2011 was a good (if not great) year for Hip Hop, and if you were able to ignore the mainstream there was plenty of diversity and quality in terms of albums released. Pop rappers like Drake, Lil Wayne, and Wiz Kalifa all had multi-platinum sellers, as did Jay-Z and Kanye West with their Watch The Throne collaboration. Best-selling doesn’t necessarily mean best though, as you will see below. For this list, we have ranked OUR 40 favorite albums released in 2011 (not included are EP’s, mixtapes or instrumental albums). What do YOU think?
Also read: Greatest Hip Hop Albums 1986 – 2018
1. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
Rating: 9.5/10
2. CunninLynguists – Oneirology
Rating: 9.5/10
3. Rashad & Confidence – The Element Of Surprise
Rating: 9/10
4. The Roots - Undun
Rating: 9/10
5. Danny Brown - X X X
Rating: 9/10
6. Phonte - Charity Starts At Home
Rating: 8.5/10
7. Doomtree – No Kings
Rating: 8.5/10
8. Kendrick Lamar - Section.80
Rating: 8.5/10
9. Pharoahe Monch – W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)
Rating: 8.5/10
10. Common – The Dreamer / The Believer
Rating: 8.5/10
11. Evidence – Cats & Dogs
Rating: 8.5/10
12. Murs - Love & Rockets Vol. 1: The Transformation
Rating: 8/10
13. Thurz – L.A. Riots
Rating: 8.5/10
14. J-Live – S.P.T.A. (Said Person Of That Ability)
Rating: 8/10
15. Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Rating: 8/10
16. Superstar Quamallah & DeQawn – Talkin’ All That Jazz
Rating: 8/10
17. People Under The Stairs – Highlighter
Rating: 7.5/10
18. Hassaan Mackey & Apollo Brown – Daily Bread
Rating: 7.5/10
19. Apathy – Honkey Kong!
Rating: 7.5/10
20. Random Axe – Random Axe
Rating: 7.5/10
21. Has-Lo – In Case I Don’t Make It
Rating: 7.5/10
22. Qwazaar & Batsauce – Bat Meets Blaine
Rating: 7.5/10
23. R.E.K.S. – Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme
Rating: 7.5/10
24. Killer Mike – PL3DGE
Rating: 7.5/10
25. Action Bronson – Dr. Lecter
Rating: 7.5/10
26. Hail Mary Mallon – Are You Gonna Eat That?
Rating: 7.5/10
27. DC The Midi Alien – East Coast Avengers Present Avengers Airwaves
Rating: 7/10
28. Royce Da 5’9″ – Success Is Certain
Rating: 7/10
29. The Doppelgangaz – Lone Sharks
Rating: 7/10
30. Malcolm & Martin – Life Doesn’t Frighten Me
Rating: 7/10
31. Talib Kweli – Gutter Rainbows
Rating: 7/10
32. ScHoolboy Q – Setbacks
Rating: 7/10
33. Atmosphere – The Family Sign
Rating: 7/10
34. KRS-One & Bumpy Knuckles – Royalty Check
Rating: 7/10
35. 9th Wonder – The Wonder Years
Rating: 6.5/10
36. J. Cole – Cole World: A Sideline Story
Rating: 6.5/10
37. Blaq Poet – Blaq Poet Society
Rating: 6.5/10
38. Action Bronson & Statik Selektah – Well Done
Rating: 6.5/10
39. Joell Ortiz – Free Agent
Rating: 6.5/10
40. Tech N9ne – All 6’s & 7’s
Rating: 6.5/10
Honorable Mentions
- J. Rawls – The Hip Hop Affect
- Kool G Rap – Riches, Royalty, Respect
- Edo. G – A Face In The Crowd
- Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne
- Tyler, The Creator – Goblin
- Saigon – The Greatest Story Never Told
- Pusha T – Fear Of God II: Let Us Pray
- Strange Fruit Project – A Dreamer’s Journey
- Blue Scholars – Cinémetropolis
- Pseudo Intellectuals – Dope Grindwork
- Beneficence – Sidewalk Science
- Rapper Big Pooh – Dirty Pretty Things
- Stalley – Lincoln Way Nights
- Pac Div – The DiV
- Quelle Chris – Shotgun & Sleek Rifle
- Mohammad Dangerfield – Mohammad Dangerfield
- Serge Severe Back on My Rhymes
- Ugly Duckling Moving at Breakneck Speed
- Exile – 4TRK MIND
- The Away Team – Scars & Stripes
- Astronote – Weapon Of The Future
- DTMD – Makin’ Dollas
- One Be Lo – L.A.B.O.R.
- yU – The Earn
- Clan Destined – Self Titled
- Vakill – Armor of God
- Curren$y – Weekend At Burnie’s
- DJ Quik – The Book Of David
- M.O.P. – Sparta
- Chef Raekwon – Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang
- Game – The R.E.D. Album
- Wiz Khalifa – Rolling Papers
- Tech N9ne – Welcome To Strangeland
