UGF's Decade Wrap Up: Top 10 Rappers of the Decade

First off we want to say this list is FAR from the only people we listen to, and it isn't even really the people we listen to the most regularly these days. It's our efforts to quantify what some of UGF's favorites have been up to in this decade as it wraps up, and for that reason we haven't included some musicians we have a tremendous amount of respect for. There are also a lot of folks who have arguably more technical skill in a lot of areas than some of these rappers, but we left them off because stylistically we don't find them as interesting or have trouble getting as into what they're about, or they just haven't been as busy since 2010 as others. So let's start the Decade Wrap Up with Dimxsk & Trylemma's picks of the top 10 rappers of the decade!

Dimxsk's List

1. Ceschi:
When one person can undeniably master every musical art including instrumentals, singing and rapping that's a very rare thing. To add to that a fearless writing style and refusal to give up even an inch of integrity to boost sales, it wasn't difficult to give up the top spot to Fake Four innovator Julio "Ceschi" Ramos. With two albums dropped in the last year of this decade, and a very impressive resume going back to the very beginning, the impact Ceschi's had on indie rap music this decade is self evident and it can't go without recognition that his label has brought us some of the best music of the decade as well. While a lot of these slots were difficult to determine for me, this one was obvious.

2. Onry Ozzborn:
One of my favorite albums of the decade was Vessel by Dark Time Sunshine. Onry's strange sense of style and spacey lyrics served on a beautiful platter of Zavala's creation made some of the songs on that album really shine. As a duo they released two EP's and another full length record ANX that was incredible. In addition we've had Onry's work as a solo artist, Grayskul's triumphant return with Zenith, and numerous guest spots that have always been a pleasure to hear. One of my all time favorite musicians, he's done his best work this decade and some of the best indie rap I've heard.

3. Astronautalis:
Even as I type this I wonder if Astronautalis truly belongs on this list. I absolutely love his work, but some of his later offerings I haven't found as interesting. The most unique aspect of his music is his often seamless transitions into folk and indie rock, and his work this decade like the full length Four Fists album with P.O.S have been strictly rap. However, Cut the Body Loose from 2016 was a great album, and his trilogy of Factor produced tracks from 2017 were all dope. He will always be a favorite and I expect more from him in the Twenties.

4. billy woods:
I feel like when it comes to old fashioned storytelling style lyricism, few this decade have it going on more than Woods. Not only has he done a tremendous amount of work these past ten years (from an almost annual solo album in the later half to his excellent offerings with Elucid as Armand Hammer) but I find that work very engaging, with the ability to fully draw the listener in to the world he paints with words. A true poet with an unconventional rhyme and a one of a kind brain. Love all his work.

5. Aesop Rock:
I sorta break with Trylemma here in that I believe Aesop's best album was Labor Days. However, over the past ten years he's put out a number of projects with Rhymesayers Entertainment, all of which had all the personality, wit and charm we've come to expect from Aesop, along with a new direction in production that allowed his weirdness to become a bit more accessible and reach an even larger audience. 2016's Impossible Kid was an excellent offering and was all I've come to love about the rapper / producer. Definitely belongs in the top 5.

6. Carnage the Executioner:
A personal favorite of mine, I've been in love with Carnage's delivery and braggadocio style since I first heard his voice on "Star Destroyer". What really earns him his spot in my opinion is all the work he's put into this decade, establishing himself as a solo artist with 2011's Worth the Wait (an album that I think can be enjoyed equally by both Tech N9NE and Heiroglyphics fans alike) and putting out a number of solo albums and collaborative projects, all of them at least dope if not excellent. His latest album Ravenous was my favorite of his by far, and I can't wait to see what the Twenties have in store for this rapper. Earns my vote as well for "Most Underrated" rapper of the decade.


7. Neila:
Simply put, I've enjoyed everything I've ever heard from Neila, going back two decades. But she's really put out some gold these past ten years, specifically her amazing EP with Vrse and her various hard to find projects like Buttons EP and Marked for Breath. Her unique voice and talent for picking great beats make for some beautiful and dope songs, always personal and always fresh. It's worth noting that according to Asgard Records' Bandcamp she was the victim of ID theft recently, so if you've been holding off on picking up any of her work, now's the time (check out this fun little mixtape for example).


8. Brzowski:
Straight outta New England we have one of the most interesting rappers of the decade, and a man whose definitely been putting in work for the last ten years. Starting with A Fitful Sleep, Brzowski has been putting out a unique blend of metal, singer songwriter and rap music that should appeal to fans of all (or none) of the above. His work with C Money Burns as Vinyl Cape is especially notable, given how a fusion of rap and metal is so prone to gimmicky wackness. Vinyl Cape showcases not just a smart lyrical style but serious musicianship from the band and some singable, moshable material. He keeps on grinding, and his last solo album Enmityville was perfect. He just released his newest mixtape Blooddrive Vol. 4 here, featuring billy woods, Swordplay, Elucid, KidDEAD, ialive and others, and it promises to be an amazing collection. Definitely earned his spot.


