Complex has been killing the game with their compilations, lately. This week it’s their ranking of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop magazine covers of all time.

In the past, it was the 25 best Kanye West verses of 2010 and DJ Premier’s breakdown of 38 of his classic cuts.  Whether you agree or not with their picks and rankings, it’s great food  for thought and a cool stroll down memory lane.   Here’s an example of their examination of 1 of the covers they selected:

#12. Tupac Shakur (Rolling Stone, 1996)

Photography: Danny Clinch
Art Direction: Gail Anderson
Issue: 10/31/1996

After Pac’s murder it was inevitable that most music mags would give him a memorial cover. Vibe and The Source both took the somber approach, with similar headshots of Pac in serious glance. It was Rolling Stone who really rose to the occasion, showing a shirtless and tatted Pac, wearing the delicate balance of passion and rage on his face. The portrait itself has found continued life in the dorm room poster canon, hanging alongside such classics as the Bob Marley Legend cover and John Belushi in his Animal House “college” sweater.

Click here for the full article.