As an elusive and cryptic fixture in rap’s underground, Ka is best described as an old soul. His music pays tribute to rap as a classic form. He’s a powerful listen for anyone who appreciates rap history and what he brings to the tradition. And because he gives such attention to his craft and his lane, Ka has barely evolved as a vocalist in his career. It’s his writing that makes his music powerful, and his one dimensional flow and delivery soars when the production carries ... read more

Madlib never disappoints. His appreciation for sound and his command of it are one of a kind, and that was as true in 1999 as it is today. This album pays tribute to sound as a medium and Madlib’s genreless influences, including the great J Dilla.
Highlights– “Hopprock,” “Riddim Chant,” “Sound Ancestors,” “Two for 2 - For Dilla,” “The New Normal”

This is a great example of a job well done in the mellow, “conscious” hip hop lane. (You know, the type of music that a lot of people go to J. Cole for). This album doesn’t do very much ambitiously or stray outside of genre lines, but it still borrows from many sources within the hip hop mainstream and executes most of those styles very well. Isaiah Rashad has an adaptable arsenal of flows which allow him to have fun over trap beats and explore depressive lows with R&B ... read more

Kendrick Lamar finally made his long awaited return this year, with… two verses on Baby Keem’s new album, The Melodic Blue. It’s so exciting to hear Kendrick relaxed and having fun on both features, which really lift the album as a whole. Baby Keem also does a lot of cool stuff on his own. Even if the tracklist is a bit overstuffed, there is a lot of creativity and quality in his rapping and production. This album definitely faded over time for me (and the album cover hurts ... read more

Lil Ugly Mane refuses to be boxed in on this album, continuing to explore new territory as an artist in a career based on constant experimentation. Volcanic Bird Enemy is a really sad album. It speaks on sadness in plain words over digestible rock/country/alternative instrumentals (I really don’t know how to describe them) which adds a layer of humor to the LP. The album cover, title, and song titles continue to play with the interplay comedy and sad sincerity. This is the type of album I ... read more

It’s hard to keep up with Westside Gunn’s music, but supposedly he’s retired now? Or was before? And I don’t know why this album is the B Side, because it’s much better than the preceding HWH8 tape from August. The production is some of the best grimy, old-school hip hop this year, and the features are mostly excellent. It’s just a very good rap album.
Highlights– “Hell on Earth, Pt. 2 (Ft. Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine),” ... read more

Pi’erre Bourne has been the secret ingredient in a lot of the most exciting mainstream rap through the end of the 2010s, and he is poised to influence the future of the genre through the next decade. His production has unlocked new levels in Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Nudy, and more, and now it has finally come together in his solo work. TLOP5 is an enchanting and easy listen, intoxicatingly poppy, dreamlike and atmospheric, and perfectly sequenced. Only a little bit overstuffed. ... read more

Little Simz continues to build an impressive and consistent discography, and this might be her best album yet. The maximalist production feels massive, but Little Simz’ raps are large enough to command full attention. She gives conscious attention to her identity throughout the album with nuance and introspection, ultimately rising with confidence and grace.
Highlights– “Introvert,” “Woman,” “Two Worlds Apart,” “Standing Ovation,” ... read more

Everyone knows this one. It’s pretty great. Olivia Rodrigo makes her breakup stroy feel universal, bouncing between anger, heartbreak, spite, revenge, and triumph. While the songs are catchy radio hits, they also present an emotionally complex narrative that defines a very human experience. It’ll be really fun to watch her career going forward.
Highlights– “drivers licence,” “deja vu,” “good 4 u,” “favorite crime”

Got to this one way too late (thank you to @grantpa on twitter.com) but this was a special first listen. The album is beautifully produced and Ankhlejohn runs with it, writing clever and punchy raps. Ankhlejohn’s voice and delivery is unique in today’s rap landscape, and it sounds gorgeous over these beats. My one complaint would be that the vocals could be mixed a bit higher on a few tracks to get the most out of the song.
HIGHLIGHTS– “As A Man Thinketh,” ... read more

