King Los’ career has been a whirlwind of musical highs and lows. However, his talent has often spoken for itself. With impressive albums and mixtapes under his belt, King Los’ discography is always worth diving into. However, his longtime affiliation with Diddy might prove less of a benefit these days.
King Los was spotted with Diddy in Miami on May 20. The now-viral video came just a day after Diddy’s apology video hit social media, following the release of the footage of his assault on Cassie in a hotel. Now, Los is on the receiving end of backlash for maintaining a bond with Diddy amidst the heavy scandal. After on and off stints with Bad Boy Records, evidently Los and Diddy are still inseparable. Nonetheless, here are King Los’ best albums ranked.
King Los’ mixtape Shooter was released on November 8, 2010, and is most notable for its Rick Ross and Cory Gunz features. Shooter can only be described as a blend of King Los’ ambition and raw talent. On the project, Los delivers freestyles, as well as original tracks that hint at the trajectory his career would take in the industry. Long time King Los fans are likely to remember it as one of his earliest albums. Moreover, it remains a gem for its inclusion of “Money Feels Better.”
6. G5: Certified Fly (2008)
G5: Certified Fly launched King Los’ mixtape run, though its quality certainly stood alongside great hip-hop albums of its time. It was released independently in 2008 after his initial deal with Bad Boy Records fell through. The mixtape was King Los’ official return to releasing music independently and it helped set the stage for his future projects. Furthermore, it is a noteworthy entry in his catalog because the writing is credited to King Los himself. G5 is another example of King Los’ early style, artistic vision and skill. All of these are pronounced on tracks like “Top Back Freestyle.”
King Los’ Moor Bars was released on December 25, 2017. It was another project that boasted notable talent with appearances from artists like Hopsin, Royce Da 5’9″, and Jazze Pha. Unsurprisingly, Moor Bars had a few stellar standout tracks such as “Everybody’s A Bitch,” and “January 24th 2017.” “Everybody’s A Bitch,” in particular, remains a noteworthy record in his catalog.
Moor Bars is blessed with King Los’ intricate wordplay and hard-hitting bars. Production credits from AC The Producer and Daniel Dalexis further elevate the project. Diddy also appears in the album’s intro where he gives a few words of advice to King Los: “I understand your consciousness is at another level, but you gotta save yourself… before you can save others.”
4. Becoming King (2013)
King Los’ mixtape Becoming King, was released on April 25, 2013. The album remains a pivotal project in his discography as it marks his official transition from an underground artist to a mainstream contender. It also features a star-studded lineup, including Diddy, Ludacris, Wiz Khalifa, and more. Additionally, there are notable production credits from heavyweights like Harry Fraud and Sonny Digital. And so, this mixtape, unlike previous works of his, offers a variety of sounds that show King Los’ versatility as an artist. The mixtape’s most popular song, “Weak,” racked up almost half a million downloads on Datpiff within its first year.
3. The Crown Ain’t Safe (2011)
King Los’ mixtape The Crown Ain’t Safe, hosted by DJ Ill Will and DJ Drama, was released on December 5, 2011. It is inarguably one of the best projects in King Los’ discography, especially without a long list of studio albums to his name. The mixtape features a robust lineup of guest appearances, including Lola Monroe, Jazze Pha, DMX, Kid Ink, Twista, and XV. The Crown Ain’t Safe also had a decent critical reception, with most of the praise going to its lyrical content. Standout tracks include “Make You Fly” and “Living My Dreams.” These songs show Los’ ability to blend introspection with ambition, and helped boost his chances at a mainstream breakthrough The album’s release is also quite an important moment for King Los’ career, as it came shortly before his re-signing with Bad Boy Records in February, 2012.
2. Zero Gravity II (2014)
King Los’ Zero Gravity II mixtape, released on March 24, 2014, is the impressive sequel to his 2010 mixtape, Zero Gravity. The project was released through After Platinum Records after Los parted ways with Bad Boy Records once again. The mixtape features a variety of producers, including Hunter Bressan, Dot N Pro, and J. Oliver. It also features impressive guest appearances from Royce Da 5’9″, Jeremih, and Kid Ink. Furthermore, Zero Gravity II is noted for playing to one of King Los’ stronger suits: freestyle tracks, with the “Control Freestyle” shining as a standout.
1. God, Money, War (2015)
King Los’ God, Money, War is a profound exploration of themes that are central to the human experience, and the best of all his albums. Released on June 23, 2015, it was a digital-only release under After Platinum Records, 88 Classic, and RCA Records, with executive production from Diddy. The album features a diverse array of guest appearances, including Isaiah Rashad, Marsha Ambrosius, Ty Dolla $ign, Chrishan and others. It debuted at number 68 on the Billboard 200, and sold 7,400 copies in its first week, with additional units. Fan-favorite tracks from the album include “War,” “Ghetto Boy,” and “Glory to The Lord.”
Billie Eilish has cemented herself in pop culture due to her immense talent and ability to connect with audiences through her music. She recently made it onto Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums, an amazing feat for such a young artist. Her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? ranked 30th on the list. Evidently, it’s no question that she is one of the biggest stars of the decade. The rest of her discography is also worth listening to though, so here are all Billie Eilish’s albums and EPs ranked.
After releasing a few singles, including her initial claim to fame “Ocean Eyes,” Billie Eilish released her first EP in 2017. While Don’t Smile At Me was a great project, especially considering that Eilish was just 15 years old at the time, she has only gotten better in the years since then. Don’t Smile At Me included moody tracks like “idontwannabeyouanymore,” as well as more upbeat and experimental tracks like “my boy.” The EP’s balance of ballads and fast-paced songs set the groundwork for the rest of Billie Eilish and Finneas’s work together.
4. Hit Me Hard And Soft
Billie Eilish’s most recent release was shrouded in mystery, as she didn’t follow the typical release schedule before her albums drop. Upon this album’s release, fans were excited to hear some new sounds from Eilish. On Hit Me Hard and Soft, she explored topics of falling out of love, as well as falling in love with a woman for the first time. Songs like “Lunch” were immediately elevated to queer bop status. However, the frequent beat switches on songs in the album often toed the line between hit or miss.
Despite only consisting of two songs, Guitar Songs is some of Billie Eilish’s best work. “TV” touches on the very topical issue of the overturning of Roe V. Wade in the U.S. On the other hand, “The 30th” includes some of Eilish’s most heartbreaking lyrics to date. Her vocals are both soft and striking on both tracks and, as the EP title suggests, the production of the songs is minimal, letting their stories shine.
2. Happier Than Ever
On her sophomore album, Billie Eilish leaned away from the dark aesthetics of her debut, for a more mature and insightful project. Happier Than Ever tackled Eilish’s rise to fame at such a young age, as well as the scrutiny she faced from the media over her body, and her recent breakup at the time. In songs like “Your Power,” she deals with topics of sexuality and its abuse by people in power. Additionally, “My Future” and “Therefore I Am” show her growth and maturity as she gets older. The album’s title track is one of Billie Eilish’s most cathartic songs, as she disparages a deadbeat ex and celebrates her freedom.
1. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Billie Eilish’s debut remains the most beloved and most critically acclaimed of all her albums and EPs. The album was inspired by her experiences with nightmares and lucid dreams and explored themes of mental health, addiction, and teen angst. Notably, tracks like “Bad Guy” and “When The Party’s Over” dominated the charts for weeks. Moreover, the project’s dark and creepy aesthetic, as well as Eilish’s raspy vocals made the album a major stand out. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? earned Billie Eilish five Grammy wins out of six nominations. Altogether, her raspy singing style matched with Finneas’ production helped usher in a new era of pop music at the time.
You may have already seen Apple Music’s recent list of their top 100 best albums of all time, and there are plenty of hot takes and snubs to talk about. However, what might be the most surprising and generous placement on the list comes in the form of Frank Ocean’s beloved 2016 album Blonde, which landed at number five. While some fans might think it’s unwarranted or too soon to call when compared to albums like D’Angelo’s Voodoo, it’s definitely an earned and understandable accolade for one of the 21st century’s most definitive projects. In fact, it even got the mom seal of approval, as his mother took to Instagram to celebrate this distinction.
“This child sure knows how to make his momma proud!” Frank Ocean’s mother Katonya Breaux captioned her IG post about the placement. “I first said wow son, you are among the greats but quickly retracted and said ‘no, you are a GREAT!’ Here’s to my Frankie!![champagne glasses & red heart emojis] #blonde.” Blonde was originally an Apple Music exclusive, curiously enough, and this list is pretty much his biggest public appearance since his muscular selfie from a couple of months ago.
