10 Best Rap Albums of All Time
Among many hit albums by various rappers worldwide, Tupac’s “All Eyez On Me” is currently in the top 10 best rap Albums.
With a rich history, hip-hop and rap emerged in the early ’70s as a collaboration among Black, Latinx, and Caribbean American youth at block parties.
At that time, rap songs were not lyrical but rather involved people freestyling to the beat and rhyming words.
Many people were influenced to create new styles and experimental approaches in rap music, forming various groups.
However, the hip-hop scene gained fame in the ’80s and ’90s with the emergence of many rappers like Tupac, Biggie, and Eminem.
| Album Names | Artists Name |
| All Eyez on Me | Tupac |
| Kamikaze | Eminem |
| Good Bye & Good Riddance | Juice WRLD |
| Views | Drake |
| Astroworld | Travis Scott |
| Shoot for the stars, Aim for the moon | Pop Smoke |
| 17 | XXXTentacion |
| Damn | Kendrick Lamar |
| The Eminem Show | Eminem |
| Legends Never Die | Juice WRLD |
10. Legends Never Die by Juice Wrld
Legends Never Die was released on July 10, 2020, approximately seven months after he passed away.
This album was nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album at the American Music Awards and Top Rap Album at the Billboard Music Awards.
However, among the 21 songs, 17 are his singles, and the remaining 4 are collaborations with different artists, such as Marshmallow and Halsey.
According to the Billboard chart, the tracks received many positive reviews, leading to sales of up to 497,000 units in its first week.
One of the album’s most famous tracks is “Wishing Well,” which has 1.9 million streams on Spotify.
9. The Eminem Show by Eminem
As Eminem’s fourth studio album, it is considered one of the final pieces of his “three-peat” of classic hip-hop albums.
The rapper continues his streak by winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album for the third time.
Eminem Show boasts a lineup of hit singles, such as “Without Me,” “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” “Superman,” and “Sing for the Moment.”
Reaching number one on the Billboard 200, the album sold around 284,000 copies on its first day.
One of the most famous tracks from this album is “Without Me” Surpassing more than 2 billion streams on Spotify.
8. Damn by Kendrick Lamar
Famous rapper Kendrick Lamar is the creator of the album Damn where he left a mystery to be solved.
If you listen to the album in sequence, you’ll notice that Kendrick expresses feelings of being cursed and fears that a past sin might lead to eventual death.
The album earned him Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video, all for the single “HUMBLE.”
However, Kendrick appears to prefer collaboration over solo work, as he has only released three singles across his albums.
DAMN. was the top album on the Billboard 200 in 2017 and the thirteenth most popular album of the year in 2018.
The song “HUMBLE.” leads with 11.8 million streams on Spotify, and all other tracks on the album have over 1 million streams each.
7. 17 by XXXTentacion
XXXTentacion has many hit songs and albums, including 17, where he expresses his feelings of depression, focusing on failed relationships and infidelity.
At the 2018 American Music Awards, the album was nominated for New Artist of the Year and won Favorite Album – Soul/R&B.
Released on August 25, 2017, “Jocelyn Flores” is one of his singles, along with 17 other songs that debuted on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, with around 87,000 units sold, including 18,000 in pure sales.
XXXTentacion’s “17” has surpassed 8 billion streams on Spotify, breaking all other album records.
6. Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon by Pop Smoke
“Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” is an album that, just like its name suggests, is about pursuing your passions and achieving more than just success. (Source: Amazon)
Pop Smoke was a talented artist who recorded this album, but because it was incomplete, Victor and 50 Cent had to finish it.
The main motive behind completing this album was to support his family after Pop Smoke’s untimely passing.
However, Victor played a significant role in presenting the tracks, leading the album to win Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Rap Album at the 2021 Music Awards.
This album featured 6 singles by the rapper, and 13 additional tracks were later recorded to complete it.
Many loved all these songs, and the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 251,000 units.
As Pop Smoke’s first album to hit number one, it had 2,138,662 streams per day on Spotify.
5. Astroworld by Travis Scott
Among famous artists, Travis Scott stands out with his album, which is designed to sound like “taking an amusement park away from kids.”
The Recording Industry Association of America certified this album four times platinum due to its popularity.
The album’s popularity is due to the collaboration with renowned artists, as Travis Scott only had 4 singles on it.
Furthermore, Astroworld debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200 with 537,000 units sold, including 270,000 in pure sales.
Surpassing 9 billion streams on Spotify, Astroworld was the first album by Travis Scott to achieve this milestone.
4. Views by Drake
Views is an album by the versatile rapper Drake, who is known for his ability to perform across various genres, such as R&B, trap, and Afrobeat.
The 59th Grammy Awards nominated this album for Album of the Year, placing it in the top 10 best rap albums of all time.
It features a total of five singles: three dancehall tracks and two in R&B, trap, and Afrobeat.
Drake achieved another milestone by debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 1.04 million album sales.
Having said that, the tracks were also the top-trending song of 2016, with over 3 billion streams on Spotify.
3. Goodbye & Good Riddance by Juice WRLD
Among Juice WRLD’s many albums, Goodbye & Good Riddance was particularly loved, making it one of the top three.
This album received a quintuple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America for its combined sales.
With 3 singles and 14 tracks featuring collaborations with other rappers, the album showcases a range of guest appearances.
Goodbye & Good Riddance has a total of 9,244,096,290 streams, with a daily average of 3,146,967 streams.
2. Kamikaze By Eminem
Kamikaze is one of the celebrated albums by the famous rapper Eminem. It focuses on insults aimed at fellow rappers.
Selling several million copies, the album won 2 Grammy Awards and 4 MTV Video Music Awards.
Eminem is a solo artist who rarely collaborates with other artists. Moreover, in Kamikaze, all 13 tracks are his singles.
The album debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 in 2018 and is currently at number 36.
Kamikaze is one of Eminem’s best-selling albums, with 434,000 units sold, including 252,000 traditional album sales.
It has more than 225 million streams on Spotify, making it one of the legendary albums of all time.
1. All Eyez on Me By Tupac
When discussing the all-time best rap albums, it’s not surprising that Tupac’s All Eyez on Me is at number one.
Moreover, this double album serves as the first two albums of Tupac Shakur’s three-album contract with Suge Knight.
After Shakur’s passing, the album won the 1997 Soul Train Music Award for Rap Album of the Year.
Tupac is known for many hit rap songs, including tracks from this chart-topping album.
Selling more than five million copies within its first year of release, it’s one of the biggest sales of all other albums of Tupac.
The album’s tracks average up to 330,053 daily streams, with more than 6 million on Spotify.
