My Favorite Hip-Hop Releases of 2021
This is my list of the best hip-hop projects of 2021. I started putting this list together earlier than I have in the past, thinking I’d be able to come up with a definitive earlier. Alas, it just gave me more time to be indecisive.
I’ve decided to only put the top 25 in any real order. And because I like to write about albums that I enjoy, I’m including a few other paragraphs about albums that might not be in my top 25, but were close. I also list a bunch of other projects that I enjoyed, like the top 25 hip-hop EPs of 2021. I used to cheat by also having a category for “in-between” projects (longer than 25 minutes, but shorter than 30), but I gave that up this year. Too many ~27-minute project are in my top 25 albums list.
Overall, 2021 was a solid year for hip-hop. Unlike, 2020, the #1 album of the year wasn’t well ahead of the pack. As much as I enjoy #1 on this list, the difference between #1 and #15 isn’t huge. And the difference between #15 and #25 isn’t very big either. None of this is written to disparage the quality of any of these products, only to illustrate the quantity of really good albums that dropped in 2021.
I try to give as much as I can its day in court, but there were albums I just didn’t get around to listening to. I feel especially bad about not getting to Devin the Dude, Ankhlejohn, and Atmosphere’s albums, along with the fourth installment of Vic Spencer’s Spencer For Hire.
So, let’s get it started. Let’s start with the Top 25 Hip-Hop albums of 2021:
25. Career Crooks — Never At Peace
Zilla Rocca has become one of the best at constructing detailed, lived-in narratives through his rhymes. And whenever he links up with fellow Philadelphia native Small Pro, the results are always dope. Never At Peace is no exception, as the two continue on their working class grind.
24. Peter Rosenberg — Real Late
Technically Rosenberg didn’t produce this album as much as he “curated” it, as all the cool kids like to say these days. He puts together a Lyricist Lounge-styled compilation featuring an abundance of east coast-based talent. True-school legends like members of the Wu-Tang Clan and Styles P all shine, as well as more recent vanguards like Westside Gunn, Crimeapple, Smoke DZA, and Homeboy Sandman.
23. Hus Kingpin — The Firm
Hus had one of his most prolific years, and is getting better as his career progresses. Of the five projects he put out this year, and The Firm is my favorite. The album is a dedication to the short-lived super-group, and a love letter to mid to late 1990s hip-hop. It’s sort of similar to Benny the Butcher’s Body of Proof, but smoother, as Hus raps to Trackmasterz’s-styled production. And he even includes a dope Canibus verse.
22. Dillon & J57 — ’83 Kids
The multi-talented Dillion teams up with the equally slept-on J-57 to record a dedication to the year of their birth. Dillon’s always excelled at tackling a wide arrange of subject matter, and he further demonstrates he’s just as adept at creating a low-key party jam as he is at crafting a humorous narrative. “Pendulum Swings,” his heart-felt dedication to his deceased longtime friend and collaborator Paten Locke, ends things on a poignant note.
21. Lute — Gold Mouf
Lute’s second album is a thoughtful meditation on what it takes to keep it together in the drudgery that life his become in the early 2020s. The North Carolina-based artist, signed to Cole’s Dreamville imprint, has a lot on his mind, he works to progress his career forward while dealing with serious anixety. Lute sounds as comfortable teaming up with Little Brother as he does with Saba and labelmate J.I.D.
20. Skyzoo — All the Brilliant Things
Mello Music Group had another outstanding year for music, as evidenced by this being the first of four albums from the label in my top 20. With All the Pretty Things, Skyzoo continues his hot streak by chronicling the gentrification of his Brooklyn neighborhood. In an era of disposable music, Skyzoo continues to create projects the require your full and undivided attention.
19. L’Orange & Namir Blade — Imaginary Everything
Nashville’s Namir Blade bends minds with his second release on Mello Music. Teaming with North Carolina producer L’Orange, the two take a psychedelic musical journey through all plains of reality. It can be a lot to wrap your head around, but it’s worth the effort.
18. Solemn Brigham — South Sinner Street
After two albums as one-half of Marlowe (with the aforementioned L’Orange), North Carolina’s Solemn Brigham puts out this engaging solo album. South Sinnerer Street gives him a chance to describe in-depth his complicated relationship with Albemarle, the town of his birth. The result is full of insights into the environment that shaped him, and all the good and bad that went along with it.
