2009 in hip hop music

Events

January

• Eminem, 50 Cent and Dr. Dre's new song "Crack a Bottle" has leaked on the internet. The song will be featured on Eminem's Relapse as a track not a single.
• Jermaine Dupri has split from Def Jam.
• Bun B stated there would one last album by UGK titled 4 Life. Bun B stated that the album would have 12 tracks and no guest appearances.
• Lupe Fiasco, last year stated he would be retiring and ending his career with a 3 disc album entitled LupE.N.D but now he said he is not going to retire instead, he’s planning to release three albums over the next year and a half.

February

• Soulja Boy and Bow Wow start a small fued. They both release diss tracks, but later end it.
• 50 Cent and Rick Ross began trading insults on various diss tracks.
• For the first time in four years, The Game says he sides with 50 Cent in a beef; continuing to state that Rick Ross needs to ring him so he can help Ross out of the career ending mess he has become involved in with 50 Cent.
• Lil Wayne won 4 Grammy Awards at the 2009 Grammy Awards, followed by Kanye West winning 2 awards and Jay-Z and T.I. winning one each.
• Deonta Cummings is filing a suit against Jim Jones and E1 Records alleging that his artist, Ivory Keys, was not given proper compensation or credit for his contribution to the album Jim Jones & Skull Gang Present A Tribute To Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps.
• Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III sold 3 million copies.
• Lil Wayne sued for $1.3 Million caused by canceling New York shows.
• Flo Rida breaks a digital sales record, by selling over 630,000 digital units of his single "Right Round" in one week.
• Eminem sues Universal Music over digital royalties.

March

• Snoop Dogg joins the Nation of Islam.
• Eminem plans to release two albums in this year.
• 50 Cent also plans to release two albums this year and joins Fall Out Boy in their tour.
• Rapper B.o.B changes his stage name to Bobby Ray.
• R.O.O.T.S. the second album from Flo Rida leaks onto the internet on March 24.
• T.I. is sentenced to go to jail for 1 year and a day for gun possessions. He will go to federal prison sometime after May 19 for trying to purchase machine guns, ammunition, and silencers in October 2007.
• New Jack City II the last album from Bow Wow leaks onto the internet.
• Rapper Andre 3000 was arrested for driving his 2007 Porsche Carrera at excessive speeds
• Cam'ron says there will not be a Dipset reunion.

April

• Cash Money Records are suing mixtape DJ’s including DJ Drama
• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony member Flesh-n-Bone got picked up on gun possession charges in Santa Clarita, CA according to TMZ.
• Ludacris signed rapper Lil Scrappy to his Disturbing tha Peace imprint.
• Jim Jones was arrested in New Jersey, on an outstanding warrant, all while giving followers on his Twitter page updates during the incident.
• Eminem releases his first official single in 2 years, "We Made You" off his highly anticipated album Relapse.
• Rick Ross was arrested in Atlanta. After being held hostage at the famous celebrity tattoo parlor “City of Ink”. He was reportedly let go once the cops saw who he was.
• Cam'ron says he and Jim Jones are done on Hot 97.
• Bow Wow announces that he is dismissing himself from the rap game, because he feels there is no more to be done on the music side.
• Asher Roth's Asleep in the Bread Aisle & Rick Ross' Deeper Than Rap leaked onto the internet before their official release.

May

• TMZ reports they spotted 2Pac at a New Orleans bar. Plus a supposebly new 2Pac song leaked in which he mentions rapper T.I. and president Barack Obama.
• The Smoking Gun a website that posts legal documents, arrest records, and police mugshots on a daily basis, exposes Cedric "Alfamega" Zellars, as his last job being a DEA informant.
• T.I. drops Alfamega from Grand Hustle Records.
• Eminem's album Relapse leaks onto the internet before its May 15 Release.
• DJ Drama's album Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2) leaks just before its release.
• DMX is released from prison in Arizona.
• Jermaine Dupri, Nelly, Usher, Bryan-Michael Cox, Johntá Austin, Trey Songz & Tyrone Davis form a Hip-Hop/R&B Supergroup, known as Ocean's 7.
• Busta Rhymes's album Back on My B.S. and Method Man & Redman's Blackout! 2 leak on the internet just before the release
• Method Man and Joe Budden start beefing.
• Rapper/producer Swizz Beatz admitted to having a relationship with Alicia Keys.
• Atlanta-based rapper Dolla was shot dead at the Beverly Hills Center on May 18.
• Jay-Z officially leaves Def Jam Records.
• T.I. marries former R&B singer Tameka "Tiny" Cottle.
• T.I. checked into a federal prison in Forrest City, Arkansas on Tuesday (May 26). The rapper is serving a 366-day federal prison sentence for attempting to buy illegal machine guns and silencers from undercover agents in October 2007.
• Eminem becomes the highest selling artist of 2009 so far with the release of Relapse.
• Trill Entertainment under investigation for the attempted murder of rapper Beelow.
• Footage of C-Murder holding a gun at a night club is released, which is used against him in an attempted murder charge.
• Rapper Tega, known for being a member of Nelly's St. Lunatics crew, died May 27 from injuries he sustained after being shot on May 16.

