10. Anonymuz - URAMESHI
Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: "Gundam Wing", "Hiei", "Yoko Kurama"
At number 10, Anonymuz's EP "URAMESHI" is nothing short of banger. This isn't a typical album with some nerd references but a pure rapper, rapping about his career and experiences with some nerd stuff sprinkled in it. My favorite Track is "Gundam Wing" because of the flow and lyrics. Anonymuz delivered nothing but the heat in this dope project.
9. Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Rating: 7.2/10
Favorite Tracks: "745", "Love Can Be", "Big Fish"
Vince staples stepped away from the addictive yet grungy beats that we've grown to love on his earlier to projects, trading them in for synths and lighter production on his second full length album. "Big Fish Theory is a step away from "Summertime 06", "Hell Can Wait" and his mixtape days but its still a great album. I enjoy the different space that Vince has decoded to occupy for rapping about love and relationships, something he's done before but not in a lighter tone. Vince still brings the bars and intensity, its just a different playing field, on which he's running circles around us in.
8. BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION
Rating: 7.5
Favorite Tracks: "WASTE", "STAR". "MILK"
One night everyone was going crazy on twitter about some dude named Brockhampton. I searched him on Youtube two days later to learn that its a group which consists of about 12 members making hiphop. "Star" was my introduction and I've been hooked since. I love all of the different genres and characteristics each member brings to the table. No song sounds the same from the last and each are so experimental but still enjoyable. Saturation is a great debut album from a collective group.
7. Syd - FIN
Rating: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: "Know", "Dollar Bills" "Over"
"Fin" is a great debut album by The Internet's lead singer Syd. I found myself consistently listening to it over and over throughout the day as I did trivial tasks such as washing clothes or washing dishes. When I drink I play this on my speaker and it enhances the good time I'm already having. The album is addictive with slow but sensual synths, light but soothing vocals by Syd but has a ton of personality. Syd opened up a lot on this album revealing just how bold she can actually be. That honestly in the form of singing and rapping about love and sex is a nice touch plus the beats are separate from what we'd expect from The Internet work. This was a fresh of breath air from Syd that we need more of.
6. Sabrina Claudio - About Time
Rating: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: "Stand Still", "Unravel Me", "Belong To You
I think this is a great album. All of the songs flow into each other with ease. The only song that feels out of touch is the opening track "About time" which is just some nice crooning with a cool monologue in the background. The entire album feels like eating a warm cherry pie where the crust is a tad bit crunchy but smooth as well. The apple filling slathers down your tongue as the bits smash against your teeth. This album hits the spot and this leads into why I also love the album.
5. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN
Rating: 8/10
Favorite Tracks: "YAH", "ELEMENT", "GOD"
Unlike Kendricks' previous album that are hyped for not only his rapping ability but the production as well as the musical choices he made, "DAMN" is that but also less, but sill being more at the same time. You can listen to the album and enjoy it for what it is but you can listen deeper, opening up a different meaning to the album. No matter the way you listen, you'll still have a great time. My favorite aspect of the album is that no matter how deep the song is or not, Kendrick is just rapping. He's rapping about love, his fears, his honesty and so on. Its an album that doesn't have all the added lore or glamour but still has a deeper story being told. There's not a bad song on this album. I made tons of memories listening to this album.
4. BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION 2
Rating: 7.9/10
Favorte Tracks: "QUUER", "JUNKY", "SWEET"
After the first installment, I, like many, where ready for the second installment of the Saturation series. SII came in strong with singles like "JUNKY" and "TOKYO" but it had some slower most laid back tracks like "SWEET" and "GAMBA". The collective continues their onslaught of diverse, experimental production as well as staying true to their kind heated nature or expressing their troubles as musicians and humans. As a young adult myself its so easy to be connected to their music because I know what their going through. SII hit me almost as hard as "Flower Boy", it deserves to be in my top 10.
3. SZA - Ctrl
Rating: 8/10
Favorite Tracks: "Supermodel", "Drew Berrymore" "Normal Girl"
The album we've been waiting for for years did not disappoint. When SchoolBoy Q tweeted that SZA had a classic waiting to be released, we all doubted him. But he was right. I'm not ashamed to say that after 8 or so months since its release, "Crtl" by SZA is a classic. The album encapsulates her journey as a woman going through different phases of mindsets and relationships that anyone can relate to yet so personal to her own health so well. There isn't a person on this planet that could listen to this album and say its bad. If they did, they have to be a zombie or some uncultured swine.
2. Daniel Caesar - Freudian
Ratings: 8/10
Favorite Tracks: "Best Part", "Hold Me Down", "Transform"
Of all the amazing American, Korean and Japanese albums I've listened to this year, this is the only album where I get so mad when it ends. I want this album to never end as Daniel croons us to this palace laced with beautiful vocals from his three angles, Syd, Charlotte Day Wilson and H.E.R. The production is astonishing as he fuses R&B and Gospel so effortlessly. the album is a story of a man falling in and out of love due to his own recklessness. From start to end the album never misses a beat as it flows so beautifully together. Daniel and SZA may have singlehandedly brought back R&B from its death with their projects.
1. Tyler The Creator - Scum Fuck Flower Boy
Rating: 8.5/10
Favorite Tracks: "See You Again", "Boredom", "November"
At the age of 20, I didn't think another album would impact my life so much like many albums in the past. Like his other albums, Tyler delivered a masterpiece at the right time. "Flower Boy" gave me the strength I lost during the middle of the year with its soulful beat, energetic and calculated lyrics and the overall theme of the album. Besides Tyler coming out if the closet, I relate to everything on the album. The best way I can describe the album as well as my relationship to it, this is the saddest, happiest album I've ever listened to. I've never been so happy listening to songs like "See You Again" only to transition to such a sad but still energetic piece in "911/Mr. Lonely". No one should be dancing to that song because of the lyrical content yet we do, and we fill better while still grabbing that hole in our chest. This is Tyler's best album meaning, its going to be hard to top this.
