As the years have passed, I’ve tried my best to chop these up into semi coherent mini lists. This year I even tried my best to shorten up those lists a bit by going a bit deeper on scenes I felt like I ended up spending the most time with. Lots + lots of tough cuts this year, Enjoy!
I typically try my best not to have a lot of artist duplication but it happens more frequently in the regional lists. I cut off for each year in mid December so there will be some late 2021 entries as well. The order of each list serves as a ranking.
Top 50 rap albums
NBA Youngboy-3800 Degreez
Ka-Languish Arts/Woeful Studies
Billy Woods-Aethiopes
CEO Trayle-HH5
Rob49-Welcome To Vulture Island
Knucks-Alpha Place
Little Simz-No Thank You
Quelle Chris-Deathframe
Earl Sweatshirt-Sick!
Wiki/Subjxct 5-Cold Cuts
Duke Deuce-Memphis Massacre 3
Starlito/Troy Money-Cheap Phones & Turkey Bags
Fly Anakin-Frank
Lloyd Banks-Course of the Inevitable 2
Flo Milli-You Still Here, Ho?
NoCap-Mr. Crawford
Roc Marciano/Alchemist-Elephant Man’s Bones
Papo2oo4/DJ Lucas/Subjxct 5-Continuous Improvement
Mach Hommy/Tha God Fahim-Dollar Menu 4
Cash Cobain/Chow Lee-2 Slizzy 2 Sexy Deluxe
Yeat-2 Alive
Karma2zz-I Believe In Karma
Gunna-DS4EVER
Show Dem Camp-Palmwine Music 3
Jaydes-Heartpacing
Quavo/Takeoff-Only Built For Infinity Links
Big Cheeko-Block Barry White
Prodigy-Hegellian Dialect 2
EST Gee/42 Dugg-Last Ones Left
Cormega-The Realness 2
Elzhi-Zhigeist
Mouse on tha Track-Big Blossom
G Herbo-Survivor’s Remorse (Side A/B)
Mavi-Laughing So Hard, It Hurts
Lupe Fiasco-Drill Music In Zion
Smino-Luv 4 Rent
Glorilla-Anyways Life’s Great
Tony Shhnow-Plug Motivation
ZMoney-Back 2 The Blender
Dreezy-HITGIRL
Chris Crack-Growthfully Developedt
Leikeli47-Shape Up
Conway-God Don’t Make Mistakes
MG Sleepy-Virgo Talk
Joony-Pretty In Black
Bankroll Freddie-From Trap To Rap 2
Baby Tate-Mani/Pedi
Valee-Vacabularee
Young Nudy-EA Monster
Rome Streetz-Kiss The Ring
Top 30 non rap
Wizkid-More Love Less Ego
Burna Boy-Love, Damini
SAULT-AIR
Asake-Mr. Money With The Vibes
Omah Lay-Boy Alone
Koffee-Gifted
BOJ-Gbagada Express
Adekunle Gold-Catch Me If You Can
Buju-Bad Since 97
Runtown-Signs
Jacquees-Sincerely For You
Serge Ibaka-ART
Bella Shmurda-Hypertension
Fireboy DML-Playboy
Cruel Santino-Subaru Boys: Final Heaven
Lucky Daye-Candydrip
Rema-Rave + Roses
The 1975-Being Funny In a Foreign Language
SZA-SOS
Kehlani-Blue Water Road
Rayvn Lenae-Hypnos
Brent Faiyaz-Wasteland
Beyonce-Renaissance
Terri-In Transit Deluxe
Tink-Pillow Talk
Syd-Broken Hearts Club
BEAM-ALIEN
Blaqbonez-Young Preacher
Mary J Blige-Good Morning Gorgeous
Arin Ray-Hello Poison
Top 5 Boldy James
Fair Exchange No Robbery w/ Nicholas Craven
Mr. Ten08 w/ Futurewave
Super Tecmo Bo w/ Alchemist
Be That As It May w/ Cuns
Killing Nothing w/ REALBADMAN
Top 25 EPs
Mach Hommy-Dump Gawd: Triz Nathaniel/Triz Nathan/Nate/9
Amaria BB-What’s Done In The Dark
Starlito-For My Foes Vol. 2
Gabzy-In The Middle of the Night
Asake-Ololade Asake
Skeng-Beast of the Day
DJ Tunez-Cruise Control Vol 1
Odusni-Denim
