It’s that time of year again; where people look back on the past 365 days and determine the best and worst. In that spirit, Rolling Stone released their list of the 20 best hip-hop albums of 2021 on December 15.
Albums that made the list included big names like Kanye West’s “Donda” at no. 13, Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy at no. 10, Doja Cat’s “Planet Her” at no. 6, and Tyler The Creator’s “Call me if You Get Lost” at no. 3. Rolling Stone also highlighted critical darlings, placing Little Simz’s “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” at no. 18 and Pi’erre Bourne’s “The Life of Pi’erre 5” at no. 9.
To many fans, none of that really matters, though. Who made no. 1 this year? Playboi Carti’s polarizing, super-charged “Whole Lotta Red.”
As with any subjective list, some people are not happy with the results, especially. since the album Rolling Stone chose was technically a 2020 album, released on Christmas Day.
Hey @RollingStone you guys should be banned from discussing Rap from now on! How TF do you have J. Cole at #20 and Playboi Carti at #1!?! How Sway!?! On what f*cking planet!! Are black people in the room during these discussions?? My goodness! #rollingstone #bestrapalbum #jcole https://t.co/tdLcRThNnG
— Marcus Graham (@MXTRA3) December 18, 2021
People mad about the Playboi Carti Rolling Stones are crazy. If you look back in the history of Rolling Stone you see how they would always publish artist with thier own style including punk and rock bands. Should be no surprise since Carti has the punk asthetic similar to them
— garments (@aciding) December 29, 2021
Playboi Carti being ranked #1 HIP HOP album of 2021 by rolling stone when Tyler, J Cole, Drake, Kanye, Vince, Baby Keem, Isaiah, Westide Gunn & more dropped this year sounds very white
— big brain (@sirclarkd) December 27, 2021
Though the album was released in 2020, Rolling Stone argued it defined much of the music of 2021. Rolling Stone writer Jeff Ihaza writes:
“The week between its release and the start of [2021] is irrelevant when you think of what a seismic shift the album represents. Carti stakes ground in the current generation’s sonic sensibility and delivers one of the most forward thinking rap records since Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’… [‘Whole Lotta Red’s’] fingerprints are all over everything we heard in 2021.”
As far as this writer is concerned, let people like whatever they like. Just because they put something at number 1 that you don’t like, it is not the end of the world. People have different opinions and that is fine. In fact, it is even good that people do. It lets people change and grow. It is certainly better than being in a stagnant echo chamber. Kudos to Rolling Stone.
Written by Justin Acosta
Twitter: @hahalacka
