From Illmatic to Madvillainy, To Pimp a Butterfly to Aquemini, Tha Carter II to De La Soul Is Dead, we look at the best hip hop albums of all time, year by year.
We started the 2020s with the loss of one of hip hop’s hottest young talent when Pop Smoke was tragically murdered while staying at an Airbnb the Hollywood Hills.
In just a few years, we had lost Mac Miller, XXXTentacion, Juice Wrld, Nipsey Hussle and the aforementioned Pop Smoke, but their impact was still being felt as they departed. Pop and Juice ended up having two of the biggest rap albums of the year, and their names would continue to ring out over the coming years.
In the other news, Eminem was back with his eleventh album Music to Be Murdered By which featured a murderers’ row of lyricists; Logic would retire upon releasing No Pressure; Lil Baby officially became the biggest new rapper in the game with his latest drop; and 21 Savage was proving to the haters why he was a rapper to watch out for with Savage Mode II.
From Stove God Cooks’ Reasonable Drought to Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake and Run the Jewels’ RTJ4, here are the top 25 best hip hop albums of 2020.
25. Polo G – The Goat
Released: May 15, 2020
Label: Columbia
Singles: “Heartless”, “Go Stupid”, “DND”, “Wishing for a Hero”, “Martin & Gina”
Features: Mustard, Juice Wrld, Stunna 4 Vegas, NLE Choppa, Mike Will Made It, Lil Baby, and BJ the Chicago Kid.
24. Benny the Butcher – Burden of Proof
Released: October 16, 2020
Label: Griselda, Empire
Singles: “Timeless”, “Legend”
Features: Big Sean, Conway the Machine, Dom Kennedy, Freddie Gibbs, Lil Wayne, Queen Naija, Rick Ross and Westside Gunn.
23. Big Sean – Detroit 2
Released: September 4, 2020
Label: GOOD, Def Jam
Singles: “Deep Reverence”, “Wolves”
Features: Eminem, Royce da 5’9″, Dwele, Post Malone, Young Thug, Travis Scott, Lil Wayne, Diddy, Kash Doll, and Nipsey Hussle.
22. Playboi Carti – Whole Lotta Red
Released: December 25, 2020
Label: AWGE, Interscope
Singles: N/A
Features: Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Future
21. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon III: The Chosen
Released: December 11, 2020
Label: Wicked Awesome, Republic
Singles: N/A
Features: Phoebe Bridgers, Pop Smoke, Skepta and Trippie Redd
20. Busta Rhymes – Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God
Released: October 30, 2020
Label: Conglomerate
Singles: “The Don and the Boss”, “Yuuuu”, “Where I Belong”
Features: Kendrick Lamar, Mariah Carey, Anderson .Paak, Q-Tip, Rick Ross, Mary J. Blige, Rapsody, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Rakim, Pete Rock, Vybz Kartel, Bell Biv DeVoe, M.O.P., Nikki Grier, Chris Rock, and Louis Farrakhan.
19. Pop Smoke – Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
Released: July 3, 2020
Label: Victor Victor, Republic
Singles: “Make It Rain”, “The Woo”, “Mood Swings”, “For the Night”, “What You Know Bout Love”, “Hello”
Features: Quavo, Lil Baby, DaBaby, Swae Lee, Future, Roddy Ricch, Tyga, Karol G, and Lil Tjay
18. Logic – No Pressure
Released: July 24, 2020
Label: Def Jam, Visionary
Singles: “Perfect”
Features: N/A
17. Megan Thee Stallion – Good News
Released: November 20, 2020
Label: 1501 Certified, 300
Singles: “Girls in the Hood”, “Don’t Stop”, “Body”, “Cry Baby”
Features: DaBaby, City Girls, Lil Durk, SZA, Popcaan, Mustard, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Young Thug, and Beyoncé
16. Future – High Off Life
Released: May 15, 2020
Label: Freebandz, Epic
Singles: “100 Shooters”, “Last Name”, “Life Is Good”, “Tycoon”, “Trillionaire”
Features: Travis Scott, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, Lil Durk, Meek Mill, Doe Boy, DaBaby, and Lil Baby.