17. Bronze Nazareth & Roc Marciano — Ekphrasis
Roc Marci followed last year’s triumphant collaboration with Stove God Cook$ by producing a pair of albums for two other hip-hop roughnecks. Delgado with Flee Lord is solid, but his team-up with Detroit’s Wu-Affiliate Bronze Nazareth is 2021’s pleasant surprise. Nazareth demonstrates his slick wordplay and stylistic excellence, as Marci continues with his understated brilliance.
16. Planet Asia & Evidence — Rule of Thirds
Fresno’s Planet Asia had a great year for music that flew under the radar. This formidable project was his long-gestating collaboration with Evidence, who produces every track here. Asia blesses Evidence’s unique brand of gritty and hazy hip-hop, and ends up creating one of the best albums of his career.
15. Your Old Droog & Tha God Fahim — YOD Fahim
It’s been a great year for Your Old Droog, as he has three albums in my top 15. And he got going early: A little over a month after dropping Dump YOD, Your Old Droog and Tha God Fahim dropped this ode to hooping. Two run lyrical pick and rolls, teaming up with emcees like Pharoahe Monch and Left Lane Didon. Tracks like “Stretch,” “Charles Barkley,” “Brrt Simpson,” and the “90 From the Line” Šarūnas Marčiulionis remix feature some of the illest beats of the year.
14. Guilty Simpson & Gensu Dean — Ego
After Ode To the Ghetto (2008), Guilty Simpson has specialized in “one emcee, one producer” projects. Teaming up with Gensu Dean on Ego, he creates a project that evokes memories of his introspective Dice Game (2012). Guilty contemplates learning to leave behind the dangerous life hustling on the streets in favor the pursuit of success in the realm of hip-hop. Gensu Dean’s is an ideal co-pilot, creating a somber, yet inspirational tone.
13. Styles P & Havoc — Wreckage Manner
I know Jadakiss’ performance during the late summer Verzuz against Dipset made him the hip-hop hero of 2021, but Styles P deserves some love too, gotdammit. He’s methodically built the best discography of any of members of The Lox/D-Block, and this album may be his pinnacle. It’s also great to hear from Havoc. He handles all of the production and rhymes on nearly every of the ten tracks on Wreckage Manner, something he’s only done sparingly since the death of his Mobb Deep comrade, Prodigy.
12. Your Old Droog — Space Bar
With his final release of 2021, YOD got weird and spacey, mixing cosmic-based themes with liquor-inspired tracks. Droog uses Space Bar’s slightly over half-hour runtime to enjoy the fruits of his labor, basking in his success as he tools around the cosmos, adult beverage in hand. The beats lean heavily into the interstellar imagery present throughout the album. Some, like “Meteor Man,” are chaotic, but others like “Yuri,” “White Russian,” and “Blue Hawaiian,” sounds like theme music for the Space Cadillac.
11. Tanya Morgan — Don & Von
After more than 15 years in the game, Don & Von finds the Brooklyn/Cincinatti duo of Von Pea and Donwill ready to “kick some grown man rap!” The pair has persevered, slowly building their audience as the “blog era” unfolded, and now still on their grind in an era where streaming rules everything. Musically, it’s the rawest and grittiest release of their career, and Von and Don both sound comfortable with their role in the landscape.
10. Czarface & MF DOOM — Super What?
Super What? Was originally slated to be released in spring 2020, but was delayed by the pandemic. It’s since become the unintended first post-humous release of DOOM’s career. Despite this back-drop, Super What? is a blast. Esoteric, Deck, and DOOM all work in references to Game of Thrones, the MCU, and pro-wrestling to create a fun-filled romp that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
9. Nas — Magic
I don’t what it is about Hit-Boy’s beats that motivate Nas, but he sounds completely energized and reinvigorated on this album, his third collaboration with the producer in the last 16 months. Even though this dropped just a week before the year ended, it made its impact quick. All killer. No filler.
8. Mach-Hommy — Pray For Haiti
Pray For Haiti is Mach-Hommy’s most “accessible” album, and not just because it’s his first full-length available on streaming services. It was also “curated” by Westside Gunn, so it’s also his most Griselda sounding project. WSG pairs Mach with producers like Conductor Williams, as well as past collaborators like Camouflage Monk and Nicolas Craven. The beats are very soulful, while Hommy’s lyrics remain very dense, while demonstrating great depth of thought.
7. (tie) Boldy James & The Alchemist — Bo Jackson/Super Tecmo Bo
Much love to Nas and Hit-Boy, but I think Boldy James and Alchemist might be the actual heirs to Gang Starr. I’m including both products the two pair release in 2021 here, as they both sound like they products of the same recording sessions. Boldy continues to have a dominating vocal presence, sounding simultaneously laid back and aggressive, matching Alchemist’s often hallucinogenic tracks with his no-nonsense approach.
