2015 was a pretty phenomenal year for music. After the relatively dry 2014, we thought it was a drought, but the overwhelming amount of material made making our year-end list both very easy and very difficult. On one hand, there was a wealth of album to choose from, but on the other hand, a lot of great stuff had to be left on the cutting room floor.
Not only was there a great volume of music in 2015, but also a lot of variety. This list season has seen arguments between different generations of rap fans, mainly because there have been strong showings from traditionalists as well as from exciting new songwriters. Atlanta and the West Coast both had their share of big voices, as did Chicago. It's also been a year where rap and R&B have had more crossover than ever, and the presence of singers on the list is a good indication.
What's your pick for number one?
Rick Ross
30. Rick Ross- Black Market
Rick Ross has established his own sound, which hasn’t always paid off for him. The release of 2014’s Mastermind and Hood Billionaire found Rozay’s formula becoming a bit tired, with the stakes getting lower and lower and his mafioso raps becoming even further removed from his real life.
This year, Ross has been brought back down to earth, serving time under house arrest and getting engaged, two events that have forced him to investigate himself a little more closely. He’s also dropped the arena-trap sounds he’s favored since his game-changing "BMF" single, fully engrossing himself in the luxurious pop-leaning sounds of Deeper Than Rap -- the project in which many started to take him seriously as an artist.
As a result we get Rozay's most engaging project in some time, and putting full stake in his signature sound -- one that proves him as one of rap's more consistent auteurs.
Scarface
29. Scarface- Deeply Rooted
Scarface is one of the few legendary 90s rappers who's continued to put out great material over his long career. While The Diary and The Fix remain his indisputable classics, the Texas rapper's latest project Deeply Rooted is yet another strong addition to his already impressive body of work.
Influential producer N.O. Jones (the man behind UGK's Ridin' Dirty, Geto Boys' The Resurrection, and many of Scarface's solo projects) is behind the boards, and his melodic, distinctly southern sound has only grown more lush. Meanwhile Scarface's storytelling is as enthralling as its always been, and a strong assortment of guests lend soulful hooks (including a couple from fellow Texan Z-Ro) to the LP, fleshing out the songs into three dimensional forms.
Meek Mill
28. Meek Mill- Dreams Worth More Than Money
Meek Mill’s Dreams Worth More Than Money may have been the album thats value has depreciated the most since its release -- at least in the public eye -- which is pretty unfair, considering it has next to nothing to do with his music.
When DWMTM arrived, it was a triumphant statement from an artist who had just overcome the latest of many obstacles throughout his life (and with his most recent hearings, he's still fighting for his freedom). Even after his arguably un-winnable battle with Drake, Meek’s album holds up as a solid collection of honest street rap, impressive both in technicality and emotional resonance.
Meek is a man of principle, which sometimes means sticking it out through fights that don’t need to be fought, but it will always make him an interesting and charismatic artist.
Boosie
27. Boosie Badazz- Touch Down 2 Cause Hell
Boosie’s career arc is definitely an unconventional one, as the rapper was locked up just as he was starting to break through on a national level. We’ve seen other rappers robbed of their careers just as they started to make noise (Max B, Bobby Shmurda), but unfortunately, the narrative tends to end there.
Fortunately for Boosie, he’s got a second chance, and Touch Down 2 Cause Hell is it -- but it’s far from a celebration. Maybe it’s just the rapper’s embrace of darker trap-infused sounds, but his comeback album is pretty heavy -- more a post-prison project than a declaration of his newfound freedom. He’s as descriptive and unfiltered as ever, peppering his verses with very personal tidbits from his life.
In many ways it sounds like a continuation of 2014’s Life After Death Row mixtape, and could almost be played as a second disc (Boosie was promising Touch Down would be a double LP before the tape surfaced). It might not be the event record new fans were expecting from the newly hyped rapper, but in the context of his large body of work, it’s the confirmation that Boosie will never stop keeping it real.