Snail Mail has a unique, charismatic voice. There’s nothing overly unique musically in this album, but the songs are simply really good, and her vocals are captivating over some gorgeous. Ranges nicely from head-banging rock (“Valentine” to ABBA nostalgia (“Forever (Sailing)) to tearjerking vocal deliveries over acoustic guitars and weeping cellos (“Light Blue”). A major progression in Snail Mail’s catalog, and she’s still only 22. This took a few ... read more

Some of the most fun, clever, and gorgeous pop/r&b this year. Sex-positivity is done with intentionality and sends a strong message. Skits are equally fun and powerful and pull the album together with a punchy combination of humor, grittiness, and sincerity. An important album.
Highlights– “Pick Up Your Feelings,” “Put It Down,” “On It,” “The Other Side”

Tyler the Creator has been on a hot streak his whole career, and it’s so much fun to hear him rap this hard again. DJ Drama’s presence is a nice touch, bringing forward Tyler’s infectious nostalgia for the mixtape era. This whole album feels like a victory lap, with brighter themes and a confident delivery. That’s not to say it’s one dimensional– there are moments of vulnerability as Tyler dives deeper into his sexuality, family, and personal growth. Above ... read more

This album took some time to really sink in, but then it did. Billie seems to take seriously her obligation to make a satisfactory followup to her Grammy-winning debut. She comes at this challenge with maturity, self-awareness, and perspective. Across a much longer album, Billie confronts her growth in the public eye, her body, her transition into adulthood, and her love and sex life. She very passionately claps back at outside voices that disapprove and mistreat, emphasizing a greater ... read more

I don’t really know much about jazz or this kind of electronic music, and I definitely don’t make a habit of listening to symphony orchestras. But this album is gorgeous, and Pharoahe Sanders’ sax is beautiful and emotive. The minimalist electronic backing is hypnotic and motivic, carrying each movement and uniting them together. I’ll definitely return to this one in the future.

I don’t care. Donda was Kanye’s first great album since The Life of Pablo. Even with all the narcissistic negative attention seeking around the rollout, the album itself has some of Kanye’s most vulnerable and sincere writing in a long time. It also has some gorgeous songs and some vicious bangers. And Kanye gathers an incredible cast of collaborators that mostly rise to the challenge, with Jay Z, Lil Baby, Playboi Carti, Fivio Foreign, Baby Keem, and Jay Electronica all ... read more

Since his full length debut Summertime ‘06, Vince Staples has kept it short and sweet, and this self-titled album is a brief 22 minute listen. With 10 tracks that barely break the two minute mark, it’s easy to breeze through this album and move on. But like most of Staples’ work, Vince Staples rewards repeated listens, as Kenny Beats’s subtly experimental production and Vince’s matter-of-fact storytelling make the most out of the limited runtime. Vince gets ... read more

On the last track of Van Gogh’s Left Ear, Zelooperz asks, “what would you do for everything in your life to be alright?” over and over until the words slur and melt together. Zelooperz might be the strangest rapper in Danny Brown’s Bruiser Brigade, and that’s saying a lot. But the beats on this album are fantastic, and his vocal deliveries just get more fun with each listen. As zany and wild as he gets, Zelooperz is also introspective and sensitive, and his ... read more

Lingua Ignota puts forth a haunting, clawingly poetic and dramatic concept album about religion and sin. The songs are intentionally jarring and almost sickening, either through Ignota’s strained, extreme vocals or the screechy backing instrumentation. Throughout the album Ignota grapples with her christianity, darkly confronting the doom of sin and God’s wrath and mercy. It’s very difficult to decipher the meaning of her poetry, and that ambiguity is part of the point. Her ... read more

Pink Siifu is completely unlike anyone else in rap right now. Even on “Gumbo’!” – a much more ‘traditional’ hip hop album than some of his recent work– his musical versatility is still on full display, and he’s daring enough to use some awesomely weird instrumentals. I think this is his best album yet. Listening is addictive, the album is so catchy, psychedelic, mellow, trappy, syrupy– so many things. It’s a ridiculously fun, messy ... read more