10. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
Notable Tracks: Stan, The Way I Am, The Real Slim Shady, Amityville, Kim Finally! We've reached the precipice of the top ten. What better way to begin our final descent than with this incredible album? The Marshall Mathers LP will be the last rap album you'll see in this list, and, in my opinion, the best rap album of the past decade. Subsequent to this album's release, Eminem shot directly to the top of the billboard charts and stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. Lupe Fiasco may very well be one of the better lyricists of this millennium thus far, but no rapper after this album's release can hold a candle (or even a lighter) to Marshall Mather's lyrical prowess. He's a true poet with an irrepressible ability to mould words and individual consonants with such rhythm and simplicity. His lyricism for the rap genre is unrivaled, and his ability to tell a story while eliciting such a deep emotional resonance is almost unparalleled. But, just when we think we've figured him out, Marshall throws us a curveball Hank Aaron couldn't predict. This album is a prime example of such mixed emotions and vacillating themes. The seventh song on the album, The Way I Am, is immediately followed by the widely popularized, infantile song, The Real Slim Shady. If you haven't listened to this album recently, go enjoy it and shake your head in bewilderment because of some of the completely inane, yet ingenious lyrics The Marshall Mathers LP provides.