Educator and son of former slaves, Dr. Carter G. Woodson created Black History Week (Now Black History Month) in 1926 to preserve the history of African Americans.

Hip-hop is one of the ways that our history has been preserved. Artist likes Nas, Public Enemy and Lupe Fiasco, to name a few, have schooled fans by tackling issues like racism, gender inequality and disenfranchisement, among other important topics.

To celebrate Black History Month, we’ve complied a list of albums that can be taught in an African American History class.