2020 was a chaotic year and thankfully we made it to 2021. While the start of the year has been relatively quiet musically, there are a few albums that stood out from the rest.
DX will be narrowing down the endless amount of music released during the course of a year to the essentials, providing readers with a list of the must-listen projects. Also be sure to check out our other lists:
- The Best Hip Hop Songs of 2021 …(so far)
- The Best R&B Songs of 2021 …(so far)
- The Best R&B Albums of 2021 …(so far)
- Catch up on all of the Best Hip Hop Albums of 2020 and see who won our award for Best Hip Hop Album of the year here.
This list includes albums released between Dec. 2, 2020 and Jan. 30, 2021
The Top Hip Hop Albums Of 2021 (December – January)
Contributing writers: Trent Clark, Kyle Eustice, Josh Svetz, Dana Scott, Brandon Caldwell, David Brake, Kenan Draughorne, Devon Jefferson, Michael Saponara & Jeremy Hecht.
Man On The Moon III: The Chosen — Kid Cudi
Twelve years after it began, Kid Cudi’s intergalatic saga has come to a close of the Man On The Moon has come to a close, with Man On The Moon 3: The Chosen. On his latest, we find the godfather of psychedelic rap in a better state than the previous two chapters of the trilogy. Previously, Cudder was a notoriously tortured soul, fighting battles with his demons, armed with hums and groovy rap melodies. But on The Chosen, Cudi seems more in control. His demons are still present, but he handles them with grace instead of despair. With a familiar producer team from the previous MOTM albums, of Dot Da Genius, Plain Pat, and Mike Dean, The Chosen is a cohesive extension of the Cleveland-born rapper’s previous work. There’s also some fresh blood and new collaborators, including Finneas from Billie Eilish fame, singer Phoebe Bridgers and producer duo Take a Daytrip. There’s some misses (Pop Smoke sounds wildly out of place on “Show Out”) but it’s overall an excellent end to one of rap’s most iconic storylines.
The Voice — Lil Durk
Nothing makes us happier than seeing Lil Durk succeed in a year where all the odds were stacked against him. He lost his dear friend and frequent collaborator in King Von last November, and channeled that pain into The Voice, Durkio’s sixth studio album which peaked at the second spot on the Billboard Top 200, marking the Chi-town rapper’s third top ten project. One of the more melodic founders of Drill Rap, The Voice is packed-full of effortless hooks and catchy melodies. “Stay Down” featuring 6LACK and Young Thug is one of the standout tracks from the project, a moody hit by three artists who work incredibly well together. But The Voice is truly a dedication to Von, and Durk shines when memorializing his fallen friend on “Death Ain’t Easy” and other heartbreaking but stunning tracks.
That’s What They All Say — Jack Harlow
If anything, Jack Harlow’s debut album That’s What They All Say proves he is worthy of the hype and chatter surrounding him. Following his Billboard Hot 100 Chart-topping hit “What’s Poppin” remix featuring DaBaby, Lil Wayne and Tory Lanez earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance last November, the December release remains steadfast in keeping up with Harlow’s feverish hit-making pace. With deep cuts like “Luv Is Dro” which taps late R&B vocalist Static Major and fellow Kentucky native Bryson Tiller, combined with viral hits like “Tyler Herro” and “Way Out,” the album is as sound divers as it is well-kempt lyrically. The most convincing part of all, though, is Jack Harlow’s consistent prowess throughout That’s What They All Say — which is seemingly a master class on the execution of a multi-producer project as it’s laced with production from Scott Storch, Hit-Boy, Boi-1da, Harry Fraud and numerous others.
Proud Of Me Now — Sheff G
Since Canarsie-rapper Pop Smoke’s passing in February of 2019, Brooklyn Drill rap found itself in a precarious position. The roots were strong with Fivio Foreign, 22Gz, Sleepy Hallow and Sheff G, but there were vulturous newcomers aiming to make a quick buck off the hype Pop and the BK Drill founders had started. Artists such as CJ, Quelly Woo and other copycats have swarmed to the scene, scraping together what’s left. That’s why Proud Of Me Know, the latest from Sheff G, is so compelling. It’s a bite-sized and highly focused album that strays away from comparisons to the Big Woo and shows that Sheff has a big, booming voice of his own. The aggressive “No Negotiations” and more introspective “Mistakes” suggests that Sheff might be ready for the crown of the Five Boroughs.
