The 25 Best New Rappers of the Decade

Someone; and when I say someone, I mean a shit ton of fucking people... any way... someone once said that hip hop was dead.  They were super fucking wrong.  From 1998-2008, a whole bunch of really average hip hop was made, along with some really great hip hop.  But, in the last few years, hip hop has been through a Renaissance, which has brought some incredible new talent to the game.  This is the 25 best new artists of the decade, (2010-beyond), according to I; your master. 

***with the exception of Wale, (because that's a hell of an exception) all artists on this list have only released studio albums since 2010.

So, let's get into it.. by immediately pissing everyone off the Kendrick Lamar isn't number one...

1.  J.COLE

J.Cole thinks he let Nas down with the crossover hit "Work Out" from his debut album.  Perhaps he did let Nas down.  But without that record, J.Cole might not have ever gotten around to putting out "Born Sinner" this year.  J.Cole is a deep thinker, it comes out in his rhymes.  He knows that being materialistic has its price. He pays it, and he isn't afraid to admit it.  When he raps, it's the truth.  It's the obvious truth, why else would he say it?   That's the reaction he evokes.  Not many rappers have done that, not even Nas.  J.Cole has the character to go along with the skills.  That is what makes great MC's.  If J.Cole can stay on his current path, he will go down as one of the greatest MC's of all time.

CHOICE TRACK : "CROOKED SMILE"

2.  KENDRICK LAMAR

Kendrick Lamar doesn't really need to be explained to anyone reading this.  "Section.80" is one of the greatest mixtapes of the decade, and "Good Kid MAAD City" is one of the greatest albums of the decade.  Kendrick has one of the most technically impressive deliveries of our time. But when you examine his lyrics, there is often a lack of profoundness. There is something missing at the very core of Kendrick Lamar's lyrics; and it's what the rapper at #1 on this list has plenty of: passion.

CHOICE TRACK : A.D.H.D.

3.  DRAKE

It doesn't seem like Drake is a new rapper anymore. It's hard to imagine someone who released their first album just over three years ago could already be arguably the biggest name in music. Notice, I didn't say hip hop... I said music. "Thank Me Later" was the introduction.  "Take Care" was the classic record. "Nothing Was The Same" seems to be the interlude.  The man just put out his third album 2 weeks ago and people are already speculating about his fourth. He is polarizing within groups of hip hop heads.  He can be introspective, but also shallow. One thing is for sure, he is an original and already considered among the greatest to ever do it.

CHOICE TRACK : "HEADLINES"

4.  MACKLEMORE

Macklemore is walking a fine line between greatness and gimmick. Anyone who has followed his career since it's early days knows that he is great, but his claim to fame was a YouTube sensation.  Following "Thrift Shop" with the likes of "Can't Hold Us," "Same Love," and now "White Walls" has hopefully shown that Macklemore is just as versatile and interesting as the production from his partner Ryan Lewis.  Macklemore is pushing peoples buttons in ways few have before him. But he is also making music that few can make.  That ought to be a recipe for continued success.

CHOICE TRACK : "WINGS"

5.  AB-SOUL

Ab-Soul spits far-out rhymes about down to earth subject matter.  He rivals his label mate Kendrick Lamar in lyrics, but could use some work on his delivery.  "Control System" was a great album, minus some filler, and the future could hold big things for Ab, especially with Kendrick's meteoric rise last year. 

CHOICE TRACK :  "TERRORIST TREATS" feat. Danny Brown

6.  BIG K.R.I.T.

Sometimes, Big K.R.I.T. sounds like the resurrected soul of Pimp C. Other times, he sounds like a southern reincarnation of Tupac Shakur. And that's really what his style boils down to: the best of a pimp and the best of a poet. If he can find a way to break through, he could become a true legend of the south

CHOICE TRACK : "DREAMIN'"

7.  GRIEVES

Grieves signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2010. He had previously spent time on a record label that was going nowhere, headed up by the always short of success Mac Lethal.  Rhymesayers was the better fit, and "Together/Apart" proved that Grieves belonged on the indie mainstay.

CHOICE TRACK : "BLOODY POETRY"

8.  WIZ KHALIFA

Wiz Khalifa is not a gifted lyricist. Neither was Snoop Dogg.  The comparisons between the two have been countless, rightfully so. What Snoop did for gangster rap in 1993, making it accessible to the mainstream, is what Wiz did for stoner rap in 2011 and 2012. For that, he deserves all props given.

CHOICE TRACK : "WORK HARD PLAY HARD"

9.  WALE

Wale released his debut album "Attention Deficit" in November of 2009. That technically disqualifies him for this list. However, that Wale and the Wale that resides on MMG and released "Ambition" and "The Gifted" are quite different.  The move to MMG was brilliant, because it made Wale a name in mainstream hip hop. It made it possible for Wale to become a household name, though he has yet to actually become one.  Once he does, we may see him on some "greatest of all time" lists.

CHOICE TRACK: "LOVE HATE THING"

10.  CHILDISH GAMBINO

Childish Gambino, a.k.a. Donald Glover, is an actor turned rapper who is most famous as Troy Barnes on the TV show Community.  His debut album, "Camp" was anything but.  Gambino makes fun music with sensitive overtones. He is Drake for Internet nerds.  As long as YouTube and Facebook remain the stomping grounds for hip hop fans, Gambino will remain relevant and should keep getting bigger and better.

CHOICE TRACK : "BONFIRE"

11.  DANNY BROWN

Danny Brown can be hard to love. I was not only late to the bandwagon, I'm still not really even on it. "Old" is a really solid album. "XXX" has some really good tracks. But my question is still, is Danny Brown for real?

