Welcome back to the Star World, today we will be talking
about some of my favorite underplayed hip-hop releases of the year. While 2015
may have officially come to a close, looking back and reflecting on good music
will always be timeless, and these albums represent some of the best creativity
I have seen in Hip-Hop this year. There will be a bigger list with the more
major releases coming soon, but I wanted to do something just for the stuff I know
may not get much love outside of hardcore fans or Hip-Hop Hipsters. With
Hip-Hop being at the forefront of popularity I think now is the time for
listeners to really branch out and find some new stuff, because who knows, that
rapper with no name may be the one who resonates with you most.
THE LIST
9. Smyle- Kyle
Recommend song: Don't Wanna Fall in Love
When I first heard the rapper known as Kyle on the song “Wanna
Be Cool” off of Surf, I thought he
was kind of annoying. In a voice more nerdy than early Gambino and a
semi-awkward deliver I figured this was his first real feature. However when I saw
that his album was coming out I learned that this 22 year old artist was more
experienced than I originally thought. So after a friend of mine listened to
the album and told me it was fire, I decided to check it out. What I found was
one of the year’s most colorful and fun rap projects that a lot of people may
just ignore. With a distinct mixture of bright electronic melodies and pop like
synths this album is as soulful as it is upbeat. Lyrically Kyle tends more to
the nerdcore genre, referencing video games and pop culture while at the same
dealing with issues of love and intimacy. It is an album any young 20-year old
can listen to and relate to, the struggles between growing up and being free
all contained within a chipper album that never loses its positive vibe.
8. Soul Glitch- Daye
Jack
Recommended song: Easy
When I heard “Easy” off the newest release by Georgia
born rapper Daye Jack, I was hooked. It is one my favorite songs of 2015 and
the represents that unique place that this artist holds in the rap game. Singing
has become more of a trend with rappers in the last few years, however the
seamless way that Daye mixes his vocals with metaphorical bars and bits of wisdom
through this whole album is amazing. With smooth production that is perfect for
sitting under the stars and letting the key changes and basslines take you
away. Daye strikes me as a rapper who is about to blow, as the specific way
that he creates this silky sound just strikes the same point that Nujabes did
when I first heard him. Granted with Daye it is more modern and does not rely
on a emphasis on Jazz, but with the way the later electronic chords fill in the
holes just create this perfect world of a cyber soul sound. Daye is defiantly a
child of the internet, and it is clear that he has found a way to fuse the
trends of today with the classic sounds of a lost era.
7. All We Need- Raury,
Recommended song: Forbidden Knowledge
Atlanta based singer/musician/rapper Raury is a bit of an
oddball. You would think that being selected as part of the 2015 XXL freshman
class would get him some decent exposure, yet when his album dropped he was
mostly ignored. To me however, I think his album is fantastic. An eclectic
mixture of folk music, Hip-hop, and indie rock, this album pushes what it means
to be a rapper in the modern era. In a sense that is probably most people’s
problems with this album, it is not just a Hop-Hop album, while he does rap he
also sings and focuses more on the holistic process of the album’s sound rather
his lyrical delivery. But even so his lyrics are not weak; in fact there is no
real weak part of this album. It has features from greats like Big K.R.I.T and
RZA, amazing interludes with a smooth jazz atmosphere and touches on topics of
breakups, love, and even the racist oppression present in America. If you want
something different then look no further. I personally think artists like Raury
represent a future of Hip-Hop that could not be predicted 5 or 6 years ago. A fusion
of the culture with other aspects of music that help create a new type of art,
all of the sake of expressing oneself and making something new and unique.
6. Jade Amulet- A.S.M
Recommended song: Masking
This is a bit of a random release, that I only really
found because there is a MF DOOM feature on this album, but nevertheless I am
glad I found it. Penned as a concept album, this is meant to be experienced as a
cinematic story. Each song tells a piece of the story and as it progresses you
get the whole picture. It revolves around a hero born out of tragedy and given
a Jade Amulet at birth. Through trials and tribulations the hero comes to find
out his destiny and the secret of his amulet. It is like a musical comic book,
which I can tell you from experience is one of the hardest things to do. It is
one thing to make a thematic album, but to write a 15 part story and have it
not feel repetitive or forced is one of the greatest lyrical feats I have ever
seen. Not to say this project is perfect, but it smashes its goals and sounds
good doing it. The production is done by a chamber orchestra and sounds like an
actual movie score, while still incorporating that golden era sound that may
remind you of a Ghostface album. The fun of this album is learning about the
character as the music evolves and grows. It is impossible to get it all in one
take, and each time you listen you will learn to love it more and more.