Future & Drake
26. Drake and Future- What A Time To Be Alive
It's hard to argue that any rapper had a bigger year than Drake and Future. Both artists kept the hits coming throughout 2015, so it was only right that they'd ride out their successful runs with a joint project. Recorded over 6 days in Atlanta, WATTBA definitely feels a lot like a victory lap, but for something that exists essentially as nothing more than a powerful flex, it's a pretty solid listen.
From the infectious momentum of "Jumpman," to the pettiest of ballads in "Diamonds Dancing," What A Time certainly succeeded as the event it was cooked up to be, and while their solo output may have a little more longevity, this one should stand as a reminder of who had our ears in 2015.
Big Sean
25. Big Sean- Dark Sky Paradise
A measure of an album's impact can sometimes be wrongfully gauged by how many people are "talking about" it after its release. Sean's LP is one of those projects that didn't live that long as a conversation piece, but its singles remained in the public consciousness for a good chunk of the year. "I Don't Fuck With You" brought us into 2015 with an infectious pettiness, before "Blessings" took the wheel and drove yet another instantly quotable hook into our heads.
The rest of the LP holds up as well, with Sean finding the sweet spot between the dark textures and his always-animated delivery, perfecting his run-on sentence flow and using it to create urgency or just plain-old fun. It's an artist who's often had trouble finding his place arriving exactly where he's meant to be.
Fetty Wap
24. Fetty Wap- Fetty Wap
The first observation you might make from a look at the Fetty Wap tracklist is that its largely assembled from his large and impressive SoundCloud catalog. While the choice could be seen as lazy cash-in from the New Jersey rapper's label, but instead it plays as a necessary celebration of Fetty's early recordings.
Fetty has said that "Trap Queen" (his breakout hit, one of many this year) was the second song he ever wrote, and the rest of the album feels like it's grown out of that template. Melodies are reused, and the overall mood of the project rarely changes, but the spark of an important songwriter is there throughout. Many amazing ideas and a whole lot of potential are put forward over the deluxe edition's 20 tracks, and Fetty's growth as a songwriter is already apparent in the newer songs included.
The next wave of songs we hear from the prolific rapper will undoubtedly be more complex, but there's something very special about listening to this incredible first burst of creativity in full.
The Internet
23. The Internet- Ego Death
With Odd Future more divided than it’s ever been, bets weren’t necessarily on Syd Tha Kyd and Matt Martians' weirdo soul being one of the collective’s most successful acts, but with Ego Death, they’ve matured into one of the most confident new R&B acts going.
Upgrading from a duo to a full band, Syd and the gang have ironed out the endearing but visible kinks in their sound. They're still very much indebted to Pharrell’s songwriting, but now they're taking things into new, more interesting places than their N*E*R*D-worshipping peers. Syd has stepped up to be a powerful frontwoman, both in vocal ability and performance, and with such a talented band behind her, this is only the beginning.
Kehlani
22. Kehlani- You Should Be Here
Kehlani was one of a few artists (Drake, Young Thug) to release a “mixtape” exclusively through iTunes, but like her peers, her project plays like a proper album. “You Should Be Here” triumphs through Kehlani’s honest and unfiltered songwriting, as she rejects the half-whispered coos currently dominating R&B to belt out her confessional lyrics in all caps.
At a time when artists are being billed as the "next big thing" rather prematurely, YSBH sees Kehlani demonstrating the very star power she hinted at on previous releases.
Mac Miller
21. Mac Miller- GOOD AM
GOOD AM is Mac Miller’s first release on a major label, a considerable test for an artist who scored a number one album as a completely independent artist. Mac’s previous album Watching Movies With The Sound Off retreated from Miller’s frat-rap beginnings into a stoned haze, pairing cryptic stream of consciousness-rhymes with dusty MF DOOM-inspired self-production. His latest effort is yet another turn around, but one that merges his recent experimentation with the charisma Miller presented in the first place.
