Top 10 Hip-Hop Artists of the Decade (2010-2019)

10. Tyler, the Creator

Projects Released This Decade: Goblin, Wolf, Cherry Bomb, Flower Boy, Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, IGOR

With the release of his lead single Yonkers, from his debut studio album Goblin, Tyler, the Creator would go on to win Best New Artist at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. This would be the start of an illustrious career. Early on, Tyler became a trending topic due to his brash and rebellious attitude, almost reminiscent of Eminem’s Slim Shady persona. Whether he was eating cockroaches while dissing Bruno Mars and B.o.B or screaming homophobic slurs while scaring “old white fcking people,” there’s no denying that Tyler, the Creator simply did not give any f*cks.

Following his youthful antics and lyrical recklessness, as seen in albums like Goblin, Wolf, & Cherry Bomb, Tyler would do a complete 180 with his melodically, transgressive concept album, Flower Boy. With lyrics like “Tell these black kids they can be who they are,” Tyler expresses sincerity and hope and shows that he wants to be understood.

Tyler would go on to end the decade with IGOR, his emotionally charged and beautifully harmonized fifth studio album. The album received widespread acclaim from critics referring to “the production as superb” and the content as “heartfelt.” With albums like IGOR and Flower Boy, Tyler not only challenged himself to grow and mature, but proved that he is the artist that he’s always wanted to be.

9. Lil Uzi Vert

Projects Released This Decade: Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World, The Perfect Luv Tape, Luv is Rage 2

Around 2015, a new type of rap began taking over Hip-Hop. The sub-genre known as Emo Rap. Say hello to Lil Uzi Vert. Wanting to stand out, Uzi Vert adopted a rockstar persona infused with his melodic half-sung, half-rapped vocals.

With songs such as, Money Longer, You Was Right, and P’s & Q’s, as well as features such as his Bad & Boujee verse, Lil Uzi Vert was able to create a cult of loyal followers. His debut album, Luv is Rage 2, debuted on at number on Billboard 200 and featured “XO Tour Llif3” & “The Way Life Goes.” There’s no surprise that the album went platinum.

Proving that he has a gift for melody and hard to resist catchiness to his music, Uzi was able to use his punk-like aura and energy to woo the hearts of many. To this day, his fans and a great chunk of the Hip-Hop community are still awaiting Eternal Atake. He closed the year out with “Futsal Shuffle 2020,” a dance-crazed, rave-ready tune fit with an anime-style cover highlighting Lil Uzi Vert’s rockstar persona. It’s his highest topping song to date (#5 on Billboard 100) and has put him on track to owning 2020.

8. Young Thug

Projects Released This Decade: I Came From Nothing, I Came From Nothing 2, I Came From Nothing 3, 1017 Thug, Black Portland, Young Thugga Mane La Flare, World War 3D: The Purple Album, 1017 Thug 2, 1017 Thug 3: The Finale, Tha Tour: Pt. 1, Barter 6, Slime Season, Slime Season 2, I’m Up, Slime Season 3, Jeffrey, Beautiful Thugger Girls, Young Martha, Super Slimey, Hear No Evil, Slime Language, On The Rvn, So Much Fun

When Young Thug emerged on the scene with his 2014 hit “Stoner,” he was met with mixed reviews from the Hip-Hop community. On one side, he was praised for his unique and eccentric vocal style, however, others viewed him as a departure from traditional lyricism. Half a decade later, Young Thug has become one of Hip Hop’s most beloved artists.

Much like his predecessor, Lil Wayne, Young Thug doesn’t write down his lyrics. Also, much like Tunechi, Young Thug began his career under Birdman’s tutelage, despite being signed to 1017 Records. With singles like “The BLanguage” and “Lifestyle” and collaborations with artists such as Rich Homie Quan, Future, and Migos, Young Thug shot to stardom, becoming a fashion icon in the process.

Despite his many mixtapes and EPs, Young Thug’s best moment of his career came in the form of his 2019 debut album. Released almost 5 years after his emergence, So Much Fun would prove to be Young Thug’s best work. Utilizing all of his talents from previous projects, such as his eccentric melody from Jeffrey, his lyrical prowess from Slime Season, and his emotional demeanor from Beautiful Thugger Girls, Young Thug was able to create a mega album of his previous selves while charting number one in the US. As of January 2020, the album was certified platinum by RIAA.

His wardrobe (predominantly consisting of women clothing), charism, charm, mystique, and intelligible yet melodically unhinged flow makes it easy for Thugger to stand out as one of the most influential rappers of the 21st century and has landed him on this list.

