For the last few years I have begun the practice of culling together a list of my favorite hip-hop albums of that year and mass sending this list out to my long-suffering friends and family. This year I’ve decided to do the same, but I will at least try to expand the radius of my incessant need to force my opinion down the throats of others. Ok nobody is reading this shit anyways so let’s just dive right in. TOP TEN HIP-HOP ALBUMS. 2017. LET’S FUCKING GO (*extremely Big Quint voice*)

10. Tyler, The Creator – Scum Fuck Flower Boy

Right off the bat some of you are going to be like, “Hey this should be way higher!” and in response I’ll be like, “It’s just my opinion man calm down.” and then we’ll get along because we discover a similar taste in music and then we slowly drift apart due to life progression and a nasty habit for ghosting acquaintances you picked up in college. ANYWAYS, this album was fucking dope. It’s my favorite Tyler album. The production ranges from ‘dope as fuck’ to ‘fucking dope as shit’ with some ‘holy fuck these strings’ mixed in there. My favorite track is “See You Again (feat. Kali Uchis)” because how could it not be? I can’t listen to it once without playing it over and over and attempting to sing the Kali Uchis part all day. I hum it when I drive and forget to put on music. It makes me think of lost loves and floating through sun-kissed clouds on a breezy summer day. OKOKOKOKOKOKO

9. Open Mike Eagle – Brick Body Kids Still Daydream

I’ll be honest when this album first came out I did not dig it all that much. I mean look, it was a busy time and I just kind of gave it a quick listen and thought, ‘that was chill’ and never really returned to it. Cut to a month later and I’m on Twitter and Open Mike Eagle is tweeting about this album so I figure I’ll give it another listen and HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS, this album is ridiculously good. I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the right mindset when I first heard it or what but something clicked when I gave it another listen. Right from the jump, Mike comes in with his signature smooth sing-talk voice and lulls you into this vibe which asks you listen to what he’s saying but doesn’t hit you over the head and demand it. For this reason, I recommend either having the lyrics in front of you to read as you listen or otherwise pay attention and stop playing Overwatch with this album in the background. BBKSD requires thoughtful listening to understand its themes of gentrification, poverty, structural racism, etc. It’s not the most poppin’ album of the year; you probably won’t be playing it at the club. But Mike constructed something more than that. He made a timeless album about something important and bothered to make it catchy and fun to listen to even if you aren’t fully paying attention to the lyrics on further listens. Favorite track is “Hymnal” because that hook is hella catchy and Sammus gives a dope feature that warrants an investigation into her discography.

8. Brockhampton – SATURATION 1-3

The collective Brockhampton consisting of too many members for me to name made a huge impact this year. Every online hip-hop blog was going crazy over Kevin Abstract’s boy band. I packaged together all three of their albums from this year because if you took all my favorite tracks from all three projects, you’d get a nearly flawless album. Saturation II might be my favorite of the trilogy but all three have a unique charm which is remarkable given there’s three full albums here. This easily could’ve been way too much music at once like a Tech N9ne album but instead Brockhampton seems to construct catchy rap song after catchy rap song as well as croony ballads to tie everything together. I’m excited to see what the future holds for this extremely talented group of kids. Favorite tracks are “FAKE”, “SWAMP”, and “BOOGIE” on Saturation 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

7. SZA – ctrl

I am not a twenty-something melanated female living in Brooklyn who “dont need no man” but SZA’s album was still dope as fuck to me. When SZA first joined TDE I was honestly skeptical given her limited discography and lack of a ‘voice’. By voice I mean I didn’t really know who she was or what a SZA full length album would sound like. When ctrl dropped though, I realized I was so fucking wrong to have any doubts about her. SZA blew up this year and rightfully so. The album is filled with catchy quotables, gorgeous production, and SZA’s unforgettable accented voice. She sounds so comfortable and commanding with every word and I just want to know who hurt her. Whoever it was is definitely regretting it now. She’s killing it and I’m happy to see new female hip-hop (R&B?) artists coming in and bringing something new to an testosterone-dominated arena. Also, Im kind of in love with/very intimidated by her. Favorite track is “Go Gina” because it’s smooth as fuck and I think it’s a great feminist messageandblajdkfdshfishf.