Cashclickboog/Rio Da Yung OG-480Ml
Roadrunner Glockboyz Tez-Halftime
Lil Mello-Until I Touch
Gudda Tezz-Gold In The Gudda
Junglepussy-JP5000
Shordie Shordie-Me + Mine Part 2
BandGang Masoe-886
Big Homie-Yopposite
Lilrb-Who Am I
Key Glock-PRE5L
ChoppaTink-Turn Around Specialist
MG Sleepy-ERHS
R3 Da Chilliman-Bling Bling Boy
Cootie-It’s Da Cuda
No Good ENT-Grease Brothers
Yhung TO/Viper Beats-T.O.P. Hated
Nuk-5, Vol. 2
Top 30 Michigan projects
BandGang Lonnie-Scorpion Eyes/Creatures In Paris
TRL-Summer Camp Vol 1
TRL Drich/Helluva-Classic
Damedot-The Umbrella Again
Baby Money-Easy Money
Babyface Ray-FACE
Willie The Kid/V-Don-Deutsche Marks 3
WB Nutty-City of Addiction
WTM Daemoney-Slayer’s Coming
Los-Kareem From New Orleans 2
Wrld Tour Mafia-Tourmania
Shaudy Kash/Top$ide-On The Yeah Side
AK Bandamont-Soul Controller Deluxe
Babyfxce E-It’s Wit A X
YSR Gramz-Beecher Kreature
GT-Money Counter Music Vol. 2: Born In It
WTM Milt-Dogshit + Ammunition
Louie Ray-Still Grinding 4
Wayne616-Grease Files
Whitehouse Studios-Da House 3.5
DamJonBoi-500 Nights
Babytron-Megatron
Polowe P-Heart of the 4
Ace Cino-Mafia RGS
Driveway Baby-Fuck The System
Glockboyz Teejaee-Rap Good As Hell Vol. 2
24Lik/392 Lil Head-Evil Twinz
Sada Baby-Here I Go Vol 1/2
Jugg Harden-13 Tape
700 Cal/Lil Mello-Nightmares On The 100
Top 5 YSR Gramz collab tapes
Hardy Boyz (KrispyLife Kidd)
Nongovermental Organizations 2 (AK Bandamont)
YSR Gramz vs GrindHard E
Grease (Wayne616)
Lougramz (Louie Ray)
Top 30 Michigan songs
Babyface Ray-Sincerely Face
Rio Da Yung OG-By Myself
7mile Dino x 7mile Necko x 7mile Nutty — Ride For Me
BandGang Masoe — Top Of The Key
Babyfxce E-Broad Day
Babyface Ray-Motown Music
Veeze-Close Friends
Skilla Baby/Tay B/Sada Baby/EWM Buck — Tay B Style remix
BandGang Biggs-Green Money
WB Rhalo-Every 1st
Babyface Ray/WB Nutty-Who Else
81Hundo-C’mon Lets Go
AK Bandamont — Omertà
DamJonBoi/SB Fettie/Trey Trey-Don’t Get Pressed
GhettoBaby Boom-Traction Off
TRL JT-Hot Head
Skilla Baby-Randall Upshaw
2Ski/BandGang Lonnie-3Peat
Big Homie-Cha Cha Slide
Damedot-Blood on This Money
WTM DaeMoney/GT/Brooks/Babyface Ray — Wockhardt
Talibando-Warlord
Glockboyz Teejaee — Tell Nobody
Grindhard E-Broke N****
RLSG B Smith/YSR Gramz — Perk Attack 3
WB Nutty & Baby Money-What You Gone Do
Babytron/DaBoii-Chess Players
ShittyBoyz-Slam Dunk Contestants
Vatoz/BC Youngin — Iffy
Clean Up Man/Scatz/YSR Gramz/YSR Loski-Fantastic 4
Top 10 Milwaukee projects
Chicken P-BussaBrick Vol.1: Deep In the Pot/Vol 2
Marijuana XO/Joe Pablo-Window Service/2
RealStasher50K-Fuck The Club Call The Plug Vol. 1
SME Taxfree/RRB Duck-It’s The Same Thing
Funny$Money-Don’t Talk 2 Much
Dirty Soda Boo-All Off Drank
SME Taxfree-This One’s For My Brothers
Big Haulin-They Finally Woke
Lilrb-All Profit No Fame
Big Homie DreCash-Big Huncho
Top 20 Milwaukee songs
Chicken P-All Dawgs Go To Heaven
Realstasher50K-Coming Down
Big Homie DreCash/SME Taxfree-Every Other Week
Certified Trapper-Spin Back
Dooman Loww/Bussdown Tae/PMN Mar/Chosen Kidd/Meir Loww-Last Chase
Funny$Money-Rocky Balboa
