This year has been a pretty big one as far as huge rap albums go. Jay-Z released Magna Carta Holy Grail, Kanye released Yeezus, Drake released Nothing Was the Same, and next month Eminem will release The Marshal Mathers LP 2. Those are some big names. Whats interesting, though, is that none of the artwork for these albums caused any controversy. Laughter? Oh yes, they caused that. But not controversy.This didnt use to be the case. There was a time where the covers of rap albums were almost as controversial as the content, if not more so. And today were going to take a look at some of them.

This was the first and is still the only solo studio album from this former Notorious B.I.G. protege. It was pretty successful, despite the nonsensical name and cover in which his genitals are covered up by the hands of four different women.

These pioneers of the dirty south sound decided to take advantage of the fact that Bushwick Bill center shot himself in the eye and take the photo for the cover of their album with Bill on the gurney at the hospital.True story. You can read about it on Wikipedia.

This one almost seemed like a parody of an offensive rap album title and cover. But I think it was real, which I guess means its not actually funny even though you probably think it is.

This cover from The Roots, no strangers to social commentary, wasnt so much shocking or disturbing as it was poignant. Of course, pretty much any time you depict a hanging, its going to ruffle at least a few feathers

The Dead Prez album Lets Get Free featured a real photograph of soldiers from a Cuban political movement against imperialism and globalization called Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. So yeah, it raised some eyebrows.

Just in case anyone was wondering whether Ice-Ts 1993 album Home Invasion was going to be suffeciently violent, he created some pretty messed up cover art to erase all doubt.

This one was surely just a publicity stunt, but were including it nonetheless. Kanye said via Twitter that this is the album cover he wanted for Fantasy, but that the censors wouldnt let him use it. In actuality, theres almost no way Kanye thought he would get to use this. But it sure got people talking.

Apparently Nas wanted to call this 2008 album the n-word. But since he knew that wasnt going to fly, he called it Untitled and then created this very provocative cover image.

Ice-T might just be the king of controversial album covers. This one, from 2006well into his Law Order: SVU yearsfeatures him and his wife, Cocoyou know, just hanging out.

Why yes, Akinyele was known for his extremely sexually explicit lyrics. How did you know?FYI, one of his first hits was a song called Put It in Your Mouth, so.yeah.

This controversial album cover was just the first of a four-part series released over four years by Houston rapper Z-Ro

After Crack it was Cocaine, which was slightly less controversial

The Z-Ro dropped Meth on us, going back to the more shocking Crack-style cover

And finally, in 2011 Z-Ro gave us Heroin.Obviously Z-Ro has a lot to say about drugs. Maybe its because he used to be a dealer.

Technically, there was nothing explicit on the cover of Snoops debut album. It was justsuggestive. And it certainly got me in trouble when, in middle school, I borrowed it from a friend and my mom saw it in my room.

Heres how you know an album cover is going to be controversial: if the only way theyll let you go with it is if you put a disclaimer right on the front.Such was the case with 2Pacs posthumous release The Don Killuminate. In case you cant make out the fine print, it says, In no way is this portrait an expression of disrespect for Jesus Christ.

Like I already said when discussing The Roots Game Theory, pretty much any time you depict a black person being hanged, its going to turn some heads.

Technically this wasnt an album cover, so it didnt really cause a huge controversy. It was just a mixtape AZ made with DJ Absolut in 2008, named after another extremely famous rap album that well be seeing pretty soon.

Get it? Uncle Same, i.e., America, is dead?You certainly cant get more political than that. This was pretty sensational back in 1991. If this were released in todays political climate Glenn Beck would organize a million man march on Washington as a counter-protest.

One of the original gangsta rappers, Ice-T was not known for pulling punches around. Obviously.

By the late 90s, people apprently forgot about the gangsta rap from earlier in the decade, because when Eminem released The Slim Shady LP it was like he was the first person to come along and say crazy stuff in a rap record. Not to get overly sociological or anything, but maybe the strong reaction to Slim had to do with his race? Hmm.In any case, the album cover was pretty shocking: those are supposed to be his wifes feet hanging out the back of the trunk, there. Listen to the track 97 Bonnie Clyde.

This album came out in 2003. It should be pretty obvious why it was upsetting to some people.

This album cover wasnt intentionally controversial. The album was supposed to be released in September of 2001, but it had to be delayed after 911 because the intended artworkwhich was created in Julydepicted two members of the group blowing up the Twin Towers.Eventually the album was released in November with a very different cover.

2 Live Crew got a lot of free press in 1989 when The American Family Association AFA decided to go after them and get this album which featured the single Me So Horny declared obscene. It sold 2 million copies and made 2 Live Crew super rich. Thanks AFA!

The N.W.A. was already the most controversial rap act of all-time by 1991, what with songs like Fk the Police. However, they really ratcheted things up a notch with their 1991 album.You see, there was no way they were going to be able to sell an album called Naz4Life. So instead they called it Efil4zaggin. Clever, but it still pissed off a lot of angry white suburban moms.