AM is the first album from Mac since he went through a self-prescribed detox (one that found him cutting down rather than going cold turkey), and throughout its twists and turns Mac comes off as someone attempting to better themselves. Here, Mac’s issues are aired out in plain speak rather than obscured by vocal effects and psychedelic imagery. As he comes out of his addictions, Mac has also realized that he’s strong enough to stand without crutches, and as a result, he's brought us his most confident work yet.
The Game
20. The Game- The Documentary 2
The Game has become known for his broad choice and large selection of features on his albums. As we've seen on his past work, Game has always had a knack for adapting to his guest's styles, which has made for varied but sometimes scattered projects. On The Documentary 2, the sequel to the rapper's 10-year-old debut, he uses the same approach, but instead of meeting his collaborators halfway, he brings them all into comfortable west-coast territory, referencing the region's past while still keeping one foot securely in the present.
Game's rapping has become much more nimble than it once was, as he's able to use his voice as a blunt force object, while still trading multi-syllabic rhymes with Kendrick Lamar. The LP is extremely long, but never overstays its welcome (and it's companion piece, Doc 2.5, similarly earns its runtime). A rare sequel that lives up to the name of its predecessor.
Bryson Tiller
19. Bryson Tiller- T R A P S O U L
Outside of Fetty Wap, Bryson Tiller might be the biggest breakout artist of 2015. His debut LP, T R A P S O U L, has been a mainstay on the album charts since its release -- an impressive feat for a brand new artist, and especially an R&B singer. Meanwhile, his slow-burning remix-favorite "Don't" is currently making its way into the top 20 of the Hot 100, where it approaches smash status.
The title of Tiller's album could be applied to much of the R&B floating around these days, and while the singer's sound isn't exactly groundbreaking, the songwriting is there, to the point that he doesn't feel the need to play the RnBass game for radio play. Instead, he sticks with crawling, intoxicating bedroom records that are well-written enough to take the airwaves despite their low tempo.
Donnie Trumpet
18. Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment- SURF
There really isn't anything else like SURF. The project was hard to grasp from the start, as it was first assumed to be Chance The Rapper’s official follow-up to Acid Rap, before being announced as the debut album from Social Experiment bandleader Donnie Trumpet. When it finally arrived, it was clear the project couldn't really be credited to one person in particular, thriving off of the collaboration of various instrumentalists and vocalists.
Chance serves as more of a tour guide (though there were plans to have Kanye do proper narration at one point), adding occasional vocals, but providing a presence throughout. Meanwhile, guests like D.R.A.M., Quavo, and Jeremih supply doses of pure joy, recalling the most elated portions of Kanye's College Dropout. It's an incredibly accessible assortment of sounds, and one that wears its heart on its sleeve, unafraid to express extreme sincerity when it might not be the most fashionable trait these days. None of it would work without the undeniable charisma of Chance leading us along, and we'll be following him on to whatever comes next.
Jay Rock
17. Jay Rock- 90059
While he was the first signed, Jay Rock isn't TDE's most immediately charismatic member, known mostly for his pulverizing, mean-mugged delivery and technical skill. Behind this weaponized rap style is a real heart and soul, and throughout 90059, we get a better look at Jay Rock the man, rather than Jay Rock the performer.
Complimenting his understated story-telling is the always effective production tricks of the TDE gang, as vocals are double-tracked, songs are seamlessly segued, and production creates an insular mood. Like Rock's vocals, the record is extremely precise, contrasting Kendrick's To Pimp A Butterfly with short bursts of energy that make up an economic 11-track effort. It's the ideal packaging TDE's most no-nonsense rapper.
Lupe Fiasco
16. Lupe Fiasco- Tetsuo & Youth
Lupe Fiasco has had many public disputes with his label over his music, always actively fighting for creative control of his output. After what seemed to be doomed to be another losing battle for the rapper, Lupe released Tetsuo & Youth, arguably the most uncompromising album of his career. Extremely long tracks, and some of his most dexterous rapping are present right off the bat, and as a result, Fiasco is more in his element than ever.
