One of my favourite years for music in recent memory, so had to put a list of my favourites together:

1. KA - Descendants of Cain

Top 3: Every Now and Then, Unto the Dust, Solitude of Enoch
Worst Track: NA
Best Feature: Roc Marciano
Worst Feature: NA

There aren’t many albums I’d give a perfect 10 to, Illmatic and Liquid Swords are amongst them… Descendants of Cain could very well be another one. KA’s discography is one of the most under-appreciated in all of rap music and yet he doesn’t have a single miss! This just might be the best album he’s ever released, the theme, the dark grimy production, the sound bites, everything is just perfect. As a lyricist, no one is touching him, not a single wasted bar, not one second of filler, hands down the best album of the year for me!

2. Nas & Hit-Boy - King’s Disease

Top 3: King's Disease, Blue Benz, The Cure
Worst Track: Spicy
Best Feature: AZ
Worst Feature: Fivio Foreign

This album is about as enjoyable a listen as any post-Illmatic Nas album, that’s not to say its his best since Illmatic but its just got such a feel good triumphant vibe to it. Nas sounds fresh and reinvigorated after a perceived slip up on his Wyoming album with Kanye West.
It comes so close to being perfect and Hit-Boy does a phenomenal job behind the boards. The only small issue I have with this album are the (non Firm) features, whilst I feel like they all put in a good effort, I can’t help but think the songs would’ve been more enjoyable with another Nas verse or a verse from one of his peers rather than more modern rappers. This is a minor issue though and Nas absolutely floats over the soundscape Hit-Boy provides! Spicy is a fun track, but I’m glad it want included in the main track list and was tacked on as bonus track

3. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo

Top 3: Scottie Beam, God Is Perfect, Frank Lucas
Worst Track: NA
Best Feature: Rick Ross
Worst Feature: NA

This is a collaboration I’d been anticipating for years and it didn’t disappoint! There isn’t a single mis-step on this album, Gibbs rapping is some of his sharpest, Alchemist’s sound bites work perfectly with his production and every single feature is top notch. There isn’t a single track our even moment that’s not enjoyable and the aesthetics and promo accompanying the album and its roll out were equally as great!

4. Boldy James & The Alchemist - The Price of Tea in China

Top 3: Carruth, Scrape the Bowl, S.N.O.R.T.
Worst Track: Don Flamingo
Best Feature: Freddie Gibbs
Worst Feature: Elcamino

Boldy sounds incredible on this album, Alchemist’s production compliments his voice maybe better than anyone else Alchemist has done a collaboration album with, as always Alchemist’s sequencing and soundbites make the album flow incredibly well, and while I’d probably prefer the standard album as an overall listen, the deluxe doesn’t really have any misses either, the standard is just a better listen front to back and has stronger features.

5. Billy Woods & Moor Mother - Brass

Top 3: Chimney, Portrait, Giraffe Hunts
Worst Track: NA
Best Feature: Mach Hommy
Worst Feature: NA

This ones a late inclusion, but I can only see it going up in my estimation. The whole thing is beautiful and unique, I’d go as far as to say its the best collaboration album from any male/female MC of all time… although there’s not much competition for that title! Both MC’s delivery and cadence are great on this album, the guest spots work perfectly and as a whole the album just feels special. I really liked Mach’s little nod to JAY-Z at the start of his verse and woods final verse by Billy on Portrait was a great end to this future cult classic!

6. Westside Gunn - Pray for Paris

Top 3: George Bondo, $500 Ounces, Allah Sent Me
Worst Track: Claibourne Kicks
Best Feature: Freddie Gibbs
Worst Feature: Keisha Plum

This album really felt big for Griselda and at the time of its release sounded as diverse as they’d ever sounded by that point in their history. Every feature brings their A-game… even Wale! The wrestling skits fit the album perfectly and to me it felt like the pinnacle of what Griselda had been working towards up to that point, my only slight issue with any track on this album is the distortion of Gunns vocals on Claibourne kicks, an otherwise fantastic song, aside from that the album is damn near perfect!

