Top 50 Albums of 2017
#50 2 Chainz - Pretty Girls Like Trap Music // Trap
Some solid trap bangers. Some quotable bars. An aesthetically pleasing cover. An engaging voice. Charisma. Trap music. Fire.
Favorite Tracks: Saturday Night, Good Drank, 4 AM, Realize, Poor Fool, It’s A Vibe, Trap Check, Blue Cheese, OG Kush Diet
Least Favorite Track: Bailan
#49 Natalia Lafourcade - Musas, Vol. 1 // Latin Folk
There is one philosophy that holds true for just about any Natalia Lafourcade album–there is rarely ever too much of a good thing. That said, I often feel like Natalia’s music, at least for me, feels more like background music. The language barrier may be an issue, but it’s also not too impactful much of the time.
Favorite Tracks: Tu Si Sabes Quererme, Mexicana Hermosa, Te Vi Pasar, Soy Lo Prohibido, Vals Poético
Least Favorite Track: Tonada de Luna Llena
#48 G Perico - All Blue // West Coast Hip-Hop
All Blue is pretty boilerplate west coast hip hop, but it does a pretty damn good job at that. Sometimes you’re in the mood for some snazzy tunes to accompany your joyride down Venice, and that’s where rappers like G Perico come in. He fits into a similar niche to YG, where he blends elements of classic and modern G-Funk, what with the glamorous synths and the tinny trap rolls. Anything you spit is bound to be fire, because every flow sounds slicker than slick when penned to the kinds of beats you get on All Blue.
Favorite Tracks: Power, All Blue, Keep Ballin, Right Now, Can’t Play, Gets My Staccs, Wit Me Or Not, How You Feel, Bacc Forth
Least Favorite Track: Alive Tonight
#47 Young Nudy - Nudy Land // Trap
I can’t really explain why I like Nudy, which is unfortunate, because I’m probably supposed to know how to do that. My best guess is that it’s Nudy’s charisma. He hits the same sweet spot as Thugger, where he’s just cogent enough for me to fuck with this bars but also messy enough to build melodies with his unique voice. Nudy Land is probably the album I’d show somebody who wanted to get into melodic trap, because the production keeps your head bouncing all the way through.
Favorite Tracks: Judge Scott Convicted, Fatsane, 4L Gang Shit, Barbecue, Cancer Stick No Pressure, Money Makin Mitch, No Clue
Least Favorite Track: Bermuda
#46 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Flying Microtonal Banana // Psychedelic Rock
This is the album that started it all. By “all”, I mean KG’s obsession with microtonal tuning, a trend that was done to death in just under 4 years. Congratulations, Gizz, you ruined a good thing. In all seriousness, this isn’t even my favorite album of theirs to incorporate microtonal tuning. At least I think it isn’t. I know jack shit about music theory. For all I know, they’re playing the didgeridoo and just titled it microtone banana to fuck with me. I went off on a tangent. If you can’t tell, this is one of the last reviews I feel obligated to write. My hands are weary. I dig this album.
Favorite Tracks: Rattlesnake, Melting, Sleep Drifter, Billabong Valley, Doom City, Nuclear Fusion
Least Favorite Track: Anoxia
#45 Future - HNDRXX // Fuckboy Trap
Look, having spoken to Future fans, I know this isn’t supposed to be one of his ‘good’ albums, but come on, give me a break. I’m trying here. I like some of Future’s songs here and there, and this is the only project of his I can really enjoy consistently. That’s an accomplishment, because this is an hour-plus of R&B infused trap, which is probably my least favorite genre on earth, besides whatever the fuck The Quietus is listening to. This is a pretty decent project for what it is; it’s perfect for an evening vibe but little else. I suppose there’s some picking apart to be done on Future’s sentimental misogyny, but I don’t overthink Future that much. If he wants to call his myriad of hot exes a collection, I’ll let him have it.
Favorite Tracks: My Collection, Comin Out Strong, Lookin Exotic, Damage, Incredible, Testify, Neva Missa Lost, I Thank U, Turn On Me, Selfish,
Least Favorite Track: Sorry
#44 Freddie Gibbs - You Only Live 2wice // Gangsta Trap
I find it funny that Freddie scatters Christian aesthetics not only in the ludicrously arrogant cover, but also in the trap beats he slaughters. I might be going crazy, but I swear I hear some gospel samples in the faded background of many tracks on the album. Or maybe that’s just me imagining shit because Freddie spends his lyrical energy priming me to view him as this Jesus-on-the-cross figure, ready to die for my masculine sins. Not only can he turn water to henny, but he also took a false rape accusation on behalf of manlykind. I don’t mean to make light of Freddie’s situation, but it often feels as if Freddie himself is trying to move past the situation by retreating to his effortlessly bangin’ flows and dense cocaine imagery. And once again, he nails the goddamn vibe like it’s nothing.
Favorite Tracks: 20 Karat Jesus, Alexys, Dear Maria, Amnesia, Andrea, Phone Lit
Least Favorite Track: Crushed Glass
#43 Talib Kweli - Radio Silence // Conscious Hip-Hop
You don’t typically hear triumphant instrumentation on a conscious rap record, but Radio Silence, despite its explicitly political messages, sounds victorious in a way. Maybe it’s the bitter irony of juxtaposing the radio silence of society in the face of oppression with the victoriously jazz-flavored beats, or maybe it’s commentary on how the radio doesn’t play the shit that people like Talib Kweli make to speak on something important. Either way, it’s a solid entry into Talib’s expansive and politically heavy discography, and if you care at all about social issues, you’ll definitely get something out of this.
