# List of Billboard number-one R&B/hip-hop albums of 2004

This page lists the albums that reached number-one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts in 2004, which had been recently created in 2004. The Rap Albums chart, first published by Billboard in November 2004, partially serves as a distillation of rap-specific titles from the overall R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

## Chart history

Key :
| † | Indicates best-performing album of 2004 |
| Issue date | R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | Artist(s) | Rap Albums | Artist(s) |
| January 3 | The Diary of Alicia Keys | Alicia Keys | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| January 10 | The Diary of Alicia Keys | Alicia Keys | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| January 17 | The Diary of Alicia Keys | Alicia Keys | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| January 24 | The Diary of Alicia Keys | Alicia Keys | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| January 31 | Soulful | Ruben Studdard | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| February 7 | Soulful | Ruben Studdard | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| February 14 | Kamikaze | Twista | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| February 21 | Kamikaze | Twista | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| February 28 | The College Dropout | Kanye West | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| March 6 | The College Dropout | Kanye West | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| March 13 | Tough Luv | Young Gunz | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| March 20 | The College Dropout | Kanye West | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| March 27 | Bad Boy's 10th Anniversary... The Hits | Bad Boy Records / Various Artists | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| April 3 | Split Personality | Cassidy | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| April 10 | Confessions † | Usher | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| April 17 | Confessions † | Usher | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| April 24 | Confessions † | Usher | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| May 1 | Confessions † | Usher | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| May 8 | Hurt No More | Mario Winans | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| May 15 | D12 World | D12 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| May 22 | Confessions † | Usher | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| May 29 | Living Legends | 8Ball & MJG | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| June 5 | Tical 0: The Prequel | Method Man | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| June 12 | Confessions † | Usher | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| June 19 | Confessions † | Usher | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 | Did not materialize until the week of June 26, 2004 |
| June 26 | Confessions † | Usher | Living Legends | 8Ball & MJG |
| July 3 | To the 5 Boroughs | Beastie Boys | To the 5 Boroughs | Beastie Boys |
| July 10 | Kiss of Death | Jadakiss | Kiss of Death | Jadakiss |
| July 17 | The Hunger for More | Lloyd Banks | The Hunger for More | Lloyd Banks |
| July 24 | The Hunger for More | Lloyd Banks | The Hunger for More | Lloyd Banks |
| July 31 | The Hunger for More | Lloyd Banks | The Hunger for More | Lloyd Banks |
| August 7 | The Hunger for More | Lloyd Banks | True Story | Terror Squad |
| August 14 | True Story | Terror Squad | True Story | Terror Squad |
| August 21 | The Hunger for More | Lloyd Banks | The Hunger for More | Lloyd Banks |
| August 28 | Godfather Buried Alive | Shyne | Godfather Buried Alive | Shyne |
| September 4 | The Hard Way | 213 | The Hard Way | 213 |
| September 11 | Happy People/U Saved Me | R. Kelly | Straight Outta Cashville | Young Buck |
| September 18 | Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 | Jill Scott | The DEFinition | LL Cool J |
| September 25 | My Everything | Anita Baker | Straight Outta Cashville | Young Buck |
| October 2 | Suit | Nelly | Suit | Nelly |
| October 9 | Suit | Nelly | Suit | Nelly |
| October 16 | Goodies | Ciara | Suit | Nelly |
| October 23 | Confessions † | Usher | Suit | Nelly |
| October 30 | Confessions † | Usher | The New Danger | Mos Def |
| November 6 | Confessions † | Usher | Suit | Nelly |
| November 13 | Unfinished Business | R. Kelly and Jay-Z | Unfinished Business | R. Kelly and Jay-Z |
| November 20 | Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets | Trick Daddy | Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets | Trick Daddy |
| November 27 | Encore | Eminem | Encore | Eminem |
| December 4 | Encore | Eminem | Encore | Eminem |
| December 11 | Destiny Fulfilled | Destiny's Child | Encore | Eminem |
| December 18 | Urban Legend | T.I. | Urban Legend | T.I. |
| December 25 | The Red Light District | Ludacris | The Red Light District | Ludacris |