Before you read this, I want to make sure it's understood that this is just my opinion. Out of all the albums I listened to in 2019, these were my personal favourite/top 10. While I certainly recognize that some of these albums (Chixtape 5, for example) were definitely not one of the best albums of 2019, it was still one of my personal favourites. These are also not album reviews, I just wrote a little bit about why I enjoyed them and what made them stand out to me personally. Enjoy!
IGOR - Tyler, the Creator
Ever since he entered the music scene as a rebellious teen wearing Supreme before it was cool and making random YouTube videos with his friends, Tyler has gone through many phases throughout his career. The growth and evolution of his artistry has been interesting to watch, to say the least. His 2019 offering, IGOR, is Tyler musically and sonically at his best. It's his best body of work to date, and it almost seems as if this was the kind of project he had been waiting to create, as he continued to get better and ultimately, more mature through each project. All of the songs on the project were produced and arranged by him, allowing for him to lead the way throughout the creative path on this album. A few noteworthy special guests help along the way, starting with an almost unrecognizable Lil Uzi Vert, who is found singing on the album's intro, "IGOR'S THEME." This becomes an immediate highlight after discovering it's him. Playboi Carti offers his talents next on the hit "EARFQUAKE," where he amusingly name-drops Whoa Vicky in his short but entertaining guest verse. Other guests include Kanye West, Charlie Wilson and CeeLo Green, who all contribute greatly to the project while still ensuring Tyler is in charge. Since Tyler keeps getting better and better with every release, it will surely be interesting to see what IGOR's follow-up will sound like.
Standout Tracks: EARFQUAKE, I THINK
Days B4 III - LUCKI
Chicago artist LUCKI had an undoubtedly great year in 2019. He dropped two full-length projects, the first of which in February; the third instalment of his Freewave projects. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, the project features LUCKI’s monotone flow throughout the entire thing. However, so does the second project that he released in 2019; Days B4 III. While both are great projects, the latter stood out to me more and I think this was because of his vulnerability and blatant honesty when touching on his vices such as women and drugs throughout it. While Freewave 3 was a project whose themes included heartbreak and substance abuse, Days B4 III is a little more positive and focused. This can instantly be heard on the second song, "4 The Better," where he raps "they bring me down, but it's for the better/wrote about it, made 80 thousand, it made me better," making light of the trials and tribulations he's gone through. The project as a whole leaves listeners wanting to know what's next for the Chicago artist. On the 16yrold-produced track "Way 2 Rare," we hear LUCKI's vulnerability rather clearly when he raps "ain't too many left that didn't fold on me" and "left me alone, I hope there's two of me" over hi-hats and a heavy-hitting bass line. LUCKI's ambitious year in 2019 helped solidify him as one of Chicago's most promising artists.
Standout Tracks: 4 The Betta, Way 2 Rare
Wow... That's Crazy - Wale
I think it's time to admit what Wale has repeatedly voiced that he wants us to; that he is an elite MC. This project helped prove that. Even with high-profile features from label mates Rick Ross and Meek Mill, as well as Meg the Stallion and Bryson Tiller among others, it didn’t reach as much commercial success as probably hoped for. But, this doesn't mean that it wasn't a great body of work. It was, and from a veteran in the game who remains hungry for respect and recognition. Wow... That's Crazy seemed to perfectly showcase where Wale was at this point in his life. He bravely raps "I'm tired, I ain't sober/confidence fluctuating, that's why I be antisocial" on "50 In Da Safe," one of many times he touches on his mental health issues. On the intro, "Sue Me," Wale exclaims “sue me, I’m rooting for everybody that’s black,” which acts as a captivating and fitting statement that sets the tone for the rest of the album, where Wale uses his talented pen game to take listeners on a journey through his mind.