15. Lil Baby – My Turn
Released: February 28, 2020
Label: 4PF, Wolfpack, Quality Control, Motown
Singles: “Woah”, “Sum 2 Prove”, “Emotionally Scarred”, “All In”, “The Bigger Picture”
Features: Gunna, 42 Dugg, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Moneybagg Yo, Young Thug, and Rylo Rodriguez.
14. Black Thought – Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able
Released: October 16, 2020
Label: Passyunk, Republic
Singles: N/A
Features: Pusha T, Swizz Beatz, Killer Mike, Portugal. The Man, The Last Artful, Dodgr and Schoolboy Q
13. Ka – Descendants of Cain
Released: May 1, 2020
Label: Iron Works
Singles: N/A
Features: Roc Marciano
12. Nas – King’s Disease
Released: August 21, 2020
Label: Mass Appeal
Singles: “Ultra Black”
Features: Charlie Wilson, Hit-Boy, Big Sean, Don Toliver, Lil Durk, Anderson .Paak, Brucie B, The Firm, Fivio Foreign, and ASAP Ferg.
11. Westside Gunn – Pray for Paris
Released: April 17, 2020
Label: Griselda, Empire
Singles: N/A
Features: Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Joey Badass, Tyler, the Creator, Boldy James, Freddie Gibbs, Roc Marciano, Wale, Joyce Wrice, Billie Essco, Keisha Plum, and Cartier Williams
10. Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony
Released: March 13, 2020
Label: Roc Nation
Singles: “Shiny Suit Theory”
Features: Jay-Z, Travis Scott, The-Dream
9. Mac Miller – Circles
Released: January 17, 2020
Label: REMember Music, Warner
Singles: “Good News”, “Blue World”
Features: N/A
8. Boldy James & The Alchemist – The Price of Tea in China
Released: February 7, 2020
Label: ALC
Singles: N/A
Features: Vince Staples, Benny the Butcher, Freddie Gibbs, Evidence
7. Run the Jewels – RTJ4
Released: June 3, 2020
Label: Jewel Runners, BMG
Singles: “Yankee and the Brave (Ep. 4)”, “Ooh La La”, “Just”
Features: Greg Nice, DJ Premier, 2 Chainz, Pharrell Williams, Mavis Staples, Josh Homme, and Zack de la Rocha
6. 21 Savage & Metro Boomin – Savage Mode II
Released: October 2, 2020
Label: Slaughter Gang, Epic, Boominati, Republic
Singles: “Runnin”, “Mr. Right Now”
Features: Drake, Young Thug, Young Nudy
5. Lil Uzi Vert – Eternal Atake
Released: March 6, 2020
Label: Generation Now, Atlantic
Singles: “Futsal Shuffle 2020”, “That Way”
Features: Syd, Chief Keef, 21 Savage, Future, Young Thug, Gunna, Lil Durk, Young Nudy and Nav.
4. Stove God Cooks – Reasonable Drought
Released: March 27, 2020
Label: Marci Enterprises LLC.
Singles: N/A
Features: N/A
3. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo
Released: May 29, 2020
Label: ESGN, ALC, Empire
Singles: “1985”
Features: Rick Ross, Benny the Butcher, Tyler, the Creator, and Conway the Machine
2. Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats – Unlocked
Released: February 7, 2020
Label: PH, Loma Vista
Singles: N/A
Features: N/A
1. Conway the Machine – From King to a God
Released: September 11, 2020
Label: Griselda, Drumwork, Empire
Singles: “Lemon”
Features: Armani Caesar, Benny the Butcher, Dej Loaf, El Camino, Flee Lord, Freddie Gibbs, Havoc, Lloyd Banks, Method Man and Westside Gunn
