Rule 3:36 is the second studio album by American rapper Ja Rule. It was released on October 3, 2000, by The Island Def Jam Music Group, Def Jam Recordings and Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records. The album features guest appearances from Christina Milian, Lil' Mo, Shade Sheist and Jayo Felony, with producers Irv Gotti (who also executive produced the album), Ty Fyffe, Tru Stylze, Lil' Rob and Damizza contributing to the album. The album marked a significant change in Ja Rule's musical style, shifting from hardcore hip hop to a more radio-friendly pop rap oriented sound to greater success.

"Spiegel" (English: "Mirror") is a 2005 song by German pop-rap girl group Tic Tac Toe. It was released as their comeback single in December 2005, after a five-year hiatus. The song met with commercial success and was a top 10 hit in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It later appeared on their fourth and final album Comeback.

Loyalty is the second album from the Queensbridge hip-hop group, Screwball. It is produced mainly by Ayatollah & Godfather Don.

A Girl like Me is the second studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on April 10, 2006 by Def Jam Recordings. For the production of the album, Rihanna worked with Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, StarGate, J. R. Rotem and label-mate Ne-Yo, who wrote the album's second single. A Girl like Me is a pop, reggae and R&B album influenced by Rihanna's Caribbean roots. The album also incorporates elements of dancehall and rock, as well as ballads, which music critics were ambivalent towards.

TP-2.com (an abbreviation of Twelve Play-2) is the fourth solo album by American recording artist R. Kelly, released on November 7, 2000 by Jive Records.

Sleeping With the Enemy is the second album of U.S. political rapper Paris. Released in 1992, it stimulated much controversy with the songs "Bush Killa" (a revenge fantasy about the assassination of then-President George H. W. Bush) and "Coffee, Donuts & Death," (a cop-killing tirade). It also featured a young DJ Shadow on production.

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo Outkast. It was released on September 23, 2003, by LaFace Records. Issued as a double album, its playtime of more than two hours is distributed over solo albums from each of the group's members. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx is a Southern hip hop album with a P-Funk influence, while André 3000's The Love Below features psychedelic, pop, funk, electro, and jazz styles.
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised the consistency of Big Boi's Speakerboxxx and the eclectic musical style of André 3000's The Love Below. The album was supported with the hit singles "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move", which both reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, and the top five hit "Roses". Speakerboxxx/The Love Below has been certified diamond and 11 times platinum by the RIAA (each disc in the double album counted as a separate unit for certification). As of March 2012, it has shipped 5.7 million units in the United States.

Always & Forever is the debut studio album by British girl group Eternal. It was released through EMI on 29 November 1993. The album became a sales success, selling over one million copies and yielding six single releases. It is the only Eternal album to feature Louise Nurding, who left to embark on a solo career before Eternal's follow up album Power of a Woman. The album had an American release in March 1994; it reached the lower 100s on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Relapse is the sixth studio album by American rapper Eminem. The album was released on May 19, 2009, under Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. It was his first album of original material since Encore (2004), following a four-year hiatus from recording due to his writer's block and an addiction to prescription sleeping medication. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2007 to 2009 at several recording studios, and Dr. Dre, Mark Batson, and Eminem handled production. Conceptually, Relapse concerns the ending of his drug rehabilitation, rapping after a non-fictional relapse, and the return of his Slim Shady alter-ego.

Mama's Gun is the second studio album by American singer Erykah Badu. It was recorded between 1999 and 2000 at Electric Lady Studios in New York and released on November 21, 2000, by Motown Records. A neo soul album, Mama's Gun incorporates elements of funk, soul, and jazz styles. It has confessional lyrics by Badu, which cover themes of insecurity, personal relationships, and social issues. The album has been viewed by critics as a female companion to neo soul artist D'Angelo's second album Voodoo (2000), which features a similar musical style and direction. Critics have also noted that while Badu's first album Baduizm contained its share of cryptic lyricism, Mama's Gun is much more direct in its approach, and places the artist in a subjective position more than its predecessor.

The album was initially planned to be more "energetic" than his previous work, but ended up presenting a wide range of styles such as R&B, pop, reggae, rock, disco, funk and soul music. Lyrically, Unorthodox Jukebox revolves around the theme of relationships, incorporating more explicit lyrics and subjects than his previous material. Critical response to Unorthodox Jukebox was generally favorable; many reviewers compared Mars's work to that of his previous album, while others deemed its lyrics shallow.

Doo-Wops & Hooligans is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on October 4, 2010, by Atlantic and Elektra Records and was made available to listen before its official release on September 24, 2010. After the release of the EP It's Better If You Don't Understand, Mars's writing and production team, the Smeezingtons, began working on the album with Needlz, Supa Dups and Jeff Bhasker as producers. The album title was chosen to reflect simplicity and appeal to males and females.

Ignore the silly "Mr. D.J." intro and you'll discover that Haddon is a bright new presence in the realm of hip-hop gospel who seeks to blend old-school musical values with funky modern production. The thumping grooves and smooth backing vocals behind Haddon's passionate pleas on "D.D." summarize the overall vibe here. Secular audiences can enjoy the beats and his rangy, soulful voice, but he's definitely Christ-centered in his themes. He's not always overly preachy. On the dreamy light funk ballad "Ain't Got Nothing," he's a little more general in his spiritual message, simply explaining that material gain without true love is meaningless.