By Logan Staska

Music plays a major role in all our lives. Whether it was getting hyped before a sports game or wanting to relax while you play videogames, music was a to go to for many of us. 

So, while we are in the early stages of the new year, let’s look back at those hit songs by our favorite rappers and the songs that got us through the past decade.

2010 was responsible for some of our desired rap songs and party hits. One of the most notorious rap albums of all time is My Beautiful and Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West.

This famous record had features such as Kid Cudi, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj. Selling 496,000 copies, this album still plays a major role in many of our lives to this day.

One of the most requested songs at parties and school events like homecoming and prom also came out in 2010.

That song is No Hands by Waka Flocka Flame. This song is favored by many.

Thank Me Later by Drake was also a major part of the 2010s. This album got 447,000 sales making it Drakes first number 1 album.

Even in 2011 Kanye West and Jay-Z were still delivering to us giving us their collab album Watch the Throne.

With Kanye’s amazing production and Jay-Z brilliant lyricism it makes it a classic album that brought in 436,000 album sales.

Along with Kanye West, Drake also brought another classic album in 2011 known as Take Care.

With Thank Me Later attracting so many new Drake fans the third studio album by drake got 631,000 first week sales.

Other albums that were released in 2011 were Live. Love. ASAP by A$AP Rocky, Cole World: The Sideline by J. Cole, Tha Carter IV by Lil Wayne, and Goblin by Tyler the Creator.

The most famous album from the 2012’s is good kid M.A.A.D city by Kendrick Lamar.

This record topped off at number 2 on Billboards 200 and in its first week it sold 242,000 copies.

Many people consider this album to be one of the greatest rap albums of all time.

Based on A T.R.U Story was also one of the more famous rap albums to come to the 2012’s.

The Album isn’t currently as popular as good kid MA.A.D city but it still has classic tracks that is still being played today.

Starships” by Nicki Minaj, Love Sosa by Chief keef, and Mercy by Kanye West were some other songs from 2012 that were blowing up the charts.

2013 didn’t disappoint with hit albums and songs either.

Yeezus is Kanye West’s most idiosyncratic album by having more unique sounding beats.

Many people thought it was Ye’s first “bad” album and due to that factor, it had his lowest first week sales at 327,000.

But it later grew on many people and for some becoming their favorite Ye album.

Nothing Was the Same by Drake was also released in 2013 and this album blew up on the billboards.

In the first week it debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200.

His first week sales were 658,000 copies. LONG. LIVE. ASAP by A$AP Rocky was another major part of 2013.

It had a lower count of first week sales topping off at 139,000 but it also debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200.

One of the biggest hit songs of 2013 was Rap God by Eminem.

With this song, Eminem set the record for fastest rap song averaging at 4.28 words a second.

2014 was kind of a drought year for rap albums with the only significant rap album being 2014 Forest Hill Drive by J. Cole.

This album is responsible for one of the greatest songs of the decade being No Role Modelz.

However, singles made 2014 with many singles like, No Type by Rae Sremmurd, Anaconda by Nicki Minaj, and We Dem Boyz by Wiz Khalifa.

2015 made up for lack of songs in 2014. In 2015 trap music became mainstream and many more trap artist were starting to get noticed.

One of the biggest trap albums of all time is Rodeo by Travis Scott. This album had many different sounds in the record.

Songs like 90210 being a slower moving song and more of a vibe song, unlike songs like 3500 also on the album.

Rodeo debuted at number 3 on US Billboards 200 and 85,000 units sold.

Other trap albums that came out of 2015 was DS2 by Future, SremmLife by Rae Sremmurd, and the Barter 6 by Young Thug; Young Thug became mainstream from this album and his rise to fame started here.

Drake, who is a more melodic and flow rapper, also got snatched into the trap music wave by releasing If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.

He also collaborated with famous trap artist Future to create What a Time to be Alive.

Kendrick Lamar was able to prove why he is one of the best rappers of all time in 2015 by releasing To Pimp a Butterfly.

This album, which imitates the sound of the 90’s, was the biggest album of 2015. Kendrick tackled topics in the album such as racism, police brutality, and many other controversial topics.

This record won 5 out of the 7 Grammys it qualified for including Best Rap Album of the Year.

The fact Kendrick Lamar was able to come out on top in a trap music era proves why he is one of the best.

Fetty Wap had one of the greatest years for an artist in 2015 with the release of Trap Queen in 2014.

This hit song was one of everyone’s favorite in the summer of 2015 and almost everywhere you went you would hear it.

Every single year carried its weight furthering the evolution of hip hop in the last decade, however when you ask someone about their favorite year of rap music, they’ll most likely say it is 2016.

The Sound Cloud era started in 2016. Sound Cloud is a website and app where you can listen to music and create your own tracks and hope they blow up.

The first artist that comes to mind when you think about Sound Cloud is Lil Uzi Vert.

With hit songs like You Was Right, Canadian Goose, Money Longer it’s easy to say that Uzi is one of the most influential Sound Cloud Rappers.

Trap music kept getting more mainstream each single year and one reason it’s in the place where it is now is because of the large variety of trap albums released in 2016.

Young Thug released three albums alone with Jeffery, Slime Season 3, and I’m Up.

Other artist that released a major album is Travis Scott with Birds in the Trap and 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s collab album Savage Mode.

Not only did trap artist thrive in 2016 but it was a major year for rappers like Kanye West with the release of the Life of Pablo, Views by Drake, and Untitled Unmastered by Kendrick Lamar.

Lil Yachty also thrived in 2016 by release his major hit songs One Night and Minnesota. Dram also had Lil Yachty featured on one of the biggest songs of 2016 called Broccoli.