9. Serengeti:
One of my favorite albums of the earlier part of the decade was Saturday Night, by Serengeti & Hi-Fidel as Friday Night. Quirky and dope, with a concept that actually sticks to it's own story and is engaging (a serious rarity in rap music), Serengeti has always been the consummate rap author. While I've never really been a fan of his Kenny Dennis persona (sorry Geti), I love his work with Sicker Man, his album with Why?'s own Yoni Wolf as Yoni & Geti, and his forays into pop music with super producer Rob Kleiner (Kaleidoscope & Quail). While you can't always count on his albums to be total winners, he puts out so many that the next offering or the one after can usually be counted on to restore any lost faith in the man's skill and creativity.


10. Von Poe VII (fka Poetic Death):
I wanted to diverge a bit from my usual folk rap roots to bring up a name I've been following for a while now. Starting as a teenager as Poetic Death, Riverside California's own Von Poe VII has put out a number of albums this decade that keep the mind spinning and the head nodding. Helped out by his association with some incredible producers (Vice Versa is one) he's managed to put out a huge volume of material in a short time that tackles difficult topics in religion, politics and racism. With the poetic sensibilities of Tupac but a style entirely of his own design, Von Poe has become an impressive force in the conscious rap genre. In addition his work with the loose knit posse Organized Threat (Gavlyn and Papa J Ruiz came up in this group as well) he exercises his creativity through multimedia projects and a clothing line. Possible "Most Promising, West Coast Division".

Trylemma's List

1. Nocando:
Nocando comes in at my number one spot - which is a bit strange as he dropped some mediocre stuff this decade (e.g. "Zero Hour," "Tits N Explosions,") and some good, but not great stuff (e.g. "Jimmy The Lock," "Jimmy The Burnout.") In 2011, however, he dropped the amazing "10 Haters" and played a large part in 2013's great "Dorner vs. Tookie." He then went on an absolute murder spree in 2017-2018, dropping one of the most impressive 4-project strings ever. Spot well earned.

2. Sapient:
Name another rapper who does apocalyptic electronic folk boom bap sing rap better than Sapient? Highlights this decade include arguably my favorite remix project of all time in "Gunwings" and the absolutely incredible "Slump" and "Fool For Gold" - neither of which has anything below a great song in my opinion. We haven't been blessed with a full project from Sapient since 2016. Hopefully that changes soon.

3. Open Mike Eagle:

Mike Eagle's career in the 2010s has certainly been the most fun to watch. He started things off with some wonderfully zany Project Blowed drenched projects like "Unapologetic Art Rap" and "Watergate" and slowly developed some highly tightly-written conceptual records like "Dark Comedy" and "Hella Personal Film Festival." With it, came a comedy career, a television career, a film career, an e-personality career lol. If there's one person who's earned it this decade, it's Open Mike Eagle.

4. Aesop Rock:

While I enjoy them, I'm not huge on Aesop's 2000s body of work. His decision to become a bit more approachable in the 2010s, combined with a huge step up in production, created some super fun and enjoyable projects this decade, while maintaining the cryptic appeal that college kids love. "Skelethon," "The Impossible Kid," "Are You Gonna Eat That?," "Hokey Fright" and "Lice" are strong standouts. 

5. Busdriver:

I like Busdriver's more blatant jazzy past a lot, but his fully embracing of weirdo pop (specifically in "Beaus$Eros) and the LA beat scene (specifically in "10 Haters") this decade made his music output truly uniquely something special. I also credit him for being the large backbone behind the greatest Hip Hop crew of the decade (perhaps ever) - Hellfyre Club. It's sad that controversy (rightfully) puts on asterick on his decade. 

6. Kanye West:
Yeezy makes the list off the strength of the incredible "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and almost as incredible "The Life of Pablo." Some very very good non-album tracks (e.g. "Christian Dior Denim Flow," "Only One") help make up for the other less than stellar albums. Say what you will about him, but the man's song writing and blunt delivery style made for some great tunes this decade.

7. milo:
No rapper has had a more lasting debut in the 2010s than milo. I loved loved the early projects (specifically "milo takes baths" and "cavalcade,") was a bit iffy on the later stuff, but was pleasantly surprised to find myself loving everything from "Who Told You to Think??!!?!?!?!" onward. I'm excited where the new name change will take him.

8. Ceschi:
I was lukewarm on Ceschi for the first half of this decade. I thought "The One Man Band" was good but not great. He kicked thing into overdrive, however, in the latter portion with "Forgotten Forever," "Broken Bone Ballads," "Sad, Fat Luck," and the latest "Sans Soleil." His acoustic projects are to be heavily admired as well.

9. Toussaint Morrison:
When it comes to pure "lyricism," it's hard to beat Toussaint Morrison, who made his solo debut this decade with a string of six solo projects ranging from great to god-tier. And if that wasn't enough, he also dropped various projects with his many groups The Blend, Lazlo Supreme, Big Villain, and my personal favorite, Jimmy & The Threats.

10. Dessa:
Dessa dropped three full length albums this decade, all three being soon-to-be classics in my opinion. She's also the standout on Doomtree's "No Kings" and "All Hands" on top of that. The only reason she's this "low" is the general lack of "rapping" on her projects. There's little to dislike however in her 2010s' career.