Well here we are. We reached the end of another wild year in music. This was my first year doing these reviews and I can honestly say I had fun doing every single one. Doing these reviews and listening to so many different sounds in both hip hop and R&B has now opened me up to so many new artists. It also helped me to find out about a lot of artists that I though I knew. While it all was a fun and exciting experience this year, it was also a learning experience as well. Well now it's come to this. After reviewing over fifty albums this year, I was able to put together my top ten hip hop albums of 2013. This list not only was hard to put together but it was even harder to put it in order from worst to best. I took every little thing about each album into consideration. Lyrics, production, creativity, originality, concept and collaboration. With that said here it is. My top ten hip hop albums of 2013:
10. J. Cole - Born Sinner
Grade: B
J. Cole's sophomore album Born Sinner was quite a surprise. Of the many concept albums that dropped this year, this one was wildly missed by many. Filled with great soulful and emotional production, it met it's meaning and message head on. Giving the album a very religious feel. Cole is a great lyricist and a great story teller. Despite the many who believe Cole lacked energy on this album and/or found it "boring", his messages were good enough to keep the average listener up and paying attention. From the self-esteem building single "Crooked Smile", to the salute to a legend on "Let Nas Down", Cole truly painted pictures in your head with every word. No sophomore slump here.
9. Earl Sweatshirt - Doris
Grade: B
What was probably the most anticipated debut of 2013, Earl certainly didn't disappoint. Although many were taken back by Earl's calmer approach to the album, I found it to be quite good. He showed on this album that he's more than just the out of control foul mouth kid from Odd Future that we've come to know. He has a emotional side and has a heart. Tracks like '"Chum" and "Burgundy" show that. Already Earl is lyrically way ahead of his time and this album shows that he is capable of still being as lyrical and as sinister with his flow regardless of topic. Definitely one of the year's best.
8. Talib Kweli - Prisoner Of Conscious
Grade: B
Talib Kweli's wise veteran mind came into play strongly on this album. Many people may think they know what conscious hip hop is but Kweli showed you what the real meaning of it is here. With such a wide arrangement of sounds from the 80's throwback sound of "Turnt Up", the vintage Wu-Tang sound of "Rocket Ships", to the high tempo mainstream sounding "Upper Echelon". Talib Kweli showed that conscious hip hop can be displayed through any sound of hip hop. It's all about how you decide to approach it. Good album.
7. Hopsin - Knock Madness
Grade: B
Full of rage, anger and sheer controversy, Hopsin's long awaited sophomore album was well worth the wait. He continued his usual comedic tirade against the media, wack rappers and every one else that pisses him off. At the same time showing off a more softer side when it comes to the females on a number of tracks ("Good Guys Get Left Behind", "Still Got Love For You"). With such dope underground production and such high energy throughout the whole album, this is an album that I continue to keep listening to.
6. Jarren Benton - My Grandma's Basement
Grade: B+
Much like his homeboy Hopsin, Jarren dropped a high octane, high energy project that was definitely one of my favorites of the year. His comedic shock value lyricism took me back to Eminem's Slim Shady LP days. He took the trap sounding production and made it so much cooler due to his witty lyricism. With over the top horror core tracks like my favorite "Razor Blades And Steak Knives" and "Smells Like", southern trap influenced tracks like "Cadillac's And Chevy's" and "Life In the Jungle", to posse tracks like "Go Off" and "W On (My Own Dick)". It's an album that I still have in rotation six months later.
5. Childish Gambino - Because The Internet
Grade: B+
Two weeks ago Gambino released this sophomore album. It was album that certainly confused many. Including myself. The brilliance behind this album's concept is indescribable. Telling a short story about himself going through all of this drama from beef with enemies, women, the rap game and life in general. All connecting to issues that is in direct result of today's internet age. The experimental production made it pop even more. Yes it's a lot to take in from this album, but if you're patient and can sit and thoroughly listen to what's going on then it will all come to you. Then you will see why it's a 2013 top five album.
4. Pusha T - My Name Is My Name
Grade: B+
Another album this year that caught me off guard big time. Pusha T delivers a sophomore project that perfectly balances the mainstream with the underground/hood music without over doing it. He's always been known for his dark and gritty tales of the hood and the drug game and he had plenty to share here. From his menacing lyrics on "Numbers On The Boards", to his incredible story of a former friend on "S.N.I.T.C.H.", to his brilliant collaboration with Kendrick Lamar on "Nosetalgia". This was an album some magazine critics are already calling a classic. For me time will tell before I can make that assessment. But as of now, this was one of the best this year and maybe one of the best in some years.
3. Danny Brown - Old
Grade: A-
Never did I expect Danny Brown to do with this album what he did. Splitting the album into two showing his old self, where he talked about the horrors he face when it came to drug abuse and surviving the drug infested surroundings of Detroit. Then his current self which is the fun, wild and bizarre Danny Brown that many are familiar with. But despite his looney character and voice, he's shows that his talent for story telling and his creativity are top notch. I loved this album and this will certainly go down as Danny Brown's triumphant album.
2. Ghostface Killah - Twelve Reasons To Die
Grade: A-
Arguably the best album concept of 2013. I was blown away by what Ghostface did here. This was no hip hop album. What this was was a movie told through music. He gave you the dark, haunting story of the underground Italian mafia life. Everything from drugs, violence, love, betrayal and revenge. Adrian Younge's production brought it to life even more with eerie organ sounding beats that sounds like something from the vintage mob/mafia films. This is why Ghostface Killah and the entire Wu-Tang Clan have been a force for so long. Only they can come up with something as brilliant as this. Forget a Grammy, this album deserves an Oscar.
1. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2
Grade: A
Do I even need an explanation for this one? Eminem showed once again why he is hip hop's most prolific lyricist. While the album had it's moments, there wasn't too many other albums this year that I thoroughly loved from start to finished. So many enjoyable songs. From the anticipated sequel "Bad Guy", the dad bashing "Rhyme Or Reason", to the head exploding lyricism of "Rap God", the throwback sounds of "Bezerk" and so much more. No album in 2013 kept me more entertained both lyrically and beat wise. Although it doesn't quite match the brilliance of the original Marshall Mathers LP, this is without a doubt another classic from hip hop's "rap god" Eminem. Album of the year for sure.
Stay tuned for part 2...
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