Hip-Hop
64 albums reviewed
The foundation of it all. From boom-bap to trap, these albums define the sound, culture, and evolution of hip-hop across decades. Born in the Bronx in the 1970s, hip-hop grew from block parties and breakbeats into a global cultural force. The genre spans everything from Rakim's lyrical precision to Kanye West's sonic reinventions, capturing the full spectrum of Black American expression.

Common
Be

EPMD
Strictly Business

billy woods
Aethiopes

Earl Sweatshirt
Some Rap Songs

Common
Resurrection

Aesop Rock
Labor Days

ScHoolboy Q
Oxymoron

Isaiah Rashad
Cilvia Demo

Future
Monster

Talib Kweli
Quality

Young Thug
JEFFERY

Chance the Rapper
Acid Rap

Mac Miller
Faces

Conway the Machine
God Don’t Make Mistakes

Mos Def
Black on Both Sides

Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels 3

Black Moon
Enta da Stage

Beastie Boys
Licensed to Ill

Benny the Butcher
Burden of Proof

Pusha T
DAYTONA

Armand Hammer
Haram

Tyler, The Creator
IGOR

Kanye West
Yeezus

Isaiah Rashad
The Sun’s Tirade

BROCKHAMPTON
Saturation III

Travis Scott
UTOPIA

Travis Scott
Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight

Travis Scott
Rodeo

Bas
Milky Way

Smino
Luv 4 Rent

Drake
For All the Dogs

Drake
Honestly, Nevermind

Drake
Certified Lover Boy

Drake
Scorpion

Drake
More Life

Drake
Views

Drake
Thank Me Later

Drake
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

Travis Scott
ASTROWORLD

Madvillain
Madvillainy

Dr. Dre
2001

The Notorious B.I.G.
Life After Death

Snoop Dogg
Tha Return of Doggystyle Records: Tha Mixtape

Nas
Stillmatic

Kendrick Lamar
good kid, m.A.A.d city

Drake
Take Care

Dr. Dre
The Chronic

Nas
It Was Written

2Pac
Me Against the World

Little Simz
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

J. Cole
2014 Forest Hills Drive

Jay-Z
The Blueprint

Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

OutKast
Aquemini

Wu-Tang Clan
Enter the Wu‐Tang (36 Chambers)

A Tribe Called Quest
The Low End Theory

The Roots
Things Fall Apart

J. Cole
The Off‐Season

Eminem
The Marshall Mathers LP

Lil Wayne
Tha Carter II

Drake
Nothing Was the Same

Kanye West
Late Registration

Jay-Z
The Black Album

Kanye West