Whole Lotta Red — Playboi Carti
Expectations for Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red were extraordinarily high. After endless delays and building anticipation, the Atlanta rapper released his third studio album on Christmas. Hip Hop Twitter immediately went ablaze, with some calling WLR Carti’s best work and others slandering its very existence. But Twitter lies, numbers don’t, and when the project debuted at the top slot on the Billboard charts, much of the hate seemed to dissipate. The record surely contains some problems: it’s mixed poorly, at times can sound unfinished — not to mention the out-of-place Kanye West verse on “Go2DaMoon”. But the high points far outweigh the album’s drawbacks. On Whole Lotta Red we find Carti in an entirely new world of beats. Rapping over incredible production from Art Dealer, Maaly Raw, KP and Pi’erre Bourne. We find video game sounds, punk rock and filthy 808s around every turn. Carti makes quick work out of the diverse selection of beats, flying around the tracks chaotically, but deeply impassioned. It might be unexpected, but Whole Lotta Red stands just as tall as Die Lit and Playboi Carti.
Song Of Sage: Post Panic! — Navy Blue
It would be easy to label Song Of Sage: Post Panic!, the latest album from L.A.-based rapper Navy Blue, as an extension of Earl Sweatshirt. But that would entail overlooking the vast differences between the two artists. Where Earl leans towards fractured narratives and abstract expression, Navy Blue is more concerned with storytelling, and presenting chronology through a deeply impassioned and personal lens. Navy Blue, born Sage Elsesser, self-produced a handful of the orchestral beats on Song Of Sage. Though he also recruited rappers Maxo, billy woods and the legendary Mos Def, Song Of Sage is primarily handled alone, a fitting approach given the intimate subject matter of personal history, self-identity and pride.
Music To Be Murdered By: Side B — Eminem
Say whatever you want about Eminem: the man pushes weight. Nearly a year after Music To Be Murdered By first released, Em dropped Side B, a deluxe edition which features sixteen new tracks. In typical Slim Shady fashion, Side B released without warning, and featured new contributions from old friends, including Skylar Grey and Dr. Dre, but also some new faces in the Eminem universe like Ty Dolla $ign. The shock drop spread like wildfire, selling nearly 100,000 units in its first release, and helped to propel the album back to the third slot in Billboard’s Top 200 chart. Em might be pushing 50-years-old, but it seems he’s as nimble as ever.
Sound Ancestors — Madlib
It’s a rare treat whenever Madlib, the iconic and deeply reclusive producer shares new music. One of the undisputed greatest Hip Hop producers in history, Madlib’s 20-year-plus career has brought the world more classics than it can count. He has an unrivaled ability to sound wholly new and fresh on each project. He sounds leagues ahead of the times on Lootpack’s debut from 1999, and the same can still be said about Sound Ancestors, which dropped in the final days of January. It’s a grab-bag of global sounds that’s reminiscent of early Hip Hop DJs. An intricate, plucked guitar on “Latino Negro” sounds as if he’s remixing Rodrigo y Gabriela live. On “Road Of The Lonely Ones,” he flips a track from late 1960s Motown group, The Ethics. We can’t think of a single time when Madlib has disappointed — and he’s not starting now.
KAYTRANADA low key is better than this whole list.
Too bad Atmosphere was released in 2019.
Literally says “(December 1, 2019 – January 28, 2020. Albums from January 31 will be added during the next update.)”
As was Kixg Crooked
It’s been one month lol. Basically anything popular is on this list… Yet little to none will be played over the summer… Sure, there is a fan base for this music, but none of it is legendary.
Dude, nothing hits legendary status a month into existence. Instead of commenting with the intent of hating, how about trying to comment within the context of the article or keep it moving.
