The Best Hip-Hop Albums of the 21st Century

by Doriean Stevenson, for Metacritic – October 19, 2017

Hip-hop heads agree: These are the best albums of this century. Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Dizzee Rascal, and Missy Elliott all appear on this list, but who holds the top spot?

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88 The Blueprint by Jay-Z

(tied for #18) With the exception of just one rap feature (a memorable collab with Eminem), this 2001 album is chock full of master lyricism from Jay-Z alone. The Blueprint shifted the sound of the genre, and critics paid attention.

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