# What is the best UK hip-hop album of all time?

> From grime's origins to global superstars like Dave and Stormzy, UK hip-hop has its own rich legacy. Which UK rap or grime album is the greatest?

*By YPB Team · Published April 17, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-uk-hip-hop-album-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **The Streets – Original Pirate Material**
   Mike Skinner's 2002 debut capturing everyday British life over UK garage beats, a landmark of UK hip-hop.
2. **Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner**
   Dizzee Rascal's 2003 debut that won the Mercury Prize and introduced grime to the world.
3. **Skepta – Konnichiwa**
   Skepta's 2016 Mercury Prize-winning album that brought grime to global attention with minimalist production.
4. **Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer**
   Stormzy's 2017 debut, the first grime album to reach number one on the UK charts, blending faith with street rap.
5. **Dave – Psychodrama**
   Dave's 2019 Mercury Prize winner, a deeply literary album tackling race, class, and trauma in modern Britain.
6. **Little Simz – Grey Area**
   Little Simz's 2019 album heralded as a UK rap masterpiece for its sharp pen and musical ambition.
7. **Roots Manuva – Brand New Second Hand**
   Roots Manuva's 1999 debut blending UK sound system culture, dub, and hip-hop into a uniquely British sound.
8. **Kano – Home Sweet Home**
   Kano's 2005 debut from East London, a pillar of the grime scene's early discography.
9. **Ms. Dynamite – A Little Deeper**
   Ms. Dynamite's 2002 Mercury Prize-winning debut, blending UK garage and hip-hop with sharp political commentary.
10. **Giggs – Walk in da Park**
   Giggs's 2008 debut from Peckham, a road-rap classic that laid groundwork for UK drill's rise.
11. **Wiley – Playtime Is Over**
   Wiley's 2007 solo debut from the 'Godfather of Grime', a cornerstone of the genre's development.
12. **J Hus – Common Sense**
   J Hus's 2017 debut fusing afrobeats, hip-hop, and grime into a breakthrough sound from East London.
13. **Ghetts – Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament**
   Ghetts's 2014 debut album, a fiery grime-to-hip-hop statement from one of the genre's most technically gifted voices.
14. **Headie One – EDNA**
   Headie One's 2020 debut album, a UK drill landmark that brought his north London sound to a major label audience.
15. **Wretch 32 – Black and White**
   Wretch 32's 2011 debut from Tottenham, a well-crafted crossover between grime and pop-rap.

Tags: hip-hop, music, british, rap