No MC has ever performed so many songs with that much skill or for that long. TPAB reigns above them all.ĭid your faves make the list? What’s your top 5 look like? Let us know below while I duck the stones the trap fans will throw.Without mentioning that, his erratic output of mixtapes, albums, and guest appearances from about 2004 to 2009 is undoubtedly the most prolific example of quality meets quantity hip-hop has ever seen. In a decade filled with good albums and commercial breakthroughs, very, very few can claim to be cultural touchstones. But nearly a decade later, it’s unquestionable. I hesitated to call it a classic at the time that’s not a title you can bestow in the moment. The album may have been short on radio singles but that didn’t prohibit many of the songs from penetrating our culture - “Alright” became the theme song of the Black Lives Matter movement. To Pimp a Butterfly is a dense, multi-layered opus that delved deep into the psyche of America’s forgotten youth. But whether it’s the power of hindsight – or the fact that a lot of the album’s themes would become even clearer in the years that followed – my appreciation for this album has only grown. Funny enough, that was my original criticism of To Pimp A Butterfly – an undoubtedly great album that gets a little lost in itself at times. Morale and the Big Steppers a 5-star review, a lot of y’all pushed back, with the prevailing criticism being that the album was too heavy, too depressing and too dense to give it top praise. Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) Admittedly, as Kendrick’s legacy soared, so did the reception for this album (causing it to be slightly overrated in some circles today) but you couldn’t ask for a more prophetic debut. Kendrick examines a life post-crack epidemic, and the damage left in its wake. It was a generation removed from gangsta G-Funk, but still deeply rooted in its legacy. His off-kilter delivery, paired with wisdom FAR beyond his 24 years at the time, painted a fresh picture of West Coast life. But this was the project that made me take notice – this guy was going to change the game. ![]() 80 wasn’t the first time I heard Kendrick Lamar – he was already generating buzz on the mixtape scene years earlier. The first time I heard It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot and Illmatic I knew. The first time I heard Doggystyle, I knew. The first time I heard Reasonable Doubt, I knew. Sometimes, when you hear an album for the first time, you just KNOW you’re listening to a legend in the making. Hip-hop may look and sound different in the 2010s, but, believe me, it’s very much alive.įirst, a shout out to our honorable mentions:īig Boi, Dangerous Lies and Vicious Rumors And like the 2000s list, I’ve also spiced things up by adding several dope mixtapes to the list. ![]() Some albums get much more love than I’ve given in the past, others have fallen a few slots. I came into this list with fresh eyes and ears. Instead, of the sizzle, I’m celebrating the steak – albums that pushed boundaries, embraced creativity, and most importantly, had something to say.ĭespite many of my peers who claim hip-hop lost its voice in this decade, I have 50 albums that prove that’s far from the case.Īs always, a reminder – though I’ve already reviewed and ranked most of the albums on this list over the years, don’t compare those previous rankings to this list. If that’s what you want, stick to those Fisher Price websites. This list will not based on the most popular records of the decade, nor is it an opportunity to suck up to my faves. Way more style, much less substance.ĭon’t expect this list to look like so many others you’ll see analyzing the decade. On one hand, hip-hop reached its highest commercial heights to date, and we welcomed a new generation of artists and fans who reshaped the genre with their experiences.īut, like all things, as hip-hop grew, we got away from a lot of what made it great. ![]() If you’ve been a frequent visitor to this space over the past 15 years, you probably know my love-hate relationship with the 2010s. Now, in celebration of 50 years of hip-hop, let’s celebrate the 2010s.Īnd lord knows this will be my most divisive list to date. ![]() We showed love to the 50 best of the 2000s We shouted out the 50 best albums of 1990s
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