Best Of 2020: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae

The only pure hip hop album on my Top 25 was Alfredo, the devastating team-up between Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist (see also his brilliant live session with the El Michels Affair). But that doesn't mean the year was devoid of exciting or even important releases from that realm, not to mention R&B and Reggae. A few of those showed up in earlier posts, which are listed first and included on the playlist below. 

Of Note In 2020: Hip Hop, R&B, and Reggae
Charlotte Dos Santos - Harvest Time
Pop Smoke - Meet The Woo 2 (Deluxe)
Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony

Record Roundup: Catching Up (Sort Of)
Quakers - II - The Next Wave
Supa-K: Heavy Tremors

Clipping - Visions Of Bodies Being Burned How far you want to dive into the references to classic horror films and homages to an earlier generation of hip hop artists on this latest from Daveed Diggs' group is up to you. Even if totally ignorant of all the cogitation behind their creative process, I can't imagine the brick hard, serrated beats - constructed by William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes with other collaborators - combined with Diggs' machine-gun delivery not having an impact. Part of that is the sheer viscera Diggs pumps into couplets like: "'Til nine months later with a stomach full of Devil baby/She startin' to think it's time to pump the brakes/But that train left the station with the Great Migration/Bloody tracks left right by the drain, say the name." You would not be mistaken if you assigned the album to the same moment that gave us HBO's Lovecraft Country, another canny a mix of pop-culture inside jokes with social commentary. So whether it's the words or the grim soundscapes that discomfit you while listening, either way you will not be bored.

Conway The Machine - From A King To A GOD, No One Mourns The Wicked (with Big Ghost Ltd.), and Lulu (with The Alchemist) Maybe it's the raw winters of Buffalo that forged this indomitable rapper, who seems to have endless bars to deliver over beats by some of the best producers around, including DJ Premier, Havoc, Big Ghost Ltd., and The Alchemist. In some ways, there's nothing on these three albums that couldn't have come out five years ago, but rather than live on the cutting edge, Conway seeks merely to be excellent. He's also damned convincing in whatever tales he's delivering, with a persona of having come through the fire to rise to the top. But among the brags are heartfelt and humble moments of reflection, as on The Contract from Lulu: "Let's toast to my enemies, no, let's toast to my injuries/Turned my negative to positive, I don't need no sympathy/I'm the GOAT 'til infinity, I wrote with intensity/Plus, my potent delivery, I just hope they remember me." If he keeps up this pace and quality, he'll be impossible to forget.

Megan Thee Stallion - Good News Like Conway, Megan sees no need to jump on trap or drill trends, just serving up fun, creative beats from a roster of expert producers (I count 20!), and slathering her diamond-sharp rhymes all over them with infectious glee. Her joy - and ours - comes not only from her sheer skill with syllables, but her complete lack of inhibition, which can also be found on WAP, the era-defining single (and video!) she made with Cardi B. While Cardi is not on the album, there are a ton of other guests, but she lets none of them dim her shine, although Dababy and Sza come close. While Don't Rock Me To Sleep, the one pure pop move, is regrettable, mainstream hip hop this good is not as common as it should be so all is forgiven. Not that she would care what I think - nor would I want her to!

Jean Dawson - Pixel Bath The Pigeons & Planes Discord is one of the brightest spots on the internet, full of positivity, constructive criticism, and enthusiastic sharing. While time constraints have me mostly lurking, my antennae are always up for something getting a lot of attention, and this nearly genre-free debut quickly bubbled up. As much a rock or pop album, with all the soaring guitar solos and sticky choruses that implies, it slots in here nicely due to its omnivorous nature and sharp attitude. While there is plenty of youthful angst, it fortunately stays to the right side of emo, landing almost in a post-punk zone on occasion. It's anyone's guess where Dawson goes from here, but his options appear to be unlimited.

Spillage Village, JID & EarthGang - Spilligion Even before I knew this collective was from Atlanta, GA, I was getting strong OutKast vibes based on the beat-making, which is colorfully original yet steeped in funk, soul, gospel, etc., and the variety and energy of the flows. Loads of pop smarts, too, with several songs achieving ear worm status. Perhaps a testament to the deep collaboration underpinning the whole album is the fact that, with 20+ producers and a more than a dozen rappers, Spilligion not only doesn't collapse under its own weight, but is actually a joyful and consistent listen. You can listen free on every service, but tell me you aren't tempted by this vinyl package, which is as exuberant as the music.

Goodie Mob - Survival Kit Speaking of the Dirty South, here comes the Mob with their first album in seven years - and one of their best. Even at nearly an hour, it does not overstay its welcome thanks to the lively tracks by Organized Noise and energized and engaged rhyming from everybody, including the three stellar guests: Chuck D, Andre 3000, and Big Boi. Considering the way 2021 has kicked off, I'm going to keep this album close at hand. As Khujo Goodie says in the title track: "Mask on, gloves on, we ain't out the woods yet/The power of the mind is my survival kit."

