Era

The 10's

75 artists

Hip-hop in the 2010s became the most popular music in the US. Streaming changed everything: anyone could release music, and the charts filled with rap.

The story. Kanye West opened the decade with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) and Drake became the biggest artist of his generation. Kendrick Lamar released masterpieces like good kid, m.A.A.d city and To Pimp a Butterfly, and won a Pulitzer Prize for DAMN. in 2018. Atlanta trap took over with Migos, Future and 21 Savage, Travis Scott made it psychedelic, and the SoundCloud generation broke all the rules. Odd Future and Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean and Childish Gambino pushed alternative rap forward. Chance the Rapper won a Grammy with Coloring Book, the first streaming-only album to do so, and in 2017 hip-hop overtook rock as the most-consumed genre in the US.

The sound. Trap dominated, with 808s and triplet flows, next to melodic rap, a boom-bap revival and the rise of UK rap and drill.

Key albums

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West (2010)
good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick Lamar (2012)
To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar (2015)
Culture, Migos (2017)
DAMN., Kendrick Lamar (2017)
Astroworld, Travis Scott (2018)

The 10's artists

21 Savage

Gangsta Rap · 10's–20's

A$AP Rocky

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Aminé

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Anderson .Paak

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Brent Faiyaz

Melodic Rap · 10's–20's

Busta Rhymes

Boom-Bap · 90's–10's

Cardi B

Hip-Pop · 10's–20's

Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's

Drill · 10's–20's

Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's

Conscious Hip-Hop · 90's–20's

Denzel Curry

Trap · 10's–20's

Hip-Pop · 10's–20's

Drake

Hip-Pop · 00's–20's

Earl Sweatshirt

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Eminem

Conscious Hip-Hop · 90's–10's

Erykah Badu

Neo-Soul · 90's–10's

Frank Ocean

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's

Freddie Gibbs

Gangsta Rap · 10's–20's

Trap · 10's–20's

Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killah

Boom-Bap · 90's–10's

Boom-Bap · 90's–10's

J. Cole

Conscious Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Jay-Z

Boom-Bap · 90's–10's

Joey Bada$$

Boom-Bap · 10's–20's

Kanye West

Alternative Hip-Hop · 00's–20's

Kaytranada

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Kendrick Lamar

Conscious Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Melodic Rap · 00's–20's

Trap · 10's–20's

Lil Nas X

Hip-Pop · 10's–20's

Melodic Rap · 10's–20's

Hip-Pop · 90's–10's

Lil Yachty

Trap · 10's–20's

Conscious Hip-Hop · 10's

Hip-Pop · 00's–10's

Mac Miller

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's

Boom-Bap · 90's–10's

Megan Thee Stallion

Trap · 10's–20's

Trap · 10's–20's

MF DOOM

Jazz Rap · 90's–10's

Missy Elliott

Alternative Hip-Hop · 90's–10's

Conscious Hip-Hop · 90's–20's

N.E.R.D.

Alternative Hip-Hop · 00's–10's

Nas

Boom-Bap · 90's–20's

Hip-Pop · 10's–20's

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's

Trap · 10's–20's

OutKast

Alternative Hip-Hop · 90's–10's

Drill · 10's–20's

Post Malone

Hip-Pop · 10's–20's

Trap · 10's–20's

Remy Ma

Gangsta Rap · 00's–10's

Gangsta Rap · 00's–10's

Run The Jewels

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Grime · 10's–20's

Snoop Dogg

Gangsta Rap · 90's–20's

Steve Lacy

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Grime · 10's–20's

Syd

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Trap · 00's–10's

Trap · 10's–20's

Conscious Hip-Hop · 90's–10's

The Alchemist

Boom-Bap · 90's–20's

Gangsta Rap · 00's–10's

Neo-Soul · 10's–20's

Conscious Hip-Hop · 90's–10's

Travis Scott

Trap · 10's–20's

Hip-Pop · 00's–10's

Tyler, the Creator

Tyler, the Creator

Alternative Hip-Hop · 00's–20's

Alternative Hip-Hop · 10's–20's

Wiz Khalifa

Hip-Pop · 10's

Young MA

Gangsta Rap · 10's

Trap · 10's–20's