Best Hip-Hop Movements of the 2010s

As the decade closes, I see the popularity of decade lists popping up, so I decided to make my own. 2019 by its self was a boring year. Aside from Grisela’s mainstream looks, Larry June’s consistency and Megan the Stallion’s break out nothing really too exciting.

This list will focus on movements based on artists, groups, labels or sub-genres that started or peaked this decade that I absolutely loved as a fan of the culture. My aim is to maximize the idea that music is here to enjoy. I hope you find something new. I’m also including a list of movements I left out mainly because I simply did not like them. This is not a countdown, just a list of my favorite Hip-Hop MUSIC moments of the 2010s.

1.Lil B x Soulja Boy Based Swag

Let’s start at the top of the decade, shall we?

It might have started in 2009 but it caught my attention in 2010. While everybody was coming down from the Waka Flocka craze, I was introduced to Lil B through Soulja Boy in my senior year of High School.

Soulja Boy was already a star because of the mega-smash hit “Crank Dat” and people thought he fell off by 2010. However, 2010–2012 Soulja was light years better than his debut. Songs like “Louis Vuitton pt2” and “Zan wit that Lean pt 2” really revitalized Soulja’s appeal.

Soulja was the first Drake, as in obviously taking a lot of “inspiration” from other artists. I soon found out Lil B was the main inspiration for Soulja's reprise. Along with other SODMG artists I grew to enjoy like A.Goff and Riff Raff.

I had previously written off Lil B as a joke, like most people. However, Lil B has a tendency to surprise his listeners. Songs like “I’m God” and “Cocaine” spoke to me in always I cannot explain, it was beautiful, it was deep, the Base touched me. Songs like “Wonton Soup” and “Like a Martian” suddenly made sense to me and I loved it all.

By the time “Based for Ya face” featuring 9th Wonder, Jean Grae and Phonte from Little Brother came, I was already part of the BaseWorld telling people I told you so.

2. Wiz Khalifa Taylor Gang x Curren$y Jet Life

These two could have a separate entry but they made each other stars. I’ll break em down. I was separately introduced to them in 2010. I heard Wiz’s Burn After Rolling after I was ear-hustling a classmate's earphones in graphic design class. I heard Curren$y through my brother Dave, he played “Micheal Knight” in an after school smoke session after saying “I know you gonna like this one.” He was absolutely right. After I heard “Famous” with that Sade sample, I was hooked forever

I found How Fly after listing to Wiz's early mixtape Prince of the City 2, which I recommend every Wiz fan to listen to. He was really ahead of his time to release that in 2008. How Fly was so good I found myself burying myself in both of their discographies leaning more towards Curren$y’s. I still believe that How Fly was the backbone of Kush & OJ, without Spitta’s influence on Wiz there would be no Kush & OJ.

Wiz Khalifa

Wiz was the obvious star among the two and he skyrocketed after the success of his breakout mixtape Kush & OJ in 2011. Taylor Gang is his imprint. The best part of it was enlisting Juicy J. The Three 6 Mafia member had an awesome solo resurgence with his 2011 mixtape Blue Dream & Lean. Then Wiz released his mediocre debut Rolling Papers but bounced back with the Taylor Allderdice mixtape and ONIFC album. Since then I lost touch with his music but I’m glad he still maintaining. I still have love for his work prior to 2014. Plus we got to get familiar with Cardo and Slegren from early Wiz’s work.

Curren$y

Spitta went on to build an underground music empire, hitting us with mixtape after mixtape. Now, this isn’t a new strategy but Curren$y never risks quality for quantity like most rappers who flood us with material. He found his own lane and stayed in it without becoming stale. After 2011’s Convert Coup I’ve never seen this man take a break. Too many great Curren$y projects I might have to write a list of those. His latest Back to Burnies is still classic spitta.

Not only has he rose in stature as an artist but he puts others on with his Jet Life imprint. Signing people like Smoke DZA, Fiend, Le$, Black Cobain, Corner Boy P, TY(BG’s son) and Sir Micheal Rocks. Not to mention his childhood friends Trademark and Young Roddy who make a good trio on songs. I will still be listening to Spitta projects well into the new decade.

3. A$SP MOB

On one hot summer day in 2011, My brother Dave and I had a session with his cousin X. While we were lighting up he played something I’ve never heard before. I thought was a Houston Chopped and Screwed classic made in the 90s. I love that movement, so I had to ask, “Who is this?” At first, I thought he said Aesop Rock, I’m like damn he really changed up his style.