Even then, it’s not a deliberate media pop-out, as Frank Ocean himself hasn’t said anything about it nor done press for the Apple Music list. His Odd Future partner Tyler, The Creator recently spoke on his elusive nature during his Coachella set. “Y’all know this song?” he asked the crowd as the instrumental for their 2011 Goblin collab “She” played int the background. “Oh, sing the song, ’cause this n***a not coming out. We don’t… We don’t know where that n***a is, so… It’s on y’all. You know it?”
Meanwhile, very rare social media posts are pretty much the only thing that people have heard from Frank Ocean in a very long time. We don’t know whether there’s a new album coming out, or if we already witnessed the close-out of one of contemporary music’s most scant yet enduring careers. Either way, we hope he and his mom are doing well, wherever they are. Let’s see whether this Apple Music list leads to something greater in 2024.
A lot of die-hard music fans, especially hip-hop heads, have been debating and venting their frustrations over the last couple of days. The reason for that is because of a new list that Apple Music completed earlier today. Experts and musicians collaborated to come up with the Best 100 Albums of all time were based on some rigorous criteria. However, people are taking this list as a slight on many artists behalf. One of those includes Kendrick Lamar, who wound up getting one placement on the Apple Music rankings. His 2012 record good kid M.A.A.D. city (Deluxe) went on to land in the seventh spot.
While you certainly cannot argue the impact and greatness of this record, fans felt that another album of his was severely snubbed. His 2015 To Pimp A Butterfly, did not only not score a higher ranking, but it did also not even make the final cut. That may be the bigger argument here, as fans online are making the claim that both of the albums should have been on the list. It is a fair point to make, especially since several artists got the luxury of receiving multiple spots like Beyonce, for example.
Ebro, one of the main contributors to these rankings, has already had to explain himself. Not too long ago, he hopped on X to break down the criteria they used to make each selection. Now, the famed figure in hip-hop is attempting to calm the angry mob over the Kendrick picks. In a recent sit down to talk about the final 10 albums, Ebro led the charge as to what the reasoning was for GKMC over TPAB. To sum things up, he said that because of the album’s divisiveness at the time of release, as well as its dense and detailed listening experience, they felt it was not as universally adored as much. You can check out the clip in full with the link above.
What are your thoughts on the explanation as to why To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar did not make the Apple Music Best 100 Albums? Was Ebro’s perspective acceptable, or do you think both should have made the list? What do you think of the list overall? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Kendrick Lamar and the Apple Music Best 100 Albums list. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
On May 13, Apple Music began their 10-day countdown to rattle off their 100 Best Albums list. With any sort of ranking, fans and artists are going to be divided. But, Ebro, famous radio host and hip-hop figure, made sure to explain to the masses that the requirements for each selection were robust. He, along with various other experts and artists were not allowed to choose their favorite records. Instead, they focused on things like cultural impact, fleshed out ideas over hits, storytelling, etc. With all of that in consideration the people over at Apple Music certainly had their work cut out for them.
But the dust has now settled and only one LP is reigning supreme. If you read the title, then you could guess that the album that earned the top spot was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Lauryn’s one and only solo album claimed the throne over some pretty tough competition. Falling just short of number one was Beyonce’s Lemonade (#10), Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city(Deluxe) (#7), and Frank Ocean’s Blonde (#5). Other notable entries were Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life (#6), Prince & The Revolution’s Purple Rain (#4), and Michael Jackson’s Thriller (#2).
Hip-hop and R&B were represented a lot on this Best 100 Albums list overall too. Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., De La Soul, Travis Scott, Tyler, The Creator, and Dr. Dre, are just a few to name. Even though it seems that a lot of thought went into these rankings, a lot of fans were in an uproar over Nas’ Illmatic only being at number 39. SZA was also quite puzzled over SOS LP placing in the 70 range. “Lmao. 72nd is so disrespectful,” she wrote on IG. While a lot of people will assuredly disagree with the Lauryn Hill pick, this album will never age. It still has a lasting impact on one of the largest genres in the world all these years later.
What are your thoughts on Lauryn Hill claiming the number one spot on Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums list? If you disagree, what project would you put number one all time, and why? Is this the best hip-hop/hip-hop adjacent record ever? What songs do you still revisit from it? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Lauryn Hill. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Nas created one of hip-hop’s greatest bodies of work, Illmatic. The status of this album is elevated by the fact that it was his debut offering. It spawned some of the best writing and performances the genre has ever seen. Prime examples include “N.Y. State of Mind,” “The World Is Yours,” and “It Ain’t Hard To Tell.” Illmatic is so amazing that it is now in the Library of Congress. With the widespread recognition of how important this project is to music at large, the placement in the Apple Music Best 100 Albums list has fans expectedly up in arms.
The streaming giant announced about a week ago that over the next 10 days, they would be ranking what they feel are the greatest LPs ever. On May 22, the full list will be available. According to Apple Newsroom, their experts, along with artists, producers, industry pros, and more all collaborated on this already hotly debated list. In fact, SZA voiced her confusion about her most recent album, SOS, receiving the 72nd spot. A fair number of rap/R&B sets have cracked the ranking such as ASTROWORLD (98), Flower Boy (92), Doggystyle (84), and more. The next 10 (40-31) were released today and Illmatic slotted in at number 39.
There were a few notable works ahead of it and its led to a lot of angry fans. They include Beyonce’s self-titled at 36, Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang(36 Chambers) at 37, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Pulic Enemy holds down 34th, and Biggie slides in at 32 with Ready to Die. A lot of people were commenting “should be top 10” or that it should not be behind Beyonce. Some are even predicting that Yeat, Ice Spice, Cardi B, and Taylor Swift albums will place higher. If that happens, prepare for burning buildings and protests outside of Apple Music HQ. If you want, you can track the list with the second “[Via]” link below.
What are your thoughts on Illamatic by Nas ranking 39th on Apple Music’s Top 100 Albums of All Time list? Do you think it should be ranked higher or lower and why? If higher, where would you place it? Do you consider this the greatest rap album in the history of the genre? What songs do you revisit the most from the record? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Nas and Apple Music’s list. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the world of music.
It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of the year for music fans: The Grammys. This includes the inevitable discourse that follows the award show. The Recording Academy already caught people’s ire when they announced their nominees for the 2024 awards ceremony last year, snubbing hip-hop releases in the general field, much to the dismay of rap fans. The show is scheduled to air on Sunday, February 4 at 8 PM ET on CBS so naturally, we’re asking two important questions: Who will probably walk away with a golden gramophone in the hip-hop and R&B categories, and who should win?
Of course, the difference here is that there are titans and underdogs in every race. Sometimes, the differentiating factor is quality, other times it’s commercial success, and we might even get a legacy pick here and there. In every case, there is more than one release worthy of a Grammy; sometimes, all of them are. Hopefully the Recording Academy proves us wrong when our answers differ
Best R&B Performance
Robert Glasper performs at Los Angeles Chapter Nominee Celebration 2024 in Los Angeles on January 27, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
Chris Brown – “Summer Too Hot”
Robert Glasper ft. SiR & Alex Isley – “Back To Love”
Coco Jones – “ICU”
Victoria Monét – “How Does It Make You Feel”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
What Will Win: Are you ready to hear the coldest take you’ve ever heard in your life? Here goes nothing… it’s SZA’s “Kill Bill.” Sure, Chris Brown is also a superstar (and nominated again, somehow), but did his song take over the charts as much as Solana’s? “Back To Love” is peaceful harmony; is that as catchy and enveloping as killing your ex? While Coco Jones’ “ICU” is one of the sultriest songs of 2023, is its instrumental as unique in melody and timbre as Rob Bisel and Carter Lang’s production? Even though this is one of Victoria Monet’s best songs off of JAGUAR II, did it transcend fanbases like this SOS highlight did? No.
What Should Win: But let’s remember the category: Best R&B Performance. As far as vocals, Coco Jones steals the show, and everyone else is basically on par with SZA. That’s to say that “ICU” is probably the correct sleeper pick here if we’re going strictly off of typically captivating performances. But “Kill Bill” displays the TDE singer’s ability to switch cadences and pitches on a dime, multiple flows and melodic approaches, and a more infectious energy. Sorry to cop out on the first category, but we would love a SZA/Coco tie. But when it’s all said and done, “Kill Bill” is what will live on in the industry and with fans alike.