Favorite Tracks: The Magic Hour, Traveling Light, All of Us, She’s My Hero, Knockturnal, Radio Silence, Heads Up Eyes Open, Let It Roll,
Least Favorite Track: Write at Home
#42 Smino - blkswn // R&B Rap
Nobody does sultry like Smino. His songs feel romantic without feeling cheesy but rather SULTRY. I’m gonna use that word a lot here because it’s descriptive of Smino’s signature style and delivery, which disguises a powerfully poetic vocabulary with hazy, slurred words. It’s like Smino is rapping crossfaded, which lends a unique cadence to the rhythmic complexity of his rhymes. I’m genuinely surprised with the way he’s able to weave together these crazy deep schemes, but I suppose I shouldn’t be. Smino’s understated delivery is the perfect vehicle for him to rap about all sorts of funky shit.
Favorite Tracks: Wild Irish Roses, Grass Flows, Flea Flicka, Spitshine, Netflix & Dusse, Anita, Father Son Holy Smoke, B Role, Blkoscars, blkswn, Long Run, Innamission, Ricky Millions
Least Favorite Track: Lobby Kall
#41 Your Old Droog - PACKS // East Coast Hip-Hop
While I’m prone to like just about any Droog record, Packs feels like just that; yet another Droog record. All Droog is good Droog, but great Droog is incredible, and this doesn’t quite reach the heights of a Dump YOD, Transportation, or TIME, although it’s still pretty damn awesome. Droog parodies Batman with “Rapman”, which is probably the standout track on this album, from a conceptual standpoint. I’d say this is a good entry point for new Droog fans. It introduces his style and his typical beat choices, and has some solid underground rap features peppered throughout, as well as some strong song concepts.
Favorite Tracks: G.K.A.C., I Only, Grandma Hips, White Rappers, You Can Do It!, Rapman, My Girl Is A Boy, Winston Red
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#40 Lecrae - All Things Work Together // Pop Rap
Somehow, a devout Christian man got me hyped. I thought for sure my induction to the lord Christ would be via the absolute GOAT NF but I was sorely mistaken. Jokes aside, Lecrae is a really solid rapper, even if he never reinvents the wheel lyrically. He’s a talented pop rapper, and on All Things Work Together, he sends a defiant message to his naysayers; I’m gonna keep doing me. He covers racial injustice and his faith in God in confident brushstrokes. Lecrae never comes across as a preachy evangelical, though, and that’s because he’s eternally humble. He knows he doesn’t have all the answers, which is the way I wish most religious folks carried themselves. Lecrae’s background as a former criminal turned holy man is inspiring, and this album works as a sort of personal anthem.
Favorite Tracks: Always Knew, Facts, Broke, Blessings, Come and Get Me, Wish You The Best, Can’t Stop Me Now, I’ll Find You, 8:28, Cry For You, Worth It
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#39 Rapsody - Laila’s Wisdom // Conscious Hip-Hop
While I have a few issues with Rapsody’s delivery on here (it often sounds like she’s reading the words off a sheet of paper), I think this project showcases her undeniable lyrical talent, and her potency when it comes to crafting heartfelt tracks. The beats on Laila’s Wisdom spark with soul, and Rapsody is reminiscent of an old school rapper, with relatively simple rhymeschemes that cover a variety of topics; ranging from family to the perception of black women in society. Rapsody would later go on to craft an even better album, but this is a fantastic example of her potential at work.
Favorite Tracks: Laila’s Wisdom, Power, Pay Up, Ridin’, Sassy, Black & Ugly, A Rollercoaster Jam Called Love, OooWee
Least Favorite Track: Jesus Coming
#38 Oddissee - The Iceberg // Conscious Hip-Hop
The Iceberg is what I would describe as an introductory experience into the world of high level conscious hip-hop. Oddisee goes deeper into social issues than most of your popular backpackers would care to, and he does it over instrumentals that push the boundaries of hip-hop jazz instrumentation without challenging the listener’s ears too much. Oddisee is a skilled beatmaker, blending jazz and house with classic hip-hop. One might even confuse this for a dance record, but no, it’s politically charged through and through (although I suppose the two aren’t mutually exclusive). An issue I have with the record is that it just doesn’t stand out in the crowd, but that doesn’t stop it from being an enjoyable experience.
Favorite Tracks: Digging Deep, Things, Built By Pictures, Hold It Back, NNGE, Like Really, Want to Be, This Girl I Know, Rights & Wrongs,
Least Favorite Track: Waiting Outside
#37 Offset & 21 Savage & Metro Boomin - Without Warning // Dark Trap
I’ll just say this right out of the gate; Offset carries this project and it’s not even close. 21 does bounce off of Offset’s more slick rapping style cohesively, sure, but it’s Offset who delivers with some of the best trap flows I’ve heard. And of course it certainly helps that Metro Boomin brought his most sinister to the table, creating an immaculately shadowy trap vibe that makes you feel like a supervillain in a dimly lit mansion. That’s what this album is, really; a moody showcase of skill from 3 of the most iconic names in modern trap. It certainly made me develop new respect for Offset.
Favorite Tracks: Ghostface Killers, Rap Saved Me, Ric Flair Drip, Nightmare, Mad Stalkers, Run Up The Racks, Still Serving, Darth Vader
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#36 Thundercat - Drunk // Jazz Fusion
Drunk is a humorous look at vices. From drinking yourself to oblivion to beating the everloving shit out of your meat, Thundercat really takes us on a journey through the human spirit and its tendency to overdo everything. I’m kidding, I pretty much only like this album because it’s a damn sexy bassy jazzy vibe. Thundercat’s humor does shine through on a lot of tracks. He makes frequent references to his crippling anime addiction, and doesn’t really even attempt to make himself appear successful. I mean, there’s a whole song about playing video games instead of pursuing somebody who’s put you in the friendzone. You don’t get more self-deprecatory than that. The one thing holding this album back is that it never feels like it makes a definitive musical statement. It’s nice while it’s on but it fades into mental obscurity pretty quick.