6. DJ Muggs & Flee Lord — Rammellzee
Muggs continued his hot streak in 2021, producing four new projects. Rammellzee is the best of the quartet. The ever improving Queens native Flee Lord creates a tight 29-minute ode to gritty mid-1990s hip-hop, his Far Rockaway neighborhood, and the deceased gothic futurist graf artist and pioneering “abstract rapper” Rammellzee. Flee Lord vacillates effortlessly between grimy and smooth. ““Wallabies & Gucci Loafers,” which features both Roc Marciano and Ghostface, is everything that I’d hoped it would be.
5. (tie) Westside Gunn — Hitler Loves Hermes 8/Side B
I have no idea if these are **really** Westside Gunn’s final projects, but if so, the Buffalo-born visionary is going out on a high-note. WSG further demonstrates his excellent ear for beats, and these recorded some memorable anthems for the year. He also continues to tease both Stove God Cook$ and Rome Streetz as potential future Griselda center-pieces, as both get a good deal of shine here.
4. Your Old Droog — Time
Time may be Droog’s most personal album, as he reflects on his youth and upbringing as an immigrant in New York City. Throughout Time, he describes wilding out in high school, dabbling in various mind-altering substances, learning to love hip-hop, and struggling to deal with no being able to afford fly gear. Droog also chronicles the up and downs and general drudgery of trying to get your music heard in 2010s, during an era social media and algorithms. The whole endeavor is overseen by comedian Anthony Jeselnik, who “DJs” the whole endeavor, and muses about going back in time to murder baby Hitler.
3. Blu — The Color Blu(e)
It’s not often that we get to hear a rapper really “grow-up” through his career. With Blu, we can track the Los Angeles native going from young man finding himself on Below the Heavens to a mature adult on The Color Blu(e). Blu might not have all the answers on The Color Blu(e), but he’s wiser and well-adjusted. The album’s production is also a big part of its appeal. Exile, Sirplus, and J-57 craft beats that sample jazz and blues records, giving everything a “vintage” feel.
2. Evidence — The Unlearning Vol. 1
As a solo artist, Evidence has continued to improve, and The Unlearning may be his finest work yet. Much of the album’s subject matter concerns maintaining a strong work ethic and staying productive, as Evidence tries to find his place in the world. As my homie Urkel Moe Dee has said, tragedies in Ev’s life informs The Unlearning, but is never really discussed in detail. In terms of production, Ev utilizes a wide roster of beat-makers (including himself). However, Evidence picks tracks that give The Unlearning a cohesive sound as a whole.
1. Armand Hammer & Alchemist — Haram
During the past decade, one of Alchemist’s strength has been pairing his left of center production style with rough and rugged street rappers. With Armand Hammer (Elucid and billy woods), Alchemist has found partners who dwell well to the left and the center. Both Elucid and woods have unorthodox styles, commanding voices, and off-kilter deliveries, which they use to deliver nearly-impenetrable content. Alchemist leans heavily into his laid-back and psychedelic bag, meshing perfectly with the two emcees. It’s an ambitious musical journey that feels like a massive undertaking, even though it only lasts 40 minutes.
These albums that fall just outside of the top 25 that I feel like writing about:
Tha God Fahim & Your Old Droog — Tha Wolf On Wall Street
This was the first God Fahim and YOD project of the year, dropping just as 2021 began. It’s like a sister work to YOD Fahim, with Fahim assuming the lead role and Droog backing him up. The Wall Street inspired undertaking set the stage for a great year for both artists.
Aesop Rock & Blockhead — Garbology
Garbology should have received more attention. It didn’t help that the album was released relatively quietly in early December, after most started release their own “Best of…” lists. Aesop helped establish his legend over Blockhead production in the early and mid ’00s, and goes back to working with the beat-maker on Garbology. The pair’s chemistry is still apparent, as their Aes’ eccentric vocal tones compliment Blockhead’s tracks extremely well.
Tyler the Creator — Call Me If You Get Lost
Well-sequenced and put together, Call Me If You Get Lost has Tyler revisiting his love for hip-hop. Tyler’s decision to record his version of a DJ Drama mixtape is an inspired one, and songs like “Corso,” Lumberjack,” and “Manifesto” all hit hard. The album’s quality slips a bit during it second half, but overall this is his best release since Wolf (2013).
Nas — King’s Disease II
It’s not until “Store Run,” the seventh track on the album, that Nas and Hit-Boy’s second collaborative albums finds its groove. But the rest features Nas comfortably assuming his role as hip-hop’s elder statesman.
