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The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979 PART 5

The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979

The rapper who stole each year, from the first year of recorded hip-hop until now.

BY INSANUL AHMED,DAVID DRAKE,NOAH CALLAHAN-BEVER,CHRISTINE WERTHMAN,ERNEST BAKER,ROB KENNER,FRAZIER THARPE,DAMIEN SCOTT,BRENDAN KLINKENBERG,ROSS SCARANO

2006: LIL WAYNE

CREDENTIALS: 2005's Tha Carter II, Like Father, Like Son, Dedication 2, barrage of guest verses including "Gimmie That," "Make It Rain," and "You"

At the tail end of 2005, Lil Wayne dropped his best solo LP, Tha Carter II. The album featured a cut called "Best Rapper Alive," which seemed like another empty boast, but Wayne wasn't being cocky—he just realized his arrival before the rest of us did. After Tha Carter II, Weezy started his absolutely ridiculous run, highlighted by Dedication 2 and his joint album with Birdman, Like Father, Like Son, both of which featured some of the best rapping of his soon-to-be illustrious career.

More importantly, his mastery on the mic gave him the confidence to feel his way through any beat and interact with it as he saw fit. Once he started experimenting with more and more styles, the results were fascinating. It wasn't obvious then, but in retrospect he laid the groundwork for everyone's favorite version of Tunechi: Coke Rapper Weezy, Drugged-Out Weezy, Mainstream Weezy, Mixtape Weezy, etc. With confidence came comfort, and with comfort Wayne's personality shined through as he talked more about his love of SportsCenter, motorcycles, and all things New Orleans. His rhymes made him famous, but his "Murder the adults and let the kids get adopted" approach to fame made him a superstar.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: T.I., Pusha T, Lupe Fiasco
None of that should take anything away from T.I., who had a nearly flawless year as well. Despite his great output since 2003, T.I. always had an issue with finding the right balance between street anthems and pop hits (or as he put it, "T.I. vs TIP"). Prior to King he often leaned too far into the streets—despite his penchant for Billboard hits, songs like "You Don't Know Me" didn't quite cross over the way they should have. His later hits like "Live Your Life" were massive but leaned too far into pop territory. But 2006's "What You Know" struck the perfect balance, as did his album King. Still, even if T.I. was the King of the South, he wasn't the Best Rapper Alive.

However, Pusha T might have been the Best Coke Rapper Alive. Whatever it lacked in commercial appeal, Hell Hath No Fury made up for in cold, mechanical raps. Pusha iced every one of his bars with detached debauchery and delivered them like he was about to hawk a loogie. The keys had opened doors, and suddenly King Push had hit the coke rap zenith.

On the other end of the spectrum, Lupe Fiasco followed up his Fahrenheit 1/15 mixtape trilogy with his well-received debut, Food & Liquor. He might have been a newcomer, but as his impressive debut proved, he could tell engrossing stories with pinpoint precision, adjust his cadence ever so slightly to give his words greater weight, and still sell a modest amount of records. He not only kicked first-rate rhymes but pushed an image of a rapper more akin to Kanye than 50 Cent. A trend that would soon gain more momentum. —Insanul Ahmed

2007: KANYE WEST

CREDENTIALS: Graduation, beats 50 Cent in highly publicized sales battle, drops several huge hits, "Can't Tell Me Nothing," "Stronger," "Good Life," and "Homecoming"

Kanye West's career had been building toward this moment all along. By 2007, the stars had aligned and Yeezy became the epicenter of hip-hop, both sonically and artistically. Despite releasing two stellar albums in 2004 and 2005, he was seen as a great producer and great songmaker but never a great MC. During the years when the rap zeitgeist was playing limbo with coke rappers, mixtape runs, and ringtone rap, Yeezy raised the bar up and got his bars up.

His humor was still present as he spit the most Kanye line ever: "I'm like the fly Malcolm X, buy any jeans necessary." The real change was in Yeezy's now fluent delivery. No longer did he flub verses with over exposition. Whatever his words lacked in humility they made up for in maturity. His vocal performance was now poised and patient, characteristics best seen on cuts like "Flashing Lights," where he employed a delicate nuance to his rhymes where a younger Kanye might have gone for a ham-fisted approach.

Beyond his flow, 'Ye dropped his best songs ever, "Can't Tell Me Nothing," and finally found what he always sorely lacked: a true street anthem. With "Stronger," Yeezy scored arguably his biggest hit ever, another testament to his crossover appeal (and made Yeezy an early adapter to EDM).