Standout Tracks: Sue Me, Love... (Her Fault), 50 In Da Safe
Revenge of the Dreamers III - Dreamville
While it’s kind of hard to evaluate this album as a cohesive project, it stood out because of the approach the Dreamville crew and friends took to create it. They held recording sessions in Atlanta over the course of 10 days in 2019 and sent out invites to select artists and producers to attend. The polished end result of these sessions was this album. While J. Cole is obviously the head of Dreamville, he allowed his signed artists and other significant artists in the industry to shine on here, without sprinkling in any unnecessary features or verses from Cole himself. "Sunset" found Cole rapping alongside Atlanta trap-star Yung Nudy over ChaseTheMoney production, which is a rather surprising trio. But it works. Then again, Cole rapping alongside anybody was rather rare before this project and his feature run in 2019. "Wells Fargo" is an impressive posse cut that consists of JID, EARTHGANG, Buddy and Guapdad 4000. The hook finds them, you guessed it; bragging about robbing a Wells Fargo, but it's infectious because of its delivery and because of this, it acts as a very positive standout track from the album. One of, if not my favourite part of this entire project, was the amount of good looks that Guapdad 4000 got. He was featured on three tracks and shines on all of them. Each song is a different collaboration and vibe, but the album was a moment that won’t soon be forgotten in hip-hop, as many notable collaborations came out of it. We can only hope that these sessions inspire more collaborations within the music industry, and hip-hop.
Standout Tracks: Down Bad, Wells Fargo, Sunset
So Much Fun - Young Thug
So Much Fun is so much fun. This is why it worked so well.. because Young Thug is at his best when he is having fun. While solo tracks from Thug, such as the intro “Just How It Is" allow him to showcase his never-ending abilities and flows, he also shines when he shares his spotlight with the right guests, and every guest featured on So Much Fun seems to fit (except for, arguably, a seemingly out of place verse from MGK added to the album after its release). Young Thug is one of the most versatile artists in the rap game and his extensive discography can prove this; take his attempt at a country song, "Family Don't Matter" for example. Regardless of his past creations and musical experiments, So Much Fun is Thug at his absolute best. There's a song on here for every type of Young Thug fan: legitimate modern-day rap hits in his two collaborations with Gunna ("Surf" and "Hot"), as well as "What's the Move" with fellow rap weirdo Lil Uzi Vert, pop hits in the incredibly catchy "Bad Bad Bad" and "Lil Baby" (which we just recently learned almost included a Drake verse), and then there's the harder-hitting songs in "Jumped Out the Window" and "I'm Scared" with guest verses from 21 Savage and Doe Boy. Regardless of which Thugger you like the most, it seemed like this album was generally loved and even helped him further cross over into the mainstream scene.
Standout Tracks: Just How It Is, Bad Bad Bad, Cartier Gucci Scarf
DIE FOR MY BITCH - Baby Keem
On “MOSHPIT,” track #6 on DIE FOR MY BITCH, Baby Keem repeatedly exclaims “I am 50 Cent”; with absolutely no context. It’s moments like this, along with Keem’s 1 of a kind flows and cadences that make this project so good. Mostly every track on this album showcases the 20-year-old’s creative flows and sometimes goofy lyrics, often over heavy-hitting 808’s and great production. It seems like Keem’s music is supposed to rely heavily on energy and that is evident throughout DIE FOR MY BITCH, but with that being said, his lyrics should not be overlooked. He can rap too. After hearing this impressive project, it's clear that Baby Keem is on his way to becoming one of hip-hop's most versatile characters. Keem wastes no time catching listeners' attention; the dark and sinister beat of the intro "STATS" plays for about 15 seconds, before Keem enters in a high-pitched voice; "Hold up/smile, hoe/take a picture with me/I drive solo and my gas is on E." Tracks like "HONEST" and "MY EX" even show that he can do more than energetically rap over hard-hitting production. On "INVENTED IT," Keem further creates his own lane, rapping "big protein, I'm smokin' lonely for the culture/no TED talkin', steppin' on a little roach/what that mean? I invented it." It's like he knew listeners would be wondering exactly what he meant by those lines when hearing them three seconds prior, so he decided to answer their questions before they even get the chance to ask. It's almost as if this were done to make it clear that he makes his own rules. Extremely high-profile co-signs by the likes of Drake and JAY Z, along with his unique flows and creativity help solidify the belief that Baby Keem is on his way to becoming the next big thing.
