#15: 1017 Thug – Young Thug

For better or worse, 2013 has undeniably been the year for trap music. Saturated with molly references, menacing bells, thudding bass and auto-tune, most of this music has been aggressively forgettable. Even the most passionate trap-enthused DJs haven’t kept most of these songs in rotation. Nevertheless, amidst this atmosphere of ephemeral mediocrity, one particular artist is etched into our minds: Young Thug. The Atlanta artist released 1017 Thug back in February, but it’s still a fresh project. Released a few weeks after Young Thug‘s signing to Gucci Mane‘s 1017 imprint, the mixtape reminds us of the unbridled experimentation that characterized trap’s initial emergence. Before trap music had a readily identifiable aesthetic, it was basically the sound of people trying to make money by any means necessary. Accordingly, no stone was left unturned; no idea was left unconsidered. Young Thug keeps that spirit alive, using trap sounds to create music that doesn’t easily fall into the categories of “street anthem” or “club-ready.” 1017 Thug features him truly exploring what trap can do beyond making people “turn up.” Of course, this mixtape will make you turn up, but that’s not all there is to it. There’s some genuine craftsmanship here.

#14: Summer Knights – Joey Bada$$

Young Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ had a hectic 2012. The release of his mixtape 1999 was insanely successful, very quickly propelling him and his Pro Era crew from internet underdogs to widely acknowledged emcees. Yet despite these gains, the year ended with a tragic los:, the suicide of Joey‘s friend and fellow crew member, Capital STEEZ. Joey and company strongly kept chugging along, working with other artists, touring and just generally trying to capitalize on their hard-earned opportunities, but death is a strange and unpredictable experience, so when Summer Knights was announced, there was some genuine trepidation regarding how good the music could be in the wake of such a tragedy. Fortunately, Joey delivers. Whereas 1999 painted Joey and Pro Era as meticulous nostalgists, Summer Knights shows that the crew’s artistic roots extend far beyond 90’s New York. New York’s particular contributions to hip-hop are still central to how Joey creates, but Summer Knights depicts Joey with leanings toward reggae, dub, poetry and arguably even some punk rock, with flows to match.

#13: Cut 4 Me – Kelela

Kelela has the uncanny ability to establish harmony amidst the most elemental chaos. Featuring graceful melodies atop amorphous tracks from producer hive Fade to Mind, Cut 4 Me is 50 minutes of fearless exploration of voice and affect. Strikingly, most of the songs are remixes, yet Kelela stealthily colonizes them all, owning them for herself. Some of these instrumentals truly are intimidating, yet Kelela faces them like a veteran, variously taming them and absorbing their unbridled energy into her melodies. Cut 4 Me is the musical equivalent of the comic book character Storm controlling, unleashing and becoming one with the weather.

#12: King Remembered in Time – Big K.R.I.T.

The consequence of giving fans consecutively stronger releases is the escalation of their expectations. With the release of Live From the Underground, Big K.R.I.T. found himself fighting against the quality of his former releases, much to his chagrin. After all, he made many sacrifices for Live From the Underground, namely its necessarily small number of samples in comparison to his mixtapes. Dealing with the reception of his debut album, the Mississippi rapper doubled-down on King Remembered in Time, actively competing with and trying to best his previous works. He isn’t as successful as he could have been, but the tenacity and the gumption of the project resonate well. K.R.I.T. both gives fans what they want and gives them a potent “STFU,” all while remaining relatively innovative and open-minded. There are surely some misfires, but when K.R.I.T. is on point, he’s truly unmatched. Read our full review here.

#11: No Poison, No Paradise – Black Milk

Black Milk‘s biggest career mistake may have been titling his 2010 LP, “Album of the Year.” While that project certainly stands firm as a great body of work, it is on No Poison, No Paradise that the Detroit emcee/producer crafts his magnum opus and undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2013. From the Mel-assisted opener, the listener is taken on a morose journey through the childhood of Sonny, a fictionalized character brought to life by Black Milk’s own experiences. Think of this as a more flushed-out and hyper-realized version of The Roots’ Undun. “Deion’s House” tells the story of Sonny’s friend, who is a quasi-bad influence, given the fact that he pulls Sonny towards the street life, while at the same time pushes our hero to pursue his musical aspirations. Herein lies the narrative in a nutshell: dealing with the influences of your surroundings while striving towards a greater goal. While Black Milk’s production sometimes garners more attention than his lyrical skills, as do his collaborations with the likes of Danny Brown and Jack White, this is the album that proves that his pen game is just as lethal.

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“You’re fucking with a heavyweight,” raps Wu-Tang veteran U-God on “Heavyweight,” the latest single from his upcoming solo album, The Keynote Speaker. He raps it casually, but it’s the raw truth. Not only has U-God established a respectable catalog of sharp verses and songs, but he’s also had a good year so far, contributing some memorable verses to Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge‘s Twelve Reasons to Die. 

The Keynote Speaker arrives next Tuesday. Don’t miss it.

A few weeks ago, he released a “sampler” for the album. Listen to it here.

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“I didn’t want this to be just another album,” say producer Adrian Younge, the [other] architect behind Ghostface Killah‘s latest album, Twelve Reasons to Die. Listening to the album, it’s clear that what Younge wanted is exactly what happened. Featuring incredibly rich production, Twelve Reasons to Die reminds us of the kind of presence that a producer can have without a sonic stamp (ie. “Mike Will Made It”). Via NEhip-hop.com, listen to Adrian Younge explain the motivations behind his production style. Some of these motivations are slightly too nostalgic, possibly even conservative, but Younge has an interesting take nonetheless.

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If you missed The Roots, Ghostface Killah, Adrian Younge, Masta Killa and Killah Priest performing “I Declare War” on Jimmy Fallon last night, you can check it out below. Twelve Reasons to Die is slated for release next Tuesday.

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With the release date for Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge’s Twelve Reasons to Die rapidly approaching, Ghost hits us with yet another track from the upcoming project. “Murder Spree” features appearances from Wu-Tang Clan members Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Killa along with Killarmy’s Killa Sin. Twelve Reasons to Die will be available on April 16.

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Earlier this week, it was announced that Ghostface Killah would be re-releasing his debut solo album, Ironman.  The re-release of the album is limited to only 2,000 copies, each complete with a hardcover book, a jigsaw puzzle of the album artwork and a plaque.  With that being said, Ghostface is also working on his upcoming album Twelve Reasons to Die.  The project is being produced entirely by Wax Poetics artist Adrian Younge, which should be an interesting  concept.  The album is also being executively produced by RZA.   From the release, the pairing is giving the first single from the project in the form of “The Rise of The Ghostface Killah.”  In typical Ghostface fashion, it’s an interesting track conceptually, and the production Younge lays out really helps get Ghostace‘s story across.  It also samples from many different tracks. Make sure you’re like me and mark your calendars for Ghostface‘s upcoming album Twelve Reasons to Die, which will be in stores April 16th.  You can already pre-order the album here.

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