They say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but often the human instinct to make snap judgments overcomes that sentiment. We all do it, and we can't help it. As human beings, we are psychologically inclined to judge what we see at face value regardless of our better inclinations to do otherwise. That is why it is so important to come up with a good title. A good title can often make or break a book, a movie or an album. You want your audience to have a good impression of what they are about to witness before they gaze upon your art.

Of course, there are the bad titles. They can be nonsensical, boring, confusing or outright laughably offensive. Over the 40 years of hip-hop history, there have been more than a few completely confounding titles that have done a lot to turn off an audience before they even get a chance to listen to your album. XXL is looking at 20 of the worst rap album titles of all-time today.

www.thug.com
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Trick Daddy - www.thug.com

Trick Daddy's www.thug.com is a title as painfully 1997 as a Netscape browser.

rappmurrphobia
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 Keith Murray - Rap-Murr-Phobia: Fear Of Real Hip Hop

Real hip-hop involves terrible puns?

Big Willie Style
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 Will Smith - Big Willie Style

I know a dick joke when I see one, Fresh Prince!

Immobilarity
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Raekwon - Immobilarity

"I Move More Officially by Implementing Loyalty and Respect in the Youth" might be the most convoluted acronym of all-time.

Untitled+NAS_CVR_LOGO_W_PA
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Nas - Untitled

It could have been worse.

atribecalledquest
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A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels & The Paths Of Rhythm

There is a reason that most people refer to the first Tribe Called Quest album as the "first Tribe Called Quest album."

SouthCentralCartel
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South Central Carterl - 'N Gatz We Truss

Punny.

MPireShrikez

O.G.C. - The M-Pire Shrikez Back

Not punny.

Public_Enemy_CD_-_Muse_Sick-n-hour_Mess_Age
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Public Enemy - Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age

"Music & Our Message." You can stop straining your eyes now.

Molesting Hip-Hop
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Majik Most - Molesting Hip-Hop

Ew. Gross. No.

KoolKeithSpankmaster
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Kool Keith - Spankmaster

Thanks for making me think of you masturbate, Keith!

Wonderfulworldofceasaleo
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Lil Cease - The Wonderful World Of Cease-A-Leo

Was "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" the vibe that you were going for with the title, Lil Cease?

BDK
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Big Daddy Kane - Taste Of Chocolate

You, too, Kane?

artofficialintelligence
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De La Soul - Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump

I imagine this sounded more clever on paper.

FieldMob
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Field Mob - From Tha Roota To Tha Toota

That's a fart joke, isn't it?

DoinThangs
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Big Bear - Doin Thangs

Always relevant.

DIRT
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Heltah Skeltah - D.I.R.T. (Da Incredible Rap Team)

The rare album in which the title is made worse in the context of the cover.

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Digable Planets - Reachin' (A New Refutation Of Time & Space)

Wait? What?

The Bliss Album
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PM Dawn - The Bliss Album...? (Vibrations Of Love And Anger And The Ponderance Of Existence)

PM Dawn does not get nearly enough credit for fathering Fiona Apple's album title style.

hustlerspome
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Jim Jones - Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product Of My Enviornment)

You spelled "poem" and "environment" wrong, Jim?

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