2020 was a shitty year. It was historic for all of the wrong reasons, as the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on everybody around the globe. If it wasn’t for music as an escape throughout the year, I’m not sure I would’ve made it through and I know I’m not alone in that sentiment. With the virus and all of its affects aside, it was an exceptional year in the music industry, especially within hip-hop. There was a large list of notable albums that were released and fans had the time to actually sit with and absorb their content, as we were all (hopefully), obeying social distancing measures. Personally, I was able to digest a lot of music this year, probably more than ever before, as I was temporarily laid off of work and my schooling switched to online. My top 10 list is a direct reflection of the underground hip-hop acts such as Griselda taking over last year as some of the most unique and technically skilled in the game. This list was not easy to make and there are many honourable mentions, including Pop Smoke’s posthumous album, Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon, 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s Savage Mode II, dvsn's A Muse In Her Feelings and Lil Durk's Just Cause Y'all Waited 2, among many others. This year I found myself enjoying, appreciating and listening to a lot of Griselda (Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher) and their affiliates (Boldy James, Flee Lord, Stove God Cooks, etc,) as 2020 was the year of underground hip-hop finally coming to the forefront and gaining mainstream attention. Please remember that this list and my reasonings for the albums' inclusions are nothing but my own personal opinion, and this list is not in order.
Circles - Mac Miller
Warner Records Inc., 2020
Mac Miller’s last album before his tragic passing in 2018 was the critically-acclaimed Swimming, released just a month prior to his death. His plan for his next album was for it to be an accompanying album to Swimming, titled Circles; the concept of “swimming in circles” was his vision for tying together the two projects. Seemingly a nod to his reoccurring and continuous struggles with mental health and substance abuse, the theory is dark, yet the music and Mac’s talents were and always will be nothing short of beautiful. Since Mac was only around to see the early success of Swimming, his family and estate successfully executed the second half of his concept with the recorded content that he left behind. In a time where record labels have taken advantage of rappers’ deaths to profit off of (see XXXTENTACION as an example), it was important for Mac Miller’s estate to allow for them and his fans to grieve before rushing out content. This is exactly what they did, as they waited until 2020 to officially release it. Ultimately, they did an effective job at putting out a project that aligned with Mac’s vision and completes his artistic wishes to the best of their abilities. Circles is simply a beautiful work of art that perfectly showcases his musical maturity, which was consistently being shown through each and every one of his releases. The album finds Mac being extremely vulnerable about his struggles with mental health and addiction, which are tough topics anyway, but hearing him posthumously sing about his struggles makes Circles an extremely difficult first listen. However, the album should be viewed as another artistic masterpiece in Mac's catalogue, which is exactly what it is. Circles continues Mac's experimentation, maturity and ability to cross genres, further cementing him as one of our generation’s most genuinely talented artists.
Standout Tracks: Complicated, Blue World, Woods, Hand Me Downs
Alfredo - Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
ESGN / ALC / EMPIRE, 2020
2020 was just another busy year for Freddie Gibbs, as he continued his run as one of the busiest and greatest rappers in the game throughout the past decade. Last year, he released the critically-acclaimed, Madlib-produced Bandana and this year, the Grammy-nominated, Alchemist-produced Alfredo, which serves as just the latest example of Freddie's talents. You have to be an impeccable rapper with a rather deep resumé in order to have full-length projects produced entirely by legends such as Madlib and The Alchemist, which Freddie evidently does. It is so refreshing to see Freddie finally receive his flowers and acknowledgement as he did from Alfredo; especially considering it's the same album on which he literally raps “My name cocaine, they ain’t got put me in the nominees.” With this single bar, he alludes to the fact that his music and talents haven’t been recognized by the mainstream audience up until now due to his heavy use of unfiltered drug references, but nonetheless, he finally received the recognition in 2020 after another explicitly beautiful album. Freddie wastes no time getting right to it, as he raps with confidence and authority on “1985,” the album’s opener; “Michael Jordan, 1985, bitch, I travel with a cocaine circus.” This is just one example of how he captures your attention with his absurd bars and proves that he truly is a one of a kind rapper with zero boundaries. Alfredo finds Freddie arguably rapping better than ever, finding entertaining cadences, rhyme schemes and wordplay that make you have to revisit the album after it’s been played through to make sure you heard him correctly the first time. At just 10 songs in length, it’s a concise project that brings the best out of Freddie and also delivers many notable guest verses from a diverse list of guests including Tyler, the Creator, Benny the Butcher and Rick Ross.