Favorite Tracks: Captain Stupido, Uh Uh, Bus In These Streets, A Fan’s Mail, Jethro, Show You The Way, Walk on By, Tokyo, Jameel’s Space Ride, Friend Zone, Them Changes, Drink Dat, 3AM, The Turn Down,
Least Favorite Track: Day & Night
#35 Iglooghost - Neō Wax Bloom // Glitch
Listening to an Iglooghost record is like being anally probed, but I mean in that in the best way possible. It’s the kind of anal probing that stimulates your G spot. It’s the kind of anal probing you WANT to wake up to. This album is entirely instrumental, but it still keeps me rapt all the way through. The chops, the progressions, the sheer DIFFERENTNESS of this album is a spectacle to behold. It feels like one whole song, rather than a bunch of distinct glitchy tracks. It makes it easy to get lost in the album’s universe. And it’s a very fun universe to get lost in.
Favorite Tracks: All of them???
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#34 Action Bronson - Blue Chips 7000 // East Coast Hip-Hop
I would describe Blue Chips 7000 as the quintessential Action Bronson album. It’s got all of the classic hallmarks of Bronson’s lyricism; from the superfluous cuisine and film references (Bronson at one point says that his sexual partner tells him he looks like Kevin Bacon, and naturally, he doesn’t know to take it), to the uproarious boastfulness. Bronson’s never been one to shy away from cockily displaying his confidence, while also knocking himself down a peg every so often so things don’t get stale. I find that Blue Chips 7k is one of the more humble Bronson showings, and also features some of his best east coast-influenced production. The beats and rhymes on this thing are just a ton of fun, plainly put.
Favorite Tracks: La Luna, The Chairman’s Intent, Hot Pepper, Bonzai, Let It Rain, My Right Lung, TANK, Let Me Breathe, 9-24-7000, The Choreography
Least Favorite Track: Chop Chop Chop
#33 billy woods - Known Unknowns // Abstract Hip-Hop
What’s that I hear? A HOOK in a BILLY WOODS song?? My ears must be deceiving me. There’s absolutely no way BILLY FUCKING WOODS is incorporating traditional song structure into his nihilistic, political ramblings. I refuse to believe it. But I suppose I must, because this album is just that; a departure from the usual dreary beats to something vaguely… soulful? I guess the Blockhead production brought something out of billy woods, because even though he’s not rapping about anything too different, the songs still sound fresh…although I don’t get why it needs to be 18 tracks long.
Favorite Tracks: Bush League, Snake Oil, Wonderful, Superpredator, Fall Back, Groundhog Day, Everybody Knows, Police Came To My Show, Washington Redskins, Strawman, Gazpacho
Least Favorite Track: Nomento
#32 Quelle Chris - Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often // Abstract Hip-Hop
Quelle’s never been the type to shy away from exploring his self-image, but on Being You Is Great, he takes it to the next level, bemusing his lackadaisical confidence with an unmatched cynicism. Listening to Quelle is like listening to the driest comedian rant about their day. It’s heady, it’s funny, and above all else it’s perplexing. Quelle is unafraid of honestly broaching topics such as self-love or self-perception. And the album is packed with all sorts of abstract rap legends that keep the album from getting too monotonous, because lord knows Quelle’s voice can be torrid sometimes. I suppose that if I were to show somebody an album that contained the very essence of Quelle Chris, it’d be this one. A one-hour plus artsy comedy show laced with sardonic bars and ego-tickling loops.
Favorite Tracks: Buddies, Popeye, In Case I Lose Myself In the Crowd, Fascinating Grass, BS Vibes, Calm Before, The Prestige, The Dreamer In the Den of Wolves, I’m that Ni#%a, Birthdaze, It’s Great to Be, Pendulum Swing
Least Favorite Track: Dumb for Brains
#31 The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding // Heartland Rock
Think of every 80’s ballad you’ve ever enjoyed that played at the end of some slice of life coming of age movie, then transpose that to the modern era of dream pop, and you’ve got A Deeper Understanding, which is a sprawling album full of dreamy pop pastiche. It sounds cliche at times, but I find myself often getting lost in its synthy progressions, which make me feel like I’m gliding down a grassy glen, eyes glazed over, taking it all in. However, I must say that I have no idea why this band decided including several songs that go over the 6 minute mark was necessary. I assure them, it is not. Aside from self-indulgence issues, this is a pretty damn solid 80’s movie ending soundtrack.
Favorite Tracks: Up All Night, Pain, Holding On, In Chains, You Don’t Have to Go
Least Favorite Track: Thinking of a Place
#30 BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION II // Alternative Hip-Hop
While the first entry into the SATURATION trilogy features higher highs and lower lows, I will give credit to number 2 where it’s due; the production is a lot more consisent. I find that, even if I’m not emotionally attached to any of the songs, I still LIKE more of the songs. This should make this perhaps a more technically impressive album, but it’s unfortunately not nearly as memorable as its predecessor. Despite this, I think Matt Champion comes out the MVP of the team on this, which I didn’t expect, because generally I’m not the biggest fan of Matt’s. This is by no means a bad album, it just happens to be sandwiched between a great pilot episode and a jaw-dropping finale.