But no, he said A$AP Rocky and he was playing his very first mixtape before everything, Deep Purple. That mixtape featured the slow-burning anthem, “Purple Swag.” When I went home to search for him on the internet, I could not find him. Just that same mixtape on Datpiff and a twitter account with one picture and no tweets (but it was him in the picture).

3 months later Rocky blew up. Maybe he was doing all his grassroots in New York but it lowkey looked like an overnight success. The “Peso” video was all over MTV and BET. People who don’t search for new music like I do knew about him. His Live.Love.A$AP mixtape was everywhere, Yams was working! In 2012, I became familiar with other members like A$AP Ferg and A$AP Ant. Ferg’s album Trap Lord was a monster. I started comparing them to Wu-Tang. One of the best shows I’ve ever went to is the tour with Danny Brown, Schoolboy Q and A$AP.

After A$AP Yams died in 2015, the Mob lost their valor. Their sense of direction isn’t as potent as before. Plus the long-lasting beef with Spaceghostpurrp left fans with a shell of what could’ve been. Ant left (I think) to focus on his own collective, Mario Infantry. The last decision I agreed with was signing Playboi Carti. That injected the group into a younger fan base. They also experienced a creativity boost with AGWE. Now they have to start figuring out how to stop Carti leaks.

PS. They could have left Rocky in that Swiss Jail a little bit longer. Maybe be could’ve thought of something better to drop post-jail release, when more than your fan base is watching, than the trash that is “Babushka Boi.”

4. Raider Klan

The next week after X introduced me to A$AP Rocky, he further introduced me to Spaceghostpurp. He found him because he was an affiliate producer for A$AP Mob. He came across his Blackland 66.6 Radio mixtape. I just knew I was going to be forever trying to find Purp. But it wasn’t, he had a twitter account (probably his longest-running one) with only a few hundred followers. He responded to me when I tweeted him that I just found his music and loved it. He thanked me for listening and told me to stay in tune. Then he introduced me to the rest of the Raider Klan.

A$AP was the Raider Klan I could play for people that listened to mainstream music without them judging asking “What the fuck is this?” when I play something different. I listened to most of Raider Klan’s members, most of the time from 2011–2015. My favorites were Purp himself, Amber London, Yung Simmie, Denzel Curry and Xavier Wulf. Purp invited artists from all over the nation to join Raider Klan, creating the first internet-based Rap group.

However, over the years Purp became known to have issues and it showed with his outbursts leading to beefs, external and internal. This caused most members to leave causing the group to completely disband around 2015.

Ex-Members started to form their own groups, Xavier Wulf, Chris Travis, and Eddy Baker linked up with Bones and created Seshollowaterboyz. KeyNyata and Mackned founded Thraxxhouse which later turned into Gothboi Clique, led by Lil Peep(RIP). Slim Guerrilla enlisted producer Genshin to form Passion Playas. Denzel Curry started to break out into mainstream rapper status. After the split, Purp reinvented himself by working with Uno the Activist, Thouxanband Fauni and Goth Money (Black Kray).

Raider Klan was the precursor to how rap uses the internet now. I still keep up with Amber London, she still makes music that I like. I love Passion Playas. I occasionally look up to see what Xavier Wulf is doing. 2019 was looking up for Purp, he was teasing a comeback, he even performed at Rolling Loud Miami. However, nothing else was materialized. He always drops music but Purp is literally blacklisted from the industry. Shame, he has too much talent to be slept on like he is.

5. Chief Keef and the Drill Movement

Being in Chicago at the time, I watched this movement unfold, even if I liked it or not. I like parts of it. I’m from Chicago so MOST of the drill movement did not appeal to me because it was typical nigga shit I saw every day already. But image is not the reason it’s on this list. Drill music is on this list because it produced undeniable bangers.

For me, it started with King Louie. In 2010, if you told me Chief Keef would be bigger than King Louie I would’ve laughed in your face. Mane was I wrong. Early King Louie songs “I’m Arrogant” “Money Dance” and “Kush Too Strong” has a special place in my heart.

But the youth rules this industry and always has. The high school kids loved Keef and in late 2011 local radio was playing “Bang” back to back. The bomb went off when “I Don’t Like” dropped. Everything was happening from days from each other, it was an exciting but very dangerous time in the city. 300/ O Block movement was strong, however so was the gang banging, it was a war and the drill movement was the soundtrack. Keef went on to put his team on, Lil Durk, Fredo Santanna (RIP) and Lil Reese, sign to Interscope and influence an entire generation.