Standout Tracks: HONEST, INVENTED IT, ORANGE SODA
Over It - Summer Walker
Summer Walker’s name was everywhere throughout 2019, but it wasn't always positive, or even about her music. She was unfairly attacked on social media for her social anxiety which some fans complained about while meeting her during a meet and greet, but one thing is for sure; she let her music speak for itself.. and it’s really, really good. It’s important to note that this was her debut studio album and it broke the record for the most-streamed female R&B album in its first week since Beyoncé’s 2016 offering, Lemonade. The moody R&B and breakup songs on this album let Summer showcase her talents. She doesn't really step out of her comfort zone on Over It, rather she sticks to what she thrives at; passionately singing about relationship issues. It's clear that this will be a common theme of the album right off the bat, when she begins the album with asking "am I really that much to handle?" On "Drunk Dialling... LODT," she sings "too much Patron will have you calling his phone or have you wanting some more." It's simple, yes, but her voice makes it sound like so much more. There are many other lines just like this one on Over It, and they seem to be relatable to many listeners, which is why I believe the album was so good.
Standout Tracks: Playing Games, Drunk Dialling... LODT
Chixtape 5 - Tory Lanez
I’m sure this project didn’t end up on a lot of people’s end-of-year list, but I personally really enjoyed it. Chixtape 5 finds Tory remaking many classic R&B joints from the 2000’s, which is cool in itself, but what makes it so good, is that he featured these artists on his remakes of their own songs. The lead single, "Jerry Sprunger," is Tory’s twist on T-Pain’s 2005 hit "I’m Sprung." This was the perfect example of what Tory is capable of musically. While not all of the other songs and remakes on this album are as effective as the lead single, I personally thought that they were all enjoyable. Tory relies heavily on nostalgia through this project, but also on his expanding musical abilities which all effectively work to captivate listeners throughout the rather long album. After the first listen of Chixtape 5, it seems apparent that it was exactly what it should've been and was promoted to be. Tory is crooning and singing about girls and sex over old R&B samples throughout the entire project, and while this may have been repetitive or boring to some, I thought he created his remakes of these songs rather well and a lot of them have serious replay value.. even if they just get added to your breakup playlist.
Standout Tracks: Jerry Sprunger, Thoughts
Bandana - Freddie Gibbs x Madlib
This album was so hard to ignore in 2019, and for good reason. Madlib’s sample-heavy, jazzy production throughout it allowed for Freddie Gibbs to shine through his grimy flow and bars. The production from Madlib and the bars from Freddie compliment each other so positively. Freddie is a hungry rapper, who is always ready to prove that his skillset is dangerous. His ability to stay focused during this album and only allowing his space to be shared with other elite MC's (Yasiin Bey, Black Thought), show that he has a story to tell and only those he deems worthy enough can contribute to it. Overall, Bandana is a great example of a project made by two collaborators who compliment each other well and get the best out of one another. On "Half Manne Half Cocaine," Freddie raps "fuck with Mr. K, put your face on one of them picture chains/Sugar Ray the fade or go John Wick with the pistol game." This is as gangster as it gets and bars like this have become what we expect and love about Freddie Gibbs. Violent and threatening bars are riddled throughout this project, but he also touches on racism and being a black man in America; "crackers came to Africa, ravaged, raffled and rummaged me/America was the name of their fuckin' company." It's a healthy balance of grimy street bars and social justice bars, which overall make for a super enjoyable listen for any rap fan.
Standout Tracks: Freestyle S**t, Fake Names
Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial - Roddy Ricch
Roddy Ricch’s debut studio album is one for the books. He was building up momentum in the years prior to last with mixtapes Feed Tha Streets 1 and 2, and Be 4 The Fame, as well as through his breakout collaboration song with DJ Mustard, "Ballin’." We’ve seen many successful artists make their way out of Compton and to musical success, but Roddy Ricch stands out through his flows and even his beat selection. This album, along with the fact that he beat out Justin Bieber's single, "Yummy" for the #1 spot on the Billboard chart, prove that he's here to stay. This was obviously a big moment for Roddy, but also for hip-hop, as it helped to show the genre's growing popularity. He is undoubtedly 2 for 2 on tracks with Mustard production, and also shows he’s capable of complimenting a seasoned veteran in Meek Mill, in order to create a banger; see "Peta." Roddy’s debut album dropped at the perfect time (pun intended); really late in the year, but with just enough time for us to digest it, love it and show us that he is ready to take over the rap game.
Standout Tracks: The Box, Peta, Tip Toe
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