Our Annual Report continues with our list of the best rap albums of 2023. As the year ends, stay tuned for more awards, lists and interviews about the best music, film and television that 2023 had to offer. You can find it all in one place here.
When shortlisting candidates for the best hip-hop albums of 2023, a fascinating pattern emerged: A large percentage of this year's best records were released without any major label backing. After careful consideration, we decided to take this opportunity to highlight these independently produced efforts. Call it a retort to the complaint that “no good hip-hop is released anymore.”
There's not enough room here to debate all the pros and cons of partnering with a major label versus staying independent, especially since the definition of an independent artist has become more more nebulous over time. However, there has never been a better time to operate outside the confines of the big machine. Thanks to increasingly prevalent digital distribution and artist service platforms, there is no need to give up ownership of one's own records or the creative freedom to reach the masses.
While that unlimited creative freedom doesn't automatically produce better art, it does give artists more time to experiment and find the sound that works for them right now, whether they're rising stars breaking through or established veterans trying something different. . It's truly magical when an artist's vision and talent come together to produce an undeniable body of work, and that goes for every entry on the list.
After recently celebrating its 50th anniversary, hip-hop still has plenty of room to grow both as a culture and as a musical genre. This collection of albums simultaneously serves as proof of how far he's come and a hint of where he might go in the future.
So fire up the streaming service of your choice while scrolling through this list; We're sure there are at least one or two albums that suit your tastes. Here are the best rap albums of 2023 released without the help of a major label.
—Eddie Fu
news editor
thanks to our partners at consequence.net