Lil Durk performs during Lil Baby’s concert on December 27, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Prince Williams/WireImage/Getty Images)
Burna Boy ft. 21 Savage – “Sittin’ On Top Of The World”
Doja Cat – “Attention”
Drake & 21 Savage – “Spin Bout U”
Lil Durk ft. J. Cole – “All My Life”
SZA – “Low”
What Will Win: Even though they’re commercial giants, Drake and 21 Savage might get the short end of the stick, thanks to the former’s reluctance to submit to the Grammys before. Then again, that could be exactly what makes them win trophies. But knowing the Recording Academy’s tendency to favor a mix of mainstream rap and classic hip-hop worship, Lil Durk and J. Cole’s “All My Life” is the front-runner. Doja Cat shines the most on “Attention” as a rapper, not a singer, and voters might think SZA already has her R&B and General Field categories in the bag. At least 21 has double odds, but the Burna Boy collab doesn’t have the same name recognition or hit potential.
What Should Win: That being said, as a mixture of melodic dexterity and traditional rap metrics, no track here is as balanced as “Sittin’ On Top Of The World.” The infectious bassline, the gritty drum beat, and 21 Savage’s refreshing approach to a more vintage instrumental contribute to this song’s ear-worm quality. Burna Boy is the star, and his calm but charismatic croons use plenty of different flows to match the shifting instrumentation. “All My Life” is more lyrical except for the chorus, “Spin Bout U” is a weak point on Her Loss in our eyes, and “Low”… well, “Low” is a jam, but a more melodic one than a fusion. So it’s a tight race, but “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” is truly the blend that this category represents.
Best Traditional R&B Performance
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 21: Victoria Monét performs during The Jaguar Tour at Joy Theater on September 21, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kaitlyn Morris/Getty Images)
Babyface ft. Coco Jones – “Simple”
Kenyon Dixon – “Lucky”
Victoria Monét ft. Earth, Wind & Fire & Hazel Monét – “Hollywood”
PJ Morton ft. Susan Carol – “Good Morning”
SZA – “Love Language”
What Will Win: So, will SZA’s sheer stardom get her another win? “Love Language” isn’t the most dynamic song in the world vocally, but it’s still a solid pick. Once again, Coco Jones surpasses her on the mic, even though her co-lead Babyface doesn’t do much on their collab performance-wise. Kenyon Dixon’s passion is palpable on “Lucky,” and PJ Morton and Susan Carol have the best chemistry here with throwback Motown appeal. “Hollywood” is very tender, but Victoria Monet and her collaborating musicians certainly have more compelling performances on JAGUAR II. It’s a hard call to make, but our chips are on Victoria. A legendary band and the main artist’s daughter?! That’s just good TV waiting to happen.
What Should Win: Going back to the sheer “performance” aspect, we actually think that Kenyon Dixon had the most adept vocal showing here. “Lucky” is a tight bop with gorgeous instrumental swells that shift the chord progressions in evocative ways, and the Los Angeles singer goes from heart-wrenching falsettos to deeper, more charismatic lines. Coco Jones may have the raw technicals on her side, and “Good Morning” has so much chemistry, but Dixon’s cut just makes you feel the most inspired and moved out of everything here in our opinion. Yet it’s another category where most of the songs make sense as winners.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – JULY 23: Black Thought of The Roots performs on stage at Hampden Park National Stadium on July 23, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images)
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “The Hillbillies”
Black Thought – “Love Letter”
Drake & 21 Savage – “Rich Flex”
Killer Mike ft. André 3000, Future & Eryn Allen Kane – “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS”
Coi Leray – “Players”
What Will Win: All these tracks are so different that it makes predicting this category a bit tough. “Players” has the catchy pop appeal with a flip of a classic, “The Hillbillies” is a really fun back-and-forth, “Rich Flex” is the biggest hit here, and few would argue that anyone on this list is a technically better MC than Black Thought. But going back to the Grammys’ love of the midpoint, we think “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” is a favorite -– in every category it’s nominated in, for that matter. Performance-wise, all rappers here deliver distinct verse approaches, flows, and cadences, and by addressing many different styles of popular rap today, yesterday, and tomorrow, they crafted one of the most well-rounded rap songs in recent memory. Perhaps “Love Letter” wins because of its meaning to hip-hop’s 50 years, though.
What Should Win: For that very reason, we think that Killer Mike, André 3000, Future, and Eryn Allen Kane deserve the accolade the most when looking at it critically. At a very, very close second is “Love Letter,” as Black Thought’s rhymes and storytelling are hands-down the best pure hip-hop display here. As far as individual triumph, we think The Roots’ frontman takes the cake, but the collaboration on “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” encapsulates the most versatile and comprehensive collective performance. But we wish “Love Letter” would’ve received a Best Rap Song nomination as well due to its significance despite a complete lack of an instrumental.
Best R&B Song
Coco Jones performs at KOKO on December 04, 2023 in London, England. (Gus Stewart/Redferns/Getty Images)
Halle – “Angel”
Robert Glasper ft. SiR & Alex Isley – “Back To Love”
Coco Jones – “ICU”
Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
SZA – “Snooze”
What Will Win: Again, we have a titanic SZA nomination whose popularity should make it an easy favorite. But there’s still steep competition here, namely “On My Mama.” It’s a catchy and powerful track with great instrumental embellishments that hit big by commercial metrics, and “ICU” is another example of that. “Back To Love” is played and composed really well, but it might fall victim to expectation given its more straightforward but compelling approach. Halle’s “Angel” has a fantastic build, albeit melodic retreading from verse to chorus, and a great vocal effort. Five great and worthy tracks all in all, but if they wanted to beat Victoria Monet, then they should’ve nominated a more evolutionary or passionate song than “Snooze” off of SOS.
What Should Win: Not only do we think “On My Mama” has the best chance to win, but it certainly should. Again, these are all of Grammy quality, and Coco Jones in particular impresses vocally on “ICU.” But Victoria Monet just made that classic Recording Academy combo: catchy, successful, meaningful, and widely appealing for good reason. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t at least appreciate something about “On My Mama.” As one of the biggest hits off of JAGUAR II, we think it will probably be enough to blur SZA’s massive reach -– and deserves to do so. Don’t get it mixed up, though: another Solana win would make us very happy, too, and so would any of these other tracks.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: In this image released on November 10, 2023, Doja Cat kicks off The Scarlet Tour in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Dana Jacobs/Getty Images for Live Nation)
Killer Mike ft. André 3000, Future & Eryn Allen Kane – “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS”
What Will Win: Once again, “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” has a little something for everyone, and that’s why we think it’ll take this Grammy along with Best Rap Performance. “Just Wanna Rock” is a great performance from Uzi, but in terms of songwriting and song structure, it’s bizarrely disjointed. Perhaps that interesting change of pace is what gets voters in its corner, but it’s a reach and should’ve landed in another category. “Barbie World” is too indebted to its sample to warrant an edge, and “Attention” and “Rich Flex” just don’t have the heft of Killer Mike and his collaborators’ song. It’s also too perfect of a halfway point between rap snobs and contemporary rap fans, and a trap-style beat doesn’t take away from its lyrical appeal.
What Should Win: Yeah, “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” is the easiest and most agreeable lock across any category, most likely. We wouldn’t be mad at “Attention,” as Doja Cat certainly deserves it, but no other song fills all the boxes as well as this MICHAEL single. On top of its lyricists’ excellent verses and Eryn Allen Kane’s soaring proclamations, the progressive beat makes it an undeniably well-crafted and compelling record. Speaking of progressive…
Best Progressive R&B Album
Janelle Monáe performs during Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024 on December 31, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images)
6LACK – Since I Have A Lover
Diddy – The Love Album: Off The Grid
Terrace Martin & James Fauntleroy – Nova
Janelle Monáe – The Age Of Pleasure
SZA – SOS
What Will Win: SZA. It’s SZA. Jokes aside, almost all these albums are Grammy-worthy. Janelle Monae crafted one of the most simply and effectively pleasant (go figure) listening experiences of the year, Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy might have the most instrumentally rich project here, and 6LACK can still pull off the woozy and cool-as-a-cucumber jams that he warrants acclaim for. But the commercial success, impact, and sheer popularity of SOS as a whole is a gargantuan shadow that looms large over the entire Recording Academy, let alone the R&B categories.
What Should Win: As we hinted at, most of these albums could win, and we’d say, “Cool. Good for them.” It would be wild to see Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy take it amid a cast of juggernauts, at least for the music nerds out there. Still, this category is always quite controversial because of how vaguely the Recording Academy jumbles in a lot of Black artists that they don’t bother to properly categorize. Thus, it’s impossible to compare these to one another. But that’s a think piece for another time. For now, even we can’t deny that SZA was so dominant and so beloved for her genre blends and unique takes on R&B that this might go down as the least surprising award of the whole night… well, that and the other categories she’s nominated in, of course.