Favorite Tracks: GUMMY, QUEER, JELLO, SWAMP, JESUS, CHICK, FIGHT, SWEET, SUMMER
Least Favorite Track: GAMBA
#29 Benny the Butcher & DJ Green Lantern - Butcher on Steroids // Coke Rap
This is the closest we’re ever gonna get to a Benny the Butcher ‘lofi’ album. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the production on this thing sounds a lot more intimate than other Benny albums. It’s almost inviting in a way, as opposed to the usual brand of Daringer-sponsored Buffalo cold. DJ Green Lantern gives Benny a set of relatively warm beats to pen his coke stories to, and the results are solid. Benny’s voice actually fits very well over these beats, judging from the quality mixing. With some more highlights, this album could’ve easily been one of Benny’s best.
Favorite Tracks: Rivi, Hustler’s Wife, Satriale’s, Camilia’s, Fat Dom, 52 Montana, Benny vs. Carlito, Whole Thing, Don’t Make Me
Least Favorite Track: Blood Money
#28 GoldLink - At What Cost // Hip House
At what cost will a rapper go to satisfy their own self-image? It’s a good question that this album asks with its bright colors and its self-aware hedonism. GoldLink’s always occupied a unique lane of trap and electronica. The beats his wavering voice rides over are a unique blend of a genre I like to call “trapicana” and house. Think Kaytranada and Mike Dean… for lack of a better descriptor. It’s hard not to become instantly enamored with this album. It’s just… different. GoldLink plays the role of a type of DMV curator, showcasing the hedonistic nightlife in the city of DC. He takes us through party jams and lust-sick jams that fit right into any sweaty nightclub’s witching hour playlist.
Favorite Tracks: Same Clothes As Yesterday, Have You Seen That Girl?, Meditation, Herside Story, Summatime, Roll Call, Crew, We Will Never Die, Kokamoe Freestyle, Some Girl, Pray Everyday
Least Favorite Track: Hands On Your Knees
#27 Danny Watts - Black Boy Meets World // Lowkey Rap
I discovered Danny Watts through another album on this list, and I’m glad I caved in and checked this album out, because MAN! This guy needs to release more music. Black Boy Meets World is a personal piece of abstract rap. Danny reflects on childhood, but does so in a way that leans sad rather than bright-eyed. His voice is dulled, fairly monotonous. Where his personality shines is through the awkwardly chopped beats and his detailed lyricism. If you want rap that’s brutally honest, this is the album to check out.
Favorite Tracks: I Don’t Trust Myself, Cards With The Devil, Young & Reckless, Pill, Things We Have To Do, Uprooted, Back Again, Black Boy Meets World
Least Favorite Track: Ain’t No Problem
#26 Mac DeMarco - This Old Dog // Indie Pop
When Mac isn’t doing his best psychedelic Beatle’s impression, this album shines in its emotional candidness. Mac knows how to bottle the essence of bleak summer nostalgia and transpose it into a folksy, synthy jam. It’s the kind of music to accompany an afternoon walk in nature, and its contemplative sound suits my wandering hiker thoughts like oat butter on bread. That shit is delicious, by the way. It’s an album that lends itself well to the loneliness I’ve felt over the summer, as I’m sure many have. If you need some comfort, this album is a break from the happy-go-lucky bliss of Mac DeMarco and more of an introspective journey.
Favorite Tracks: My Old Man, This Old Dog, Baby You’re Out, For the First Time, One Another, A Wolf Who Wears Sheep Clothes, Moonlight on the River, Watching Him Fade Away
Least Favorite Track: On the Level
#25 Zack Villere - Little World // Bedroom Pop
Take every soft indie boy you ever met, crank them up to sixteen, and give them a low-budget recording studio. That’s Little World, and shit, you might’ve just created Zack Villere as well. Better check the settings. Or don’t, because this album is some really cozy stuff. Zack’s got an incredibly endearing personality, which makes these potentially corny songs work. I’m a sucker for nostalgia, and there are very few songs which fill me with as much of it as Cool. My roommates and I used to jam to that song a lot, and it reminds me of them. Nostalgia may be playing a large factor in my love for this album, but c’mon, don’t you just love the lyric “Making out while listening to Cherry Bomb?” Because I don’t.
Favorite Tracks: Bloo, Cool, Blue Chevy, Look Right Thru, Minivan, Sand People, You Don’t Care
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#24 BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION // Alternative Hip-Hop
The raw spastic energy that BH brought forth on their debut trilogy of records will likely never be replicated, though many a group of angsty teenagers have tried. The first iteration of Saturation is the least refined of the trio, which makes sense. The production is still slightly amateurish in comparison to their later releases, which also makes sense. One thing immediately stands out about SATURATION, though, and it’s the insane chemistry between all the rappers in the group. Kevin, Ameer, Matt, Merlyn, Dom, Joba, and bearface fit together like peas in a pod. Their voices and styles compliment each other perfectly. They bring you into their posse and their world of soaring highs and bitter lows. A world full of vulnerability and braggadocio. A world that’s REAL. I think that’s why so many teenagers love Brockhampton. They find solace in the honesty, plain and simple.
Favorite Tracks: HEAT, GOLD, 2PAC, FAKE, BANK, TRIP, SWIM, MILK, FACE, WASTE
Least Favorite Track: STAR
#23 Joey BADA\(- ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA\) // Conscious Hip-Hop
Joey’s lyrics often read more like Instagram captions here, which I will admit sours me a bit on the album, but I’ll also readily admit that some of the ‘corny’ production and potent politics pierce my pate with ease. Smooth tracks like DEVASTATED and TEMPTATIONS never fail to make my expression twist into a face of pure stank, like I’m being served up a cold slider of “fuck you”, in the most uplifting way possible. Joey talks about everything you’d expect a conscious rapper to talk about, from overpolicing to government overreach, from blaxploitation to appropriation. Though I find the songwriting to be a bit lacking, the message and passion are certainly there, and these are easily the smoothest beats Joey’s ever put his pen to; even if they aren’t exactly groundbreaking.
