The 10 best rap albums of the decade (2023)

After listening to a million hours of music this past week, I've compiled a list of the best rap albums of the decade.

The list is not in order and I have to say that this was one of the hardest tasks I've ever had to complete. Some of my tips might upset you, and I'm fine with that. Art is subjective and I think that's great. I would also like to see what you think should and shouldn't be on the list.

Happy new decade!

Artista: Jay-Z
Album: "4:44" (2017)

They say rap is a young man's game; it is not. Jay-Z, a married man approaching 50, father of three and new therapy advocate, released arguably the best album of his incredible career in 2017.

The guy who dominated street rap and crack ballads flipped the switch on the industry, showing the devastating side effects of the drug game, and what happens when you live long enough to break out of the semi-auto era?

"4:44" talked about personal relationships, his mother's departure, financial responsibilities, mistakes, the power of love and aging. It was the perfect album for both older hip-hop fans and the younger generation who wanted to know that older guys like Jay got to where he is now. My favorite songs are "Kill Jay-Z", "Smile", "Family Feud" and "Marcy Me".

Artist: J Cole
Álbum: "Forest Hill Drive" (2014)

Cole is one of the most respected rap artists since his debut mixtape The Come Up, followed by The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights. They were all classics. He's a master of words with language hip-hop fans haven't seen since Nas released "Illmatic" in 1994.

After Cole's studio debuts The Sideline Story and Born Sinner, many hip-hop fans yearned for Cole's mixtapes. While Cole's first two studio releases were great, as studio albums are meant to appeal to a wider audience and create music with radio potential, they didn't give us the same feel as his mixtapes. He then released Forest Hill Drive in 2014, a brilliant 13-track studio album with an underground mixtape feel. You can listen to the album front to back and back to front. The best tracks on the album, and it was also a very difficult task, are "Fire Squad", "January 28^{It could",}and "I love Yourz."

Artista: Nipsey Hussle
Álbum: "Victory Round" (2018)

Nipsey Hussle was the king of the underground throughout his career. I first heard "Marathon" in 2010 and was impressed by the way it mixes history with street life, gang culture and social responsibility. And Hussle didn't just rap, he lived it, establishing scholarships for kids, building a STEM program, and literally buying the neighborhood.

Although Victory Lap was his first studio album, Hussle has been ready for the big leagues since he started releasing mixtapes in his 20s. We tragically lost Nipsy Hussle to a senseless act of violence this year - he was gunned down outside a mall he owned - we'll never know how good that could have been.

All songs on "Victory Lap" are classics, my favorites are "Blue Laces", "Last Time That I Checc'd", "Dedication", "Grinding All My Life" and "Hussle & Motivate".

Artist: Nas
Album: "Life Is Good"

Nas has been hailed as one of the greatest rappers alive since appearing on Live at the Barbeque in 1991 and spewing the infamous lines: "Street pupille, my raps are meaningless, I shoot bullets, my brain is like a gun / Stampede." "" . Backstage, I keep the mic split / I play Mr. Tuffy while / I do pretty tone shit / Verbal killers, my architect pleases / When I was twelve I went to hell for killing Jesus. That moment established Nas' greatness and he hasn't disappointed since.

Life is Good came about after the artist took a four-year break from love, welcomed a new child, and then got divorced. The classic album cover ofThe life is goodshows a photo of Nas holding his ex-wife's wedding dress. He has explored marriage, its place in hip-hop, nostalgia and the rules of survival in the game for over 20 years. I love No Introduction, Daughters, Reach Out, A Queens Story, Cherry Wine with Amy Winehouse and Stay.

Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Album: "Flight" (2017)

Kendrick Lamar has released four albums this decade, and all of them could have a spot on this list. He is the tallest young rapper alive and is already a hip-hop legend. The most fascinating thing about Kendrick is that he gets better with every album. Some artists succumb under the weight of fame, but the pressure seems to make Kendrick even better.

