors as he stepped in the music arena in 2009. Since then he has risen to stardom by delivering a plethora of radio-friendly, chart-topping hits.\r \r(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
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Chris Brown\r - At 16 years old, the Virginia-bred R&B singer drew comparisons to a young Michael Jackson for his electric dance moves and undeniable stage presence. Since his self-titled debut in 2005 the controversial star has enjoyed great success, despite a few hiccups along the way.\r \r(Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
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Nicki Minaj\r - After 9/11 the female rap game experienced a noticeable dearth in talent. That is until Lil Wayne helped to unleash multi-talented Queens-bred rapper Nicki Minaj in 2009. Minaj’s eccentric and equally electric approach helped to re-energize the female voice in hip hop. She now stands as the reigning queen of the rap game.\r \r \r(Photo: Radcliffe Roye/www.royephotography.com)
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T.I.\r - Just one month after the September 11 attacks, this cocksure Atlanta rapper delivered his bombastic debut, I’m Serious, where he boldly anointed himself “King of the South.” Within five years of his debut the claim became a self-fulfilling prophecy as T.I. developed into a multi-platinum selling superstar with a host of accomplishments under his belt.\r \r(Photo: Vince Bucci/PictureGroup)
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Akon\r - Few would have banked on the hip hop singer having longevity in the game following the release of his debut album, Trouble, which featured the ubiquitous hit “Locked Up.” Yet the Senegalese-American star has developed into one of the most bankable hitmakers of the past decade. Akon's reach is international and crosses multiple genres.\r \r \r(Photo: Jeff Daly/PictureGroup)
Photo By Photo: Jeff Daly/PictureGroup
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Ne-Yo\r - Despite a few false starts to his career, Ne-Yo made his mark on the R&B playground with his 2006 debut, In My Own Words. The soulful album featured the singer’s deft songwriting skills that would be later utilized by stars like Beyoncé and Rihanna.\r \r(Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
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Rihanna - On her 2005 debut, Music of the Sun, the Bajan pop singer was just a little island girl delivering sun-splashed, reggae-tinged radio-friendly tunes. By her third release, Good Girl Gone Bad, in 2007, Rihanna was a certified pop star with worldwide appeal. (Photo: Jeff Daly/PictureGroup)
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Rick Ross\r - The Bawse certainly paid his dues in the rap game and four albums into his career he is among the biggest stars in the business.\r \r(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Get Rich Or Die Tryin - The 2003 album turned the brooding street-smart Queens rapper into an instant superstar. Under the tutelage of Dr. Dre and Eminem, the 6x platinum LP brought hip hop back to the streets with a collection of brazen yet melodic songs that followed the flashy flamboyant bling of the early 2000s. (Photo: Aftermath Entertainment)
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Tha Carter III\r - The defining album of Lil Wayne’s career sold over a million copies in its first week and made the rebellious star a bonafide music star.\r \r(Photo: Cash Money Records)
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Confessions - Usher went from boy to man right before our eyes, and in 2004 he declared his manhood with a seductive confessional that sold 10 million copies and became the standard-bearer for R&B albums to follow. (Photo: LaFace/Arista)
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The Black Album\r - What was supposed to be Jay-Z’s final album turned out to be just another classic in his iconic collection. If he were to bow out gracefully, this would have certainly been comparable to Michael Jordan’s winning shot in the 1997 NBA finals.\r \r(Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records)
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Kings of Crunk \r - Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz burst in the doors and introduced mainstream America to crunk music. The 2002 album, which featured the universally loved, ”Get Low,” helped spawn the crunk era in hip hop.\r \r(Photo: TVT)
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Rappa Turnt Sanga\r - Off the success of the two singles “I’m In Luv (Wit a Strippa)” and “I’m Sprung,” T-Pain used his 2005 debut album to introduce the auto-tunes era in rap.\r \r(Photo: Konvict/Jive/Zomba)
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The Documentary\r - With his booming debut, The Documentary, Dr. Dre's protégé Game resurrected the West Coast — with the help of 50 Cent, of course.\r\r(Photo: Aftermath Entertainment/G-Unit Records)
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Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101\r - Young Jeezy’s rap opus was an inspiring piece of work for trap stars everywhere. The platinum-selling album helped the Snowman rise from the bottom of the map to a bonafide rap star.\r \r(Photo: Island Def Jam)
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I Am...Sasha Fierce\r - The Grammy Award-winning album had some of the most globally impactful tunes of the past decade, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” “Halo” and “If I Were a Boy,” to name a few.\r \r(Photo: Columbia Records)
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College Dropout\r - Kanye West quieted the naysayers with a soul-stirring debut that set the tone for his greatness in the decade. Multi-layered and socially conscious hits like “All Falls Down” and “Jesus Walks” offered a glimpse into the complexity of Mr. West’s inner workings.\r \r(Photo: Rock-A-Fella Records/Def Jam)
Photo By Photo: Rock-A-Fella Records/Def Jam