Favorite Tracks: GOOD MORNING AMERIKKKA, FOR MY PEOPLE, TEMPTATION, LAND OF THE FREE, DEVASTATED, Y U DON’T LOVE ME?, ROCKABYE BABY, RING THE ALARM, AMERIKKKAN IDOL
Least Favorite Track: SUPER PREDATOR
#22 SZA - Ctrl // R&B
Feminine vulnerability is oft accepted in spaces occupied by white women, but expressions of such are demonized in black women. What I like about SZA is that she seizes whatever narrative she wants confidently whilst also coming across as incredibly vulnerable. The album is an open-ended letter to the men SZA has had to deal with and the expectations she has for romance, sex, and maybe even friendship. It’s an album about feminine control, in one way or another. She doesn’t want to have to settle for anybody, she wants to be in control of her destiny. It’s rare for me to really enjoy this type of R&B, but SZA is remarkably good at crafting catchy songs and conveying her vulnerability.
Favorite Tracks: Supermodel, Love Galore, Doves In The Wind, Drew Barrymore, Prom, The Weekend, Pretty Little Birds, 20 Something
Least Favorite Track: Broken Clocks
#21 IDK - IWASVERYBAD // Lyrical Trap
I feel like a lot of rappers try to imitate Good Kid MAAD City when it comes to debuts, and only occasionally does it feel like a success. IWASVERYBAD is one of those cases. The story arc feels personal and even relatable, to a degree, even if as a kid your antics never risked jailtime. I can identify with IDK’s penchant for getting in trouble, and by proxy getting his mom in trouble, and then feeling the overwhelming guilt that comes with the territory. IWASVERYBAD is a personal story that basically covers the idea of redemption, and environment. Our environment shapes us, not who we are at birth. Because, as IDK himself says, he was a suburban kid through and through; he only entered the world of crime because of the environment he had at school; and he only got out of it by learning and by his connection to his mother. Overall, it’s a very tightly conceived project with ear-grabbing trap production, and some fantastic hooks.
Favorite Tracks: Mrs. Lynch Your Son is the Devil, Maryland Ass Nigga, Pizza Shop Extended, Windows Up, Birds & The Bees, 17 Wit A 38, No Shoes On the Rug Leave Them At the Door, Black Sheep White Dove, Baby Scale
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#20 Big Sean - I Decided. // Pop Rap
The big theme of this album is, as you would’ve guessed, DECISIONS. If we could live our lives twice, what decisions would we take back? Would we have finished college instead of rapping full-time? Would we have tried to make specific relationships work? What vices would we give up? How would we reorient ourselves? The album is inconsistent in its theme, but it’s all there, to some extent. Over luxurious poppy beats, Sean lays down bar after bar about questioning his own destiny, and the choices he’s made. By far my favorite aspect of this album is the beat selection. There are some truly marvelous displays of pop rap production that I think any aspiring hitmaker could take a page from. Sean’s rapping is fairly average, but he’s got charm, and he’s got a purpose, and that separates this project from the rest.
Favorite Tracks: Light, Bounce Back, Jump Out The Window, Moves, Owe Me, Halfway Off the Balcony, Sunday Morning Jetpack, Sacrifices, Bigger Than Me
Least Favorite Track: Same Time Pt. 1
#19 Big Thief - Capacity // Indie Folk
This album is boring. It’s extremely boring. But, somehow, it’s boring in a way that gets me. It’s like a long breath of meditation out in nature. The way Adrianne Lenker’s vocals slowly tiptoe on the outskirts of my ears and drawl endearingly, the way the raw recordings tickle my soul. It feels like an extremely intimate album, one that could be played on a long contemplative bus ride, staring out into the lonely Israeli desert. Maybe you see a Bedouin with his broken down car. Maybe it’s nighttime and all you see is the moon reflecting off the vast dunes. Maybe all you see is a reflection of yourself. But yeah, it’s THAT kind of album.
Favorite Tracks: Pretty Things, Shark Smile, Watering, Coma, Great White Shark, Mythological Beauty, Objects, Haley, Mary, Black Diamonds
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#18 Loyle Carner - Yesterday’s Gone // Backpack Rap
The first thing you’ll notice about Loyle’s music is that its very self-oriented. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly stands out to me when I listen to Yesterday’s Gone. It’s a rough first entry into Loyle’s discography, one that would be topped by his following record, but that’s not to say it doesn’t shine tremendously in its heights. This album is rife with content, ranging from family to identity, to fame and Loyle’s personal aspirations. The beats are packed with personality, weaving in samples to guitar work to more soft rock rap elements on a few tracks (rock rap is a guilty pleasure of mine). The album is patchy, but it’s a great debut for a rapper who I’m still eager to see on the rise.
Favorite Tracks: The Isle of Arran, Mean It In the Morning, Damselfly, Ain’t Nothing Changed, Florence, Stars & Shards, No CD, Mrs C, Yesterday’s Gone
Least Favorite Track: Sun of Jean
#17 St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION // Art Pop
St. Vincent disguises a bleak personal crisis with unbelievably infectious artsy pop tunes. Maybe she’s ‘seducing’ the listener, getting their guard down, and then hitting them with the double whammy of Happy Birthday Johnny and New York, two tracks that never fail to smack me where it counts. Masseduction definitely sounds like an “LA” album. If you’ve never been to LA, let me explain; LA is a city where artists go to die. It sounds like St. Vincent wants to do just that. She’s nostalgic for a time before Los fucking Angeles. And to be honest, as someone who lives here, I don’t blame her.
