Last year was an amazing year for hip-hop, and this upcoming list contains the albums that made it amazing. Future released back-to-back projects, 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin came through with one of the best collab albums I’ve ever heard, and legends like Rick Ross and 2 Chainz made their returns.

But below are the albums that stood out from the rest. From the lyrics to the production to the subject matter on these albums, all of them are close to flawless. These albums are all fantastic, so putting them in an order was very difficult, but I’ve given it my best shot. Below is my Top 10 hip-hop albums of the year:

#10: “Culture” by Migos

Migos kicked off the year with the album that put them in the spotlight for good. “Culture” had more impact than any other mumble rap/trap album released last year, and its popularity is justified. While the second half of the album contains all the weaker songs on the album, most of “Culture” contains some of the best tracks Migos has ever released. The album is filled with bangers that have excellent production, like “Slippery,” “Get Right Witcha,” and “T-Shirt” (which is, in my opinion, the best Migos song so far). I put this album on the list mostly because of its impact, but when compared to the other albums that were released last year with Migos on it, this album is by far the best one. The album has incredible replay value, and all three of the group’s members get their own moments to shine. Takeoff’s flow on “Get Right Witcha” is unmatched by any other mumble rappers nowadays, Offset’s verse on “Bad and Boujee” contains an awesome rhyme scheme, and several of Quavo’s hooks, most notably on “T-Shirt” and “Slippery,” will remain iconic for years to come. Add features from 2 Chainz and Gucci Mane and you have a fantastic album. The album makes me go into 2018 with high expectations for Culture II.

#9: “Big Fish Theory” by Vince Staples

I’ve been a fan of Vince Staples ever since I first listened to his XXL freshman cypher verse from two years ago (and I would highly recommend listening to it if you haven’t already). He has never disappointed me, and that continues to be the case now that I’ve listened to “Big Fish Theory,” his second studio album. Before I say anything about this album, I believe strongly that Vince would rule West Coast rap if it weren’t for Kendrick Lamar. He is that good, and the album supports that. Firstly, “Big Fish Theory” has great replay value. I’m still listening to songs like “Big Fish” and “Party People” today. Secondly, the production on the album is also amazing, as seen by how well the songs fit together as a compilation. Somehow all of the songs remind me of water or submersion, which is exactly why putting a fish on the album’s cover was a genius idea. Lastly, I give “Big Fish Theory” a lot of points for being one of the most unique albums I’ve listened to this year. It makes me excited to see how Vince’s sound will evolve in the next few years. At least for now he’s released a solid body of work, and “Big Fish Theory” is one of its best assets.

#8: “I Decided” by Big Sean

While Big Sean took a dip at the end of the year after a horrible collab with Metro Boomin and his failure to respond well to a diss by Kendrick Lamar, he started off 2017 with a great album. Sean is without a doubt one of the best lyricists of this generation, and tracks on “I Decided” like “Bounce Back” and “Inspire Me” fully affirm that. Sean is also a very underrated storyteller, and finally this skill of his comes in handy on “I Decided,” as he discusses fame, love, and his competition on several tracks on the album. The features on this album were also picked very well, as Migos jumps in as a pleasant surprise on “Sacrifices” and Eminem provides a killer verse on “No Favors.” “I Decided” is just full of Big Sean snapping on excellently produced tracks with great features, and this more than confirms that he is a force to be reckoned with in the rap game.

#7: “ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$” by Joey Bada$$

This album was my favorite album of 2017 for a while. It’s A1 when it comes to production, cohesion, and structure. All the tracks fit together like puzzle pieces, with brass instruments appearing all over the album, providing great beats in songs like “FOR MY PEOPLE” and “LEGENDARY.” Many of the same instruments are used on the album’s tracks, providing the album with cohesion as well. Joey Bada$$ also structured it excellently, with the first six songs containing just his verses on the album. Then it moves into five songs with great features from J. Cole and Schoolboy Q, among others, and finally the album closes with Joey snapping on a track one more time. Joey Bada$$ also solidifies his status as one of the best lyricists in the game right now, and whoever has doubted him in the past should listen to “LAND OF THE FREE” and “AMERIKKKAN IDOL” before saying anything else. The best thing about “ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$,” though, is that it’s an album that matters and one that America needed. Joey Bada$$ discusses mass incarceration, discrimination, Donald Trump, and countless other issues that have to do with black people in America after the Trump election. Joey Bada$$ has given us an amazing album that will forever be the first great hip-hop album of the Trump era.

#6: “Flower Boy” by Tyler, the Creator

Tyler, the Creator came through this year with one of the best introspective albums I’ve ever listened to. Tyler keeps us guessing about his sexuality as he drops hints about being gay on the album, and yet denying it outside of his music. Whomever he might love, though, shouldn’t matter in the end, and it is not the only thing Tyler talks about on the album. Tyler also discusses his insecurities that have to do with his social life and creativity while using certain motifs like cars and nature all over “Flower Boy,” which is something I’ve seen no other artist do this year. What I’ve also noticed while listening to this album is that Tyler does not only release good hip-hop verses; he releases good music, too. The album’s production has layer upon layer that fits into the whole, and adding some of these layers certainly was a risk for Tyler, but in the end all of the layers fit together. Something that makes Tyler unique is that he is not afraid to just have the instrumentals playing and not add vocals until later in some of the songs, which lead to riveting bits of music in songs like “Garden Shed” and “Pothole.” Add to this amazing production the profound lyrics Tyler crafted and solid features from A$AP Rocky, Jaden Smith, Estelle, and a few others, and you get one of the best albums of the year.

