2011 so far

Boom_Bap

So what are your favorite albums, EPs or Mixtapes so far this year?

Albums:
I think that Rhymesayers are having a stellar year so far. Hail Mary Mallon, Blueprint, Atmosphere and most recently Grieves have had excellent albums this year so far. Face Candy was also on RSE and is pretty darn good.

Rockwell Powers and Ill Pills 'Kids in the Back II' was a huge surprise for me and is constant rotation

Random Axe sounds real nice, havent given it enough attention yet, but i'm pleased with what i've heard so far.

Soul Khan - Soul Khan - His transition from a battler to releasing an album has been a success. Looking forward to hearing more from him.

Fresh Daily - The Quiet Life - Absolutely outstanding album, production and lyrics are on point.

Mixtapes:
Wax's Scrublife tape is excellent, all his youtube hits nicely packaged in one place.
Camp Lo and Pete Rocks '80 Blocks From Tiffanys' mixtape is great, cant wait for the album
Mac Miller's Best Day Ever is really good as well and deserves a mention.

EPs
Corey by Corey Davis is another one of those things that I listened to by pure chance and really liked.

Childish Gambino's EP was a big surprise as well, for ya'll that dont know about him, he is plays Troy in a TV show called Community. He has got skills.

There's probably other stuff that i've missed out on here.

Boom_Bap

Forgot Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Pt II, great album.

I was also wrestling with putting Tyler, The Creator's Goblin on the OP, initially I really liked the record, but it slipped out of rotation as it grew old too quickly for me.

Oleg Luzhny

Reks - R.E.K.S.

Andy_rse

Like you said, Rhymesayers are dropping consistently great releases. I've loved everything they've released this year.

Cunninlynguists - Oneiroligy
Vinnie Paz & Ill Bill - Heavy Metal Kings
Soulcrate Music - Kick Rocks Collection
Prime Element - Set In Stone
Scorzayzee - War to the puzzle

All I can think of now, damn im terrible at remembering things off the top of my head.

Rjd2

Everything I liked has been named except Sims Bad Time Zoo, Kendrick Lamar Section 80 and Kweli Guttar Rainbow.


EDIT... Forgot to add Elzhi Elmatic, corking album.

mufcboy1999

i enjoyed a lot of stuff in 2011 to be honest of the top of my head

kendrick lamar's section 80 is without doubt my favorite so far this year, lamar is fast becoming my favorite rapper out right now. Section 80 was for me a breath of fresh air so much substance and meaning behind his music.

As mentioned above Elzhi's Elmatic mixtape was brilliant and a quality idea to pay tribute to illmatic but also re create it in a way to give it a fresher sound but still keep that nasty nas feel to it. stands out from most mixtapes released this year for me.

the bad meets evil ep was class aswell, we waited some time to see eminem and royce re unite and it was well worth the wait.

and also big krits return of 4eva was a great mixtape, thats all i can think of at the moment but there's loads more.

HATCHET IRL

saigon-greatest story never told

reks-r.e.k.s

apathy-honkey kong

classified-handshakes and middlefingers

tech n9ne-all 6s and 7s

kendrick lamar-section 80

random axe-random axe

blurprint-adventures in counter culture

pusha-t-fear of god

i think thats it prob missin something tho.. findin it hard to find music by soul khan, thers nothing on amazon

Boom_Bap

HATCHET IRL wrote: »

saigon-greatest story never told

reks-r.e.k.s

apathy-honkey kong

classified-handshakes and middlefingers

tech n9ne-all 6s and 7s

kendrick lamar-section 80

random axe-random axe

blurprint-adventures in counter culture

pusha-t-fear of god

i think thats it prob missin something tho.. findin it hard to find music by soul khan, thers nothing on amazon

Keep forgetting to get the new Apathy album, it's getting killer reviews.
As far as Random Axe, it has seriously grown on me. Guilty Simpson is pretty forgettable on it....but the production is omazing, Black Milk must have the crispest drums i've ever heard in hip hop.

Soul Khan released a new video/single the other day, no idea what project it's from..it's over a Lauren Hill beat, i think it's Doo Wop.

