Given the current digital state we chose to rank a collective list, which meant albums, mixtapes, and EPs were all fair game. Everything listed from here on is worth having and remembering from hip-hop in 2013.
HONORABLE MENTION:
- Eminem - MMLP2
- Travis Scott - Owl Pharoah EP
- Meek Mill - Dreamchasers 3
- Mac Miller - Watching Movies With The Sound Off
- 2 Chainz - B.O.A.T.S II: Me Time
- Fabolous - Soul Tape 3
- J. Cole - Truly Yours 2 EP
- Isaiah Rashad - Hurt Cobain
OTHERS TO ENJOY FROM 2013:
- Willie the Kid - Aquamarine
- Yo Gotti - I Am
- Troy Ave - New York City: The Album
- The Underachievers - Lords of Flatbush
- Troy Ave - White Christmas 2
- Vic Mensa - INNANETAPE
- Bas - Quarter Water Raised Me Vol. 2
- Curren$y - New Jet City
- Dom Kennedy - Get Home Safely
- Denzel Curry - Nostalgic 64
- Prodigy & Alchemist - Albert Einstein
- Lloyd Banks - Failure's No Option
- Logic - Welcome to Forever
20. KA - The Night's Gambit
The 41-year-old Brownsville native is said to have been active in hip-hop
since 1993. Well, with his 2013 release of Night’s Gambit, he attempted to
bring 1993 to the present. As I listened to the piece all I could here is Cuban
Linx Wu-Tang raps which im sure KA would take as a complement. He took the boom
bap gritty 90’s rap sound and storytelling and brought it to the digital age with Night’s Gambit, bringing lyricism to the forefront.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: Our Father, Jungle, Knighthood
19. Joey Bada$$ - Summer Knights
The 18-year-old Flatbush phenom brought more of his thorough
Pro Era brand of New York hip-hop. Mostly sticking with production from
familiars Kirk Knight, Chuck Strangers, MF DOOM, and Statik Selektah, Joey
blends his 1999 roots and textures
with more gritty flow concoctions. You can very well get “stuck in the 90’s”
with Bada$$’ sophomore project, doing a nice job of sticking to his formula as his sound and approach continues to evolve.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks: Alowha, Hilary Swank, Sweet Dreams, Word is Bond, Sit N' Prey, 95 Til' Infinity, Amethyst Rockstar
18. A$AP Ferg - Trap Lord
A$AP Ferg didn’t save New York rap or anything, but he
managed to put an imposing footprint on hip-hop last year. Trap Lord formalized Ferg’s unruly, disorganized approach to the
trap masses. He landed “Shabba” as a monster single and one of the biggest rap
songs of the year (ranked #3 best song of 2013 by Complex and #23 by Pitchfork,
respectively). As a whole Ferg sticks to his street survival tactics, with
wildly explicit turns, shout-a-long adlibs that echo through almost every
track, and a certain darkness that concludes when babies cry in the background
on the final song, “Cocaine Castle”. We applaud and enjoy Ferg’s
deserved high points from last year, even though the reservations still linger when it comes to lyrical coherence and content.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks: Let It Go, Shabba, Work (Remix), Fergivicious
17. Tyler, the Creator - Wolf
Odd Future’s reckless leader followed up his 2011 Goblin installment with more of his misanthropic
antics, although Wolf strikes fully vulnerable
nerves of Tyler, the Creator. Writing and producing every song except “Lone” is
a testament to his growth in both areas, delivering gentle love songs on
“Awkward” and “Ifhy” (the latter a bit more forthright) with help from Frank
Ocean and Pharrell, addressing his absent father on “Answer”, and mourning his
grandmother alongside traveling bass lines and Neptunes-infused drums
throughout. Essentially Wolf still
has Tyler frustrated with fame and fake fans and encounters with his typical
alter egos, but the tones and concepts are more sympathetic than you might
imagine.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks: Cowboy, Answer, Colossus, Rusty
