There's no doubt that the year of 2015 was one of the greatest for rap music. The hip-hop gods watching over us blessed us month by month with tons of music for us to sing and bump our heads to. There was plenty of music to go around. From rookies to the game like Fetty Wap to seasoned veterans like Drake, here are the top 20 rap albums that dropped in 2015.
Honorable Mentions: Ty Dolla $ign's "Free TC," Jeremih's "Late Nights," Tyler, the Creator's "Cherry Bomb," Jay Rock's "90059," Action Bronson's "Mr. Wonderful," Dr. Dre's "Compton," and Nicki Minaj's "The Pinkprint."
20. Fetty Wap
You can't deny the success New Jersey rapper Fetty Wap achieved in 2015. Once "Trap Queen" dropped everyone became skeptical, wondering if he would become a one hit wonder. This turned out not to be case, because his self-titled album is full of bangers like "679" and "My Way" proving Fetty is here to stay.
19. Summertime '06
This album was low-key fire. "Summertime '06" was the first album put out by Long Beach rapper Vince Staples and has some huge hits. "Norf Norf" is a catchy Californian anthem and "Señorita" with Future is one of those songs that needs to be blasted at max volume. Overall, quality project.
18. Full Speed
Many didn't like Kid Ink's "Full Speed" because they thought he sold out and turned to radio hits, but I think it's a quality follow up to his last album "My Own Lane." The features on the album are what brings it to a new level. Help from Chris Brown, Usher, and Dej Loaf make this a solid album.
17. B4.DA.$$
After living off mixtapes, Joey Bada$$' debut album was a success. His storytelling throughout "B4.DA.$$" makes this a top album of 2015.
16. The Album About Nothing
Although this wasn't one of Wale's strongest projects, "The Album About Nothing" deserves to be on the list. The overall lyricism on each song was fantastic and the help from Jerry Seinfeld himself propelled this album to the top.
15. The Incredible True Story
"The Incredible True Story" is a perfect follow up to his debut album "Under Pressure." Logic uses his crazy flow to devastate beat after beat on this album, earning him the title of maybe one of the best spitters in the rap game.
14. Dreams Worth More Than Money
While it seems nothing can ever touch Meek's debut "Dreams and Nightmares," this album comes close. He uses his unique style again on this album with the help of some fire beats and features, making this #14 on the list.
13. The Documentary 2
The Game delivered an appropriate follow-up to the classic "The Documentary." Back with more stories about Compton, he raps honestly and openly about his experiences from Cali.
12. What a Time To Be Alive
The head to head clash of hip-hop giants Drake and Future brought about a quality product in "What a Time To Be Alive." Being the perfect mix of Future's style of trap music with Drake's smooth flow along with the production help from Metro Boomin, this album was fire.
11. T R A P S O U L
Louisville native, Bryson Tiller swept the rap game by force in the last quarter of 2015. His debut album "Trapsoul" is a beautiful mix of hard rap cuts and R&B songs. Songs like "Don't" and "Sorry Not Sorry" show the diversity of this up and coming artist.
10. Rodeo
Travis Scott had one of the most anticipated albums of 2015 with Rodeo, and it delivered to that anticipation. Scott, known for his energy and drug-inducing lyrics, followed through with just that, as he guided fans through a literal "rodeo." "Rodeo" was an experience and was truly one of the greatest albums of 2015.
9. SremmLife
Duo Rae Sremmurd came out of nowhere with their album "SremmLife." While some thought they would be a one hit wonder after "No Flex Zone" took over radios, this was not the case, as their party-themed album contained tons of club records, scoring a spot inside the top 10.
8. GO:OD AM
Mac Miller was silent musically until he dropped "GO:OD AM" in September. While it seemed like he was trying to figure out who he was musically throughout his last few albums, he figured it out on this project. Miller's diversity between hard rap bars and slower emotional songs, Mac Miller had an extremely dope album.
7. Surf
.png)
Chance the Rapper and the Social Experiment's "Surf" is one of the most beautiful collective albums of the year. The focus on the live instruments that The Social Experiment use, allow listeners to get a unique side of hip-hop thats different than the regular hip-hop beats you hear from artists.
6. Dark Sky Paradise
Big Sean had one of the most impressive albums lyrically and musically. Sean's "Dark Sky Paradise" was one of the most completely albums holistically and he peaked to new heights in his own career. This album is his strongest project by far and Big Sean has completely found his sound. Standouts like "IDFWU" and "Blessings" make "DSP" one of the top albums of the year.
5. Beauty Behind the Madness
Although this is not necessarily hip-hop, The Weeknd's "Beauty Behind the Madness" was one of the most successful albums of 2015. The Weeknd dominated the year with songs like "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills," sitting on top of the Billboard charts all year long. The Toronto native created one of the most beautiful albums in terms of vocals and style.
4. AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP
A$AP Rocky's second album "AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP" was absolutely fire. Rocky raps about everything from his home of Harlem, to his fashion sense, to an assortment of drugs. Rocky, who is known for his beats specifically had a few standouts like "LPFJ2" and "Electric Body." His bars and beats proves he is one of the top five rappers in the game right now.
3. If You're Reading This It's Too Late
When Drake surprisingly dropped this mixtape/album out of the blue, everyone knew they were in for a treat. Drizzy is arguably, if not, the best rapper in the game right now in terms of music, publicity, and swag. This album followed that same prestige as the man himself. Every song on the 19-track album was in the Hot 100 at the same time at one point earlier this year and Drake is proving he is one of the absolute best right now. He has dominated music through the entirety of 2015 and now we wait for Views from the 6...
2. Dirty Sprite 2 (DS2)
2015 was the year of Future. The Atlanta rapper dropped "Monster," "Beast Mode," "56 Nights," and "What a Time To Be Alive" this year, not accounting for his biggest release in "DS2." Everywhere you turned, it seemed like you hear one of Future's songs. His party anthems like "Commas" and "Blow a Bag" dominated clubs, radios, and the hearts of many hip-hop fans. You can't brush away the success Future had this year and that's why "DS2" sits at #2.
1. To Pimp a Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly" came in at #1 for its lyricism and meaning. Lamar is known for his bars and ability to rap, but the reason this album is number one is because of it's social messages. Kendrick raps openly about racial issues he readily faces and about the society he lives in. In addition, "TPAB" gives a real look into the life of Kendrick and is really a piece of art. Songs like "i" and "Alright" dominated radio stations, but it was more about songs like "Wesley's Theory" and "The Blacker the Berry" that dealt with lyrics about real issues going on in hip-hop culture. Overall, Kendrick asserted his dominance over the rap world, proving he is one of the most creative geniuses out right now, creating a masterpiece in the process.