Run The Jewels - RTJ4 Some have complained that while this is good, it's nothing new from Killer Mike and El-P, but I think the former is carrying the latter less often, which is refreshing. El's beats are as great as usual, with more of an electro flavor (and a great Gang Of Four sample on The Ground Below), inspiring Killer Mike to some awesome heights, as on this verse from Goonies Vs. E.T.: "Ain't no revolution is televised and digitized/You've been hypnotized and Twitter-ized by silly guys/Cues to the evening news, make sure you ill-advised/Got you celebrating the generators of genocide/Any good deed is pummeled, punished, and penalized." There's also a devastating Mavis Staples feature on Pulling The Pin, and one of the best rallying cries ever on JU$T: "Look at all these slave masters posing on your dollar." When I start using paper money again, I will be looking hard.

Sault -  Untitled (Black Is) and Untitled (Rise) Through a combination of savvy marketing and a canny combination of influences ranging from Black Heat and 24 Carat Black to contemporary funk, R&B, and hip hop, this mystery collective topped many a list of 2020's best music. Much of that acclaim was deserved as they delivered two albums full of sticky tunes, danceable grooves, and up to the minute rallying cries. However, each album is salted with PSA like interludes (like You Know It Ain't) that lose their luster after a few listens. But there is much that is thought-provoking and much that is sheerly enjoyable here. Maybe next time around they'll realize they have nothing to prove.

Orion Sun - A Collection Of Fleeting Moments And Daydreams This slightly updated version of her 2017 EP shows off Tiffany Majette's talents with exquisite focus, slightly more so than her other 2020 release, Hold Space For Me. But both make great use of acoustic guitars, scratchy records, bossa nova samples, and Majette's voice, which has a delicacy belying its hidden strengths. Both records are a time-lapse view of a new original blossoming before your ears.

Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios) Anyone who's heard 2018's Isolation, Uchis' first album, would know from songs like Your Teeth In My Neck that she is "sin miedo" (without fear) - and that she's an endless font of melody. That combination means it's no surprise that this album of mostly Spanish language material goes down so smoothly. She traverses boleros and reggaeton with equal ease, demonstrating that steely delicacy on song after song. Even on a banger like Te Pongo Mal, she never oversells, making an album that will work at a party but also in quieter circumstances. The last track, Angel Sin Cielo, which could have been a tour de force of layered vocals over acoustic guitar, is an unfortunate misfire, but the rest is close to perfection.

Denise Sherwood - This Road If the name looks familiar to you from the On-U Sound universe led by Adrian Sherwood, you're already on the right track to digging this delicious debut by his daughter. Apparently years in the making as she sought her voice, it's helped by that temporal variety, with touches of trip-hop and drum & bass among the sleekly assured reggae you would expect. And it's a gorgeous voice, too, confident yet restrained, with the low-key strength of someone who knows they have nothing to prove. More than holding its own among classics from the New Age Steppers, African Head Charge, and other Sherwood projects, This Road sees the On-U legend yet being written. All hail!

Toots & The Maytals - Got To Be Tough That was a bit of a sorry roller coaster ride we went on last year with this reggae legend. First, there was his inspiring interview in Rolling Stone, which revealed a long-in-the-works new album would soon be coming to fruition, with the unlikely help of Zak Starkey. Then, just days later, the dispiriting news that this indefatigable force had been felled by complications resulting from COVID-19. So now the album had the dual weight of not only being his first in ten years, but his final statement. I'm happy to report that, after a shaky start (the first song is annoying, the second inconsequential), and despite an unnecessary remake of Three Little Birds, this is a fine album. His voice sounds strong throughout and there are more than a few songs - the title track especially - worthy of including on a career-spanning playlist. There may be more in the vaults that will come out posthumously, but for now this will serve as a capstone to a life in music that needed no burnishing. 

Singles: This category always churns up essential stand-alone singles. In 2020 there was the aforementioned WAP and we also got Frank Ocean singing dreamily in Spanish on the spare Cayendo, the warm Terry Callier/Isley Brothers vibes of The Sun by Secret Night Gang, Hot Sauce, another tasty lagniappe from Pinkcaravan!, and Lockdown, the quarantine smash by Anderson .Paak. He rose to our current moment with one his best songs yet, somehow giving us permission to dance while looking squarely in the face at some of the challenges of 2020. My grandchildren will understand a bit more of what we're going through when we play them Lockdown. What music will you share with them to help them understand?

For more from these genres, check out my archive playlist - and make sure to follow the 2021 edition so you don't miss anything.

