The Most Slept-On Albums of 2020 That Definitely Deserve Your Attention
Our usual round-up of gems from a year that was anything but usual
2020, we wish we hardly knew ye. Understatement of the century, right? The first year of a new decade sets a tone for the next 10 years. In this case, let us all hope 2020’s pitch is off key and out of sync with what’s to follow. A presidential election, black people continuing to fight for the right just to exist, an impeachment, a presidency gone completely off the rails…are we forgetting anything else?
Oh that’s right, a year-long pandemic that turned the world into an actual episode of The Walking Dead or John Carpenter’s The Thing. For the most part, sh*t was f*cked up.
Except when it comes to Hip-Hop.
This was another solid year for the genre we love. New artists emerged on the regular, more female MCs rose to prominence, while the game continued to expand its sounds and stretch the definition of Hip-Hop. Some of the music entertained and informed, but it all distracted from a world flipped-turned upside down. We understand if you missed some of it because, well, pandemic, so we’re shining a spotlight on the stuff that flew under the radar in a year where pretty much everything besides the obvious was easy to miss.
We’re not exactly off to the best start, but if 2021 is just a smidge better, we’ll consider that a win.
Knxwledge, 1988 [Listen]
Nobody hits a loop quite like Knxwledge and, after years of prolific output, the beat gawd still found ways to keep his sound fresh on 1988. The beats on this joint in a kind of way that make you think you can freestyle. Yet you leave them alone out of respect and because you know full well you suck at rapping anyway.
Nearly 40 minutes off head-nodders and cameos from Anderson .Paak exhibit a welcome breath of sounds from the LA via Jersey. Then 1988 caps off with “minding_my business” featuring Durand Bernarr and Rose Gold: a boo lovin’ slow jam with sound advice for the Nosy Neds and Ninas heading into 2021. In closing, you can’t do much better than 1988 if you want to hear beats left of center from the past year. [Sam Cadet]
Songs on Repeat: “theykome&go,” “don_tgottabe,” “do you,” “thats allwekando.,” “minding_my business”
Elzhi — Seven Times Up, Eight Times Down [Listen]
Whether people recognize or not, one of the illest MCs of all-time dropped one of his best albums ever this year. That’s right, the almighty Elzhi returned quicker than usual this go round to deliver another masterclass in putting the pen to pad, offering 12 conceptual gems with producer JR Swiftz that are personal with precision and cover every range of emotion needed, further reinforcing the second generation Slum Village member’s status as one the game’s true living legends. Roses, please. I’ll take four dozen. [BEWARE]
Songs on Repeat: “Light One Write One,” “Smoke & Mirrors,” “JASON,” “Ferndale,” “EarlyBird Nightowl”
Dreamville — Revenge of the Dreamers III: Director’s Cut [Listen]
What do you do after you hijack Willy Wonka’s golden ticket schtick for album promotion and deliver a solid album? You come back with a “Director’s Cut” less than a year later.
On Director’s Cut big brother Jermaine is gone along with all of the high profile features. Instead, the Dreamville roster handles the bulk of the heavy lifting and proves that while Cole may attract the bulk of the attention everybody from J.I.D. to EarthGang to Bas to Ari Lennox is just as good if not better than their boss. [Jacob DeLawrence]
Songs on Repeat: “Outta Pocket,” “Late Night,” “Still Dreamin”
Ka, Descendants of Cain [Listen]
Renowned writer and thinker Ta-Nehesi Coates once referred to himself as more akin to a carpenter than an artist; noting that his results were based more on hard work and attention to craft than inspiration from the gods and muses. Few rappers exemplify this attitude better than Brownville native Ka.
On Descendants of Cain, his masterpiece fifth solo album, his craftsmanship is at its absolute peak. Every tool at his disposal, from his assassin’s whisper of a voice that forces you to listen closely, his economical lyrical style that rewards close listening by making each word essential, to his bleak imagery that places you directly in the danger zone that bore him, is honed to a fine edge. The result is one of the best albums in recent memory. [Greg Whitt]
Songs on Repeat: “Every Now and Then,” “Patron Saints,” “I Love (Mimi, Moms, Kev)”
Baby Rose — To Myself (Deluxe) [Listen]
2020 is a year that forced most decent human beings into a lockdown and staying at home. If you were lucky you had a significant other to enjoy that with and what better to make that time together more enjoyable than some nice R&B. In the case of Baby Rose’s To Myself, it’s best if you were single and coming off of a breakup.