7. The Weeknd

Projects Released This Decade: House of Balloons, Thursday, Echoes of Silence, Trilogy, Kiss Land, Beauty Behind the Madness, Starboy, My Dear Melancholy

The Weeknd’s rise to fame is in part due to his mystique. Bursting onto the scene, following his release of House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence in 2011, draped in a cloak of mystery - The Weeknd began to gather a following. His star power only continued rising after his collaboration with friend turned rival (turned friend again?), Aubrey Drake Graham, on Drake’s 2011 Take Care.

With the release of his 2015 critically acclaimed album, Beauty Behind the Madness, not only did The Weeknd earn his first Billboard 200 number one album, but with number one singles like “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Earned It,” and “The Hills,” The Weeknd began gathering international success while cementing his legacy as R&B’s most enigmatic figure of the last decade.

He followed this success up with his innovative pop album, Starboy, while also murdering a past version of himself, literally. This drugged-out, mysterious version of The Weeknd that we all came to wanting to know and understand, was no more (or not). Despite its success, the album received mixed reviews from critics with some calling it “water-downed” and “bland.”

The Weeknd topped the decade off with the two singles “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights,” delivering vibrant vocals over a Metro Boomin beat. All signs point to a strong 2020 for The Weeknd, especially with intoxicating singles such as these.

6. J. Cole

Projects Released This Decade: Friday Night Lights, Cole World: The Sideline Story, Truly Yours, Truly Yours 2, Born Sinner, Revenge of the Dreamers, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Revenge of the Dreams III, Forest Hills Drive: Live From Fayetteville, NC, 4 Your Eyesz Only, KOD, Revenge of the Dreamers III

When it comes to J. Cole, there’s absolutely no surprise that he would make it onto a list like this. Signing to Roc Nation in 2010 and chosen as one of the “50 Great Breakthrough Artists,” Cole was only destined for greatness. With co signs from artists like Jay-Z and Drake, as well as collaborations with artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Missy Elliot, J. Cole’s career had only just begun.

His debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, debuted at number 1, selling 218,000 copies in its first week. He followed this up with his Sophomore album, Born Sinner, choosing to release it on the same day as Kanye West’s Yeezus album. To quote Cole, “This is art, and I can’t compete against the Kanye West celebrity and the status that he’s earned just from being a genius… But I can put my name in the hat and tell you that I think my album is great and you be the judge and you decide.” The album would go on to sell 297,000 copies in its first week, falling behind Yeezus by only 30,000 copies. Up to this point, he proved with singles like “Power Trip,” “Crooked Smile,” and “Can’t Get Enough” that he could make radio effortlessly, while proving with singles like “Runaway” and “Forbidden Fruit” that he could lyrically hang with the game.

It wasn’t until 2014 Forest Hills Drive, that J. Cole would solidify himself as one of the greatest artists of this generation and decade. The theme of the album followed his path from adolescence to his stardom. With no singles and no features, 2014 Forest Hills Drive sold 353,000 copies in its first week and was certified triple platinum in 2019 by the RIAA.

Following up with 4 Your Eyes Only in 2016, J. Cole would go on to finish the decade strong with his 2018 album KOD, where he raps about depression, drugs/addiction, and greed - a product of the Hip-Hop community and environment for the decade.

At this point, there’s no question regarding J. Cole’s legend status. All of his albums have gone platinum and he continues to drop platinum-selling singles such as “Middle Child” - his highest topping single of his career so far. Cole will continue his rise to the top in 2020 with his scheduled album The Fall Off, ironically.

5. Mac Miller

Projects Released This Decade: K.I.D.S., Best Day Ever, I Love Life, Thank You, Blue Slide Park, Macadelic, Watching Movies with the Sound Off, Live from Space, Faces, GO:OD AM, The Divine Feminine, Swimming

When I think of artists who went through the most growth throughout their career, I think of none other than Mac Miller. From his early frat rap days with Blue Slide Park to his grand self-reckoning on Swimming. Most of us watched and grew with him from his “cheesy raps” all the way through his grippling battles of depression. We watched him happily fall in love and express his emotions on The Divine Feminine. Through his downward spirals, ups and downs, and all, we stuck with him the entire time.

His evolution through music is what landed him on this list. Whether he was experimenting on projects like his space-funk album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off and Faces or proving just how good of a rapper he was on albums like GO:OD AM, Mac constantly proved how much of a dynamic artist he was - never stagnating.

Despite his untimely passing, Mac was in the process of “recording his companion album to Swimming, entitled Circles.” A message on his social medias was put out by his family and team, signaling a release for January 17, 2020 - two days before his birthday.

With all of this being said, I look forward to hearing your sweet voice again and I hope that not only your family, friends, and fans find rest, but I hope that you did as well. Thank you for everything, Malcom.

