@Karley Hall

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If you’re after just the hits, this is where you’ll find them: a handpicked selection of R&B's biggest songs of the past few years. Our editors update this playlist regularly, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

The decade when hip-hop could claim its first billionaires was marked by Kanye West’s ambitious productions, Drake’s game-changing swirls of melody, and Future’s bummed-out Auto-Tune croon. Thanks to producers like Mike Will Made-It and Metro Boomin, Atlanta became hip-hop’s home of musical research and development, musicians across genres embracing trap music’s skittering hi-hats, cavernous boom, and lyrical curlicues. Rappers started singing more and more, but the technical prowess of artists like Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, and Run the Jewels kept traditional bars alive in distinct ways. Toward the end of the decade, charts started reflecting streaming plays more than physical album sales, meaning home-brewed, home-recorded sensations like Lil Pump could compete with the majors. And a new, democratized world of social media and streaming meant artists like Chance the Rapper and Cardi B could pave untraditional paths to stardom.

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Whether what you hear is one of Beyoncé’s fierce statements of autonomy, an inspiring act of consciousness-raising by Kendrick Lamar, an unstoppable party jam by Cardi B, or an oh-so-emo expression of vulnerability by Drake, the best hip-hop and R&B of the 2010s is marked by a boldness and urgency that help these artists cut through all of our culture’s noise and chatter. In terms of sound and impact, the '10s represented a golden age for individuals out to change the game. Just as remarkable is the eagerness of standard-setters like Kanye West and Rihanna to continually rethink what they do, all while recombining a vast array of musical styles and ideas. From hard-hitting trap beats and dancehall rhythms to synth-heavy soundscapes and throwbacks to old-school glories, it all makes for music that keeps pace with fast and unpredictable times.

Lil Wayne's career has had a transformative impact on hip-hop, bringing the genre's center of gravity further south toward his native New Orleans, challenging other artists to keep up with his prolific output, and setting trends with his creative punchlines and eccentric vocal style. His influence is deeply felt in younger MCs as wide-ranging as Chance the Rapper, Young Thug, and Kendrick Lamar.

Cardi's story reads like a music-industry fairy tale: The ultra-charismatic Bronx native and former stripper parlayed social-media fame into a full-fledged rap empire. In 2017, “Bodak Yellow”—a tough, cocky trap number that lets everyone know who's the boss—was Cardi's big break, but her range extends well beyond that hit, including the breezy dancehall of “Back It Up” and the boogaloo-inspired “I Like It,” her collaboration with Bad Bunny and J Balvin that was chosen as Apple Music's Song of the Year for 2018.” Her guest features consistently burst with energy too, as she busts a ‘90s-inspired flow on Bruno Mars' “Finesse” and sings in Spanish on the hook of Ozuna's “La Modelo.”