Rose takes us on a journey of conflict, struggle, and acceptance during all of the stages of a breakup. From debating on drunk calling an ex to going through a poisonous breakup, it’s clear that the album isn’t one for the lovers but it is something that everyone can relate to that’s ever been in a relationship. [Jacob DeLawrence]
Songs on Repeat: “To Myself,” “Ragrets,” “Sold Out”
Sault, Untitled (Black Is) [Listen]
Sault is on an all time great under-the-radar run. The mysterious group dropped four albums in 18 months to sparse media coverage but breathless exaltation by those in the know. Their pair of 2020 releases spoke directly and poignantly to the racial tensions that dominated the consciousness of the year, without ever sacrificing the musicality and groove of their first two projects. Untitled (Black Is) is my pick if there’s a gun to my head, but Untitled (Rise) was nearly as good — both are reasonable album of the year contenders. [Trackstar the DJ]
Songs on Repeat: “Monsters,” “Stop Dem”
Brent Faiyaz — Fuck the World [Listen]
From arriving on the scene with one of the best hooks in the past five years on “Crew” to “If you ain’t nasty, don’t at me” becoming Twitter lore, Brent Faiyaz has found a bit of a lane as an internet sensation. What’s not to be lost in all of it is the fact that Brent has been putting on quality music since his national debut on “Crew.”
Fuck the World is a trip through Brent’s mind with minimal production while both the listener and Brent are doing drugs. From the catchy “Been Away” to the self-questioning “Clouded” it’s clear that Brent Faiyaz is more than just a catchy one line and a great hook. He’s a voice for a group of people who never felt like someone could relate to and explain their story properly while still living it.[Jacob DeLawrence]
Songs on Repeat: “Been Away,” “Fuck The World,” “Rehab”
Stove God Cook$, Reasonable Drought [Listen]
I’m not sure what’s in the upstate New York water, but with acts like the Griselda Records troika Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, and Westside Gunn, fellow Buffalonian Che Noir, and Rochester’s 38 Spesh leading the charge, the region has become an epicenter for gritty, high-quality, Hip-Hop. Perhaps the most unique act to come of out of this part of the Empire State is Syracuse’s Stove God Cook$.
While he has a lot in common with the aforementioned artists in terms of subject matter, stylistically he is an absolute one of one. On Reasonable Drought, his twisted sense of humor (“Feds ran the sweep better than Texas Longhorns/Had to applaud them crackers/They caught me lackin’ early mornin’ pourin’ almond milk into my Honey Smacks”) and demented delivery come together with Roc Marciano’s production to create an instant underground classic and birth a new star. [Greg Whitt]
Songs on Repeat: “Jim Boheim,” “Burt and State,” “John $tarks”
Flee Lord & Pete Rock, The People’s Champ [Listen]
There’s something profound about the right voice over the right beats. And picking those beats is a talent in itself, one few MCs can lay claim to. Prodigy had that talent and his protege, Flee Lord, has it in spades. The People’s Champ is 10 tracks of grimy beats and grimier rhymes, and not a single one over two minutes and fifty seconds. I’m awful at math, but trust me on this when I say just by the numbers, this is the strongest project of the year.
Flee Lord is no frills and finds a great partner in Pete Rock, who handles every beat here. “Surfin’ Wit a K’’ finds the duo reveling in being the antithesis of the game in 2020. His rhymes hit hard and don’t shy away from antagonizing anyone he considers worthy of his punchlines. But his introspection on “Different Options’’ shows there’s more to Flee than tough talk. Not saying he’s coming to a radio station near you anytime soon, but he has room to grow. That’s probably the best compliment any rapper can hope for. [Marcus Benjamin]
Songs on Repeat: “Retired from the Sniffy,” “Mini Mac on the Fridge,” Surfin’ Wit a K”
Chris Crack — Good Cops Don’t Exist [Listen]
The second of four Chris Crack albums in 2020 came at a wild time for the country and the jaded, lucid vibes on Good Cops Don’t Exist felt like appropriate commentary for the moment. The various styles of sonics glide together in rhythm throughout the whole project, while Crack’s wide range of brazen rhymes are spot-on serious, leaving you shaking your head in either laughter or disbelief. Plus, his singing stylings start to soar on this project, a trend that’s led to more melody on further releases and helped him blossom even further. A transformational release for a transformational period. [BEWARE]
Songs on Repeat: “Reparations Not Decorations,” “Jail Pose With Gangstas,” “Hand Fulla Fupa,” “Cute With Low Self Esteem,” “Black Don’t Crack Unless You Smoke It”
Mick Jenkins, The Circus [Listen]
Typically, I talk about gritty Hip-Hop here. Hard beats, hard drums, and rappers who bathe in that aesthetic. But every once in a while, something like The Circus hits me at the right time. Mick Jenkins’ latest project has my anthem for the year “Carefree” (well aware of the irony) which finds Jenkins asking everyone around him, which includes police, to give a little space and let him breathe. He manages to make his stress just as relatable to someone in his tax bracket as it is to someone without as many commas in their bank account. In a nutshell, that’s Jenkins’ appeal.