I beg to differ. Most of the albums hailed as all time classics today, were deemed classics overnight basically. The Chronic, Get Rich Or Die Tryin, MMLP, GKMC, various Jayz and Kanye albums, The Documentary, All Eyez On Me, Doggystyle… I can go on forever. The only rap albums that make it to truly legendary status, are even loved by people who do not like hiphop music. They surpass the genre, and touch audiences from all walks of life. Eminems new album will most definitely not be a classic album lol. That’s a fucking joke. Eminem is done making classics. So whack that eminem fans dick ride SO Hard that they cannot admit he passed his prime. All artists do. All GOATS alive today have surpassed their primes, and the music they make today is not legendary. JAY isn’t dropping classics, Ye isn’t, Eminem isn’t, Snoop isn’t, 50 isn’t, Nas isn’t…. Only dick riders think Eminems new album will be hailed as a classic lol. The general public does not like Eminem anymore. He has a very speicifc fan base, mostly white suburban kids who currently love fast rap.
Damn write another paragraph you fucking diva lmao. Your hurt.
You called him a Stan? You act like writing a paragraph is something that takes more than 30 seconds. His points are valid, and he doesn’t seem mad, hurt, or anything. Just making logical, honest points. Seems you have no counter, besides talking shit, which he has not done at all.
Me thinks your him. Your the same guy. Stop it’s pathetic
“Overnight“ is the antithesis to the word Classic. And albums aren’t legendary, the artists are. If it hasn’t stood the test of time, classic does not apply, popular is the term you are looking for. The line between popular and classic has gotten wildly blurred in this YouTube era.
That’s my point a bit I guess. Popular isn’t classic. Classics are albums that still get common playback decades later. Which most albums do not. But some albums you can just feel will be classics. It’s uncommon, extremely uncommon. But we all knew Get Rich Or Die Trying would be a classic the week it dropped. You could just tell so easily.
Eminem’s new album will stand the test of time. It’s going to be legendary.
Not even close. This is why they call Eminem dick riders “Stans”. Is eminem talented? Of course. He’s one of the most talented alive today, technically speaking. But this new album is legendary? Cmon man… Eminem hasn’t released a legendary album in over a decade. If Eminem from 1998-2007 didn’t exist, and all we had was eminem from 2010-2020, he wouldn’t be top 5 to most people. None of his new songs are legendary or going to be classics. You are no different than the Dr Dre dick riders who said Compton was a classic. I LOVE what Dre has contributed in the past, but Compton wasn’t great. It was average at best, and for Dre, very disappointing. Anyone who said that was a dime was lying to themselves, and if it was released under a name other than Dr Dre, nobody would have wanted it. Eminem has passed his prime, many many years ago. ALL ARTISTS FROM ALL GENRES DO.
Are you retarded ? excluding revival everything Eminem has dropped has been legendary. And the “if Eminem from 1998-2007 didn’t exist” yeah but it does.. lmao if the sky wasn’t blue ?. You can call it stanning dick riding etc whatever the fuck but he prolly has more diamond albums and singles than your favorite rapper and no sales ain’t everything but neither are this BS 3.5 ratings. And placing circles or excuse me I’m antisocial above MTBMB is atrocious. Godzilla alone is better than anything on those albums combined
You must be very stupid
Roc Marciano “Marcielago” dropped 12/2/19. It’s not listed at all. Y’all trippin’.
Not even mentioned..smfh
What you can’t forget about GRISELDA c’mon man???????♂️??♂️??♂️
Griselda isn’t really well known, tho. If it wasn’t for them being signed to Shady, they would be ghosts in the music industry.
A majority of Mac Miller albums are overbearingly boring. I listened to the first three songs of Circles and almost fell asleep. Out of all of the albums on this list, Eminem’s MTBMB will be the only album talked about in the next 5-10 years.
They not even mentioning Chris Webby token, merkules, snak the ripper tech nine hell they leaving out alot of real hip hop and rap artists that are far better than 99% if the mainstream industry
So i guess we gonna just forget lil waynes new album funeral like he did not jist come back as weedy f baby
Funeral sounds like a project Wayne released with a bunch of material he’s had for years to make a few bucks for his lean sipping habit.
Tap into some real Hiphop over at Deeplyrootedhiphop.com
Griselda, Sean Price & Lil Fame, Roc Marciano, Dave East, Fred the Godson??? They all missing from this list… can tell ya dont be allowed on the block, ya might tell too much!
That are albums from 2019 stupid ass motherfucker!
Stupid article. January just ended. Why in the world would you be calling out anyone’s album at this point.
You are a retarded dumbfuck
Y’all so corny for underrating Lil Wayne new album. Royce and Eminem is trash.
Wayne albums are always garbage and frogs can sing better than Wayne.Wayne is thrash and overrated.
