# 2006 in hip-hop

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2006.

## Released albums

| Release Date | Artist | Album | Label |
| January 1 | Twisted Insane | Shoot for the Face | Brainsick Muzik |
| January 24 | CunninLynguists | A Piece of Strange | |
| January 24 | Tha Alkaholiks | Firewater | Waxploitation Records, Koch Records |
| January 31 | Daddy X | Family Ties | Suburban Noize Records |
| February 5 | Sway | This Is My Demo | |
| February 7 | Various Artists | Run The Road Volume 2 | |
| February 7 | Dem Franchise Boyz | On Top Of Our Game | So So Def Records, Virgin Records |
| February 7 | J Dilla | Donuts | Stones Throw Records |
| February 7 | Aceyalone | Magnificent City | Decon Records |
| February 7 | Remy Ma | There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story | Terror Squad Entertainment, SRC Records, Universal Records |
| February 14 | Sérgio Mendes | Timeless | |
| February 21 | Dilated Peoples | 20/20 | Capitol Records |
| February 21 | Keak Da Sneak | Kunta Kinte | |
| February 21 | Shaggy 2 Dope | F.T.F.O. (Fuck The Fuck Off) | Psychopathic Records |
| February 28 | Jel | Soft Money | |
| March 7 | El Da Sensei | The Unusual | Fat Beats Records |
| March 7 | Juvenile | Reality Check (Juvenile album) | UTP Records, Atlantic Records |
| March 7 | Public Enemy & Paris | Rebirth of a Nation | Guerrilla Funk Recordings |
| March 14 | D.M.C. | Checks, Thugs and Rock 'n' Roll | |
| March 14 | E-40 | My Ghetto Report Card | BME Recordings, Reprise Records |
| March 14 | Soul Position | Things Go Better With RJ and Al | Rhymesayers Entertainment |
| March 21 | Army of the Pharaohs | The Torture Papers | Babygrande Records |
| March 21 | B.G. | The Heart of tha Streetz, Vol. 2 (I Am What I Am) | Chopper City Records, Koch Records |
| March 21 | M-1 | Confidential | Koch Records |
| March 21 | Madlib | The Beat Konducta, Vols. 1 & 2: Movie Scenes | Stones Throw Records |
| March 21 | MURS & 9th Wonder | Murray's Revenge | |
| March 28 | Do or Die | Get That Paper | |
| March 28 | T.I. | King | Grand Hustle Records, Atlantic Records |
| March 28 | Ghostface Killah | Fishscale | Def Jam Recordings |
| April 1 | Hilltop Hoods | The Hard Road | Obese Records |
| April 4 | Bubba Sparxxx | The Charm | Purple Ribbon Records, Virgin Records, Capitol Records, EMI Records |
| April 4 | D-Shot | Callin All Shots | |
| April 4 | Yukon Black | Addiction Services | |
| April 11 | LL Cool J | Todd Smith | Def Jam Recordings |
| April 18 | Axe Murder Boyz | Blood In, Blood Out | Psychopathic Records |
| April 18 | Da BackWudz | Wood Work | |
| April 25 | The Coup | Pick A Bigger Weapon | Epitaph Records |
| April 25 | The Streets | The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living | |
| April 25 | Zu Ninjaz | Now Justice | |
| May 2 | Dove Shack | Reality Has Got Me Tied Up | |
| May 2 | Mobb Deep | Blood Money | G-Unit Records, Interscope Records |
| May 9 | Gnarls Barkley | St. Elsewhere | Atlantic Records |
| May 9 | Kottonmouth Kings | Nickel Bag | Suburban Noize Records |
| May 16 | Cam'ron | Killa Season | Asylum Records |
| May 16 | Jamie Madrox | Phatso | Psychopathic Records |
| May 16 | Noah23 | Amalthea Magnetosphere | Legendary Entertainment, Plague Language |
| May 16 | Saint Dog | USA (Unconformable Social Amputees) | Suburban Noize Records |
| May 23 | Bronze Nazareth | The Great Migration | Think Differently Music, Babygrande Records |
| May 30 | King Syze | Syzemology | Babygrande Records |
| June 6 | Hed PE | Back 2 Base X | Suburban Noize Records |
| June 6 | DJ Khaled | Listennn: The Album | Terror Squad Entertainment, Koch Records |
| June 6 | Kottonmouth Kings | Koast II Koast |
| June 6 | Ice Cube | Laugh Now, Cry Later | Lench Mob Records |
| June 6 | Rampage | Have You Seen? | Flipmode Records |
| June 6 | Shawnna | Block Music | Def Jam Recordings, Disturbing Tha Peace Records |
| June 6 | Yung Joc | New Joc City | Bad Boy South, Block Entertainment, Atlantic Records |
| June 13 | Busta Rhymes | The Big Bang | Flipmode Records, Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records |
| June 13 | Mr. Lif | Mo' Mega | Definitive Jux |
| June 13 | Noah23 | Clout | Legendary Entertainment, Plague Language |
| June 13 | Zion I | Break a Dawn | Live Up Records, Handcuts Records |
| June 20 | Kurupt | Same Day, Different Shit | D.P.G. Recordz |