Seven track albums aren’t easy to do but he pulls it off using multiple flows and song structures. “The Fit” combines crooning (which I normally hate), a sing-song flow, an off-kilter delivery, and a wandering mind to create something beautiful. Most of the album finds the man lost in his own thoughts. Actually, it feels like word association at certain points, but not in a bad way. For an album short on quantity but heavy on quality, it’s important to remember as it dropped way back in January before the entire world lost its ever-loving mind. [Marcus Benjamin]
Songs on Repeat: “Carefree,” “The Light,” “Different Scales”
Brian Brown, Journey [Listen]
Journey was trapped in gestation, seemingly forever, before Brown finally released the project. The wait ended up being worth as the Nashville native delivered a work that captured the city’s essence in audio form. With its reflective approach, Journey worked as a soundtrack for life trapped on pause by the lockdown when people had more time than ever with themselves and their thoughts. Easily Brown’s best work to date and filled with promise with even better to come. [John Gotty]
Songs on Repeat: “Come on In,” “A Cashville Story,” “Runnin’,” “Journey”
Armani Caesar, The Liz [Listen]
I’m an easy mark. Give me rough beats with a drum loop and a filtered baseline and I’m yours. Armani Caesar had me at “hello.” Being a woman in the Griselda crew can’t be the easiest job in the world, but she handles her crew debut by adapting their world to hers rather than the other way around. For the most part, the 11 tracks are what you expect from a Griselda album but what makes the album unique is the lens. She’s got her own story to tell as shown on “Mac 10s for Everybody” and “Palm Angels” but refuses to follow the crowd and do what any other woman in the game is doing. For any rapper, that’s a hell of a thing.
If there’s one thing each project I suggested has in common, it’s the ways in which the artists showed their vulnerabilities. Armani talks about heartbreak and what it feels like to be in love, along with an ability to talk tough with the best of them, which is a skill several rappers with a lot more years under their belts have trouble mastering. She’s just as comfortable rhyming over a DJ Premier beat with Benny the Butcher as she is talking about how she gets down in the bedroom on “Yum Yum.” If she can keep walking that line as well as she does, she won’t be on lists like these for long. [Marcus Benjamin]
Songs on Repeat: “Mac 10s for Everybody,” “Countdown,” “Mani Moves Freestyle”
Starlito, Paternity Leave [Listen]
Starlito’s projects tend to play like chapters from his autobiography. A living testimony of sorts. The latest entry, Paternity Leave, arrives after the rapper spent the better part of the previous 365 doing the rap-dad thing, with an emphasis on the latter half inspiring this opus. The songs tackle everything from learning to co-parent to earnest musings over what type of father he hopes to be, alongside Lito’s endless number of episodes taken from the life of a hustler. It’s the constant growth and expansion of his worldview that make his music a mandatory listen. [John Gotty]
Songs on Repeat: “Driver’s Seat” “Heart on Defrost,” “Talk to Me”
Jarrel the Young, Virtue 1 [Listen]
Another TSS pick for emerging artist of the year, JTY dropped the first installment in his Virtue series this summer and we couldn’t have been more impressed. As a 100%er, he wrote, produced and performed all of the records himself, made more impressive by the fact that he was recovering from a COVID-19 hospitalization at the time. Themed on his new appreciation for the brevity of life, the modern civil rights revolution and the grind of a producer relaunching his career as a singer, the mood across the project is somber with hints of optimism woven in.
