On this day, Dec. 15, in hip-hop history...

1998: Already known for helping to bring the gritty Dirty South to the mainstream, No Limit's Mystikal solidified his spot in hip-hop history with his third studio album Ghetto Fabulous, released on Dec. 15, 1998.

Coming off his sophomore LP, the chart-topping Unpredictable, the raspy New Orleans rhymer knew he had to up the ante. With production from Beats by The Pound (now known as the Medicine Men), guest features on the album range from Master P, Silkk The Shocker and Mia X to Snoop Dogg, Naughty by Nature and Charlie Wilson. The stand out single was the unrelenting, "That's the Nigga."

By the numbers, Mystikal's third album was a success. Ghetto Fabulous peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, moving 386,000 copies in the first week. By January of 1999, it was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA. But Ghetto Fabolous would mark Mystikal's last album on No Limit Records.

It was clear that the NOLA MC had outgrown his label counterparts and was eager to switch up his formula. It would be another two years before the rapper would drop another album.

No Limit Records
No Limit Records
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