# 1989 in hip-hop

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 1989.

## Released albums

| Release Date | Artist | Album |
| January 1 | The Fat Boys | On and On |
| January 23 | Tone Lōc | Lōc-ed After Dark |
| January 25 | N.W.A | Straight Outta Compton |
| January 31 | Kwamé | Kwamé the Boy Genius: Featuring a New Beginning |
| February 6 | De La Soul | 3 Feet High and Rising |
| February 7 | 2 Live Crew | As Nasty as They Wanna Be |
| February 20 | MC Twist & The Def Squad | Comin' Thru Like Warriors |
| February 22 | Gigolo Tony | Ain't It Good To Ya |
| March 12 | Geto Boys | Grip It! On That Other Level |
| March 14 | Kool G Rap & DJ Polo | Road to the Riches |
| April 25 | Oaktown's 357 | Wild & Loose |
| May 5 | King Sun | XL |
| May 14 | S. F. C. | Listen Up |
| May 16 | Nice & Smooth | Nice & Smooth |
| May 16 | Special Ed | Youngest in Charge |
| May 23 | Chill Rob G | Ride the Rhythm |
| May 30 | Kool Moe Dee | Knowledge Is King |
| June 6 | Gang Starr | No More Mr. Nice Guy |
| June 9 | LL Cool J | Walking with a Panther |
| June 12 | Heavy D & The Boyz | Big Tyme |
| June 19 | Breeze | The Young Son Of No One |
| July | Antoinette | Who's the Boss? |
| July 4 | Boogie Down Productions | Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop |
| July 13 | The D.O.C. | No One Can Do It Better |
| July 25 | Beastie Boys | Paul's Boutique |
| July 25 | EPMD | Unfinished Business |
| July 27 | Schoolly D | Am I Black Enough for You? |
| August 8 | Cool C | I Gotta Habit |
| August 16 | Tuff Crew | Back to Wreck Shop |
| August 29 | Mellow Man Ace | Escape from Havana |
| August 29 | Doctor Ice | The Mic Stalker |
| September 5 | Young MC | Stone Cold Rhymin' |
| September 19 | Big Daddy Kane | It's a Big Daddy Thing |
| September 27 | Donald D | Notorious |
| October 3 | MC Lyte | Eyes on This |
| October 10 | Biz Markie | The Biz Never Sleeps |
| October 10 | Ice-T | The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say! |
| October 17 | Sir Mix-a-Lot | Seminar |
| October 20 | Roxanne Shanté | Bad Sister |
| October 24 | Craig G | The Kingpin |
| October 31 | DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince | And in This Corner... |
| October 31 | Freddie Foxxx | Freddie Foxxx Is Here |
| November 7 | Jungle Brothers | Done by the Forces of Nature |
| November 7 | Queen Latifah | All Hail the Queen |
| November 14 | 3rd Bass | The Cactus Album |
| November 14 | Def Jef | Just a Poet with Soul |
| November 17 | Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock | The Incredible Base |
| December 5 | The New Style | Independent Leaders |
| December 21 | Willie D | Controversy |
| Unknown | Blackmale | Let It Swing |
| Unknown | D-Boy Rodriguez | Plantin' a Seed |
| Unknown | Esham | Boomin' Words from Hell |
| Unknown | Dismasters | And Then Some |
| Unknown | A.P.G. Crew | On the Rise |
| Unknown | Divine Styler | Word Power |
| Unknown | Hot Day | It's My Day |
| Unknown | Stezo | Crazy Noise |
| Unknown | Tone Def Crew | Grand Def Audio |
| Unknown | Maestro Fresh Wes | Symphony in Effect |
| Unknown | Michael Peace | Vigilante of Hope |
| Unknown | The Jaz | Word to the Jaz |
| Unknown | The Chosen Ones | Enter the Lord |
| Unknown | Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five | Piano |
| Unknown | LA Dream Team | Back to Black |
| Unknown | Jesse West | No Prisoners |
| Unknown | Ms. Melodie | Diva |
| Unknown | Nu-Sounds | Mackin' |
| Unknown | DJ Chuck Chillout & Kool Chip | Masters of Rhythm |
| Unknown | Priority One | Total Chaos |
| Unknown | Positively Black | Positively Black |
| Unknown | Sly & Robbie | Silent Assassin |
| Unknown | Louie Louie | Deadlier Than Ever |
| Unknown | Magnetic Force | 12-52-365 |
| Unknown | Tony M.F. Rock | Let Me Take You To The Rockhouse |
| Unknown | Jay Love | Get Into It |
| Unknown | The W.I.S.E. Guys | eF yoU eN Kay E |
| Unknown | UTFO | Doin' It |
| Unknown | T La Rock | On a Warpath |
| Unknown | Chubb Rock with Howie Tee | And the Winner Is... |
| Unknown | Just-Ice | The Desolate One |
| Unknown | Black, Rock and Ron | Stop the World |
| Unknown | DJ Magic Mike | DJ Magic Mike & The Royal Posse |
| Unknown | Kings Of Pressure | Slang Teacher |
| Unknown | Vicious Beat Posse | Legalized Dope |
| Unknown | Mac Dre | Young Black Brotha |
| Unknown | Redhead Kingpin and the F.B.I. | A Shade of Red |
| Unknown | Success-n-Effect | In the Hood |
| Unknown | various artists | Mr. Magic's Rap Attack Volume 5 |

## Highest-charting singles

Hip hop singles from any year which charted in the 1989 Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 :
| Song | Artist | Project | Peak position |
| "Wild Thing" | Tone Lōc | Lōc-ed After Dark | 2 |
| "Funky Cold Medina" | Tone Lōc | Lōc-ed After Dark | 3 |
| "Buffalo Stance" | Neneh Cherry | Raw Like Sushi | 3 |
| "Bust A Move" | Young MC | Stone Cold Rhymin' | 7 |
| "Pump Up the Jam" | Technotronic | Pump Up the Jam: The Album | 7 |
| "I'm That Type of Guy" | LL Cool J | Walking with a Panther | 15 |
| "Me So Horny" | 2 Live Crew | As Nasty As They Wanna Be | 26 |
| "Me, Myself & I" | De La Soul | 3 Feet High and Rising | 34 |
| "Hey Ladies" | Beastie Boys | Paul's Boutique | 36 |