Yesterday, I started my countdown of the 21 best rap albums of 2011. You can check out my introductory essay and albums 21-11 right here.
And now ladies and gentleman, we have arrived at the top
10. In descending order…
10. Jay Rock – Folllow Me Home
Jay Rock is the evolutionary Game. Like Game, the Watts, CA raised Rock has a persona built on his
rough and tough past. However, where
Game has had only intermittent success scratching beneath the surface to the
deeper consequences of his upbringing, Jay Rock is able to rap with an
earnestness and poignancy that is equal parts unexpected and fitting. Tracks like “Just Like Me” condemn the gang
lifestyle he used to live, breaking down the tragic downfall potentially
awaiting those young men. While many of
the tracks on “Follow Me Home” are
filled with serious, dark material, the album isn’t a complete downer. “Hood Gone Love It” and “Say Wassup” are
both light and breezy, with guest verses from Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul &
Schoolboy Q adding to the easy block party feel of these tracks. No matter how you slice it, any fan of the
west-coast will find “Follow Me Home” to be a welcome addition to their
catalog.
9. Nipsey Hussle – The Marathon Continues
I was late to the Nipsey Hussle bandwagon, initially writing
him off because of the corny moniker, but I soon realized I was missing
out. While 2010’s “The Marathon” is
rightfully revered, 2011’s “The Marathon Continues” may surpass it. While Nipsey raps about many of the worn-out
clichés in rap, he also seems to have a genuine desire to influence and inspire
many of his fans, repeatedly mentioning his own background as a Los Angeles
Crip, and how he managed to go from that to being a successful
entertainer. While that message can
occasionally get lost amid some of the less original material on the mixtape,
Hussle’s earnestness and determination to get his point across when he does
touch on serious subjects assures that his message never truly gets lost.
8. Royce Da 5’9” – Success Is Certain
The dominant storyline after the release of the Eminem &
Royce Da 5’9” collaboration “Bad Mets Evil: Hell The Sequel” was that Royce Da
5’9” finally woke up Eminem and pushed him to return to something approaching
his pre-Encore glory days. What got
lost in the shuffle was how the collaboration shook some cobwebs from Royce and
caused him to release his best album in 7 years. The inconsistent and occasionally lazy Royce of previous releases
is replaced with a hungry, focused, and on-edge monster. His flow more razor sharp than usual, Royce
crafts some exquisitely vicious 16’s, raging against just about the entire free
world. Clocking in at a lean 40:54,
“Success Is Certain” has no room for filler and leaves the listener wanting for
more. Judging by the amount of venom spewed by Royce on this release, he won’t
be done rapping anytime soon.
7. Big K.R.I.T. – Return of 4eva
Craftsmanship is an attribute that most rappers don’t
possess. Crafting an album that is a
cohesive whole as opposed to a random collection of singles usually is done at
the production level, or abandoned altogether. Big K.R.I.T.’s “Return of 4eva”
is as meticulously crafted an album as any released last year. The Intro, with a deep bass line and
beautiful horns, have K.R.I.T. talking about the feelings going through him
prior to beginning a set and relishing his arrival as a popular artist. The intro ends with the annoying buzz of an
alarm clock going off, and a neighbor banging on K.R.I.T.’s door, yelling at
him to turn it off. This intro, which clocks in at under two minutes, sets the
tone for the rest of the album, where K.R.I.T. vacillates between stories about
his dreams and better times, and the starkness of reality and how far away
those dreams can seem at times. A
thought provoking release from front to back, Big K.R.I.T. is a rapper for
anyone who has ever gone after their dreams, and anyone who has had their faith
in themselves tested.
