Best Rap Albums of the Decade (2010 - 2019)
The entire Hip-Hop community can be offended by only a few questions. What one considers a classic, or even the best albums of the decade tends to be along the lines of questioning that leads to screaming fans, chairs being thrown and fires blazing across the blocks. Therefore, in an attempt to save my own skin, I will break my professionalism and say: this is my personal opinion. Don't come after me in the comments or social media for my opinion, I'm nothing but a simple fan and MC.
With that being said, there are a lot of albums in the decade that could've been on the list. I could say that many of them are worthy of any hate that I get in my DM's for excluding them. For any old school fans, the exclusion of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin by Wu-Tang Clan or 4:44 by Jay Z is bad enough for my opinion to be completely excluded from any conversation. Any fan of the new school would say that because the late-great XXXTentacion's ? or Future's DS2 that I'm just a hater. Frankly, I'm not going to win in anycase, therefore I based it on commercial success, critical reception, overall legacy and my own personal tastes on what can be considered good music.
5. Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper / The Pinkprint by Nicki Minaj
I will share the fifth spot between Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book and Nicki Minaj's The Pinkprint. Their shared spot is due to the ability to grow is seen in both. While their previous projects could be considered more lyrically potent or technically better, these projects were more driven by the people behind it: their hearts, their dreams and their failures. To be frank, at the end of both albums comes the feeling of happiness for the artist - they saw the worst in themselves and were able to become better people for it, all while making good music. Therefore, they both deserve the nod.
4. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
The most politically charged album of the decade is To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. Through the charos that plagues the world, few artists can artistry that serves as anthemic journalism such as K-Dot. There isn't a single person that wasn't bumping to the album in their cars during the summer that it was released: "King Kunta", "Alright" and "i" all serve as powerful criticisms of the establishment as they currently are. Change is slow, but Kendrick makes the ride all the more enjoyable with this impeccable project.
3. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
Most people dream about going to Hawaï; some make memories, while others make their magnum opus. There are few others. Kanye West is the other. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the most personal Kanye album until that point - we will disregard Jesus is King. There was as power wit every song, with everyone of them feeling as if they were meant to be there. "Runaway" with Pusha T felt like an anthem of the broken man while "Monster" was for every basketball player. There was something for everyone and that is the beauty of a good Kanye project.
2. Take Care by Drake
From the beginning of this album, you can feel as if this would be different: this was Take Care. Drake's sophomore effort was the internal battle between fame and family, riches and morality, as well as sanity versus vanity. From "The Motto" to "Marvin's Room", this album served as a confessional - and a map for the music that would permeate the radio for the rest of the decade. This is the last album Drake did before ultra superstardom and it feels like it; it sounds like its your friend talking to you as they try to figure themselves out. It's brilliant.
1. 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole
What can be said about this album that hasn't been said about every other? This has everything. 2014 Forest Hills Drive is a powerful nostalgic trip with the beauty of greatness in "G.O.M.D" and the pain of self-discovery in "Apparently". There are no real sore spots in an album filled with intrigue, love, storytelling and lyrical prowess. It's not J. Cole at his best: it's the pinnacle of Hip-Hop for the decade. And damn, he did it without a feature.