SUGAR LAND, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 11: Summer Walker performs on stage during the Honeyland Festival at Crown Festival Park on November 11, 2023 in Sugar Land, Texas. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)
Babyface – Girls Night Out
Coco Jones – What I Didn’t Tell You(Deluxe)
Emily King – Special Occasion
Victoria Monét – JAGUAR II
Summer Walker – CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP
What Will Win: Without SZA here, this Grammy race is actually really tight -– maybe the tightest on this whole list. Summer Walker’s project was short, but she might be the biggest contemporary superstar here, whereas Babyface is a mainstay with legacy pull. Coco Jones and Victoria Monet are both nominated for Best New Artist, and Emily King aesthetically mixes in creative singer-songwriter elements. Looking at prominence, acclaim, and project quality, we narrowed it down to two. CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP and JAGUAR II are neck-and-neck, and the cynical answer is the former based on its commercial visibility and name recognition.
What Should Win: However, what we hope for is that Victoria Monet takes it, as it’s the most cohesive, jam-packed, and consistent album here. Every other project either has weaker tracks that bring it down or is a little too repetitive in its approach to result in a unique album experience. JAGUAR II dances between pop catchiness, funk rhythms, emotional lyrics on family, and much more to make a stellar work that clearly caught the Grammys’ eye. With many nominations in other categories, we think Coco Jones and Monet have a really good chance of beating out the cynicism. Regardless, this is a fitting list with a lot of quality, so it’s not the most pressing prediction of the night.
Best Rap Album
Metro Boomin at Governors Ball on June 09, 2023 in New York City. (Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images)
Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss
Killer Mike – MICHAEL
Metro Boomin – HEROES & VILLAINS
Nas – King’s Disease III
Travis Scott – UTOPIA
What Will Win: One of the hardest categories to qualitatively narrow down is strangely easy to predict. Nas beat Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist’s Alfredo, D Smoke’s Bad Habits, Royce Da 5’9″‘s The Allegory, and Jay Electronica and Jay-Z’s A Written Testimony in 2021, a legacy lyrical pick that had never gotten an award before despite Esco’s magnitude. As such, we’d expect King’s Disease III to win, and this context snubs MICHAEL. UTOPIA wasn’t nominated in other categories, and again, Her Loss is a gamble considering Drake’s past. It’s also ironic that MICHAEL and UTOPIA, the two one-word titles, are the only albums that actually came out in 2023.
What Should Win: If we’re being honest, Nas’ album is the best out of these five when averaging it out: lyricism, song-for-song quality, production, etc. But it would be so awesome to see Metro Boomin earn the first-ever Best Rap Album Grammy for a producer. HEROES & VILLAINS certainly earns that praise: layered and pristine production, the featured guests all have a moment to stun, and bangers like “Superhero” and “Metro Spider” pair well with more low-key or emotive moments like “Trance” or “Feel The Fiyaaaah.” The fact it carried so much weight all throughout 2023 is downright impressive, too, and speaks to its resonance. While Nas might’ve made the better project all things considered, the St. Louis beatsmith has the chance to make history on “music’s biggest night,” one of the few outcomes that deserve the praise while also living up to that expectation.
Overall, there were a ton of incredible projects that could be considered the best rap albums of 2023. However, this year, we have decided to narrow our list to 25. It is a nice coincidence that this list is being released on Christmas, December 25th. Coincidences aside, choosing the albums for this list was no easy task. A lot of great stuff came out from all corners of the hip-hop world. Whether you like Southern rap, trap, experimental hip-hop, boom bap, or even jazz, there was a lot to be excited about. Having said that, let’s get right into our list, starting with some Honorable Mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Paris Texas – MID AIR
Paris Texas are able to merge rap and punk in a way that is truly interesting. Their musical chops are phenomenal and they know how to craft something catchy yet blood-pumping. If you aren’t familiar with the group, you need to change that, immediately. This album was a pleasant surprise that you need to listen to right away.
Boldy James – Indiana Jones
Boldy James has been at it for a while, and with each new project, he is able to give us something phenomenal. Overall, Indiana Jones was yet another example of this. The artist had a busy 2023, and we imagine his 2024 will be similar. We’re just glad he gave us highlights like this.
Bas – We Only Talk About Real Sh*t When We’re F*cked Up
Bas is an artist who has never been afraid to take risks and be the artist he wants to be. On We Only Talk About Real Sh*t When We’re F*cked Up, Bas gives us an album packed with political messages and uplifting bars. There are phenomenal features here, including more than a few from none other than J. Cole. Overall, this is an album that is well worth your time.
McKinley Dixon – Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?
McKinley Dixon is an artist who merges genres and is able to craft a sound that is truly unique. Overall, his album Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? is another project that can be described as a nice surprise. It is one that takes you on a musical journey and offers insight into who Dixon is as an artist. This is an album you should absolutely be giving a chance. You may just come away a fan.
25. Gunna – a gift & a curse
In a notable departure from industry norms, Gunna made it clear with a gift & a curse that he’s not afraid to be the lone wolf. Despite a year of trials and tribulations including battling snitching allegations and jail time … essentially with the entire internet against him, Gunna harbored those feelings and materialized it to create some of his best work to-date. Unfazed by the prevailing industry sentiment, he meticulously crafted and told his story. Across a comprehensive 15-track span, Gunna dives into his legal entanglements, incarceration, subsequent release, and the ramifications that came within both the industry and his fanbase.
A gift & a curse stands out not only for its incredible production, but also for its notable absence of features. The deliberate solo journey allows Gunna to take center stage, showcasing his versatility as an artist. He offers his raw and unfiltered perspective on the challenges faced by the YSL collective and labelmate Young Thug. This bold move adds depth to the album, weaving a narrative that extends beyond the beats and melodies. In fact, the album recently received Gold certification from the RIAA. The recognition comes on the heels of chart-topping hits like “fukumean.” Overall, he skillfully converted his misfortune into a compelling narrative, showcasing a remarkable ability for storytelling that struck a chord with audiences.
Doja Cat made a lot of enemies in 2023. She made a total 180 after her eye-raising actions and comments online. Because of this people started to think she was losing it mentally and she became a villain in a way. However, Doja was unbothered as she continued to stray away from the radio-friendly pop-rap material that so many adored her for. Scarlet, her fourth album, took a more focused approach topically. Even though you do have more easy-going cuts like “Paint The Town Red,” and “Agora Hills,” she wanted to get into her rapping bag. Honestly, it was the right decision. “F*** The Girls (FTG)” and “97,” for example, showcased how entertaining she is in this mode. This album is essentially a big middle finger to all of the doubters, and we were here for it.
– Zachary Horvath
23. Ken Carson – A Great Chaos
Ken Carson is an interesting artist with a co-sign from one of rap music’s most reclusive acts. Of course, that recluse is none other than Playboi Carti. Carti’s Opium label boasts some massive artists, and Carson has proven to be the standout. With A Great Chaos, Carson cements himself as a Carti protege. However, if Carti is for Gen Z, then Carson is the Gen Alpha equivalent. An artist whose beats are viral TikTok sounds that somehow transcend some of the cringe-worthy qualities that come with such a platform.
There is something hypnotic about this album. Overall, it is an album filled with wild production and the vocals to match. Sure, Carson’s bars are rudimentary, but they are easy to sing along with. He has a knack for catchy vocal lines and bars that will get stuck in your head for days and even weeks on end. This is an album for the youth. Not everyone is going to get it, but that’s okay. It’s a project that does a good job of encapsulating a certain subgenre within hip-hop right now, and it deserves some spotlight.
– Alex Cole
22. Nas – Magic 2
In July of this year, Nas provided his fans with Magic 2, the eagerly-anticipated sequel to his 2021 album Magic. Once again enlisting Hit-Boy for the LP, the 50-year-old NYC native flexes his prolificacy, inviting listeners back to a familiarly ominous soundscape while continuing to play with new styles and sounds. His signature storytelling prowess remains on full display, serving as a reminder that his decades-long career has only worked to expand his skills and capacity. Despite an abundance of releases, Nas managed to introduce new elements and sounds to the project, which he followed up with Magic 3 in September.
