Rap music has received widespread popularity and favorable reviews over the past five decades. That being said, like every genre, not every project receives good reviews. Let’s take a look at the most hated rap albums ever.
Certain albums have been released that have been panned by both fans and critics. In this article, we investigate the top 10 worst rap albums of all time by diving into the realm of infamy.
10. Raheem’s Vigilante (1988)
Raheem’s debut album, Vigilante, is nothing out of the ordinary, which was very disappointing for Raheem fans. The Houston native takes the worst of the old school, copying it from all sides and combining it in a jumbled and incoherent way.
The production shifts between rhythmic, uncomplicated, groovy rhythms with pop vibes and some distasteful reggae fillers. Above this highly disjointed musical choice, Raheem offers a series of strange bars that establish conscious and misogynist cuts. Listen to “The Vigilante” and see if you agree with the take.
9. Wu-Tang Clan’s Iron Flag (2001)
The shortest Wu-Tang album, Iron Flag, tries new ideas on almost every track. The first half of the album is enjoyable, while the second half is below average. Although Wu is critically acclaimed as a legendary hip-hop group, this album seems to be more of a contractual obligation than a passion project.
Still, “Uzi” and “Y’all Been Warned” prove that there was some potential for Iron Flag to be a great album. Yet the album was not widely accepted, especially by Wu-Tang’s own cult fan base. Listen to “Da Glock” and see if you think the album deserved the hate.
8. Kanye’s JESUS IS KING (2019)
JESUS IS KING is a mockery of epic proportion. Ye aligns himself with Donald Trump while referring to himself as a god. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with Kanye’s focus on Christianity throughout the album.
However there is something wrong with how the album just does not hit the ears well. The low-quality vocal mixing and overpowering of the production over his bars does not work. This is what makes the project disappointing as a product of one of the greatest producer’s work.
In fact, Ye needs to reconsider his inclusion of a choir and drums that wash out his pitchy vocals. His overuse of gospel samples are fitting for the album, but still do not do much to elevate the songs. Take a listen to “On God” and see if you understand the hate.
7. Common’s Electric Circus (2002)
Electric Circus had a more inventive and varied approach. It fused elements of alternative and psychedelic rock, funk, soul, and electronic music. Common aimed to push the boundaries of traditional hip hop by blending genres to create a one-of-a-kind aural experience.
This deviation from his established approach, however, sparked fury among fans and reviewers. His loyal, cult-like fanbase felt it compromised the spirit of what made Common’s music so popular. Many critics complained that the album lacked cohesiveness and direction.
Electric Circus included many guest artists, including Prince, Erykah Badu, and Pharrell Williams. You would think that the addition of those heavy hitters would make the album a hit. Unfortunately, all it did was add to the overall chaos.
The album’s production received input from a variety of producers. The ridiculous amount of creative influence also contributed to the impression of inconsistency.
Some tracks even had a (unnecessary) pop-infused sound to them. Listen to “Come Close” and see if you feel the same way.
6. Nas’ Nastradamus (1999)
Nasir Jones is a legendary New York lyricist. He is an incredible rapper whose lyrics remain cemented and noted for their introspection and profundity. That being said, he lost many fans with Nostradamus.
The lack of focus, poor delivery, and misguided experimentation on the album left listeners unsatisfied, leading to a big letdown that was nothing compared to I Am… The Autobiography. There are some pleasant songs, at least to me. Though he does not embody his intellectual thug persona as he usually does.
The way he tried to do so in this project was corny. It was almost like I had a bad impression of Master P. On top of this, Nas’s production was only average at best. One of the most prolific rappers of all time has one of the most hated rap albums ever.
The mediocre production did not at all help the unlikeability of the project. Overall, the majority of the songs have a commercial or thug-poster tone. Click on this video below to listen to “Nostradamus,” the lead single, not the entire album, thankfully.
