No matter how hard you try, it’s practically impossible to listen to everything that you would like to in any given year. That was especially the case in 2023; we got a lot of amazing music, and a lot of it fell under our radar because of the sheer quantity of it. Moreover, so many hip-hop albums deserve more credit, and we had a blast looking back at some underrated releases of the year. Maxo’s Even God Has A Sense Of Humor, Homeboy Sandman’s Rich with Mono En Stereo, Paris Texas’ MID AIR, Ways Of Knowing by Navy Blue, and so many more deserved more love than they got from the mainstream this year. But that’s not what this list is about. Rather, this list goes over the ten albums in no particular order that grew on us the most in 2023.
Whether they just came out at a busy time, didn’t have the initial impact they went on to have with time, or just simply didn’t hit our ears right the first time, we found plenty of reasons to keep going back to these projects, and were surprised every single time. In a saturated year that felt more divided and stunted in the mainstream than ever, these hip-hop albums remind us that we can’t always look to the future. Sometimes, we need to reevaluate what we’ve heard, especially with the context of the full year in mind, in order to see what really defined 2023. Hopefully, you pick up some new recommendations from this list and look back on what you would put on here. Drop your own list in the comments section below, and let’s go over the albums we were happy to be wrong about.
Key Glock – Glockoma 2
Kicking off our list is one of the hardest, grimiest, and most energizing hip-hop albums of the year. Key Glock’s deluxe version of Glockoma 2 really made many fans appreciate the project’s original vision all the more, and you can count us in that group. It was a relatively warm year for mainstream trap, and this record stands as one of the most well-executed, consistent, and self-aware additions in its lore. It knows exactly what it is, doesn’t try to be anything more, and ends up becoming even more compelling as a result. Whereas other LPs this year tried to do so much of everything, the Memphis MC stuck to his guns and made sure that every attempt at a similar vibe was equally quality.
Of course, it’s this adherence to the style that made us and many others under-appreciate Glockoma 2 initially. It seemed like as the year went on, we realized that not many bangers were going harder than “Dirt,” “F**k A Feature,” “In & Outta Town,” “Chromosomes,” and so many more. Also, it’s important to make it clear that Key Glock also stepped up on the lyrical end and wrote with engaging, addictive, impactful, and undeniably catchy and charismatic finesse. Sometimes, we focus too much on what trap albums have or lack in addition to its foundation. But Glizzock showed us that there is nothing more important to cultivate for a trap album experience than the ground floor.
BIA – REALLY HER
Speaking of hip-hop albums that grew on us after a deluxe release, we have REALLY HER from BIA. This year was dominated by female hip-hop, and as is sadly the case for femcees, it seems labels and the media only focus on a couple at a time. As such, we didn’t give this project its deserved time of day. But as far as full experiences go, this became one of the most fleshed-out of the year in this category, and is a versatile display of skill. The Boston MC is just as capable of flowing adeptly over soulful beats, slow trap bangers, club anthems, and fast-paced lyrical onslaughts. Needless to say, it’s got a little bit of everything for you to love.
Furthermore, there is even some tasteful reggaetón fusion on “FOUR SEASONS” that makes up one of the most slept-on tracks of the year. BIA also dishes out impressive and boastful lyricism on “I’M THAT B***H,” “BIG BUSINESS,” “CLASSY,” and pretty much every other cut. As such, REALLY HER is a lavish and brag-heavy album, one whose bombast and erratic variety took some getting used to. Nevertheless, few breakout LPs from stars this year were as dynamic and detailed with each new listen, despite the subject matter being relatively one-note. But again, it’s not so much about what you’re doing: it’s about how well you do it, and in that sense, the 32-year-old is… well, you know how this pun ends.
Cash Cobain – Pretty Girls Love Slizzy
Hip-hop is more about vibes than ever these days, and whether that’s a good or bad thing is a conversation for another time. Instead, what matters is whether artists accurately execute that focus. When we first heard Cash Cobain’s new album, the reliance on drill and Jersey club beats for its otherwise woozy production choices was a bit of a turn-off. After all, especially in 2023, these styles can feel like a dead horse that the industry keeps beating over and over again. But there’s a reason for that, and with time, we identified why we kept coming back to Pretty Girls Love Slizzy. If we’re talking about odd, balanced, and timely rap music from this year, few were able to capture that description as uniquely as the plugg exponent.
Moreover, Cash Cobain’s delivery and synth choices on tracks like “Slizzy Dialogue” and “Send The Addy” contrast curiously with the fast flows and beat tempos. While it’s a tad repetitive, there’s definitely a much more interesting genre and mood fusion here than what we initially gave it credit for. Not only that, but “So Fire,” “Nice N Slow,” “Clocking U,” and more switch up the tracklist flow quite effectively. Overall, this type of hypnosis and consistent haze that Pretty Girls Love Slizzy keeps you under is hard to see at face value. It’s only when you fully understand what it’s going for, and judge it on that metric, that you unlock its appeal.
