Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Rappers Celebrating 20 Years in the Game

Mobb Deep's latest album marks a two-decade milestone.

Longevity is a Rare Feat - It's wonderous to achieve just one hit, but 20 years' worth of hits? Only a few have done it, and right now, hip hop has its golden years on loop with artists like Nas, Mobb Deep and Diddy, who debuted in the early '90s, reflecting on how they've had the music game on lock for two decades with throwbacks to their old material, plenty of new music, tours and more. Noteworthy: Female lyrical assassins from that era, such as Lauryn Hill and Lil' Kim, are coming up on 20-year anniversaries, too, as are many more of our favorite emcees. Meanwhile, read on to see how some of the fellas are paying homage to their illustrious careers and the fans who support them. —Dominique Zonyeé (@DominiqueZonyee).(Photos from Left: WENN.com, Johnny Nunez/WireImage, Johnny Nunez/Getty Images)

1 / 11

Longevity is a Rare Feat - It's wonderous to achieve just one hit, but 20 years' worth of hits? Only a few have done it, and right now, hip hop has its golden years on loop with artists like Nas, Mobb Deep and Diddy, who debuted in the early '90s, reflecting on how they've had the music game on lock for two decades with throwbacks to their old material, plenty of new music, tours and more. Noteworthy: Female lyrical assassins from that era, such as Lauryn Hill and Lil' Kim, are coming up on 20-year anniversaries, too, as are many more of our favorite emcees. Meanwhile, read on to see how some of the fellas are paying homage to their illustrious careers and the fans who support them. —Dominique Zonyeé (@DominiqueZonyee).(Photos from Left: WENN.com, Johnny Nunez/WireImage, Johnny Nunez/Getty Images)

"Dirt" - True to its name, this is the epitome of NY grime. "We had no choice but to keep it trill, they sizing us up," Mobb Deep claims over the classic early 90's-sounding track.(Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

2 / 11

Mobb Deep - When Havoc and Prodigy hit the scene in 1993 with Juvenile Hell, the Queensbrigde duo didn't think that more than 20 years later fans would still crave their gritty street tales. While they have a slew of hits, their most critically acclaimed sophomore album, Infamous, which was released in 1995, is coming up on a near 20-year anniversary mark, April 25. In honor, Mobb Deep just released a double album, The Infamous Mobb Deep, featuring 17 new tracks and unheard sessions from the original Infamous album. But what's a 20-year celebration without a tour? The former G-Unit affiliates kicked off the Mobb Deep Tour, in January; check here for tour dates.(Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Nas - When Nas released his first album Illmatic in 1994, it wasn't hard to tell that his fate as one of the greatest lyricists in the game was cemented. Two decades later, the Queensbridge kid celebrated the collection with a performance alongside the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. He'll be releasing Illmatic XX later this month (April 15), along with the documentary, Time is Illmatic, which will open at the Tribeca Film Festival.(Photo: Kyle Gustafson/for The Washington Post)

3 / 11

Nas - When Nas released his first album Illmatic in 1994, it wasn't hard to tell that his fate as one of the greatest lyricists in the game was cemented. Two decades later, the Queensbridge kid celebrated the collection with a performance alongside the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. He'll be releasing Illmatic XX later this month (April 15), along with the documentary, Time is Illmatic, which will open at the Tribeca Film Festival.(Photo: Kyle Gustafson/for The Washington Post)

Diddy - When you think of Diddy, the words "longevity," "hustler" and "innovator" might come to mind. Named the wealthiest hip hop artist in 2013 with $580 million, "Puff Daddy: has been killing the game since he founded Bad Boy Records in 1994. With the Notorious B.I.G., Dirty Money, Rick Ross and many others who can attribute their success to Diddy, he also managed to spearhead his own rap career as well. After more than 20 years, Diddy is still the "Big Homie," his latest offering. His Bad Boy imprint will celebrate two decades of "can't stop, won't stop" this year, likely with one of the his famous bashes.(Photo: Bad Boy Entertainment)

4 / 11

Diddy - When you think of Diddy, the words "longevity," "hustler" and "innovator" might come to mind. Named the wealthiest hip hop artist in 2013 with $580 million, "Puff Daddy: has been killing the game since he founded Bad Boy Records in 1994. With the Notorious B.I.G., Dirty Money, Rick Ross and many others who can attribute their success to Diddy, he also managed to spearhead his own rap career as well. After more than 20 years, Diddy is still the "Big Homie," his latest offering. His Bad Boy imprint will celebrate two decades of "can't stop, won't stop" this year, likely with one of the his famous bashes.(Photo: Bad Boy Entertainment)

Photo By Bad Boy Entertainment

Wu-Tang Clan - Emerging on the scene in 1993, the conglomerate of Staten Island emcees known as Wu-Tang Clan changed the rap game with their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). In 2013, the Wu announced they are celebrating their constant grip on the game with a new release, A Better Tomorrow (which as of press time is still in development), and in 2014 revealed that they've been recording a secret album for the past six years that will seal their legacy as one of the best groups to ever do it. Once Upon A Time In Shaolin will be exclusively toured in galleries and museums, and only one copy of it will be put up for sale.(Photo: Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

5 / 11

Wu-Tang Clan - Emerging on the scene in 1993, the conglomerate of Staten Island emcees known as Wu-Tang Clan changed the rap game with their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). In 2013, the Wu announced they are celebrating their constant grip on the game with a new release, A Better Tomorrow (which as of press time is still in development), and in 2014 revealed that they've been recording a secret album for the past six years that will seal their legacy as one of the best groups to ever do it. Once Upon A Time In Shaolin will be exclusively toured in galleries and museums, and only one copy of it will be put up for sale.(Photo: Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