#5: “No Dope On Sundays” by CyHi the Prynce

CyHi has been held back for far too long. Ever since I first listened to his guest verse on Kanye West’s “So Appalled” I knew he was a talented lyricist. With his first album “No Dope On Sundays” CyHi brings not only his lyrical skill, but a reinvented old-school vibe to the table. After seven or eight years of only releasing mixtapes and guest verses, CyHi finally goes off on this album. From a black utopia on “Nu Africa” to the atrocities in city streets on “Murda,” the subject matter on the album is insightful and covers topics that are not often discussed by other socially conscious rappers. CyHi takes risks in terms of subject matter as well, which is very bold considering this is his debut album, and that definitely gets points from me, too. I could tell what CyHi’s influences in music are as well, as the album contains elements of Fugees when they perform reggae, Atlanta trap, and RnB. CyHi combines these influences to make his own sound that makes the album a sonic standout this year. Add to that the perfect features, like Kanye West, 2 Chainz, Schoolboy Q, and Estelle, and you get a debut album that’s close to perfect.

#4: “4eva Is a Mighty Long Time” by Big K.R.I.T.

When I was eight or nine years old, my favorite song for a while was “The Way I Are” by Timbaland. I would listen to that song on repeat for days at a time, and ever since then I’ve been hoping that there’d be a song that sounds like Timbaland did back in those days. This entire album sounds just like Timbaland, only better. The album is laced with influence from projects like “The College Dropout” and “Shock Value.” It takes the sonic elements from both of those albums and combines them into a project that without a doubt has more soul, dedication, and love in it than any other album released in 2017. Big K.R.I.T. remains underrated as both a rapper and a soul artist, and this album proves it. The content is fantastic, the production is layered, and the opening track is the best opening track of any album I’ve listened to in the last year. Some songs are bangers (like K.R.I.T.’s “Big Bank” with T.I.), and others are fantastic affirmations of K.R.I.T.’s status as a great MC (like “Confetti”). But “4eva” is an album that above all reminded me of many eras of music at the same time, which is an impressive feat for K.R.I.T.

#3: “Laila’s Wisdom” by Rapsody

A good friend of mine told me that “Laila’s Wisdom” is the album that has come the closest to being as legendary of a female rap album as “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” and I fully agree. This is the most underrated album of the year, no questions asked. Rapsody is not only a lyrical queen on this album, but has managed to make “Laila’s Wisdom” as a whole close to perfect. The album has amazing features, from a great Busta Rhymes verse to appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, and Black Thought that are all fantastic additions to the album. Rapsody covers her thoughts on power in “Power,” love in “Knock On My Door,” violence in “Jesus Coming,” and self-love in “Sassy,” and they all combine to make a cohesive manifesto of music. This album made me feel uplifted, enlightened, and devastated all at the same time, and that is because Rapsody knows how to play with the feelings of her listeners. I played the album and the album played me, that’s what happened on my first listen of “Laila’s Wisdom.” It’s a masterpiece, and so many more people should know about it.

#2: “DAMN.” by Kendrick Lamar

I could not make a Top 10 hip-hop albums of 2017 list without mentioning “DAMN.” Kendrick Lamar had never disappointed me, and that streak has continued after this album’s release. It’s the most popular hip-hop album of 2017, and the numbers don’t lie when it comes to quality. Kendrick discusses his life now that he’s at the top of the food chain in rap all over the album. He discusses artistry and addresses the competition on “ELEMENT.” (the best song on the album), his difficulty with staying humble amid all the praise he receives on “PRIDE.,” and how the subject of his anxiety has evolved on “FEAR.” He proves how masterful of a storyteller he is on “DUCKWORTH.” as well. The album is a sonic masterpiece, and it has the best structure among all the albums released in 2017, as it is still cohesive when played in reverse, which is something Kendrick wanted to achieve when he created the album. Almost every project Kendrick has released is a classic to me, and “DAMN.” is no exception. Ten years from now people will still remember this album, perhaps more than any other album on this list.

#1: “4:44” by JAY-Z

It took a lot of bravery for JAY-Z to publicly apologize for cheating on Beyoncé in the first place, let alone via his music. The reason why I consider this the best hip-hop album of 2017 is not just because of his apology on it, though. The album is called “4:44” because Hova woke up one night at 4:44 AM and wrote the title song on the album in one quick stream of consciousness. Hence the birth of the song “4:44” and the album it belongs to. If that isn’t a true indication of Jay being an artist then I don’t know what is. One flow of inspiration birthed one of the best songs of his career and the most honest album he has ever created. But the album’s lead single is not the only reason why “4:44” takes the trophy for me. “The Story of OJ” is the best record of 2017 to address mumble rappers, as it talks about how to properly become a businessman when you make it in the rap game. Jay is also addressing his love for Jamaican culture on “Bam,” the things black people have achieved in the entertainment industry on “Moonlight,” and he speaks to his mother, friends, wife, and children, on other records on the album. “4:44” was therapeutic for Hova, which means the excellently produced album came from a deep, honest place within him, making it as special as an album will ever get, and perhaps the biggest key to JAY-Z’s character the public has received yet. Jay left his heart and soul on that album more than anyone else, and that is why he takes the top spot for me.

These albums and many more made 2017 the legendary year that it is. They have led to cultural evolution, separated the great artists from the wack artists, and graced us with modern poetry and symphonies.