ICECOLDBISHOP – GENERATIONAL CURSE
Next up is what might be the most underrated, creative, exciting, and idiosyncratic hip-hop debut of 2023. Still, when we first heard this Los Angeles rapper’s album, we felt it was quite good, but far too indebted to its influences, namely Kendrick Lamar. There’s a lot of themes, eccentric vocal inflections, and flows that overlap with his early 2010s output, which might be a turn-off for some listeners. But we’d argue that ICECOLDBISHOP goes even further into this zany and wild direction with shifting production styles, energetic deliveries, and a very one-of-a-kind vocal tone. With each new listen, it sounds more and more like GENERATIONAL CURSE could’ve only come from his mind, which is a rare feat to accomplish.
Narratively, this album paints a vivid and unique picture of violence, misogyny, and gutted economic and social mobility, a tragic reality for many communities in L.A. Songs like “FOCUSED” progress directly into “LAST NIGHT,” and others like “THE GOV’T GAVE US GUNS” and “TIL THE END” pack a potent punch both ideologically and sonically. Whether it’s trap heavy hitters, tough-as-nails boom-bap, or West Coast worship, ICECOLDBISHOP engages with a lot of different sounds here. He does it all with an amateurish and childlike sense of whimsy, vibrance, color, and personality, which illustrates how the horrors he reflects on can be so destructive at such an early age, and to people who don’t have the mature tools to reckon with them. A poignant and musically compelling message, to say the least.
grouptherapy. – i was mature for my age, but i was still a child
Alternative hip-hop had a big year in 2023, with it becoming more intertwined with the mainstream than ever thanks to some big releases. i was mature for my age, but i was still a child didn’t really form part of that movement at first glance. Moreover, the group dynamic on display, the treatment of many different rap styles, and its similarities to other artists like Tyler, The Creator, BROCKHAMPTON, and many more had us thinking this album was a bit derivative. It didn’t take long, though, for grouptherapy.– a trio of former child actors– to drill their ear-worms and emotional sincerity into our brains. The quirks that perk your ear up startlingly on first listen are the idiosyncrasies that define its vision and charm.
Look no further than tracks like “Lightspeed ~>,” “how i’m feeling,” “thatsmycheck.,” “HOT!,” and many more for some truly bubbly, catchy, and vibrant choruses. What’s more is that Jadagrace, SWIM, and TJOnline blend boom-bap, acoustic balladry, and funky, frenetic percussion to craft personal, witty, and often dizzying verses. There’s a lot of charisma on display on i was mature for my age, but i was still a child, one that’s almost too sugary on impact. But each revisit makes it clearer that said reaction is a byproduct of how unfiltered, concentrated, and honest these artists’ work is. Rather than seeking compromise with mellowed-out diversions to the mainstream, they occupy that space with all the joy, sadness, angst, and heartfelt wonder that music fans often want to see distilled and reined in. grouptherapy. has no need for such restrictions, and we were fools to assumer otherwise.
Young Thug – BUSINESS IS BUSINESS
When this album dropped right after Gunna’s a Gift & a Curse, many felt that the student had become the master. Although Wunna ended up coming through with the more impactful project, Young Thug proved once again that he’s forever imitated– and never replicated. His infectious energy and inflections on tracks like “Money On The Dresser,” “Went Thru It,” and “Uncle M” still stand as some of the most expressive performances in 2023’s mainstream. In fact, in hindsight, these moments stand as even more raw, unique, and above all, fun. Perhaps that’s the most important thing that kept us coming back to Thugger’s newest offering, especially amid a RICO trial with other YSL affiliates that gets more disheartening each week.
However, BUSINESS IS BUSINESS still impresses in other areas of sonic quality, songwriting, and variety. Metro Boomin’s executive production sometimes carries Young Thug or his featured guests, songs like “Jonesboro” and “Want Me Dead” contain powerful moments and progressions, and despite much of this album comprising of his vault, there’s still a strong sense of cohesion and interplay between each cut. It’s by no means a perfect release, and still pales in comparison to the Atlanta native’s best work in the 2010s. But speaking of which, there is still so much fun to be had here, and the more that the album ages beyond the context of its release, we can appreciate it for what it is.
7xvethegenius & DJ Green Lantern – The Genius Tape
The Griselda movement is now no longer limited to its label roster, as so many artists have embraced it as a new wave. In fact, 7xvethegenius is on Conway The Machine’s Drumwork label, one of a couple of offshoots and new artists to emerge from its initial splash. As such, compared to other more high-profile releases from these camps during 2023, this one fell under our radar. With just 28 minutes of material and a straightforward mentality, The Genius Tape feels unassuming and standard at first glance. But when you dive into the lyricism and hear the beats compliment one another more and more, you’ll see that it might be this year’s best example of this rap subgenre.