16. J. Cole - Born Sinner
When Jermaine first dropped his sophomore studio album Born
Sinner, I applauded him for being able to put together a conceptually sound
project. Born Sinner is a story of struggle, fighting sin in all forms and his
rapping is based around this idea. I think that this actually ended up being
why the album didn’t fully pan out. A little too dark for a rapper that doesn’t
hang his hat on being so. There are some gems on this album but there are also a
good deal of skippers. Hoping Jermaine steps it up on the next drop because I
am still a huge fan.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: Villuminati, Forbidden Fruit, Runaway
15. Danny Brown - Old
Danny Brown told Pitchfork at the top of last year that XXX was made, “with the aim of getting
great reviews”. His goal with Old was
to follow with something, “as good or better” (using Radiohead’s OK Computer and Kid A as analogies). Seeping from the oozes of this year’s more
primordial yet progressive “gangster rap” was the 32-year-old Detroit native’s
third studio album. The “old Danny Brown”, to whom he makes reference on “Side
a (Old)” and “The Return”, is still found in his familiar frantic deliveries
and sharply abrasive discourse, which essentially earned his 2012 XXX project such wide acclaim. Divided
into Side A and Side B are 19 songs that tap every corner of Brown’s erratic
musical psyche, from his lowest points of being abandoned by his father on
“Clean Up” to his parents’ struggle for money on ”25 Bucks” to dope fiend tales
on “Torture” to his electro-trap party themed songs. Old was easily one of the more forward projects in hip-hop last
year, just not the overall exact appeal we admired so from, say, XXX.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks: Side a (Old), 25 Bucks, Lonely, Side B (Dope Song)
14. Big K.R.I.T. - King Remembered in Time
Southern rap has surely taken many forms, but Big K.R.I.T.
continues to produce a poetic, poly-versed framework and punctual delivery.
Aside from producing every song with the exception of “Life Is a Gamble”,
incorporating samples from James Blake (“REM”) to M83 (Multi Til’ The Sun Die”)
to Cody Chesnutt (“Serve This Royalty”) shows the creative flexibility to compliment
the innate crunk flows. Consistently depicting narratives with “Banana Clip
Theory” and “WTF” are further displays of his explicit candor, and K.R.I.T.
continues to assure that his unique efforts are accounted for.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks: Shine On, Talkin Bout Nothing, Meditate, Banana Clip Theory
13. Childish Gambino - Because the Internet
Somehow Donald Glover (Childish Gambino) not only keeps us
guessing, but also entertained. No matter that he chose to doctor a full
screenplay to accompany his 19-track sophomore studio album, or the graphics
interchange format (GIF) used on the album artwork to accentuate the concept, but
consider Gambino’s organic textures and still experimental themes. He assorts
his approach throughout Because the
Internet with futuristic concepts, love songs, interludes, and attacking
concepts of life and death within existential narratives. This was one of
several effective projects that aimed to synthetically challenge the notions of
the genre in 2013.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks : The Worst Guys, Shadows, Flight of the Navigator, Zealots of Stockholm (Free Information)
12. Lucki Eck$ - Alternative Trap
You can’t rely on every young, upcoming emcee to satisfy the
ear with intuitive substance and wordplay, but Chicago’s 17-year-old Lucki Eck$
made himself an exception last year with Alternative
Trap. Mellow backdrop production throughout from contributors such as
Hippie Dream, Plu2o Nash, Odd Couple, and Nate Fox appease Lucki’s drowsy flow.