You may also enjoy:
Best Of 2019: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae
Best Of 2018: Hip Hop, RnB and Reggae
Best Of 2017: Hip Hop, RnB and Reggae
Best Of 2016: Hip Hop and RnB
A Vacation In Hip Hop Nation
A Few Brief Words About Some Recent Hip Hop

Best Of 2019: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae

For my listening, the year in hip hop was so dominated by Bandana by Freddie Gibbs and Madlib (#5 of The Top 25) and Jesus Is King by Kanye West (#24/25) that I was tempted to think it was a down year for the genre as far as quantity goes. But then I looked back and found a wealth of great records. Beyond Solange’s wonderful When I Get Home (#25/25), there were just a few RnB albums that reached for greatness. As for reggae, there was nothing that made it into the Top 25 but there were some great releases that should not be overlooked. Press play on this playlist or below and read on for all the scoop. 

Hip Hop

First Quarter Report: The Albums

C-Bo - Animal

G&D - Black Love & War The “G” is Georgia Ann Muldrow and the “D” is Declaime, AKA her partner, Dudley Perkins. Their talents as producers and vocalists blend marvelously, with Muldrow either soulful or imperious (a touch of Grace Jones) and Declaime’s thick and gritty flow the perfect contrast. The production veers from earthy jazz to psychedelic soul, while still remaining thoroughly contemporary and 100 percent hip hop. A few lyrical infelicities and a couple of snoozy cuts kept this out of the Top 25 - but it was close. 

Tyler The Creator - Igor I’ve had a hands off approach to the Odd Future crew (except Frank Ocean) since inception, finding them - especially Tyler - unable to back up their bravado with anything I wanted to listen to more than once. But word that this album was different began creeping into my consciousness shortly after it came out and when my daughter insisted I listen I took a chance. And it’s fantastic - a self-produced and nearly seamless blend of singing, rapping, electronics, and emotional depth far beyond most hip hop. That latter point is based mostly on how the record makes me feel as opposed to an in-depth look at the lyrics. But love and loss are front and center, with some of the crestfallen bitterness explored by Andre 3000 on The Love Below. Also, as proven by his incendiary performance on the Grammys (all hail Charlie Wilson), Tyler has tapped into his creativity and talent in all dimensions. Further big things remain to come for this complex and nuanced artist. 

Danny Brown - Uknowhatimsayin While still not at the level of 2016’s pitch black Atrocity Exhibition, there’s still plenty of the outrageousness and wide-ranging musical exploration he’s led us to expect over the years. “Reliable” is not a word I would have expected to use for Danny Brown, but he’s become someone you can count on - maybe next time he’ll thrill us again, like Killer Mike does on his verse for 3 Tearz.  

Earl Sweatshirt - Feet Of Clay Rather than wondering when Sweatshirt is going to break out of what seems to be a numbed state of being, that seems to have become sort of the point. Along with smudged textures and foggy beats, whether self-produced, as most of this EP, or when Alchemist steps behind the boards for a track. If this is him coasting, still quite fascinating. 

Pusha T - Coming Home (feat. Lauryn Hill) With the world still reeling from Daytona (#3/25, 2018), perhaps it's wise that Pusha-T didn't put out an album in 2019. But he did put out two great singles and guest spots on a number of tracks. Inspired by an uplifting beat from Kanye West, et al, Coming Home is a bittersweet but still gritty track that rides the line of speaking some truth about mass incarceration while still offering hope to those affected by this national tragedy. Not coke rap! Lauryn Hill's turn is beautiful, too, much more than a mere hook. We also got Sociopath, with its great mid-song "charcuterie" skit, and a bit of catnip for Succession fans. Hear all of his work from last year in this handy playlist.

RnB

H.E.R. - I Used To Know Her Now that Gabriella Wilson is a certified Grammy fixture, inspiring awe with both her melodic inventiveness and ripping guitar solos, hopefully people are finding their way to this album, which displays more versatility than you might expect from those televised extravaganzas. And if the record could have used a little judicious pruning, consider the fact that Wilson is only 22 - she has plenty of time to figure out when less can equal more.

Burna Boy - African Giant Maybe I was supposed to put this on the Best Of 2019: Jazz, Latin, and Global, but I willed it into this category because I wish more contemporary R&B was this suave, smooth, and funky. His Nigerian roots would show through in any genre, however, and it's wonderful to see him break through outside his native land after nearly a decade of recording. 

SiR - Chasing Summer This is the longest and most clearly defined release from Top Dawg Entertainment's resident crooner. Even with starry guests like Kendrick Lamar, it's an intimate and spare affair, fully modern but with enough touches of classic soul to ground it firmly in tradition.

Anderson .Paak - Ventura It seems almost cruel to expect more from someone so talented, who consistently makes albums that go down so easily it would be easy to downplay the art and craft that go into them. But I can't help thinking that .Paak has been grooving on past glories with each album since the mind-blowing Malibu (#19/20 in 2016). Still, there is much pleasure to be had on Ventura - ignore it at your peril.