Standout Tracks: 1985, Frank Lucas (feat. Benny the Butcher), Something to Rap About (feat. Tyler, The Creator), Babies & Fools (feat. Conway the Machine)
Manger On McNichols - Boldy James & Sterling Toles
Sector 7-G Recordings, 2020
Boldy James was an evident 2020 MVP of the year, as he consistently released quality music throughout the year, which is reflected through his four full-length projects and some notable guest verses. If you’re unaware of Boldy James, he’s an underground rapper from Detroit who has been active for the past 8 years and upon singing to Griselda in 2020, he finally received the praise he has always deserved as an emcee. If you are familiar with him and his music, you know that he’s a rapper who doesn’t take experimental risks in his music and sticks to what he’s good at; using his bars to illustrate his rough upbringing in Detroit through his monotone flow, typically over simple production. On his second release of 2020, he teams up with dance/electronic producer Sterling Toles for his most experimental venture yet, and it pays off. Both artists bring their respective top-notch talents on this one, as Boldy takes his storytelling abilities to new heights. The multi-layered production provided by Sterling is extremely abstract and complicated, yet it proves to be a beneficial platform for Boldy, who uses Manger On McNichol’s 11 songs to tell his most entertaining and honest story to date. The songs on this album were actually recorded as far back as 10 years ago, which also helps to show off its true complexity. The best way I could describe this album is by calling it abstract, experimental and boundary-pushing, yet overwhelmingly honest and beautiful; but these words really do this masterpiece no justice. It's a must listen for any fan of any genre of music. Overall, Manger On McNichols was one of the most interesting releases of not only 2020, but also within recent memory.
Standout Tracks: Medusa, Welcome to 76 (feat. First Lady Deja:)), Detroit River Rock, Mommy Dearest (A Eulogy)
Pray for Paris - Westside Gunn
Griselda Records, 2020
On Westside Gunn’s highly-anticipated album and introduction to the mainstream, Pray for Paris, he shows off both his own musical talents, as well as his impeccable ear as an A&R who can curate an album to be a complete listening experience. He brings together a diverse list of guests that includes Tyler, the Creator, Joey Bada$$, Freddie Gibbs and of course, Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine, the other two members of the Griselda trio. However, the guests present on Pray for Paris don't steal the spotlight in Westside's show, they just greatly contribute to it in respectively unique ways. The Griselda frontman can be thanked for the group's sub-genre of hip-hop (labelled by some as "coke rap,") being brought to the forefront of mainstream attention in 2020. This album, released in April paved the way for the rest of the year that was flooded with countless other grimy releases from the other Griselda members and affiliates such as Boldy James, Flee Lord, Stove God Cooks and others. Pray for Paris is damn near a perfect album that brings listeners into both the luxurious world of Paris and the grimy world of Buffalo all in the same listen, effectively showcasing the contrast between Griselda’s griminess and luxurious lifestyle.
For my full-length thoughts on Pray for Paris, check out my album review here.
Standout Tracks: No Vacancy, George Bondo (feat. Conway the Machine & Benny the Butcher), 327 (feat. Joey Bada$$, Tyler, The Creator & Billie Esco), Euro Step, $500 Ounces (feat. Freddie Gibbs & Roc Marciano)
From King to a GOD - Conway the Machine
Griselda Records / Drumwork / EMPIRE, 2020
Conway the Machine is another rapper who had a busy year in 2020, as he dropped three projects and saved his best for last. From King to a GOD proves the Buffalo spitter’s insane technical rapping abilities and even showcased some diversity that wasn't present in his discography until now. Conway and the entire Griselda crew’s style of rapping is very technical and the furthest thing from melodic, but the album’s seventh track finds him rapping over upbeat Murda Beatz production that features heavy 808s. This is rather modern production for Conway, who is used to rapping over boom-bap beats that blend in with hip-hop from the '90s, but it forces him to step out of his comfort zone and shows off how easy it is for him to adjust his rhyme schemes and flow. “Front Lines” finds him addressing social issues and police brutality head on, while “Forever Droppin Tears” finds him rapping about the loved ones he’s lost, especially the late DJ Shay who passed away earlier this year due to COVID-19 complications. These three tracks are all different, but also all contribute to Conway's impressive offering. In late December, a deluxe version of the album was released with five new tracks. In the modern world of hip-hop where we've seen a new trend of rappers dropping deluxe versions of albums that are essentially an entirely new album in itself (see Lil Uzi Vert and Nav as examples), Conway choosing to only add a minimal amount to the already impressive original album is a breath of fresh air. Overall, this album will go down as a modern day hip-hop classic, as Griselda’s movement gets more and more attention due to their constant, quality releases such as From King to a GOD.
