Hip-hop has always been music’s mirror to the social and political climate in a reflection that crosses global boundaries, and a new generation of artists has rewritten the definition of rap to make the genre a cultural powerhouse yet again. As the world becomes more interconnected by the day, hip-hop simultaneously becomes more of a universal language, even through an extensive metamorphosis.
Over the past decade, several albums have not only dominated the charts and warranted rave reviews, but many also culminated in significant impressions on society, culture, and the music industry as a whole. Each of the entries below represents indelible marks on the heartbeat of rap music worth celebrating, none diminished for the sake of order.
10 Summertime ‘06 (2015)
Vince Staples
It’s hard to overlook Vince Staples’ debut album to start this dialogue. Summertime ‘06 - ed by singles “Señorita”, “Get Paid”, and “Norf Norf” - explores, as Staples wrote on Instagram, the beginning of the end in of everything the underground icon thought he knew. Entering the US Billboard 200 at No. 39 and largely perfected by No I.D.'s legendary production, this project gives fans an unapologetic look into the harsh realities of Staples’ upbringing and Southern California lifestyle.
While it's not your typical radio-friendly, mainstream hip-hop offering, the insightful and witty social commentary of Staples paired with his powerful delivery and storytelling expertise makes this one of the standout debut hip-hop albums from the last decade.
9 Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021)
Little Simz
English-Nigerian rapper Little Simz took home the Mercury Prize, awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the United Kingdom or Ireland, for this impressive and complex work that blends her bold self-assurance with an introspective touch.
Listening to Sometimes I Might Be Introvert generates a cinematic atmosphere that allows you to immerse yourself in a reflective and emotional movie alongside the experimental Simz, featuring multi-layered reggae, blues, rock, jazz, and R&B influences that carried the piece to a No. 4 debut on the UK album charts. Simz paints a picture of her tumultuous world, embracing and defying hip-hop in ons stroke with a complete artistic vision. In a society that incentivizes the flamboyant and extroverted, Simz uses a personal and intimate narrative to explain the beauty and strength that lies within introversion.
8 We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service (2016)
A Tribe Called Quest
Following an 18-year hiatus, the brilliant return and cultural statement of A Tribe Called Quest can’t be ignored - especially given this is the final appearance of rap legend Phife Dawg, who ed away prior to the album’s release. Recorded at Q-Tip’s home studio, We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service serves as the iconic group’s sixth and final studio album, which also became its second to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Fusing the classic Tribe sounds with contributions from Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Elton John, Kayne West, and Busta Rhymes, among others, this project intricately dissects the societal divide in America, police brutality, and social justice in a sharp yet unifying manner that pulls consciousness to the forefront. A Tribe Called Quest’s ability to remain relevant and profoundly influential to the extent of this project, in a drastically different landscape of rap music, says more than this entry ever could. Years away from the game could never stop this immovable hip-hop force from making an impact on the culture.
7 ASTROWORLD (2018)
Travis Scott
There's just no chance you could leave out Travis Scott's peak with the six-time platinum ASTROWORLD, as hit tracks like "SICKO MODE" and "STARGAZING" quickly became anthems of both his career and the late 2010s. This album took the concept of his unique, psychedelic, and ambient hip-hop to new heights through a groundbreaking rollercoaster ride that masterfully showcases Scott's evolution and versatility.
With the help of Metro Boomin, Sonny Digital, Tay Keith, Hit-Boy, Tame Impala, Murda Beatz, and many others involved in production, ASTROWORLD debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and won Album of the Year at the 2019 BET Hip-Hop Awards. Scott also gave us guest appearances from Drake, Frank Ocean, Kid Cudi, Juice Wrld, 21 Savage, the Weeknd, Gunna, Quavo, Takeoff, and more, for one of the more unforgettable, decade-defining pieces of hip-hop.
6 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST (2021)
Tyler, The Creator
DJ Drama, well known for his role during peak mixtape culture, helps give this album a Gangsta Grillz-esque feel as Tyler, The Creator returns to his patented bold and brash form for his second No. 1 project. It displays Tyler’s growth as an artist, and particularly as a producer, as he merges classic hip-hop with shades of jazz, funk, soul, and pop. Whether it's hard-hitting or more smooth, atmospheric production, every song creates its own distinct scene as Tyler returns to his rap-heavy roots to the ranks of hip-hop elite.
Tyler is an anomaly that rises from the concrete, regardless of the instrumental’s tone, to breed mainstream fun across topics of love, loss, fame, and self-discovery. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST brought fans and critics alike together to witness Tyler in a supremely confident and innovative album mode unlike we've ever seen, somehow both forward-thinking yet still reliant on the genius of traditional hip-hop, ensuring that artistic expression and cultural relevance collide with benevolence.