Love achieves this through her mastery of flow switch-ups, displayed on songs like “Biddy Mason,” “Back End Development,” or “Lost On Mars.” In addition, Lantern’s keys-centric boom-bap provides a dreamy glue that ties the whole album together. Most importantly, though, what makes this project stand out among similar and more popular peers is the hunger. Griselda’s been hot for almost a decade now, and that longevity means that there’s a certain fatigue settling in with its fanbase. But the Buffalo femcee reveals her skill, her come-up, her unique perspective on street life and social issues– and an acknowledgement of her own growth and what’s left to do– with determined responsibility. Love knew how important this was for her, and hopefully that drive is something she keeps bringing to the Drumwork camp.
Lucki – s*x m*ney dr*gs
On the opposite end of that spectrum, sometimes a more reserved, vibe-heavy, and woozy aesthetic is what drives artists to perfect their craft. That mission is what initially turned us off from Lucki’s latest. With psychedelic plugg and trap production, drowsy vocal performances, and a one-note albeit concise tracklist, we didn’t think s*x m*ney dr*gs had much to offer. But repeat listens, especially in a more casual context, prove that there’s more than one way to resonate with fans. Although it hinges on an acknowledgement of its appeal, this new album is still a successfully intoxicating, addictive, and endlessly re-playable experience. Why? Because few rappers come off as effortlessly cool as the Chicago artist.
“Karma A B***h,” “Super Ski,” “New York,” and “Almighty Tune” are among the best examples of s*x m*ney dr*gs‘ production’s variety, vision, and victories. It does a lot of the heavy lifting here, but Lucki knows exactly how to compliment it with ease. Warbly flows, blunt lyricism (in more ways than one), and a uniquely cold demeanor make this a very hypnotizing and almost numbing listen. Maybe that doesn’t sound up your alley or isn’t up to your quality standards as a rap fan. However, you can’t deny that few artists in the genre currently can encapsulate a mood and ease your mind as effectively as him. It’s a project that aims to provide something specific and unassuming, and rather than hook you in with force, it allows you to ease yourself into it.
Kelly Moonstone – I Digress…
Every year, we check out countless underground hip-hop albums from emerging artists, and those growing pains are often quite noticeable. In the case of Queens’ own Kelly Moonstone, it was another case of very clear influences dominating our initial listen in a cumbersome way. I Digress… is a Neo-soul escapade reminiscent of Erykah Badu and many others, broken apart intermittently by grounded, reflective, and laidback rap verses. Much like other emerging creatives, these similarities often overshadow the songwriting talent and skill level on display. Once you put that to the side, though, and listen to what she’s actually saying here, what you’ll unlock is a wholly driven and self-improving approach that mindfully balances its inspirations with personal storytelling.
On I Digress, Kelly Moonstone touches on familiar topics, especially for someone in this stage of their career. Love is questioned, potential is recognized and staunchly stood up for, and there’s a creeping sentiment throughout it that it could all slip through her fingers at any given point. However, you couldn’t guess that doubt from the music; it’s too calculated, smooth, crisp, and well-organized to indicate any fear. “Sinner,” “Burn Your House Down,” and “To The Moon!” are just a few examples of the buttery jams that this album packs in. The fact that it’s not a full hip-hop release is what wrongfully made us not look any deeper into Moonstone’s story and only take the sonics as our guide. But fewer debuts and rising moments were as triumphant and resonant on further listening, and fewer still had us as excited for what’s bubbling beneath the mainstream.
Veeze – Ganger
Finally, we have the most welcome surprise of the whole year from a titan of the current Michigan scene. But don’t let that regional representation make you box Veeze into the fast-paced, synth-heavy, and nonchalant flow-focused sound that said scene is associated with. There are tinges of plugg, standard trap, and R&B leanings throughout Ganger, an aspect that initially distracts from his signature sound. But the Detroit MC is able to deliver cutting, clever, and compelling lines over it all, even with his low-key demeanor and raspy delivery in mind. To put it bluntly, no other album became stronger, catchier, or more impactful over time than this lengthy but jam-packed offering.
Furthermore, that’s because Veeze is incredibly adherent to this skillset, a quality that is hard to appreciate when you listen to so many styles in a year. In fact, you might’ve noticed that as a common theme throughout this list. We can’t even name specific songs that represent this, because we’d just give you the whole tracklist. In comparison to other Detroit MCs, his more restrained energy, fitting beat selection, and aloof bars come off as a solid middle ground between that scene and more ethereal styles of trap. Ganger gets more gratifying and vibrant with each listen, more so than any other album here. In a year in which the mainstream seemed more bombastic but often misguided in its execution, the cult hero surprised us with hidden skill, subtle artistry, and a whole lot of fun.
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