The Source  

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The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988. The current president of the publication is Jeremy Miller.

The Source's Five-Mic albums

The Record Report is a special feature in the publication in which journalists rate albums. Ratings range from one to five mics', paralleling a typical five-star rating scale. An album that is rated at four-and-a-half or five mics is considered by The Source to be a superior hip hop album. Over the first ten years or so, the heralded five-mic rating only applied to albums that were universally lauded hip hop albums. A total of 45 albums have been awarded five mics; a complete, chronological list is below.

Albums that originally received five mics:

• People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm -- A Tribe Called Quest
• Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em -- Eric B. & Rakim
• AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted -- Ice Cube
• One for All -- Brand Nubian
• De La Soul Is Dead -- De La Soul
• The Low End Theory -- A Tribe Called Quest
• Illmatic -- Nas
• Life After Death -- The Notorious B.I.G.
• Aquemini -- Outkast
• The Blueprint -- Jay-Z
• Stillmatic -- Nas
• The Fix -- Scarface
• The Naked Truth -- Lil' Kim
• Trill OG -- Bun B
• My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy -- Kanye West

Albums that were not rated upon their releases, but were later rated five mics in 2002:

• Run-D.M.C. -- Run-D.M.C.
• Radio -- LL Cool J
• Licensed to Ill -- Beastie Boys
• Raising Hell -- Run-D.M.C.
• Criminal Minded -- Boogie Down Productions
• Paid in Full -- Eric B. & Rakim
• By All Means Necessary -- Boogie Down Productions
• It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back -- Public Enemy
• Long Live the Kane -- Big Daddy Kane
• Critical Beatdown -- Ultramagnetic MCs
• Straight Out the Jungle -- Jungle Brothers
• Strictly Business -- EPMD
• The Great Adventures of Slick Rick -- Slick Rick
• Straight Outta Compton -- N.W.A.
• No One Can Do It Better -- The D.O.C.
• All Eyez on Me -- 2Pac

Albums that originally received 4.5 Mics, and were later re-rated to five:

• Breaking Atoms -- Main Source
• Death Certificate -- Ice Cube
• The Chronic -- Dr. Dre
• Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) -- Wu-Tang Clan
• Ready to Die -- The Notorious B.I.G.
• The Infamous -- Mobb Deep
• Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... -- Raekwon
• 2001 -- Dr. Dre

Albums that originally received four mics, and were later re-rated to five:

• Grip It! On That Other Level -- Geto Boys
• Doggystyle -- Snoop Doggy Dogg
• The Diary -- Scarface
• Me Against the World -- 2Pac
• The Score -- The Fugees
• Reasonable Doubt -- Jay-Z

Albums