10. BLK ODYSSY - Diamonds & Freaks (think a lot of niggas forgot about this gem or just let it slip by this year but man, some of this production is the hardest of the year. Sam Houston, frontman of the BLK ODYSSY project, really be knowing how to create a landscape to get his vocals off and the funky live arrangements is amazing bro.

9. Jamila Woods - Water Made Us (I been a Jamila Woods fan since forever, her voice has always been pleasant and with every project she gets better and better. The production on this one and the personal lyrical themes of the beginning and the end of a relationship were s*** that was...very appropriately timed for a nigga that was going THROUGH IT this year dawg lol.

8A. Anysia Kim & jadasea - Pressure Sensitive
&
8B. RP Boo - Legacy Vol. 2

(Figured for 8, I'd do a double header for my fav producer albums of the year. I actually went to an RP Boo party at this rented ass loft area in red hook brooklyn on a rainy Saturday night. And as a nigga that already loves chicago footwork, hearing one of the OGs was a f***ing GODSEND.

If you a fan of sprawling breakbeats and sparse UK raps over s***, I'd highly advise you to check out this joint. Found it on bandcamp one day and s*** was infectious. Doesn't hurt a nigga love himself some jungle beats. )

7. Cisco Swank - More Better (I got clowned for posting this in my thread about "niggas growing out of touch" as just another "neosoul mid" type of artist. Which is ironic to say because my fav songs from this album aren't even in the same vein as that. @Nikedufflebag (love ya dawg no hard feelings lmao I get it). It's his versatility that makes the album stand out to me and how he fits his influences on each song. The following song ("All The Same") is really some rock indie type s*** that ends with some jazz s***. THAT'S fire to me. Bro being a multi-instrumentalist (keyboardist, bass player, etc.) makes the s*** just that much crazier and I'm glad I get to see this local nigga grow in stardom in front of me.)

6. Mike - Burning Desire (I'ma keep it brief. I love this nigga yo. Every project he gets better and when it's all said and done bruh gon' have one of the best discographies of the new generation of rappers.)

No Lana top 10= discarded list
real for jamilla

Let me tap into Cisco Swank.

5. Danny Brown & JPEGMAFIA - Scaring The Hoes (I'm so goddamn mad I missed this show. @edumist saying they had a live band makes me just that much more bitter. JPEGMAFIA production is fire to me. Danny Brown rapping is fire to me. Bring them together? Like the 'alternative' weird nigga's wet dream come to life. Love when niggas take risks!)

4. CS Armstrong - Come As You Are (probably my favorite singer to come out of the last few years. The man literally sounds like he came out of a time machine from 1965. The soul in this nigga's voice alone will make you FEEL bro. And that's what I think we miss in R&B is niggas that make you FEEL. Alot of new R&B too focused on sounding too "nonchalant" or "cute" which is a realistic affect when its main influence is rap.)

3. Paris Texas - Mid Air (One of my favorite albums of this decade. THIS is the type of s*** that makes me have hope in what the future of what black musicianship can bring. Rock and rap combined making some of the most engaging s*** I've heard in a while. More weird niggas just having fun and doing whatever the f*** they want without feeling like they need to follow whatever top rapper of they era is doing we NEED MORE of.)

FUCK ALL THAT ROCK S*** MY NIGGA WE LETTIN THIS NIGGA S*** OUT

P.S. you don't know euphoria til you violently pushing off white boys in a moshpit to this song during a live show at a Brooklyn venue.

2. Noname - Sundial (My rap album of the year. This shows the best of Noname and all of her positives and none of the lows that I think showed more on her previous album. Both the production and her mic presence were both intentional, there was none of the "whispering" s*** that she used to be known for and this was, i feel, her "I'm really here" album.)