Lizzo - Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) While she's not as good a rapper as she seems to think she is (maybe leave that to Missy Elliott, who guests on Tempo), and she might sing bigger than she has to, her larger than life exuberance is impossible to deny. Even with a few dud tracks, enough of that personality comes through to make this a defining album of 2019. She's on a fulcrum point, however - any more concessions to commercialism and she will become bound to her moment rather than owning it.

FKA Twigs - Holy Terrain (feat. Future) While I didn't find Magdalene as static as LP1, the creeping Kate Bush-influenced obscurantism was a turn-off, except for this terrific single, also the best thing Future has done in a while. I know I'm swimming against the tide here, as Magdalene nearly broke the internet when it came out, but I can only like what I like. And I like this song A LOT.

Frank Ocean - In My Room Two singles, this one and DHL, are all we got from Ocean in 2019, with Blonde - one of the best albums of the century, never mind the decade - now three years in the rear view. Beautiful stuff in any case, especially the minimalist bedsit romance of In My Room. I would hesitate to make any predictions about what his next album will sound like based on these as I have a feeling it will be more full of sonic surprise than either of them.

Charlotte Dos Santos - Harvest Time I still find Dos Santos's 2017 album, Cleo, sigh-inducing, so I hope this wonderful filament of a song signals more from her in 2020. 

Reggae

Lee "Scratch" Perry - Heavy Rain This album was the best of the three the 83-year-old Perry put out in 2019. Mostly made up of dubs from Rainford, which came out earlier in the year, it improves on that album either by adding the trombone wizardry of the great Vin Gordon or the studio magic of the legendary Brian Eno, or simply by swathing some of Perry's less-than-scintillating vocal moments in washes of echo and effects. Great to have Perry collaborating with Adrian Sherwood again, who steered him into waters more creative than Spacewave, who produced the mostly tedious Rootz Reggae Dub. 

Prince Fatty - In The Viper's Shadow In which the Brit master of roots and dub assembles a murderer's row of vocalists, from Big Youth to Cornell Campbell (who I also wrote about here), to sing or toast over his killer tracks. The biggest surprise might be the soaring vocals of Shniece McMenamin, who holds her own in this august company. More from her, with Fatty producing, would be the exact opposite of a bad thing. 

Koffee - Rapture After taking note of her excellent single Throne in January, it took Koffee winning a Grammy for Best Reggae Album - the first woman to do so - for me to even realize she had an album out. But she also kind of doesn't, as Rapture is a mere 15 minutes long. Either way, the 19-year-old shows great promise on this short showcase, whether spitting auto-tuned fire over dancehall beats or singing soulfully over rootsier tracks. Looking forward to a true long-player - soon, please.

Hollie Cook - Dance In The Sunshine Maybe now that Koffee has broken the gender barrier at the Grammys, Cook will get the recognition she deserves. Until then, we will just bask in the warmth of her presence whenever she chooses to release sweet songs like this single. If you're still unfamiliar with this wonderful singer and songwriter, start with her self-titled debut, which was my #3 album of 2011. Or you could check out Twice, which landed at #5 in 2014. Then there's Vessel Of Love, my #7 album of 2018. She's just great!

What turned your head in these genres in 2019? Let me know! There’s also more in this archived playlist - and follow this one so you know how 2020 fares.

You may also enjoy:
Best Of 2018: Hip Hop, RnB and Reggae
Best Of 2017: Hip Hop, RnB and Reggae
Best Of 2016: Hip Hop and RnB

Best Of 2018: Hip Hop, RnB And Reggae

My Top 25 only included one hip hop album, Pusha-T’s majestic Daytona, and no R&B (Natalie Prass notwithstanding!) but that’s probably more of a “It’s not you, it’s me,” scenario as there was plenty of stellar work in the genres throughout 2018. Black Milk’s FEVER demonstrated a new level of lyricism for the master producer and Cardi B.’s Invasion Of Privacy was top notch commercial rap with a sharp New York edge. Speaking of sharp, Telmary’s Cuban fuerza was like a cut diamond, Ghostface Killah’s Brown Album reveled in grimy beats and gritty raps, and Golden Chariots highlighted some exciting up-and-comers.

With Isolation, Kali Uchis delivered a deeply informed - and deeply funky - treatise on R&B and old school rhythm and blues and should have been nominated for at least three Grammys, Best New Artist among them. SIR dropped the subtle and witty November early in the year but it promptly disappeared, even though the TDE Championship Tour found the crooner sharing the stage with label-mates Kendrick Lamar and SZA. Hollie Cook’s Vessel Of Love put some rocksteady reggae in the Top 25 but Sly & Robbie’s collaboration with Dubmatix also echoed seismically. The albums mentioned above are represented at the top of the list with some call-backs to previous posts, followed by an unordered list of other standouts.

