The Greatest Year in Hip-Hop History

A 16-slot bracket tournament to determine the best

This has been updated since its original publication in 2014

Of all the conversations and debates surrounding the best of the best in hip-hop — MC’s, groups, producers, labels — perhaps the most difficult to ascertain is what is the greatest year in hip-hop history.

This is not a new question, of course, but I thought I’d bring a new angle to it by determining the best through a 16-slot bracket tournament.

Before we get to the matchups, a few notes on the seedings and inclusion of years:

• The impact of the year goes beyond the music released. It also includes cultural impact as well and historical importance. Important strides like mainstream media acknowledgment, television presence, and inclusion in awards shows matter, but the music carries the most weight by far. The general consensus is that hip-hop started in 1973, but no one owns an album from that year, so it was not included.
• Nothing is a classic overnight and perspective needs time. That’s why an athlete must be retired for five years before being included on a Hall of Fame ballot. The same is true here but because of the ever changing nature of the genre, I expanded it to a full decade so that nothing after 2008…