241 rap albums were released from January 1st to June 30th of this year. These are the top 15.
15. EVERYBODY – LOGIC [may 5]
Kudos to Sir Robert Bryson Hall III for talking about his struggles with anxiety in Everybody, his third studio effort and, apparently, next to last. Everybody squeaks into this list because of the sheer loftiness of subject matter (blackness, the human experience, the institution of religion, mental health, social media…) and the technical skill we’ve grown accustomed to, despite a decidedly weak (and occasionally bordering on superficial) execution of the chosen themes. Perhaps Logic simply tried to tackle too many topics, but in a year dominated by mumble-rap, he gets points for taking on tough subjects in the first place.
14. SHINE – WALE [april 28]
After the birth of his child in July 2016, Wale came to the table with SHINE, a positive, laid-back LP with Caribbean and African beats expressing his change of character. He elaborates on this theme in “Thank God,” the opener, and continues with “My Love,” “Running Back” featuring Lil Wayne, and “MY PYT.” Unfortunately for music followers, all three of those were released as singles. While this isn’t a terrible offense, it does take a little bit of excitement out of the first listen. For those familiar with PnB Rock’s album Going Through The Motions, SHINE feels like a more developed version of GTTM.
13. RATHER YOU THAN ME – RICK ROSS [march 17]
Rozay is his usual bull-in-a-china-shop self on Rather You Than Me, romping and roaring over beats that would’ve burnt Miami down in 2009. The Dade County don boasts and brags and throws it back to the Maybach Music heyday on tracks like “Dead Presidents “(featuring Future and Jeezy), “She On My Dick” with Gucci Mane, and “Trap Trap Trap”, assisted by strong Wale and Young Thug appearances. Ross has always been able to draw a crowd, but the collection of guests carries the album this time around, instead of simply supplementing it. The 41-year-old made one last splash before (hopefully) riding off into the sunset with some fat business deals—nobody wants to hear their favorite uncle talk about his pee fetish.
12. BIG FISH THEORY – VINCE STAPLES [june 23]
Big Fish Theory finds Vince Staples making a sharp break with the dark, discordant and decidedly mainstream (though excellent) Summertime ’06 to rap half-verses over house music. Staples is still himself, but the weight-of-the-world, plainspoken hyperawareness he traded on in his debut is hidden behind a gleaming mask of techno-club-banger production. Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Flume, Kilo Kish, and Juicy J chip in on a startlingly short (36 minutes!) but undeniably interesting foray that only Staples himself can describe: “When the Vince Staples playing, it’s 2029, bro.”
11. HNDRXX – FUTURE [february 24]
The latter, better half of the codeine crooner’s February diptych, HNDRXX shows Future leaning into melody like he hasn’t since Pluto and making what he called “the album I always wanted to make.” Some thought of HNDRXX as the king of Atlanta rap’s (inevitable?) R&B album, but tracks like Fresh Air are downright island-tropical, and the MC sounds like himself on radio bangers “Comin’ Out Strong” and “Selfish,” (featuring The Weeknd and Rihanna, respectively), though the beats are not as murky as we’re used to. But nobody sounds cooler over horns, guitars, or really anything else.
10. I DECIDED – BIG SEAN [february 3]
The heir to Eminem’s Detroit rap throne brought an interesting concept to his fourth studio album, presented as a discourse between 2017 Big Sean and an elderly Big Sean of the future. There are also a few instances in which Sean talks with his mother. The album also displays a recent stress in Sean’s life in songs like “Light,” “Halfway Off The Balcony,” and “Jump Out The Window.” I Decided functions as a window into the Detroit MC’s headspace. Sean is able to bring all of these aspects together into one theme through a collection of varying sounds.
9. PAINTING PICTURES – KODAK BLACK [march 31]
“I don’t rap, I illustrate / I don’t paint pictures, I picture paint.” Unlike the rest of his fellow “mumble rappers,” Kodak chooses storytelling over party anthems on Painting Pictures, which puts him near the top of his sub-genre. The 2016 XXL Freshman Class member boasts on his documentary, Project Baby, that he can use words so well that the listener can envision themselves in his position: “Like a state trooper, I make my money on the road / I remember hittin’ houses, n*gga, cash for gold / These streets made me lose my conscience, took a n*gga soul.” (“Conscience”) The album gives the listener an inside look into the life of a “project baby” and his crew.
8. GRATEFUL – DJ KHALED [june 23]
DJ Khaled’s ability to round up the proper artists and producers to create hit tracks is undeniable. Grateful is arguably his best work. Khaled keeps the good vibes of his Snapchat stories coming in seemingly ad-libbed, background noises on a few of the tracks. Future, Migos, Travis Scott, and Rick Ross fans salivate at the tracklist, which features those artists frequently. However, A DJ Khaled album is basically just a collection of singles that are aimed at the radio, with little cohesiveness. In a lot of cases on this album, that strategy is effective. This album brings multiple hits, with a few shortfalls that took the impressive names down with them. The lack of message and occasional status as less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts is what prevents this top-heavy album from being higher on the list.