DJ Dahi and S1 are some of the rapper's best matches, giving him ambitious, but always very musical guides to his complex rhyme schemes, making for an 80-minute run of rappity-rap that never feels like a slog. That's an accomplishment in itself, but seeing Lupe pull it off after all his label drama is a particularly satisfying feeling.
The Weeknd
15. The Weeknd- Beauty Behind The Madness
No one could have predicted just how huge The Weeknd’s year was going to be. Following the middling Kiss Land, it was clear that Abel had to take a full step out of the shadows if he was to take his career to the next stage, but that step always comes with the possibility of failure.
Luckily, the singer was able to dip his toes in the water, teaming with Ariana Grande on the Max Martin-produced “Love Me Harder,” and proving his chops over a string arrangement on the 50 Shades-single, “Earned It”. When both songs became hits, it was clear which direction to take the album.
Beauty Behind The Madness does a great job of playing to Abel’s newfound pop strengths, while still channelling the darkness in his persona. It’s no accident that the project’s two biggest singles were it’s brightest (“Can’t Feel My Face”) and its most sinister (“The Hills”). Still, the best moments come somewhere in between, like the soul-sampling bachelor confessional “Tell Your Friends,” making the album a successful transition that doesn't forget where it came from.
14. Travis Scott- Rodeo
Travis Scott is one of the most divisive figures in rap, and his latest project RODEO didn’t do much to change that. However, it did have some undeniable moments. “Antidote” is the most straight-forward thing Scott has ever done, and its presence on the charts has proved the Houston rapper has the potential to reach an audience beyond his cult. Giving Rae Sremmurd the Mike Dean treatment, the single hits a sweet spot between ambitious and pop-minded, making for a hummable track that still features some thrilling production tricks. The same can be said for “Mariah, I’m Drunk,” proving that Travis is at his best when he moves toward the accessible. For the most part, RODEO’s strengths come through in one listen, with Travis and Dean putting their heads together to create an impressive SOUND first and foremost. The hooks are just a plus.
13. Earl Sweatshirt- I Don’t Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside
Earl’s self-titled album now feels like a sketch -- a brilliant first draft we weren’t meant to see -- just another step along a teenager’s way to figuring out who the hell he is. On his third full-length, Earl finally knows. I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside is not a retreat from real life but an embrace of one that might be a little misunderstood. Introversion is usually seen as irregular social behavior to the extroverted world, the same audience who will read the album as bleak and depressing. If you can’t find humor and relatability in the title, you probably won’t find it in the album either, but it’s there. For the first time, Earl is completely in his element, a place where he does things on his own terms -- patching together short bursts of songs with wandering instrumentals, and letting his ideas live without the need for outside approval -- seems like a pretty happy place to be.
FREDDIE GIBBS
12. Freddie Gibbs- Shadow Of A Doubt
Freddie Gibbs may be perpetually underrated, but those who tend to occupy that lane (E-40, DJ Quik) often tend to have the largest and most consistent catalogs in the business. With Shadow Of A Doubt, Gibbs is working his way up there, delivering his most assured project yet, bouncing off of the insular Pinata with a project filled to the rim with collaborators. Freddie manages to bring each of the varied guests and producers a little closer to his pace, and challenges himself by taking on more adventurous production. The biggest shift is the Gary rapper’s newfound embrace of melody, which results in a beautiful street ballad called “Basketball Wives”. It's just another example of Gibbs putting 100% into every track he records.
Dr. Dre
11. Dr. Dre- Compton
Dr. Dre’s final chapter seemed like it would never arrive, and the potential singles from the project (“Kush,” “I Need A Doctor”) suggested that if it ever did, it wouldn’t be worth our time. Compton is therefore surprising in two ways -- 1. it exists 2. it’s pretty damn good!
Three decades in the game, with two game-changing solo LPs under his belt, Dre made the smart decision (both as an artist and a businessman) not to attempt to push things forward this time around, instead looking all the way back to the beginning of his career. Rather than a modest nostalgia trip, Compton is (much like its film companion) a full-out blockbuster, enlisting help from the Aftermath stable, as well as promising newcomer Anderson .Paak, who provides some of the album’s most memorable moments.
