MY ALBUMS & ARTISTS OF 2013

MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (2013)

1.     MY NAME IS MY NAME- Pusha T

Early this year, Pusha T threw a tantrum for not being put on MTV’s hottest rappers in the game list. I rolled my eyes, despite the fact that I thought he deserved to be in there, especially since his G.O.O.D Music cohort Big Sean made the list. Enter Pusha’s debut album My Name Is My Name, a body of work BBC’s Zane Lowe described as the most uncompromising album of the year (not to mention Pusha does the best dedication to Ma$e on Let Me Love You). In a year of semi-sequels, emotionally-tinged albums and rappers going platinum before releasing albums (damn you Jay-Z), My Name Is My Name is what all those other albums simply should’ve been about first & foremost: rap! That’s not to diss any other rapper or to say Pusha’s debut is the most super extraordinary album of the year (which actually by default it kinda is), but it does one thing better than any other album I heard this year: it delivers! That’s all we ask!

2.     EL CAMINO- The Black Keys

Technicality is a bitch, but it can be helpful. The Black Keys released this album in late 2011 and it got much of its fame in 2012 with its songs being used in ads and TV series. So why is it here? Technicality bitches (and I should be able to cheat on my list at least once, if not all the time)! It won the Grammy for Best Rock Album of the Year for 2013, so… technically, it’s the ruling Rock album of the year and rightfully so. There are almost no duds in this album and I mean it with all seriousness. The album is mostly fast and retrospective… and good! That’s all.

3.     THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE (1/2)- Justin Timberlake

Damn technicality, this could’ve been number two! The more experimental (and better) half of the 20/20 Experience, some critics slammed this album for its mediocre lyrics and such, but I ask were they expecting a revolution from the man who brought sexy back?

4.     NOTHING WAS THE SAME- Drake

Hold up… I’m not on my worst behavior, I can explain! Lyrically speaking, Drake’s 3^rd album ISN’T better than J. Cole’s, Eminem’s or Jay Z, but, and here’s the BIG BUT, it is an easily digestible album. The album is easy listening, nothing heavy and for once doesn’t exactly seem made to cater to a female audience, not that Drake’s past albums have exclusively done so, but this is the one most guys would readily admit to liking.

5.     BORN SINNER- J. Cole

Raise your hands if you thought J. Cole was STUPID to go against Kanye West by releasing his sophomore on the same date as the self-proclaimed Louis Vutton Don. *Embarrassingly raises hand*. Now raise your hand if you were embarrassed when you found out Cole had the better hip-hop centric album? *Again raises hand*. Case closed!

6.     LONG.LIVE.A$AP- A$AP Rocky

I haven’t enjoyed a debut album like this from a new artist since King Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. A$AP doesn’t say anything new, but then who the hell does these days.

7.     VICIOUS LIES AND DANGEROUS RUMOURS- Big Boi

The more present half of Outkast in the past few years shows up with his 2^nd album (3^rd, if you count Speakerboxxx) and breaks the mold of using the same tired ass hip hop beats by incorporating every other genre possible to produce a worthy sequel to Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. And you think I’m the only one who does long titles. SMH!

8.     THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP2- Eminem

If we’re going to be honest and we just woke up today never having heard of Eminem, this album may not be placed this high, but like a sequel you watch based on the fact you liked the first movie, we all flocked to Marshall’s 7^th album and his somewhat sequel to his 2000 Marshall Mathers LP. While MMLP2 stands on its own, it is no doubt the hints and sequels to the songs on his 2000 opus that perhaps makes us cherish his latest effort more. Truth is songs like Bezerk fail to do what he intended with the retro sound, but then songs like Don’t Front succeed in that department. My biggest problem with the album is the sequencing and the fact that aside from Rap God and the perquisite pop single Monster with Rihanna, Em pretty much choose the wrong singles to promote. Don’t Front should’ve been a single, even if today’s kids may not know what 90s hip hop sounds like. Let them google and download.

9.     MAGNA CARTA HOLY GRAIL- Jay Z

Let’s face it; there are standard Jay Z albums and then there are great Jay Z albums. MCHG happens to be standard, let’s call a spade a spade. I feel this is the album Jay Z tried to make with The Blueprint 3, but for some reason couldn’t. MCHG definitely trumps TB3, but it’s still standard… for a Jay Z album.

10. OGA BOSS- Ill Bliss

Ill Bliss is underrated, but so are many rappers in Nigeria and while Bliss may never be considered a first tier concert headliner, he’s one of the reason why hip hop in Nigeria hasn’t fully gone pop and fallen to the clutches of commercialism. Commercialism’s not a bad thing, but when rappers all sound the same, it is. Bliss crafts an all round album that caters to all and probably not since M.I’s debut has a Naija rap album attempted to be so multi-faceted.

