The Top 10 HipHop albums of 2010

It's only been a few years since Nasir Jones and plenty of others (including myself) made bold declarations suck as "hiphop is dead". I feel like no one actually believed that, anyone with a true understanding of the culture should realize it will never die, just evolve and adapt. The music itself though has had its fair share of ups and downs in quality. This past year the quality was up, way up. I would go as far as to say it's been one of the better years since way back in 1998. Emcees, from legends to newcomers were back to spitting, and weren't afraid to construct albums true to their aesthetic. Hiphop music was fresh again and these albums* were the best of the bunch.

*I tried to only include albums that you could actually walk into the store and see on the shelf, understandably there are some seriously dope mixtapes from this past year too...but I had to narrow it down somehow. In regards to my sanity when making lists.

Honorable mentions:

Distant Relatives - Nas & Damian Marley
This has to be included mainly because of the chemistry of the artists. Two kindred spirits combined to make a cohesive sound. Jr Gong always brings it artistically and Nas seemed comfortable over this particular sonic landscape.


The Adventures of Bobby Ray - B.O.B
Potential is the key word here. This guy has it in spades, he just seemed focused on using his limitless talents to craft single centric album rather then something that could have destroyed everything. Still a valiant effort, worth a mention. And frankly, Nothin on You owned earlier in the year. You loved it.

The Stimulus Package - Freeway & Jake One
In an era where dope collaborations seem to actually be happening rather then talked about in interviews, this one shined. The perpetually amped Freeway showed some range over Jake One's stellar production.

Nineteen Ninety Now - Celph Titled & Buckwild
Another left field collabo that worked. Since I ceased being one, really angry rappers haven't been my thing. That being said, Buckwild brought it out of dude and they stayed true to the concept with a fitting homage to the greatest era.

Top 10:

10: Kush & OJ - Wiz Khalifa
Okay I have to break my rule and include one mixtape because it's just too fly not to. While Wiz doesn't stray much further then smoking weed with hot girls as subject matter, he makes it sound so good doing so. A little bit Too Short, a bit of Bone Thugs...maybe even some early Outkast. Whatever it reminds me of, it's most definitely free flowing, eternally fresh music.

9: Wu-Massacre - Meth, Ghost, Rae
A quick smack in the face from three of Wu's finest. Nobody does straight up hardcore, boom bap as effortlessly as the Gods. Much more concise then other Wu projects, and could have used a bit more fine tuning, but in the end the only real downfall is that it's over too quickly.

8: Recovery - Eminem
In one hell of a comeback year for Slim Shady, he was able to finally settle down in his own skin and mesh his lyrical gift with great production and even manage to gain huge commercial success while doing so. It's a comforting thing to know that the most popular hiphop artist in the world is a true rapper's rapper, intent on never ruining his legacy again and respecting the culture which gave him his life.

7: The Teflon Don - Rick Ross
Say what you will about the guy's personal life, he knows how to make enjoyable music. Perhaps it's the utilization of more talented friends on this disc (Hov, Cee-Lo, Badu, Legend, Ye, etc) or his ear for great beats and hooks. Perhaps it's his unabashed, but ironic approach to the glamorous life. Whatever it is it works for him and he takes the number 7 spot.


6: Sir Lucious: Left Foot The Son of Chico Dusty - Big Boi
I'm still not sold on the title but I loved this effort nonetheless. Loaded with the trademark Kast sound, Big Boi shows that he has more then enough talent to stand on his own with a proper solo joint. He's much more then the Scottie Pippen to Andre 3000.


5: How I Got Over - The Roots
It's strange to say but The Legendary Roots Crew have been putting out consistently dope hiphop music for so long that it's easy to overlook a new release by them. Don't do it. As cohesive and cutting edge as albums get, their front-man seems to have eased into his role as a social commentator and the band is as sharp as ever.


4: Apollo Kids - Ghostface Killah
Quiet for most of the past 365 days outside of a few appearances on Wu-Massacre, Tony came in at the end of the year with a quick reminder on why you should consider him the greatest, pure hiphop artist of all time. Any Ghost project is worth checking out and usually messing around at the top spot by year's end, this one is no exception.


3: Pilot Talk 1 & 2 (tied) - Curren$y
Like his partner in "The Jets" Wiz Khalifa...my boy "Spitta" doesn't stretch much further from getting high and inviting fine young ladies around the world with him, that being said don't sleep on his slick, under the radar lyrical prowess. With a laid back approach to his craft and effortless ability to put together easily digestible music he managed to put out two high quality releases in the same year, perhaps a first in history. While a lot of rappers boast about privileged, frivolous lifestyles and use women as just another prop, Currensy makes his tales of gluttony accessible in someway and seemingly lets the girls in on the fun. All he needs are his friends, that certain drug of his choice, Madden Football and a "condo full of snacks".


2: TSOL - Shad
Like I said the year was filled with top notch hiphop music, but only one album with hiphop music like this. To think a guy born in Kenya, raised in London and coming out of Canada has managed to put out the purest, boom bap material in some time is crazy. Unafraid to flip original concepts, never too intricate but at the same time complex, with a easy flow, and obviously being himself on wax...as opposed to Celph Titled's homage, this album actually could have came out in 95. If you're a fan of this genre, you must not sleep on this album or artist.




1: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West
This actually could be called album of the year, artist of the year, movement of the year, "comeback" of the year, etc...no one else embodied the spirit of hiphop culture this year more then Mr. West. He did so simultaneously with embodying the viral, fast paced, streamlined pop culture of ours, somehow bridged them together and moved mad units (in the face of an album buying mainstream still somewhat salty over the Taylor Swift fiasco) and ultimately got rave reviews (in the face of a critics as ready to crucify him as praise him).

He reentered the scene with some energetic, intense stage performances early in the year then invited a hiphop dream team to Hawaii with him and produced a banging song every Friday for over two months. Created an original, brilliantly weird short film that worked as a teaser, then finally dropped the album itself. A truly insane work of art that I already reviewed but will reiterate to say when combined with the best of his G.O.O.D Friday tracks, his work only gets better. With a video for Monster on the way that looks like it could change the game once again and his eclectic roster of legends and promising newcomers under the G.O.O.D Music banner, Ye ain't done yet.



And there you have it.

One last thing though, two of my favorite rap artists of all time dropped an album this year. Redman and Ice Cube, both were fairly embarrassing. If you're a legend in the game, bring it...you have nothing left to prove, make the music that made you. And if you literally can't, because of the age factor or something like this...then don't. There's always Chucky and Are We There Yet.