Go to sleep
Stove God Cook$ – Reasonable Drought, easily the best album of 2020 so far
I’m out!
Mick Jenkins, Denzel Curry, Deniro Farrar, CJ Fly.
How is D Smoke not on here?!!!!!! HOW?!!! Jay Electronica over D Smoke?!!!! FOH
D Smoke album is special
The Weeknd isn’t hiphop so wtf is this shit? Exactly why hiphop is a joke now…These clowns seriously put The Weeknd up for best hiphop album so far. This is some shit ignorant old white people do…they lump any black looking artist into the hiphop category, and now hiphop itself does the same thing. This is embarrassing
They literally shit themselves when they realized the only “famous” rapper on this list was white…so they threw The Weeknd in there as an equalizer even tho he’s not hiphop. Kinda funny
Why is everything always about race. The funny thing is that white people have been running the world for 500 years now and they’re still butthurt about how unfair the world is to their race.
Dude…this site fukn contradicts itself. Higher album ratings were given to Boldy James and Conway then every album up there because they are great albums. Be consistent. Damn. That’s what make this shit such trash. You did not even review Curren$y and Fendi P’s album. Yo Gotti’s album is good. Wayne is killing everybody out there lyrically; average album awesome lyrics. Your choices and honorable mentions Suck. Do betta.
Dude every last album/artist you named is trash.
Cuz you lame fam.
This was for trash.
Lame ass. Stop singing and rap bruh.
Took three comments to call me lame. Tell me do your artists compare to Rakim, Nas, Big, Pac or Andre? No, bc there is no substance to their lyrics and they all sound more or less the same. If you do reply, put some thought into your reply, otherwise you’ll just come off as mindless as the artists you named.
?Makes $140 to $180 every day online work and I got $16894 in one month web based acting from home.I am a day by day understudy and work basically one to a couple of hours in my extra time.Everybody will carry out that responsibility and monline akes additional money by just open this linkwww.self21.com
‘A Written Testimony’ is a wack Gay-Z album with overrated Jay Electronica.
The Weeknd is NOT hiphop.
The Allegory – Royce Da 5’9. Haha, really?
‘Music To Be Murdered By’ is a pop album from a bitter old man who doesn’t have clue about the present state of hiphop, so he disses a whole generation based on two Migos songs.
Denzel is great.
STFU
The Weeknd has taking a very interesting approach with the new album and it seems to be working for him.
My turn album from lil baby?
Jay shit was trashbags
D Smoke – Black Habits ??
This my #1 of the year right now
Hey its me roger the cuck boy barber hit me up fir cuck cutz at my house im a quarentine cuck i giver perfect fades fresh to def (412)609-6358
Most artists in the hip hop section ain’t hip hop act. They belong in the rap part
lol
Lil baby” my turn “gets no love??
YouTube views alone Godzilla by Eminem kills this list. Where is tech9? Not everybody votes on this shit on here. It’s like a cnn list.
So Eminem says Royce is top5 but he hasn’t sold more than 1 million as far as I know. He shouldn’t be in Top 2000 rappers, right? and Drake > Nas + Rakim + Big L + ….. combined, right? f*ggot.
Trash list, almost humourous
Hey…post the total number of album sales for your entire list including the honorable mentions….then we’ll see who had album of the year so far
So sales = quality??
Yep, that’s why Country Grammar is a stone cold classic and Illmatic is just alright
When your white yea
Lazy list. A couple of hyped albums, some not even Hip Hop. Head on over to Hiphopgoldenage.com – these guys really curate.
Yep, Agree……
What about.
Lil crypto – the jakal
Bangem smurf – The jodymack project
Mc eiht. – official
Lol bangem smurf has a project? Is he rapping now? What ever happened to domination?
How future album get typed twice and still can’t make the top 20 lol lil baby album definitely deserved to be
No lil baby wow
Denzel is great, Freddie is okay, the rest are trash. Without Quelle Chris, ShrapKnel, Armand Hammer and Pink Siifu it’s almost ridiculous.
very good
If you search for top selling albums so far Eminem’s – Music to be murdered by is like 5 or 6 all gender with around 225k units sold but here in a more hip-hop search he’s not even there wtf ???
