Our 2022 Midyear Report continues with our favorite rap albums of the year so far. Find all of the lists of the best music, film, and TV of the year to date in one place here.
Typically, best-of lists end up with round numbers like 25 (or 30, in our case) in an effort to be all-inclusive and make sure not to miss anything. When it came time to select our favorite rap albums, however, we made a concerted effort to not pull any punches. After all, if a project doesn’t hold up after multiple listens, does it really deserve to make a shortlist?
By cutting out all the filler, we inevitably had to make some tough choices. After plenty of debate during which some albums received further consideration and the order of the list shifted a few times, we finally finished making all the difficult decisions and settled on 12 as the right number.
With the dust now settled, I’m happy to present a definitive list featuring one of the biggest stars in hip-hop, rappers that simply don’t miss, some of the most exciting new acts we’ve heard in recent memory, and artists who have been grinding in the underground for years.
These are the best rap albums of 2022 to date.
— Eddie Fu
New Music Editor