Aug 24, 2019 I'm talking about artists that have been active for the most parts of their careers since 2010 - present (so Kanye, Gucci, Rick Ross, etc. wouldn't qualify, but Drake and Cudi would). And by definitive, I mean the best/most talented/influential/successful or important in the greater context of hip hop as a genre. For me I think I'd break it down into tiers Tier 1: Gods of the 10s Chief Keef Future Young Thug Migos Drake Cudi Kendrick Lamar J. Cole Travis Scott Lil Uzi Vert YG Frank Ocean The Weeknd Tier 2: demigods of the 10s Earl Sweatshirt Tyler, The Creator A$AP Rocky Roc Marciano 2 Chainz Meek Mill Danny Brown Freddie Gibbs Big K.R.I.T. Denzel Curry Vince Staples Playboi Carti (if he drops something of the same or similar quality as Die Lit before the years' over I might be tempted to move him into the first tier) Ty Dolla $ign Tier 3: solid, respectable, just not quite there Joey Bada$$ Mac Miller 21 Savage Schoolboy Q Chance the Rapper Griselda Odd Future Kodak Black Kevin Gates Youngboy NBA Tier 4: The leftovers that might slide somewhere into Tiers 1 - 3 if you're feeling really generous Waka Flocka Flame A$AP Ferg Wale Wiz Khalifa Tyga French Montana G Herbo Big Sean Anderson .Paak Ab-Soul Jay Rock Juice WRLD Lil Pump XXXTENTACION Cardi B Lil Durk Skepta Death Grips Tekashi 69 (gotta be real if anyone in this tier is deserving of a promotion its probably Tekashi) Lil Yachty post your lists!
Aug 24, 2019 btw i know Frank, Abel and Ty aren't exactly rappers but the lines have been blurred so much this decade it'd feel wrong to leave them off. Also I wonder if DaBaby has done enough to warrant a place somewhere on the list?
Aug 24, 2019 I think Chance and OF you’d have to slide at least a tier higher. OF was INSANELY popular for the first third of the decade—and their leftovers (Frank, Tyler, earl) still have huge followings. Chance was a HUGE crossover success even though his new album sucks s---. NBA youngboy is also massively popular and routinely is the most streamed artist on YouTube in the USA each week (I think he had something like 50+ weeks in a row). He also represents as debatably the first and most successful thug offshoots which is the new wave everyone is hitting. I think you’d have to slide Kanye on somewhere. Though he’s slid off the last two years, MBDTF/WTT/Yeezus came out this decade and the whole 5 album rollout thing is gonna be a memorable part of the decade if not for the antics alone. Cardi B def should be on at least tier 2 Wiz was also unfathomably popular early in the decade --- I’d prob put in tier 2 as well There’s a lot of criteria so it’s hard to judge for some, also cuz the second half of the decade was so different than the first half.
Aug 24, 2019 Just now seen Waka in last place. so it's like that Durk should be higher especially these days. And where's Big Roscoe?
Aug 24, 2019 Funny, I was thinking the same about NBA, I actually initially had him ranked even lower. Its weird because his come-up and popularity has been so outside the norm - almost entirely via YouTube. No traditional mixtapes/albums or standout moments that got the others their places. But ever since he arrived on the scene there's almost been an entire new generation of artists that have followed in his footsteps. You're right in the end he probably belongs in Tier 2, depending on what happens over the next few years maybe even tier 1. true OF was huge in the early part of the decade but I thought Earl, Tyler and Franks' solo stuff was much more impactful over the long-term. But yeah could definitely also be ranked higher. Chance too I guess. Last album just left a bad taste I guess. Wiz was huge but after of Kush & OJ the quality of his output has been pretty s--- imo. --- is an interesting one, definitely considered putting him up higher. I think for both him and Tekashi the reason I didn't is just because of how recent they were. Like NBA, it'll be interesting to see how we look back at them over the next few years.
Aug 24, 2019 Flocka's a tough one. He hasn't done s--- of note outside Flockavelli but Flockaveli literally defined the entire decade.
Aug 24, 2019 mentioned in OP that I wanted to look at only those who came up mostly since 2010. If not then for sure, Kanye would likely be right near the top. I hate that you're right about this lol
Aug 24, 2019 true plus LeBron Flocka series, plus Flockavelli 1.5 were all great. Were they enough to warrant a place higher on the list though?
Aug 24, 2019 Looking back though there's a lot of spots that could be switched around from tiers 2 - 4. A lot of it also depends on how we look back at them in a few years. But yeah, Flocka could definitely be a tier 3 dude. Probably should be.
Aug 25, 2019 With regard to the term definitive, I think OF's come up was a hugely defining moment of the first half of the decade. The OF movement was inescapable for the first few years of the 2010s. It seems like ancient history at this point, but that's just a result of how fast music moves now.
