The 100 Best Indie Rap Albums (1995–2025)

My favorite underground hip-hop records from the last 30 years

House rules

• To define ‘indie rap’, I restricted the list to:

  • Truly independent releases. This rules out all albums released on major labels or labels that at the time of release were either (predominantly) major-owned or major-controlled (like Jive, Tommy Boy or Delicious Vinyl). Admittedly, there’s a blurry line at major distribution or ‘partnerships’.

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