| June 26 | Plan B | Who Needs Actions When You Got Words | |
| June 27 | Kool Keith | The Return of Dr. Octagon | CMH Records |
| June 27 | Lord Jamar | The 5% Album | Babygrande Records |
| June 27 | Tha Dogg Pound | Cali Iz Active | Doggystyle Records, Koch Records |
| June 27 | 7L & Esoteric | A New Dope | Babygrande Records |
| July 11 | Boondox | The Harvest | Psychopathic Records |
| July 11 | Cut Chemist | The Audience's Listening | Warner Bros. Records |
| July 18 | Boot Camp Clik | The Last Stand | Duck Down Music |
| July 25 | Inspectah Deck | The Resident Patient | Urban Iron Records |
| July 25 | Jurassic 5 | Feedback | Interscope Records |
| July 25 | MF Grimm | American Hunger | Day by Day Entertainment |
| July 25 | Michael Franti & Spearhead | Yell Fire! | |
| July 25 | Pharrell | In My Mind | Star Trak Entertainment, Interscope Records |
| August 1 | DMX | Year of the Dog... Again | Ruff Ryders Entertainment, Sony Urban Music, Columbia Records |
| August 8 | Masta Killa | Made in Brooklyn | Nature Sounds |
| August 8 | Rick Ross | Port of Miami | Def Jam Recordings, Slip-n-Slide Records, Poe Boy Entertainment |
| August 15 | Obie Trice | Second Round's on Me | Shady Records, Interscope |
| August 22 | J Dilla | The Shining | BBE Records |
| August 22 | OutKast | Idlewild | LaFace Records, Jive Records |
| August 29 | Method Man | 4:21... The Day After | Def Jam Recordings |
| August 29 | The Roots | Game Theory | Def Jam Recordings |
| September 5 | OuterSpace | Blood Brothers | Babygrande Records |
| September 12 | Skyzoo & 9th Wonder | Cloud 9: The 3 Day High | Traffic Entertainment |
| September 12 | Swollen Members | Black Magic | Battle Axe Records |
| September 19 | Chingy | Hoodstar | Full Dekk Music Group, Capitol Records |
| September 19 | The Dirtball | Raptillion | Suburban Noize Records |
| September 19 | DJ Shadow | The Outsider | Universal Motown Records, Island Records |
| September 19 | Jedi Mind Tricks | Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell | Babygrande Records |
| September 19 | Lupe Fiasco | Food & Liquor | 1st & 15th Entertainment, Atlantic Records |
| September 19 | Potluck | Straight Outta Humboldt | Suburban Noize Records |
| September 26 | Ludacris | Release Therapy | Disturbing tha Peace, Def Jam Recordings |
| September 26 | Main Flow and 7L | Flow Season | Brick Records |
| October 3 | Subtle | For Hero: For Fool | |
| October 3 | Sleepy Brown | Mr. Brown | Purple Ribbon Records, Virgin Records, Capitol Records |
| October 10 | Lloyd Banks | Rotten Apple | G-Unit Records, Interscope Records |
| October 10 | Zion I and The Grouch | Heroes in the City of Dope | Om Records |
| October 17 | Puff Daddy | Press Play | Bad Boy Entertainment, Atlantic Records |
| October 17 | Hi-Tek | Hi-Teknology²: The Chip | Babygrande Records |
| October 23 | Braintax | Panorama | Low Life Records |
| October 31 | Kevin Federline | Playing With Fire | Federation Records |
| October 31 | Lady Sovereign | Public Warning | |
| October 31 | Birdman & Lil Wayne | Like Father, Like Son | Cash Money, Universal |
| November 7 | Tech N9ne | Everready (The Religion) | Strange Music |
| November 7 | AZ | The Format | Quiet Money Records |
| November 7 | Jim Jones | Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) | Diplomat Records, Koch Records |
| November 14 | The Game | Doctor's Advocate | Geffen Records |
| November 14 | Fat Joe | Me, Myself & I | Terror Squad Entertainment, Virgin Records, Imperial Records |
| November 21 | JAY-Z | Kingdom Come | Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam Recordings |
| November 21 | Kottonmouth Kings | Hidden Stash III | Suburban Noize Records |
| November 21 | Snoop Dogg | Tha Blue Carpet Treatment | Doggystyle Records, Geffen Records |
| November 21 | 2Pac | Pac's Life | Amaru Entertainment, Interscope Records |
| November 27 | CRUNK23 | Technoshamanism | Legendary Entertainment, Plague Language |
| November 28 | Clipse | Hell Hath No Fury | Re-Up Records, Star Trak Entertainment, Jive Records |
| December 5 | Shady Records | Eminem Presents: The Re-Up | Shady Records, Interscope Records |
| December 12 | Ghostface Killah | More Fish | Def Jam Recordings |
| December 12 | Jeezy | The Inspiration | CTE World, Def Jam Recordings |
| December 19 | Nas | Hip Hop Is Dead | Def Jam Recordings, Columbia Records |
| December 29 | Mos Def | True Magic | Geffen Records |

