2021 Year End

Position. Artist-Album Title- Explanation *Favorite Song

Sleeper. Jack Harlow- That’s What They All Say- I truly slept on Jack Harlow last year as I had only heard his big singles which had picked up steam (which is complicated to praise for someone of his pigment, or lack thereof). However, at some point I finally gave this project a listen out of pure curiosity and was pleasantly surprised. Jack is able to balance melodics, bars, radio hits and deep cuts. Also this album is sequenced perfectly in my opinion. *Funny Seeing You Here

EP. Lakeyah- Big Timer- Minnesota native and QC signee has risen to be one of my favorite new rappers. She has the ability to have a softer side, but I am a true fan of her harder music. I often say my favorite genre of hip hop is violent women bars and 2021 has given me a few new ladies to listen to (Monaleo and OMB Bloodbath are standouts to me this year). I look forward to what QC and the young MC will do in the future, but this has been a great start to her career (some of yall gunna ask about Big Sean- I liked it, I just liked Lakeyah’s EP more *shrugs*) *Big Flexher

HM. Lil Baby/Lil Durk- The Voice of the Heroes- Having the joint project from the artists who arguably ran 2021 at honorable mention initially felt wrong, but as I listened to the album repeatedly I think it falls into the trap that many street albums fall into for me… the songs become monotonous when listened to as one body of work. There is not one song on this project that I don’t like by itself, but I need some variance when listening to the project as a whole. *Still Runnin

10. Vince Staples- Vince Staples- This self-titled album feels like a return to the Vince that I initially started listening to in 2013 after hearing his verse on Earl’s track Hive. However, it’s a return with growth. Vince is now able to lean into his musicality and melodics more than he was when I first began listening to him. It turns out that his departure was intentional as Vince had figured out a market for his music without having high album sales (getting placements on other forms of entertainment) which required him to change his musical style. I am glad to see his return. The only issue with this album is that it is extremely short sitting at barely more than 22 minutes which includes multiple skits. *Take Me Home

9. EST Gee- Bigger Than Life Or Death- This album was KNOCKING in my little Nissan! Who would’ve thought that Louisville, Kentucky would appear twice on my list but Gee and Jack have had huge years. This was a surprising album to me as prior to this year I had never heard of Est Gee but between releasing an amazing album and going on a feature run not seen since T-Pain, Big Gee has quickly built a name (he also released part 2 which is crazy too!). *Sky Dweller

8.  Isaiah Rashad- The House Is Burning- A vibe! Every single from this album rings off in my household. Zay is able to bring his distinctly southern flavor to an amazing album which is filled with syrupy melodics good for a chill night or a car ride at dusk. This positive may actually be my only negative, in that Rashad’s vibe is very specific and to truly appreciate the album I have to be in the right mood. Luckily this was pretty often this year.  *Wat U Sed

7. Westside Gunn- Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B- A fitting end to an amazing mixtape series. I have often liked the HWH projects more than the more manicured projects of Gunn, but in Side B he is able to balance underground grit with more mainstream appeal (features go from Stove God Cooks and Mach-Hommy to Tyler the Creator and 2 Chainz). Westside’s ability to mix things from seemingly disparate genres is part of his magic (I mean how many rap artists can talk about selling coke on a song with a French socialite). Griselda put out some amazing projects this year and I look forward to their continued reign, specifically I am waiting on Armani’s The Liz 2. *Free Kutter

6. Kanye- Donda- As a recovering Kanye stan this was an extremely hard album for me to place. There is no denying Kanye’s ability to create amazing music, but it is debatable whether this is an amazing album. It is bloated and frantic which may be representative of where Kanye is currently in his life, but in an album named after his deceased mother, I wonder if that was the right choice. The point of this album as an ode to his mother is often lost and it can sometimes just feel like another distracted and unfocused Kanye album. But even with this Kanye is able to craft some amazing moments. *Life of the Party (I know its on the deluxe, but it is one of the best songs of the year and likely this upcoming decade. I literally cannot listen to the DMX outro, its too emotional)

5.  Boldy James/The Alchemist- Bo Jackson- Detroit’s Boldy James is something special. The Griselda signee represents a style of street hip hop that went underground for some years, but is again on the rise in no small part due to the Griselda camp which is expanding from its Buffalo roots. Boldy is able to paint pictures of the streets over lush Alchemist samples and break beats (story telling and sampling- the true essence of hip hop). Admittedly this is not everyone’s cup of tea, but this album was the soundtrack to my post-work walk home. *Illegal Search and Seizure

4. Drake- Certified Lover Boy- Honestly this album hit me at the perfect time (my first listen of this album was while being chauffeured on a food tour in the mountains of Puerto Rico. I don’t think there is a better situation to listen to Drake’s specific brand of braggadocio). However, you cant talk about this album without the comparison to Kanye’s album due to their “beef”. They are both bloated and imperfect projects, however Drake may be able to do pop rap better than Kanye is able to do sincerity today. What keeps this from being higher is that this album was expected by fans to be different given Drake taking his time with it, but there was no clear elevation in this album as compared to his recent discography. Nonetheless the 6 God is still an unmitigated hit maker. *N 2 Deep

3. Nas- Kings Disease II- Nasty Nas is somehow getting better almost 30 years into his career. After dropping King’s Disease with Hit-boy just last year, which was an amazing project in its own right, Escobar returns with a follow-up project that is better. Hit boy crafts a perfect production landscape for Nastrodamus to kick knowledge over. Nas is allowing the old head title to fit him perfectly as his bars are filled with the wisdom of a man reflecting on the past years of his life, but he is somehow keeping it fresh and new. *Nobody (a Ms. Lauryn Hill feature in 2021?!)

2. J. Cole- The Off Season- There is something special about going from discussing a great Nas album to discussing an amazing Cole album. The “Let Nas Down” rapper changed his formula to bring features back to his discography. This album also feels like Cole brought hunger back to his projects. This project has a clear chip on its shoulder. After 2 highly conceptual albums Jermaine… Cole… (* Mark from RDC voice) makes a return to the simple notion of just rapping at a high level. Which he successfully does throughout this album * 100 . Mil’

Before moving on to my number 1 pick I want to express my gratitude to you all for rocking with me. This has been another tough year (I am currently writing this in quarantine waiting for a COVID test, because they are impossible to find right now). What has made this year special is being able to connect with others and create happiness in the face of all of the tragedy of the past 2 years. I hope that in 2022 we turn a corner.

1. Tyler the Creator- Call Me If You Get Lost- Tyler said oh y’all forgot I rap RAP!  So he made a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with cover art inspired by ODB which opens with a Westside Gunn/Conductor beat. I’ve been a Tyler fan since Goblin, but this three album run since Flower Boy feels like a completely different artist. Tyler is proof that you control your art and can take it in whatever direction you want to.  This album has some of Tyler’s best bars and his story telling on Willshire is amazing. It is another album that hit me at a perfect time as my first listen was on a sunny bike ride on some “Slater” vibes. I’m interested to see how Tyler continues this run. *Wusyaname