EDIT: Just checked his site, it's Lost Ones from a new EP due out next week. But his first album is a freebie so screw Amazon
http://soulkhan.com/music/

Shapey Fiend

Kendrick Lamar - Section 80
Great beats. Really technical raps. Nice hooks. Hard to explain him exactly cos his style is a bit unusual but definitely worth a look. ADHD is probably enough to sell it to you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjlFqgRbICY

Danny Brown - XXX
Bit of a divisive album. He's always had an abrasive style and he dials up the wierd quite a bit. Beats are a bit more experimental. Jagged high pitched grime type of vocals. Definitely my favourite release so far this year. http://youtu.be/DeKK6F3FqAY

Big KRIT - Return of 4Eva
Fantastic beats. Good raps. On a sort of Outkast kind of vibe. http://youtu.be/sqYgfX6dfxc

Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
Nice beats not like anything else around at the moment. Rappers your man from Digable Planets. http://youtu.be/znDsRydk3_w

Flash Bang Grenada - 10 Haters
Busdriver x Nocando collaboration album. Again, bit out there. Weird for the sake of being weird perhaps. Fun at the same time. http://youtu.be/4qzt1PwFUYw

Honorable mention goes to Smoke DZA, Gucci Mane, Jim Jones, Alley Boy, Curren$y, BEeFF, JonWayne, Clams Casino and a rake of other people. Too much good hip hop this year any list you make would end up being crowded.

conor.hogan.2

Sahtyre the buddah
swollen members daggermouth
im not sure but i think soul like khan was 2010 and havent heard the new stuff yet.

Otherwise the odd song from several artists, everything else I heard was garbage or average at best (lamar….)

Orizio

Kendrick Lamar, Curren$y (Drama and Alc collabs), K.R.I.T., Killer Mike, 14kt, Cunninlynguists, Blue Sky Black Death, Chuuwee, Money Making Jam Boys, Stalley.

Liquidswords

R4 - Big KRIT
Covert Coup - Curren$y & ALC
Dr. Lecter - Action Bronson
Oneirology - Cunninlynguists

Mickolution

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Keep forgetting to get the new Apathy album, it's getting killer reviews.

Got it the other day and I'm loving it so far.

This is a real stand out so far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecOKP4_lFsg

ImGettinPaper

Looking forward to hearing Busta Rhymes new album. It's SUPPOSED to be like his old style, we'll see. Raekwon's CLII was up to par let's see if this sequel lives up to it.

ghostface ste

Fashawn - Higher Learning 2 was out in Feb, very good. Can't wait for Childish Gambino album. Jean Grae Cookies and Cream worth a listen

Jordans n Timbs

sai giddy - greatest story never told

max b - vigilante season

young jeezy - the real is back pt 2

HATCHET IRL

Soul Khan-Soul like Khan

HassaaN Mackey and Apollo Brown-Daily Bread

The Doppelgangaz-Lone sharks

Rjd2

astronautalis this is our science.:)

Hugh Cream

do people make conscious decisions not to name main stream artists when in threads like these?

its almost like yis are all trying to out do each other with the my choices are more under ground than your choices type stuff.

Boom_Bap

Hugh Cream wrote: »

do people make conscious decisions not to name main stream artists when in threads like these?

its almost like yis are all trying to out do each other with the my choices are more under ground than your choices type stuff.

There is nothing from the mainstream that has grabbed me so far this year. I also prefer listening to music where the artist has something to say...which is not something that is found in the mainstream.

ImGettinPaper

Hugh Cream wrote: »

do people make conscious decisions not to name main stream artists when in threads like these?

its almost like yis are all trying to out do each other with the my choices are more under ground than your choices type stuff.

Although I'm not saying you're right about this thread I know a few people in real life who are like this and it's just like...no. Just no!

Orizio

Hugh Cream wrote: »

do people make conscious decisions not to name main stream artists when in threads like these?

its almost like yis are all trying to out do each other with the my choices are more under ground than your choices type stuff.

What 2011 'mainstream' albums would you suggest?

Hugh Cream

ImGettinPaper wrote: »

Although I'm not saying you're right about this thread I know a few people in real life who are like this and it's just like...no. Just no!

it seems that way to me, its no big deal tbh, i just find it humorous/strange.

Hugh Cream

Boom_Bap wrote: »

There is nothing from the mainstream that has grabbed me so far this year. I also prefer listening to music where the artist has something to say...which is not something that is found in the mainstream.

i always find that a strange thing to say.