But with each intent listen you encounter the clever metaphorical schemes, an
exuded sense of maturity and comfort with his project that conceptually aims to
present a merger between trap and alternative molds. For a lyricist so young
and raw, a lot must be said for the ability to present such an impression with sincerity
and precision. You can’t help but admire how the artwork and the music flourish
as representations of the desired outcome.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks: Count On Me II, Interest, Nicky Wilson, New Life, Everything Outside
11. Kid Cudi - Indicud
Cud made headlines early last year when he decided to set up
his own shop and break ties with Kanye’s G.O.O.D Music. Shortly after this news,
with little warning, Cudi dropped Indicud. To my surprise, Indicud was extremely
thorough and structurally sound. Being Cudi’s first completely self-produced
album, it makes me think that he may have a future on the boards as well as the
mic. With his signature melodic flows Cudi addresses a variety of subjects from
immortality to close friendship. In an interview I read post-Indicud, he said
that he wanted to use this project to flex his producer muscles by using other
rappers that were on the rise i.e. ASAP Rocky & Kendrick Lamar. Well done,
Cud.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: Cold Blooded, Solo Dolo Pt II, Brothers
10. Action Bronson & Party Supplies - Blue Chips 2
Queens head chef Bronson is back with more food and
basketball references than any rapper you’ve ever heard. Bronson delivers once
again with his second installment of he and producer Party Supplies’ Blue Chips
series. To be honest, its hard for me to lock in on any Action project that
hasn’t been titled Blue Chips. The sound he and Party Supplies create is part
of what makes him so great. Blue Chips 2 is easily one of the most entertaining
listens of the year. In listening, be prepared to laugh while ooo-ing
simultaneously. His punchlines and references are all his own and that says
something in today’s hip-hop. Definitely a must listen.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: Practice, Midget Cough, Through the Eyes of a G
9. Pusha T - My Name is My Name
9. Pusha T - My Name is My Name
Rap’s top coke dealer hit the kitchen and surprised many
with his debut solo album MNIMN. Nobody (and I mean nobody) can put together an
entire album about trapping and have it be as lyrically potent as Pusha.
He supplied not only more for the fiends but more for critics who may have been
skeptical about his ability to put together a variety of songs that can keep a
listeners attention. With production from some of the best ever, i.e. Pharrell
and Kanye, Push ate and successfully made the jump from being one half of the
Clipse to being his own entity. Sonically this was easily one of the best rap
albums of the year.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: Numbers on the Boards, Suicide, Nostalgia
8. Nipsey Hussle - Crenshaw
Progressing for his eighth official mixtape, Los Angeles rep
Nipsey Hussle found a way to induct this project in an original, must-have
form. His latest compilation of 21 songs, all said to be throwaways from his forthcoming Victory Lap album, was
released as a limited first edition of 1,000 copies for $100 each, plus other
incentives like a phone call from Nipsey if you copped the tape. Even though Crenshaw was also released free for
digital download, you have to appreciate the sense of demand and onus placed on
the product by the artist. More importantly, sift through the music and you not
only find his common drug and gang lifestyle, but the motivational themes, messages and
subplots, Nipsey’s productive, potent deliveries, and one of the more
unabridged hip-hop installations of the year.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks: U See Us, Don't Take Days Off, Change Nothing, If U Were Mine
7. Killer Mike & El-P - Run The Jewels
Atlanta rapper Killer Mike and NY
producer/rapper El-P teamed up to create one of the more memorable rap tandems
in the last few years. Though I am not a huge fan of El-P as a rapper, his
production is top-notch and extremely progressive. He took sounds that most rap
producers would not dare toy with and threw one of the south’s more aggressive
lyricists to create a magical moment in one of raps most active years in some
time. Run the Jewels found a way to stand out amongst some of the elite of rap
and even beat out some of them. Run the Jewels is a must listen for a multitude
of reasons, but it's great because of its forwardness.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: Banana Clippers, 36 Chain, Get It
6. Jay Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail
Despite how adamantly you may or may not have stuck with Jay
Z’s twelfth studio album, despite how much you loved The Blueprint or Reasonable Doubt
or The Black Album, and even despite Hov’s own middle-of-the-pack placement of MCHG when he ranked his 12 solo albums for Life and Times, what the 44-year-old still managed to accomplish in this era
is remarkable. Just two days before little brother Yeezus arrived we saw Jay, Rick Rubin, Pharrell, and Timbaland
think-tanking during that NBA Finals commercial, and weeks later it was “Tom
