Picking the “best” albums of any year is a duplicitous venture at best; a struggle to pare down—hopefully not laboriously round out—the list into something comprehensible/agreeable. Inevitably however, someone gets forgotten or shuffled out of a deserved place, people disagree and we’re left wondering how we could have possibly chosen only 10 children, leaving the others to torment in purgatory, obscurity or whatever the hell happens once these lists are done. Though, if you think about it, even these tabulations inevitably wind up suffering the same fate when we do it all over again twelve months later. At that, we provide you with a starting block for razing discussions over what are, in fact, the TOP 10 HIP-HOP RECORDS OF 2010. Our choices:

10. Clipse – Til The Casket Drops

Malice and Pusha had an unexpectedly amped up approach to this album. There’s a fourth-quarter sense of urgency in their flows that makes for a departure from the laid back coke flow the brothers built their niche with. Their subject matter reaches a bit further on this record as well. Malice might have lost just about all of his street cred when talks about watching Madagascar with his kids, but this is the honesty that helped Clipse pick up their fans in the first place. It remains to be seen whether this ends up being the last Clipse record as Pusha T found himself in Kanye’s G.O.O.D. camp during the second half of 2010. If it is their last, they’ll know they left on a high note. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

9. J. Cole – Friday Night Lights

Expectations were high after J. Cole’s emphatic lead single “Who Dat” dropped this past summer. But after most of the year went by with no Roc Nation debut, this website-crashing mixtape dropped to hold his fans over. The self-proclaimed “chosen one” continued to display his lyrical wit and his underrated production skills. After this release, J. Cole doesn’t have anything else to prove. But apparently Friday Night Lights is made up of throw away tracks from his album sessions. If these gems are cast-offs, Cole’s debut will be even better than we thought it would be. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

8. Big K.R.I.T. – K.R.I.T. Wuz Here

Krit’s a smart rapper/producer from Mississippi who raps about his feelings from time to time. There haven’t been too many artists like him out there and you can hear it in his music. This stereotype smashing self-released album propelled Krit to a record deal with Def Jam. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

7. Drake – Thank Me Later

The event that was supposed to be Drake’s debut ended up being somewhat of an anti-climax. Looking at Thank Me Later as a debut was weird, everybody already knew Drake. Between So Far Gone, guest appearances, and the Young Money release, anticipation for Thank Me Later was a bit lower than expected. All of that hubbub aside, the record is solid. He found a way to pack radio singles, club bangers, and the reflective lyrics that we’ve come to expect from him together into a cohesive album. 2010 might not have been his year like it was supposed to be, but that definitely wasn’t his fault. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

6. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son Of Chico Dusty

It really shouldn’t have surprised any of us that Big Boi could pull off such a great solo album. OutKast is only the best rap group ever and now we know it’s not just because of Andre 3000. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

5. Wiz Khalifa – Kush & Orange Juice

The release of this mixtape (actually more of an album) solidified Wiz’s superstar status. When it became the #1 trending topic on Twitter, everyone took notice and Wiz was ready for the world. Kush & OJ is Wiz Khalifa’s ode to marijuana and the related relaxed, joyful lifestyle that he leads. The construction of the mixtape is flawless. All the music, lyrics, ad-libs, interludes are built to fit. Sure, it might be an easy topic for him to tackle, but all kudos to him for finding his strengths and playing to them. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. Shad – TSOL

The perfection that was The Old Prince primed TSOL to be a bit of a let down. But Shad actually ended up making an album more accessible than its predecessor. He used the status garnered from his last album to build a list of collaborators (like Kamau, Brendan Canning, and Justin Nozuka along with production from Ric Notes, Classified, and Rich Kidd) that helped expand his sound. Shad’s rhymes are undeniable; as long as he keeps finding good beats, his albums will be excellent. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3. Curren$y – Pilot Talk/Pilot Talk 2

After bouncing from No Limit to Young Money to being independent, it seems Dame Dash has finally given Curren$y a home where he can actually release music. To make up for lost time, he dropped two albums. Curren$y has proven himself to be a very capable rapper with a strong work ethic so it probably wasn’t that difficult for him; in 2008, he dropped a mixtape every other month. But it’s the high production quality of the releases that is most surprising. Producer Ski Beatz and his band The Senseis prove to be most valuable to the Pilot Talk series by complimenting Spitta’s cool with an assortment of sounds to complete the entrancing vibe. Let’s just hope they can keep up with him as he plans to release a couple more LPs next year. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2. Rick Ross – Teflon Don

There doesn’t seem to be much room left for mafioso rap in this quickly evolving period of hip-hop history. Teflon Don might end up being the last great moment of the sub-genre. Rick Ross is the most comprehensible rapper in this age, making his verses extremely entertaining. Nothing on this record is understated. His level of rawness, even though it may be contrived, is captivating. The long list of relevant guest artists (John Legend, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, T.I., Cee Lo Green, Kanye West, Drake, Gucci Mane) and producers (highlighted by Waka Flocka Flame’s speaker buster Lex Luger) are well utilized in every situation to help Ross create his masterpiece. He’s come a long way from the beginning of his career but it’s safe to say this will be his best album. It just doesn’t get any better than this. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

0. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

In 2010, Kanye West was above the top of the game. To call My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy AUX’s #1 Hip-Hop Album of 2010 just wouldn’t have explained how captivated we’ve been by his music and all that relates to it, so we numbered it #0. Get back to us at the end of 2019 when we’ll be far enough removed from all the insanity to give this record a more traditional ranking.