Conscience meets crunk

2005

Charity concerts and disaster headlines share the year with crunk anthems, Mariah completes a legendary comeback, and Kanye speaks truth on live television.

Katrina, Live 8, Crunk Peak

Charity concerts and disaster headlines share the year with crunk anthems that rattle car windows from Atlanta to everywhere. Mariah Carey completes one of the greatest comebacks in pop history while Kanye West tells truth to power on live television. The year feels like a collision between conscience and bass. The year feels like a collision between conscience and bass, charity and subwoofers sharing the same stage.

• Live 8
• Hurricane Katrina
• Mariah Carey
• crunk
• Kanye West

• Live 8 concerts — July 2 global charity event
• Hurricane Katrina — August, cultural reckoning in hip-hop and R&B
• Mariah Carey's 'The Emancipation of Mimi' completes her comeback
• Kanye West's 'Gold Digger' and 'Late Registration' dominate