I've noticed, in my general internet reading, that it's "list season" again, so what are people thinking for their favourites of 2017? I feel like I've not posted as much/enough this year, which wasn't intentional, I just don't think it's been a particularly great year for rap. Not bad, just one of my least favourites in recent years.
I got a bit sidetracked from new stuff after buying the record player and spending a LOT of time re-aqquiring older stuff too. I still did get through my fair share of new stuff though, so in the spirit of posting more I've made an attempt at a top ten:
Toggle Spoiler
#10 - Starlito & Don Trip - Step Brothers Three
Probably my favourite instalment of the series that these two have put out. I used to follow a lot of Starlito's solo stuff earlier in his career but I stopped. There was too much of it, and once he got with Don Trip it became clear that's what he should be focussing on. Yeah 5X is such a fucking tune, one of my absolute favourite tracks of the year.
#9 - Sean Price - Imperius Rex
You know what you’re getting with Sean P, to the point where even his half baked, leftover rhymes (which, not to be mean, a lot of these clearly are) sound great over the right kind of beats, and some of the beats on this thing are insane. Probably the Hip-Hop death that hit me the hardest of the last few years, so it was good to have something new.
#8 - Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy
Fair play to the guy, I’d written him off as something of a juvenile idiot, but he showed a lot of growth and maturity on this one. Easily the best thing that he, or any of his Odd Future offshoots for that matter (that whole thing has NOT aged well, and I was a huge fan at the time), ever put out.
#7 Armand Hammer - Rome
The pairing of these two (Billy Woods and Elucid) was a stroke of genius. Their first album together was great and this one might be a little better. It’s not as long for starters, it’s a much tighter piece of work. Really dense, wordy Hip-Hop over cool beats. It sounds very East Coast, but in a refreshing, modern way. I sort of see it as a continuation of what Def Jux were doing back in the day, before that whole thing went south. The whole Backwoodz movement really carries on that tradition in fact, and definitely doesn't get the props in deserves in that respect.
#6 - Roc Marciano - Rosebudd's Revenge
Just more of the same from Roc really. You know what you’re getting with this guy, poetic thuggery, essentially! He rhymes about doing really over the top, illegal shit so eloquently, it's like high society gangster rap or something.
#5 Ghostpoet - Dark Days + Canapés
Arguably not even a Hip-Hop album, because he’s gone increasingly R&B (although that tag doesn’t really fit either) and rock with each release, but this is definitely the best album this guy has released to date, in my opinion. Quite a dark and contemplative record. I couldn’t stop listening to it when it dropped. Nice to have a UK guy flying the flag too.
#4 - Vince Stapes - Big Fish Theory
This kid is really fucking talented and a smart guy to boot, if you ask me. He’s sort of made a dance album here that’s still totally Hip-Hop, it exists in both worlds. The first time I heard it I was “I’m not sure what he’s doing here, but it’s brilliant”, which is a feeling that I wish I had more often. Also, Juicy J's "I was up late night balling, counting up hundreds by the thousands!" has to be the hook of the year.
#3 - Jonwayne - Rap Album Two
I got this guys first album (which was, surprisingly, titled Rap Album One) because he was buzzing on Stones Throw at the time and thought it was OK, but it was kind of like he was playing at Hip-Hop, almost a little bit of a novelty, big Hippy-looking white dude from LA with a the deep voice who rhymes. This one is his proper arrival though. It’s brilliant, really surprised me. He left Stones Throw (possibly was dropped actually), I think started his own label and just came through the other side a whole lot better and made a fantastic album. The whole thing has a very sincere tone. He raps a lot about the stuff he’s gone through in the last few years, personal upheaval, struggles with addiction, but it never sounds "poor me" or put on. I would really recommend listening to it.
#2 - Billy Woods - Known Unknowns
Aside from Kendrick, this guy has probably been my favourite, current emcee for a while now. His style is like nothing else. It’s really off kilter and wordy but smart as fuck, and he picks his beats brilliantly. I think my favourite line on this album, he says at one point “Chekov put Jay’s tech on Nas’ dresser”, I fucking lost it the first time I heard that, it was so clever. I can’t think of another emcee who would come up with something like that.
#1 - Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Had to be really, right? I felt like it was a really hard-hitting, much more straight up Hip-Hop reaction to To Pimp a Butterfly, and all the cross-over love it got. Not that I have anything against TPAB, it’s his best work and the defining rap album of the last few years if you ask me. But I got a definite “this is was I do, fuck off if you don’t like it” vibe from DAMN. Right down to the pissed off look on his face on the cover. He’s so far ahead of the rest of that pack at this point that it’s frightening. "GOD" is probably my favourite rap tune of the year too.