Still, it felt like this was happening right under our noses. When Kanye got into a highly publicized sales battle with 50 Cent, many believed he stood no chance against Curtis. Little did they realize 50's antics were starting to feel like an old Biggie line: "Fuck that beef shit, that shit is played out." If you didn't initially feel the winds of change, then you got hit with the whirlwind of Graduation.

The album outsold 50's Curtis by a wide margin and not only proved Kanye was a cultural force but one who wasn't willing to settle. The guy that executives once told to stick to producing was now the Best Rapper Alive. Kanye must have realized it, too. As much as people think Kanye is obsessed with himself, in truth he's always been obsessed with challenging himself. That might have something to do with why, as soon as people finally accepted his rapping, he abandoned it to move on to singing.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Lil Wayne, Jay Z, André 3000
There was one incredibly frustrating thing about Graduation though: the Lil Wayne-assisted"Barry Bonds." Not because it was a bad song but because Kanye outrapped the previous Best Rapper Alive so badly it felt like Wayne took a dive. We only say that because otherwise Weezy killed it in '07, releasing about 100 songs.

The easy put down would have been "it was quantity over quality," but that's the thing about Wayne in his prime: Nearly everything he did was quality. There was always one random line or burst of flow that was worth hearing. The highlight was his spectacular double disc mixtape Da Drought 3, which found Wayne blacking out over one instrumental after another. The most significant cut was "Dough Is What I Got," which had him rapping over Jay Z's lackluster "Show Me What You Got." The song finally proved the claims Wayne had made in Complex the previous year: "I"m better than Jay Z."

Jay Z was having a resurgence of sorts as well. After seemingly losing a step after retiring and coming back with the disappointing Kingdom Come, Jay got inspired by the film American Gangster and dropped an album of the same name. He wasn't rapping about anything he hadn't rapped about 10 years before, but the fact that he found yet another way to say something we'd already heard and make it compelling remains one of his most under-appreciated achievements.

A slightly disappointing (in hindsight) event was the return of André 3000. 3 Stacks' comeback—highlighted by a series of memorable guest verses—was ultimately a tease for a solo project that never materialized. Still, you couldn't shake the feeling that every time he dropped a verse it became the most talked about 16 of any given moment. —Insanul Ahmed

2008: LIL WAYNE

CREDENTIALS: Tha Carter III, Dedication 3, four Top 20 singles off Tha Carter, "Love in This Club Part II," "My Life," "Can't Believe It," "Swagga Like Us," "Turnin' Me On"

Lil Wayne's commercial, creative and cultural ascent reached its peak in 2008, the year he became a true crossover star and, without question, the greatest rapper alive. It had been two years since his last album, but Weezy had flooded the industry, releasing a succession of hot street tapes and guest verses.

First, his guest verses: Lil Wayne was a scene-stealing rap star, making his mark on T.I.'s "Swagga Like Us," T-Pain's "Can't Believe It" (platinum) and Akon's "I'm So Paid" (platinum). He also made his mark on R&B, turning up on Keri Hilson's "Turnin' Me On," Lloyd's "Girls Around the World" and Usher's "Love in This Club II."

But it was his work as a solo artist that made the biggest mark. Wayne managed to drop one of the best 12 inches in history with "A Milli"/"Lollipop." The street single, "A Milli," was a triumph of production ingenuity and lyrical invention; it reached No. 6 on the Hot 100. His radio single, the Static Major–assisted "Lollipop," topped the pop charts, went five times platinum, and helped drive Carter III to 2.88 million in sales by the end of 2008, during one of the worst climates for selling records in industry history. Two other singles were released from this record; "Got Money"with T-Pain hit No. 10 and sold double platinum, while the platinum-selling "Mrs. Officer"reached No. 16.

By this point Weezy's claim to be the greatest living rapper on Tha Carter II no longer seemed nearly so audacious. Tha Carter III was released in June 2008, three years after his last LP. Despite taking a "break" from official releases, his album went three times platinum, opening at No. 1 on Billboard and selling more than 1 million copies in its first week. It became the rapper's best-selling album to that point. It was the first to reach 1 million in sales since The Massacre.