Record Roundup: One Day In 2018

SiR - November

Sly & Robbie Meet Dubmatix - Overdubbed 

Record Roundup: Hip Hop Hors d’Oeuvres

Black Milk - FEVER

Cardi B. - Invasion Of Privacy 

Ghostface Killah & Apollo Brown - The Brown Tape

Joey Gallo, Cole Hicks & J Clyde - Golden Chariots
Telmary - Fuerza Arara

Best Of 2018 (So Far)
Kali Uchis - Isolation

Various Artists - Black Panther: The Album Kendrick Lamar masterminded this collection of songs based on Ryan Coogler’s magnificent comic book blockbuster. Given the tear he’s been on for the last few years Lamar can be forgiven if this wasn’t quite the imperial statement I expected. I also imagine that all the money and cooks in the mix when you dabble in Marvel’s “cinematic universe” may be some of the cause behind some of the album feeling smoothed out and sluggish. Even so, it’s damned good, and if it’s the one hip hop album some parts of the film’s audience are exposed to, they’re getting a fair representation of the current approach to the idiom. The inclusion of some young African artists added intrigue and the the songs with SZA (All Of The Stars) and Anderson .Paak (Bloody Waters) fully lived up to all the promise. Also worth checking out is Black Panther: Original Score by Ludwig Göransson, which combined sweeping strings with trap rhythms, the voice of the legendary Baaba Maal and sounds sampled from an archive of African music. Fascinating stuff and actually edgier than Lamar's compilation. 

Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts Long after Kanye West's MAGA BS has died down and the holes he’s shot in his feet have healed over, we will still have to consider the run of five short albums he pumped out last spring. It’s almost universally agreed that Daytona was the strongest of all and his own ‘Ye the weakest (and the worst of his career), leaving the other three to jockey for position in the middle. For my money, while some of the songs on Nas’ Nasir hit home, they were too often sunk by the rapper’s poorly thought out rhymes. Teyana Taylor’s KTSE had some sweet jams but I was never totally convinced by her embrace of graphic sexuality on a few of them. She could take a few lessons on such things from Kali Uchis!

That leaves this collaboration between West and Kid Cudi, an artist who impressed me years ago with Night And Day before seeming to slide into Drake and Weeknd-style solipsism. Not here - both artists kick each other in high gear, with West injecting some spacious post-punk, dubbed out nihilism into his tracks and Cudi singing well and with emotional conviction. West’s raps hearken back to an earlier time, before he seemed intent on pissing everyone off. In short, it’s a solid album that delivers a few welcome surprises. If not for West’s red hat and the muddled thinking going on beneath it, Kids See Ghosts would likely have had a broader impact. 

Noname - Room 25 Coming out of the same rich Chicago scene as Chance The Rapper, Noname has been honing her style for the last few years. Room 25, her second album, finds her at her best, with her conversational, poetic flow swathed in lush, jazzy surroundings courtesy producer Phoelix. Listening to Noname (real name: Fatimah Warner) grow up in public should continue to be one of the most compelling facets of hip hop for a long time to come. 

Mick Jenkins - Pieces Of A Man Jenkins, another Chicago rapper on a mission, announces his ambition by cribbing a title from one of Gil Scott-Heron's classics. This album is a deep and rich display of his talents, giving us some "free thought" on many subjects, including a "red-hot case of dot-dot-did-it-dot-dot-dash, the re-morse code, the damned if I know..." or what GSH called the "Ghetto Code." Of specific concern is that "there are more and more things black people thought they had a handle on that they sorta seen slowly slip away from them." Those musings come in a track called Heron Flow, but don't worry that Jenkins is trying to be someone he ain't - this is a thoroughly contemporary hip hop album, which honors his hero's independent streak way more than if he tried to imitate him. Giving gritty voice to our moment, Jenkins earns the right to use that title over the course of the album, which is certainly not something you can say about other people biting titles of great albums (yes, Yo La Tengo, I'm looking at you). Keep your eye on Jenkins - his third album is bound to be a corker if he continues on this hot streak.

Saba - Care For Me This album has an uneven beginning, but by the time you get to Calligraphy, the third track, you will be convinced of Saba's abilities, especially the way he can inject furious emotion into his songs while still remaining in control. The heart of the album lies in its penultimate song, Prom / King, in which Saba confronts the murder of his cousin. It's an extraordinary use of hip hop as memoir and nearly singlehandedly reimagines the power and possibility of the music. But while I can't help but be thrilled by everything Chicago is giving us musically, it's more than a damned shame that so much of it is rooted in pain and tragedy. Here's to brighter days for Saba and all in the Windy City.

pinkcaravan! - 2002 Setting her childlike musing and reminiscing within a candy-coated laptop-generated universe makes every pinkcaravan! release a delight. It’s all sweet, so she also wisely keeps things short, leaving you wanting more rather than running off to the dentist. 

