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Top 20 Rap Albums Released During the Pandemic Era

From Pop Smoke’s major debut to Playboi Carti’s avant-garde masterpiece, here’s a rundown of the 20 best rap albums that emerged during the pandemic era.

The onset of 2020 seemed filled with anticipation. Big names like Drake, J. Cole, and Cardi B were rumored to drop new projects.

However, everything shifted dramatically on March 11, 2020, when COVID-19 was officially declared a global pandemic. As lockdowns ensued and daily life was upended, it became clear that the music world would be forever changed.

With tour dates canceled and the live performance industry on pause, many prominent rappers found themselves grounded.

This unexpected disruption birthed a unique period in music, dominated less by superstars and more by rising artists, as well as established acts who stepped into the spotlight in new ways. Ironically, the pandemic created the perfect moment for album releases, with listeners stuck at home, eager for new sounds.

The following list reflects the best rap albums released during the pandemic, which we define as spanning from March 2020 to April 2021 when vaccines started rolling out and the world began cautiously reopening.

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