My Favorite Hip-Hop Albums by Year (2007-2011): Part I (2023)

The last decade has been phenomenal for hip-hop. With artists like Drake and Kanye West racking up hit after hit, and artists like Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar proving that mainstream artists can say something "real" too, hip-hop has become a global cultural force second to none. artistic less. more than half a century. As the genre conquered popular culture, the underground continued to push traditional sonic and stylistic boundaries, fusing styles and sounds and expanding its audience in ways that seemed almost impossible than in the previous decade. Can you imagine the 2005 New York MC riding to a hyphy beat? That would be idle talk.

What if I told the same MC from 2005 that in 2015 there would be an MC from Queens of South Asian who made a name for himself with a song about two fast food restaurants in the same building with a hyphy HAM beat, and that the video musical stars two black comedians, one of whom is basically responsible for Bill Cosby ending up in prison, has over 500,000 views online? Honestly, the 2005-era MC would probably have other questions for me knowing the future, but my point is that hip-hop can change a lot in a decade.

Anyone who knows me knows that I've been deeply involved in hip-hop since 2005, with all the traditional steps a white man takes to break into the genre. I remember thinking in high school that only people said the N-word and called women bitches. After getting over my gender elitism and realizing that I like certain rappers (thanks to Wu-Tang Clan), I quickly went into hip-hop and left it. Then I put on my Jansport with the rest of the white boys and repeated, "the only true hip-hop is conscious hip-hop," simply ignoring the important role party music played in the early formations of the genre. For about six months I knew that Aesop Rock was the only person keeping hip-hop alive. Then about a decade ago I started listening to a lot of contemporary hip-hop. Looking back, I can see quality albums being released between the late 1990s and the second half of the 2000s, but I didn't listen to them at the time. I mean, I haven't even listened to MF DOOM's incredible seven-album run from 1999 to 2005 and 2010 and it took another five years or more before I could finally appreciate it.crazy villain.

Starting around 2007, I really listened to pop and underground artists when they released music. I've been following MCs and producers, anticipating album releases, and debating GOATs with other minds on online forums (shout out r/hiphopheads). I also wanted to test my limits. At this point, I knew my previous assumptions about gender were wrong, so what else didn't I know? Maybe everyone who told me Insane Clown Posse was horrible was wrong? In the end, these people were right (not hating juggalos, but... ಠ_ಠ), but I also had to figure out what I liked and why. As I've learned, it takes more than thoughtful lyrics to make a good rap, but it also takes more than a few 808s and a hi-hat.

Now, a decade later, I want to take a look at those albums and choose my favorite each year. While I'm not sure anyone cares enough about my hip hop tastes to read everything, I'll give it a try.

I mean, what else is the casual blogger supposed to do: write something other than a list?

Kanye West - Graduation (September 11, 2007)

It seems appropriate to start the list with my favorite Kanye album, which was also the first Kanye album I listened to in its entirety. Best-selling hip-hop album of the year and 12th best-selling album in the US in 2007.Diplomait marked the conclusion of Kanye's initial trilogy of school albums and his rise to the top of rap and pop music across the globe. Drawing on a broader range of samples than his previous albums (including Daft Punk's smash hit 'Stronger'), this album is solemn and melancholic, opulent and reflective. There are a few tracks on here that don't do much for me ("Drunk and Hot Girls" and "Barry Bonds"), but the songs I love more than make up for it. "Homecoming," "I Wonder," and "Everything I Am" are some of my favorite hip-hop songs overall, and "Good Morning" may be the best album opener of all time.

I think this album is often overlooked in favor of the surprise early success.college dropoutsto greatnessMy beautiful dark and twisted fantasy.I feel like recently even808 and heartbreakdrew more attention thanDiplomafor his undeniable influence on the self-tuned styles that dominate the current generation of rappers and producers. I will never deny the importance of these other records, but I will listen to them again.Diplomathan any other Kanye album. It was the album that brought me Kanye, and no matter how stupid and outrageous he tries to be (which turns out to be INCREDIBLY STUPID AND AWESOME), nothing I do can make this music video any less amazing.

• vice champion:Lupe Fiasco -the good vibes(December 18, 2007); Blu & Exile –under the sky(July 17, 2017)

Little Wayne -Tha Carter III(June 10, 2008)

I know some people see this as the first step towards Lil Wayne's demise, but for me this is his pinnacle. Released to near universal acclaim,Tha Carter IIIit removed any doubt about who was the greatest rapper alive in 2008. Lil Wayne gracefully handles the beats with incredible wordplay and fresh interpretations of the southern sound. The nasal, fuzzy flow from him elevates every beat he plays, which is saying a lot given the all-star lineup that includes Bangladesh, Just Blaze and Kanye. Wayne's flow is so natural it sounds like what he was born to do. He doesn't force anything on himself: each word floats effortlessly over the beat. DespiteTha Carter IIIIt's not a concept album per se, many of the tracks are concept (eg "Dr. Carter", "Mrs. Officer", "Phone Home") but catchy enough to keep us entertained with all the poop jokes.

Live stream of Lil Wayne writing Tha Carter III

I think the true masterpiece of the album is the combination of these concept songs with some incredibly reflective and tragic songs like "Tie My Hands" and "Shoot Me Down". And they're still on the same album as silly "Lala." and "Lolipop". ' and make it work. Maintaining this eclectic group of tracks is a huge achievement for Lil Wayne, as is his enduring influence on hip-hop in general. While it's debatable about Kanye that Kanye was the most influential producer of the last decade, it's safe to say that Wayne was the most influential lyricist.