Standout Tracks: Lemon (feat. Method Man), Front Lines, Anza (feat. Armani Caesar), Spurs 3 (feat. Benny the Butcher & Westside Gunn), Forever Droppin Tears (feat. El Camino)
Burden of Proof - Benny the Butcher
Griselda Records / EMPIRE, 2020
Benny the Butcher was the quietest member of Griselda in 2020, only releasing one full-length album. While it's normal for artists to only drop one album in a calendar year, this is not something that the members of Griselda live by, as their plan of attack is to flood the market with as many releases as possible. Benny's sole 2020 offering comes in the form of his Hit-Boy produced album, Burden of Proof, which shows off both his desire to continue to prove himself as a rapper, and that he doesn’t need to drop projects as frequently in order to prove his rapping abilities. He shows off his skills whenever he does release music, even if it's not as often as his cousins Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine. Throughout Burden of Proof, Benny raps with overbearing confidence alongside the likes of Lil Wayne, Freddie Gibbs and Rick Ross, resulting in an unforgettable collection of songs that put up a valid point for Benny being the best member of the trio; for the time being, that is. With every release from a Griselda member, the individual puts up a valid argument as to how and why they’re the best lyrical member.. until the following week, when another member of the trio drops and does the exact same thing. Burden of Proof is just the latest example of Benny doing so. His work ethic and confidence in himself are showcased throughout the album, represented by its title and his confident bars such as when he claims he's the only rapper who could've thrived in the 2Pac era. Furthermore, he declares himself a legend on the album's outro and after hearing this album in its entirety, it's clear that his confidence is justified.
For my full-length thoughts on Burden of Proof, check out my album review here.
Standout Tracks: Sly Green, One Way Flight (feat. Freddie Gibbs), Thank God I Made It (feat. Queen Naija), Legend
After Hours - The Weeknd
The Weeknd XO, Inc., 2020
One of music's biggest superstars, The Weeknd, put together a modern day R&B classic and arguably his best album to date, as he let us into his intimate world through After Hours. Taking inspiration from an array of different music, such as electronic and classic R&B, After Hours is sonically beautiful and just the right amount of experimentation without leaving his roots. Led by smash-hit lead singles “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights,” it's an album that used the success of its singles to draw attention to its release without sacrificing poppy top 40 hits for quality. Throughout the album, The Weeknd croons about love and his vices, and brings his raw honesty to a new level on tracks such as “Escape from LA.” It would be too easy to write off The Weeknd as just another pop star, considering his immense talents and ability to put together such a relatable and thematically-relevant album this deep into his career. While After Hours is an evident album of the year contender for any music lover due to its consistent themes, sonic experimentation and blatant honesty, it was still snubbed by the Grammys. This wasn’t such a big deal because The Weeknd needed their recognition (because he doesn't), but because it was a personal snub and such an obvious album of the year contender. The snub allegedly stemmed from The Weeknd refusing to perform exclusively for the award show, as he is also performing as the 2021 Super Bowl's halftime performer. Music Mustard is not the Grammys.. here, we are always 100% subjective and give flowers where they're due. In a year where I consumed a countless amount of hip-hop albums, there was simply no way I could make my list without the inclusion of After Hours, as I would even go as far as to call it one of my favourite albums within the past 5-10 years.