5. 6ix9ine’s TattleTales (2020)
TattleTales was not a commercial success due to its lack of originality and repetition. This album appears to be a failed parody of its own character, highlighting the same clichés and employing the same terrible musical formulas, all of which are no longer relevant. Some critics even went so far as to call TattleTales an abomination on every level.
6ix9inie appears to make poor decisions both inside and outside of the studio. When the album was released, 6ix9ine took to Instagram to complain. He quickly pointed out how his album was not on the front page of any of the major streaming sites.
He showed his fans how Apple Music and Spotify hid his album from the front page. The platforms even promoted less popular and less recent releases on the front page instead of 6ix9ine’s project. Take a listen to GOOBA and tell me if you can sit through the entire song.
4. Soulja Boy’s Souljaboytellem.com (2007)
Since his ascent to prominence in 2007, Soulja Boy has become an international sensation on the Internet. Despite his huge popularity across multiple platforms, Souljaboytellem.com’s failure is hardly surprising, given his lack of creativity and uninspired lyrics.
Popular songs like “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” were surprisingly embraced by fans while being ironically disrespectful to the greatest rappers. Hip-hop occasionally permits some loud, poppy rappers to pass through the pipeline because what they have to offer fits with a popular trend. Honestly, the mediocre project was quickly forgotten.
Many rap fans think that Soulja Boy’s album was terrible for the hip hop genre. Big Soulja was the first one-hit wonder that did not go away after just one hit. Listen to “Crank That” if you haven’t heard heard it a million times already, and tell me if you think he should have been a one-hit wonder.
3. Lil Wayne’s Rebirth (2010)
Convinced that he could accomplish anything, Lil Wayne opted to release a rap-rock album that turned out to be more rock than rap. The project ultimately wasted practically all of his artistic capital on a project that marked what would eventually become his commercial and critical downfall.
Overly reliant on deliberate autotune, bland bonehead numbers like the drab “Prom Queen,” the horrid trap fusion single “On Fire,” and the horrific pop-punk Nicki Minaj feature “Knockout,” all released as singles, more or less showed that as excited as Wayne was about mixing amplifiers with his mixtape braggadocio, this match was ill-fitting.
Rebirth proved to be one of Wayne’s worst albums of his career and one of the most hated rap albums of all time. If you can stomach his over-the-top autotune, listen to “American Star,” the opening song to the horrific album, and tell me your thoughts.
2. Vanilla Ice’s To The Extreme (1990)
To The Extreme contains rap records that fans greatly dislike due to Vanilla Ice’s terrible flow and amateur lyrical ability. Additionally, the white rapper has no energy in his tracks, which makes it painful to listen to the album, filled with a bunch of misfires.
In fact, the industry needs to offer a good explanation for why Vanilla Ice’s music never received any radio play because it was a mistake. Not only was his stardom a clear result of him being white, he also got caught lying about his entire persona and upbringing. If you have not heard it a million times already, take a listen to “Ice Ice Baby” and see if you think the hate was warranted.
1. Eminem’s Revival (2017)
This was just… yikes. The release by Eminem is not only a significant step backward from Marshall Mathers LP2, but it also stands out as his worst project to date. Em’s performance on Revival consists of choppy flows and a questionable pen game.
Em lacks everything that made him famous over two decades ago. He lost his lyrical perfection and adaptable flows that amassed his cult fanbase back in the early 2000s. He also lost his ability to make good music.
Many Slim Shady fans speculated that his sobriety knocked out his ear for music. Numerous bars stand out in Revival but for the wrong reasons. His lyricism and musical ability is at an all-time low due to Em’s childish wordplay and simple puns.
Even the most admired musicians make mistakes; thus, it’s important to recognize the hated rap album failures and the commercial and cultural failures. The albums mentioned above are instances in which an artist’s artistic vision faltered or when they ventured to experiment beyond their comfort zones but failed to resonate with their audience.
Despite their notoriety, these albums provide important lessons about the value of upholding artistic integrity and remaining true to one’s individual sound. What do you think? Do you feel the same way about these most hated rap albums ever?