June

• Jay-Z announces he will release The Blueprint³ September 11, 2009.
• Former ByrdGang affiliate, Max B, real name Charly Wingate has just been found guilty on 9 out of 11 counts in his ongoing murder trial. Max is scheduled to be sentenced in Bergen County on July 11, 2009, where he is facing up to 20 years in prison.
• Mariah Carey released a song entitled "Obsessed", which disses Eminem.
• 50 Cent releases a mixtape called War Angel LP and says "it's the best body of work I put out in the mixtape circuit".
• Plies throws $50,000 into the concert crowd at the 107.9 FM Birthday Bash at Phillips Arena to promote his single "Plenty Money"
• Legendary graffiti artist Iz the Wiz passes away.
• Daz Dillinger disses Jermaine Dupri, Suge Knight and Alan Grumblatt.
• Tru Life turned himself in on a second-degree murder charge, and then a few days later, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
• Drake signs with Lil Wayne's Young Money Label.
• The Game ends beef with 50 Cent on Micheal Jackson tribute song "Better on the Other Side". [1]

July

• Jay-Z has officially signed a new distribution deal with Sony for his label Roc Nation.
• The Game apologizes to 50 Cent & Interscope.
• Alfamega announces he is still signed to Grand Hustle. His manager Reek Walker says "We never received any documentation. Technically, Alfa is still a member of Grand Hustle. T.I. can denounce him all he wants, but as long as that contract is in [place], he’s still there."
• BET has expressed remorse over a performance by Lil Wayne, Drake and Young Money Entertainment that involved underage girls during songs "Best I Ever Had" and "Every Girl".
• The death of Michael Jackson inspires Mase’s to return to music.
• Former Bad Boy artist Loon turns Muslim.
• Jay-Z becomes hip hop's biggest earner topping the 2009 Forbes Hip-Hop Cash Kings List.
• 50 Cent tells XXL he will be number one next year on the Forbes Hip-Hop Cash Kings List.
• Cash Money Records & DJ Drama are set to settle out of court over the mixtape lawsuit.
• Red City Entertainment sues Lil Wayne for not appearing at a concert in the Bahamas, which they payed $432,000 up front for him to appear.
• The Game leaks out a diss track aiming a Jay-Z

