2023 was a great year for music, specifically Hip-Hop, so much so that making a top 10 list was extremely exclusive. There were 30+ albums that I would love to be on here, but I had to leave out. All of these will be on the honorable mentions. The most surprising part of the year were the smaller artists who came out with the majority of these great albums, unlike most years which are carried by the big stars. So, with that, here is the very exclusive, subjective top 10 of the year

10. The Great Escape– Larry June, The Alchemist

     The main enjoyment in this album is the chill vibes throughout the entire thing. I’m sure that is pretty easy to tell, though, just by the cover. The Alchemist’s beats add so much to the background of this album, while Larry June just floats over them with a slow and sleepy vibe.

9. No Idols– Domo Genesis, The Alchemist

     This is the last album by The Alchemist on this list, I promise, but he does own quite a few of the honorable mentions. This album is definitely heavier than the last one in terms of features, with Tyler, The Creator, Freddie Gibbs, and Earl Sweatshirt. This is still relatively chill but works in electric beats and some faster verses to make every song unique and amazing.

8. Burning Desire– MIKE

     This is one of the coolest vibes I’ve ever heard in a rap album. As you can see from the cover, it is antique horror-themed and was even released on Friday the 13th in October. The beats feel old, the rapping feels creepy, and the production is perfect. I love albums that really dive into a common theme and I believe this is one of the best examples of it.

7. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale– Tyler, The Creator

      I’m counting it because the deluxe version was dropped, which featured multiple new songs and affected the album more than most deluxe versions do. Obviously, Tyler’s lyrics and production are amazing, but I believe the production to be even better than normal. Aside from Kanye West, he is pretty much the only producer for all of these songs and I think that that is an amazing feat.

6. Maps– billy woods, Kenny Segal

     This is insanely well written and performed by Billy Woods. You can see the passion put into this telling of the transitional moments in his life, from growing up in Zimbabwe to living in New York. This is all alongside Kenny Segal’s fantastic, retro production. Overall, I don’t think this album could be much better with perfect lyricism and perfect production.

5. Let’s Start Here.- Lil Yachty

     This album is not hip-hop or rap at all, but I figured I’d include it because it is by a rap artist, one that has had an amazing year and I want to put it in my top ten. There is nothing in this that feels familiar at all. It is a combination of rock, jazz, and psychedelic beats that make you feel like you’re floating. Lil Yachty has the perfect voice for this and it is something that feels completely fresh and new.

4. MICHAEL- Killer Mike

     Not much to say on this one, but the lyrics and social commentary are good on every song, and so is the production. “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” is one of the best songs of the decade.

3. The Patience- Mick Jenkins

     This album is a whole bottle of emotions, with a very wide range of sound across all of the songs. There are countless unforgettable songs, and Mick Jenkins has quickly become one of my favorite rappers that is still working.

2. Utopia- Travis Scott

     These top 2 are almost interchangeable, with both of them being perfect. Utopia features countless unforgettable songs and the best production on any album this decade. It is a new kind of Travis Scott, much different than Astroworld, and I believe that works in his favor but does not top his Rodeo style. Ultimately, I think what puts this album at second place is the tracks that I wasn’t a big fan of such as “PARASAIL”, “LOOOVE”, “K-POP”, and even slightly “DELRESTO (ECHOES)”. Overall, I think it reaches the highest highs but does not keep that high all the way through the album, like #1 does.

1. And Then You Pray For Me- Westside Gunn

     This is a very welcome sequel to his 2020 album, Pray for Paris, not only matching the luxurious vibe of it, but doing it better. Every feature is used perfectly, including JID, DJ Drama, Rick Ross, Ty Dolla $ign, Denzel Curry, Jeezy, and more. This album is great mix of Westside Gunn’s regular style and trap, all over well-made beats that are not wasted. Every song feels raw, while not sacrificing the luxury Gunn works into all of his songs. I think there are zero misses on this album, and it maintains a constant flow of greatness all the way through. 

Other fine-amazing albums (Kind of ranked, best to worst):

They Spit On Jesus- Elcamino, Black Soprano Family

GENERATIONAL CURSE- ICECOLDBISHOP

Some People Scream, Some People Talk- Wakai

The Night Shift- Larry June, Cardo

For All The Dogs- Drake

SCARING THE HOES- JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown

it takes a village- Will Kobus, Mettaworldzeke

GODISLOVE- Willyynova

LINDENAVE!- Oblé Reed

Hall and Nash 2- Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, The Alchemist

Quaranta- Danny Brown

Faith Is A Rock- MIKE, Wiki, The Alchemist

VOIR DIRE- Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist

Oroku Saki- Mickey Diamond

Ways of Knowing- Navy Blue

KAYTRAMINÉ- KAYTRAMINÉ, Aminé, KAYTRANADA

Creed III: The Soundtrack- Dreamville

Larger Than Life- Brent Faiyaz

Flying High- The Alchemist

We Buy Diabetic Test Strips- Armand Hammer, billy woods, E L U C I D

BUSINESS IS BUSINESS- Young Thug

METRO BOOMIN PRESENTS SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (SOUNDTRACK)– Metro Boomin

Highway 600- Curren$y, Trauma Tone

SET IT OFF- Offset

Too Good To Be True- Rick Ross, Meek Mill

Rocket Power- Quavo

AMAR- BigXthaPlug