As Keef garnered worldwide attention, he shined a light on what going on in Chicago. Other groups/sets started to gain sizeable fan bases. Well known groups included; Team 600 LA Capone (RIP) and RondonumaNine; NLMB G Herbo (Lil Herb back then) and Lil Bibby; STL Flyboy gang (Tookaville) Duck and Lil Jay (Famous Dex was connected to them); Bricksquad (JoJo World) Lil Mister (RIP) and Swag Dinero. It was a lot more, this is just the Southside. Northside native Young Pappy (RIP) and Westside representer Lud Foe falls in the drill category as well.

Alliances began beefing such as O Block and 300 while many people died and got locked up. No wonder DJ Akademiks got famous from this you needed a narrator to keep up with this shit.

After Chief Keef was dropped from Interscope in 2013 is when I started liking more of his music. Yeah I know I’m backwards. Back from the Dead 1 is classic but Back from the Dead 2, Almighty So, Sorry for the Weight and Bang 2 and 3 all had bangers. I also still listen to G Herbo, he was the most lyrical to me. Duck still puts out entertaining singles as well.

6. Max B, French Montana Coke Wave

I am a way bigger Max B fan than French Montana fan but, French took that wave and rode all the way to a major deal and I can not be mad at that. In fact, I was following French before I knew about Max because he was involved with Mizay Management, who handled Gucci, Flocka, and Nicki Minaj in 2010. In my opinion, his 2013 major debut Excuse My French was highly underrated. Plus he introduced us to Harry Fraud on of my favorite producers. Top 10 of the decade if you will.

I didn’t press play on Max B until 2011. When he got sentenced to 75 years. I saw his name before and heard him on a feature with The Game (back when he was still entertaining). I wondered why he did to receive so much time. Complex told me about the case and gave me a song to listen to. I think it was either “Blow me a dub” or “Why you do that” but it was marvelous and I soon found myself in Public Domain, Biggaveli’s world.

For years people have been talking that Max was coming home but now it feels closer than ever. His sentence was reduced from 75 years to 20 years to 12 years. He has been releasing music like crazy in 2019, the joint tape with French Super Bad to his own tape House Money featuring A Boogie and Cam’Ron. I’m so excited to see the Silver Surfer be released in 2021. Especially since I know that he hasn’t lost it. Ow Ow.

7. TDE

Now, I was a slow bloomer on TDE because Kendrick Lamar had to grow on me. I press play after I watch an interview with Common, my first favorite rapper saying that Kendrick Lamar was his favorite newcomer back in 2011.

Now, I know that Jay Rock was on the label first and they had LA rocking, I did my research but I’m in Chicago hearing drill music all the time and masking it with A$AP and Raider Klan. I loved “ADHD”, the first Kendrick Lamar song I pressed play on. Of course, “Blow My High” was my favorite, but I didn’t T up to TDE until Schoolboy Q came through with Habits and Contradictions.

I looked Q up after hearing him on A$AP Rocky’s “Brand New Guys” and fell in love with “Figg get the Money.” When he came out with “Figg St Nightmare”, I was losing my damn mind so much that I really said Schoolboy Q was better than Kendrick Lamar in a room full of college students in 2012.

Then Ab-Soul came out with Control System, his best album to date. I lowkey think it’s better than the following TDE release GOOD Kid MAAD City, but I won’t say that too loud. Those same college students would hunt me down and argue me to death. GKMC was a great album and it brought Kendrick to Rap’s spotlight.

While To Pimp a Butterfly was getting praised, I was still playing Oxymoron. Then I went to listen to Isaiah Rashad, the new signee at the time. I kind of skipped Kendrick that year but I always listened to “The Blacker the Berry” when I wanted to burn some shit down. I really need to listen to To Pimp a Butterfly again. It was too emotional for me at the time. I skipped straight to Q’s BlankFace

Kendrick Lamar didn’t win my vote for GOAT until DAMN dropped, and DAMN was all I can say. The message is clear, the concept is strong and the songs are timeless. Now Kendrick won all the awards with that album, and he deserved them, he won’t release another album! Black Panther soundtrack doesn’t count. Then Q’s 2019 album Crash Talk crashed and burned smh.