– Caroline Fisher
21. Bad Bunny – Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana
When artists go global, some of that early magic of their come-up can be lost, whether sonically or when it comes to connecting with their OG fanbase. Bad Bunny, though, displayed no such issues while returning to his roots on nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana. Rather than continue his kitchen sink approach to reggaetón and Latine music that made him a superstar, he delivered what he promised “pa’ las babies” on his last album– his biggest yet– Un Verano Sin Ti: a Latine trap throwback. By honing in on his desires and channeling his thoughts on fame, he gave his die-hards an endlessly replayable, focused, and absolute blast of a record.
Despite the years since he’s fully immersed himself in Latine trap, Benito’s still got it. He has some hilarious wordplay and descriptions throughout, some heartfelt moments (especially the opening cut), charismatic vocal performances in every lane, and some stank-face-inducing bars. The features all do a fantastic job, from rising exponents to Boricua legends, and Bad Bunny and his production team (Tainy, MAG, La Paciencia, and so on) find a wealth of variety and curious sounds within this trap backdrop. There’s even a “Codeine Crazy” sample, and also a couple of reggaetón and pop songs to engagingly break up the theme. nadie sabe is some of El Conejo Malo’s best material to date, with innovations into darker sounds and a refreshing revisit of what made us fall in love with him to begin with. Otro como él nace en el próximo siglo.
Westside Gunn dropped his fifth and final album, And Then You Pray For Me, in October of this year. The project sees the Buffalo native take a theatrical approach to traditional Griselda grime, and serves as a follow-up to his 2020 effort, Pray for Paris. The LP features an array of guest artists, including Jeezy, Rick Ross, and Ty Dolla Sign, as well as frequent collaborators Conway the Machine and Benny The Butcher. He strikes a balance between grandiosity and sincerity, falling back on his signature sound while still incorporating enough new elements for the album to stand out in his discography.
– Caroline Fisher
19. Yeat – Afterlyfe
Yeat has been one of the more unique artists of the last couple of years. He burst onto the scene with wild flows and incomprehensible lyrics. Overall, he was an underground darling who eventually found his way to the mainstream. Most chronically offline people only know him from Drake’s “IDGAF.” However, he is worth checking out in his entirety. Afterlyfe is a very good example of this. While it may not have the same cult following as his previous work, this is easily his best foray into becoming “established.” Everything here still has that signature Yeat sound, except now it is a lot more refined.
A big difference between this album and some of Yeat’s others is that this one sees Yeat taking on various alter egos. He raps from shifting perspectives and it directly changes his inflections and overall voice. Not to mention, on songs like “Nun I’d Change,” he gives us cyberpunk aesthetics that go over extremely well. His sound is futuristic and it is one that fans have resonated with. Now that his producer BNYX has also found stardom, they will surely be a dynamic duo for years to come.
– Alex Cole
18. Larry June & The Alchemist – The Great Escape
Larry June has been prolifically releasing material for years now but he seemed to achieve a bit of a breakthrough moment on The Great Escape. Following hype from his 2022 album Spaceships on the Blade he had the chance to work with legendary producer The Alchemist and leaned into his most patient and relaxed stylings. His reserved demeanor is a great accompaniment for Alc’s brightest vibes spinning vintage keys into short irresistible loops for Larry to rap over.
Also worth mentioning is the impressive roster of collaborators the pair manage to pull. Sporting features from Action Bronson, Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, Slum Village, Boldly James, Evidence, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Worthy, Joey Bada$$, and Curren$y Great Escape achieves an impressive amount of sonic variety throughout. The rapper and producer do an excellent job at blending not only their own styles but also the impressive caliber of guests, into something cohesively smooth and infectious.
– Lavender Alexandria
17. Young Nudy – Gumbo
Young Nudy is an artist who has always delivered consistently solid projects. Overall, he has a great reputation in the Atlanta rap game. With co-signs from Pi’erre Bourne and 21 Savage, Nudy has given us great tracks and cohesive albums. In 2023, he did that yet again with Gumbo. The album art here depicts all sorts of foods, and that is exactly what you get with the song titles. Every single song is named after a food or food item. It’s a fun concept and in execution, it just works.
Nudy has a monotone flow that is typically placed over ethereal production that transports you to another planet. That is especially true of Gumbo and its hit tracks. For instance, “Peaches & Eggplants” with 21 Savage was an immediate viral hit. From Nudy’s nonchalant yet threatening aura to 21’s signature flows, this track was a standout. Moreover, it even got a remix from Latto and Sexyy Red. The rest of the album is fantastic as well and serves as a reminder of the growth Nudy has given us as an artist over the past few years.
– Alex Cole
16. Killer Mike – Michael
This year, Killer Mike unveiled his first solo album in over a decade, Michael. Boasting various high-profile features from the likes of Andre 3000, Ty Dolla Sign, Young Thug, and more, it’s put the Atlanta-born performer in the running for three Grammys. Listeners hear him unpack and examine his upbringing, leaning sonically into influences of gospel, soul, funk, and blues. Killer Mike calls the project his musical “come home moment,” serving as something of a prequel to the rest of his discography. He takes an introspective approach to tackling themes of religion, loss, triumph, and Blackness, marking a pivotal milestone in his career.
– Caroline Fisher
15. Sexyy Red – Hood Hottest Princess
What more can be said about Sexyy Red at this point? The rapper is on tour right now and she is selling out crowds, all while pregnant. It’s been an impressive year for her and a lot of it boils down to the sheer success of Hood Hottest Princess. Simply put, this is an album full of bangers. The three big singles to come out of this album are “Hellcats SRTs,” “SkeeYee,” and “Pound Town.” Overall, these are some of the hardest tracks to drop this year. While some will nitpick the bars or say Sexyy Red is the downfall of hip-hop, it’s important to pause for a second and assess the music fairly.
Listen to any song off of Hood Hottest Princess and you will hear and MC oozing with charisma. Everything Sexyy raps is delivered with extreme confidence. It makes for hilarious bars and imagery that you just don’t get from other rappers. Her place in the game is unique and Hood Hottest Princess reaffirms that. Of all of the albums to drop in this specific lane, this is by far the best. Sexyy Red has an opportunity to become a superstar and while some don’t like it, the people have already spoken. We can’t wait to see what she does next.
– Alex Cole
14. Travis Scott – Utopia
One of the most eagerly-awaited hip-hop albums in the past five years, Travis Scott’s UTOPIA exceedingly delivers on the sonic front. While the Houston rapper is not a lyrical miracle, his flows and melodies keep you interested. There are plenty of standout tracks like “MODERN JAM,” the more introspective “MY EYES,” and the earworm that is “I KNOW ?” are a few to name. The main talking point is how much Travis borrows and maybe even bites from Kanye West’s YEEZUS. A few of the songs here were even Donda throwaways. There is some validity, but he had a hand during those recording sessions in 2013. It is not an original sound, but Travis manages to put his spin on it. He created some grand soundscapes with this record, and it was refreshing to see him go in a different direction nonetheless.
– Zachary Horvath
13. Talib Kweli & Madlib – Liberation 2
Talib Kweli and Madlib‘s latest effort, Liberation 2, may not have been heard by nearly as many fans as it should have, but the project remains one of the best of 2023. Released as a sequel to their 2007 collaboration, it’s only available to stream on Luminary, a subscription-based podcast network. Across Liberation 2’s 16 tracks, Kweli and Madlib work with Pink Siifu, Q-Tip, and Westside Gunn, among others, even landing a posthumous feature from Mac Miller and a collaboration with Seun Kuti, the son of Fela Kuti. It’s a long-awaited reunion for the ever-busy duo, who have been putting out albums with everyone but each other over the last 16 years.
– Cole Blake
12. Genesis Owusu – Struggler
Who knew that an album about a cockroach trying not to get stomped by God could be so vibrant, potent, and fun? Such is the balancing act that Genesis Owusu masters on STRUGGLER, which is equally groovy, downtrodden, hopeful, and powerful. The musical influences here certainly point to that versatility: soulful guitar, cavernous drums, dense synths, and a unique fusion of soul, hip-hop, rock, funk, alternative, and so much more. In comparison to his last album Smiling with No Teeth, this project is a little more consistent and fusional in its musical style rather than assorted. As such, the Australian artist portrays themes of identity, exploitation, absurdism, resistance, and perseverance with more clarity and intent.
In fact, during an interview with CD 92.9 FM, Genesis Owusus explained how he felt like this album came forth as a fiction inspired by work like Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis rather than him documenting his own experience, which makes this project that much more exploratory and narrative. His verses still exude a lot of charisma, humor, and passion despite the largely conflict-centered themes that he touches on. It’s a very propulsive approach, with rock jams, anthemic choruses, and darker moments of tension broken up by bright spots of catchy melodies and sweet instrumentation. Overall, there’s just as much to chew on sonically as there is lyrically on here, and you’ll find something new about each aspect with every listen. Of all the genre-fusing albums this year, STRUGGLER is among the most idiosyncratic.
