bloem

5y

I love this thread and how concise the points are being presented all these albums are in my list for the decade ad well. I appreciate the Black Swan and MBDTF haha

Goo

5y

· edited

So I've been following hip hop religiously throughout this entire decade, and now it's coming to an end so it's time to share my experience. In this thread, I'll tell the stories of my top 25 favorite albums of the decade (EDIT: NOW MERGED IN OP AND SORTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER), simply from my own perspective as a fan. No scores, no ranking, so people can focus on the write ups.

Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
Despite wearing his influence on his sleeve, there is something about Chance that made him so refreshing and exciting. He can definitely rap but also has pop star showmanship. Say what you want about him now, on Acid Rap he does everything just right. It's jazzy and d***ged-out. It's childlike and fun, but also introspective and serious.

Chief Keef - Almighty So
Finally Rich expanded and diversified the singular sound of BFTD, but at the same time, kinda commercialized it. By distancing from main producer Young Chop as well as the major label's chains, Almighty So captures Keef at the peak of his lean-induced nihilism and finds the ultimate mix of consistently enjoyable and straight-up fascinating.

Curren$y - Pilot Talk
This album is just perfect. To me it's the spiritual successor to albums like Doggystyle. Spitta at the top of his game with a menacing flow and sharp ass punchlines, Ski Beatz and others delivering beats that are so good they make you float and every guest spot is iconic. The eptiome of feel good/stoner hip hop.

Danny Brown - XXX
There is this crazy rapper who's in the vein of Odd Future and 'em, you know, that dark and edgy rap. He has a high pitched voice on most songs that's a little difficult to get used to and the beats are trippy and somewhat experimental. But he can also rap his ass off and has a mature, deep side to him. His name is Danny Brown and he's here to stay.

Drake - Nothing Was the Same
The verses throughout Take Care were mostly carried by half-sung earworms. Therefore, Drake spent those two years honing his skills as an MC and it shows. 40 has adjusted his production to sound more airy, accordingly. Among obvious hits, you can find tracks that the radio probably wouldn't play if they weren't Drizzy Drake. A tasteful mix which results in his best album to date.

Earl Sweatshirt - I Don't Like S***, I Don't Go Outside
Clarity shines through Earl's third attempt, where he finally comes into his own. Earl takes us on a journey of soul-searching to find the causes of his depression. Wise beyond his years, he remains confident throughout, reflects on his past relationships, cuts off the snakes and leeches. Ends it on a high note by flexing rap skills with friends just because they can, taking us back to simpler times where this s*** felt more like a sport.

Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs
Some songs on IDLSIDGO had beautiful, bittersweet instrumental outros that one could smoke to. They felt like a relief from the bleak content that often preceded them. SRS basically encapsulates the feeling of those outros and extends them to an album. Fist-pumping anthems from a man who sounds like he came out of the war victoriously because he has survived and is now here to tell us his story.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata
Gibbs' coming-and-going stint with trap music never did much to me. His voice is heavy, trap beats are heavy, thus the result is just too much heaviness for my ears. Madlib's mostly laid back, sunny-beach sounding beats provide him the elasticity he needs to really shine as an MC and all the guests do their best to keep up.

Future - Monster
A solid-but-misunderstood Honest featured a jack-of-all-trades Future. A few months later he bounces back by choosing to stick with the tormented street rapper path. This works in his favor as he gives his blood, sweat and tears to the mic and in the process, sounds more self-assured and skillful than he used to. His most heroic tales will be found on this tape.

Isaiah Rashad - Cilvia Demo
This dude Isaiah is the definition of talent and craftmanship. Who would've thought that a previously unknown rapper, on his breakthrough project that's titled a demo, featuring a cast of mostly unknown producers, will sound so undeniable? A student of OutKast, mixing getting lit and faded with self-reflection, "music for the vibers" as he will call it, he gives us a therapeutic classic.

JAY-Z - 4:44
On his deepest and most mature album, the God MC destroys his own ego. Laced with No I.D.'s most beautiful production work of to date, he then proceeds to use his intellect to uplift his community by giving financial advice and promoting traditional family values. Finally shying away from contrived radio hits, this is the HOV that we all needed but didn't know if he would appear.

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Imagine that you are asked to star in a musical, as some sort of a Black Swan type figure. For most men this would be an awkward and hilarious task that they would like to avoid, right? However, there is one who would love it - Kanye West. On some God-sent strike of inspiration and brilliance, MBDTF encompasses everything that makes Kanye a genius: confidence, ambition, virtuosity, fearless creativity. A fantasy that came to life.

Kanye West - Yeezus
After conquering the Earth with MBDTF, Kanye now takes us on a trip through space (and time). There is no minute wasted, he gotta keep it strictly to the point. MBDTF was like an open letter where he invited the world to love him, now he's yelling at it to respectfully keep its distance. The beats slap harder, the album as a whole is a bit uneasier on the ears. Yet the otherworldly element makes it just as addictive.

Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
Kanye expands upon the boundaries of Yeezus and gives us an album that isn't as tightly arranged as his last three efforts, but has just enough new and old ideas to keep the craziness going on.

Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
After a series of classic tapes, KRIT and Cole are now considered just as good as this new boy Kendrick. Section.80 was already fire, but does he have what it takes to truly be a GOAT? Little did they know that this album is so far ahead, it'll blow people's minds and make grown men cry. It's a coming of age story that's more cinematic than everything we were used to - personal, poetic, warm, philosophical. On top of that, musically it doesn't pale next to MBDTF.