Favorite Tracks: Hang On Me, Pills, Masseduction, Sugarboy, Los Ageless, Happy Birthday Johnny, New York, Young Lover, Smoking Section
Least Favorite Track: Dancing With A Ghost
#16 Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. // Pop Rap
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Religion can be a tool for peace–both personal and inter-personal, but it’s also seen by Kendrick as something to fear. Fear of eternal damnation. Fear of being judged. Fear of disappointing those who deify him. It’s safe to say that Kendrick has achieved almost divine status as a public figure. He’s considered by many (including myself) to be the greatest rapper of all time. He’s dropped two instant classics in the span of a decade. And he’s leaps and bounds ahead of all of his contemporaries in almost every lyrical category. From the outside, it may appear as if Kendrick, being the ‘god’ he is, is untouchable. Maybe even unfazeable. But DAMN. tells a different story; a story of insecurity and heavy self-judgment. Kendrick has very real fears, even at his status. Those fears aren’t vanquished by money, fame, or power, and DAMN. explores these themes with precision–even if the instrumentals aren’t quite nearly as interesting as his previous albums.
Favorite Tracks: BLOOD, DNA, ELEMENT, FEEL, PRIDE, LUST, FEAR, GOD, DUCKWORTH
Least Favorite Track: XXX
#15 JAY-Z - 4:44 // Conscious Hip-Hop
It’s odd, when I think of it. Jay’s really never gotten too vulnerable in his lyrics, which makes my love for his music all the more admirable when I’m always talking about how much I value and appreciate emotional vulnerability in music. 4:44 is the first time we get what I would describe as a raw peek into the soul of Sean Carter. The first track is Jay killing of his ego; the part of him that screams “Don’t reveal anything, Sean. It could get you killed.” Jay grew up in an environment that punished vulnerability with violence, or death. So when he sheds that to talk about his mother, who lived as a closeted lesbian for much of her life, or to discuss his intense shame at having cheated on his wife, or to give financial advice to his kids (even if all it amounts to is “make smart real estate investments), it’s powerful. I only hope Jay continues down this path of self-exposure, because it’s some of his most touching work yet.
Favorite Tracks: Kill Jay Z, The Story of O.J., Smile, Caught Their Eyes, 4:44, Marcy Me, Legacy
Least Favorite Track: Moonlight
#14 Sampha - Process // Alternative R&B
Sampha had a quick and heady rise to stardom. From being a mild mannered song writer to being one of the most anticipated acts in the world, this debut album represented more pressure in a single year than some endure in their entire lifetimes. Sampha, with his emotional vulnerability and powerfully melancholic voice, takes it all with meditative sincerity. This album is hardly a victory lap, it’s more of a quiet celebration of Sampha’s origins. The record has this striking levity to it, despite the sprawling and beautiful instrumentation. Sampha delicately nurtures the listener into his musical world and lets loose a flurry of honest emotion.
Favorite Tracks: Plastic 100C, Blood On Me, Kora Sings, Like The Piano, Reverse Faults, Timmy’s Prayer, Incomplete Kisses
Least Favorite Track: What Shouldn’t I Be?
#13 Jonwayne - Rap Album Two // Abstract Hip-Hop
A proud introvert, Jonwayne takes joy in being the misanthropic outsider in hip hop. There’s a whole skit dedicated to it, where he awkwardly tries to tell this douchebag to leave him alone, and eventually just caves in and spits a verse where in his own meta way he repeats this introverted mantra of “please leave me the fuck alone I’m not a circus animal”. The album is painfully self-aware, although on a few occasions it dips into some personal territory. Jonwayne feels like the everyman of hip hop. He’s not particularly good looking and his voice is lowkey–deep and powerful, but lowkey at the same time. When he talks about existentialism, it doesn’t come across as if he’s got the answers. He’s on the same level as the listener, and as a Kanye fan, that certainly stands out.
Favorite Tracks: TED Talk, LIVE From the Fuck You, Human Condition, Out of Sight, The Single, Paper, City Lights, Afraid of Us, Blue Green, Hill, These Words Are Everything
Least Favorite Track: oops I just listed all of them
#12 JID - The Never Story // Lyrical Trap
JID’s story is told through vignettes and rapid-fire verses on this album, and you get a very acute sense of who he is. He’s the kid who couldn’t pay attention in school because his mind was going a mile a minute. He’s the college football player who got expelled for weed. He’s the rapper who inhabits every niche but still carries with him his own uniqueness that propels him forward. He’s dead serious but charmingly glib. JID is fucking Jid, or Jay-Eye-Dee if that floats your boat. His unpredictable flows and rhyming patterns remind me of Andre 3000, in the way they keep the listener on their toes. What I really love about this record is its inviting unpredictability.
Favorite Tracks: General, NEVER, EdEddnEddy, D/vision, Hereditary, Underwear, 8701, Hoodbooger, Somebody, LAUDER
Least Favorite Track: All Bad
#11 Brother Ali - All The Beauty In This Whole Life - Backpack Rap
Today I learned that Brother Ali is albino–and legally blind. Which is ironic, because his music shines a light on the unseen struggle, and his voice is as colorful as rapper voices come. He sounds like a southern preacher, which adds another layer of irony because he’s a devout Muslim. All this is to say that when you go into a Brother Ali record, expect statements to be made. Statements about the justice system, racial discrimination, economic struggle, and the pain of never feeling like you fit in. This album sort of feels like a letter of optimism to his black son, trying to reach out and empathize with the pain he’ll inevitably feel growing up in a racist society. Ali is passionate in his full-bellied rapping style, which makes it easy to identify with him and nod along to his message. This is just a really great conscious rap album.