LilRB x CAP Drive Montana x Big Pee -Grinding
3XSimpson — Sh*t Talking ft. Lil Trav x RealStasher 50k
Big Pee x 1LilRb-Rush
Big Junie/Juicester-Gucci Hat Cocked
Certified Trapper-When I Sneeze
RealStasher 50k x LilTrav 3278 x BabyD-Threw The Day
SME Tax Free x Juicester x Chicken P — Still On Tour
Certified Trapper-Lil Ninja
MarijuanaXO/Joe Pablo/SME TaxFree-Mayday
Mula Mar-Striker
TGE L Masi/OTR Trapbaby/MarijuanaXO-Beating Down Yo Block
Bally Slatt-Dead Wrong
AyooLi-Soul Train
FYB Frank/Big Haulin/OTR Trapbaby — Deal Coming
Big Haulin/Bally Slatt/MarijuanaXO/Joe Pablo — Run Em Down
Top 10 Cali projects
Young Slo-Be-Southeast
EBK Young Joc-City of God
Verde Babii-Coming To The North
Hook-From, Hook
EBK Bckdoe-Trife God
BlueBucks Clan-Clan Way 3
DB Boutabag-I’m Not Rapping
RonRonTheProducer-RonRon Do That Shit 2
Ralfy The Plug-Pastor Ralfy 2 (deluxe)
Vince Staples-Ramona Park Broke My Heart
Top 20 Cali songs
OTM-Adios
CaughTaPlay x Dex Krueger-Lol, Yea I Kno
Verde Babii-2 Steppin
EBK Bckdoe-Monopoly
Maj4L/DaBoii-Sinner
S5/R3 Da Chillimann-Rock + Roll
DaBoii-Bananas
03 Greedo/BlueBucksClan — Pourin
Young Slo-Be-Drum Set
Mally Bo x Swervyy — Back From Dead
S5/R3 Da Chilliman-Moon Rock
Baby Stone Gorillas — Body For Body
EBK Jaaybo — I Am Nightingale
Kai Bandz-Dior
Maj4L-Redrum
O’Way-Talk With No Walk
ASM Bopster-Lazy Flow
Bussdown/Wopdell-Grab Heater
ALLBLACK/Cash Kidd-3rd Quarter
SieteGang Yabbie — Shut the Foot Up
Top 10 Florida tapes
Lil Poppa-Heavy Is The Head
Kodak Black-Kutthroat Bill
Real Boston Richey-Public Housing
Loe Shimmy-Z End
Trapland Pat-Trapnificent
Jimbo World-Street Preacher
SCY Jimm-Rookie of the Year
GMK-Born To Be Free
Kickkone-Last of a Dying Breed
Hotboii-Blinded By Death
Top 20 Florida songs
Luh Tyler-Can’t Even Name Dis
Loe Shimmy/Kodak Black — Bounty
Trench Babys— Deezy Block
1Way4xx/J4-Get The Drop
Kodak Black-Closure
Kickkone — Shoeland
Jaydes — don’t worry bout me
Wizz Havinn — Mr.TooSticky
Real Boston Richey — Keep Dissing
Goldenboy Countup/Money Man— Condo
SpliffJit-Power House Playa
NGHarii/Wizz Havinn-Bitin
Tonii Boii — First Thing ft. Bigga Rankin
Mook Boy — Castle In The O
GG Osama/SSM Kblack — Gettem Gone
Luh JB-Red Dot
1Way4xx/Lil4-Stop Da Whip
Kickkone — FNs Glokks Khopz
Hoosh-Slow Dance
Dee Watkins — Fresh Off A Lick
Top 10 UK songs
NSG Ft. LD — Roadblock
Amaria BB-Cheaters
Mura Musa/Skillibeng/Pa Salieu-Blessing Me
Jim Legxacy-Candy Reign
Knucks ft. SL — Nice & Good
NSG-Suzanna w/ Patoranking
Bandokay — Tower Hill Freestyle
Clavish-Greece
M1llionz X 1Formation-8PM In Seaview
Dejour-What You Do
Top 30 trap/dancehall
Skillibeng/FS-Wap Wap
Valiant-North Carolina
Skeng-Likkle Miss
Squash-Sweepstake Life
Jeff Fullyauto-Jericho
Kant10t — Nuh Regula Coot
Valiant-Dunce Cheque
1Biggs Don— Bwoii Affi
X-kappe-Kong
Marksman/Niles-Grung E Grung
Trvpp-Nah Lie
YK Kastro-Trick
Malie-Bank
Kraff-OG Bobby Johnson
AI Milly-God Alone
Brysco-Code
Cidigi-RADAM (Pon The Move)
RajahWild-Another Day Another Dollar
Marksman-Visa
Intence — Puissant
Jahvillani — RUFF!!!