Alongside the young guns are Dre’s old buddies like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and Xzibit (possibly the hungriest we’ve ever heard him), who (with the exception of a tone-deaf Eminem verse) all fit perfectly into Dre’s age-defying soundscapes.
ASAP Rocky
10. ASAP Rocky- A.L.L.A.
While the rap single is stronger than it’s ever been, and a hit is still the best way to ensure a release date, a few artists have proved that the proper album format is still a very successful format. ASAP Rocky has always been an album artist, crafting cohesive statements under the visionary watch of ASAP Yams. Still, to a certain audience, he’s still defined by his biggest single “Fuckin’ Problem,” something he’s been vocal about escaping in interviews, and with A.L.L.A., he’s done just that.
The project finds Rocky creating a cohesive, psychedelic world alongside Dangermouse, making for a whole where no song is of higher value than another. Guitar-oriented sounds are implemented across the board, and in many ways, it plays more like a modern rock album than a rap album, as one producer’s touch is present throughout.
Rocky has always been a great curator (by way of Yams), and it makes sense that he would apply the skill to fine-tuning a sound rather than chasing a hot single, and A.L.L.A. is proof that he chose the right path.
Miguel
9. Miguel- WILDHEART
Miguel somehow managed to bring up his comparisons to Frank Ocean again this year, but with his album WILDHEART he proved them silly and unnecessary. Moreso than ever, Miguel is a peerless artist, exploring territory within R&B and soul that makes no eye contact with artists within the genre, side-stepping all trends and coming through with something truly exciting. More important than the sound however, is the performance. Miguel is a great writer, but he’s also a star, and WILDHEART captures the energy and sexuality in his live performances more faithfully than ever.
Rae Sremmurd
8. Rae Sremmurd- SremmLife
If you’ve been following rap media, you’ll know that Rae Sremmurd have recently been at the center of an age-old debate between old-heads and young’ns. The Sremm Bros are hitmakers first, and what makes them special is not necessarily their bar-for-bar abilities (though they’re really nothing to scoff at), but their songwriting craft. As Pusha T recently pointed out, not many rappers are capable of making the kind of records Swae Lee and Slim Jimi put together, as it requires a sense of structure lyric-focused emcees often lack. “No Type” and “This Could Be Us,” are as catchy as they are unique, which has resulted in Swae quickly accumulating a collection of biters.
SremmLife is the duo’s debut project and it already plays like a greatest hits. Anyone writing singles this universal and original deserves to be celebrated accordingly. 20 years from now, it won’t be hard to imagine the old heads praising Sremm over the new kids on the block. It’s a vicious cycle, but SremmLife will easily survive it.
Ty Dolla Sign
7. Ty Dolla $ign- Free TC
Ty Dolla $ign’s debut has been a long time coming. The L.A. singer became one of the most in-demand voices in R&B and rap over the last two years, whether he was actually on the hook or just contributing some very legible penmanship (Chris Brown’s “Loyal”).
He also released a strong succession of free mixtapes, which established the ratchet R&B sound that became his calling card (and would later be taken out of his hands by less talented artists), but also hinting at a wider range of styles, composing warmer, live-instrumentation-driven records alongside his clubbier outings while always keeping his goofy, exaggerated, bachelor persona at the forefront.
His more recent outings were also over-stuffed with what felt like label-placed features, and “Free TC” seemed like an opportunity to give us more of the reason we came to Ty’s work -- Ty, and to let him tell the story he’s been hinting at throughout his career. Centered around his brother, TC, who’s locked up for a murder Ty insists he didn’t commit, the album posits a critique of the prison industrial complex.