“DAMN” is a perfect album, from start to finish; includes premium writing, creativity, thought-provoking content, and original graphics. "DAMN" brought us "Love" and "Lust", two conflicting but connected tracks, masterful storytelling on "Duckworth" and megahit "DNA". It's also the first rap album to win a Pulitzer Prize, so there's that. I can't wait to see what he does next.

Artist: Rhapsody
Album: "The Wisdom of Laila" (2017)

One gem that emerged from the decade is Rapsody. She is one of the greatest live hosts, not female hosts, but female hosts. He has the flexibility, dedication, skills, knowledge and work ethic that can only be matched by the likes of Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.

Rapsody has released three albums in the last 10 years including The Idea of ​​Beautiful, Laila's Wisdom and Eve and they are all worth a listen but Laila's Wisdom is my favorite, it was her debut album and the only one that made her a household name . My favorite songs from the project are "Power", "Sassy" and "Nobody".

Artist: Kanye West
Álbum: "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (2010)

Long before Kanye was a MAGA groupie or A-list church mega-performer, he was making hip-hop and creating some of the best beats, songs and albums in rap history. The Chicago native had a string of classic albums before MBDTF, including College Dropout and Late Registration.

The whole project was great, from the visuals, the Runaway mini-movie, to the features: Kanye brought in the amazing Raekwon, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Rick Ross, Kid Cudi, John Legend and Nicki Minaj, whose "Monster Verse Was best thing on the record. The guy had a song, "The Blame Game," that combined a rap, a poem, and a comedy sketch, and surprisingly, it worked. Man,miss the old Kanye! He was the best and this album proved that.

Artist: Pusha T.
Album: "My name is my name" (2013)

Clipse was one of the biggest rap bands of the early 2000s. Initially, it wasn't uncommon for people to pair them with Mobb Deep and A Tribe Called Quest when debating the greatest rap group of all time. . After their third album Til the Casket Drops in 2009's Malice, the eldest of the Clipse brothers found Jesus and got out of the rap game.

Pusha T didn't miss a beat: he went out and released mixtape after mixtape before celebrating his first studio hit, "MNIMN". The album had 12 tracks, all featuring Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Kelly Rowland and Kendrick Lamar. The album is raw, so raw that it almost went underground despite being so commercially successful. Pusha T released three major albums over the decade, "MNIMN" being the best.

Artista: Jay Rock
Album: "Salvation" (2018)

Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) has become one of the most respected labels in hip-hop history, largely because all of its artists are extremely talented, from Ab Soul, Schoolboy Q and SZA to Isaiah Rashard and Kendrick Lamar. Jay Rock fits the West Coast with his masterful skills and nationally acclaimed determination.

Kendrick Lamar was obviously TDE's biggest draw; however, die-hard local fans who really want to feel like Watts are always looking for Jay Rock. The Grammy-winning artist released his third studio album, Redemption, in 2018 after recovering from a life-changing motorcycle accident. The lyrics are tough and relevant, sometimes emotional and funny. My favorite tracks on the album are "The Bloodiest", "ES Tales", "Wow Freestyle" and "Redemption".

Artist: Cardi B.
Album: "Invasion of Privacy" (2018)

Cardi B is our own Cinderella trap. She burst onto the scene about six years ago with the viral Instagram videos that led to "Love and Hip Hop." Reality TV wasn't her last stop; Cardi B's platform and reach continued to grow, and she turned her fame into a music career.

Many people dismissed the album because they saw Cardi B as a reality star, but everyone had to eat their words because her single "Bodak Yellow" was an instant hit, even an underdog anthem. People loved it as it was activated in clubs, cars, basketball games everywhere! I heard it the other day and I still can't get enough of it. "Bodak Yellow" was followed by Cardi B's album release "Invasion of Privacy" and it did not disappoint, topping the charts, winning a Grammy for Best Rap Album and moving over 3 million units in the US.

My favorite songs on the album are "Be Careful", "Bickenhead" and of course "Bodak Yellow".