On Sept. 29, 1998, Hip-Hop had one of the greatest release days in history. Back when Tuesdays signaled new music had arrived at the local music store, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, OutKast, Brand Nubian, and Black Star all dropped albums that in some way, signaled a significant moment in their incredible careers.

Jay-Z had broken through with his incredible classic debut, Reasonable Doubt, and while its follow-up included tracks that continue to be standouts in his long career, his 1998 release, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, was a career-changer. The album that catapulted Jay to mainstream fame off the strength of the sing-along anthem, "Hard Knock Life," remains a significant moment in his career, that offered a glimpse of what was to come for him.

As for Brand Nubian, the acclaimed group reunited to drop The Foundation, a title fitting for the reunion between Grand Puba, DJ Alamo, Sadat X and Lord Jamar. It was the first album to feature the group's original lineup since their 1990 debut One for All and remains a significant moment in the group's discography.

OutKast had already claimed their space as one of the most brilliant duos in rap with their 1994 debut Southernplayalisticadillacmusic and their 1996 follow-up ATliens. But they ascended to another stratosphere with their third (and arguably best) album, Aquemini. World-wise, wary, alien and earthy, Aquemini is the quintessential OutKast album. The project was a brilliant sonic meshing of their respective sounds and strengths, proving that their individuality could coalesce to create a sound that was futuristic, eerily current, present and other-worldly. They were questioning as often as they were pontificating, lending humanity to the project that still resonates.

Meanwhile, A Tribe Called Quest released what would end up being their final album of Phife's lifetime, The Love Movement. Featuring the hit single, "Find a Way," Q-Tip and Phife go back and forth over a definitive J Dilla track, showcasing that even when they weren't seeing eye to eye whenever they made music, it was magical.

Mos Def (now Yasiin Bey) and Talib Kweli barreled into Hip-Hop's busy landscape with a genre-defining entry as the duo Black Star with Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. Featuring production from Hi-Tek, Da Beatminerz, and 88 Keys among others, the album was a springboard for the brilliance Hip-Hop would later witness on Mos' 1999 solo debut Black on Both Sides, and the showmanship Kweli would offer on 2002's Quality.

A day that hasn't been replicated in Hip-Hop since, Sept. 29, 1998, is one that will be remembered forever as a definitive moment in Hip-Hop history.