7. Curren$y & Harry Fraud - OutRunners

Top 3: Gold and Chrome, The Offload, Mugello Road
Worst Track: Pounds of Paper
Best Feature: Rick Ross
Worst Feature: NA

Curren$y and Harry Fraud have outstanding chemistry and while the two projects they dropped following this also deserve a mention, this was hands down the strongest Curren$y offering this year… probably the last few years!
As with other rapper/producer albums on this list, the project is very cohesive and although short doesn’t have a wasted moment, the only thing I’d change about this album is the length, it seems to cut off prematurely.

8. Boldy James & Sterling Toles - Manger on McNichols

Top 3: Medusa, Detroit River Rock, Mommy Dearest (A Eulogy)
Worst Track: B.B. Butcher
Best Feature: Dej Loaf
Worst Feature: NA

I’ve always liked Boldy with alchemist, but up to the point when he worked with Alchemist the little I had heard from him seemed very trappy and generic to me, this album proved to me that he wasn’t as reliant on alchemist as I’d first thought. On this project Sterling employs jazz samples as the backdrop with amazing results, easily one of the most sonically interesting rap albums this year, the only track I’m not such a fan of is B.B. Butcher, mainly because of how busy the production sounds, but even that song is starting to grow on me! great album, check it out if you haven’t already!

9. Roc Marciano - Mt. Marci

Top 3: Steel Vagina, Trenchcoat Wars, Baby Powder
Worst Track: Broadway Billy
Best Feature: Action Bronson
Worst Feature: Trent Truce

It took me a minute to get into this album, it felt a little underwhelming on first listen, I think after the universal praise it was getting pre-release from artists like KA it sent me into this album with unrealistic expectations. After spending some time with this album it’s really grown on me, its not perfect and there are parts of songs (rather than whole songs) that still irritate me, mainly the sex/toilet noises on wicked days and the intro to Broadway Billy, and some of the production has repetitive loops, but flaws aside I really like this album a lot, much like KA, Roc hasn’t really dropped anything bad, or even anything that could be considered “mid”.

10. Blu & Exile - Miles

Top 3: Miles Davis, Blue, True & Livin’
Worst Track: African Dream
Best Feature: Fashawn
Worst Feature: Exile

This would’ve been higher up the list if it were shorter and a couple of filler tracks had been removed, this is beautiful music, but at over 1 hour and 35 minutes its difficult to digest in one continuous listen, especially when there are one or two tracks that feel like Blu is literally reading a list like “To the Fall, But Not Forgotten” which otherwise is a really nice sounding track. There are very few rapping features, but the ones there are are great… although Exile should defiantly stay behind the boards!

11. Benny the Butcher & Hit-Boy - Burden of Proof

Top 3: Burden of Proof, War Paint, Legend
Worst Track: Timeless
Best Feature: Conway the Machine
Worst Feature: Big Sean

This album offers a nice departure from the tried and tested Griselda sound for Benny. Following a very active year of features, where for me he had started to sound a little stale on occasion, this album peaked my interest in him again. Something about it sounds very 00’s Roc-a-Fella and Benny is in his pocket even with the different production. Other than a couple of average features from Sean, Dom and Queen Naija, this album is pure gold, and ends on a very high note with the outstanding “Legend”

12. Armand Hammer - Shrines

Top 3: Bitter Cassava, Dead Card, The Eucharist
Worst Track: Frida
Best Feature: R.A.P. Ferreira
Worst Feature: NA

This album wasn’t in my top 20 until recently… kinda dismissed it after a couple of listens because it just wasn’t clicking with me. Following Brass I decided to go back to it, and I’m glad I did, the album finally clicked and has been on repeat since! Like Brass I can only see this one getting better and having more plays with time! Billy Woods just doesn’t miss, him Roc and KA the holy trinity in the underground right now!

13. Conway the Machine - From King to a God

Top 3: Spurs 3, Juvenile Hell, Lemon
Worst Track: Anza
Best Feature: Method Man
Worst Feature: Armani Caesar

This is another really enjoyable Griselda album with some standout features from old school artists (Method Man and Lloyd Bank$) and outstanding production, one of the standouts being a flawless Havoc beat on “Juvenile Hell”. I wasn’t a fan of the extended DJ Shay interludes, although I can certainly appreciate why they appear, the do however detract from the flow of the album. The only track I disliked was “Anza” although I did also expect the Gibbs track to go harder.