6. Random Axe – Random Axe
When Random Axe is referred to as a super-group, people are
inevitably confused. Each member of the
group (Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Sean Price), is relatively anonymous to the
mainstream. While this group may not be
“Super” in terms of popularity, in terms of skill level, this is most
definitely a super-group. The real
architect of the sound of the album is rapper/producer Black Milk. Producing the entirety of the album, Black’s
production is not nearly as wild as on his “Black & Brown” collaboration,
but still possesses his unique sound affinity for pushing the envelope. His drum patterns are some of the best in
rap, and the beat for “Random Call” which may be my favorite beat of the year,
is a beautiful symphony of light piano keys, simple snare drum rhythms and
overload of subtle flourishes at various points throughout the song. Sean Price and Guilty Simpson do these beats
justice with strong verses throughout the album, showing that both are equal
parts gangster and comedian, pushing the violence and threats so far into the
absurd that they cease to be menacing and become funny as hell. There is no “concept” to the album, no
underlying message. Just 42 minutes of infinitely enjoyable hip-hop, from the 3
of the most overlooked in the industry.
5. Killer Mike – Pl3dge
Killer Mike burst onto the rap scene back in 2000, dropping
a guest verse on Outkast’s “Snappin’ and Trappin” off of their Stankonia
LP. If you’ve ever heard Mike at all, it was probably on Outkast’s 2001 single
“The Whole World”, where he had the show-stealing second verse. In the 10 years since then, Killer Mike has
consistently put out excellent material, yet somehow has been kept out of the
national consciousness. With each
release, Mike has gotten angrier and angrier, culminating in Pl3dge, an
album that frequently touches on various topics of social injustice and the
injustices done to Mike throughout his career.
Proving that there is no one safe from Mike’s rhymes, the opening lines
to “That’s Life 2” prove that:
Ms.
Oprah, Mr. Cosby I am right back at your ass
Without
honor, Mr. Obama please don’t walk out so fast
I got a
question, got a question, got a question for ya all
Why when
Oscar Grant got murdered we didn’t hear a peep from yall?!
Later in the album, “Burn” allows Mike to air many of his
grievances and frustrations, treating the track as more of an emotional
catharsis than a true discussion of issues, but it remains powerful just the
same. True to his history, however,
Killer is still an optimist and loves to see his fans succeed, closing the
album (minus bonus tracks) with “Follow Your Dreams” where he retells his past
failures to console the listener, showing that you’re only really a failure
when you give up for good. Mike closes the track out with the words “I want
this to be more than good music to you, I hope its inspiration for you.” Pl3dge
ignites powerful feelings throughout the album, but it leaves you in an
optimistic place. Even amongst all the
evils and the injustices in the world, Killer Mike is still hopeful for a
better future.
4. Elzhi – Elmatic
Nas’ Illmatic, is widely considered the greatest
album in Rap’s history. Over the years,
different rappers have tried their hand at recreating this masterpiece, with
varying results. Some stray too far away from the source material in tone or
content, some remain true to the vibe of Illmatic, but fail to really
put their own stamp on it, making one wonder why anybody wouldn’t just listen
to the original instead. Then in 2011, Elzhi, formerly of Slum Village, made
the perfect Illmatic tribute. With producer Will Sessions, Elzhi’s
Elmatic is the perfect homage, keeping the instrumentals just about the same,
but with occasional flourishes and adjustments that reflect Elzhi’s Detroit
home, and keeping the subject matter in the same ballpark, but infusing it with
Elzhi’s personal experiences setting it apart from Nas’ masterpiece as more of
a sibling than an inferior clone.
“Memory Lane” is one of the standouts on a project that is near flawless
from front to back, with Elzhi’s creative wordplay having him “take the train
of thought” deep into his mind, reminiscing about his favorite experiences from
his youth, remembering his mother before she had cancer, his first blunt,
watching Eminem freestyle battle at “The Hip Hop Shop”, among others. For those who regard Illmatic with the utmost
respect, this is a perfect tribute to that landmark album, showing how it
inspired the next generation of MC’s. For those who are unfamiliar with the
source material, Elmatic is the perfect window to a different time, before rap
dominated the airwaves, and lyricism and skill reigned supreme. There is not a rapper today who was better
suited to tackle a project like this than Elzhi, and Elzhi could not have
possibly done it any better.
3. Statik Selektah – Population Control
Compilation albums put out by DJ’s have become
commonplace. Since most albums have
become collections of singles without a unifying theme, why not just have a DJ
put together a ready-made party play list. While the likes of DJ Drama and DJ
Khaled put together these creativity lacking releases, Statik Selektah traffics
in pure, high quality hip-hop.