1. Kara Jackson - Why does the Earth gives us people to love? (This album is perfect and beautifully sad in every way. Dedicated to her friend that passed away from cancer you can hear in the themes of this album the topic of mortality. Started off as a poet you can hear the potent writing she has in this album. Somebody said on a youtube comment she's like "Sade if Sade was Nina Simone" and...somehow that s*** was kinda on point. I can't wait to see where she goes next and I'm excited to see her in February opening for Jamila Woods)

Honorable Mentions:

Liv.e - Girl In The Half Pearl
Mick Jenkins - The Patience
gunna - the gift & the curse
kenny mason - 6

verse of the year: Kenny Mason - "DnD"

They gon' try to say a nigga "rock-rap," like it's not rap
Guess that mean it don't count when they get out-rapped
Sayin', "It ain't rock" on a rock track
Guessin' when you Black, it's all trap

Bro went stupid on this song from beginning to the end. Kenny Mason has been one of my new fav rappers I've grown an active fan of. His versatility and flow has been a breath of fresh air and (whenever he f***ing decides to drop 9) I really believe my city'll give him the push that bro really need.

runner-up verse of the year: Dave - "Stop Giving Me Advice "

I know you feel love, feel shame, feel pride, I can see it in your eyes
I met a fan at work, he told me it's his job on the side
As if I'm unimpressed by his every day life
Niggas die every day, need us every day life
The women that you idolise can never play wife to me
When you done as many flights as me, long nights as me
Took as many left turns to make right as me

I know I know I know, f*** Jack Harlow. And yeah bro is really mediocre but this verse is what got me into checking out Dave's discography frfr.

Paris Texas has a song on their album called 'Lana Del Rey'

burning desire review sums it up p much, nigga mike just keep dumping. gonna check these out, really liked the last blk odyssy record

going to listen to kara Jackson first out of all these

good ass thread

i still gotta get to that Noname record tbh, she kinda grew off on me a bit after Room 25 but i heard the new album was good

saw her live at brooklyn steel (cisco was playing keys) it was FIRE.

It's ok. Her own words she says Room 25 is her least favorite album too. The only songs she still does live from that album are don't forget about me (one of her greatest songs ever so yes) and blaxplotiation.

very folksy/indie with beautifully sad lyrics. It's actually your bag lmao

lets gooo

let me tap in to this kara jackson

THIS S*** BEAUTIFUL

Enjoy

Quality thread. This is why I still love Ktt. Happy New Year OP

Thanks breh!

I know I be argumentative and come off “contrarian” but I be wanting folks to know i be hella vocal about the s*** a nigga care about.

It's hard to have patience when you're waiting on luck
Like a postal truck, like a postal truck
To bring you a love as tough as elephant tusks
No chance of rust, no chance of rust

Real for blk odyssy. This site really let that one slip by.

Dave a future goat

no drake?

that's on my songs on the list

Songs I really f***ed with (in no particular order)

(Mick Jenkins spitting like he was tryna pay the rent on this. YOU NIGGAS PREY ABOUT IT I'M THE APEX)

(probably some of my fav production of the year. Kenny Mason for president.)

(a bandcamp discovery, her album was really nice too. A dope singer from London with a nice soulful voice that was dope to hear.)

(a local singer that one of the homies put me on. The album cover caught my attention first but this song in particular has gotten consistent play all year. Love the production and the way she sings over this afrobeat type of beat. )

(Gunna was in his BAG on this joint. Whoever decided to do that "eeyah" adlib was a genius cause that has been one of the biggest earworms all year. Also good to see Gunna recovering from all of the bullshit this year and seeming to be in better health too)

(Mndsgn flipping one the greatest Method Man & Redman song ever into an R&B song is f***ing WILD. Liv.e's vocals over this is like frosting on your favorite cake.)

(Between this and I'm The Problem leaking, these really had me thinking Drake was gonna enter a whole new type of bag on FATD. I was soon to be disappointed but this is definitely one of my favorite drake songs he's done in a long minute.)

(If it isn't love then
What the f*** is it? I guess Just let me pretend if you aint notice, this year was a lot of looking back at times love hurt the kid in order to finally move on. I may or may not have shed a thug tear to this joint.)

(something about this beat and this nigga's pocket that is just infectious. )

(Ghais Guevara's "Goyard" album was a lot more upbeat than his previous more "overtly political" works but songs like this really stuck out from the sample to the lyrics talking bout some real relationship type s*** that...once again was timed during a moment where a nigga was going through it )

(This album had some highs and lows, but I think consistently the R&B moments of this were the highest. The 2nd half of this song I have consistently been singing all year. Needless to say bro is talented even if there is some roughness around the edges.)

Dope thread all together🔥🔥🔥

aw thanks bro.