– Gabriel Bras Nevares
11. Danny Brown – Quaranta
If you’re making a list of the most dominant, definitive, and dexterous rappers of 2023, Danny Brown has a stronger case than the very large majority of MCs. Leading the way in that regard is his new album Quaranta, a sequel to 2011’s XXX that chronicles what he’s learned and gone through since then. The Detroit spitter has a lot to mourn, celebrate, and break down, whether it’s aging within the rap game and life as a whole, his addiction struggles, or his ability to connect with others. On this project, he tackles it all with blunt honesty, more versatility than ever before, down-to-earth focus, and a still-persistent drive to do it better than anyone else. That last quality is what sets it apart from other albums about age, death, legacy, and personal growth.
Furthermore, the 42-year-old may have released experimental and abrasive material before, but this is easily his strongest left hook in his entire career. He swaps out his beloved yelpy performances for measured verses for most of this LP, and rides more grounded, psychedelic, quiet, and woozily low-key beats. With this renewed restraint, Danny Brown makes his perspective impossible to tune out on every song, even when he’s getting wilder. All this makes Quaranta a cathartic, vulnerable, and expertly assembled must-listen from this year, and one of its most important releases. It’s certainly the most important in the Bruiser Brigade boss’s run so far, a ride that he’s looking forward to enjoying fruitfully with a newfound peace.
– Gabriel Bras Nevares
10. Mick Jenkins – The Patience
Mick Jenkins’ new album doesn’t stick around for very long, but it doesn’t need to. His signature hard-hitting style is present from the very first moments on the album and it maintains that presence throughout the half hour of material presented. Along the way a quartet of similarly intense rappers contribute to the absolute bar-fest. Freddie Gibbs, Benny The Butcher, JID, and Vic Mensa all contribute to an impressive caliber of performance throughout.
In particular Mick delivers some of his most impressive lyrical performances to date across the album. In an opening verse of the standout track “Sitting Ducks” he spins a word-bending series of bars around an icy thumping instrumental that matches his intensity. With relatively short songs across the album Mick and his collaborators show their focus. The lack of many notable hooks or much of any downtime between verses presents a tightly packed saga of rap excellence.
– Lavender Alexandria
9. Key Glock – Glockoma 2
Key Glock’s Glockoma 2 album showcases the determination and drive of the Memphis rapper. The album debuted at a No. 13 spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and serves as a follow-up to his 2018 mixtape Glockoma. Throughout the 15-track project, Key Glock delivers hard-hitting bars. In addition, he notably mourns the loss of his close friend and one of the most influential people in his career, Young Dolph. This resilience fuels his output, maintaining his apparent productivity throughout the project.
It delivers a compelling mix of distinctive Memphis rap vibes, which his fans appreciate. A supporting tour for the project was announced, amplifying the anticipated impact with scheduled dates from March to April earlier this year. Key Glock strategically unveiled details, including the track listing, on social media, building anticipation leading up to the album’s release. Additionally, he expanded it by adding a deluxe edition, which was also well-received by the masses.
– Tallie Spencer
8. Black Thought & El Michels – Glorious Game
Black Thought is on one of the most impressive runs in all of rap music. The Roots’ rapper started the decade with the final chapter of his impressive Streams Of Thought series and pivoted to something that’s somehow even more impressive. Last year’s Cheat Codes saw him crossing paths with superproducer Danger Mouse and the two made a project that lives up to its name. So it’s no surprise that Black Thought came back with something excellent this year, but it’s may still come as a surprise JUST how good Glorious Game is.
Teaming up with jazz and soul group El Michels Affair is a match made in absolute heaven. Over vintage cinematic soul and warm inviting jazz instrumentals, Black Thought simply has to do his thing as one of rap’s definitive veterans. What he delivers is a series of meditations built around the wisdom and perspective he’s grown over decades of writing and performing. With his pen game as sharp as ever and a handful of dynamic vocal features on board throughout the record they craft a patient, meditative, and deeply rewarding sonic experience with Glorious Game.
– Lavender Alexandria
7. Billy Woods & Kenny Segal – Maps
Rapper billy woods and producer Kenny Segal first teamed up in 2019 for their collab album Hiding Places. While the project was acclaimed by fans and critics alike, both artists have grown so much in such a short time that their second collaboration felt somehow overdue. But on Maps the gloves are fully off. Neither artist has ever been shy about their artistic direction or sonic ambitions, but they wander further than ever before together.
Sporting features from underground rap sensations like Danny Brown, Quelle Chris, Aesop Rock, and woods’ Armand Hammer partner E L U C I D, Maps is a living and breathing experimental rap affair. On some tracks here billy reaches for some of the most emotional and exasperated vocals he’s ever recorded. Then on the very next song Kenny spins an obscure sample or irresistible interpolation into a beat that sounds unlike anything he’s ever made before. That dueling creative spirit makes this album refreshingly varied and an entirely different listening experience every time.
– Lavender Alexandria
6. MIKE – Burning Desire
MIKE has been on a steady climb through the underground hip-hop scene for years at this point, having honed his craft through various collaborations with veteran artists like Earl Sweatshirt, Wiki, and more, as well as hosting his annual Young World festival at Bed-Stuy’s Herbert Von King Park. In turn, he was more prepared than ever to release a project as rich and sprawling as the 25-song, Burning Desire. Across its 50-minute runtime, MIKE flexes his always impressive lyrical chops over some of the most animated beats he’s rapped over yet. Highlights in that vein include “Zap!” and “African Sex Freak Fantasy,” but it’s not the only lane in which MIKE works on Burning Desire. On the “plz don’t cut my wings,” and “Let’s Have a Ball,” for instance, his emotional candor takes center stage.
– Cole Blake
5. Veeze – GANGER
Detroit rapper Veeze has had one of the most incredible years of any artist. Overall, this is mainly thanks to his album Ganger which was a hit from the jump. Singles like GOMD and the ensuing Lil Uzi Vert remix certainly helped bolster the album’s cache. However, it was Veeze himself who ended up wowing fans with his incredible charisma and his off-the-wall beat selection. Diving into this project, you get hit with the tripped-out psychedelic sounds of “Not A Drill.” The artist raps over this production with a sense of despair masked by his clever bars and monotone delivery.
As the project continues, that despair comes back thematically as Veeze drops a plethora of bars about being high out of his mind. He is entrenching himself in chaos but he plays it off with the hilarious bars that consistently have you doing a double take. The production of every single song is magical and it helps convey the emotions and actions that are being dealt with on the record. It is a cohesive project without really trying to be. Ganger is a deeply emotional work of art that plays itself off as a fun party record. This is incredibly hard to do but Veeze pulls it off seamlessly. Of all the records to release this year, one could make the argument that Ganger is by far the rawest.
– Alex Cole
4. Noname – Sundial
The time between Noname’s 2018 album Room 25 and the release of Sundial was often turbulent for the rapper. She dealt with a public spat with J. Cole that resulted in a short but absolutely crushing diss track, a surprise performance at Coachella that saw her facing allegations of hypocrisy, and multiple new album teases and promises that ultimately didn’t lead anywhere. Through all of that turbulence she emerged with yet another album that nobody else in the world was capable of making.
While Noname continues to deliver her unstoppable wit and pinpoint cultural observations, everyone basically expected that level of perfection from her at this point. Where she surprises is in just how personal and vulnerable she’s able to get across the album. Though she’s never been shy about sharing her feelings, the self-examination of her own fame and her role in the very institutions she seeks to dismantle make for an intellectually challenging listen that disguises itself as utterly infectious hip-hop.
– Lavender Alexandria
3. Armand Hammer – We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
The lengths billy woods and Elucid are going to in consistently improving upon their work as Armand Hammer is astounding. With We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, the two New York underground veterans rap over gritty production that sounds as apocalyptic as the world they describe. Somehow, they weave through flows about social collapse, personal struggle, and more over textured beats that sound, at times, like stuffing the sounds of the city in a car crusher, and at others, like the score to a nightmarish jaunt down forgotten streets. “Trauma Mic” might be the best song on the album, with its metallic and disorienting beat, it feels like extracting the physical violence of everyday life into the sonic backdrop for lyrics about the paranoid and isolated souls that populate it. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips is a new high for two of the best artists in the game.