However, the labels R&B acts like SZA and Sir have been holding it down for them. Jay Rock had a good 2018 because of Redemption. But I want a Kendrick album in 2020! Tog Dawg, please tell me it’s coming in 2020.

8. The Return of Guwop

I didn’t like Gucci Mane until I heard Burrprint 2 in 2010 while getting my first tattoo. So I was kind of forced to listen to it. Afterward, I went Gucci crazy, my favorites were “On Deck” and “Feeling Myself.” After being released in December 2011, Gucci released “North Pole” then the legendary Jeezy diss “The Truth.” Then he went on the amazing Guwop mixtape run starting with Trap Back. Along with Trap Back, I’m Up, Trap God 1 & 2, Trap House III, are my favorites of this time

Gucci was very problematic back then but man did he make great music. He also introduced us to the next generation of trap rappers. Future, Young Scooter, Bankroll Fresh, Young Thug, and Peewee Longway proved that Gucci had some A&R ears on him.

Gucci Mane was locked up 2014- 2016 and telling by that insane twitter rant of 2013, he needed a break from the industry. When he got out, people barley recognized him. His stomach was gone and replaced with ab muscles, his mindset was different. People thought he was a clone. He had to have the best re-brand of the decade. However, post-prison Gucci doesn’t do it for me.

Don’t get me wrong, the man is happy, healthy and sober and I like to see him like that but the chaotic Gucci made the better music. I just listened to Kodak Black for that but now he’s gone what am I going to do now? But really I hope Kodak transforms like Gucci did.

9. The Migos and the start of QC

I did not like “Versace” if fact I remember hearing the Soulja Boy song and saying they stole the beat, but producers trend to send out the same beat. Anyway, what drew me to the Migos was “ChinaTown” and “RIP” which was on the YRN Mixtape. YRN was OK but it was No Label 2 that proved to me that the Migos where here to stay. “Young, Rich and Handsome” and “Freak No More” lit up the streets more than streetlights.

At this time I liked everybody at the QC label. Skippa tha Flippa, OG Maco, Jose Guapo, Rich the Kid and Johnny Cinco. Everybody was making great music. Then the dab hit like crack in the 80s and the dance made a spotlight for Migos.

Culture 1 is definitely the best in their discography. Multiple platinum hits, replay values years after release and a Grammy nomination is classic status by late 2010s standards.

QC definitely has its favorites, Migos were their first favorite for a reason but with Yacthy I disagreed and Lil Baby was the nail in the coffin. Maybe this is QC’s way of learning from their mistakes and utilizing other artists on the rooster. However, their rooster was actually better 2014- 2015 than it is now. They need to put their bread into Duke Deuce, bro is going crazy but everybody else isn’t doing anything or tanking.

All three of the Migos’ flopping solo efforts is an unfortunate sign of them falling off, but if Tyga can make a comeback, anybody can.

10. Young Money/Rich Gang

I have to add the Young Money Saga in here because I was a big fan of Drake’s and Nicki Minaj’s early careers and The Rich Gang collaboration made me a fan of Young Thug. (This is the longest entry, it is a saga)

Drake

Didn’t care too much about Degrassi but that “Replacement Girl” joint was cracking. Most people listened for Trey Songz, he was like the male Beyonce in 2009- 2012, but I liked the light-skinned dude who was rapping. “Ransom” is heard being a fan of Lil Wanye but the dude that went first had the better verse.

That dude was Drake and up until Take Care, I was a fan. Take Care was grossly overrated. However, I was 19, I wanted to be turned up and smoke. I didn’t want to listen to sad shit, I wasn’t on the verge of a breakup so it wasn’t my soundtrack at the time. I may give another listen since I’m older.

Nothing Was The Same is Drake’s best album. He was the most versatile without him trying to “incorporate” somebody else style. He peaked in 2013–2016. If Your Reading This it’s Too Late is my 3rd favorite (2nd is Too Far Gone) but it was soured for me when everybody found out they were all Quentin Miller songs. But “Back 2 Back” man. That man made a club banger diss song on Meek’s ass. That shit was viscous. Once a cocky Drake started flexing his Jamaican accent and young artist started to call him out, I knew it was the start of Drake’s washing

I was officially done when he claimed he had a comeback for Pusha T and J.Price told him not to release it. Meek would have done it.

