With 2020 now underway we thought we'd take a quick look at some of the best albums that came out in 2019 from the Hip Hop genre - just like we did this time last year for 2018.
Before we get all excited about the albums that are promised in 2020, we felt it was important to look back at what hip hop has gifted us with in the past 12 months. It's definitely been what seems a quieter year for Hip Hop, and I don't think it is too out-landish to say that 2019 has not been up to the stellar standards set by the two years prior. That being said, we think there has still been some gems that have come out this year. Essentially, this is 5 albums that we think you should go back and check out if you may have missed them. This list is in absolutely no particular order (and neither is the honourable mentions list at the bottom).
Anyway, here are our favourite hip hop albums of 2019:
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Bandana
"Get it, like Meech and Slick say, but she no comprende
When I'm chopping shit up like a sensei to get to rent day
My trunk got more blocks than Dikembe"
June this year was the backdrop for the second collaborative album by Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - 'Bandana'. Similar to their 2014 record 'Piñata', Madlib's use of well thought out and eclectic samples make his production the perfect setting for Gibbs' unmistakable gritty voice and bold, tricky flows.
The first striking thing about this album is the sense of nostalgia it immediately bestows upon you. This duo is comprised of two legends in the game and that is apparent right away. Gibbs released his first mixtape, 'Full Metal Jackit', in 2004 and a lot of his bars on 'Bandana' wouldn't be out of place on there. He's truly retained his raw style throughout his now fairly lengthy career. To back this up, Madlib's old school style of beat making is instantly recognisable. Up until around ten years ago he had been under Stones Throw Records and producing mainly under the alias 'Quasimoto'. His use of sampling is still second-to-none and this is obvious on 'Bandana' in my personal favourite track- 'Crime Pays' where he samples Walt Barr's 'Free Spirit'... Dilla-esque in many ways.
This record is a simple hip-hop album. Madlib creates off-kilter and hoppy beats that Gibbs 'gangster' raps over. Their formula is unchanged, the content remains the same and it feels like home. Where I have seen other reviewers comment on how Madlib has altered his previously low-fi sound to create what is a much more intricate infantry of beats on this record, I feel this is something Madlib had, he just needed a more nimble, eager and animated Gibbs to back this up.
Perhaps, what I've written is slightly short sighted and we are all in fact blinded by feelings of nostalgia on this one. But I love the album and feel it is what hip-hop needs.
Fat Joe and Dre - Family Ties
A collaborative effort with Dre from Cool and Dre, Family Ties provides trap banger after banger. The beats on this album were just so clean. This album simply doesn't have one weak song, even the songs I like less are still ones I'd happily listen to (YES for example). Aside from the hard instrumentals and Dre and Fat Joe providing solid verse after verse, this album was really made by the impressive features. Remy Ma, Lil Wayne, Jerimih, Bryson Tiller, Mary J. Blige and Eminem all did incredible jobs on their features. This isn't as a surprise as I reckon when they heard the beats, they probably couldn't believe their luck - none of them missed the opportunity to turn a great beat into a great song. 'Pullin' was a little left-field but easily listenable once digested a few times. 'Hands on You' and 'Drive' are some of the smoothest songs in the year by far. 'Lord Above' probably provided Eminem's best feature verse of 2019, however it did spark 3 woeful diss tracks from Nick Cannon which we really didn't need, but atleast it made the internet interesting for a little bit. 'Heavan & Hell' was a great trap interpolation of my favourate Wu-Tang song 'Tearz', it was great to hear Joe and Dre pull that off, I'm so glad they did. I'm pretty sure the original Wu-Tang version has taken the hook as a sample, but 'Tearz' was the only song I thought of when I heard 'Heavan & Hell'. An album with nice bars, awesome production and great hooks, this album should definitely not go unnoticed as one of the best hip hop albums of 2019.
Dave - Psychodrama
It’s rare to hear UK rappers, never mind a 20-year-old man, pour their raw emotions out into one project, ignoring the pressures of commercial lyricism; talking about cars, women and jewellery. On his debut album, Psychodrama, Dave provided a confident and accomplished piece of work taking the art of concept-albums to a new level in British rap.
This 11 song project formats itself as a discussion between a therapist and Dave – where he reveals to us all the problems he faced in his youth. From elaborating on the pain of his 'idol' brother being incarcerated to explaining the state of his mental health, the rapper was not afraid to expose himself to the world.
Throughout this record, we consistently see Dave using his lyrical ability to give us bars with double meanings to show us that often things at face-value may appear to be good but with deeper thought, it is clear that it is quite the contrary: “You see the club poppin' when we do the show/ But you don't see the studio, my life is not a movie, bro / Champagne bottles and all the screaming girls / It's ironic how you'll never hear a scream for help
Fuckin' hell, why do you think we're going through the same thing?
Depression when you make it, the pressure and the hatred”
It is hard to find a wasted line throughout the album and with these words being accompanied by a mellow piano sound, often played by Dave himself, it is hard to see past this tape as being a ground-breaking moment for UK rap.