Bobby Baccala

i dont think any good hip hop has come out of 2011 but then again my taste in rap is stuck in the 90s

surball

Hail Mary Mallon
Shabazz Palaces
Dels - Gob

Between HMM Smock or Dels Shape Shift for best song

Boom_Bap

Hugh Cream wrote: »

i always find that a strange thing to say.

why is that? My view of this is that if you take some maintream artist song, re-arrange the verses, substitute a verse from another song on thier album, there probably wont be much difference. You'll end up with the same song. Thier songs lack a bit of though, it sounds like the verses were just written and thrown over a beat the fit with timing. You normally get the 3 verse, 3 hook, same bars song patterns over and over again. And over the span of the album, you can tell which ones are going to be singles.
Admititly, there are some exclusions from this, not only in the mainstream, but it's more prevelant there. Even hip hop from the old school/golden era is like this. But after hearing the progression that has been made in the craft of a song and album, I like to hear more of that rather than more of the same.

Orizio

This mainstream/underground ****e became worthless a decade ago. Actually it was always worthless but the artists took a while to cop on.

Good music is good music dudes.

toist

i dont think any good hip hop has come out of 2011 but then again my taste in rap is stuck in the 90s[/QUOTE]

i agree with you.

Bobby Baccala

Orizio wrote: »

This mainstream/underground ****e became worthless a decade ago. Actually it was always worthless but the artists took a while to cop on.

Good music is good music dudes.

man underground tunes were never worthless you actually have to go looking for good ones

Orizio

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

man underground tunes were never worthless you actually have to go looking for good ones

The above has absolutely nothing to do with what I said.

Bobby Baccala

How is that now?

Shapey Fiend

There isn't much major label rap music worth checking out at the moment cos the majors tamper with the albums so much. Works well for singles but doesn't make for any albums you could really wholeheartedly recommend. The Throne wasn't bad but a bit patchy overall. Can't even think of any other major contenders. Most of the artists mentioned in this thread are mainstream in terms of internet audience anyway. Heavily blogged about/ talked about. It's not like nobodies heard of them.

Orizio

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

How is that now?

Well you completely misunderstood my post, so your reply made no sense.

Bobby Baccala

By worthless did you mean there was no money in it or that is was shít to listen to?

Hugh Cream

Orizio wrote: »

This mainstream/underground ****e became worthless a decade ago. Actually it was always worthless but the artists took a while to cop on.

Good music is good music dudes.

i totally agree, personally ill listen to anything that moves me, the message is irrelevant.
thats why its strange to me that people base their preferences on whats being said in the music.

Hugh Cream

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

By worthless did you mean there was no money in it or that is was shít to listen to?

neither from what i can make out, the argument was ridiculous because its all good maybe is what he means?

Orizio

I'm just saying the mainstream/underground debate is long over, and was detrimental to Hip-Hop anyway way back when. Its best to just look for good music, regardless of labels or popularity, which is what most are doing these days anyway.

ImGettinPaper

Boom_Bap wrote: »

why is that? My view of this is that if you take some maintream artist song, re-arrange the verses, substitute a verse from another song on thier album, there probably wont be much difference. You'll end up with the same song. Thier songs lack a bit of though, it sounds like the verses were just written and thrown over a beat the fit with timing. You normally get the 3 verse, 3 hook, same bars song patterns over and over again. And over the span of the album, you can tell which ones are going to be singles.
Admititly, there are some exclusions from this, not only in the mainstream, but it's more prevelant there. Even hip hop from the old school/golden era is like this. But after hearing the progression that has been made in the craft of a song and album, I like to hear more of that rather than more of the same.

It's strange to me too because an artist can say anything and make it sound good. Take Eminems stuff just before he got off the drugs!! It sounds good although he wasn't saying anything. It's not what you say it's how you say it. That's musical and artistic. Anyway, just opinions.

SM01

I really really like the Action Bronson album.

horsebox09

SM01 wrote: »

I really really like the Action Bronson album.

I must check this out actually, heard some good things about it

Hugh Cream

Think that action Bronson guy is another flavor of the month rapper whose not very good.
His insistence on letting it all hang out in his videos is a bit odd as well, and sickening.

Boom_Bap

I think Action Bronson has got some serious skills as an MC, but I get the feeling he wont be able to deliver a solid full length.

Also, Mr. Muthaf*ckin Exquire is one of the best things i've heard this year:

http://mishkanyc.bandcamp.com/album/...in-translation

Astronautalis' album is also up there.