## Highest-charting singles

Hip hop singles from any year which charted in the 2006 Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 :
| Song | Artist | Project | Peak position |
| "Ridin'" | Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone | The Sound of Revenge | 1 |
| "Grillz" | Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp | Sweatsuit | 1 |
| "What You Know" | T.I. | King | 3 |
| "Where'd You Go" | Fort Minor featuring Holly Brook | The Rising Tied | 4 |
| "Control Myself" | LL Cool J featuring Jennifer Lopez | Todd Smith | 4 |
| "Shake That" | Eminem featuring Nate Dogg | Curtain Call: The Hits | 6 |
| "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" | Juelz Santana | What the Game's Been Missing! | 6 |
| "Ms. New Booty" | Bubba Sparxxx featuring Ying Yang Twins & Mr. ColliPark | The Charm | 7 |
| "Show Me What You Got" | Jay-Z | Kingdom Come | 8 |
| "Shoulder Lean" | Young Dro featuring T.I. | Best Thang Smokin' | 10 |
| "You Don't Know" | Eminem, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Ca$his | Eminem Presents: The Re-Up | 12 |
| "I Luv It" | Jeezy | Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration | 14 |
| "Touch It" | Busta Rhymes | The Big Bang | 16 |
| "That's That" | Snoop Dogg featuring R. Kelly | Blue Carpet Treatment | 20 |
| "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" | Birdman & Lil Wayne | Like Father, Like Son | 21 |
| "Poppin' My Collar" | Three 6 Mafia | Most Known Unknown | 21 |
| "Fresh Azimiz" | Bow Wow featuring J-Kwon & Jermaine Dupri | Wanted | 23 |
| "Why You Wanna" | T.I. | King | 26 |
| "Money in the Bank" | Lil Scrappy featuring Young Buck | Bred 2 Die, Born 2 Live | 28 |
| "Best Friend" | 50 Cent & Olivia | Get Rich or Die Tryin' (soundtrack) | 35 |

## Highest first week sales

As of December 31, 2010.
| Number | Artist | Album | 1st week sales | 1st week position |
| 1 | Jay-Z | Kingdom Come | 680,000 | #1 |
| 2 | T.I. | King | 522,000 | #1 |
| 3 | The Game | Doctors Advocate | 358,000 | #1 |
| 4 | Nas | Hip Hop Is Dead | 356,000 | #1 |
| 5 | Young Jeezy | The Inspiration | 352,000 | #1 |
| 6 | Shady Records | Eminem Presents: The Re-Up | 309,000 | #2 |
| 7 | Ludacris | Release Therapy | 309,000 | #1 |
| 8 | Snoop Dogg | Tha Blue Carpet Treatment | 264,000 | #5 |
| 9 | Bow Wow | The Price of Fame | 262,001 | #6 |
| 10 | Busta Rhymes | The Big Bang | 209,000 | #1 |

## Highest critically reviewed albums (Metacritic)

| Number | Artist | Album | Average score | Number of reviews |
| 1 | Clipse | Hell Hath No Fury | 89 | 29 reviews |
| 2 | Ghostface Killah | Fishscale | 88 | 32 reviews |
| 3 | J Dilla | Donuts | 84 | 15 reviews |
| 4 | The Roots | Game Theory | 83 | 26 reviews |
| 5 | Lupe Fiasco | Food & Liquor | 83 | 20 reviews |
| 6 | Gnarls Barkley | St. Elsewhere | 81 | 37 reviews |
| 7 | J Dilla | The Shining | 80 | 21 reviews |
| 8 | Nas | Hip Hop Is Dead | 79 | 22 reviews |
| 9 | Cut Chemist | The Audience's Listening | 79 | 15 reviews |
| 10 | The Coup | Pick a Bigger Weapon | 78 | 25 reviews |