We’re a quarter of the way through the 21st century and it’s a great time to take stock in how hip-hop has evolved over that time. Every year, it feels like a different artist takes their turn at the rap crown, while a new producer comes up with the sound of the moment.
To etch this in stone, I’ve gone year by year to declare the best artist, producer, song, verse, beat, and album for each year of the century so far. Do some rappers dominate? Of course they do: There isn’t that much room at the top. But this exercise also shines a light on hip-hop’s constant flux, and how easy it is to slip from the peak.
2000
Best Artist: Eminem
Best Producer: Dr. Dre
Best Song: Nelly — “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)”
Best Verse: Jay-Z — “Intro” from The Dynasty: Roc La Familia
Best Beat: M.O.P. — “Ante Up” (producer: DR Period)
Best Album: Outkast — Stankonia
2001
Best Artist: Jay-Z
Best Producer: Kanye West
Best Song: Nas — “Ether”
Best Verse: Jadakiss — “We Gonna Make It” Feat. Styles P
Best Beat: Ludacris — “Move Bitch” (producer: KLC)
Best Album: Jay-Z — The Blueprint
2002
Best Artist: Eminem
Best Producer: The Neptunes
Best Song: Eminem — “Lose Yourself”
Best Verse: Eminem — “Till I Collapse”
Best Beat: Nas — “Made You Look” (producer: Salaam Remi)
Best Album: Eminem — The Eminem Show
2003
Best Artist: 50 Cent
Best Producer: Lil Jon
Best Song: 50 Cent — “In Da Club”
Best Verse: Jay-Z — “Public Service Announcement”
Best Beat: Joe Budden — “Pump It Up” (producer: Just Blaze)
Best Album: 50 Cent — Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
2004
Best Artist: Kanye West
Best Producer: Kanye West
Best Song: Snoop Dogg — “Drop It Like It’s Hot” Feat. Pharrell
Best Verse: Ja Rule — “New York”
Best Beat: De La Soul — “Rock Co.Kane Flow” (producer: Jake One)
Best Album: Kanye West — The College Dropout
2005
Best Artist: Kanye West
Best Producer: Kanye West
Best Song: The Game — “Hate It or Love It” Feat. 50 Cent
Best Verse: Jay-Z on Kanye West’s “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)”
Best Beat: Young Jeezy — “Go Crazy” Feat. Jay-Z (producer: Don Cannon)
Best Album: Kanye West — Late Registration
2006
Best Artist: T.I.
Best Producer: Toomp
Best Song: Lupe Fiasco — “Kick, Push”
Best Verse: Pusha T on Clipse’s “Mr. Me Too”
Best Beat: T.I. — “What You Know” (producer: Toomp)
Best Album: T.I. — King
2007
Best Artist: Kanye West
Best Producer: Kanye West
Best Song: 50 Cent — “I Get Money”
Best Verse: Kanye West — “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”
Best Beat: Kanye West — “Flashing Lights” (producers: Kanye West and Eric Hudson)
Best Album: Kanye West — Graduation
2008
Best Artist: Lil Wayne
Best Producer: Drumma Boy
Best Song: Lil Wayne — “A Milli”
Best Verse: Lil Wayne — “A Milli”
Best Beat: Lil Wayne — “Let The Beat Build” (producers: Kanye West and Deezle)
Best Album: Lil Wayne — Tha Carter III
2009
Best Artist: Jay-Z
Best Producer: Noah “40” Shebib
Best Song: Drake — “Best I Ever Had”
Best Verse: Kanye West on Jay-Z’s “Run This Town”
Best Beat: Gucci Mane — “Lemonade” (producer: Bangladesh)
Best Album: Jay-Z — The Blueprint 3
2010
Best Artist: Kanye West
Best Producer: Kanye West
Best Song: Rick Ross — “B.M.F. (Blowin Money Fast)” Feat. Styles P
Best Verse: Nicki Minaj on Kanye West’s “Monster”
Best Beat: Kanye West — “Devil In A New Dress” (producer: Bink & Mike Dean)
Best Album: Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2011
Best Artist: Drake
Best Producer: Noah “40” Shebib
Best Song: Jay-Z and Kanye West — “N****s In Paris”
Best Verse: Drake on DJ Khaled’s “I’m On One”
Best Beat: Drake — “Lord Knows” Feat. Rick Ross (producer: Just Blaze)
Best Album: Drake — Take Care
2012
Best Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Best Producer: Mike Will Made-It