– Cole Blake
2. Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist – Voir Dire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SreI30jILfQ
No other album this year is as much of a raw, no-frills, personal, and skilled distillation of what makes hip-hop such a compelling art form. VOIR DIRE is quite the compact, cohesive, and calculated affair; whether you listen to the Gala or streaming version, it’s a handful of short tracks without much in the way of structure. Instead, Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist allow the craft and care of their verses and beats, respectively, to take center stage, plus some vocal samples to bring us from one song to the next. When it comes to the instrumentals, Uncle Al shines as one of 2023’s best producers (as usual) thanks to creative time signatures, a lo-fi sound, gorgeous melodies that range from warmly comforting to coldly stark, out-of-the-box sample flips, and a consistent sonic tenderness throughout.
Meanwhile, the L.A. wordsmith makes mountains out of molehills here, turning his anecdotes and lived experiences into relatable, heart-wrenching, and emotionally vivid narratives. Few MCs have this much talent for delivering blunt and descriptive phrasing about their growth, values, lessons learned, and about how they truly feel. Truth is a consistent muse here, as the album’s title implies: the simple but expertly composed greatness of The Alchemist’s production complements Earl Sweatshirt’s vulnerable, often ambivalent, sometimes defeated, but always fearless truths about his emotions, career, and relationships. The fact that it’s so enjoyable, masterfully rapped, and perfectly sequenced is the foundation that they anchor their thoughts, dreams, plots, and schemes into. VOIR DIRE, then, is free to explore feeling, and that journey is one that this duo invites you to join them on.
– Gabriel Bras Nevares
1. Danny Brown & JPEGMAFIA – Scaring The Hoes
JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown are an obvious match made in heaven. Combining their mutual propensity for using irreverent humor as a weapon to hit listeners with politically charged criticism and densely candid lyrics, Scaring The Hoes sees Peggy and Brown playing a game of boy-like one-upmanship to reach new heights in their respective careers and often out-shock one another while doing so. In just his first bars into the album, Peggy is rapping about Iron Sheik, Kyle Rittenhouse, and more, while Brown jumps in with his characteristically furious and zany personality at full speed ahead. Both artists need to be on full tilt throughout the tracklist to match Peggy’s cacophonous production of cannonading drums, intertwined with overlapping vocal samples, and more. Scaring The Hoes boasts two of hip-hop’s most eccentric personalities turned up to 10, making it an easy choice for one of the best albums of the year.
Christmas is nearly upon us, and we hope you’re enjoying the treats we’ve delivered you in our first annual advent calendar so far. Today, we have a look at some of the year’s most memorable R&B releases, following our mid-year overview back in July. On that, we showed love to names like Janelle Monae (her promiscuous The Age of Pleasure rollout practically broke the internet) and Masego, whose self-titled LP makes a return on our end-of-year round-up.
It was a big year for both male and female talent, though one of our favourite Canadians came out on top. Elsewhere, we heard new releases from old favourites like Tinashe, Chris Brown, and Jorja Smith to keep us warm as the weather cooled off into the fall. Keep scrolling to read our top 10 favourite R&B albums of the year, and leave a comment letting us know if there are any you think we missed in the comments below.
Coming in at number 10 is none other than Chris Brown, who cut down the number of features significantly on 11:11 from 2022’s Breezy. This time around he impressed us with 22 titles (17 of them featureless), including fan favourites like “Angel Numbers / Ten Toes” and “Summer Too Hot.” He and Future made magic on “That’s On You,” and Maeta’s vocals shine on “Best Ever.”
Our recommendation from the Virginia native’s album is “No One Else” with Fridayy, which is a perfect weekend workout jam. Brown teased the collaborative effort before unleashing 11:11, helping to generate buzz for the project, which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 after selling over 45K album-equivalent units in the first week. This was his lowest since 2017’s Heartbreak on a Full Moon, but at this point in his career, the father of three seems more worried about impressing himself than critics.
9. Sampha – Lahai
On his sophomore effort, Sampha continues to prove that Scorpios are among the deepest signs of the zodiac. He explores the emotional rollercoaster of being human on October’s Lahai, his first LP since 2017. On Process, the UK-based vocalist made his presence felt after blowing up for his work with Drake on “Too Much” in 2013. R&B lovers were eagerly waiting to hear what he’s been cooking up and tracks like “Spirit 2.0” undeniably deliver.
Sampha produced the song with help from El Guincho and Riccardo Damian. “I hope people can enjoy that feeling of someone being there for you, even if that person doesn’t have the answers,” he told Rolling Stone of the song’s creation. “Just calling someone up without overthinking… Letting go and just dancing… Wanting to see past the mundanity of things and appreciating the magic of it all, from bird nests to spaceships.”
8. Kelela – Raven
Yet another noteworthy sophomore effort to make waves in R&B this year is Kelela’s Raven – a 15-track effort with just one feature from Rahrah Gabor on “Closure.” Otherwise, the ethereal artist carries herself through titles like “Enough for Love,” “Happy Ending,” and “On the Run” with ease. Simply listening to the LP will take you on a rollercoaster ride of red-hot dance beats infused with “ambient comedowns,” as Pitchfork eloquently describes them.
Just past the midway point of the tracklist comes Kelela’s title track, followed by “Bruises.” The two songs are beautiful separately, but when listened back to back, they help perfectly bring the 40-year-old’s vision to life. “Through all the labour / A raven is reborn,” her voice rings out over production by Asma Maroof, AceMo, Fauzia, and the Washington D.C.-born vocalist. “They tried to break her / There’s nothing here to mourn,” Kelela sweetly sings.
7. Tinashe – BB/ANG3L
Since making her debut in 2014 with Aquarius, Tinashe has been one to watch in the music industry. She’s collaborated with the likes of ScHoolboy Q, ASAP Rocky, Future, Offset, 6LACK, and many more over the years. On September’s BB/ANG3L, the blonde beauty unleashed seven featureless songs, with “Needs” and “Talk To Me Nice” preceding the short-and-sweet album as singles. The latter is our listening recommendation if you want a taste of what the multi-talent has been cooking up.
“[It] explores the feeling of being on the edge of a relationship and looking at it with skepticism, self-preservation, and self-confidence,” Tinashe previously said of the infectious song. She may not have had the help of other artists, but the Kentucky native did connect with an impressive crew of sound engineers such as Scoop Deville, Kurzweil, Royce David, and Machinedrum on her latest musical endeavour, which follows 2021’s 333.
6. Kali Uchis – Red Moon in Venus
Kali Uchis’ Red Moon in Venus earned a shoutout on our R&B round-up in the first half of 2023. She and her beau Don Toliver continued their impressive streak of collaborations on “Fantasy,” after linking up on “4 Me,” which arrived just weeks before on his Love Sick album. Of course, “Moonlight” is Kali’s most popular single from this era of her career, but other cuts show her talent at its best.
On the closing song, “Happy Now,” Uchis ends on an optimistic note. “Cosmic conditions conspired against us / ‘Cause you and me got chemistry / But what’s with our timing?” she asks a lover whom she can’t seem to fall into alignment with. “Don’t think about the pain or the heartaches / Just wanna remember all the good things,” the fashionista expresses on the outro, doing her best to remain in a positive frame of mind amid all the chaos. Her next project, Orquídeas, is due out in 2024 and will include even more of her stunning Spanish singing.
5. Victoria Monet – JAGUAR II
At this point in our list, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that, much like in hip-hop, the women of R&B deserve their flowers for seriously holding it down this year. The genre is best known for its emotional ballads, but we still need upbeat anthems to help inspire confidence among the masses. Thankfully, Victoria Monet came through to deliver one of the best we heard all 2023 in the form of “On My Mama.” As Genius notes, it interpolates Charlie Boy’s “I Look Good” from 2009, and also went on to become the singer’s second-ever entry on Billboard‘s Hot 100 Chart.
On top of those accolades, “On My Mama” additionally earned Monet a Grammy nod for Best R&B Song and Record Of The Year. Despite her sweeping success with that and other JAGUAR II titles like “Smoke” featuring Lucky Daye and “Alright,” the 34-year-old was still told it’s “too early” in her career to perform at the MTV VMAs a few months back, but she’s not letting that stop her from celebrating all her achievements so far.
4. Masego – Masego
Masego’s self-titled effort is another that you may remember from our mid-year list, and it seems to have somehow only grown better with age. The Jamaican creative is best known for hits like “Tadow,” “Navajo,” and “Mystery Lady” with Don Toliver, but this year, it’s “What You Wanna Try” that we haven’t been able to take off repeat. The short, catchy tune comes third on the Masego tracklist, followed by “Afraid of Water” and “Down In The Dumps,” both of which we also highly recommend.
