Early Friday morning, Japan was hit with one of the worst natural disasters we've seen in a long time. The earthquake that struck the Asian island measured a 9.0 on the Richter Scale; by most accounts, it's the fourth largest quake in recorded history. The tsunami that struck the Pacific has had similarly frightening results, as streets have turned to rivers, with cars, houses and more floating helplessly. The devastation has been reflected in startling images and videos.

In the days immediately following the tragedy, many of hip-hop's biggest names took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the situation. Prayers, words of hope and ways to donate were offered by many. Check out some of the messages below.

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