Each track builds and decays in its own cinematic journey like an indie version of Kanye’s magnum opus My Twisted, Dark Fantasy. By the end of the abbreviated four-track project, it feels like the ride needs to start again so we can pay even more attention. As songs build up to anthemic hooks, the listener rides shotgun to follow the perilous valleys and climactic victories of each number.
After the project was done, Jarrel rolled out the “Virtue 1 Medley” visuals which blended a live, acoustic version of the project and it rehashed those same journeys with rose-tinted glasses on. With any luck, next year will see more volume from the Toronto upstart so he can match his +500M spins as a producer with some of this beautiful solo content. [Aspektz]
Songs on Repeat: “Paris in the Fall,” “Whoa,” “Feels”
Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder and Kamasi Washington, Dinner Party: Dessert [Listen]
The rap/jazz quartet embraced rap and jazz’s longstanding ties on Dinner Party. However the follow-up in Dessert elevate those records with features ranging from Herbie Hancock to Snoop Dogg. It’s a brisk romp at 20 minutes bookended by “LUV U:” a record warm enough to make you feel LA’s golden hour rays on every spin. In closing, Dinner Party: Dessert doesn’t misplace a note and deserves a shout in your nightcap rotation. [Sam Cadet]
Songs on Repeat: “Sleepless Nights,” “From My Heart and My Soul,” “LUV U”
Wale, The Imperfect Storm [Listen]
For my money, this six-song EP was the most accurate musical depiction of what it was like to live through 2020. Released less than a month after George Floyd’s murder, the brief collection of tracks, “Movin’ Different” especially, captured the anger, numbness, and escapism cycle that many of us are still in six months later. Being simultaneously anxious about a death that could come at the hands of the state in any year, or from a loved one’s hug during a global pandemic, is a new wrinkle in the tattered fabric of the American Dream.
The cover art is an image of LA streetwear mecca The Hundreds’ still burning storefront, taken during the summer uprisings in response to Floyd’s death. Perhaps it’s an allusion to Wale discarding some of his more materialistic impulses while parsing through the serious business of being a Black man in this country.[Greg Whitt]
Songs on Repeat: “Movin’ Different,” “BYGPW (Colors),” and “June 5/QueenZnGodZ”
Nate Curry — Everything Should Be Fine [Listen]
The R&B scene in Sacramento doesn’t ring too many bells nationally, but that won’t last if Nate Curry has anything to say about it. Dig into the young king’s sophomore release Everything Should Be Fine and you’ll hear the unique vocal talent flexing his songwriting skills to the maximum, offering one catchy track after another atop producer Sbvce’s futuristic bedroom trap, delivering a quick-listen singalong masterpiece that only gets better as each song moves to the next. [BEWARE]
Songs on Repeat: “Ball Without You,” “You Go Crazy,” “Check Up On,” “More Than Enough”
Boldy James, The Versace Tape [Listen]
The Detroit emcee had one of the best albums of 2020 with his Alchemist collaboration The Price of Tea China. Following it up with one of the least expected pairings in recent memory, tagging in viral-video-star-turned-producer Jay Versace to take the helm behind the boards, feels more like a victory lap than an album.
Still, the results are surprisingly dope. Though his first major placement was only a few months earlier on Westside Gunn’s Pray For Paris, it’s obvious Versace already knows his way around a loop. As for Boldy, he could use his menacing monotone to read a software license agreement and make it sound like a threat. The result feels as effortless as an outfit that deftly blends high fashion and streetwear. [Greg Whitt]
Songs on Repeat: “Nu Wave,” “Brick Van Exel,” “Monte Cristo”
Lil Keed — Trapped on Cleveland 3 [Listen]
People can dismiss Thugger’s upper echelon status all they want, but seeing him throw perfect alley-oops to Lil Keed like he did with Trapped on Cleveland 3 only solidifies his understanding of the long game. Between the high-end features and top-tier production lacing this versatile release, the 3rd installment of the ATL rapper’s Trapped on Cleveland series felt like a throwback to 2017 Jeffrey, offering styles galore and energy that felt though the roof at times and easy to fall for at others. In the end, the repeat-ready release proved to be the breakthrough project needed to inch Keed towards the same status as Gunna and the Slime lord himself, showing the YSL imprint is capable of churning out stars on par with any label in the league. [BEWARE]
Songs on Repeat: “Obama Coupe,” “Kiss Em Peace,” “She Know,” “Hibachi,” “Here”
Cleo Sol, Rose in the Dark [Listen]
Living in a r&b/soul world run by whispering can be a drag for anyone starving for some good old-fashioned sangin’. Thankfully, UK singer Cleo Sol proves there’s still value in luxurious vocals on her debut album Rose in the Dark. Live instruments throughout provide luscious backdrops all while offering enough space for Cleo to sing your drawers off. Such is especially true on “Sideways” where sparse drums, an understated electric piano and backing vocals let her show you she’s not playing around.
