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.
One of the most stacked years in recent hip hop history, 2021 was all about the big names. With COVID-19 settling down and lockdowns starting to end, artists who were saving their albums for touring began to drop.
With releases from Drake, Kanye, J. Cole, Tyler, the Creator and Migos, rap fans were blessed with albums from some of the biggest names in the game. Meanwhile, Nas was proving (yet again) why he’s the greatest rapper of all time by dropping two stellar releases King’s Disease II and Magic , something we’ve never seen before from a rap OG.
Griselda were continuing their legendary run from the underground to the Billboard charts with acclaimed releases from Mach-Hommy, Westside Gunn and Benny the Butcher; while young rappers like Polo G, NBA Youngboy, Moneybagg Yo, Rod Wave, and Baby Keem were proving they had the fanbase to stick around for a while.
From Little Simz’s Sometimes I Might Be Introvert to Tyler, the Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost and J. Cole’s The Off-Season , here are the top 25 best hip hop albums of 2021.
25. Migos – Culture III
Released: June 11, 2021
Label: Capitol, Motown, Quality Control
Singles: “Need It”, “Straightenin”
Features: Drake, Cardi B, Polo G, Future, Justin Bieber, Juice Wrld, Pop Smoke, and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
24. NBA Youngboy – Sincerely, Kentrell
Released: September 24, 2021
Label: Never Broke Again, Atlantic
Singles: “Toxic Punk”, “White Teeth”, “Nevada”, “Life Support”, “On My Side”
Features: N/A
23. Moneybagg Yo – A Gangsta’s Pain
Released: April 23, 2021
Label: Roc Nation, CMG, Bread Gang, N-Less, Interscope
Singles: “Time Today”, “Hard for the Next”, “Wockesha”, “Scorpio”
Features: Kaash Paige, Big30, Future, Tripstar, Polo G, Lil Durk, Jhené Aiko, and Pharrell Williams.
22. Wale – Folarin II
Released: October 22, 2021
Label: Every Blue Moon, Maybach, Warner
Singles: “Angles”, “Down South”, “Poke It Out”
Features: Rick Ross, Chris Brown, J. Cole, Jamie Foxx, Ant Clemons, Yella Beezy, Maxo Kream, Chase Young, and Shawn Stockman.
21. Polo G – Hall of Fame
Released: June 11, 2021
Label: Columbia, ODA
Singles: “Epidemic”, “GNF (OKOKOK)”, “Rapstar”, “Gang Gang”
Features: The Kid Laroi, Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, Scorey, G Herbo, Rod Wave, DaBaby, Young Thug, Roddy Ricch, Nicki Minaj, Pop Smoke, and Fivio Foreign.
20. Rod Wave – SoulFly
Released: March 26, 2021
Label: Alamo
Singles: “Street Runner”, “Tombstone”, “Richer”
Features: Polo G
19. Lil Baby & Lil Durk – The Voice of the Heroes
Released: June 4, 2021
Label: Quality Control, 4PF, Only the Family, Capitol, Motown, Alamo, Geffen
Singles: “Voice of the Heroes”
Features: Travis Scott, Meek Mill, Young Thug, and Rod Wave.
18. Lloyd Banks – The Course of the Inevitable
Released: June 4, 2021
Label: Money by Any Means, Empire
Singles: N/A
Features: Freddie Gibbs, Roc Marciano, Benny the Butcher, Styles P, Ransom, Sy Ari da Kid, Vado.
17. Young Thug – Punk
Released: October 15, 2021
Label: YSL, 300, Atlantic
Singles: N/A
Features: Strick, J. Cole, T-Shyne, Gunna, Future, BSlime, Juice Wrld, Post Malone, ASAP Rocky, Lil Double 0, Drake, Travis Scott, Doja Cat, Nate Ruess, Jeff Bhasker, and Mac Miller.
16. Benny the Butcher & Harry Fraud – The Plugs I Met 2
Released: March 19, 2021
Label: Black Soprano Family, SRFSCHL
Singles: “Thanksgiving”
Features: 2 Chainz, Chinx, Fat Joe, French Montana, Jim Jones, Rick Hyde and Teyonahhh.
15. Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats – Unlocked 1.5
Released: March 5, 2021
Label: PH, Loma Vista
Singles: N/A
Features: Smino, Joey Badass, and Benny the Butcher.
14. Kanye West – Donda
Released: August 29, 2021
Label: GOOD Music, Def Jam
Singles: N/A
Features: Jay-Z, Fivio Foreign, Playboi Carti, Lil Baby, the Weeknd, Vory, Kid Cudi, DaBaby, Baby Keem, Marilyn Manson, Travis Scott, Lil Durk, Don Toliver, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Jay Electronica, Pop Smoke, Roddy Ricch, DaBaby, Ty Dolla Sign, The LOX, and Swizz Beatz.
13. Drake – Certified Lover Boy
Released: September 3, 2021
Label: OVO, Republic
Singles: N/A
Features: Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Giveon, Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Future, Young Thug, Yebba, 21 Savage, Project Pat, Tems, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and Kid Cudi.
12. Westside Gunn – Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf
Released: September 28, 2021
Label: Griselda, Empire
Singles: N/A
Features: Stove God Cooks, Mach-Hommy, Rome Streetz, Jadakiss, Boldy James, Sauce Walka, Lil Wayne, Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, DJ Clue, Jay Electronica, Chase Fetti, Flee Lord, 2 Chainz, Armani Caesar, Billie Esco, Keisha Plum, Jay Worthy, Larry June, AZ, Tyler, the Creator
11. Nas – King’s Disease II
Released: August 6, 2021
Label: Mass Appeal
Singles: “Rare”
Features: Eminem, EPMD, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, YG, Lauryn Hill, Charlie Wilson, Blxst, and Hit-Boy.
10. Dave – We’re All Alone in This Together
Released: 23 July 2021
Label: Neighbourhood
Singles: “Clash”, “Verdansk (Survival Mode)”
Features: Stormzy, James Blake, Wizkid, Snoh Aalegra, Boj, Fredo, Ghetts, Giggs and Meekz.
9. Boldy James & The Alchemist – Bo Jackson
Released: August 13, 2021
Label: ALC
Singles: N/A
Features: Benny the Butcher, Earl Sweatshirt, Roc Marciano, Stove God Cooks, Currensy, Freddie Gibbs
8. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – Haram
Released: March 26, 2021
Label: Backwoodz Studioz
Singles: N/A
Features: KAYANA, FIELDED, Earl Sweatshirt, Curly Castro, Amani, Quelle Chris
7. Isaiah Rashad – The House Is Burning
Released: July 30, 2021
Label: Top Dawg, Warner
Singles: “Lay wit Ya”, “Headshots (4r da Locals)”, “Wat U Sed”, “From the Garden”
Features: Jay Rock, SZA, Lil Uzi Vert, Duke Deuce, Smino, Amindi, 6lack
6. Vince Staples – Vince Staples
Released: July 9, 2021
Label: Motown, Blacksmith
Singles: “Law of Averages”, “Are You with That?”
Features: Fousheé
5. Nas – Magic
Released: December 24, 2021
Label: Mass Appeal
Singles: N/A
Features: ASAP Rocky and DJ Premier.
4. J. Cole – The Off-Season
Released: May 14, 2021
Label: Dreamville, Roc Nation, Interscope
Singles: “Interlude”, “My Life”
Features: Morray, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Bas, and 6lack.
3. Mach-Hommy – Pray for Haiti
Released: May 21, 2021
Label: Griselda, Daupe!
Singles: N/A
Features: Westside Gunn, Keisha Plum, Melanie Charles and Tha God Fahim.
2. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Released: September 3, 2021
Label: Age 101, AWAL
Singles: “Introvert”, “Woman”, “Rollin Stone”, “I Love You, I Hate You”, “Point and Kill”
Features: Cleo Sol and Obongjayar.
1. Tyler, the Creator – Call Me If You Get Lost
Released: June 25, 2021
Label: Columbia
Singles: “Lumberjack”, “WusYaName”
Features: 42 Dugg, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Wayne, Domo Genesis, Brent Faiyaz, Lil Uzi Vert, Pharrell Williams, Teezo Touchdown, Fana Hues and Daisy World.