Favorite Tracks: Pen to Paper, Own Light, Special Effects, Can’t Take That Away, Dear Black Son, We Got This, Uncle Usi Taught Me, Pray For Me, It Ain’t Easy, Before They Called You White, The Bitten Apple, Out of Here, All The Beauty In This Whole Life
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#10 BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION III // Alternative Hip-Hop
If I were to give somebody the most BH album possible, I would give them the third installment in the Saturation trilogy. It feels like each member brought their A-game, from the songwriting, to the hooks, to the incredible, almost Middle-Eastern production. This album feels like Brockhampton incarnate. No punches are pulled, no compromises are made, and the boys sound even hungrier than on previous installments. An issue I had with the first and second projects was that it occasionally felt like wheels spinning directionlessly. On Saturation III, that is not an issue. Each member is imbued with purpose. Romil and Jabari are creating cinematic instrumentals, Kevin is bringing to forefront the representation he feels he has to provide, Dom is rapping about social issues, Merlyn is rapping about his individuality, Matt is rapping about his personal quandaries, Ameer tackles his guilt, and Joba addresses his failings. It’s really the Brockhamptoniest Brockhampton album.
Favorite Tracks: BOOGIE, ZIPPER, STUPID, BLEACH, ALASKA, HOTTIE, RENTAL, TEAM
Least Favorite Track: STAINS
#9 Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy // Alternative Hip-Hop
Me and this album go way back. I’m talking sophomore year of high school when I was just getting into hip hop. I distinctly recall disliking this album. I think I found it too weird, which is ironic, because once IGOR dropped and I fell in love with it, I returned to Flower Boy only to find it imbued with new significance. And at this point, I’ve replayed it so many times that my ears are numb to its lush array of chords and triangles. This album is the peak of Tyler’s rapping, even today, two albums later. It began his journey of introspection and honest, heartfelt storytelling. Many an art hoe have crafted their personalities around this album and its wonderful aesthetic. And who can blame them? Everything about this album screams golden hour evenings and honey-soaked french toast. Put simply; this is an immaculate album with great significance to the Tyler lore.
Favorite Tracks: Foreword, See You Again, Who Dat Boy, Pothole, Boredom, I Ain’t Got Time!, 911 / Mr. Lonely, November, Glitter, Enjoy Right Now Today
Least Favorite Track: Garden Shed
#8 Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream // Conscious Hip-Hop
People grow up and leave their childhood neighborhoods behind, much of the time. And though Open Mike Eagle left his Chicago hood behind, he never put it out of mind. On Brick Body Kids, Mike enters a state of enhanced daydreaming, drawing up recollections of an ungentrified, almost innocent hood, that runs parallel to the stark reality a younger Mike couldn’t recognize. We tend to glamorize our childhoods in a way that obfuscates their darkness, especially when faced with darkness from the present. It’s hard to watch your childhood home get gentrified, so you retreat to the naive safety of being a kid. Mike captures the feeling of returning to bullshit perfectly.
Favorite Tracks: Legendary Iron Hood, Feel At Home, No Selling, Happy Wasteland Day, Daydreaming in Projects, Brick Body Complex, Wedding Ghosts, 95 Radios
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#7 Lorde - Melodrama // Pop
I feel like this is the soundtrack to the saddest dance party of all time. Lorde is quite literally dancing alone, as she points out on the track Liability. It’s a post-breakup slew of emotions, served as raw as you can get with a popstar at Lorde’s level. The album is intimately maximalist, with Lorde seemingly going all out on every song instrumentally and vocally. She pulls no punches in “melodramatically” getting past and reminiscing on the lost relationship. It’s important to remember that Lorde was just barely out of the teenage years of her life when she released Melodrama. Popstars don’t typically have the privilege of getting too intimate, and I feel like Lorde set something of a precedent with this album. Not only is it iconic, but it’s also a really damn exhilarating listen, It’s lesson in how to write songs that are fitting for a club, but also fitting for a tear-stained night in bed.
Favorite Tracks: Green Light, Homemade Dynamite, The Louvre, Liability, Loveless, Writer In The Dark, Supercut, Perfect Places
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#6 Big KRIT - 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time // Southern Hip-Hop
KRIT could be referred to as a mixtape artist, but on 4eva, we get to see this epic, heady side of him that booms with pastoral passion. KRIT isn’t preaching, he’s giving himself a sermon. The first half of the album is a love letter to the hedonistic bliss a lot of Southern hip-hop exuberates; the second half is the spiritual response. Can KRIT reconcile his mixed messaging? The truth is that humanity’s a lot more complex than good and evil, or perfect and flawed. KRIT explores these themes with grace and subtlety, never allowing the subject matter to affect just how damn smooth most of these tracks are. I truly think KRIT has the best hooks out of any rapper alive, and I believe it stems from his literary knowledge of Southern hip-hop, which he pays heavy homage to. KRIT is a torchbearer for Mississippi, and he wears his roots with pride.
Favorite Tracks: Big Bank, Subenstein, 1999, Layup, Aux Cord, Get Away, Mixed Messages, Keep The devil Off, Miss Georgia Fornia, Everlasting, Drinking Sessions, The Light, Bury Me In Gold
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#5 Kirin J Callinan - Bravado // D’Fuck Pop
Kirin, to this day, is one of my favorite figures in music, and also one of the most perplexing. His identity is unclear, and I never have a good idea of how to read into his music. Bravado was pretty close to clinching the number one spot, because it’s epic, quite frankly. I use the word epic, because there’s no other way to describe the EPIC combination of house, pop, and even folk on some occasions. Kirin’s deep voice emanates “bravado”, even when the cover is him literally getting pissed on. It’s glorious. I call this kind of music “D’Fuck” pop because it’s music that takes the aesthetics of pop and transforms them in a way that makes me say “D’Fuck”. The drops, the buildups, it’s all so campy that it inevitably brings a smile to my face. Camp is a great word to describe Kirin’s music. His music is campy but it makes use of that camp to deliver self-aware greatness.
