Future made the cover of Rolling Stone this month, and to many hip-hop fans, such placement still represents a certain kind of rarified air. It's understandable why so many heads look at an RS cover for a rapper as a rarity, but the truth is--more hip-hop acts have graced the cover of Rolling Stone than one might imagine. Like with so many benchmarks in hip-hop, Run-D.M.C. was the first hip-hop act to land on the cover--but they wouldn't be the last. Not by a long shot.

So in recognition of the lengthy list of artists who preceded Future, here are the 20 best Rolling Stone hip-hop covers.

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