More than 25 lists were aggregated to determine the best rap albums of all time. All albums which made at least 2 lists and/or won at least one “album of the year” award were than ranked according to their overall points in Dave’s Music Database (which factors in all-genre best-of lists, chart figures, sales, awards, and album ratings).
Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here.
1. Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
2. Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
3. Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
4. Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
5. Eminem The Eminem Show (2002)
6. Kendrick Lamar Damn. (2017)
7. OutKast OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
8. Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill (1986)
9. N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1989)
10. Kanye West The College Dropout (2004)
11. Kendrick Lamar Good Kid m.A.A.d. City (2012)
12. M.C. Hammer Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em (1990)
13. Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
14. OutKast Stankonia (2000)
15. Dr. Dre The Chronic (1992)
16. Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique (1989)
17. Jay-Z The Blueprint (2001)
18. De La Soul 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
19. 50 Cent Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (2003)
20. Eminem Recovery (2010)
21. Drake Views (2016)
22. Fugees The Score (1996)
23. Eminem Curtain Call: The Hits (compilation: 1999-2005, charted 2005)
24. Kanye West Late Registration (2005)
25. DJ Shadow Endtroducing… (1996)
26. Drake Take Care (2011)
27. Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell (1986)
28. Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) (1993)
29. Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
30. Eric B. & Rakim Paid in Full (1987)
31. A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory (1991)
32. Nas Illmatic (1994)
33. Eminem/various artists 8 Mile (soundtrack, 2002)
34. Snoop Doggy Dogg Doggystyle (1993)
35. The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die (1994)
36. Eminem The Slim Shady LP (1999)
37. Kanye West Graduation (2007)
38. Drake Scorpion (2018)
39. Eminem Encore (2004)
40. Vanilla Ice To the Extreme (1990)
41. Kanye West Yeezus (2013)
42. Madvillain Madvillainy (2004)
43. Lil Wayne Tha Carter III (2008)
44. 50 Cent The Massacre (2005)
45. Beastie Boys Ill Communication (1994)
46. Nelly Nellyville (2002)
47. Jay-Z The Black Album (2003)
48. Nelly Country Grammar (2000)
49. Tupac Shakur (2pac) All Eyez on Me (1996)
50. Cardi B Invasion of Privacy (2018)
51. The Notorious B.I.G. Life after Death (1997)
52. Post Malone Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019)
53. Black Eyed Peas Monkey Business (2005)
54. Drake If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (2015)
55. Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 2 (2014)
56. Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
57. OutKast Aquemini (1998)
58. Nicki Minaj Pink Friday (2010)
59. Post Malone Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018)
60. Jay-Z & Kanye West Watch the Throne (2011)
61. DMDB: J. Dilla Donuts (2006)
62. Run-D.M.C. Run-D.M.C. (1984)
63. Arrested Development 3 Years, 5 Months, & 2 Days in the Life of… (1992)
64. Will Smith Big Willie Style (1997)
65. Eminem Relapse (2009)
66. Tupac (2pac) Shakur Me Against the World (1995)
67. Lil Nas X Montero (2021)
68. A Tribe Called Quest People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990)
69. Beastie Boys Check Your Head (1992)
70. The Game The Documentary (2005)
71. Tyler, the Creator Call Me if You Get Lost (2021)
72. Dr. Dre 2001 (1999)
73. Beastie Boys Hello Nasty (1998)
74. Boogie Down Productions Criminal Minded (1987)
75. Pop Smoke Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020)
76. Jay-Z The Blueprint 3 (2009)
77. Nicki Minaj Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012)
78. Puff Daddy & the Family No Way Out (1997)
79. Tyler, the Creator Igor (2019)
80. Chance the Rapper Coloring Book (2016)
81. Cypress Hill Cypress Hill (1991)
82. Common Be (2005)
83. T.I. Paper Trail (2008)
84. Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt (1996)
85. Jay-Z Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life (1998)
86. Nelly Suit (2004)
87. LL Cool J Radio (1985)
88. A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders (1993)
89. T.I. King (2006)
90. Kanye West 808’s and Heartbreak (2008)
91. Cypress Hill Black Sunday (1993)
92. J. Cole 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014)
93. Kris Kross Totally Krossed Out (1992)
94. Ice Cube AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1999)
95. D12 D12 World (2004)
96. OutKast ATLiens (1996)
97. DMX It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998)
98. Tupac Shakur (as Makaveli) The Don illuminati – The 7 Day Theory (1996)
99. Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Forever (1997)
100. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis The Heist (2012)
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First posted 7/17/2011; last updated 4/19/2022. |
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