For me:

2020- Savage Mode II (21 Savage)
2021- Call Me If You Get Lost (Tyler the Creator)
2022- Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (Kendrick Lamar)
2023- Utopia (Travis Scott)
2024- GNX (Kendrick Lamar)
2025- Don't Tap the Glass (Tyler the Creator)

Don't Tap The Glass isn't really hip hop....

2020; Alfredo
2021: do it for demon
2022: mr. Morale
2023: The Great Escape
2024: we don’t trust you
2025: Alfredo 2

2020 Playboi Carti
2021 Yeat
2022 Kendrick
2023 Dave & Central Cee (EP)
2024 Kendrick
2025 Clipse

I think it takes hip-hop back to its dance music roots

wlr
cmiygl
mr morale
i cant remember
gnx
let god sort em out
dont be dumb

n/a
donda
mr morale
utopia
gnx
alfredo 2

Wlr
Melodic blue
Mr morale
Estate sale
GNX
Let god sort em out

Ramona Park Broke My Heart better than everything listed

WLR
THIB
I Never Liked You
Ganger
Saaheem
Let God Sort Em Out

2020: sftsaftm (deluxe)
2021: we're all alone in this together
2022: mr. morale & the big steppers
2023: a Gift & a Curse
2024: gnx
2025: lotus

My Turn or Alfredo 1
CMIYGL or Magic
The Forever Story or Cheat Codes
FATD
We don’t trust you
Lil Herb or Alfredo 2

Just saw the mainstream part. Remove thought and Freddie

2020: playboi carti - whole lotta red
2021: nas - king's disease ii
2022: kendrick lamar - mr. morale & the big steppers
2023: nas - magic 3
2024: kendrick lamar - gnx
2025: clipse - let god sort em out

2020: Drake - Dark Lane Demo Tapes
2021: Kanye West - Donda (purely nostalgia more than actual quality)
2022: Pusha T - It's Almost Dry
2023: Earl Sweatshirt - Voir Dire
2024: Kendrick Lamar - GNX
2025: Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out

Sahbabii - Barnacles
Nas - King’s Disease 2
Vince Staples - Ramona Park
Destroy Lonely - If Looks Could Kill
Kendrick Lamar - GNX
Clipse - Let God Sort ‘Em Out

2020: Alfredo(HM to Savage Mode 2)
2021: CMIYGL(HM to Donda)
2022: King's Disease 3(HM to Mr. Morale)
2023: Scaring The Hoes(HM to Michael)
2024: GNX(HM to Blue Lips)
2025: Let God Sort Em Out(HM to Showtime!)

2020 - Juice WRLD - Legends Never Die
2021 - J. Cole - The Off-Season
2022 - Drake & 21 Savage - Her Loss
2023 - Ken Carson - A Great Chaos
2024 - Don Toliver - Hardstone Psycho
2025 - Yeat - Dangerous Summer

Whole Lotta Red
The Off Season
Mr. Morale (Heroes & Villains for bangers though)
For All The Dogs i guess
GNX
Let God Sort Em Out counts for mainstream?

2023 was bleak huh

2020: Savage Mode II
2021: Donda
2022: The Forever Story
2023: Scarlet
2024: GNX
2025: Let God Sort ‘Em Out

I think 2021, 2023, and 2025 were very weak years for mainstream rap overall.

Best year of the decade for mainstream rap so far I think is a tie between 2020 and 2022

Weakest year probably

2020 was so f***ing lit

EA drop
EA2 drop

know it was a rough year when the Spiderverse album was my top played new rap album that year

starting to think yall dont know what hip hop is