As impressive as the numbers were, though, what made Lil Wayne the greatest rapper alive in 2008 transcended popularity. He had broadened what was thought possible for a rapper. The boundaries of the genre were pushed to their logical breaking point. He was still rapping, retaining his innate cleverness and style, but had such intoxicated confidence that he didn't need to live by the formal limitations adhered to by lesser MCs. And then, not content to rest on his laurels, he released Dedication 3, another mixtape with DJ Drama, before the year let out.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: T.I., Young Jeezy, Kanye West
Wayne's competition in 2008, while strong, wasn't coming close. Despite the relative flop of T.I. vs. T.I.P. the previous year (not to mention his legal travails), Tip picked up where he left off with King and stepped up his pop appeal. "Whatever You Like" became T.I.'s first No. 1 single that year, surpassing "What You Know," which peaked at No. 3 in 2006. The album, Paper Trail, included two more major singles (including another No. 1 in "Live Your Life.")

Young Jeezy, in the meantime, released his strongest record since Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 with The Recession. It was his second No. 1 LP. He also appeared on Usher's "Love in This Club," which would also find the top spot. He didn't regain the widespread commercial appeal that he had on his debut record, but the album was a creative success, particularly after the disappointment of 2006's The Inspiration.

Kanye West had a fairly low-key year in 2008, but in the wake of Graduation's 2007 release, he remained one of hip-hop's biggest stars. His final single from Graduation, "Homecoming," was released, and he began working on his tortured melodic album 808s and Heartbreak. But as a rapper, he kept the flame alive with a series of hugely popular guest verses, appearing on Estelle's"American Boy," Young Jeezy's "Put On," and T.I.'s "Swagga Like Us." —David Drake

2009: JAY Z

CREDENTIALS: The Blueprint III, first No. 1 hit of his career, 11th No. 1 album

In the wake of Lil Wayne's utter domination of 2008, 2009 was, to say the least, a rebuilding year. Kanye had become an Auto-Tune performance artist. Lil Wayne began pushing his Young Money crew, and into the void came a rush of rookie artists from across the spectrum. Amidst all the confusion, a veteran stepped up and released the biggest single of his career.

When you're the best rapper alive, and you release your most successful single ever, it's hard for the mantle not to fall to you. While The Blueprint III may not have been a critical smash, the record was well-received, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard—Jay Z's 11th album to do so—and eventually going platinum. Hov also proved that he'd retained his nimble technical abilities; love it or hate it, he was still the most envied rapper in hip-hop.

Part of that was a result of his business moves. After appearing at the president's inauguration, Jay crossed over in a way no rapper had previously, unless you count Eazy-E's visit to the White House. He left his job as president of Def Jam and signed a $150 million deal with Live Nation to launch Roc Nation. But after all is said and done it all comes down to the music.

While his first single, "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" had some chart success (despite its obvious failings as prophecy), its follow-up singles were two of the biggest of Jay's career. "Run This Town" was a crossover smash, hitting No. 2 on the charts. Then the monster that was "Empire State of Mind" took over, becoming Jay's biggest-ever hit and sitting atop the Billboard charts for five consecutive weeks. There are few acts able to retain that level of success this deep into a career, but for Jay, even in the twilight era, consistency has been his trademark.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Kanye West, Drake, Gucci Mane
Kanye West had a relatively low-profile year, but made his impact felt in a burst of high-profile guest spots: "Knock You Down" with Keri Hilson, which peaked at No. 3 on Billboard, "Walking on the Moon" with The-Dream, "Make Her Say" with Kid Cudi, "Forever" with Drake, and a scene-stealing spot on Jay-Z's "Run This Town."

Drake, meanwhile, had begun to show signs that he was really about to be that successful. His So Far Gone EP was released in late 2009, and "Best I Ever Had" became his first legitimate smash, topping the hip-hop charts and reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100. "Successful," "Forever," and "I'm Goin In," all of which charted well, rounded out his accomplishments for the year, the first where it became evident that a star was born.

Rounding out the honorable mentions is Gucci Mane, easily the most prolific artist on this list. He rose up from his rabble-rousing grassroots, flooding the market without over-saturating it, releasing a handful of mixtapes that are now considered classics, including Writings on the Wall and Burrrprint: The Movie 3D, while his singles "Wasted" and "Lemonade" had considerable chart traction. —David Drake

2010: KANYE WEST

CREDENTIALS: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, G.O.O.D. Fridays series, guest spots on "Live Fast, Die Young," "Deuces Remix," and "Start It Up"

Can we get much higher? In 2010, Kanye West made a triumphant return to rapping full time. Lost in the hype of his post-Swiftgate comeback was the fact that Kanye wasn't just the best rapper alive but also the best rapper he's ever been. Yeezy reached the height of his technical proficiency. Gone were the pesky lapses of supreme competency where he uttered "Funny when you thought of them but only to you" type lines. Instead it was all genuine wit with rhymes like "Got caught with 30 rocks the cop looked like Alec Baldwin."