ADVERTISEMENT
Jermaine Dupri - It’s safe to say that without Jermaine Dupri, Southern hip hop wouldn't be the same. The Atlanta-based producer represented for the South at a time when Diddy's Bad Boy Record's dominated the airwaves. Dupri launched 20 years of hit-making history with his first act, the all-female group Xscape in 1991. His So So Def imprint celebrated two decades in February 2013 with a star-studded concert in Atlanta, featuring performances by Jay Z, Ludacris, Usher and a host of other top names.(Photo: Jermaine Dupri Via Instagram)

6 / 11

Jermaine Dupri - It’s safe to say that without Jermaine Dupri, Southern hip hop wouldn't be the same. The Atlanta-based producer represented for the South at a time when Diddy's Bad Boy Record's dominated the airwaves. Dupri launched 20 years of hit-making history with his first act, the all-female group Xscape in 1991. His So So Def imprint celebrated two decades in February 2013 with a star-studded concert in Atlanta, featuring performances by Jay Z, Ludacris, Usher and a host of other top names.(Photo: Jermaine Dupri Via Instagram)

Pete Rock and CL Smooth - When you think about how many of your favorite stars have sampled Pete Rock and CL Smooth's classic, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)," it becomes clear the influence they have in the rap game. When the Mount Vernon, New York duo released their debut album Mecca and the Soul Brother in 1992, it instantly reached critical acclaim and became known as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all times. The duo celebrated two decades since its release with a 25-city tour in 2013.(Photos from left: Jerritt Clark/WireImage, Mat Szwajkos/Getty Images)

7 / 11

Pete Rock and CL Smooth - When you think about how many of your favorite stars have sampled Pete Rock and CL Smooth's classic, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)," it becomes clear the influence they have in the rap game. When the Mount Vernon, New York duo released their debut album Mecca and the Soul Brother in 1992, it instantly reached critical acclaim and became known as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all times. The duo celebrated two decades since its release with a 25-city tour in 2013.(Photos from left: Jerritt Clark/WireImage, Mat Szwajkos/Getty Images)

"Hootie Hoo" - "This was the first time I heard someone say 'hootie hoo' before Master P. And 'Funky Ride,' 'Player's Ball' and 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik' were the records I jammed the most off of that album." (Photo: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect.)

8 / 11

Outkast - It’s hard to believe that after a seven-year hiatus the ATLiens, Big Boi and André 3000, will celebrate two decades in the industry this year. One of the biggest groups out of Atlanta hit the scene in 1994 with Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik—which went platinum by the way—and they haven’t looked back since. Now, six Grammy Awards, two phenomenal solo careers and a slew of other accolades later, Outkast is back with a 20th anniversary tour kicking off at Milwaukee's Summerfest on June 29 at the Marcus Amphitheater.(Photo: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect)

Snoop Dogg - If you were alive in the '90s then you know all about Doggystyle. Snoop Dogg's polarizing 1993 debut album taught the world about "Gin and Juice" and sharing with the homies on cuts like "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)." Transcending West Coast rap beyond the Atlantic, the album was certified four-times platinum in May 1994. Snoop marked 20 years since Doggystyle in November 2013 with a mix of all the samples used in the album with his own commentary laid over the tracks.(Photo: Death Row Records)

9 / 11

Snoop Dogg - If you were alive in the '90s then you know all about Doggystyle. Snoop Dogg's polarizing 1993 debut album taught the world about "Gin and Juice" and sharing with the homies on cuts like "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)." Transcending West Coast rap beyond the Atlantic, the album was certified four-times platinum in May 1994. Snoop marked 20 years since Doggystyle in November 2013 with a mix of all the samples used in the album with his own commentary laid over the tracks.(Photo: Death Row Records)

Eightball and MJG - When Snoop had the West coast on lock, Diddy represented New York, and Dupri the South, the Deep South—Tennessee to be exact—belonged to Eightball and MJG. The Memphis-bred rap duo "came out hard" in 1993 with their critically acclaimed mainstream album Comin’ Out Hard, featuring hits "Mr. Big" and "Armed Robbery." They celebrated 20 years of the LP with a 2013 U.S. tour. (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

10 / 11

Eightball and MJG - When Snoop had the West coast on lock, Diddy represented New York, and Dupri the South, the Deep South—Tennessee to be exact—belonged to Eightball and MJG. The Memphis-bred rap duo "came out hard" in 1993 with their critically acclaimed mainstream album Comin’ Out Hard, featuring hits "Mr. Big" and "Armed Robbery." They celebrated 20 years of the LP with a 2013 U.S. tour. (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

E-40 - If you want to talk about longevity in the hip hop industry, then take a look at Bay Area rapper E-40's career, which he launched in 1990 as a member of The Click with the EP Lets Slide. Since then, he has released 20 albums, beginning with his 1993 solo Federal. He celebrated 20 years in the game with a Vitamin Water collaboration called "40 Water," in November 2007.(Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BET)

11 / 11

E-40 - If you want to talk about longevity in the hip hop industry, then take a look at Bay Area rapper E-40's career, which he launched in 1990 as a member of The Click with the EP Lets Slide. Since then, he has released 20 albums, beginning with his 1993 solo Federal. He celebrated 20 years in the game with a Vitamin Water collaboration called "40 Water," in November 2007.(Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BET)