XXL celebrates 50 years of hip-hop with this moment:

Jan. 27, 2004: Twista dropped Kamikaze, his fourth and most successful studio album to date on Jan. 27, 2004.

Kamikaze was a commercial and critical success for the quick-tongued Chicago MC and undoubtedly raised his profile in rap beyond the Chi-town area. The album holds producing credits from the likes of Kanye West, The Legendary Traxstar and R. Kelly. Kamikaze birthed two of Twista’s most memorable singles, "Slow Jamz" and "Overnight Celebrity."

Marketed in 1992 as the world’s fastest rapper according the Guinness Book of World Records, the rhymer who once went by Tung Twista exhibited exceptional rapid rap prowess on the 17-track album. This LP was his first solo project since the 1997 album Adrenaline Rush. Twist’s Kamikaze debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was his first certified platinum album.

Twista's biggest hit off Kamikaze, "Slow Jamz" features Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, samples Luther Vandross’ "A House Is Not a Home" and was visualized with a hilariously star-studded video. "Slow Jamz" is also featured on Ye’s debut album, 2004’s The College Dropout. 

Till this day, "Slow Jamz" and "Overnight Celebrity" are still in heavy rotation among rap fans as the surefire way to cool down a crazy house party.

Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
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