Instead of imploding within the glass house of his fame (as many thought he would/already had) he furnished his persona with even more honesty and soul-searching to create one of the most vivid portraits of superstardom rap had ever seen. Ye's G.O.O.D. Friday releases kept him consistently anticipated week to week, and when My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy finally did arrive it was hailed as an instant classic and arguably Kanye's best album.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Eminem
Ironically, despite rapping at a higher level throughout the year, the two best verses on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy weren't from Kanye. Instead, he was able to coax inspired performances from Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross, the latter of whom saw his growth as a rapper reach its apex on "Devil in a New Dress." Ross was never perceived as a great lyricist until Deeper Than Rap won him the award for Most Improved Rapper. But the nearly flawless Teflon Don—supercharged with the street anthem of the year "B.M.F."—saw Rozay's once sluggish elocution evolve into a fluid dynamo. The guy who was once clowned for rhyming "Atlantic" with "Atlantic" was suddenly keeping multis on deck with lines like, "Young and radical, methods are mathematical/I multiplied my money through different avenues."

Yet, the verse of the year belonged to Nicki Minaj, whose manic energy on "Monster" took her from buzzing to being invited on stage with Jay Z and Kanye West at Yankee Stadium. Chilling backstage while Jay, 'Ye, and Nicki performed "Monster," a rejuvenated Eminem was returning to the forefront of the rap conversation after kicking his drug habit, abandoning the accents, and dropping the well received Recovery. —Insanul Ahmed

2011: DRAKE

CREDENTIALS: Take Care, non-album cuts like "Club Paradise" and "Dreams Money Can Buy,"guest spots like "I'm on One," "Tony Montana (Remix)," and "Round of Applause"

Bill Simmons once called LeBron James the car wash "everything" package, saying, "You see an athlete get handed the 'everything' package maybe only five times in your life." Drake is like the LeBron of rap (albeit with more hair), and he can seemingly do anything: rap, sing, craft projects, create a soundscape, and drop meme-worthy lines.

When Drake emerged on the scene in 2009 he was more than just a rapper with crossover potential—just like LeBron is more than a 6'8" dude with a jump shot—he was a rapper with superstar potential. So Far Gone put Drake on the map in '09, and his 2010 debut album, Thank Me Later, was released in a stacked hip-hop year. But Drake didn't claim his championship ring until 2011 rolled around.

After the dust of 2010 settled, Drake unceremoniously started rolling out songs on his OVO blog. Every release, from "Dreams Money Can Buy" to "Club Paradise" to "Marvin's Room," instantly became an event—and some of the most discussed songs of the year. So much so that end-of-the-year Best of lists had to leave off Drake cuts, lest he overwhelm the lists by the sheer quantity of his quality output.

Drake was so hot he gave away that year's summer anthem and one of his best songs ever to DJ Khaled ("I'm on One") and it didn't even hurt the quality of his album, Take Care. Coming late that year, his sophomore set showed that Drizzy had many skills but his greatest gift was his ability to internalize his struggles and make them universal. Call it "emo" if you like, but feeling regret over a lost lover, feeling proud of your accomplishments, and feeling like you're the best but still have 10 years left is what we ought to expect from brash young men. With Take Care, we finally got to witness the full breadth of his undeniable talent. Suddenly, the throne was no longer for the taking.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Rick Ross, Jay Z, Kanye West
After ascending into the Best Rapper Alive conversation (to everyone's surprise) the year before, Rick Ross became a powerhouse in 2011. Similar to 50 Cent in 2004, Ross didn't put out a ton of solo material, but his Ashes to Ashes mixtape was released in the closing days of 2010 and carried into 2011 as he prepped Maybach Music Group's Self Made Vol. 1.

And yes, it is still Jay before 'Ye because even as Yeezy handled much of the Watch the Throne aesthetics and delivered some great verses, Kanye stepped aside as Jay bodied tracks like "Love You So," "Welcome to the Jungle," and "Who Gone Stop Me?" on his own. —Insanul Ahmed

2012: DRAKE

CREDENTIALS: 2011's Take Care, barrage of guest verses: "Stay Schemin'," "No Lie," "Amen,""Pop That," "Fuckin' Problems"

Even in an off year, Drake was on one. Take Care dropped late in 2011, so Drizzy was able to ride excellent singles like "HYFR," "Take Care," and "The Motto" in 2012, which made him a consensus pick for Best Rapper Alive honors by themselves. And even without those songs Drake was still an omnipotent force in hip-hop who dominated the rap conversation.