Ka — A Matyr Reward’s
Normally a new Ka album is a highlight of the year, but this one is a decidedly mixed bag for me. Ka still put together thought provoking verses, but the beats just didn’t come together for me. But even a so-so Ka album is still pretty good when compared to everything else.
Here’s 25 more albums that I liked a lot. I prefer some of these listed here to the five albums listed directly above:
Hus Kingpin — Portishus
Chris Crack — Might Delete Later
Conway & Big Ghost — If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed
Zilla Rocca & DJ Chong Wizard — Vegas Vic
Defcee & Messiah Music — Trapdoor
Kaimbr & Sean Born — Nino Green
Jazz Spaztiks — Camera of Sound
DJ Muggs & Rome Streetz — The Magician
Curren$y — Still Stoned On Ocean
DJ Muggs & Crimeapple — Cartagena
Supreme Cerebral & DirtyDiiggs — Dirty Cerebral
Curly Castro — Little Robbie Hutton
Larry June — Orange Print
Khrysis — Hour of Khrysis
Planet Asia — Holy Water
Apollo Brown & Stalley — Black Light
Joell Ortiz — Autograph
Jason Griff & Alaska — Human Zoo
Sons of Andre — Dungeon of Doom
Kota the Friend & Statik Selektah — To Kill a Sunrise
Curren$y — Pilot Talk 4
Vic Spencer — Legend Laws of Power
The God Fahim — Dump Gawd: Stock Lord
Chris Crack — Sheep Hate Goats
Curren$y & Kino Beats — Matching Rolexes
A few more albums that I feel like writing about. Some could fit into the above 25, but one or two slightly miss their mark.
Dave East & Harry Fraud — HOFFA
Harry Fraud is another producer who’s enjoying a late 2010s/early 2020s surge. Previously, I’d found Dave East competent, but not particularly interesting enough to hold down an entire album. He steps things up on HOFFA, comfortably flexing his styles and sounding confident while doing so.
Lloyd Banks — The Course of the Inevitable
I never thought I’d be including a G-Unit project amongst my favorites o 2021; I don’t think I’ve liked an album associated with the crew in over a decade. But The Course of the Inevitable is the best album associate with the collective since the crew’s Beg For Mercy (2003), and substantially better than most of their output. Banks kicks bonafide street shit, teaming with some of the best emcees working today, including Freddie Gibbs, Benny the Butcher, Roc Marciano, and Styles P. It’s a little long, but still enjoyable.
McKinley Dixon — For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her
“Albums influenced by To Pimp a Butterfly” is slowly becoming its own rap subgenre. As those type of projects go, the third album by the Richmond, VA-born emcee is pretty good. It’s an interesting exploration of trauma and healing.
J. Cole — The Off Season
I don’t really feel Cole as much as many do, but The Off Season worked for me. Probably his best since Forest Hills 2014.
Little Simz — Sometimes I Might Be An Introvert
I’ve REALLY tried to into this. I appreciate the Nigerian-British emcee’s ambition and effort, but the music just clicking with me. People I like and respect dig it a lot and I’m sure it’s going to be a darling of the award season, so maybe I’m the asshole.
Just for kicks, here’s another 25 damn good albums that dropped in 2021:
Vic Spencer — Psychological Cheat Sheet 2
Curren$y & Kino Beats — Matching Rolexes
Vic Spencer — Psychological Cheat Sheet 2
Eterenia & Rel McCoy — Free
DJ Muggs & Yelawolf — Mile Zero
Him-Lo & Giallo Point –EBENEZER MAXWELL (International Man of Leisure)
Damu the Fudgemunk — Conversation Peace
Crimeapple — YDFWC?/ YDFWC?2
Killah Priest — Summer End Cafe
PremRock — Load Bearing Crow’s Feet
Fatboi Sharif — Gandhi Loves Children
Wrecking Crew — Steel’s Kitchen
Dagha — D-A to the G
Wiki — Half God
Napoleon Da Legend — Dim-Mak
D Smoke — Wars & Wonders
DJ Muggs & Hologram — American Cheese
AZ — Do Or Die 2
Flee Lord & Roc Marciano — Delgado
The Architect & Byrdland — Halal 2
Bushido compilation
JPEGMAFIA — LP!