Major songs to come out in 2016 were Black Beatles by Rae Sremmurd, No Problem by Chance the Rapper, Congratulations by Post Malone, and Bad and Boujee by Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert.

2017 is also a year that many say is one of the greatest years for rap music. Kendrick Lamar released his hit album DAMN. which won a Grammy and holds two of his biggest songs in history which are Humble. and DNA.

Along with non-trap artist like Kendrick Lamar, other rappers that dropped where Tyler the Creator with Flower Boy, and Jay-Z with 4:44.

Trap artist had a major role in 2017 with Migos releasing their hit album Culture and Without Warning with bars from 21 Savage along with Migos Offset and Metro Boomin Producing.

2 Chainz also came through with Pretty Girls Like Trap Music and Beautiful Thugger Girls by Young Thug.

Lil Uzi Vert was one of the most successful rappers in 2017 with the release of Luv is Rage 2.

This album holds majority of his top tracks such as The Way Life Goes, Dark Queen, 20 Min and of course his most famous song in his discography, XO Tour Lif3.

This song alone has 1.3 billion streams.

Lil Uzi Vert opened the gates to the sound cloud era letting in artist like Playboi Carti, Ski Mask the Slump God, and XXXtentacion.

Playboi Carti came out with his self-titled mixtape, that holds classic songs Magnolia, Location, and WokeUpLikeThis.

Ski Mask the Slump God and XXXtentacion where a great duo and even alone they were great with Ski Mask the Slump God releasing Catch Me Outside and X releasing 17 his album that had songs like Jocelyn Flores and Save Me.

Songs that came out in 2017 include Bank Account by 21 Savage, Ric Flair Drip by Metro Boomin and Offset from Migos, I Spy by Kyle and Lil Yachty, Roll in Peace by Kodak Black featuring XXXTentacion, and Bounce Back by Big Sean.

As 2018 rolled in, a new star was brought through the gates of Sound Cloud known as Juice Wrld.

His fame grew from his two songs All Girls Are the Same and Lucid Dreams blowing up and thanks to the help of Cole Bennet from Lyrical Lemonade, his career was able to erupt.

He released his debut Album Goodbye and Good Riddance on May 23rd of 2018.

Another artist who released their debut album was producer Metro Boomin with Not All Heroes Were Capes.

This album featured, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Kodak Black, Swae Lee, Drake, Gunna, and of course his partner in crime, 21 Savage.

Kanye West was busy in 2018 releasing both his collab album with Kid Cudi Kids See Ghost and YE.

The biggest trap albums to come out of 2018 are, Astroworld by Travis Scott, Die Lit by Playboi Carti, Drip Harder by Lil Baby and Gunna, and I Am > I Was by 21 Savage.

Other notable albums are KOD by J. Cole, Swimming by Mac Miller, ? by XXXTentacion, and Tha Carter V by Lil Wayne.

As for singles in 2018, that would go to Drake. He released some of the greatest rap songs which are Gods Plan, Nonstop, I’m Upset and Nice for What.

Other singles that came out in 2018 are SAD by XXXTentacion, ZEZE by Kodak Black featuring Offset and Travis Scott, Mo Bomba by Sheck Wes, and Praise the Lord by A$AP Rocky.

2019 wasn’t impactful as other years in albums. Tyler the Creator released his number 1 album IGOR on May 17th in 2019.

Other albums to mention are Death Race for Love by Juice Wrld, So Much Fun by Young Thug, The Lost Boy by Cordae, and Drip or Drown 2 by Gunna.

Singles in 2019 where amazing for the year with every month having a new hit song by new artist that rose to the top of the charts.

Suge by DaBaby was a hit in the summer of 2019 along with other songs like Ransom by Lil Tecca, Highest in the Room by Travis Scott, and Shotta Flow by NLE Choppa.

Even though everything was shut down in 2020, that didn’t stop rappers from hitting the studio.

Lil Uzi Vert came back to rapping with his long-awaited album Eternal Atake released March 6th.

Along with Uzi, Playboi Carti came back from a long wait without music with first the single @Meh and then towards the end of the year he released “Whole Lotta Red”. This Album was considered terrible on release day but as fans kept listening it tend to grow on them.

Other albums that came out in 2020 were, The Goat by Polo G, My Turn by Lil Baby, Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs, Wunna by Gunna, and Savage Mode 2 by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin.

Two of the biggest albums in 2020 where unfortunately post humous albums being Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon by Pop Smoke and Legends Never Die by Juice Wrld.

Some major songs of 2020 that came out where What’s Poppin by Jack Harlow, The Box by Roddy Ricch, Life is Good by Future and Drake, and The Scotts by Travis Scott and Kid Cudi.

2021 was another good year of music with Drake and Kanye West battling over who has the number one album.

Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Kanye’s Donda where a huge argument between fans.

Eventually Ye and Drake called it truths making the fans start to mutually respect each other after defending their star rapper.

Other albums that released in 2021 are Call me if You Get Lost by Tyler the Creator, The Off-Season by J. Cole, Punk by Young Thug, and the Melodic Blue by Kendrick Lamar’s cousin, Baby Keem. Lil Nas X was a major part of 2021 making two hit songs in 2021.

Industry Baby with Jack Harlow and Montero where some of the biggest songs in 2021 becoming Tik Tok hits.

Other singles that were released are Wants and Needs by Drake and Lil Baby, Rapstar by Polo G, EVERY CHANCE THAT I GET by DJ Khaled with Lil Baby and Lil Durk, and Family Ties by Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar.

With 2022 already being here and many more years near, it’s always nice to look back at the songs, albums, and rappers that got us and music to the place we are at today.