Best Song: Meek Mill — “Dreams And Nightmares”
Best Verse: Drake on Rick Ross’ “Stay Schemin”
Best Beat: Kendrick Lamar — “Money Trees” Feat. Jay Rock (producer: DJ Dahi)
Best Album: Kendrick Lamar — Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
2013
Best Artist: Drake
Best Producer: Noah “40” Shebib
Best Song: J. Cole — “Power Trip” Feat. Miguel
Best Verse: Kendrick Lamar on Big Sean’s “Control”
Best Beat: Migos — “Versace” (producer: Zaytoven)
Best Album: Drake — Nothing Was The Same
2014
Best Artist: J. Cole
Best Producer: DJ Mustard
Best Song: Big Sean — “I Don’t Fuck With You” Feat. E-40
Best Verse: Young Thug on Rich Gang’s “Lifestyle”
Best Beat: YG — “My N****” Feat. Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan (producer: DJ Mustard & Mike Free)
Best Album: J. Cole — 2014 Forest Hills Drive
2015
Best Artist: Drake
Best Producer: Metro Boomin
Best Song: Future — “Thought It Was A Drought”
Best Verse: Drake — “Back To Back”
Best Beat: Future — “Stick Talk” (producer: Southside)
Best Album: Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp A Butterfly
2016
Best Artist: Drake
Best Producer: Metro Boomin
Best Song: Migos — “Bad And Boujee” Feat. Lil Uzi Vert
Best Verse: Chance The Rapper on Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam”
Best Beat: Kanye West — “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1” (producers: Kanye West, Metro Boomin, Mike Dean, and Rick Rubin)
Best Album: Drake — Views
2017
Best Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Best Producer: No I.D.
Best Song: Cardi B — “Bodak Yellow”
Best Verse: Drake — “Do Not Disturb”
Best Beat: Future — “Mask Off” (producer: Metro Boomin)
Best Album: Kendrick Lamar — Damn
2018
Best Artist: Drake
Best Producer: Kanye West
Best Song: Travis Scott — “Sicko Mode” Feat. Drake
Best Verse: Pusha T — “If You Know You Know”
Best Beat: Pusha T — “Infrared” (producer: Kanye West)
Best Album: Cardi B — Invasion Of Privacy
2019
Best Artist: Tyler, The Creator
Best Producer: Madlib
Best Song: Young Thug — “Hot” Feat. Gunna
Best Verse: J. Cole — “Middle Child”
Best Beat: 21 Savage — “A Lot” Feat. J. Cole (producers: DJ Dahi and J. White Did It)
Best Album: Tyler The Creator — Igor
2020
Best Artist: Lil Baby
Best Producer: Hit-Boy
Best Song: Roddy Ricch — “The Box”
Best Verse: Freddie Gibbs — “Scottie Beam”
Best Beat: Jay Electronica — “A.P.I.D.T.A.” Feat. Jay-Z (producer: Khruangbin)
Best Album: Lil Baby — My Turn
2021
Best Artist: Tyler The Creator
Best Producer: Tyler The Creator
Best Song: Baby Keem — “Family Ties” Feat. Kendrick Lamar
Best Verse: Lil Baby on Drake’s “Wants And Needs”
Best Beat: Drake — “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” (producers: Austin Powerz, Boi-1da, FNZ, and Keanu Beats) Feat. Rick Ross
Best Album: Tyler The Creator — Call Me If You Get Lost
2022
Best Artist: Drake
Best Producer: Metro Boomin
Best Song: Drake — “Jimmy Cooks” Feat. 21 Savage
Best Verse: Drake on Jack Harlow’s “Churchill Downs”
Best Beat: Pusha T — “Dreamin’ Of The Past” (producer: Kanye West)
Best Album: Drake and 21 Savage — Her Loss
2023
Best Artist: J. Cole
Best Producer: Tay Keith
Best Song: Drake & J. Cole — “First Person Shooter”
Best Verse: J. Cole on Lil Yachty’s “The Secret Recipe”
Best Beat: Larry June — “60 Days” (producer: The Alchemist)
Best Album: Gunna — A Gift & A Curse
2024
Best Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Best Producer: Metro Boomin
Best Song: Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us”
Best Verse: Kendrick Lamar on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That”
Best Beat: Future and Metro Boomin — “Like That” Feat. Kendrick Lamar (producer: Metro Boomin)
Best Album: Kendrick Lamar — GNX
