On this day, March 3, in hip-hop history...

Three monumental hip-hop albums just so happened to drop on March 3. Each of these albums is a pillar in the history of early hip-hop for helping to shape the sound of the streets, the times and the music we know and love today. Presenting, the trifecta...

B-Boy Records
B-Boy Records
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1987: On March 3, 1987, Boogie Down Productions officially set the scene for East Coast gangsta rap with their debut album Criminal Minded. Featuring KRS-One, D-Nice and DJ Scott La Rock and released under B-Boy Records, Criminal Minded spoke to the kids of South Bronx, NY (a.k.a the "Boogie Down"), telling stories of drug wars and prostitution while incorporating reggae and rock influences. One of the biggest singles off the album, "South Bronx," a diss track towards Queens MCs, samples James Brown's "Get Up Offa That Thing" and "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved." Criminal Minded is widely considered one of the most influential rap albums of all time.

Tommy Boy Entertainment
Tommy Boy Entertainment
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1989: Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul brought alternative jazz-rap to the masses on Mar. 3, 1989 with their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. As the first album from Posdnuos, Dave and Maseo, 3 Feet High and Rising stood out in the midst of the gangsta rap scene and birthed the smash hit "Me Myself and I" which peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard 100 in 1989. Thanks to the rappers' comedic hippie personas and social commentary content, 3 Feet High and Rising as an album reached No. 24 on Billboard's 200 and is in Rolling Stone's list of Greatest Albums of All Time.

Rap-A-Lot Records
Rap-A-Lot Records
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1998: Geto Boys member Scarface proved he was really down for his set with the March 3, 1998 release of My Homies. The expansive, 30-track, double-disc release showcased Scarface's skills and featured guest appearances by rap titans such as 2Pac and Ice Cube as well as fellow Geto Boys Big Mike, Bushwick Bill and Willie D. "Homies & Thuggs" was the project's biggest single, showing the world "the hood they called home." The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200 for 1998.

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