Rose in the Dark’s mix between performances that’ll help you wind down all while making you throw your house shoes at your speakers deserve an ear. Trust and believe this album will “woosah” the hell out of anything bothering you after a long day. [Sam Cadet]
Songs on Repeat: “When I’m in Your Arms,” “Rose in the Dark,” “Sideways,” “Young Love”
Bub Rock — A Piece of Mine [Listen]
No one likes to be told what to do and being beaten over the head with blatant, obvious insight can get old real fast. That’s why Bub Rock’s effortless game on display throughout his A Peace of Mine project is so well-received. Whether the Long Island MC is dropping foundational gems and healing out loud or reminiscing about youthful escapades and past relationships, the extremely cohesive release walks us through enough poetic motions to leave listeners feeling enlightened after each listen, but actively soaking up more wisdom with every subsequent spin. [BEWARE]
Songs on Repeat: “2 Way Street,” “10/5 (Trophy),” “Pagne,” “Black Hole,” “Peace of Mind”
TOBi, ELEMENTS Vol. 1 [Listen]
Toronto, Toronto, Toronto — don’t get it twisted, this isn’t a Toronto year-in-review but the city has come alive with worldly talent that has commanded our attention in 2020. TOBi wasn’t on our radar before but after dropping ELEMENTS Vol. 1, he’s front and center as an emerging superstar rapper/crooner in the never-ending playlist. The university educated Nigerian-Canadian has found his groove with a small stable of producers who have turned his hooks into a worldwide fanbase with millions of listeners and a rare chance to turn his national acclaim into a global career.
ELEMENTS Vol. 1 sets the tone immediately with the UK-featured Juls record “Dollas and Cents” and doesn’t relent until 34-minutes later when “Still Singing” leaves us scrambling to loop the project from the start. “Long as the song is still in my heart, I’m still gonna sing,” with its slow-smoked hook and soulful vox is the perfect endtro for a project that has been heralded far and wide. With the stripes TOBi has earned on his sleeve in 2020, it looks like he’ll be inspiring us through our speakers for many years to come. [Aspektz]
Songs on Repeat: “Faces,” “Silhouette”
Vince Ash, Vito [Listen]
Remember when Golden State’s Klay Thompson displayed an excellent example of efficiency by scoring 60 points while only using 11 dribbles? That’s Vince Ash’s Vito. Clocking in at 16 minutes, the project’s a quick trip through Vince’s Midwest sphere of influence filled with Aaliyah samples, macho gangsterism, and exquisite flows. Vince, if you’re reading, please come through with more material in ’21 and throw it in snackable packs like this. [John Gotty]
Songs on Repeat: “LMK,” “Whut It G Like”
Ty Dolla $ign, Featuring Ty Dolla $ign [Listen]
In a year of unpredictably, one thing was a sure bet — Ty Dolla was going to give you the hits. Few artists have had such meteoric success across as many disciplines but the LA writer, producer, crooner and feature-monster seems to crush every challenge in front of him. The foresight to release Featuring Ty Dolla $ign this year instead of his highly anticipated Sex Symbol project speaks to his understanding of the market.
The typical Ty formula might currently lack the appropriate cultural context of packed night clubs and irreverent debauchery, but Mr. Dolla $ign flips the script and delivers introspection that we rarely see from him. With 25 tracks and even more features (did we really need someone to resuscitate Skrillex?), there was room to trim the cuts but, if nothing else, it proves Ty’s all-star clout.
Tracks like “2021 Tyrone,” which revisits Badu’s classic, or “Track 6” with Kanye, Anderson Paak and Thundercat, solidify Tyrone Griffin Jr as a hitmaker in any company. For artists attempting to finish their project and wondering what was missing, the project plays like an a-la-carte menu and in an era where nothing can be expected, sometimes that familiarity is all we need to survive til tomorrow. [Aspektz]
Songs on Repeat: “2021 Tyrone,” “Track 6,” “Expensive,” “Your Turn”
