What a year was. You only have to look at the recent Grammys to see how impactful and wide-ranging hip hop was in He might not have been the number one best rapper of , but Quavo damn well sure was the hottest rapper of the year. With a tracklist of 14 songs and running time of just over 46 minutes, Flower Boy represents Tyler at his peak artistry: innovative yet refined, shocking yet sincere.
In the past few years, Vince Staples has gained more exposure from his comments and interview than his music. Then just when we forget just how good a rapper Staples is, he goes ahead and drops off an absolute masterpiece with Big Fish Theory. In an era where artists are flooding social media timelines with bloated tracklists, Vince Staples continues to maintain discipline in his work, crafting his music with care and thoughtfulness. While Quavo and Offset were off collecting feature money and putting out collaboration projects, Takeoff was the Migos member holding it down for the team.
In fact, his standout verses on Culture is primarily the reason why the album was so great. Thugga Thugga continues to dazzle in as he did when he first broke on to the scene in Totally ignore Jeffery and drop a country album with a random UK singer? Why not. Release a mixtape out of the blue with one of the biggest rappers in the game.
With full blown stage-diving stunts and jewelry that costs more than most people get paid in a year, Uzi does whatever he wants and everybody loves it. One of the biggest names in rap, Travis Scott, also holds an undisputed claim for putting on one of the littest shows in live music.
Having already collaborated with most of the biggest names in the game; Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Rihanna to name a few, Travis has clearly come into his own as an artist and gives off a truly unique creativity and ambition. Rounding out our Top 10, Chance The Rapper started out this year with 7 Grammy nominations and walked home with 3 of the most coveted awards in music. From Kanye, to Lil Yachty and Young Thug, to Justin Beiber and Jay Electronica, Chance brought something to the table for everyone to like on the album, which is why people are still listening to it over a year later.
He also took time to give back, using his celebrity for good. Young Thug has been in the game for a hot minute but in his fame skyrocketed when he released an androgynous photo of himself in a dress as his mixtape cover for Jeffery. After the mixtape released, it was successful enough for Thugger to buy his very first home in September He released a risky and experimental mixtape Beautiful Thugger Girls , which was executively-produced by Drake. As one of the most eccentric and unpredictable rappers in the game, he earned his respectable placing of 11 on our list.
Not to mention she has all eyes on her relationship with Offset, who has also made our list with Migos at number 5. With two straight major releases, 21 Savage continues to be a defining figure in our current rap scene.
With a sound and character that feels true to himself, 21 Savage has rightfully eased his way into an established field of trap rappers. The 32 year old North Carolina emcee is as much a press star as he is a mumble rapper, but he has found a way to stay on all of our minds. He has been a major contender in the game for several years now, and continues to stay relevant in the game by dropping recent collabs with trending artists like Playboi Carti and DRAM.
He also just announced a partnership with Under Armour, with which he will produce his own clothing line and collaborate on philanthropic endeavours like building more community centers for at-risk youth. He has a lot of forward momentum going into the second half of , solidifying him a Top 20 spot on our list.
Big Sean: Sean Don rarely seems to leave the conversation in the Motor City, but this Detroit native has also been known to make waves on an international scale and this year is no exception. Between the February 3rd release of his latest album I Decided , dropping k on a new neck piece , and his ongoing relationship with the inimitable Jhene Aiko, Big Sean has been getting a lot of love from the press this year.
Combine that with his work with G. XXXTentacion has an impressive story of going big behind bars after he was arrested on robbery and assault charges. Two months after his release, X embarked on a national tour which turned out to be more eventful than anyone had imaged—full of publicity and viral-ability.
Finally, XXXTentacion released his debut studio album 17 in August, which shot to the top of the charts peaking at No. His trial on the alleged felony charges is set to begin in October and if found guilty he could spend a lengthy sentence in prison. With a co-sign from Kendrick, you might have thought X would be higher on our list but he secured his Top 20 spot, even before the Queen of Rap herself, Nicki Minaj.
At just the age of 27, Logic is showing that he is a timeless artist and big brother to the youth this year. A rap world full of hot heads and quick judgers, Logic chose to drive down a lane that would get most rappers shelved by the fans. He dared to be straight edge and living a healthier lifestyle. Not only that, he double dog dared to promote it in his art and personal life.
But that barely made a dent in his armor. Nicki Minaj is the best-selling female rapper of all time, often referred to as the queen of the rap game.