As we’ve seen on even his most political records (“Stand For”), Ty relies mostly on feeling to convey his thoughts on the issue -- framing the set of songs with candid phonecalls from his brother, giving us a sense of their relationship and the hopeless scenario he’s found himself in. He rarely broaches the subject on record, but the pain and urgency is there, from the beautiful string arrangements that run throughout the project much like Kendrick's jazz ensemble, to the powerful falsetto experiment on "Wherever". In Dolla $ign's world, some emotions are too hard express to through lyrics, but the notes speak louder than the words.
Young Thug
6. Young Thug- Barter 6
As most “debut” projects are these days, Young Thug’s “Barter 6” was hyped up as an event album -- between the controversy around the title, the cover, and Thug himself, the chaos around the release seemed sure to be translated in the music, but when it arrived, it stood as Thugger’s most nuanced and reserved songwriting yet.
At first glance, B6 looks like a spiritual companion to the Rich Gang, and as it was assembled from many of the same sessions -- in some ways it is. The contributions from London On Da Track hit the same hypnotically colorful pleasure points as the best of RG’s songs, but it’s actually the ironically-named producer Wheezy (handling 9 songs to London’s 4) who’s the driving force of the project’s sound. The skeletal, but still incredibly warm and always slightly out of focus instrumental for “Constantly Hating” sets the tone for the record, side-stepping Atlanta’s constantly advancing arms race of trunk rattling sub-bass and piercing sirens and instead playing directly to Thug’s more refined strengths.
Nothing matches the unique energy of Thug’s explosive club singles “Stoner” and “Danny Glover,” but B6 trades in the unpredictable highs of previous projects like 1017 Thug and ICFN2 for a moodier, more cohesive whole. It’s a project that plays best on loop, and one that’s impossible not to immerse yourself in.
Jeremih
5. Jeremih- Late Nights: The Album
The arrival of Jeremih’s album may have been 2015’s biggest surprise. After years of promises, the perpetually-delayed project had become something of a punchline, to the point that even when ‘Mih released his excellent new single, “Oui,” in October, it was assumed to be yet another tease.
When Late Nights: The Album did materialize out of the blue in December, all was forgiven. Naturally, the project picks up where the mixtape left off, and while ‘Mih’s competition has had a few years to run with the sound in his absence, we now know it shouldn’t be trusted in anyone else’s hands but its creator.
Jeremih has always had a touch with sequencing, and his latest follows suit. The late inclusion of “Planez” is redeemed by its perfect placement as the opening track, as the transcendent ballad gives way to an exhilarating run of club-oriented R&B -- done Jeremih’s way -- with only the bare essentials present. The project then gradually descends into an equally awe-inspiring suite of slow jams, but it’s in the final moment that the project truly earns the title of R&B album of the year.
“Paradise” was said to be inspired by the Beatles, and in some weird way, it does almost resemble a stripped-down soul number from the White Album. However, its unique appeal can not be overstated, as ‘Mih croons over a spare arpeggiated guitar line in a delirium and drug-induced state of euphoria, as floored as we are by the events of the last 40 minutes as much as the previous night’s hijinks. “Who could have known it’d be this good?”.
Vince Staples
4. Vince Staples- Summertime 06
Vince Staples became an important cultural commentator this year, yet it didn’t necessarily have anything to do with his music. Staples is the rare artist who’s better at critiquing culture than the people covering him, which led to him opening interesting conversations and giving some of the best interviews we saw this year -- did we mention he’s fucking hilarious?
Still, his newfound status as a talking head led to his album being slightly overshadowed, which is too bad seeing as all of the nuance and personality that Staples displays, on say, his Twitter account, is just as present in his music.
Staples raps with a certain matter-of-factness that allows his lines to land with a sting. No word could be added or left out of any of his raps, using strong simple imagery to give us a look into his teenage years growing up and observing the gang activity in Long Beach, California (“they found another dead body in the alley”).
No ID oversees the entire process, mentoring and developing Vince in a way that feels endearingly traditional. Adding some experimental edge to ID’s masterful executive production are DJ Dahi and Clams Casino, altogether sculpting a sound that pulls tastefully from the time in which Vince’s story is set -- nodding to the wonky minimalism of the Neptunes in parts.
