The Decade in Hip Hop

Soundcheck | May 3, 2010

By the end of the 1990s, hip hop was flexing a lot of music-industry muscle. But at the close of this decade, things are very different. Music critic and author Oliver Wang joins us to explain how the digital music revolution changed the genre. Plus: Oliver's picks for the best hip hop and rap albums of 2009.

Oliver Wang's Top Hip Hop Albums: 2009
1. Edan, Echo Party
2. Lil Wayne, No Ceilings
3. Jay Electronica, Exhibit C (single)

Oliver Wang's Top Hip Hop Albums: The Decade
1. Jay-Z, The Blueprint
2. Kanye West, Late Registration
3. Andre 3000 (Outkast), The Love Below
4. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter II
5. Clipse, We Got It 4 Cheap Volume 2
6. Scarface, The Fix
7. Turf Talk, West Coast Vaccine (The Cure)
8. Ghostface Killah, Supreme Clientele
9. Madvillain, Madvillainy
10. MOP, Warriorz

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

Buckled Midtown tower's plans weren't peer reviewed. Some engineers say they should've been.

The 37-story office conversion project was too small to meet structural review requirements under the city’s buildings code.
Gothamist |

Who's Stealing New Yorkers' SNAP Benefits?

Rosa Goldensohn discusses her story on the large number of New Yorkers scammed out of SNAP benefits.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

All Of It with Alison Stewart |

The World Cup, the Knicks, and LeBron James’s Fate: An All-Time Summer in Sports

The staff writer Louisa Thomas on the U.S. men’s national soccer team, the N.B.A. off-season, and Serena Williams.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |
YOU ARE ONLINE