Anderson .Paak - Oxnard Malibu, Paak's last album was a joyful explosion of killer grooves (often with him behind the drum kit) and ultra-confident rapping and singing about growing up in L.A.'s environs. Oxnard continues the formula, with results that are nearly as good except for some muddled lyrical moments. The guy is massively talented but might want to take some more time writing his next batch of songs.

Mad Professor - Electro Dubclubbing!! This massive slab of sound proves yet again that, in the 21st Century, nobody dubs it better than this Guyanese-born British producer and vocalist. The rhythm sections are tighter than the clampdown and the chord changes and melodies are enough to inspire - or resolve - many emotions. Translation: this album will make you feel fantastic.

Various Artists - Snoop Dogg Presents Bible Of Love All rise: the "Rev." Calvin Broadus (AKA Snoop Dogg) has assembled a classy, splashy contemporary gospel collection, lavishly populated by some of the finest singers around, both sanctified (Rance Allen, Kim Burrell, Marvin Sapp, etc.) and secular (Charlie Wilson, Patti Labelle, Faith Evans, etc.). It's also a showcase for the family of Snoop's co-Executive Producer Lonny Bereal with no fewer than ten people bearing that surname involved in the project. Special note should be made of the contributions of Michael Lawrence Bereal who provides crucial support on bass, keyboards, tambourine and strings. At over two hours, it's certainly too long but the good stuff is as good as the good book deserves. Hallelujah!

Various Artists - Everything Is Recorded By Richard Russell On this eclectic collection by the head of XL Recordings (which releases everyone from Adele to Thom Yorke), he brings together some of his less-established signings like Sampha (whose excellent Process was my #8 album of 2017), the French-Cuban duo Ibeyi, British rapper Giggs, a singer named Infinite (also the son of Ghostface Killah) for mostly powerful night visions. Ghosts in the machine include Curtis Mayfield, Keith Hudson, Grace Jones, Peter Gabriel and Green Gartside of Scritti Politti. But even if all these names mean nothing to you, I can fairly well guarantee EIRBRR is going to give you something you can't get elsewhere. Standouts include Wet Looking Road with a supremely confident Giggs ("I ain't never going to need that click!") interacting with a glistening Hudson sample, Mountains Of Gold, which finds Sampha, Ibeyi and another rapper, Wiki, making hay over Jones' Nightclubbing, and Bloodshot Red Eyes, an intimate slice of starlit R&B with Infinite receiving subtle accompaniment from Gartside. Russell has the curator's knack - I wonder what he'll put together next time.

Chloe X Halle - The Kids Are Alright When I reviewed their 2017 mixtape/EP, The Two Of Us, I concluded by saying, "Reading around the web, I get the idea that Beyoncé fans are waiting for something bigger from these teenagers. I hope they maintain their delicate but intense minimalism, poetic lyrics, and vocal restraint, without falling into radio-ready convention." I'm happy to report that the Bailey sister are mostly sticking to their guns, layering their preternatural harmonies over spare tracks of synths and programmed drums. I never would have expected them to become go-to providers of theme songs for movies and TV, but the inclusion of Grown (from Blackish) and Warrior (from A Wrinkle In Time) doesn't interrupt the hypnotic flow of the album. Thank goodness their song from Trolls was left off! The soundtrack work can have the effect of making their lyrics a bit too general, so it's welcome that songs like Fake (with a feature by Kari Faux) and Down come from a more personal place. Considering they're both under 20, they still have a lot of living - and singing - to do, and I couldn't be happier following along.

Stimulator Jones - Exotic Worlds And Masterful Treasures Multi-instrumentalist Sam Lunsford has elbowed his way into the tuneful and retro-styled club populated by Remy Shand and Meyer Hawthorne, although he's odder than both of them. His colorful, mostly electronic R&B has hints of the 70's and 80's but also sounds slightly otherworldly, as though something was both lost and gained in translation. I discovered him on Sofie's SOS Tape - if you missed that tip, plug in here.

Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs That title strikes me as ironic as this short (15 songs in 24 minutes) album seems to celebrate the producer's art more than the rapper's. But since Sweatshirt (real name: Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, AKA randomblackdude) has his hands all over the sonics, I now have a new appreciation for his skills. Having so many short songs gives it the feeling of a collage (he considered releasing it as a continuous track) and it really is a fascinating conglomeration of murky sounds, with the voices, his and those of a few guests, just more textures from which occasionally arresting images arise: "We cellophane your story so it stays/Since birth mama raised and burped me, I ain't changed/I'm a man, I'm just saying that I stayed imperfect" (from Veins). I've often had my problems with the offshoots of the OddFuture collective (except Frank Ocean) but I seem to be finding more to love in Sweatshirt's imperfections. That could mean he has changed - or maybe I have.