CHOICE TRACK : "GROWN UP"

12.  A$AP ROCKY

A$AP Rocky has grown on me considerably since he first arrived on the scene.  Like Big Sean, he suffers from not being able to write honest lyrics.  But the thing that makes Rocky better than Sean is the fact that he owns it.  Once you own it, it becomes timeless because you become timeless (see Notorious B.I.G.).

CHOICE TRACK : "GOLDIE"

13.  PROF

You may not know who Prof is, but those who do probably think that he belongs higher.  The issue with Prof is that he may just never break through to any level higher than he already has.  His fans are fans of Atmosphere, not Drake or A$AP.  If he doesn't make a name outside of the Rhymesayers nation of fans, he may never make much of an impact, regardless of his impeccable wit, charisma, and skill on the mic.

CHOICE TRACK : "MYSELF"

14.  BIG SEAN

Big Sean is a very talented rapper, and he's from my home state, a big plus.  Big Sean has shown us that he can make hit records, catchy singles, and tight posse cuts... But he hasn't shown us that he can make great songs. There is nothing transcendent or timeless about the records that he makes. He will never have a classic album or a classic song until he learns how to be something other than a prototype.

CHOICE TRACK : "GUAP"

15.  YELAWOLF

Drawing comparisons from other white rappers would sell Yelawolf quite short.  He is completely unique and stands on his own just fine. It looked like he was on his way, but he seems to be prepared to spend the rest of his career underground, unless Mr. Mathers decides to revive it.

CHOICE TRACK : "HARD WHITE (UP IN THE CLUB"

16.  MEEK MILL

Meek Mill raps like it's the last time he'll ever record a verse-- every time he records a verse. MMG is probably the perfect home for him, he is too talented for anything lesser, but too unpolished for anything greater.  He's 50 Cent before the bullet wounds.

CHOICE TRACK : "BURN" feat Big Sean

17.  2 CHAINZ

2 Chainz, the literal rapper, is not on this list.  2 Chainz, the culture icon and irony prop, is on this list. In my opinion, 2 Chainz is cheekier than you think.

CHOICE TRACK : "BIRTHDAY SONG" feat Kanye West

18.  ACTION BRONSON

Action Bronson is a beast, quite literally. He is ferocious on the mic, and perfectly willing to bounce at his own concert (see YouTube).  The unfortunate fact that he sounds just like Ghostface Killah may keep him from ever breaking through to the mainstream. And I don't mean that it's because he sounds like Ghostface as in he jacked his style, I mean that it's because he sounds like Ghostface as in the mainstream public doesn't really listen to Ghostface. You know?

CHOICE TRACK : "BRUNCH"

19.  EARL SWEATSHIRT

Earl Sweatshirt: better than Tyler the Creator, but worse than (almost) everyone else on this list.  I have him here because of his potential and/or the impact that his hype has had on hip hop in the last year. In some peoples eyes (like mine) Earl is too young to be judged solely on his skills and lyrics.  It just so happens that neither of those are bad.  They aren't that great, either. He is an above average rapper who has everything needed to become great. The hype around him is grand. Some think he has lived up to the hype with his debut album "Doris."  I am not one of those people. With time, Earl, with time. Maybe.

CHOICE TRACK : "CHUM"

20.  Hopsin

Hopsin sounds like vintage Eminem mixed with vintage Esham.  If you're from southern Michigan, that's really all you should need to hear about him.

CHOICE TRACK : "SAG MY PANTS"

21.  JOEY BADA$$

Joey Bada$$ feels like a throwback, but may actually be way ahead of his time.  At a time when the likes of Earl sweatshirt and J.Cole are being crowned as the Nas's of our generation, Joey Badass might be the real thing, just a better version. That may be blasphemous to say; but Joey seems to be smarter and more introspective than his legendary counterpart.  I am certainly not trying to say that right now he is even close to being as good as Nas, but in 10 years, if he is still around. I think we may be having this conversation-- for real.

CHOICE TRACK : "95 TIL INFINITY"

22.  CHANCE THE RAPPER

Earlier this year, Chance the Rapper put out one of the best mixtapes of the last five years: "Acid Rap."  He is 2013's critic darling, and smacks of Childish Gambino, B.o.B., and Danny Brown: not a bad combination.

CHOICE TRACK : "JUICE"

23.  CURREN$Y

Curren$y has been rapping for over a decade.  It wasn't until 2010, with "Pilot Talk," that he became a well known solo artist. He seems to be satisfied with making his money by touring and appearing as a guest artist on others albums.  He isn't the best rapper around, but no one could say he's not a good rapper. He has a cult following and a fine ability to paint pictures with words.

CHOICE TRACK : "JET LIFE" feat Wiz Khalifa and Big KRIT

24.  TYLER, THE CREATOR

Tyler, the creator sprang onto the scene with an incredible video for "Yonkers."  His ability to create a visual far exceeds his ability to create a great song, which is his greatest setback.  I'm interested in finding out what  Tyler the Creator will look like in three years, but for now he is a semi-talented rapper and an immensely talented artist.  If he can outgrow himself, like most us already have, he could become great.

CHOICE TRACK : "YONKERS" (duh)

25.  RITTZ

Rittz is easy to write off as gimmicky or cliche-- just by looking at him. However, he is highly skilled on the mic. He has a rapid fire technique similar to Twista and his strange music collaborator, Tech N9ne.  Rittz was introduced to us as a collaborator and friend of Yelawolf. At first, his quick delivery seems to be making up for a lack of substance, but there really is some poetry in his lyrics. His debut album, "The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant" is excellent, and also one of the breakout hip hop albums of 2013.

CHOICE TRACK : "FOR REAL"