6. Brother Ali- All The Beauty In This Whole Life

I am not an albino blind Muslim man but still, this album blew my mind when I first heard it. Despite the dire global situation, Brother Ali found a way to make positivity cool again. When I’ve been steeped in the malaise of internet cynicism for too long, I like to put on this album to remember, ‘oh yeah, life is good’. I think it’s important to remember that despite the fact that we are all going to lose healthcare and air will soon become privatized, life can still be beautiful. In all seriousness, Brother Ali came through with an album that reflects life, in all its ups and downs and everything in between. From track 1, Ali lets everyone know he is fucking back and Ant’s production throughout makes him pop and compliments his deep lyrics and bombastic voice. Favorite track is “Own Light (What Hearts Are For)” because it makes me feel like I’m being held by God as he whispers, ‘everything will be ok’ in my ear. It gives me hope in an increasingly hopeless world which is a tough task but if anyone could do it, Brother Ali could.

5. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN

You knew Kendrick was going to be on this list but you didn’t know where. Well here it is. Number 5. I don’t know what to say about this album that hasn’t been said already. Everybody and their mother has an opinion on this album and most are positive. Honestly, it wasn’t as good a project as To Pimp A Butterfly to me but what the fuck do I know? It’s also way different from TPAB so comparing them is kind of useless. They’re almost two different genres. Regardless, DAMN stands up as one of the hardest-hitting rap albums of 2017. Honestly, “Fear” and “Duckworth” are two of my favorite songs ever. It was a dream to hear Kendrick flow over Alchemist and 9th Wonder production. I didn’t really catch the whole ‘play it backwards’ concept because I played it backwards and nothing happened. No missed lines or anything that made more sense because of it but hey if you like it backwards then you do you. Also “Humble” is a fucking banger and I love going crazy to that song even though I’ve heard it 100000x times at this point. Favorite tracks are the aforementioned three. Kung Fu Kenny Killed It.

4. Jonwayne – Rap Album 2

Jonwayne emerged from the depths of alcoholism, depression, and self-loathing to bring us one of the rawest albums of the year. I went to see Jon live and his live show carries over his authentic energy as he calmly walks on stage and removes his shoes. Barefoot and baritone, his presence commands your attention. His lyrics are sharp and cut through the bullshit of filler and get straight to his poetic point. He’s a writer and is mastering his craft. My first reaction when I saw a picture of Jonwayne was, ‘what the fuck this dude looks like a dungeon-master’. My first reaction when I heard him rap was, ‘what the fuck this dude has the perfect voice for rap’. Rap Album 2 follows Jonwayne is Retired which was released on Stonesthrow Records and I assumed at the time it was his final project. Then he started releasing new singles like “Wonka” where he says, “No I’m not on Stonesthrow thought you’d know that by now” and I did not know that. I haven’t stopped listening to this album since it came out and it works so well as a continuous project. Each track flows into the next and tells his story. It’s his most personal album yet and you can hear the emotions flowing through each poignant verse. Favorite track is “Afraid of Us (feat. Zeroh)”. MMMMMhmmm (sung like the sample)

3. Wiki – No Mountains in Manhattan

This project came out of nowhere for me. I was not a fan of Ratking, made up of rappers Wiki and Hak and rapper-producer Sporting Life, so I didn’t expect to like Wiki’s solo projects. I didn’t even bother to check out his first one but when I saw the features on NMIM I figured I’d give it a quick listen and move on. First things first, Wiki has a unique fucking voice. He sounds like a street poet with missing teeth and looks like a street poet with missing teeth. I love everything about this album. I love the album cover, adorned with Wiki’s signature flag (a combination of the Puerto-Rican and Irish flag, representing his mixed heritage) and a colorful block party in front of the Manhattan skyline which beautifully highlights the meaning of the album title. Track after track, Wiki tackles weird-ass beats with his weird-ass flow and weird-ass voice and somehow it all works. He sounds like he’s found a niche and basks in it. I don’t know who is in Wiki’s lane. Maybe Danny Brown? Is having missing teeth a prerequisite for making this kind of music? I dont’ know but this shit is fire emoji and I have not stopped listening to it since it came out. Favorite track is “Mayor”. Also read rapper Heems’ review of this album. It’s way better than my shitty little writeup.