5. Wave[5]- Mick
Jenkins
Recommended song: P's and Q's
Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins had one of my favorite
projects of 2014 with his mixtape The
Water[s], so when I heard he was set to have another release this year I
was pumped. Although I was a bit disappointed by the length of this album at
first, it is packed with dense production and lyrical gold spat by one of my
favorite young MC’s in the game right now. While this is still retains the
theme of water that Mick is known for, it expands more with this album,
appealing to the idea of freeing your mind and yourself. With more aggressive
production than I expected, Mick takes on a more mainstream oriented sound, but
uses it as a platform to tell his own story. There are even tinges of love and
affection sprinkled throughout this album that wasn’t found in his other
projects. The songs flow well into each and in less than 30 minutes, Mick
criticizes the rap game, preaches about his own experience in the trap, and
comes off as more mature than ever before. Mick seems to almost come off as
something more than a rapper, for whatever reason the sound of this album just
shows a demonstrate of master over the kind of music and message that he wants
to send. If you love rap that sounds good and also makes you think about yourself
and the world around you, check out this album.
4. Lucky 7- Statik
Selektah
Recommended song: Beautiful Life
To put it simply, I love the way that Statik Selektah
produces. While he himself is not a rapper, he produced a collection of 21
amazing beats that a multitude of rappers then destroyed to make this heavy
tape of dope songs. The downside of that of course is that it may be hard for
people to listen to all of this in one take, it is a bit jarring to have so
many different rappers all on one project, but it is really Statik’s touch that
holds it all together. To his soul driven production that puts a special
emphasis on keys and jazzy trumpet improvisation, it just hits the ears in such
a good way. Each song stands alone and some of the verses on this album are
just unreal. If you want some good ol’ fashion Hip-Hop than this is probably
one of the best things of last year to listen to. It touches on everything from
Alcoholism to Black Power and is just a beautiful project to jam to.
3. Evermore: The Art of
Duality- The Underachievers
Recommended song: Chasing Faith
The second album by the rap duo consisting of Issa Gold
and AK, Evermore is an experience. A concept album that changes its sound halfway
through, it is a combination of shifting production and awakening one’s spirituality.
The album revolves around the idea that we all have choices in the world, as these
two young rappers up about their dark past and us it as a method of teaching. They
talk about drug addiction, suicide, and dropping out of school, and how all of
that lead them to a point where they had to find a new way to go about things. About
8 songs it the album turns to show the influence of the music of the younger
generation, including trap snares and more heavy bass. In comparison to the
wavy chord driven melodies we had been getting before that it is a nice change
and poignant distinction between different approaches to rap. It is an album
that is not afraid to explore the environment that a lot of youth are growing
up in, warts and all. But the point of the album is that you have the power to
pull yourself up out of the mess, the power to see a better future for
yourself, the power to see through to duality of life and come out on top.
2. Preacher Son- YG Tut
Recommended song: Highs and Lows
Another sleeper hit that I just happened to catch by luck;
this album impressed me to no end. This Chattanooga based rapper may remind you
a bit like his fellow rapper from the same town, Isaiah Rashad, but the
instrumentation and Jazz elements album make this a new refreshing sound to get
lost in. The concept of this album is that YG Tut is the son of a preacher, and
balances a life of being in the streets doing whatever with being in church
every Sunday. It is about how that relationship affects him as a person, so
often times the juxtaposition of his harsh lyrics to the smooth music is just
the perfect fit. It is always good when a rapper uses their personality shape
the themes of their music, it makes it feel so much more genuine. Like you know
that this rapper does one thing, but morally feels a certain way about certain
situations, which make you want to get into the music more because the
storytelling and tone is just sublime. The music was apparently done by live
musicians that YG Tut lives with, and this album is the brainchild of live jam
sessions and building off the relationship they have with each other. So while
it is about the concept of a Preacher Son, it can also extend beyond that and
that makes it click more. We are all conflicted and hypocrites in some way,
that is what makes us human. It is finding out about these conflicts and using
them to learn about ourselves and the world that helps us grow into better
people
1 1. Live From The Denist Office- Injury
Reserve
Recommended song: Washed Up
This
album took me on a wild ride. What I expected after watching a review of this
was a weird indie rap album that was a bunch of kids being awkward on a track. What
I found however was much much more. Injury reserve is a Hip-Hop trio from
Arizona, and in their short time they have managed to create a sound that mixes
early Kanye, Early Cudi, and the best parts of the indie Youtube Rap scene
along with abstract production elements that give them something new. Coming off
as a bunch of down on their luck dudes who are gifted in Hip-Hop, Injury
Reserve is the underdog we all love to root for. Touching on everything from
the monotony of being stuck in a small town to life after the part scene of
college is over; this album is somber and realistic. Usually we are used to rappers
painting themselves as heroes or larger than life figures, even in the case of
them admitting their faults it is under the guise of them having moved past
that. However in this album we get the viewpoint of the rappers who haven’t
made it. We get the grime of living an average life but having the talent and
drive to more forward and push past that. And with the wonky way that the
synths, drum breaks, and odd hooks come together it makes for one of the most
unique and enjoyable experiences I have heard all year. This album is the
spirit of Hip-Hop, using what you have in combination with what you don’t have
to make a unique work of art that other people can see and get inspired by. It is
genuine art that comes from a place of ambition and forces you as an artist to
re-evaluate how you see your own work. Albums like this remind me why I love and
strive to create my own flavor Hip-Hop as much as I do.
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