10 Best Rap Albums Of 2008

The 10 best rap albums of 2008 are essential to any fan of the rap genre. All the artists that created the best rap albums of 2008 are male, and are well respected rappers. The 10 best rap albums of 2008 contains critically acclaimed albums, and the best selling rap albums of 2008.

1. "Tha Carter III" by Lil Wayne. The best rap album of 2008 is the most successful album of 2008. The 2008 rap album sold 2.88 million copies, and helped mainstream rap to the masses. Lil Wayne's 2008 rap album had creative lyrics, and guest rappers on the album including, Jay-Z, T-Pain, Bobby Valentino, and Babyface.
2. "Untitled" by Nas. Released by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records on July 15, 2008, the rap album debuted #1 on Billboard 200 chart. In 2008 the rap album sold 428,000 copies, certifying it gold. It was named "Untitled" because Nas was not allowed to use the title he originally wanted, “N*gger” was shot down. The 2008 rap album expresses political and social views.
3. "The Renaissance" by Q-Tip. Released on November 3, 2008, the rap album sold 34,219 copies in its first week. It earned Q-Tip a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. Released on Universal Motown Records, the 2008 rap album contains fourteen high-quality tracks that received positive critical praise.
4. "Paper Trail" by T.I. The #8 selling album of 2008 sold more than two million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum. The 2008 rap album features Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and more. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 51st Grammy Awards and won CD of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards.
5. "LAX" by The Game. Selling 633,000 albums, "LAX" was released August 22, 2008 on Geffen Records. The 2008 rap album was supposed to be Game's last studio effort, as he talked of retiring after releasing "LAX". Guest appearances on the album includes, Raekwon, Ice Cube, Ne-Yo, Lil Wayne, Nas, and more. He also released a deluxe version, which has twenty songs.
6. "Pro Tools" by GZA. The sixth studio album from rapper and Wu-Tang Clan-member was released August 19, 2008 on Babygrande Records. The 2008 16-track rap album debuted #52 on US Billboard 200 chart, selling 9,000 copies in its first week. One of the best rap albums of 2008 because it received an aggregate score from critics of 76/100 from Metacritic.
7. "The Recession" by Young Jeezy. The 18-track 2008 rap album sold 260,000 copies in the United States, and has since been certified platinum. Released on September 2, 2008, this rap album is one of the best because of the surprise appearance from his estranged one-time partner Nas on the last track, "My President". The album received mixed reviews and contains energetic flow, opposed to his usual slow swagger.
8. "Emeritus" by Scarface. Released at the end of 2008, this rap album debuted at #24 on Billboard 200 chart, selling 42,000 copies in its first week. It also received critical acclaim scoring 85/100 from Metacritic. One of the best rap albums of 2008 because Scarface wanted to go out with a bang on his could be last solo album by making it his best.
9. "Theater Of The Mind" by Ludacris. Released in 2008, the rap album had a a theme of being theatrical. Debuting at #5 on Billboard 200 it sold 439,000 in 2008. One of the best rap albums because each track was meant to be like a scene, and even had "costars" such as Jay-Z, T.I., Common, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, and more.
10. "808s & Heartbreak" by Kanye West. Released November 24, 2008 on Roc-A-Fella Records, "Rolling Stone" gave the 2008 rap album three-and-a-half out of five stars. Some lyrics are rapped, and the music incorporates synth, electronica, R&B, and electropop. The 2008 rap album debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 chart, and sold one million copies in the United States, certifying it platinum.