Ford” and “Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit” invading clubs and airwaves. From his ability to simply deliver the songs
we want now and still be able to apply the cultural relevance to the fundamental fact that his old ass can still flat out flow, this album
practically represents rap immortality.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks: Picasso Baby, Tom Ford, Fuckwithmeuknowigotit, Beach is Better
5. Earl Sweatshirt - Doris
Some of the albums on this list made it for the potency of
its songs, some for the forward thinking of it's production and sound. OF rapper
Earl Sweatshirt makes it purely because of his rapping. In 2010 Earl caught my
attention, not only because of the insanity of his collective but because the
kid could flat out rap. To put it simple, almost nobody puts words together the
way young Earl does. He can take the most obscure of references and piece it
together with elegance and potency in an almost monotone delivery. Earl is a
rapper I have been and will continue to be excited about because his upside
seems to be exponentially higher than most of his contemporaries. With Doris,
he flexed his skill over fantastic production. My only critique is that I’d
like to see him put together better all around songs. But when it comes to
rapping, Early got it.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: PRE, Hive, Centurion, Uncle AL, Molasses
4. A$AP Rocky - LongLiveA$AP
Even with one of last year's earliest releases, Rocky
continued his breakout 2012 campaign with anthem on top of anthem. From
possibly raps biggest record of the year “Fucking Problem” to the EDM-inspired
“Wild For the Night” Rocky has his finger right on the pulse of what is popular
and what is needed in rap and he fills that void to a tee. Production has
always been a big part of Rocky’s sound and with Long Live A$AP he even successfully gives that aspect of his music his own touch. Some may argue that
there are a lot of features and this is true (especially with 37 other rappers
on "1 Train") but I think that just further speaks to the fact that Rocky is
doing something right and there are a lot of folks that want to work with him.
Long Live A$AP will be in my rotation for a while and for good reason. It
KNOCKS.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: Angels, Phoenix, Goldie
3. Kanye West - Yeezus
From here up on our list, we have three albums that in my
opinion could have all been the top album of the year. In Ye’s most controversial release, Yeezus is a concept album based around the idea of minimalism. Though this is probably the
last thing a lot of listeners hear, the concept, to me, was executed almost
flawlessly. The biggest knock on the album is that it is more of an EP in terms
of length, only being ten tracks. Most of the ten tracks, though, will be with
us for a very long time. I have maintained that Yeezus is about where hip-hop
sonically is going and if I am correct we are in for a treat. Bringing together
production from Ye himself, Daft Punk and Hudson Mohawke, to name a few, Yeezus
does what no other rap album has ever done. Ye broke all of the rules on
purpose and still managed to create magic. Yeezus is history ladies and
gentlemen.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: On Sight, Black Skinheads, New Slaves
2. Drake - Nothing Was The Same
No matter how you look at it, Drake continues to defy the
odds. His third studio album reflects every facet of the skill set we glorified
from his So Far Gone inception. For a hip-hop album
to have a 2x platinum record like “Hold On, We’re Going Home” is unprecedented,
and even more so when you consider the effortless dual threat. It’s still
uncanny the melodic, sing-rap flows, the cadences, and more intimately, the
extreme candor with which he effectively delivers his music. But with Nothing Was The Same also comes the hints of attitude and arrogance that artists demonstrate at their pinnacle. Relationships and
internal issues course through this album as they do every Drake
project, but there's no way to ignore the catchy anthems, the deluxe production from Noah "40" Shebib and others, and the
unshakeable probability that Drake will continue to reign supreme as the most
versatile in the game by far.
- Martin @marley_mcfly
Notable Tracks: Tuscan Leather, Wu-Tang Forever, Worst Behavior, The Language, Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music Part 2
1. Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
Chance easily gets my nod for rap’s rookie of the year and
if Acid Rap is any indicator of what is to come, we have a future superstar on
our hands. I personally think that no one was able to put together a better
complete project this year than Chance which, mind you, is only his
second project and technically his debut album. Chance’s approach to the project was somewhat of a social commentary about what it was like for him growing up
in Chicago. It has some of the most potent moments this year in music. From his
riffing on “Good Ass Intro” to his
nearly unfathomable flows on “Chain Smoker”, Chance won this year in every way
possible. Acid Rap, like Yeezus, will be an album that people will go back to
for a very very long time.
- L. Reels @L_reels919
Notable Tracks: Pusha Man, Acid Rain, Everybody's Something
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