Favorite Tracks: My Moment, S.A.D., Down 2 Hang, Living Each Day, Big Enough, Family Home, Telling Me This, This Whole Town, Friend of Lindy Morrison, Bravado
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#4 The Mountain Goats - Goths // Gothic Indie
Goth culture is a peculiar thing. I remember when I was younger seeing various goth chicks in my cartoons, so I suppose it’s no surprise that all these years later I’ve got a thing for girls who look like they smoke weed in graveyards. John Darnielle, the frontman of The Mountain Goats, explores the aesthetics, history, and quixotism of goth culture, and the way it left as rapidly as came. We get the sense that Darnielle feels nostalgic for this time of peculiarity, longing for a past era of goth community. It was destined to fade into obscurity as those involved got older, and had to get jobs, and live as adults with adult responsibilities and adult lives. It almost reminds me of the beginning of It Chapter Two, where the Derry kids are shown as grown-ups, with little recollection of the shared trauma they endured as children. This album sounds and feels poignant, and even though it delves deep into goth culture, its sound could not be farther from its subject matter.
Favorite Tracks: Rain In Soho, Andrew Eldritch Is Moving Back To Leeds, The Grey King and the Silver Flame Attunement, We Do It Different On The West Coast, Unicorn Tolerance, Wear Black, Paid In Cocaine, For the Portugues Goth Metal Bands, Abandoned Flesh
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#3 Vic Mensa - The Autobiography // Lyrical Trap
The Autobiography is a brilliant rap album, as one of the best examples of storytelling in the decade. Why is this the case? Because Vic utilizes the hero’s journey storytelling formula to structure his own personal story–or autobiography. Firstly, we’re introduced to a character (Vic as a kid) who’s perfectly content with the toxic people he surrounds himself with. However, once the inciting incident occurs (Vic’s older brother Cam is killed), Vic begins a trajectory of ups and downs. He sees soaring highs with his art and drugs, but crushing lows with his deeply toxic relationships. It takes a sort of ego death to rid himself of his personal toxins to come back a changed and improved man. Unfortunately, the one flaw of this album is the weakness of the last two tracks. Prior to that, though, we get one of the most complete story arcs told in modern hip-hop history.
Favorite Tracks: Say I Didn’t, Memories On 47th Street, Rollin’ Like A Stoner, Homewrecker, Gorgeous, Heaven on Earth, Down For Some Ignorance, Wings, The Fire Next Time, We Could Be Free
Least Favorite Track: OMG
#2 Alex Cameron - Forced Witness // Weirdo Pop
Alex Cameron won me over in 2019 with his poignant, sappy tunes about gaslighting your romantic partner. In 2017, he wins me over by waxing poetic about the joys of internet sex, with his signature off-brand version of pop. A form of pop that embraces some slightly lofi aesthetics, but still maintains that distinctively maximalist bravado. Nobody sounds more confident spouting taboo than Alex Cameron, and that makes listening to his music…fun. Just pretty damn fun. He really knows how to sell just about any concept, no matter how ludicrous it may be. I’ve never heard lyrics that sounded so confident, yet shameful. Yeah, Alex, at least have the gall to be ashamed of yourself, for christ’s sake.
Favorite Tracks: Candy May, Country Figs, Runnin’ Outta Luck, Stranger’s Kiss, True Lies, Studmuffin96, Marlon Brando, Politics of Love
Least Favorite Track: N/A
#1 Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me // Singer-Songwriter
When my great aunt passed, it was slow. She was a bundle of energy for as long as I could remember, and seeing her slow down, grow old in what felt like an instantaneous snap of the fingers was jarring. It scared me, though at the time I didn’t quite know how to process it. Cancer took her not with ferocity but with slow constriction. She became quiet. She never laughed anymore. She could barely move. Shuli, my grandmother’s sister, was supposed to be lively. She was supposed to be boisterous. Before cancer, she was all of those things, and cancer not only took her from my family, but took her before killing her.
The grief I felt was not dramatic. I did not cry, although I came close several times. Her passing was inevitable, and I knew for a long time before then that I would probably not see her when I came back from boarding school.
I was right.
What had hurt was watching her wilt. Watching her helplessly fade away until she was gone completely. And coming to the realization that I would never get to talk to Shuli ever again. The thought cut deep.
A Crow Looked at Me, by Mount Eerie, or Phil Elverum, cuts extraordinarily deep.
It’s not even music, really, at least not in the traditional, formulaic sense. There is absolutely nothing entertaining about this record. There are no hooks. The verses don’t have much rhyme or structure to them, seemingly. And the instrumentals are sparse. They make way for the poems Phil Elverum weaves about his deceased wife. The pain is unbearable. Everything he sees, every moment he experiences in a location they shared is excruciating. Phil chronicles hours, days, and months, with fragile patience and an even more fragile temperament. The cadence of his voice is numb, but packed with a bitter edge of tragedy that could be mistaken for sentimentality.
I don’t think there’s anything sentimental on this record. It is honest. It is brutal. It draws blood with the honest opening of a broken heart.
There is no cure for loss. I know one day I’ll lose my parents. I’ll lose the people I love. It’s inevitable. And when I insert myself into Phil’s shoes, I feel everything he feels. I connect to every word.
I cannot put into words how difficult it was for me to process this album. I had to fall in love to understand the pain I’d feel losing it all. Rarely do we hear such unbridled, broken honesty than on A Crow Looked at Me.
I am truly, truly, truly sorry for your loss, Phil.