Albums

Release Date	Artist	Album	Notes
January 13	Various artists	Notorious (soundtrack)	Debuts at #4 on the Billboard 200 Jay Z & Jadakiss have tracks on the album
February 24	Joe Budden	Padded Room	Debuts at #42 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "The Future", "In My Sleep"
	Project Pat	Real Recognize Real	Debuts at #70 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Keep It Hood"
	Grandmaster Flash	The Bridge - Concept Of A Culture	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Swagger"
March 17	Gorilla Zoe	Don't Feed Da Animals	Debuts at #8 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Lost", "What It Is", "Echo"
	Capone-N-Noreaga	Channel 10	Debuts at #136 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Rotate", "Talk To Me Big Time" Their first album in nine years
March 24	Jim Jones	Pray IV Reign	Debuts at #9 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Pop Champagne", "Na Na Nana Na Na", "Blow the Bank" Major label debut
	Slim Thug	Boss of All Bosses	Debuts at #15 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "I Run"
	Hell Rell	Get In Line or Get Lined Up	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Shoot 'em Up"
March 31	Bow Wow	New Jack City II	Debuts at #16 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "You Can Get It All" It is reportedly his last album
	Flo Rida	R.O.O.T.S.	Debuts at #8 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Right Round", "Shone", "Sugar" The album spawned his second #1 single; "Right Round"
	UGK	UGK 4 Life	Debuts at #6 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Da Game Been Good to Me"
April 7	Jadakiss	The Last Kiss	Debuts at #3 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "By My Side", "Can't Stop Me", "Death Wish", "Who's Real"
	Mims	Guilt	Debuts at #53 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Move (If You Wanna)", "Love Rollercoaster"
April 20	Asher Roth	Asleep in the Bread Aisle	Debuts at #5 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "I Love College", "Lark on My Go-Kart", "Be by Myself"
April 21	Rick Ross	Deeper Than Rap	Debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Mafia Music", "Magnificent", All I Really Want", "Maybach Music 2"
April 28	Hell Rell	Hard as Hell	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200
	Mike Jones	The Voice	Debuts at #12 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Drop & Gimme 50", "Cuddy Buddy", "Next To You", "Swagg Thru The Roof"
	Tech N9ne	Sickology 101	Debuts at #19 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Red Nose", "Sickology 101", "Nothin'"
May 5	Skull Gang	Skull Gang	Debuts at #142 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "I am the Club", "Aggy"
	DJ Paul	Scale-A-Ton	Debuts at #157 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Jus Like Dat", "You Don't Want It"
	Gucci Mane	Murder Was The Case	Debuts at #23 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Stoopid"
May 12	Cam'ron	Crime Pays	Debuts at #3 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "My Job", "Get it in Ohio"
	Haystak	The Natural II	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200
	Paul Wall	Fast Life	Debuts at #15 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Bizzy Body"
May 19	Eminem	Relapse	Debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Crack a Bottle", "We Made You", "3 a.m.", "Old Time's Sake", "Beautiful" Certified Platinum
	Busta Rhymes	Back on My B.S.	Debuts at #5 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Arab Money", "Hustler's Anthem '09", "Respect My Conglomerate", "World Go Round"
	Method Man & Redman	Blackout! 2	Debuts at #7 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "A Yo", "Mrs. International"
	DJ Drama	Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2)	Debuts at #26 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Day Dreaming", "Ridiculous"
	Sheek Louch	Life on D-Block	Debuts at #122 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "In the Rain"
	Freeway	Philadelphia Freeway 2	Debuts at #99 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Finally Free"
	Guru	Guru 8.0: Lost and Found	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Divine Rule", "Fastlane", "Ride", "After Time & "No Gimmick Sh*t"
May 26	Lil' Flip & Gudda Gudda	Certified	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200
June 2	J Dilla	Jay Stay Paid	Debuts at #96 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Reality Check"
	AZ	Legendary	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200, but debuted at #54 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at #24 on the Top Rap Albums Singles: "Get Money"
June 9	Pastor Troy	Ready For War	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200, but debuted at #52 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at #25 on the Top Rap Albums Singles: "PT"
	D-Block	No Security	Debuts at #40 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Get That Paper"
	Mos Def	The Ecstatic	Debuts at #9 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Life in Marvelous Times", "Quiet Dog Bite Hard", "Casa Bey"
	Kurupt & DJ Quik	BlaQKout	Debuts at #61 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "BlaQKout"
	Busdriver	Jhelli Beam	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Me - Time"
June 16	Hussein Fatal	Born Legendary	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Wut You Talkin Bout"
	Juicy J	Hustle Till I Die	Debuts at #106 on the Billboard 200
	L.E.G.A.C.Y.	Suicide Music	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200
	Street Sweeper Social Club	Street Sweeper Social Club	Debuts at #37 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "100 Little Curses"
June 23	Fast Life Yungstaz	Jamboree	Debuts at #109 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Swag Surfin'"
	Dead Prez & DJ Green Lantern	Pulse Of The People	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200, but debuted at #81 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
	Willy Northpole	Tha Connect	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200, but debuted at #47 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at #21 on the Top Rap Albums Singles: "Body Marked Up", "Hood Dreamer", "#1 Side Chick"
	Soul Assassins	Intermission	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Classical", "Gangsta Shit"
	U-God	Dopium	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200, but debuted at #93 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Singles: "Train Trussle"
	Grand Puba	Retroactive	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200, but debuted at #97 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
	Sa-Ra Creative Partners	Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love	Failed to chart on the Billboard 200
June 30	Maino	If Tomorrow Comes...	Debuts at #25 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Hi Hater", "All the Above", "Hood Love", "Million Bucks"
	Ace Hood	Ruthless	Debuts at #23 on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Overtime", "Loco Wit the Cake", "Champion"
July 7	The Alchemist	Chemical Warfare	Debuts at #TBD on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Lose Your Life", "Smile"
July 14	Krizz Kaliko	Genius	Debuts at #TBD on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Misunderstood"
	La Coka Nostra	A Brand You Can Trust	Debuts at #TBD on the Billboard 200 Singles: -
	Twista	Category F5	Debuts at #TBD on the Billboard 200 Singles: "Wetter", "Birthday"
	Yukmouth	Westcoast Don	Debuts at #TBD on the Billboard 200 Singles: -