11.  JAGZ NATION VOL 1- THY NATION COMES- Jesse Jagz

Had Jesse trimmed a few tracks off his sophomore, he would’ve had a near perfect album, instead because of those few songs Jagz Nation sounds like an artist wobbling through his sophomore deciding what kind of artist he wants to be; a rapper, a singer or a Rasta. I for one I’m glad Jesse left the house that Audu built. That’s no shade towards Audu and co, but the truth is we (the fans) don’t care about who said what or what e-mail got sent to who, all we care about is good music and Jagz delivered overall.

12.  ALPHABETICAL ORDER- Mode Nine & XYZ

It’s bad enough Mode Nine continuously gets overlooked (yet you can’t say he’s ever been underrated) and has to compete with the Davidos and Ice Princes of the Nigerian music industry. Yet, he delivers an album worth his accolades (multiple Lyricist of the year awards) and more. Since we’re speaking the truth, allow me to vent. Modey’s biggest problem in my opinion has been his inability to pick viable singles. It’s not that he doesn’t have them, he just doesn’t promote them. Luckily he partially avoids that on this album with XYZ, promoting a single like “Let It Go”. Flow for The Streets” should not have been single in my opinion, instead he should’ve gone with “The Truth” and that’s… frankly speaking, the truth. When I’m writing these posts, I’m telling nothing but the truth! Aha! I’m chatting to these youths, when I’m writing these posts, I’m telling nothing but the truth. And if Mode Nine doesn’t like it… tell him to “Let It Go”!

13.  KISSLAND- The Weeknd

The Weeknd produces his most conventional album with his official debut. He throws in a little bit of Prince and Michael Jackson in Wanderlust, my fav track off the album and has song titles that sound like Oscar nominated movies e.g. The Town (which is actually an Oscar nominated movie), Adaption (which is also an Oscar nominated movie). Has someone made a movie called Kissland already?!

14. S EP- Sza

TDE’s new signee and first female artist Sza, gives us the most alternative album of the year (sorry Weeknd). The 8 track EP is actually quite chilling and one song Terror Dome even samples snippets from the horror movie Rosemary’s Baby (chilling, I tell you).

ARTISTS OF THE YEAR:

1.     Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: So their album didn’t make my list, but seriously did anyone have a bigger year in Hip Hop than these two, from shopping at thrift shops to the ceiling unable to hold them to their proclamation of promoting Same Love (without Hip Hop blinking, well almost). Hip hop belonged to these two.

2.     King Kendrick Lamar: Kendrick still had a good year riding off his debut album from last year, but it was one controversial guest verse, a BET cipher and a world tour that really kept him relevant. Seriously, has anyone ever done a high-five during a BET cipher?

3.     Pharrell Williams: Pharrell was everywhere this year and the world is now more than convinced he’s a vampire. From producing Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines to being featured on Daft Punk’s Get Lucky to manning the board on the Despicable Me 2 Soundtrack, Pharrell is apparently still in his prime!

4.     AKA: The prince of South African hip hop definitely had a lot to be happy for this year. With the release of “Jealousy” from his sophomore album “Kontrol”, which features the self-titled song and numerous guest features on other South African rappers’ songs, the prince is definitely in line for the throne.

5.     Olamide: First of all… perhaps no entertainer had a better year in Nigeria in terms of relevancy than Badoo himself, voice of the streets, former YBNL signee, (I would add some more things, but I can not talk as much as him- that is not a Yoruba diss by the way) Olamide.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR:

Was there anyone more happy than Pharrell this year?!

ARTISTS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2014:

1.     Damon Albarn of Blur, Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad & The Queen drops his debut album (who isn’t excited?!). If you’ve been part of three successful bands (well, two and a half) ranging from Rock (Blur) to Alternative Hip Hop (The Gorillaz) to contemporary Rock (The Good, The Bad & The Queen, which features the late Fela’s drummer Tony Allen), expectations are high, especially when you’ve been the lead singer of all those bands!

2.     Isaiah Rashad; TDE’s new signee will be dropping his latest mixtape Cilvia.

3.     King Kendrick Lamar: Tell me Kendrick isn’t dropping something new next year with a Beats By Dre ad that features him rapping over the good doctor’s beat and photos of him and The Alchemist in the studio.

4.     Schoolboy Q: another one from TDE. Kendrick just opened the doors for his homies. Every other crew is in trouble next year!

5.     Lindsey: dropping her debut EP Brown early this year, songstress Lindsey’s digital album got her some attention across the border. Here’s hoping 2014 brings a full LP.