Nicki Minaj

My sis Kaycee put me on to Nicki Minaj, blasting “Itty Bitty Piggy” from her computer on her portal speaker, with an Aux cord connected to it. I shortly realized this was the same rapper that remade Biggie’s “Warning.” When it came to female rappers in 2010, it was a drought. At that time, Nicki was looking like a messiah here to pull the female emcees from obscurity. Songs like “Did it on em” and “Roman Revenge” not to mention her verse on Kanye’s “Monster” made buying Pink Friday or My Dark Twisted Fantasy a hard decision for a 17-year-old me.

Now “Super bass” and “Starships” made me cringe, I didn’t completely walk away until “Stupid Hoe.” God that was to be one of the worst songs of the decade. My sis claimed I may like The Pinkprint album because it’s her most mature album but Nicki was yet to show me that she has matured. Regardless, Nicki was a messiah because while she was thriving in a drought of female rappers, she paved the way for the Cardi Bs, Megan the Stallions and the City Girls of today. Whether she likes it or not.

Rich Gang, the rise of Young Thug

While Lil Wayne was feuding with Birdman around 2013, Cash Money churned out the Rich Gang collaborations. First, it was an Allstar album, which was cool but in 2014 came Tha Tour album which featured the dynamic duo Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan. It was a very impactful album even though I did not notice it at the time. I still think that “Lifestyle”, may have been a hit but it was the worst song on the album.

Songs like “Ima Ride” and “ Givenchy” made me stay alert on Thugger’s next releases, regardless of how I felt about him before that album. After Rich Gang: Tha Tour, he went on a rampage. Barter 6, even though I felt it was disrespectful to Wayne, I could not ignore the music. All of the Slime Seasons and music in between was even better. His music hit a snug in 2017 with Beautiful Thugger Girls and Super Slimey (mainly because of Future’s influence). However, So Much Fun, was, in fact, fun and successful. I looking forward to what’s next for him.

Honorable Mentions: Kanye & GOOD Music; Goth Money; Bobby Shmurda &Shmurda gang; J.Cole & Dreamville; Retch & Dash; Sauce Twinz

Movements I did not like

1.Tyler the Creator, Odd Future

I know if somebody took a minute to look at this list, I know they were wondering where Tyler the Creator and Odd Future were. My answer is, I never liked his music. Never. Several people told me to check out Tyler the Creator in 2010, My homie played “Sandwiches” and other song and I told him to get that trash out of my ear.

Then I heard “Her” or “She”, one of them had a dope ass beat with a dope Frank Ocean feature. But Tyler, what the fuck are you talking about? I couldn’t listen to that disturbing shit. I like the skits, that later turn into the Adult Swim Show Loiter Squad. Those were funny but this came to music, it always been a strong pass. People hyping up Igor maybe I’ll give it a chance, but I just never liked the guy’s music.

Earl is trash too, his beat selection makes my head hurt. His flow makes me question if we are hearing the same beat. He was doing that off-beat rapping before Blueface made it cool.

The only good we got from Odd Future is Frank Ocean and Syd, who broke off started grooving with her band the Internet which was the best decision. Vince Staples and Casey Veggies were cool too but left the group relatively early, and I can guess why.

2. Fetty Wap 1738

“Trap Queen” was not a good song, Fetty Wap has a terrible singing voice. How did that song blow him up? “My Way” was better, but he was out-shinned by Drake, something the Migos did not let happen.

Everybody in 1738 was trying to sound like Fetty, and he didn’t sound good in the first place. I’m so glad this only lasted in 2015.

3. Sad Boyz

I blame Yung Lean for Lil Xan.

That sad cloud rap shit just was not cool and to come after a movement so raw, it just sounded like ass. I felt like it was purely for sad ass teenagers. I’ve been there done that with Charles Hamilton. I was at another stage in my life.

Now I mentioned Lil Peep before, doesn’t mean I was a fan and I mean that with the utmost respect. I respect the dead but I don’t fake pump like the industry does. I was aware of him but not a fan. In fact, I remember early 2017 I kept getting Lil Peep and Lil Pump mixed up.

XXX (also RIP) connected with people but I wasn’t a fan at all. I can tell he was inspired by Spaceghostpurp, but Purp did everything better. The distortion, the lo-fi, the dark vibes everything.

Emo, punk rap is just not appealing to me at all, goth rap is better somehow.

Well if you made down here damn you are a trooper. Thanks for being interested in my opinion. I write something about Hip-Hop every week, check me out.