Standout Tracks: Alone Again, Too Late, Snowchild, Escape From LA
Reasonable Drought - Stove God Cooks & Roc Marciano
The Conglomerate Entertainment, 2020
On Reasonable Drought, underground legend Roc Marciano takes care of the jazzy, sample-heavy production and officially introduces the world to Stove God Cooks with his debut album. Stove God was a name familiar to underground hip-hop fans throughout 2020, as he appeared on a number of Griselda releases where he delivered memorable guest verses, but Reasonable Drought allows for him to showcase his skills and tell his own story for the first time. In doing so, he proves that he could be one of the grimiest coke rappers in the game in the years to come. The album’s title is a play on JAY Z’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt, but the two albums aren’t exactly similar in any way other than the title. Throughout the 12 songs on Reasonable Drought, Stove God shines on his own with no features present and provides an impeccable official start to a promising career. The content matter is pretty straightforward; he’s rapping about the drug game, specifically cocaine, but he does so in such an entertaining way that even Pusha T should be jealous of some of his bars. “Break the Pyrex” is a nod to cooking the cocaine on such a high temperature that the Pyrex glass gets broken. Moments like these and their unfiltered delivery from Stove God are what make it such an entertaining listen, as his rapping will make you hit rewind to make sure you heard his savagery correct.
Standout Tracks: Rolls Royce Break Lights, Bread of Life, Break the Pyrex
The Price of Tea in China - Boldy James & The Alchemist
ALC / Boldy James, 2020
The Price of Tea in China, the collaborative album from Detroit rhymer Boldy James and legendary producer The Alchemist was one of hip-hop’s finest releases of 2020, as it found a comfortable Boldy rapping over familiar, jazzy production. The end result is a refined album full of Boldy James showcasing exactly why he deserves all of the attention that he received in 2020. The album consists of four features from the likes of Vince Staples, Benny the Butcher, Freddie Gibbs and Evidence, helping to ensure that Boldy is in charge of telling his own story. Throughout the album, Boldy sounds like a teacher reading books to their Kindergarten class with such clear delivery and pronunciation. His classic monotone flow make his bars sound less meaningful than they really are, but when you really listen, his storytelling abilities are some of the greatest that 2020 brought us. Unlike Manger On McNichols, Boldy takes zero risks on The Price of Tea in China, yet he shines when he’s comfortable and he has never sounded so comfortable and confident as he does here, over production provided by The Alchemist.
Standout Tracks: Surf & Turf (feat. Vince Staples), Scrape the Bowl (feat. Benny the Butcher), Speed Demon Freestyle
A Written Testimony - Jay Electronica
Roc Nation, LLC, 2020
The thought of a solo Jay Electronica album ever being officially released was beginning to feel like Dr. Dre’s never-released Detox album, or an André 3000 solo album. Maybe that’s a little dramatic, but leave it to 2020 to be the year that hip-hop fans finally received a full-length album from Jay Elec. He’s been an active rapper for 13 years, dropping his first mixtape in 2007 and signing to JAY Z's Roc Nation in 2010. In the 10 years between then and 2020, he had only officially released three singles and appeared on a minimal amount of tracks as a guest feature. The final product of his debut album, A Written Testimony, contains music that was recorded throughout a 40-day period with Jay Electronica and JAY Z locked in the studio. A Written Testimony finds Jay Electronica rapping alongside JAY Z, basically resulting in an unofficial collab album that’s riddled with countless Islamic references and gems about life. It’s a rather complicated listen due to the complex rhyming from both Jay’s and the sometimes busy production, but the final product is an album of the year contender that nobody saw coming. The few features present on the album come from Travis Scott and The-Dream, but overall the album is an extremely impressive collaborative effort between two of hip-hop’s greatest. On “Ezekiel’s Wheel,” Jay Elec raps “My debut album featurin’ Hov, man, this is highway robbery.” He’s right. For a rapper to have the ability to rap alongside the legend that is JAY Z on all but two songs on their debut album is basically a cheat code. Even in 2020, when JAY Z is 50 years old, this album helps to show his longevity as a rhymer, as he is still rapping better than ever. However, contrary to some Twitter user’s initial response to the album, JAY Z’s involvement doesn’t steal the show, but rather helps contribute to a concise and beautiful album. Considering this is Jay Elec’s debut album and its success is backed by a Grammy nomination for “Hip-Hop album of the year,” it will be interesting to see where he goes next now that his debut is finally out of the way and exceeded expectations.
Standout Tracks: The Blinding (feat. Travis Scott), Shiny Suit Theory (feat. The-Dream), Ezekiel's Wheel (feat. The-Dream), A.P.I.D.T.A.
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