Kraff/9Mill-NPT
Roze Don/Marksman-Little Bit remix
Govana, Roshawny Badg — Baghdad
World Dawg-Knock It
Bayka/Lone Don-Statistic
Kraff — Sinna
iiBoy-Brainstorm
Malie-Cash Code
Chronic Law-Trickster
Top 15 Afrobeats
Burna Boy-Last Last
Asake-Peace Be Unto You
Pheelz/Buju-Finesse
Adekunle Gold-5 Star
Bella Shmurda/Omah Lay — Philo
Mayorkun-Certified Loner
Terri — Danger
Crayon-Ijo
Victony/Tempoe-Soweto
T.I Blaze — Sometimes (Remix) ft. Olamide
Reekado Banks — Ozumba Mbadiwe (Remix) ft. Fireboy DML
LAX-Waist Drop
1da Banton-Summer Love
Juls/Tay Iwar-I Got You
Ruger-Dior
50 more great rap songs (US)
Yeat-Taliban
Gizwop/Morally Rich Jake-Blaaat
Hothead Capone/Hothead Stompa/Nudie — 6ixx Anthem
BOA Hunxho/BOA QG-Voodoo
Jet5/SG Arbo-Forte
CEO Trayle-Big Drake
NBA Youngboy-Like a Jungle
Splurge-Choppa Duet
Leaf Ward/OT7 Quanny-Midnight Club
Rae Sremmurd-Denial
Drose-Hawk Em Down 3
Karma2zz-BoomieMadeThis
RBM Rello-Choose Wisely
Dougie B-Forever On That
BoBilly-Check on Yo Peoples
PBT Ace/PBT JJ-Button Babies
Smoke Chapo-Lowercase K
Swagg2100-Live That Way
SG Batman-Ain’t Gotta Ask Fa Dat
Big Yavo-Yayski
Jizzle Bucks-Spin
Sauce Walka/FishXGrits-Didn’t I
Hitkidd & Glorilla — FNF (Let’s Go)
Tye Henney — Too Much
Zahsosaa x Dsturdy — Shake That
Monaleo-Body Bag
Iayze-556
Whoppa Wit Da Choppa/Jdot Breezy-Not The Same
Latto-It’s Givin
Chief Keef-Overhead
RiskTaskerLeek/Big Scarr-Backend
BiC Fizzle — Dope Fein
Skinoo/Lil Buckss/Goon — Dumb Vics/Non Stop
Sosamann-Mann Family
EST Gee/42 Dugg-Everybody Shooters Too
Eli Fross/Sleepy Hallow— Steppas Freestyle
Realbleeda-Channel 9
Blxst-Keep Comin Back
BabyDrill — 32 Freestyle
Lil Bam/FB Boochie-Back + Forth
PME JayBee-ABC
LilDre1300 & Daysavage1300 — Problem Solvers
10TA Lil A/10TA Mar — Fake Hoopers
Nacho/040Spank-Stryker
Cobleeda/40glockcyou/1514 Bee/Ruger Rudy — Gator Pack
Eddie Valero-Lero Bandplay
Menace Youngc/NTS Biggie-Elevator Music
Flex-Hello
Hopout Shawn-Make It
Semi Homie/Sr JaiJuan-Hashtag