The Band of The Hawk — Your Sneakers or Your Life
Dark-Lo & Havoc — Extreme Measures
Killah Priest — Lord Sun Heavy Mental 1.1
I didn’t listen to many instrumental projects that came in 2021, but these three stood out:
- Madlib — Sound Ancestors
2. Batsauce — Wolf’s Clothing
3. L’Orange — The World is Still Chaos, But I Feel Better
Here’s a pair of projects that I enjoyed quite a bit that were essentially compilations of old material:
Breeze Brewin — Hindsight
The front-man of the Juggaknots still is one of the best emcees breathing and there’s a lot to love on this collection. I just felt weird including an album made of tracks that could be over a decade old on my “Best albums of the Year.” But in terms of quality, this stands shoulder to shoulder with the first installment of Nas’ Lost Tapes, and is considerably better than Lost Tapes 2.
Shortie No Mass — Here Goes Nothing
I’ve been waiting for a project from Shortie No Mas for damn near three decades, and finally got one near the very end of 2021. This is another case of where the project (in this case, an EP) features material that is over a decade old, so it doesn’t quite feel right including it in with the rest. Now I really hope I don’t have to wait 28 more years for a follow-up.
And now, the best hip-hop EPs of the year. These are project that generally clock in at 25 minutes or less. Like most years, the best EPs of 2021 are just as interesting as the best albums. Artists continue to find ways to say a lot in a short amount of time.
First, my top 5 EPs of the year:
5. Marv Won — Rabbits Can’t Shoot
Marv Won remains one of Detroit’s most underappreciated. With Rabbits Can’t Shoot, he happily assumes the role of the underdog ready to take what he deserves by hook or crook. “Harmony Korine” featuring Guilty Simpson, Clemmye, and Ty Farris, is one of the hardest songs of the year, and inspired by Gummo nonetheless.
4. Raw Poetic — Big Tiny Planet
Washington DC’s Raw Poetic handles the rhymes and most of the production here, getting an assist from Damu the Fudgemunk (credited for “completing the sounds” and mastering the EP). It unfolds like a Damu project, with Raw Poetic letting each of the five tracks slowly unfurl and expand through the listener’s imagination. With everyone in so much of a damn hurry these days, I take pleasure in music that takes its time in establishing a mood and vibe.
3. Qwazaar & Batsauce — Stoned Giant
On their long-awaited third project together, Qwazaar and Batsauce keep things raw. Solid, no frills hip-hop. More people should employ Batsauce, but Qwazzar seems to have found a level of comfort with the Jacksonville-born producer.
2. The Alchemist — This Thing of Ours Pt. 1 & 2
I feel okay combining these two, as each is about 10 minutes in length. Though some songs feature established partners like Boldy James and Earl Sweatshirt, Alchemist also works with a host of up-and-coming “out there” emcees, like MIKE, Maxo, Navy Blue, and MAVI. Part 2 is probably the slightly better of the pair, as it includes “Flying Spirit” with the Bruiser Brigade and “Six Five Heartbeats” with Vince Staples, two of the best songs of the year.
1. Mach-Hommy — Balens Cho (Hot Candles)
I might enjoy this more the Pray For Haiti. Few emcees work as hard to be as aggressively unknowable as Mach-Hommy, but if you pay attention, he lets you in a little bit on Balens Cho. On tracks like “Wooden Nickels,” he gives insight into his own origins by delving into his family history, while on “Traditional,” he explains his decision to shroud his persona in mystery. He wraps things up with “Self Luh,” where he expounds on the importance of self-care. Hommy is still an enigma in many ways, put the occasional peeks into his psyche make Balens Cho incredibly rewarding.
Here’s 20 more really dope EPs. I’m aware that Hus Kingpin, Crimeapple, and Curren$y combine make up about a third of the last, but hey, all three had great years:
6. Doppelgangaz — G Pack Vol. 3
7. Curren$y — Collection Agency
8. Crimapple — Sancocho
9. Curren$y & Harry Fraud — Regatta
10. Chong Wizard — Blessing Season
11. Blu & Sirplus — For Sale
12. Hus Kingpin — Bolio: Reze Pelo Rio — Pray For Rio
13. Hus Kingpin — Holiday Hus: XXXMAS
14. Ransom — Se7en
15. Brother Ali — Brother Minutester Vol. 1
16. CZR MGA — Montana & Rice
17 & 18. Tha God Fahim — Shot Clock King Vol. 1 & 2
19. Vince Staples — Vince Staples
20. Flashius Clayton — The Dust Diaries
21. 2 Hungry Bros. & Homeboy Sandman — Senile Chef
22. Benny the Butcher — Pyrex Picasso
23. Hus Kingpin — Threesome 2: The Art of Sex
24. Marv Won — Hagler
25. Crimeapple — Peach EP
And that’s it. I can now finally move on from the music of 2021. Hope you enjoyed reading this.