Jay Z once boasted, "For the right price I can even make yo shit tighter." In 2012, Drake didn't just make people's songs tighter, he became a kingmaker. Drizzy unleashed one monster guest verse after another and gave away Billboard hits that introduced buzzing artists to a wider audience. Rule of thumb: You're definitely in the Best Rapper Alive conversation if people will listen to any artist's song just because you're on it. And if you can make any song you're on a possible anthem, then you probably are the Best Rapper Alive.

There's a certain arrogance to the way Drizzy effortlessly bequeathed bangers to 2 Chainz, A$AP Rocky, and French Montana as if he had an endless stash of hits to give (who knows, maybe he does?). To understand his impact, consider that even throwaway lines like "Good ain't good enough" sparked intense debate about perceived shots at G.O.O.D. Music. More importantly, consider that if Drake had strapped together all his major guest verses and added a couple of strong solo cuts, he would've had a third album better than most rap releases last year.

Honorable Mentions: Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross
We have no knock against Kendrick Lamar but are obliged to point out that he was relatively quiet for most of 2012 before dropping good kid, m.A.A.d. city. However, last year more and more fans got hip to his stellar 2011 release, Section.80. Still, most were left wondering if K-Dot could pull off a classic debut. But more on that later.

Meanwhile, 2 Chainz' momentum from 2011's T.R.U. REALigion hit its mainstream peak in 2012 as casual fans got hip to "Spend It." Chainz also went on a guest verse killing spree, which reached its climax when he spit the verse of the year on G.O.O.D. Music's "Mercy" and had Kanye telling him to start charging 100K for a 16. You know you're having a special year when you not only spit the last verse on the premier posse cut but Kanye is the one who throws up the alley.

Although Rick Ross' album God Forgives, I Don't debuted at No. 1, it failed to deliver the goods. Not that it really mattered. Ross still ran the rap game with an iron fist and gave us Rich Forever, one of his best overall projects, at the top of the year. Still, for the first time since 2009, it felt like Rozay's reach wasn't continually expanding but contracting ever so slightly. —Insanul Ahmed

2013: KENDRICK LAMAR

CREDENTIALS: 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d city, guest verses for A$AP Rocky, Emeli Sandé, Young Jeezy, Jay Z got on the remix for "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe"

Kendrick Lamar spent most of 2012 crafting his masterful debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, before dropping it toward the end of the year. The release of good kid cemented Kendrick's status as the Best Rapper Alive and earned comparisons to other legends who jump-started their careers with unforgettable major-label debuts. It wasn't just a great album, it was a great conceptual album with a storyline throughout—a Herculean hip-hop feat.

As the critical praise poured in and K-Dot fans supported their artist—a music-biz mantra that's more often said than followed—a mainstream audience slowly started to appreciate this West Coast rapper with left-field sensibilities to the point where hip-hop as a whole started looking at him differently. Nowadays, any 16 Kendrick spits—whether it be on an A$AP Rocky record or a random Dido feature—is worth everybody's attention. Kendrick's breakthrough comes at a time when rap fans are inundated with new rappers who overpopulate the blog posts; the few who are worth the time rarely (if ever) fulfill the promise of their initial offerings. But Kendrick lives up to all the hype.

His current statue isn't best explained in his raps but by an image: The cover art to the Jay Z-assisted "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe (Remix)" featured a young Kobe standing next to an aging Jordan. No one thought the analogy was far off. Time for everybody to bow down to King Kendrick Lamar (ya bish)!

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Drake, Danny Brown, 2 Chainz
The year is still young. Will K-Dot's reign on top be shorter than leprechauns? For Drake, once again the throne is for the taking. His third album is on the way and songs like "Started From the Bottom" and "5 AM in Toronto" show that he can still turn it on like a light switch whenever he fancies.