14. Run the Jewels - RTJ4

Top 3: a few words for the firing squad (radiation), out of sight, ooh la la
Worst Track: pulling the pin
Best Feature: 2 Chainz
Worst Feature: Joshua Homme

RTJ seem to be a duo that’s either loved or hated, doesn’t seem to be much middle ground. Personally I don’t really see the reason for the hate, they have a great chemistry, the production is always top notch with great lyricism and the albums are very cohesive, this one is no different to the other three. the socially conscious themes came at the exact right time making this album pretty relevant. At the same time there is also that fun and enjoyable side. This is defiantly one of my favourite RTJ releases and I loved the nod to DOC on “Out of Sight”, which 2Chainz absolutely killed. This album did start off further up the list, but like every RTJ album before it I don’t return to it as much as I thought I would.

15. 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ - Savage Mode 2

Top 3: Runnin, Glock in My Lap, Many Men
Worst Track: RIP Luv
Best Feature: Young Nudy
Worst Feature: Drake

This is a really well put together album, from the (modified) Pen & Pixel album cover to the Morgan Freeman skits, there’s a really great energy. Its more varied than the first instalment and even though the softer tracks may be the weaker tracks they do balance the album out and are still enjoyable. For me this is some of metro’s best ever work, if I was more into trap this album would defiantly be higher up the list.

16. Action Bronson - Only for Dolphins

Top 3: Golden Eye, Sergio, Shredder
Worst Track: Mongolia
Best Feature: NA
Worst Feature: Hologram

I really didn’t expect to like this album as much as I did, Bronson’s studio albums have never really lived up to my expectations, finally with this album he does! It’s probably the most well rounded cohesive work he’s ever put out and his unique sense of humour really shines through. The production is outstanding and even my least favourite track Mongolia (due to the features) sounds like it belongs in a guy richie film with the production and soundbite from The Wire. My only other issue with this album is that with so much other great music dropping I don’t find myself returning to this as much as I thought I would. Still a phenomenal album.

17. Boldy James - Real Bad Boldy

Top 3: Thousand Pills, Street S***, Held Me Down
Worst Track: Little Vicious
Best Feature: Stove God Cook$
Worst Feature: Mooch

Boldy’s third album on my top 20, its in fact this fourth project this year, the only one not to make the cut was his first official Griselda project The Versace Tape which I found pretty underwhelming. That aside, Boldy is probably my MVP this year, when you include his guest verses and his amount of quality albums this year, no one is really touching him, he’s also proved he’s far more than just Alchemist’s side kick. Another quality rapper/producer album which as time goes on defiantly has potential to get better for me, the only slight issue I have with this (aside from the horrible cover) is the lack of star power with the guest verses, I’d have liked to have seen rappers like Freddie, Push, Roc or Benny on here.

18. Royce Da 5’9’ - The Allegory

Top 3: Pendulum, FUBU, Upside Down
Worst Track: I Play Forever
Best Feature: Benny the Butcher
Worst Feature: Grafh

PRhyme aside, this may well be my favourite Royce album, and the fact its almost single handedly self produced makes it even more impressive, combine that with impeccable rapping and some stellar guest verses and you have an album that in another year may well have been an AOTY contender for me. At a little over an hour it manages to keep your interest through its entirety, even the skits are entertaining. I loved the Griselda influence and features and the singles Royce picked were some of the best tracks on the album.

19. Kid Cudi - Man On the Moon III: The Chosen

Top 3: Tequila Shots, The Void, Mr. Solo Dolo III
Worst Track: Show Out
Best Feature: Phoebe Bridgers
Worst Feature: Pop Smoke

I can’t say I’m a massive Cudi fan, that’s not to say I dislike his music, I just never feel the need to listen to his albums that much so the replay value to me is always pretty low. When I do actually listen I do enjoy them (MOTM 1 & 2 and PPDS at least). This one does feel like it’ll have more replays from me though. I love the album art, much like his first two in the series and sonically this one feels really big and cinematic, I also like the way he utilises adlibs on this album. There really isn’t much to dislike about this album, “Show Out” is about my only complaint, but not because the track is bad, just more misplaced and it sticks out from the other tracks on here, I also feel like Pop Smoke appearance is (understandably) a little flat, that aside though I really enjoyed this album.