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
Stardom puts Kendrick through an identity crisis. Here he's having the success he's always dreamed of, so he starts wearing designer clothes and partying with other rappers. All of a sudden he's feeling guilty, losing his morals, fighting inner demons. Then he goes on a trip to Africa and finds inspiration through love and humility. Comes back perfectly aware of what he means to the game. He's healed himself and now he's here to heal us.

Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
Cudi's melodic spacey rap is healthy for your mind and soul. Following up his genre-bending, culture-shifting classic debut, now he takes us into darker and more psychedelic realms. The combination of his beautiful voice and knack for melody remains powerful, while his production and songwriting become more diverse, detailed and focused.

Mac Miller - Swimming
Mac was such a musical dude and his final statement showed it like no other. He finally found the confidence to go all out without features. He started singing more. It's pretty heartbreaking that this album was too mature for mainstream consumption. Yet it captures the beautiful and peaceful soul that was Mac just perfectly. What a way to go out. RIP.

Nas - Life Is Good
Almost 20 years after dropping a Hiroshima bomb on the game, the GOAT returns to show rappers how to age gracefully. Restoring the hunger of his younger days, with an updated, more mature outlook on life, Nas gives us one of his most personal albums yet. Not a perfect album (although it easily could've been), but very close to it.

Rich Gang - Tha Tour Pt. 1
Thugger and Quan are a musical match made in heaven. Spitting flows that will make your head spin and harmonies that will give you butterflies, constantly pushing each other's boundaries, sounding as good on the solo tracks as they do together. The best rap duo of the decade.

Rick Ross - Rich Forever
Coming off a series of high quality projects and show-stealing features, it truly felt like Ross was the hottest rapper of the post-MBDTF, pre-GKMC era. Rich Forever replaces the melodramatic bloat that makes other Ross projects slightly over-the-top by pure street energy, where every producer and feature just tries to go as hard as possible.

Roc Marciano - Reloaded
Roc is a passionate hip-hop head and he made this album with the intent of giving the listeners the same feeling that the classics of the 80's and 90's gave him. On a mostly-self produced affair, mixed by Q-Tip, his cutting-edge production, laid-back yet menacing flow and complex, often humorous wordplay quickly become addictive.

Schoolboy Q - Blank Face LP
Sorry Q, but a nerd like me still thinks this is your best album. More psychedelic than his other efforts, while never compromising how gangsta it sounds, Q attacks those beats in so many ways and his hook game is always unpredictable and enjoyable.

A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
Imagine what if A Tribe Called Quest came back after 20 years and dropped an absolute masterpiece that sounds not only true to their classic sound, but also modern and even a bit futuristic, with a rejuvenated Busta Rhymes, as well as amazing talents like Andre 3000, Kendrick and Anderson Paak. A hip hop head's fantasy. Now imagine that this album really exists. Boom.

Vince Staples - Summertime '06
Vince Staples probably never wanted to be a rapper, but the universe had different plans for the boy. Armed by a ferocious flow and vivid lyricism, he gives us one of the best rap debuts of the century, occasionally showing that beyond his apathetic demeanor he has a lot of heart.

gleepglorp

5y

List took a turn :(

gleepglorp

5y

List took a turn :(

bloem

5y

who tf???

Goo

5y

You know who's coming up soon.. Mr. Early Bird

Goo

5y

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Imagine that you are asked to star in a musical, as some sort of a Black Swan type figure. For most men this would be an awkward and hilarious task that they would like to avoid, right? However, there is one who would love it - Kanye West. On some God-sent strike of inspiration and brilliance, MBDTF encompasses everything that makes Kanye a genius: confidence, ambition, virtuosity, fearless creativity. A fantasy that came to life.

Kanye West - Yeezus
After conquering the Earth with MBDTF, Kanye now takes us on a trip through space (and time). There is no minute wasted, he gotta keep it strictly to the point. MBDTF was like an open letter where he invited the world to love him, now he's yelling at it to respectfully keep its distance. The beats slap harder, the album as a whole is a bit uneasier on the ears. Yet the otherworldly element makes it just as addictive.

Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
Kanye expands upon the boundaries of Yeezus and gives us an album that isn't as tightly arranged as his last three efforts, but has just enough new and old ideas to keep the craziness going on.

Drake - Nothing Was the Same
The verses throughout Take Care were mostly carried by half-sung earworms. Therefore, Drake spent those two years honing his skills as an MC and it shows. 40 has adjusted his production to sound more airy, accordingly. Among obvious hits, you can find tracks that the radio probably wouldn't play if they weren't Drizzy Drake. A tasteful mix which results in his best album to date.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata
Gibbs' coming-and-going stint with trap music never did much to me. His voice is heavy, trap beats are heavy, thus the result is just too much heaviness for my ears. Madlib's mostly laid back, sunny-beach sounding beats provide him the elasticity he needs to really shine as an MC and all the guests do their best to keep up.

Thugger

5y

Playing Pilot Talk now

It’s so f***ing good

BillieEilishStan

5y

Why didn't you put Billie Eilish's debut album?

Chinxy

5y

4:44 over MCHG 🤨

Goo

5y

Bro you really need to get a life