2. Big KRIT – 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time

The King Remembered In Time came back to give us the dreaded double-album but of course he pulled it off. When I saw this album was 22 tracks I got that feeling of, ‘oh no please don’t pull a Tech N9ne on me Krit’*. It is a feeling I often have when any artist puts out an album with more than 15 tracks. But Big KRIT delivered in a massive way. Side A of 4IAMLT is bombastic and full of bangers and lyrical prowess. Side B dives into the person behind Big KRIT, Justin Scott. Introspective and humble while maintaining a sense of how to make a dope ass track. Your trunk will rattle. Your thin apartment walls will become the bane of your neighbor’s existence. Your soul will be brought forth by the hymn-like call and response hooks that make KRIT one of the my favorite MCs. On this album you can hear how KRIT has his southern influences and become his own powerhouse player. My favorite track is “Mixed Messages”. It’s self aware and catchy and I like walking around singing, “I got a whole lotta, whole lotta…mixed messages”. This album is so fucking dope please check it out.

*I went through a weird phase in middle school where I all I listened to was Tech N9ne and Big Boi and now I have over 400 Tech N9ne songs because I guess he never throws away any songs or verses. Anyways, no hate intended for Tech. I think he’s a dope rapper. But like dude please cut out a few tracks.

1. Duckwrth – XTRA Uugly Mixtape

What? That’s your number one? A mixtape? From Duckwrth? Who is that? It’s not Kendrick? Has this whole thing just been a big ruse to introduce people to your music? Are YOU DUCKWRTH??!?

Ok let me preface my number one choice by saying I think the whole mixtape vs album vs project vs playlist argument is moot because all of those are basically albums now. The word ‘mixtape’ no longer means anything and every project should aspire to album-like quality unless it’s hosted by DJ Green Lantern or some shit. With that being said, let me explain why this was my favorite album of the year.

Duckwrth got on my radar with his project Im Ugly which dropped in 2016. My brother and I play this game where we go through the Hot New Indie Hip Hop section on iTunes and try to find new artists. It typically results in us making fun of shitty Soundcloud rappers who figured out how to put stuff on iTunes but occasionally we find a diamond in the rough. In 2016, Duckwrth was that diamond. His project I’m Ugly was so shockingly good we stopped playing the game entirely and listened to the whole album several times. We were amazed at how little music this dude has out there and how fucking good he was. The album became one of my favorites of 2016. Duckwrth is sort of like if Miguel rapped over dancier beats and called himself ugly and seemed really cool and not like an asshole. I don’t even actually think that about Miguel. He’s fine. I liked his new album. Anyways, Duckwrth is a super unique dude and he makes really catchy and fun music. I can see him blowing up in the next few years if he continues this streak. The XTRA Uugly Mixtape bills itself almost like B-sides to I’m Ugly but it’s 13 tracks and that’s a whole lot of B-sides. Plus these have a different vibe to them. Whereas his previous album kept a chill, dancy vibe, this sophomore solo project continues that streak but adds a blaring guitar and harder drums to a lot of songs. Duckwrth’s inventive song-writing keeps you engaged as he peruses through genre-bending ballads and fast-flow “freestyles”. There isn’t one song on here that is skippable or bad in any way to me. Favorite one is “Man in The Sky” I guess but the whole thing is so fucking good. Every song brings something different and gives you a glimpse into what is sure to be the makings of a superstar. There we go. Album of the year. Check. That. Shit. Out. Son.