20 Young Dolph - Rich $lave

Top 3: Hold Up Hold Up Hold Up, To Be Honest, The Land
Worst Track: Benz
Best Feature: Key Glock
Worst Feature: Megan Thee Stallion

One of my favourite trap albums in recent years. Dolph sounds very confident with his delivery and although I generally tend to find trap a bit generic, if more trap albums sounded like this I’d probably hold the sub-genre in higher regard. Dolph has always had a great ear for beats, but this is probably the best Dolph has sounded for me. I’d still probably give the edge production-wise to Savage mode II, but Dolph out raps 21 Savage on this album, I do find myself returning to Savage Mode II slightly more than this album though which is why this is further down the list, still a really great album though. This the first year in recent memory though that I can pretty much listen to every album in my top 20 without skipping, vintage year in rap in my opinion!

Honorable Mentions:

Jeezy - The Recession 2

Top 3: Therapy For My Soul, Here We Go, The Kingdom
Worst Track: My Reputation
Best Feature: Rick Ross
Worst Feature: Demi Lovato

To say I want excited about a Jeezy album in 2020 is probably an under statement, having said that, the Recession is one of my favourite Jeezy albums so I give this a chance based off name alone… and I’m glad I did. Its a little top and bottom heavy and patchy in the middle, but its way better than I expected. There are three tracks I don’t really care for “Death Of Me”, a track where I didn’t really care for the subject matter “My Reputation” because its terrible and “Live And Die” which is such a blatant rip off of the classic 2Pac track that I can’t separate it. But for the most part its Jeezy doing what he does best… anthems!

Juicy J - The Hustle Continues

Top 3: Best Group, Killa, 1995
Worst Track: She Got Pop It
Best Feature: Logic
Worst Feature: Megan Thee Stallion

I have never been the biggest fan of Juicy J solo albums or even Three-6-Mafia albums in general, but on this album he probably sounds better than he ever has. The production has a really great energy and his charisma really shines through on most tracks. The Megan track feels a bit misplaced and feels like its there for the extra streams it may attract, aside from this track through the features really come through and deliver great verses, Logic actually sounds great on 1995, and although his album didn’t end up making my personal top 20 he deserves an honourable mention.

Westside Gunn - Who Made the Sunshine

Top 3: The Butcher and The Blade, 98 Sabers, Good Night
Worst Track: Liz Loves Luger
Best Feature: Benny the Butcher
Worst Feature: Keisha Plum

The roll out of this album threw me a little as it was touted as being better than Pray for Paris, which it certainly wasn’t, I felt a little disappointed initially and didn’t return to top it for a while, Expectations aside though this is a really enjoyable album with some great features, Slick Rick in particular sounds great on here and I’d love an album curated by Gunn! the album does fall a little short, mostly due to some lacking character, the lack of samples and wrestling soundbites are sorely missed, but aside from that and a vomit inducing verse from Gunn on “Liz Loves Luger” I really like this album.

Procucers of the year:

1. The Alchemist

Notable Projects: Alfredo, The Price of Tea in China, LULU

2. Hit-Boy

Notable Projects: King’s Disease, Burden of Proof, Detroit 2

3. Harry Fraud

Notable Projects: OutRunners & Directors Cut, Keep Going, Eat When You’re Hungry Sleep When You’re Tired

INNNNNNNN

Great list!

trash list

come with me.

Are you just a negative person or fishing for easy likes?

Either way this is corny

How is Spicy the worst song on that Nas album

It's the least Nas sounding song on the album. Def the worst but I like it

the list is ass. sorry im not d*** eatin

Cmon you haven't heard any of those albums

I have. have you?

You haven't, I have

What do you dislike about it?

The little blurb literally shows you the reasoning.

How are you hating on what he likes lmao?

you mean YOU havent. got it

I smell cap but I'll give you the benefit of doubt.

keep that same energy "how are you hatin on what he likes"

In great list, no MHL tho

Haven’t heard some of these albums

Seek therapy

dont let the "drizzy drake" name mislead you haha

xD

Shrines could be higher in the future if you got Ka n Brass top 5