The album kicks off with a mysterious synth noise which sets the tone for the album. Here he begins to address his mental health in a way that has not really been seen before by an individual associated to the grime scene “I’m probably battling with manic depression / Man I think I’m going mad again / It’s like I’m happy for a second then I’m sad again". The instrumental switch up halfway through the songs is also a foresight for what the rest of the album holds. We are briefly allowed to take a break away from the consistently crude tone with songs such as ‘Location’ and ‘Voices’ that provide us a more upbeat sound that gives some hope to Dave and the rest of us listening. The final track ‘Drama’ starts off with a voice message from the rapper’s older brother who is in prison. This piece is truly extraordinary as Dave has no insecurity about revealing to us, what would otherwise be, an extremely private conversation between two brothers. Dave’s thoughts pour out of him as if it were his last opportunity to speak to the man he looked up to: “Losing dad was big, losing you was even bigger. Never had a father and I needed you to be the figure. We're forgetting that we had a brother that was even bigger. We were figures just tryna' figure out who could be a figure”
This album truly resonated with an enormous amount of people who may have been going through a difficult time in their life and Dave was able to successfully connect with them and demonstrate the importance of not being scared about revealing your scars. Psychodrama achieved a no.1 and deservedly was recognised by winning the prestigious Mercury Prize. Hopefully this is just the start for Dave and that his future projects will be able to creatively equal or even exceed his performance on Psychodrama.
Tyler, The Creator - IGOR
"My brother said I'm on the spectrum
Don't call me selfish, I ain't sharin'
This 60-40 isn't workin'
I want a hundred of your time, you're mine"
He did it again. Tyler's sixth studio album was released in May and it didn't disappoint. This introspective album of antagonism, denial and acceptance is the result of a perfectionist becoming the master of his own style. He is a creator in every sense of the word.
I have to start by asking if this album should even be included in this article. Not down to it's lack of quality, but rather it's inability to be placed. Tyler himself said that this project is not a rap album - "Don't go into this expecting a rap album." For me, this creates a lack of boundaries. Tyler is just producing whichever way he wants to on this record... it's fresh and liberating to do so. I'm not saying that Tyler has created a genre like much of his cult following believe, or even that he's taken a genre to place it hasn't been before, broadening it's horizons. I think he's rejected the idea of genres all together on this project and simply said "Fuck it, I'm doing me."
The first track 'IGOR'S THEME' comes in with a hard, disjointed and syncopated drum loop sampled from Head West's 'Attention'. The tone is immediately set. This record is going to be forceful and defiant. While 'IGOR'S THEME' appears insignificant I see it as a statement of intent and a foreshadowing for the rest of the album. Tyler lays this track down like a chef sharpening his knife or a footballer lacing up his boots. We are then met by tales of self loathing on tracks like 'EARFQUAKE' with the line "Don't leave, it's my fault" countered with a man arrogantly knowing his worth on 'GONE, GONE / THANK YOU" where Tyler says " I hope you know she can't compete with me." But this record ends on a much softer tone of acceptance, reaching a calm and peaceful place. 'ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?" is the closing track and it seems Tyler is at peace with the relationship he struggled with at the beginning of the album. The whole album is, in my eyes, a painful yet eventually resolved tale of a break up and the emotions that come with this. Tyler appears to have moved on.
This album really is a work of art produced, written and arranged by Tyler, the Creator. It's pretty and thoughtful lyrics met by harsh and bitter lyrics accompanied by rough synths, abrupt stops, off key melodies, falsetto vocals and moody drums. This deeply personal album gave us another brutally real look into Tyler's mind and made him almost relatable and human. If his future projects come close to the level of 'IGOR' and 'Flower Boy'; Tyler is going to have a seriously impressive discography to look back on.
Boogie - Everything for Sale
Coming at the top of the year in January, this was Boogie's first release since being signed to Shady Records. Despite it coming out in January, it has left a lasting impression on me throughout the whole year. The dreary vocals, mixed with the chilled, low-key trap instrumentals gave this album a unique quality compared to a lot of other stuff that came out this year. This album had a sort of moody aesthetic that tapped into themes such as relationship issues, confidence issues, and was very reflective as well. Many were very conversational, like a conversation between a couple, but also a lot of verses felt as though Boogie was talking to himself. Everything for Sale was a great introduction to Boogie's mind and the depths of his self-analysis. For me, this was the first project I've heard from Boogie and I thought it was a brilliant introduction to his music. Behind all of this though, is what I like most about this album, is some incredible lyricism. Be it his use of alliteration, his delivery (impeccable ability to alter his cadences), or his nice use of multi-syllable rhyme schemes, the way he flows down his bars is amazing. He complements the beats so well, they bring so much out of Boogie, and it works vice versa as he only accentuates the instrumentals too. My favourite tracks were 'Silent Ride', 'Skydive', 'Live 95', 'Self-Destruction' and 'Time'.Honourable Mentions:
Denzel Curry - ZUU
AJ Tracey - AJ Tracey
Yelawolf - Trunk Muzik 3
Yelawolf - Ghetto Cowboy
Obie Trice - The Fifth
Young Thug - So Much Fun
YBN Cordae - The Lost Boy
Loyle Carner - Not Waving, But Drowning
Dreamville - Revenge of the Dreamers 3
Griselda - WWCD
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