Maybe you just got your head so much in Em’s ass that you can’t see the fact that his album is not qualified to be mentioned among those beautiful albums. Don’t get me wrong it was good first listen, an enjoyable 1 hour album, but that’s it. It’s a low-good album. Stop talking about numbers. Is Drake top 5 best rapper of all time above Nas, Kendrick, Rakim,…. because he sold the most records? Stop making comparisons and trying to take down others, and start enjoying more. Deal with it it’s not among the best and move on.
Fact speaker, I can smell the halitosis through my screen, stop talking that bullshit. He is the best, your a clown to think MTBMB shouldn’t be on the list. Tell me you think Michael Jordan sucks? I bet you do.
OH YOU BIG MAD
I can tell ya when white people back someone they back someone lol it’s only about it album sales not lyrics this is why they so pressed to have a white boi rap so they could say these things notice they never back another black person when they do other things like swimming hockey tennis soccer the list goes on.
Conway No One Mourns The Wicked/LuLu up there.Also when he drops the 3rd ep next month im a combine them into a aoty contender no doubt for Ransom – Directors Cut Scene 1,2 and 3 first 2 been fire Nicholas Craven a dope producer
R.A. The Rugged Man joint is hot!! Real hip hop headz will fuck wit it.
Hits hard, no crybaby shit
Only list I’ve seen even mention R.A. That album is dope as fuck and the hottest shit I’ve heard in years. AMHAD and Felt 4 U are my top two for the year.
That D Smoke – Black Habits is up there for me
My five favour albums this year is based on albums I still listen to.
The Allegory, MTBMB, RTJ4, H.A.R.D and LULU.
D Smoke’s “Black Habits” is much more than honorable mention.
Tech N9ne dropped one of the best albums of his career. Didn’t even make honorable mentions. But you got shit on here like Polo G. Fcking clowns.
Read the honorable mention again, it’s there the enter fear album
Looking at this list, this site is run by 13 y/o girls.
Denzel is great. RTJ4 was a disappointment, Freddie and that Blu album are so-so. You should’ve included Shrapknel and Mr. MFN eXquire instead of Popmusic Smoke and Chipmunk Gunn.
Weird take on RTJ4, Alfredo and Blu & Exile. The majority of people disagree heavily.
Nas definitely has a great album.
Can’t stop listening to King’s Disease.
Crazy ish to put L.O.X in honorable mention. Maybe cos the album just dropped anyway. BETTER THAN MOST ON THE BEST LIST
Brian Brown – Journey is my #1
A month to fix it and Future’s still in the ‘honourable’ mentions chart ?
First of all it should be in the main list, and second of all I know Future the goat but putting him in twice for the same album is a reach
I say Alfredo, Kings disease and Living off Experience are the best ones so far….. I don’t know whose idea it was to put Mulatto and NLE choppa smh … Maybe I’m biased because I don’t really listen to these younger artists with no bars but from what I’ve heard, they are ass. Who actually co-signs Mulatto being Queen of the south anyways? I didn’t even agree when TI said he was king
I think it’s those three too and by a pretty wide margin….
Wtf…. D Smoke: Black Habits is one of the best albums without question… honorable mention is like a slap in the damn face
Nas….. man! I love his subject matter. Definitely a great album….. great talk about album of the year. But I have to say, as of right now, Alfredo is currently my album of the year thus far. However, Nas does have a chance to knock Alfredo down to second place.
Glad to see someone mention Gibbs…Nas been my guy for a minute but the album is overrated to me…right now lyrically he cant see Gibbs…(Royce killin shit too)
Y’all pussy niggaz tryna cancel Eminem by all means lmao! Everybody knows ‘Music To Be Murdered by’ is the best, at least mention it in your weak list.
How isn’t The Respected Sopranos Gangsta Grillz not on there?
Where’s The Koreatown Oddity – “Little Dominiques Nosebleed”?
Armani maybe a bit premature. Her shit was enjoyable but it’s just a new intro to her. I think Payroll last effort, Nas, Conway, Pray For Paris, Big Sean definitely has the best music this year
Check out the artist, My Favorite Color!
That Jay Electronica album was trash. Stop it.
The only thing I care about and know about is Eminem’s MUSIC TO BE MURDERED BY, the rest is just trash to not even be mentioned.