• vice champion:Kid Cudi -A boy named Cudi(July 17, 2008); the cool kidsbake sale(June 10, 2008)

Kid Cudi - The Man in the Moon: The End of the Day(September 15, 2009)

since 2014,complex magazine2009 was literally listed as the greatest year for mixtapes of all time! I mean, they've only been around for 20 years, but still, it's been a good year for mixtapes. drake singlesgone so fartook it into the stratosphere, and several underground artists launched their first projects with great success (J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, Tyler the Creator) and Lil Wayneno blanketsit is often considered his best project. However, the chart-topping albums couldn't be more generic. by Eminemrelapsetopped the hip-hop chart with 608,000 first-week sales, followed by Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Rick Ross and the group's album Young Money. With the exception ofproject 3, I personally find all albums incredibly boring. In 2009, 50 Cent and Eminem were heavily played; I'm still very confused about who really likes Rick Ross; and holding cuts, especially from Young Money, are starting to converge on my head.

In the midst of these rather quiet releases, however, Kid Cudi released one of the most influential studio albums of the last decade. Although I don't like his mixtape as much as I do,A boy named Cudi,from the previous year,The man in the moon: the end of the dayit was a landmark album.Along with a string of global hits ("Day N' Night," "Pursuit of Happiness"), Cudi's real innovation was bringing themes of anxiety and mental illness to the forefront of hip-hop. Sonically, Cudi has processed a lot of what Kanye started.Diplomami808er and heartbreak, but added his own flair for breathy lyrics and indie rock - ratatat and MGMT are included. Even if Cudi went into his own business...let's say tangentially in the years since that album (and its 2010 sequel),His work on this album opened the door for artists like Travi$ Scott, Kevin Abstract and Raury.

• vice champion:Only -attention deficit(November 7, 2009); MF DOOM -Born like this(March 24, 2009); MOS Def -there in ecstasy(June 9, 2009); BlackRoc –SchwarzRoc(November 27, 2009)

Earl Sweatshirt - EARL (March 31, 2010)

The previous three albums I mentioned so far wererelativelypoppy andrelativelyFamily friendly. They hit the charts. They had radio singles.GRAFIt is not.GRAFhorrible.GRAFit is disturbingGRAF.IT IS. diabolical

GRAFit's also AWESOME!

Earl Sweatshirt takes on the role of a teenage serial killer and guides us through the dark underworld of murder, rape and torture through the dark synths and simple percussion of Tyler the Creator and LeftBrain. Well, deep down I have a soft spot for horrorcore (basically horror movies for hip hop) and this movie hits that sweet spot. Few albums are more depraved than this, but Earl's lyrical skill makes up for it. At 16, Earl was spouting tongue twister after tongue twister, echoing the content and style of two of the greatest lyricists of all time: Eminem and MF DOOM.

To be fair, the content of the 25 minutes is factually terrible. Misogyny, homophobia, rape, murder: it's all there. But I don't care how disturbing the lyrics are.GRAFI'm still impressed with Earl's complicated pun. Since its release, Earl and Odd Future have attracted a general following that really annoys me, and while Earl and the rest of the team have evolved as well, their following seems to be constantly stuck at 16. But no matter how annoying the OF fandom is I can't help but love this tape. Plus, I've always found a strange, ironic satisfaction in taking graduate courses and teaching college students and then singing "KILL GEOPLE - BURN SHIT - FUCK SCHOOL" to myself as I walk across campus.

• vice champion:strange future -radicals(May 7, 2010); the racist -shut up my(March 2010); Kanye West -My beautiful and twisted dark fantasy.(November 19, 2010); Kid Cudi-The Man in the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Furious(November 9, 2010)

A$AP Rocky – Vive.Ama.A$AP(October 31, 2011)

From the moment I heard that two second bass soundLive.Love.A$API knew I was in for a surprise. Combining the quintessential sounds of New York hip-hop with the choppy, messy sound of Houston, A$AP Rocky rose to fame with this heady, fuzzy masterpiece. Rocky's unique mix of UGK and 50 Cent was an early step in blurring the geographic styles that traditionally delineated rappers. New York hip hop consisted of boom bap beats and complicated lyrics; Los Angeles rappers were G-funk gangsters; Southern rappers liked to party. This album proved that in the digital age, hip-hop no longer has to follow these rules. A Harlem MC could take the sound of Houston, mix it with a bit of New York swagger, and create something new and incredible.Live.Love.A$APit also marks an early foray into "cloud rap" thanks to clouds of smoke clearly billowing from the production office of Clams Casino, SpaceGhostPurrp, and A$AP Ty Beats. Coupled with Rocky's unmatched ability to drive a beat effortlessly, fitting his voice into hooks and improvisations, these hazy grooves were hacked into a whole new subgenre.

when i heard for the first timeLive.Love.A$AP, he was convinced that Rocky had the potential to be a GOAT. However, since then, his albums really feel like extensions of that original idea. Don't get me wrong: it's a great idea andLong.Live.A$AP y At.Long.Last.A$APboth have great leads and are solid efforts. But unlike Kendrick, who evolves and changes his sound on different projects, Rocky seems a bit stuck in that same format. While consistency isn't always a bad thing, it seems to Rocky that consistency comes at the expense of innovation. But let's back up a bit, because when your first album is this groundbreaking, it can take you a decade to catch up with the process.

• vice champion:danny braun-XXX(August 15, 2011); Kendrick Lamar -Section .80(July 2, 2011); Shabazz Palaces –black in(June 28, 2011)

Hey, you've read this far!
Either you really like my writing or you really like hip hop.
I guess it's hip hop.
You can read more about the second half of the decade here.