Twenty years in hip-hop and XXL Magazine is still going strong. This special anniversary is an achievement supported by the longstanding and successful careers of the rappers XXL has documented since it first came into existence in 1997. To celebrate a commitment to hip-hop journalism, XXL’s Fall 2017 issue offers 20 special printed covers and interviews with hip-hop veterans and newcomers who have each made a big impact on the culture in their own way.

Choosing which artists to feature on the 20 covers was no easy feat, but looking at the rappers who’ve climbed to the top of their game, built a strong relationship with XXL over the years and/or maybe never had a solo cover before helped. Celebrating 20 years wouldn’t be complete without these artists: 50 Cent, the cover king with 15 total XXL covers and a career we’ve been documenting from the start; Nicki Minaj, a queen in hip-hop building her own pinkprint in the game; Diddy, the man who not only reinvented the remix but paved the way for rap moguls; Wiz Khalifa, the cool, calm and collected superstar; Cam'ron, Harlem's swag connoisseur; Lil Uzi Vert; the face of hip-hop’s new generation; Migos, three rappers who helped redefine the culture; Snoop Dogg, the Doggfather of the game; Pusha T, a success story as a group member, solo artist and record executive; Future, a trendsetting trap god; T.I., rap’s gangsta and gentleman; Fabolous, a highly respected New York MC; Rae Sremmurd, the real crowd-pleasers; Birdman, a No. 1 stunna with a revered empire; Run The Jewels, partners in rhyme and reason; Yo Gotti, a testament to tenacity; Gucci Mane, the true comeback kid; Tech N9ne; an independent icon; E-40; hip-hop’s in-the-know uncle; and The Lox, a trinity representing for the streets.

To capture these covers for this special collectors issue of the magazine, XXL tapped photographer Travis Shinn, who has a longstanding relationship with the magazine and most recently shot 2017 XXL Freshman cover.

The 26 rappers featured on these 20 covers represent XXL’s mission from the very beginning: to deliver hip-hop on a higher level. From the start of these artists' careers, to the bumps in the road, to the chart-topping wins, to the genre-defining albums and much more, XXL has been there to capture the biggest moments of their careers, whether in the magazine or on XXLMag.com. These 26 artists have all contributed to hip-hop and made a remarkable impact in their own right. Over the past 20 years, XXL only hopes to have done the same with an unmatched dedication to the culture.

Celebrate XXL’s double decades of dominance when the 20 covers hit newsstands everywhere on Oct. 17 and before at XXLMag.com here. Each day of October will be dedicated to one of this issue’s cover subjects with special video interviews and photos plus there will be lots of other content reflecting on the last 20 years of XXL and hip-hop.

A toast to 20 more!