MIKE - War In My Pen This intriguing character is one of Earl Sweatshirt’s main collaborators on the above album and this murky collection underscores how he might have contributed. However the lines of inspiration run, this is a feast of tightly edited electronics, fragmented sonics and MIKE’s slurred vocals. Like the Sweatshirt record, listening to it in one sitting (not hard, it’s under 30 minutes) is the way to go, rather than focusing on individual tracks. Both records make a strong case that the future of hip hop will sound something like them. Whether what follows is as artful, however, remains to be heard. 

Cypress Hill - Elephants On Acid The title is an accurate description of the marauding stomp of the beat-driven tracks on this, a remarkable return to near-form for a group a quarter century from their debut. DJ Muggs is the true star on this brawny slab, assembling narcotic grooves for B-Real and Sen Dog to spit their stoner tales over. While some of the experiments fail, there’s more than enough meat here for a mighty meal. 

Parliament - Medicaid Fraud Dogg Bad cover art and a digital-only release (CD is coming later this month) did not promise much for this overloaded album, the first under the Parliament name since 1980’s Trombipulation. But George Clinton is an atomic dog who never seems to entirely run out of tricks and the fact that so much of this is not only funky as hell but also memorable is quite an achievement. Even the most low-key tracks make you realize that not only have few people succeeded at reconciling funk with modern R&B and hip hop, not that many people have even tried. And for every song that has you marveling at the durability of the Parliament groove, there is another that takes you to a new place entirely, like the slinky, haunting Backwoods, which really shows off the vocal talents of Tracey Lewis-Clinton, George's son. Lewis-Clinton has been perfecting this sort of thing since the 90's (sometimes under the name Trey Lewd) and is a big presence on this album as a writer, producer and vocalist. Other members of the Parliament family are here, too, such as Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis and Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, which is a comfort when the "in memoriam" list (including Cordell "Boogie" Mosson, Garry Shider, Bernie Worrell and others) is so long. With our nation seeming less groovy all the time, praise and gloryhallastoopid to Clinton & Co. for reminding us that Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk may win a battle or two but he will never win the war!

Push play on the mix, which includes a song from all of these in an order suitable for your next rent party. You can also dig deeper into the year's releases in AnEarful: 2018 Archive (Hip Hop, R&B And Reggae). Did I miss something? P.S. Keep up with this year's output here.



You may also enjoy:
Best Of 2017: Hip Hop, R&B And Reggae
Best Of 2016: Hip Hop And R&B
A Vacation In Hip Hop Nation
Best Of 15: Hip Hop
Best Of The Rest Of 14: Hip Hop And Jazz

Best Of 2016 (So Far) - Pt. 2

Looking for 1-10?

11. Hélène Grimaud - Water Grimaud is a chance-taking pianist who has mainly applied her iconoclastic POV to basic classical repertoire. But Water is something else entirely, an eclectic collection of works spanning the centuries, from Berio and Takemitsu to Janacek and Liszt. She proves herself the master of all she attempts, playing the spaces between the notes as required by Takemitsu and Fauré, or showing great command of filling all the spaces with notes as Liszt demands. To pull it all together, Grimaud collaborated with atmospheric composer Nitin Sawhny to create brief electro-acoustic interludes, which are beautiful little sketches in sound. This is my favorite kind of classical piano album, one which makes you hear old pieces anew, and it's been go-to morning music on many a day. Invite it into your life.

12. Anthony Cheung - Dystemporal In a perfect world, a sparkling collection of six compositions by Cheung, brilliantly performed by Talea Ensemble and Ensemble Intercontemporain, would be a major event beyond the confines of my own mind. No matter - the music speaks for itself and it is entrancing post-Boulez stuff, with uncannily perfect orchestration and a stylish melodicism that should welcome any listener. The title piece has a hint of menace and makes me think of a circus, slowed down and grown slightly threatening. Running The (Full) Gamut is a cogent piano solo (beautifully played by the composer) that is an ideal introduction to Cheung's strong sense of structure and proportion. Start there if you want to ease your way into Cheung's world and make it part of your own. Save the date of November 11th for the record release concert at National Sawdust. Maybe then Dystemporal will become the event it deserves to be.

13. Anderson Paak - Malibu I gotta tell you - I thought Dr. Dre's Compton was horrible, with even young guns like Paak being drawn into Dre's stodgy and smug conception. So I admit not having high hopes for Malibu, even though his prior album, Venice, had shown great promise. But no worries - on the sprawling Malibu Paak comes on strong as the missing link between Marvin Gaye and Kendrick Lamar, with a little Flying Lotus in there for good measure. This is lush and luxuriant R&B with a hip hop edge, up to the minute but sounding classic all the same. Right from the first cut you feel like you're in good hands. All the guests, from BJ The Chicago Kid to Rapsody to Talib Kweli, are well-integrated, leaving no doubt as to who is in charge. Room In Here is the coziest slow jam in many a year - even The Game sounds ready to cuddle - and, lord knows, we can always use more opportunities to get close.