5 The Life of Pablo (2016)
Kanye West
I miss the old Kanye - the unpredictable 2016 Life of Pablo Ye. Contradicting, chaotic brilliance describes both West and this album, a mixture of gospel, soul, and hip-hop that only one rapper alive could execute in this manner. While there’s no real consistency in its style, theme, and production, from the complexity of the gospel-influenced “Ultralight Beam” to both the playful and controversial “Famous” (referencing Taylor Swift), that’s also the same fascinating and intentional contrast to West’s previous work that makes this project such a dynamic exploration of conceptual boundaries.
The Life of Pablo, which follows West as he switches between his self-centered swagger and deeper insecurities, also welcomed a star-studded list of features including Chance the Rapper, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Kirk Franklin, Kid Cudi, Desiigner, Rihanna, Young Thug, Chris Brown, the Weeknd, Ty Dolla $ign and more. It received five nominations at the 2017 Grammy Awards and became the first No. 1 album to ever be primarily streamed (approximately 70 percent of total album units coming from streaming services).
4 Swimming (2018)
Mac Miller
Released just over a month before his tragic overdose, Mac Miller’s defining masterpiece of emotional depth and the introspective journey to self-acceptance, Swimming, cemented a lasting impact that will resonate with fans and influence a new wave of artists for decades to come. He triumphed using authenticity, vulnerability, and live instrumentation in an era dominated by conventional, trap-heavy bangers, going from his high-energy of old to a more mature and reflective approach.
Moments like “2009” and “Self Care” helped make this a commercial and critical success, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 2009 and earning his one and only Grammy nomination (2019 Best Rap Album). Following a break up with pop star Ariana Grande, Miller decided to use this album as a place to express his depression, heartbreak, and healing process toward self-love. It’s not what we would’ve expected from mixtape Miller, but it’s the magnum opus we all unknowingly needed.
Even beyond that, balancing hope and sadness with grace, it’s a profound artistic statement that reflects timeless musicianship much more than just another gone-too-soon rapper.
3 DAYTONA (2018)
Pusha T
Pusha T refused to let the raw essence of what hip-hop truly is get buried beneath the genre-blending and commercially focused nature of today’s industry. Seven tracks, 21 total minutes of Pusha’s lethal lyrical precision and Kayne West’s masterful production, DAYTONA is a defiant, concise message meant to be embraced by hip-hop purists. Cold, calculated, and direct: Pusha pulls out his best pen for “Infrared” to take shots at Drake’s use of ghostwriters, thus igniting their unforgettable feud and provoking the “Duppy Freestyle” response. Most of you will what happened to Drake from there, obviously, “The Story of Adidon” pipe bomb.
DAYTONA is where Pusha stood stall and embraced the ultimate underdog role in a battle between bars and melodies at the top of a ultra-competitive hip-hop landscape. The entire project is a clinic in storytelling with an unmatched battle-rap aggression that the genre has so patiently been waiting to receive. Impressive given its short length, this album wasted no time debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and eventually earned a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Not having Pusha’s DAYTONA on this list would be to disregard every core element of pure, modern hip-hop.
2 Victory Lap (2018)
Nipsey Hussle
No phrase in this album could describe its theme better: “Dedication, hard work plus patience. The sum of all my sacrifice, I’m done waitin’.”
Nipsey Hussle’s Victory Lap, his first commercial release and debut studio album, is a soundtrack to hustle, ambition, and perseverance that took influence from Mike WiLL Made-it, No I.D., and 60 East to exemplify its self-empowering, West Coast vibe. Nipsey stressed the importance of self-reliance, hard work, owning the narrative, and staying true to one’s self, not out of baseless personal belief, but because he used those same tools to build an empire that ultimately catapulted him to a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.
Victory Lap is a revolutionary challenge to the often volatile music industry model that highlights a path for artists to value control over their careers, encouraging independence and entrepreneurship in a legacy of purpose that left Nipsey a cultural icon. The album peaked at No. 2 (debuted at No. 4) on the Billboard 200 following his death on March 31, 2019, from a shooting that took place outside his Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles.
1 To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar doesn't go on to dominate an all-time rap beef and perform at the Super Bowl without his transformation in To Pimp a Butterfly, the project that stamped him as one of the greatest artists from this era. The album transcends just hip-hop, through soul, spoken word, psychedelic funk, and sophisticated jazz, in a diverse and politically charged masterpiece. Layered, dynamic, intense, and confrontational are all massive understatements for this visceral discussion of societal oppression, psychological trauma, and historical injustice, all while grappling with his own fame and success.
To Pimp a Butterfly is one of the best albums of the 21st century, not just the last decade of hip-hop, with notable tracks like “Alright”, “King Kunta”, and “The Blacker the Berry” becoming rallying cries and sharp critiques in the same breath. Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and taking home Best Rap Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards, the album provided the hip-hop world a lyrical mastery and musical innovation that has yet to be ed up definitively since.