Like Earl Sweatshirt’s I Don’t Like Shit…, Vince has created a very tight world within his album, but it reaches outward instead of inward, creating an inclusive environment of collaborators, and speaking through but far beyond his personal experiences.
Drake
3. Drake- If You're Reading This It's Too Late
“Hotline Bling” was Drake’s biggest moment of the year, but the project that started off his 2015 run couldn’t have been farther removed from it. “Bling” is a hit in the most traditional sense, a huge, melodic, relatable hook, uplifted by a warm feel that allows easy entry. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is by comparison, cold, guarded, and paranoid, yet -- as is the power of Drake -- still spawned countless hits.
Drake began the year sitting at the top, but by no means comfortably. As someone who’s always thought 10 steps ahead, Drizzy is watching the throne while occupying it. IYRTITL finds the OVO rapper constantly looking over his shoulder, whether it be at his label, the women in his life, or his competition -- with each of his many subliminal disses feeling more like a power move than an act of pettiness. There’s a reason this was the year he decided to bully Meek Mill out of the equation. Anyone who challenges his place will be made an example of, and that mix of anxiety and ego is the driving force of the project.
Taking his “No New Friends” mantra to the extreme, the tape is also his most unapologetically Toronto offering to date, featuring production almost entirely pulled from his city, and giving his hometown an official anthem with “Know Yourself”.
The scent of the incense from Take Care has all but left the studio at this point, replaced with frigid, skeletal arrangements that scrape knuckles with the rapper’s decidedly mean-mugged delivery.
Drake has always been vocal about his music creating a “moment,” and IYRITL might be his most precise achievement of that goal in full-length. Whether that works for or against the project in the long run is yet to be seen.
Future
2. Future- DS2
Just when it seemed Future couldn’t do any more to 2015, he dropped his most universal project to date. From the first line of DS2, it was clear that the man behind 2015’s most beloved mixtapes had saved his most widely appealing material for the album. “I just fucked your bitch in some Gucci flip-flops” was the first of many lines that would be repeated throughout the year, but it would give way to a few that cut deeper.
“I'mma choose the dirty over you / You know I ain't scared to lose you,” Future croaks only a few seconds later, giving us an idea of the complicated, unhealthy relationship he has with drugs and women from the jump. The second track “I Serve The Base” then hits like a freight train, taking “Move That Dope’s” warped nostalgia and filtering it through Trent Reznor. Impossibly bleak, while still inspiring the most spastic of turn-up arms, the song represents the appeal of 2015 Future output quite perfectly. Sometimes the dark and the light aren’t mutually exclusive.
Kendrick Lamar
1. Kendrick Lamar- To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly was released in March, and nine months later, we’re still picking it apart. The incredibly dense follow-up to good kid, m.A.A.d. city is best digested in one sitting, but even its pieces have proved important cultural symbols. “Alright” has become a mantra of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, its chorus sung by protesters at the recent Laquan McDonald march. The LP has also spawned some of the most inventive music videos of the year (“Alright,” “These Walls,” “King Kunta”), proving that, while sometimes criticized for its seeming inpenetrability, there are many entry points.
There is so much to say about the project, and not much that hasn’t already been said. Kendrick is just one of many brilliantly moving parts, expressing a multitude of perspectives on fame, injustice, and self-love, all of which framed through the tragic reality of simply living in America as a black man. Even when his concepts and rhyme schemes are at their most complex, K-Dot brings a very human performance, expressing anger, pain, and joy, not only through his words, but his voice, which remains his most uniquely powerful weapon.
The music itself echoes the album’s themes, drawing from black art across generations, as funk legend George Clinton and west coast gangsta rap pioneer Snoop Dogg provide vocals, while a mini-jazz band including masterminds Thundercat and Kamasi Washington draws lines between the many disparate but interconnected styles.
To Pimp A Butterfly seems destined to be remembered as an important moment in time, and one we can hopefully trace change from.