Some might expect Nicki to be higher on this list, but in there are several other strong female artists looking to dethrone her, most notably Cardi B, and with Nicki dabbling more and more in the pop scene, it feels like she is starting to abandon the culture that cultivated her career. She continues to dominate the collab space by releasing several popular collaborations this year including one with Drake and Lil Wayne that has over M plays on YouTube, but her own music dominance is slipping.
If she wants to hold onto the crown, she needs to step up her game. But in actuality, we should be listening to everything he says. While making powerful statements with his music, Mr. Badmon has also had one foot in the fashion industry, announcing in August that he has a sneaker collaboration with PONY in the works.
One of the freshest rappers to pop out of the Detroit scene, Tee Grizzley is living up to his name and making noise. People love a story and Tee Grizzley has one to tell — after a failed jewelry heist in Kentucky, he served 3 years in prison.
Since then he has been on the rise, getting signed to Entertainment in early He was also featured in an instagram post from LeBron James, which reportedly tripled his album sales. While Vince Staples may not be as mainstream as some others in the Top 25, he certainly has caught the attention of hip-hop heads this year. With the release of his album, Big Fish Theory , everyone got a glimpse of his unique sound that separates Vince from the rest of hip-hop.
A true creative, he spits bars over polished euro-inspired electronic sounds mixed with hard beats and several of samples to make his sound stand out. Undoubtedly one of the craftiest lyricists on G. Music buddies, most notably Kanye West on "Dat Side. You would think at some point in Rick Ross' career that his deafening ad-libs and impeccable ear for production would slip a notch.
His regal presence is clearest on the blistering "Idols Become Rivals," where Rozay instantly punctures the heart of Birdman with callous disregard for his foul business practices "Damn, Stunna, I loved you, na -- hate it came to this".
With a sing-song style and tone reminiscent of Anderson. Paak, J. D is one of the most talented additions to J. D lets the world in on his story, his blues.
The first of Future's back-to-back history-making LPs this year showcases the more famous side of his split personalities -- the drugged-out trapper pouring lean, popping Xans, toting Dracos and swimming in cash and women. It's that aggressive superstar draped in ice that he portrays so well, and that has created a cottage industry of imitators in his wake. If HNDRXX is the album you put on in your headphones, then Future is the one that carries the party; though "Mask Off" got all the headlines and deserved accolades, it's songs like "Good Dope" and "Super Trapper" that probably fit more seamlessly into his overall catalog, while the closing one-two punch of "When I Was Broke" and "Feds Did a Sweep" make this album more of a complete package than many give it credit for.
All Big K. After watching J. Cole and Mac Miller morph into full-fledged superstars, K. T curtailed his deal at Def Jam in and took a chance on himself on the independent route.
The result? His comeback album 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time. The double album allowed K. Thankfully, his pen game was smoother than ever, as displayed on "Get Away" and his Lloyd-assisted record " First, he assumes the role of protagonist for the hopeless on the jazzy record "For My People," before denouncing Trump's presidency on "Land of the Free. With his sophomore attempt, it's safe to say that Joey's attempts to make America great again were truly admirable. For those who miss the good ol' days when the boom-bap sound dominated hip-hop, Rapsody's new album Lalia's Wisdom will inject throwback bliss into your everyday playlist.
There's a reason why Roc Nation snagged the North Carolina-bred MC: Rapsody's lyrical pedigree will make the toughest lyricists shake in their boots. Because of her sizzling release, Rapsody not only gained two Grammy nominations -- including one for best rap album -- but countless new fans who'd been yearning for that quintessential hip-hop flavor.
Though Drake reveled after watching his fourth album Views shatter every possible chart record in , the 6 God wasn't satisfied, charging up and releasing his track playlist More Life the following year. Because of his unquenchable thirst to win and win big in the music industry, Drake's quest for immortality gained more traction with More Life. Though hip-hop purists were eager to ostracize Uzi for his unconventional skill set, he silenced pundits with his poignant, chart-crashing singles "X.
Future's first foray into the pop realm, 's Honest, was largely derided upon its release, though it has aged well as a catalog entry. But his now-legendary mixtape run, and more obviously the Drake-assisted joint album What A Time To Be Alive , proved that the Atlanta MC could cross over onto the pop charts by not changing a thing, bringing others into his sonic realm rather than stepping away from his s and reaching too far.
Of course, as he later proved, Future is too dexterous a rapper to count out in any realm.
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