So far, 2010 has been a victorious year for rap music. Right now on Metacritic.com, two of the top seven highest-rated albums of the year — not including two reissues — have been rap albums, one by Big Boi and another by The Roots. This is quite an impressive feat for the genre considering it’s one that critics tend to be very split about.

So what is it about these two albums that puts them above the rest? To me, the answer is simple: they incorporate real instruments into their music.

Why don’t all rappers use real instruments in their songs? Put simply, because a majority of them aren’t concerned with gaining critics’ appeal or making art. With the club scene being such a booming industry, it’s very profitable for record labels to pump out digital beats and find some budding emcee to rhyme over it, so that’s exactly what they do.

But while these cookie-cutter tracks may be fun to bump and grind to, they’re not pushing the creative envelope in a new direction, and the artists on the tracks aren’t holding consistent careers. When was the last time you heard about MIMS, J-Kwon, Chamillionaire or even Soulja Boy? Exactly.

In the earlier days of rap music, artists got a shot at the spotlight by guest starring on other rappers’ albums. For example, Snoop Dogg first got big recognition in 1992 when he appeared on Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic.” These days, guest stars are used to carry the songs rather than introduce new talent — remember Chingy’s “Holidae Inn,” featuring Ludacris and Snoop?

All this has given rap music a bad reputation, and not without reason. With these one-hit wonders coming and going so frequently, the entire genre has become diluted and the quality material is harder to find. In fact, most of the good rap that’s come out recently is from pioneers of the genre, which includes Big Boi and The Roots. Both artists have been around since the early ’90s and are more focused on making rap music artistic and interesting than producing a short-lived club hit.

On Big Boi’s solo debut, “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty,” he finds clever ways to fit grungy guitar riffs, horn sections and funk-bass lines into his sound, and yet the finished product sounds just as modern and well-produced as any contemporary hip-hop. Big Boi basically came along and proved that there is some merit in the production trends that have been popular over the last few years — it’s just that nobody has been using them right.

The Roots are an even more extreme example, as they’re an actual rap band. Their drummer ?uestlove is one of the most notable figures in music, crossing styles and working with Madonna, John Mayer, Little Richard and Iggy Pop. The Roots also have their own sousaphonist, Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson, to reinforce the bass for their beats. Nowhere else in rap will you hear such an innovative group, and The Roots’ dedicated use of instruments has made an 18-year career possible.

Another great example of instruments in rap is the Kentucky-based group Nappy Roots. Its platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated debut “Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz” incorporates acoustic guitar, banjo and even string bass. Eight years later, the group is supporting its music independently and just released its fourth album, which still includes a variety of instruments. Nappy Roots has even added piano to the mix.

This idea can’t be used formulaically or without tact, though. So far this trick has generally gone well for those who are willing to try it, because they happen to be the ones with the potential to do it right. For example, I don’t think Flo Rida could throw some trumpets on a track and make it work. Even so, more rappers need to give it a shot and at least try utilizing real instruments in their recordings. It adds depth and creates mood and variety in a genre that very easily becomes stale.

But whatever you do, don’t judge the idea solely on Lil Wayne’s “Rebirth.” It gets so much better than that.