At the other end of the spectrum is Danny Brown, who has little mainstream recognition but has slowly built himself into a premier underground rapper. Fans continue to catch on to his 2011 album, XXX, and he keeps slaughtering guest spots. 2 Chainz is still riding high off the success of his debut album and newfound fame—the question remains if he can maintain his momentum. —Insanul Ahmed

2014: NICKI MINAJ

CREDENTIALS: The Pinkprint, a stream of remixes and loosies, first female rapper in 56 years to have four No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart

“Now it’s me in my time, it’s just me in my prime.” That was the lie Nicki Minaj sold listeners on“I’m the Best,” the opening song on her 2010 debut album, Pink Friday. She was unmistakably good at the time, dropping one of the year’s best, if not the best, verses on Kanye West’s“Monster.” But Pink Friday was not a “mixtape Nicki” album, some one-note exercise in rappity-rap that could silence those who questioned her right to exist alongside her Cash Money brethren. Pink Friday … Roman Reloaded wasn’t that either, nor was The Re-Up, and even The Pinkprint refused to stay in a rap-only lane. Yet if by the end of 2014 you were still dissatisfied with Minaj’s rap output, still caught up waiting for the return of the mixtape messiah, then you just weren’t listening.

The Nicki Minaj who showed up to 2014 was battle-ready. Early on she took Young Thug’s“Danny Glover,” added bars as insulting as they were clever—“Hell of a livin’, you bitches on chitlins/When I come out of my mansion I sprinkle some bread to the pigeons”—and gave a second wind to a song from 2013. The vitriolic “Lookin’ Ass” was like duct tape over the mouths of anyone still crying for “mixtape Nicki,” and she hit with a closed fist on “Chiraq,” her flow low and measured. Even her sweetness was merely a means to hide something cantankerous as she nearly baby-talked the line “Wonder when they bite me/Do these bitches’ teeth hurt?” on the remix to Rae Sremmurd’s “No Flex Zone.” And of course, lest her lines were not enough to convince you that her value as a rapper had gone up, she had numbers for you, as she upped her "50K for a verse" on “Monster” to "$250,000 for a verse" on the remix to YG’s “My N***a.”

Minaj had already released an album’s worth of material by the time The Pinkprint came out in December, yet she still had more to say. On her third album, she balanced her talent boasts and sex metaphors with details of her broken relationship and family concerns. Yes, the majority of the hooks on these songs were sung, as most hooks are, and she was joined by pop artists likeBeyoncé and Ariana Grande, but Minaj used her verses to flaunt her versatility as a rapper. And instead of accomplishing that with fake voices and other gimmicks, she did it with varied flows, ranging from sing-song to pummeling, and lines as personal as they were provocative. She could go as pop as she wants, but for Minaj, it all returns to rap. Who knows what's next, but let 2014 be remembered as the year Roman retired, the wigs stayed in the box, and everyone learned that “mixtape Nicki” wasn’t back—she had never left. —Christine Werthman

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Drake, Young Thug, Killer Mike
While Nicki controlled the year with the buildup to her album The Pinkprint, her Young Money counterpart Drake did the same with nothing more than the OVO SoundCloud. Throughout the year Drake would swoop in, drop a new song (or several), and basically nothing else in hip-hop would matter for the next few days. Drake confidently enjoyed another year of his prime by effortlessly communicating success (and its perils) with candor and wit.

In 2014, Young Thug went from a rapper to watch out for, to the guy who might have his career derailed before it could even begin, to a full-blown star. As soon as 2013 songs “Danny Glover”and “Stoner” cemented themselves as early 2014 anthems, complicated label issues threatened Thug’s ascent. Thankfully, Birdman stepped in, Rich Gang was formed, and Thugger ruled the summer with his first Top 40 hit, “Lifestyle.” Although Rich Gang’s Tha Tour Part 1 is the full-length project to go along with all the buzz, it doesn’t capture Thug in all his glory (“Lifestyle” isn’t even on it). To understand Thugger's appeal look no further than his verse on T.I.’s “About the Money.” The verse is much like Thug himself—wildly original and bursting with offbeat energy—and culminates with the typical Thuggerism: “I'm going fishing with these little bitty shrimp dips.”

He didn’t have the radio hits, club anthems, or nearly as much output as the aforementioned artists, yet Killer Mike was one of the most important voices in hip-hop. It’s not that Mike was that much better a rapper this year than in years past—he’s always been good. However, the stars finally aligned for critical darlings like Run the Jewels thanks to lackluster major label rap releases. With the #BlackLivesMatter movement taking off with nationwide protests against an unjust justice system, Mike’s furious delivery and intricate rhyme schemes became the soundtrack for a revolutionary mindstate. —Insanul Ahmed