Producing the entirety of his projects, Statik has never been better,
with beautifully melodic beats from front to back on Population Control. Selektah also calls in a bevy of
ridiculously diverse guest appearances to fill out his album, from well
respected veterans like Styles P, Talib Kweli, & Sean Price, to up and
comers like Freddie Gibbs, Big K.R.I.T., Mac Miller, and Dom Kennedy, to
backpack legends like Brother Ali, and even Christian rapper Lecrae, who has
arguably the most impressive lyrical performance on the album. While Statik’s previous 2 releases have been
impressive projects, neither hold a candle to this masterpiece. Doesn’t matter where you start the album,
once you press play you won’t skip a track until the disc is over. This is collaborative hip-hop at its
absolute finest.
2. Saigon – The Greatest Story Never Told
For a while, it seemed like Saigon’s debut album would have
the most tragically accurate album title of all-time. Originally slated to come out back in 2006, the album was
constantly pushed back, and eventually was indefinitely shelved by Saigon’s
label, Atlantic Records. When Saigon
parted ways with Atlantic in 2008, it was thought the album was lost
forever. Well, 3 years later in 2011, The
Greatest Story Never Told finally solved the day, and is long a wait as it
was, it turned out to be worth every second.
Throughout the entire album, Saigon rails against the social injustices
going on in America. Instead of the
righteous anger of a Killer Mike, Saigon gets his message across with a tone
more desperate and heart-aching. Using
his own prison time for gun violence in the late 90’s as inspiration, Saigon
raps with an “I’ve been there before” charisma without glorifying his past at
all. On tracks like “Believe It”,
Saigon spits with such passion and sincerity, its hard not to empathize with the
man and his experiences. With only 2 guest verses on the entire album (Jay-Z,
Black Thought), this is sincerely
Saigon’s baby, and the album culminates with the emotionally draining finale,
“Too Long”, where Saigon tells stories of people in dire situations who somehow
found a way to turn themselves around. The detail in which Saigon describes
their descent is harrowing and gut-twisting, but only serves to make the
optimistic ending to the song that much more sunny in the end. The Greatest Story Never Told in no
way has a Disney ending, but it will leave you feeling like maybe change is
possible.
1. Kendrick Lamar – Section.80
Its not the way most people consume rap music these days,
but I still consider the ideal album as a single, cohesive, thought or
statement. It doesn’t have to have some abstract theme or anything like
that. I just feel an album at its best
should have a consistent tone or feeling, some thread that runs through it that
unifies all the individual tracks into a greater whole. No album in the last few years has
demonstrated that trait better than Kendrick Lamar’s independently released
album Section.80. Taken
individually, every track is a worthy listen, with uniquely engaging
production, and thought provoking, metaphorical lyrics aplenty. When everything
is put together, you get the best rap release of 2011. Rapping with a maturity
well beyond his 23 years (at time of release), Lamar illuminates the thoughts
and feelings of what its like being an 80’s baby in the ghetto. Tackling many
controversial and complicated topics like the high drug tolerance of the
younger generations and the fluidity of morality and justice, Kendrick voices
his opinions with conviction, even if his lyrics aren’t always clear. Kendrick’s abstract rhyme schemes and
metaphorical connections take many listens to dissect, and his message is often
not immediately apparent. This is an
album that is immaculately crafted from beginning to end, even making the skits
and interludes imperative to the overall theme and story. The
individual stories on many of the tracks are enthralling, whether it’s the female
protagonist in “Her Make-Up” where a young lady hides her emotional and
physical bruises with excessive make-up, or “Keisha’s Song” a heartbreaking
story of an abused woman who turns to prostitution. Section.80 is not a happy album, with uplifting songs basically
non-existent. It is however, an
essential album. This is an album that
will have anyone who listens to it closely, feel different by the end of
it. This album is an experience, and
after a thorough listen, you will understand. You will feel the importance of
what you just listened to, even if you can’t put a finger on it. You will then cue up track 1, and
start the whole thing over again.
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