7. CULTURE – MIGOS [january 27]
After years of mixtapes leading to Atlanta radio stardom and a subpar debut LP, Migos’ second effort Culture took it up a notch and swept the world with club bangers “Bad and Boujee,” “T-Shirt,” “Slippery,” and “Kelly Price.” Dab fever followed, plus the memes that come with all popular trap music albums. Relatives Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff had struck gold before on “Versace,” “Fight Night,” and “Handsome and Wealthy,” but finally pieced together a well-rounded collection of tracks this time around. Migos’ signature ad-libs, obvious chemistry, and distinct differences took Culture up a notch and took over the culture.
6. PRETTY GIRLS LIKE TRAP MUSIC – 2CHAINZ [june 16]
Aside from a few fiery features in the past four years, and the critically-panned COLLEGROVE, 2Chainz has dropped off the map since “Feds Watching” and B.O.A.T.S. II #METIME. Without the weight of expectations, he came back strong with Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, his fourth studio album and perhaps the most over-performing work of the year so far. The production is strong and cohesive, but diverse, and 2Chainz’ signature metaphors and laugh-out-loud wordplay pull it all together. And with features from Quavo, the rest of the Migos crew, Travis Scott, Swae Lee, and Drake, Pretty Girls Like Trap Music is a reminder that 2Chainz’ swag is still to be taken seriously.
5. ROSEBUDD’S REVENGE – ROC MARCIANO [february 21]
The Long Island legend of underground rap’s fourth studio album Rosebudd’s Revenge took listeners on an international crime spree from Burkina Faso to Venezuela to Wichita, but didn’t follow a linear storyline. Rather, Roc’s bars roll through Ghostface-style non-seqiturs (“There’s no lid on the ride / I rhyme and pimp on the side / Steak with the shrimp on the side”) and sketch scenes in three dimensions (“Bout to cop the Rolls with no tints, fish bowl / French toast then hit up Saks’ Fifth for trench coats / sink your boat / your body wash up somewhere in Glen Cove”). Take the sum of Marciano’s mafioso musings, add hazy, crackling production, and sprinkle in some of the coldest samples the game has heard since Kendrick’s grandma needed her van back, and you get the underground album of the year. Rosebudd’s Revenge isn’t for everyone, but it wormed its way into our ears.
4. THERE’S REALLY A WOLF – RUSS [may 5]
Mixed, mastered, produced, and performed exclusively by Russ himself, There’s Really a Wolf is the debut LP of the year. The Atlanta MC picks a lane—specifically, mid-tempo, caramel-smooth pop-rap—and stays in it for twenty tracks, but not without touching a wide range of genres from R&B (“Ride Slow”), Toronto-rap (“Do It Myself”), and even psychedelic indie bedroom pop (“Cherry Hill”). Consider this album a strong first step toward stardom (where will he go from here?), but a standout in its own right as well. This should catapult the 24-year-old onto the scene.
3. MORE LIFE – DRAKE [march 18]
After a lot of early hate, More Life quickly aged into one of the best albums of the first half of 2017. Drake’s embrace of Caribbean dancehall influences and UK grime, and his unmatched ability to create slick, memorable hooks, put his seventh full-length into the top three this year. The Toronto godfather’s insistence on calling the album a “playlist” because of the changes in mood and sheer amount of songs is possibly a little corny, but not necessarily inaccurate. Effortless verses, radio- and bedroom-ready hooks, and tastemaking production—chalk another one up to the titan of Toronto rap. More on this album later.
2. ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ – JOEY BADA$$
The 22-year old lyrical phenom blasts onto the scene with this bold, in-your-face album. With a track-list ranging from chill Jamaican vibes (“DEVASTED” and “TEMPTATION”) to hardcore New York style spitting (“ROCKABYE BABY” and “RING THE ALARM”), the Brooklyn-born artist ties together the old and new of New York City’s rap scenes in an album that digs deep on racial issues in America without resorting to cliches or tired talking points. Schoolboy Q contributes one of the verses of the year and J. Cole adds his last feature of his career. Tune in for more on AABA, coming soon.
1. DAMN. – KENDRICK LAMAR
No surprises here. Listeners have grown accustomed to Kendrick’s storytelling ability throughout his career, especially in his last two studio releases; and though Damn. wasn’t tied together into a single storyline quite like previous K. Dot classics Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City and To Pimp A Butterfly, the Compton M.C. still fashioned an alternately powerful, catchy, thought-provoking, and radio-ready collection of tracks with plenty to dig into. It includes a made-to-order beat on “DNA” and one of the best rap love songs of the 2010s (“Love”). Again, more on this album coming soon.
*We currently do not have access to Jay-Z’s 4:44, which was released exclusively on Tidal. We’ll get to it. Stay tuned.
~follow The Chop on Twitter @Chop_HipHop~
(chop it up) 