In each decade for hip-hop there have been some transcendent projects that are/will go down as all-time greats. The 90s may be the 10-year run in a lot of hip-hop heads' eyes with MCs like 2Pac, Biggie, DMX, Eminem, JAY-Z, Nas, and others delivering timeless records.
There are honestly compelling arguments to be made for each decade, though. While it may be too early to make one for the 2020s, its certainly gotten off to a strong start. Modern-day stars like JID, Freddie Gibbs, Pusha T, billy woods, Westside Gunn, and Kendrick Lamar have all contributed greatly.
But out of all of the years completed during this stretch, Joey Bada$$ believes that 2025 is already the strongest. Overall, it's an interesting take, especially considering that we still have three months to go. He shared his thoughts on Brian B.Dot's podcast Cover Lines, listing off all of the quality we've received to back up his stance.
"We got two Westside Gunn joints. We got JID, Clipse doing the reunion joint, Larry June & 2 Chainz, Chance the Rapper... Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist..." All of these artists' tapes this year have been strong, so it's not too far-fetched for Joey to feel this way.
Clipse's Let God Sort Em Out, is certainly a contender for best album this decade.
Joey Bada$$ Lonely At The Top
That's quite the feat considering they went 15 years without releasing an album. Moreover, it received great support from the community, debuting within the top 10 on the Hot 200. It did so selling over 110,000 units as well.
Now, Joey Bada$$ could be a little biased as his record, Lonely At The Top, also released in 2025. But he didn't mention his album once in this clip.
But immediately, its hard to definitively say which year in the 2020s has been the best without doing a proper deep dive and full analysis.
Lonely At The Top could sway some fans' views on 2025 when it's all said done, though. The reviews from fans were largely positive despite some inconsistent feedback from critics. However, in the same breath, it also failed to chart on the Hot 200, selling less than 9,000 copies.
Sales don't mean everything, but they do reflect on the genre's staying power and dominance over the music market.
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