Top Music of 2011: Hip Hop

Looking for the best hip hop tracks of 2011? Check out our list of the top tunes of the year, featuring songs from Jay-Z, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, and more!

Top Songs

It’s been an amazing year for hip hop, with a number of artists putting out great music. Here are some of the top songs of 2011.

“N****s in Paris”

“N****s in Paris” is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaboration album Watch the Throne (2011). The song features additional vocals from Frank Ocean andSoulja Boy. The song samples dialogue from TheDreamers (2003), specifically a line spoken by actor Michael Pitt, which was popularized on YouTube.

The track was produced by Hit-Boy, a producer signed to West’s GOOD Music label, known for his production on West’s previous album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The track features minimal instrumentation and is built around a synth-driven melody. The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Jay-Z and Kanye West’s joint fourth chart-topping single as well as their second consecutive number-one single after “Run This Town”.

“Otis”

This song is Otis by Jay-Z and Kanye West. It was released in 2011 and is one of the top songs of that year. The song is a collaboration between two of the biggest names in hip hop and it definitely shows. The beat is catchy and the verses flow together perfectly. If you’re a fan of either artist, or just hip hop in general, this is a must-listen.

“I’m on One”

“I’m on One” is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake, American rapper Rick Ross and French Montana, taken from the former’s second studio album Take Care. The song peaked at number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Drake’s fifth top ten hit and eighth consecutive top 40 hit overall in the United States. In Canada, “I’m on One” debuted at number one on the Canadian Hot 100, making it both Montana and Ross’ first number one in the country.

The song features production from Noah “40” Shebib and Mike Posner. The latter also helped with the composition of “I’m on One”, which was written by Aubrey Graham, Dwayne Carter, Khaled Khaled, Steven Martian of Fki and Posner himself. The song samples Labi Siffre’s 1975 track “I Got The…”

Top Albums

It’s been a great year for music, especially hip hop. There have been a lot of great albums released this year, so it was tough to narrow it down to just a few. Here are our top albums of 2011.

Watch the Throne

Watch the Throne is a collaborative album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, released on August 8, 2011 by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings.

Take Care

“Take Care” is the second studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on November 15, 2011, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. Recording sessions took place over the course of 2011, at studios in Toronto and New York City. The album’s producer, Noah “40” Shebib, contributed to the majority of its production; alongside T-Minus, Boi-1da, TheMIND of Symbolyc One,and Just Blaze. Noted for its minimalist R&B elements compared to Drake’s prior work,[9]the tracks utilize recurring instrumentation such as Elliott Smith-sampling pianos and collaborator Jamie xx’s distinctive beats.

Take Care was musically compared to Rihanna’s Loud (2010) and Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia, Ultra (2011). Commercially it became Drake’s most successful album to date; it debuted atop both the Billboard 200 in the United States and in Canada, selling 631,000 copies in its first week of availability in the former country—the record for highest opening week sales achieved by a male artist in 2012—and 82,000 copies in the latter. In doing so it also broke American chart records; it became the first album by a male solo artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 while also atop both Hot 100 and Rap Songs charts simultaneously in 12 years since Tupac Shakur’s All Eyez on Me (1996), while it became only the fifth album ever to achieve this feat along with Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster (2009), Michael Jackson’s Bad (1987), Puff Daddy & Mase’s Harlem World (1997) and Snoop Dogg Doggystyle (1993).

The album was promoted with several television appearances primarily performed by Drake himself; including an episode of Saturday Night Live which featured two performances from “Take Care” as well as a Digital Short comedy sketch co-starring SETH Rogen;[19] two episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! featuring two additional performances from “Take Care”.[20][21] As well as multiple showings on BET 106 & Park onwards from December 2011 onwards.[22][23] Having achieved large commercial recognition not simply immediately upon release but also steadily thereafter throughout 2012 into 2013,”Take Care” has been nominated for numerous awards including Album of the Year at both Grammy Awards ceremony held in early 2013 with three further nods won at BET Awards event held mid 2013—making Take Care one Drake’s most decorated albums thus far.”Take Care” was recorded between 2010–2012 during sessions mostly at Paradise Studios located across Toronto although further recording did also take place elsewhere during various stateside recording sessions based within New York City such as Thepad Recording Studios amongst others locations not always revealed prior to each albums release throughout Drake discography thus far.”

Tha Carter IV

Released: 2011
Length: 78:52
Producer: Boi-1da, T-Minus, Cool & Dre, Swizzy, No I.D., Bangladesh, The Runners, Jim Jonsin, Juicy J, Kane Beatz
Label: Cash Money
Certified gold by the RIAA

“Tha Carter IV” is the ninth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on August 29, 2011 through Young Money Entertainment and distributed by Universal Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from Drake, T-Pain, André 3000, Bun B, Nas, Shyne , Tech N9ne , Busta Rhymes , and Rick Ross . The production was handled by Cool & Dre , T-Minus , Boi-1da , Infamous , Noah “40” Shebib and Juice .

Top Artists

In 2011, the top artists of hip hop were Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Drake, and Eminem. They all had great albums that came out and were very successful. They all had different sounds and styles that made them stand out from each other. Let’s take a look at each one of these artists and see what made them so successful in 2011.

Jay-Z and Kanye West

Jay-Z and Kanye West are two of the most successful and well-known rappers in the world. In 2011, they released a collaborative album called “Watch the Throne” which quickly rose to the top of the charts. The album was praised for its mix of lyricism,atlity, and production values, and helped cement Jay-Z and Kanye West’s status as two of the most important hip hop artists of our time.

Drake

Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986), better known by his stage name Drake, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Dennis Graham, is an African American and a former drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis. His mother, Sandra “Sandy” (née Sher) Graham, is a Canadian white Jewish woman of Ashkenazi descent. He has an older brother named Matthew, who is also a musician. F

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne is one of the most popular rappers in the world, and he has had an incredible year in 2011. He released his ninth studio album, Tha Carter IV, in August and it quickly shot to the top of the charts. The album has been praised by critics and fans alike, and it has cemented Lil Wayne’s place as one of the best rappers in the game. He has also had a successful year with his other businesses, including his record label, Young Money Entertainment, and his clothing line, Trukfit. Lil Wayne is without a doubt one of the top artists of 2011.