Hip-hop celebrated 50 years in 2023 and the genre has never been in a more beautiful place. The diverse array of refreshing faces is providing new takes on the genre and inspiring some of its most beloved elders to descend from the mountains and remind us who is really running things. With country music slowly taking over the Billboard charts in 2023, hip-hop is free to roam and explore exciting new territories, giving us a diverse list of fantastic releases this year. If at any point you thought hip-hop has slowed down on the innovation side, you must not be looking hard enough.
Hip-hop is entering a new era, one that not only welcomes change but embraces it with open arms. 2023 saw some of the genre’s greats release stunning albums while still leaving room for the future of hip-hop to stick their flag in the genre. This year saw some of the most iconic albums in the genre celebrate milestones like Wu-Tang’s explosive debut turning 30 while introducing us to a slew of records that have the potential to create an equally lasting impact. With an unbelievably long list to choose from, Glide narrowed it down to ten of the best hip-hop albums to be released in 2023.
Check out our picks below:
Billy Woods & Kenny Segal – Maps
Released: May 5
Best songs: “Soft Landing”, “Year Zero”, and “Agriculture”
When the duo of top-tier rapper Billy Woods and super producer Kenny Segal released their first full-length LP together in 2019, it felt like the hip-hop world came to a halt. The way Woods’ poetic pessimism navigates the off-kilter melodies of Segal is mesmerizing, establishing Woods as one of the best writers of this generation. Maps, this year’s follow-up to their collaborative debut, had the duo reimagining their approach for a more colorful and lively LP. Segal crafted nuanced instrumentals bursting with otherworldly textures and neck-breaking drums while Woods pens skeptical views of the world around him. Maps is hip-hop in its purest form.
Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist – Voir Dire
Released: August 25
Best songs: “27 Braids”, “Heat Check”, and “Mancala”
The lure around Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist’s collaborative album dates back to 2021 when Alchemist claimed to have hidden a full album with the emcee under a fake name somewhere on the internet. Two years of searching and it still isn’t clear if Alchemist was telling the truth, regardless, the pair dropped off one of the best albums of the year across any genre with Voir Dire. Sweatshirt’s monotone delivery glides over the array of dusty loops and sleek samples provided by one of the most prolific and diverse producers to ever do it.
Killer Mike – MICHAEL
Released: June 16
Best songs: “Down By Law”, “Don’t Let The Devil” and “High and Holy”
Killer Mike has proven to be one of the greatest yet underappreciated songwriters of his generation, and his latest solo cements him as such. MICHAEL is a vulnerable sonic memoir that showcases Killer Mike’s surgical approach to flows while exploring the colorful culture of Atlanta’s modern hip-hop scene. Killer Mike integrates gospel and hip-hop with ease as he pens some of the best verses of his life over high-flying backing vocals and neck-breaking drum patterns.
JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown – SCARING THE HOES
Released: March 24
Best songs: “Orange Juice Jones”, “Scaring The Hoes”, and “Jack Harlow Combo Meal”
The idea of a collaborative album between two of hip-hop’s most eccentric artists seemed too good to be true, and the results smashed our expectations. SCARING THE HOES is more than what is on the surface, JPEGMAFIA’s approach to production on these songs reimagined the jazz sample as he pulls obscure melodies to bleed over his industrial-style drum patterns. This creates the perfect canvas for Danny Brown’s cartoonish flows and JPEGMAFIA’s nimble rhymes, the perfect marriage of boom-bap style rhyming over futuristic arrangements.
Noname – Sundial
Released: August 11
Best songs: “Black Mirror”, “Beauty Supply”, and “Namesake”
Anticipated doesn’t begin to describe the excitement of Noname’s third outing. The years between Sundial and her 2018 LP saw the artist grow and find a refreshing sound to guide her through the best release of her career. Sundial captures a fearless artist navigating jazz-influenced arrangements to deliver meaningful lyrics that hit harder than the most aggressive album. Noname created a stunning LP lined with smooth instrumentals that allow her to deliver mind-altering songwriting and head-spinning flows.
Maxo – Even God Has A Sense of Humor
Released: February 22
Best songs: “Falls Down”, “Both Handed”, and “Face Of Stone”
Yet another highly anticipated album that did not disappoint lands on our list with Maxo’s Even God Has A Sense of Humor. This psychedelic-tinged journey through Maxo’s unfiltered creativity and limitless potential introduced us to a more daring, nuanced side of the artist. Maxo switches from baritone croons to fiery rhymes in a matter of seconds, each vocal switch up giving us a bit more insight into one of the most exciting young voices in modern music. Even God Has A Sense Of Humor is brimming with sprawling experimentation interrupted with moments of jazzy hip-hop bliss.
Westside Gunn – And Then You Pray For Me
Released: October 13
Best songs: “Kitchen Lights”, “MR EVERYTHING”, and “Suicide in Selfridges”
“This that Purple Tape mixed with codeine vibes” shouts DJ Drama on the stand-out track “Suicide in Selfridges” and it might be the most accurate way to describe Westside Gunn’s latest offering. And Then You Pray For Me has Gunn fusing his dusty 90s-inspired sound with modern tropes for an onslaught of everything that makes hip-hop so great. His confident rhymes feel more palpable and deserved with every release. For 21 tracks, Westside Gunn gives us every side of his artistry in a nonstop avalanche of unique instrumentals and gut-punching deliveries.
MIKE – Burning Desire
Released: October 13
Best songs: “Zap!”, “U think Maybe?”, and “THEY DON’T STOP IN THE RAIN with TAKA”
MIKE has established himself as one of the most prolific and consistently-improving artists to emerge in recent years. Every release sees the artist exploring a new side of his unique style and every release gets better than the last. Burning Desire is the best example of MIKE’s diversity, for just over 50 minutes you are thrown into a whirlwind of hard-hitting drum patterns and sample chops that evoke the feeling of floating. MIKE pieced together one of his best projects yet by allowing his loftiest ideas to fully form and take on a life of their own, giving MIKE the perfect platform to display his poetic lyricism.
Mach-Hommy & Tha God Fahim – Notorious Dump Legends, Vol. 2
Released: March 3
Best songs: “Cold Milk”, “Olajuwon”, and “Bad Hands”
The productive creative relationship between the elusive emcees Mach-Hommy and Tha God Fahim adds another feather to their cap with their 2023 LP. In a quick yet potent display, the duo proves they can carry the weight of the genre on their shoulders with ease as the two trade verses over minimal arrangements. With very little to lean on besides their own words, every breath is treated with immense care. The minimal sound of Notorious Dump Legends, Vol 2 allows the vocalist to spit some of the purest hip-hop verses of the year.
Nas – Magic 3
Released: September 14
Best songs: “TSK”, “Blue Bentley”, and “Superhero Status”
If there are any questions about Hit-Boy’s role in modern hip-hop, this string of albums he produced for the legendary Nas should settle any debate. Nearly three decades into his career, Nas is still finding new ways to deliver his otherworldly rhyme schemes and songwriting as Hit-Boy provides a colorful array of styles for Nas to choose from. Magic 3 has the duo at their sharpest and most diverse as Nas switches from machine-gun style rhymes to dense storytelling tracks, all set to Hit-Boy’s uniquely unpredictable style.