All things considered, 2021 gifted us some incredible music. Enjoy some of Paste ’s favorite hip-hop albums of the year. Listen to Paste’s Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2021 playlist on Spotify here.

The OTFMZ Awards honored the most talented writers and performers in battle rap after a crazy year of back-to-back events.

It’s time to select your top contributors to the culture as we recognize those who helped advance the scene in 2021.