Overall, the March-released album was just what we needed while transitioning into spring. Masego’s flirtatious persona perfectly translates through his music, especially on “Two Sides (I’m So Gemini),” on which he plays into the notoriously fickle nature of the air sign. Like Tinashe, he also opted to go the featureless route, though we’re certainly curious to see who he’ll spend time with at the studio come 2024.
3. Jorja Smith – falling or flying
Since they wore out playing her 2018 project, Lost & Found on repeat, R&B lovers have been burning up with a fever for more Jorja Smith music. The UK-based songstress captivated the world with her voice on emotional cuts like “Don’t Watch Me Cry” and “Blue Lights,” and has connected with both rappers and vocalists during her hiatus to keep us satisfied with singles. When she finally confirmed that falling or flying would land in 2023, buzz quickly began to build, and once we heard her first single, “Try Me,” it only grew from there.
“Little Things” is the album’s most popular track by a landslide, but listening to the 16-track release from start to finish will help you better understand Smith’s endless emotions throughout her rise to fame. On our favourite, “Broken Is The Man,” the 26-year-old reflects on an unrequited love who couldn’t quite deliver the world he had promised her. “Can you believe I put myself through that all? / Just to realize you mean nothing to me,” she candidly reflects over P2J’s music.
2. Amaarae – Fountain Baby
Sliding into the second spot is an artist on the rise who’s relatively new to HNHH. Amaarae’s Fountain Baby album is easily one of the most sonically delightful music releases in recent memory, especially the astrology-filled “Co-Star” song, for which she tapped the Clermont Twins to star alongside her in her visual. The 29-year-old is a Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter who primarily operates in genres like Pop, Afrobeats, and R&B, blending them to create a unique sound that’s refreshing to hear in our current culture of remakes and redundant samples.
Amaarae has been sliding under the radar for years now, previously dropping off THE ANGEL YOU DON’T KNOW in 2020. That helped her amass some loyal fans, but with Fountain Baby, she’s been able to rise to new heights. “Angels in Tibet,” “Reckless & Sweet,” and “Big Steppa” are among the most-streamed songs on her early June LP, which only continues to turn more heads her way.
1. Daniel Caesar – NEVER ENOUGH
Last, but certainly not least on our best R&B albums of 2023 list is Canada’s own Daniel Caesar. After being cancelled for making controversial comments about race at the peak of his career, the Freudian artist hasn’t quite managed to restore himself to his former glory. Still, his third studio effort, NEVER ENOUGH did enough to get the industry taking Caesar more seriously again after his sophomore CASE STUDY 01 was slept on due to the scandal surrounding him.
He wove in joint tracks with Mustafa, serpentwithfeet, Omar Apollo, and Ty Dolla Sign throughout the tracklist, but what music lovers are streaming the most is Caesar’s solo tracks. On “Do You Like Me?” and “Always” he lets his lyrics and singing skills tug at our heartstrings, while “Let Me Go” finds the 28-year-old pleading with someone to release their grip on his energy so they can both find freedom.
Now that Halloween has come and gone, the holidays are quickly approaching. With the end of the year approaching, list season is also almost upon us. End-of-year lists are a fourth-quarter affair that celebrates and concludes the year in music. This year has seen a wide range of hip hop releases from legends and rising stars alike.
To kick off November and this year’s Thanksgiving season, we highlight some standout hip hop albums from 2023 that we’re grateful for. These selections have been in rotation all year long, holding significant replay value and leaving lasting impressions on hip hop as a whole. Here are 7 of the best rap albums of 2023, listed in no particular order. Take a look at the albums below.
This year, Travis Scott made his grand return to music following the tragic events at the 2021 Astroworld Festival. It had also been five years since his last album of the same name, his most significant release to date. A highly anticipated release, Utopia exceeded expectations, resulting in arguably Travis Scott’s best work since Rodeo. With cinematic production and an all-star guestlist, the album plays like a blockbuster film. While Utopia’s numerous high-profile features help create an unforgettable listening experience, Travis Scott shines bright. He raps some of his best verses in recent memory. Utopia’s tracklist is unpredictable and adventurous as Travis explores the future of his sound.
Nas – Magic 2
Last year, Nas concluded his Hit-Boy-produced King’s Disease trilogy with a bang. This year, the dynamic duo did the same with their Magic album series. They started with Magic 2, a concise listen that saw Hit-Boy push Nas out of his comfort zone. The production was significantly more modern than the first Magic, but its sequel was still built around the sound they had built together. While Magic 2 might not be Nas and Hit-Boy’s greatest work, they raised the bar incredibly high for themselves and made one of 2023’s best rap albums. Even more impressive is that Magic 2 is a great album on its own merit but is not even the best Nas and Hit-Boy release of the year.
Nas – Magic3
Just a few months later, Nas and Hit-Boy returned with Magic 3. It celebrated their historic six-album run and was the perfect end to the Magic trilogy. Compared to Magic 2, Nas and Hit-Boy’s 6th collaborative album restored the feeling of the first Magic. It is rooted in classic boom-bap production and chopped loops. In addition to continuing their reign, Nas also maintained his skills as a storyteller with the two-part “Based on True Events.” With Magic 3, Nas and Hit-Boy ended their unprecedented series of full-length releases on the ultimate high note.
J Hus – Beautiful And Brutal Yard
This year saw the release of J Hus’s highly-anticipated third studio album, Beautiful and Brutal Yard. While the afroswing pioneer’s latest album did not include any production from frequent collaborator Jae5, it did not disappoint in the slightest. Hus provides the infectious melodies he is known for, but Beautiful and Brutal Yard is significantly more rap-driven than his previous albums.
Light-hearted party starters like “Who Told You” with Drake and “Palm Tree” see J Hus at his most playful with his distinctive lexicon of slang terms. Bangers like “Cream” and “Bim Bim” show him at his most menacing. With his latest album, J Hus builds on the genre he helped pioneer while exploring the vast sounds of the UK scene. After a long wait, we are certainly grateful for some new J Hus.
One rapper whose artistry shined bright throughout 2023 was none other than Killer Mike. This year, he released his first solo album in 11 years, following 2012’s R.A.P. Music and his work with El-P as Run The Jewels. The aptly titled MICHAEL is Killer Mike’s most personal work to date as he unveils the deeper layers of his mind and upbringing. Deviating from the abrasive Run The Jewels sound, the Atlanta native’s latest solo record is uniquely southern with its blend of hip hop, soul, and gospel.
While Killer Mike is more candid than ever on the album’s most touching moments, MICHAEL still contains the hard-hitting bangers he is known for. For the past ten years, Killer Mike has been making an impact as a member of Run The Jewels, but his latest solo effort marks a new phase in his career. MICHAEL is his most transparent work yet and one of the best rap albums of 2023.
Avelino – God Save The Streets
Avelino has been making waves in the UK hip hop scene for a long time without releasing a proper studio album. Despite that, he is widely respected by British greats like Stormzy, Dave, and his mentor, Wretch 32. After almost a decade of mixtapes and earth-shattering freestyles, the Tottenham, London wordsmith’s long-awaited debut arrived this year. God Save The Streets is the album we had been waiting for as Avelino reaches his full potential. He finally captures his endlessly creative wordplay, translating into a concise body of work executive produced by Wretch 32 and overseen by Fraser T. Smith.
With a Sex Pistols-inspired album title and cover, God Save The Streets sees Avelino both proud and concerned for his home city as he declares, “Rap is the new punk.” The album is filled with cautionary tales of the “Vicious Cycle” of violence and poverty, as well as deep moments of reflection and gratitude like “Acceptance.” A UK rap masterpiece that has seemingly gone under the radar for American listeners, Avelino’s career-defining debut is undoubtedly one of 2023’s best hip hop releases.
A full-length collaboration between Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist is an underground hip hop fan’s dream. After years of speculation and a supposed YouTube-only release under unknown aliases, Voir Dire has come to fruition. The two have been more consistent than ever, especially The Alchemist, as he has produced eight collaborative projects with just as many rappers. Voir Dire is some of the best work that both Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist have dropped yet, which speaks volumes considering the quality of their previous works.
Earl spits some of his sharpest lyrics, while Alchemist provides some of his most enchanting loops. Between the original Gala Music release and the revised tracklist on streaming platforms, Earl and Al did not disappoint. A dream combination, Voir Dire is everything that fans could have wanted from the long-fantasized album. For that reason, we could not be more grateful to the two for delivering one of the best rap albums of 2023.