4. Travis Scott

Projects Released This Decade: Owl Pharaoh, Days Before Rodeo, Rodeo, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho, ASTROWORLD, JackBoys.

When Travis Scott gained mainstream recognition, it was like we had heard him before. That’s probably because Travis was influencing some of Hip-Hop’s biggest artists before his own career as a rap star. Travis Scott’s heavy use of audio manipulation and his blend of rap and low-fi throughout the years earned him a loyal following of hip-hop fans, especially among the younger demographic. His creative mind is like no others’, except for maybe Kanye West’s, and extends past music. Whether he’s creating shoes, cereal, or custom collector cars - Travis Scott seems to always be up to something.

His greatest creation, however, comes in the form of his 2018 album ASTROWORLD - an aesthetically, star-gazing experience full of twists and turns. Utilizing some of the biggest artists of the decade and borrowing a range of sounds from jazz-funk to indie-rap, ASTROWORLD not only delivered on the hype but it excelled with 537,000 album-equivalent units first week. It has been certified as triple platinum by RIAA and has earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.

Travis Scott is the epitome of a Hip-Hop rock star. He closed the decade off with his collaboration album with his Cactus Jack labeled titled JackBoys and looks to begin the new decade as one of Hip-Hops most established artists.

3. XXXTENTACION

Projects Released This Decade: XXX (unmastered), Ice Hotel, The Fall, ♡ ʳ ᵃ ʳ ᵉ ♡, Heartbreak Hotel, The Nobodys, Members Only Vol 1, Members Only Vol 2, ItWasntEnough, Willy Wonka Was a Child Murderer, Revenge, Members Only Vol 3, 17, A Ghetto Christmas Carol, ?, Skins, Members Only Vol 4, Bad Vibes Forever

No other artist, with such a short career, has had as much of an impact on Hip-Hop as Jahseh Onfroy, the artist known as XXXTentacion. His use of distortion and heavy guitar-filled instrumentals as well as his intimate connection with fans, due to his depressing and devastating music dealing with mental health, brought in a new era or wave of Emo/SoundCloud rap. And that’s not to box Jah in as a rapper, as he was - as he always claimed to be - more than rap.

His debut album 17 revealed intimacy, maturity and sadness versus the negativity that had already surrounded XXXTentacion’s name and his rise to fame. His beef with Drake and other artists, social media scandels, and his violent past deterred the Hip-Hop community, who casted him aside and viewed him as a villain. But with his debut album, X dedicated himself to self-improvement and looked to redeem himself. The guy that everyone perceived as angry and monstrous was changing. Unfortunately, his path to redemption was cut short in June 2018 following his untimely death.

While alive, he promised three albums to his fans: Bad Vibes Forever, Skins, and ?. He made true on his promise in March 2018, with the release of the first chapter for his trilogy - ?. With this release, he proved he would be one of the youngest promising artists to watch for the next decade. His versatility, ranging from lyricism on songs like “Infinity (888)” to melancholic melodies on songs like “Hope” and “Numb,” earned him 131,000 album-equilivent units for the first week and a number one-album on US Billboard 200. It was certified as platinum by the RIAA two months after his death.

After being gunned down, X’s popularity only continued to rise. His song “Sad!” went from 52 to number one on Billboard 100, not only earning him his highest chart-topping single, but making him the first artist to top Billboard 100 posthumously since Biggie in 1997. A music video for the song was released a day after his funeral, which coincidentally featured him attending his own funeral before fighting his younger self. A collaboration with also deceased artist Lil Peep, titled “Falling Down,” was released in September 2018. X also became a featured artist on Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV and was expected to be featured on Kanye West’s delayed album Yandhi.

Keeping his vision alive, the second chapter of his trilogy Skins was released December 2018 and the third and final chapter Bad Vibes Forever was released December 2019. A documentary detailing XXXTentacion’s life and career is also slated to be released. Three days after his death, it was also announced that Jahseh’s girlfriend Jenesis was pregnant. Their child, Gekyume Onfroy, was born three days after Jah’s birthday.

Despite his short career, XXXTentacion will go down as one of the most influential artists of this genre. While his success will always be overshadowed by his alleged abuse and violence, the focus of his life story should be about redemption and recovery. His words of encouragement to his fanbase and his charitable work while here should not go unnoticed. To some, he will be considered a villain. To others, the voice of their insecurities and sorrow. But one thing is for certain. XXXTentacion’s impact on music will live forever.

2. Drake

Projects Released This Decade: Thank Me Later, Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, Rise of an Empire, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, What a Time to Be Alive, More Life, Views, Scary Hours, Scorpion, Care Package

DRAAAAKKKKEEEEE? DRAAKKKEEE? THE NIGGA WHO GOT BODIED BY PUSHA T? THE NIGGA WHO WAS HIDING HIS SON FROM THE WORLD? YES! AUBREY DRAKE GRAHAM!