Action Bronson.. man if y’all don’t put down the fentanyl. No one cares about that blog favorite. His shit weak
No love for Mc Eiht? Released 2 albums in 2020!
This site is run by 12 y/o girls.
Music to be Murdered By only honorable mention??
W…T…F.
Hi, I’m from the future. Dr Dre will drop Detox on December 29, 2020!
Where is Daystar. Not even a huge Tory fan but he’s nice and that album was fire. Most High Money Over Fallouts
You’re a fan of shooting women?
Oh kool Keith bro you were their? You saw him shoot her? Smh clowning someone for believing tory when all your doing is believing the other entertainer. Some wwe shit.
No love for Ill Bill La Bella Medusa. Every track is straight fire and sick features from Conway and Tony Yayo. The industry really trying to keep a man down
What about Ill Bill la Bella Medusa ?
This site is run by suburban white women who went to college in the inner city.
So pretty much every album that came out this year made it smh!
Holy fuck rap musics gone to shit
Elzhi is definitely AOTY!!!
WTF kinda list is this!?? Eminem an honorable mention? No Ty dolla$ that is ?? or NAS? Joyner? Pop smoke?
You don’t deserve my ad revenue ?
THE PERSON WHO WROTE THIS NEEDS TO GET FIRED A.S.A.P
That Sa-Roc album is dope as hell. So glad to see it got a shout.
I actually enjoyed Who Made the Sunshine more than Pray for Paris. Maybe it was the features reducing the amount of time Westside Gunn was rapping.
So clearly the list not the comments are gonna mention but Legends Never Die wasn’t here. Not even a FUCKING HONORABLE MENTION. This is bs
Where tf is REASON on this list WTF….
Reason album??? Bizzy Bone The mantra??? Em finally puts out a great album yall been hyping for years when he puts out mediocre content, he puts out his best work in years and he’s honorable mention????
Juicy J’s brother Juicy J hahaha pls correct this guys
First runner up sold more than all the listing albums and runs lyrical circles around 96% lol what a site. But let’s discredit the white boy
Public Enemy and Paris albums might have be the 2 best albums of the year
MC Eiht album to
souljah boy tell em.
Wrekonize
Meg the Stallion…. Good album???? Really not even a lol Reason mention… Roc Nation paying for sales…. She should have stayed independent as they had her interests at heart
MC Eiht – Official!
Westside gunn take the cup. I grew up with him in Buffalo. He got down syndrome of and amazing how he defied the odds and became dope.
bruh what lmaoooo
benny the butcher take cup no cap
No. Love. For. Strange. Music.
Wrekonize, Bernz, Krizz Kaliko, Stevie Stone, JL, Joey Cool, King Iso and Maez301 all dropped doped ass albums this year. Didn’t get coverage when they cam out and still not getting coverage.
King’s Disease is Nas’s 12 studio album not 10th
This is just a list of every hip hop album that came out this year. Lame.
My favourites are King’s Disease and The Allegory. Would be happy with either of them winning a Grammy. However, I still think Music to be Murdered By should be on here. It may be Em’s best album since Eminem Show
You guys hate on Eminem just because your scared of people hating your post in comments section. It’s funny. 2X platinum and it’s an honorable mention?? Doesn’t matter how much fans he has, it outsold other projects like revival because it was a good album with many good songs from one of the greatest artists ever. Don’t be scared of the 16 year olds who like mumble rap and just write what’s real.
Revival was eminems worst album probably hands down, BUT it was unbelievable how many good songs on their were just dismissed. There was absolutely bad songs. But if you look at the albums they are calling classic nowadays, its usually based off of 3 or 4 songs and the rest of the album is basically trash. For some reason if eminem has 3 or 4 bad songs out of 18 thats all they focus on.
No Juice Wrld??…Yall smoking dope!
juice been gon new albums?
Eminem is the GOAT
I like how y’all left Tory lanez off the list.
This list is bunk. Do you guys even know what music is?
facts
Didn’t who Lotta red disappoint EVERYONE?…
Not really. If you had your expectations of what a new Carti album was gonna sound like
no! don’t believe the hype son! haters hate! there’s at least 10 really good songs on there and some of the experimental flows didn’t receive as much acclaim but everyone took carrie flow so he had to switch it up
I wannna suck eminems dick so bad.
My mouth is watering all day just thinking about it