10 Most Underrated Hip Hop Albums Of The 2010s

It's been noted in the past that the last decade was an absolute dumpster fire, but goddamn was it a good time for hip-hop.

The phrase "rap is the new rock'" gets thrown around a lot, but that doesn't make it untrue. Artists like Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, Death Grips, BROCKHAMPTON and Danny Brown all released some of the best albums of their careers and of the decade - and in the case of a couple of them, some of the best albums of al time.

Due to this level of saturation though, and also due to streaming services making it easier for artists to release their work, many albums by independent, underground artists end up flying under the radar despite being just as mind-blowing and often much bolder than many mainstream albums. Let's take a moment to appreciate some of those albums that you might not have heard over the last ten years.

This was a struggle to compile and there could have been so many more on here, so some honourable shout outs are in order to Aesop Rock, Busdriver, Sean Price, clipping. Injury Reserve, Youngster Jiji, Angry Blackmen, Open Mike Eagle, Ugly Frank, Young Deuces, Ultra Suede and FLANCH...

Another team-up from the heavens here. Shabazz Palaces sees Ishmael Butler - of the extraordinary outfit Digable Planets - and legendary composer/producer/multi-instrumentalist Tendair "Baba" Maraire come together to produce the utterly phenomenal Black Up.

Butler's lyrics are consistently abstract throughout and he tends to use surreal imagery that's open to interpretation rather than simply tells a straightforward story in his half-spoken, half-sung flow which all adds to the otherworldly atmosphere of Black Up.

That isn't to say this album isn't catchy: it's catchy as all hell and that's down to Maraire's mind-blowing production and composition. There's rarely an instrumental bar across this entire album that seems to repeat itself before it warps into something else, often letting an entirely different composition on a collection of new instruments and samples take over. It often feels like you've, surely, listened to five tracks when, in reality, it's been one song, and somehow Black Up never feels boring, repetitive or cluttered.

Plus, in a very brave and very rare move for a hip hop album, Maraire's beat often takes over completely for minutes at a time. You could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to a jam session if it wasn't for every element being so carefully constructed and meticulously placed. All of these elements combined results in a surreal listening experience that often feels like the most bizarre of dreams.