Now I know what you’re probably thinking. As quite possibly the biggest artist of the century, shouldn’t Drake be number one? We’ll get into that but remember when Drake said he was top two and he wasn’t two and that he got one, thought you had one but it’s not one? Well I’m here to say that Aubrey Drake Graham is indeed number two.

In 2010, an artist by the name of Aubrey introduced himself, on an album titled Thank Me Later, and thus was born the A-List half-jewish mixed Canadian. With a cosign by one of the biggest artists in the game, Lil Wayne, and a style of rap inspired by Kanye West and Kid Cudi - Drake came into the game hungry and ready to dominate. His rise to the top continued with, what many consider his finest hour of his career, Take Care. Just to put it in perspective, Take Care leaked online nine days before scheduled release and still sold 631,000 copies first week. What The Carter 3 was to Lil Wayne, Take Care is to Drake - and that’s his defining moment. The moment Drake became who he is today.

Despite being ranked as the world’s highest-certified digital singles artist by the RIAA and despite his several Billboard chart records and multi-platinum albums, Drake still finds himself as number two on my list. Reason being, Drake’s success didn’t just come at his own hands. Over the years, just as you think Drake is stepping aside for the younger artists, he does the most vampiric (biting), shady action that only Drake does best. He utilizes hot, upcoming artists - riding their wave to keep himself ahead of the pack. We saw it with Migos, The Weeknd, ILoveMakonnen, Blocboy JB, Lil Baby, and many others. We saw it when he jacked flows from artists like Big Sean, XXXTentacion, and even his mentor, Lil Wayne. Whether he was trying to sound like he was from Houston, Atlanta, or Jamaica or whether he had PartyNextDoor and The Weeknd in the OVO slave shop cooking up hits. Not to mention, his legendary 2015 feud with Meek Mill where he was exposed for his use of ghost writers. In Hip Hop, you cannot be considered the best rapper if you aren’t writing your raps. I could really go on and on about the shady controversies surrounding Drake’s name, like the alleged grooming of little girls or distasteful lyrics about dead artists (see Mob Ties), but I would hate to be viewed as a hating ass nigga.

At the end of the day, Drake is the biggest artist to ever step foot in Rap, and with the greatest of good comes the ugliest of bad. He’s blessed us with a coherent verse by Young Thug, a danced-craze anthem that rivals “Futsal Shuffle 2020,” many meme worthy facial expressions, SNL comedy gold, angelic tunes for the soul, and so much more. I’d like to think of Drake actually being a great guy. But with a seat at the top, comes more foes than friends and sometimes, like Drake, you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Honorable Mentions

Before I crown an artist as the greatest of the decade, I would love to give a shoutout to other artists of the 2010s who, for one reason or another, simply didn’t find themselves on this list. Some of these artists are just in another league of their own, a league that Drake and J. Cole will soon find themselves in for the next decade. Others are on their way to cementing their status in the game as an A-List. Some had their careers cut short before they could finish.

Honorable Mentions: Future, Frank Ocean, 2 Chainz, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Juice WRLD, Post Malone, Jaden, Trippie Redd, Big Sean, and Lil Wayne.

1. Kendrick Lamar

Projects Released This Decade: Overly Dedicated, Section.80, good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp a Butterfly, Untitled Unmaster., DAMN., Black Panther: The Album

Kendrick Lamar redefined Hip-Hop. The Avatar of Rap, wielding the four elements in the form of spirituality, poetry, lyricism, and melody, Kung Fu Kenny is the greatest Rap artist of the decade.

Bursting onto the scene with his independently released debut album Section.80, to critical acclaim, Kendrick was already being dubbed as the New King of the West Coast. His gangster rap album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, showed us the many voices in K. Dot’s head and expanded upon the infinities of his sound. He explored themes of race, culture, and identity on his contemporary album, To Pimp a Butterfly, while highlighting his self-imposed challenges on songs like “u.”

Kendrick Lamar’s best writings and performances came in the form of his fourth album DAMN. Effortlessly spitting fast and lucidly, leaving no room to breathe, Kendrick utilizes a range of vocal tones and sounds while playing a variety of voices and characters. Despite the comparisons to artists like Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Drake, Kendrick Lamar always sounds like himself.

In an era of simplified lyrics and incoherent melodies, it’s refreshing to hear an artist as RAW as Kendrick Lamar and hearing him touch on important topics in the black community. Kendrick also finds a way to blend old-school and modern rap - proving to be a complex, versatile genius.