14. TV Girl - Who Really Cares How do I love thee, TV Girl? Let me count the ways, with your hip hop beats, bittersweet samples and melodies, and your conversational, psychologically acute lyrics, it's hard to get enough! Is it a formula? Sure, like your relationship with your best friend is a formula. And it works just as well. 

15. Skylark - Crossing Over An album of contemporary choral music about death? Let's just say this is an unlikely triumph. 

16. Wire - Nocturnal Koreans A friend of mine who is a least as big a Wire fan as I am didn't even want to listen to this because of that wacky title. My skepticism was more based on the fact that their last album was a bit of a snooze. Neither issue should concern you: this brief eight song blast finds the post-punk legends at the top of their game. Ironically, these are all songs that were left off the last album, which main songwriter Colin Newman now admits was too "respectful" of the band. Based on these songs, each one a sleek gem with unexpected touches, the more disrespect the better. Damned good for a band in its fourth act - long may they reign

17. Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered Like the Wire album, these are all cuts that didn't fit on Lamar's last album, 2015's To Pimp A Butterfly. While I can see how they didn't fit the narrative construct of that titanic album, they are still a stunning tribute to Lamar's creative fecundity. Over expansively funky tracks he tries on a few new guises here, such as the love-man of the opening cut, or the retro-didacticism of untitled 03 05.28.13: "What did the Indian say?" It's like Reading Rainbow in some alternate universe  - and I doubt anyone but Lamar could get away with it in 2016. I'm on the edge of my seat, wondering where he'll go next. 

18. Laura Metcalf - First Day The other great cello record this year. 

19. Rupert Boyd - Fantasias 2016 seems to have more than its share of "Calgon take me away" moments and this delightful travelogue works better than bath salts. 

20. Kanye West - The Life Of Pablo That so many people think West is a relentless jerk is one of the artistic crimes of our age. I don't pay attention to his antics - what matters it what's on the records. Granted, Pablo had a more difficult and public birth than most albums (remember when it was going to be called Swish?), and one that would have crushed the life out of most artistic endeavors. But West powered through and got the music off his hard drive - although he's famously been tinkering with it since it came out, an impulse to which any artist can relate. 

Based on the original18 track version I have (there are now two versions on Spotify!), Pablo is his most fragmented album yet, with many songs under the three-minute mark or taking hairpin turns halfway through (I could listen to the spooky 50 second coda to FML for a lot longer). Even so, there are some "tent-pole" songs that keep the album from collapsing, starting with Ultralight Beam, the gorgeous opening cut, which embraces Kirk Franklin and Chance The Rapper in equal measure, while providing an operating principle: "You can never go too far when you can't come back home again."

He then proceeds to test that theory, dishing out some nasty, purposefully provocative stuff. Taylor Swift fans know what I'm talking about - but even Famous has a cutting edge backing track ("Swizz told me to let the beat rock" - good advice). Other standouts are the bittersweet Real Friends, the classic single No More Parties In LA (with a fiery Kendrick Lamar feature), and Fade, a haunting exploration of dying love via early 80's house. That nostalgic touch is a telling sign, as this is the first album where West seems to be looking back, as if trying to trace his path and figure out how it all got so crazy. 

Don't get me wrong - this is hardly a perfect album; there are clunky choruses, punch lines that land like concrete, and other misguided foibles. But there's something beautiful about the way West just lets it all hang out there, the good, the bad, and the nutty. There's the wonderfully tossed off a capella I Love Kanye, for example - which is probably not what you think it is. And one of my favorite moments is at the end of the reflective 30 Hours, where he's just vibing out to the smooth groove provided by Andre 3000 and Karriem Riggins - "This the bonus track...all my favorite albums got, like, bonus joints like this..." Then he gets a phone call - and takes it! "Yo, Gabe, I'm just doing an ad lib track right now, what's up?" Guy's got guts. 

So in the end, Pablo is minor masterpiece of audio collage, with enough moments of transgression, regression, and aggression to slot Kanye West - in my mind, at least - near Houellbecq, Burroughs, and even Huysmans. Not really a pop record, but one with pop celebrity as a subject - and one released into the Hadron Collider of one of the globe's most fanatical pop audiences. Can't fault Kanye for cracking a little under that kind of pressure. Kendrick Lamar would probably say he's gonna be alright and I'm inclined to agree.

Sample my Top 20 with this handy playlist and keep up with everything else I've been listening to here.

What's been making your year?

You may also enjoy:

Best Of 2016 (So far) - Pt. 2