Every year this list gets harder and harder to compose. Every year I listen to even more music than the year prior, which only adds to the endless possibilities when creating this small list. As it always does, music played a huge role in my year throughout 2021, helping me to get through sad, happy and stressful times, and all of the times in between. This year’s list was the hardest yet; it took me an embarrassingly long time to narrow down my extensive list of 2021 albums that I loved to just my top 10.
Without further ado (and further contemplating), here is my list of my top 10 albums of 2021. Remember, these are not what I necessarily believe to be the best albums that 2021 had to offer, but rather my own personal top 10 that I enjoyed the most. This list is also not in order — that would just be entirely too hard to do!
There are far too many honourable mentions to shout them all out, but here are a few notable ones that would certainly be in my top 50 list if I were to make one:
When Smoke Rises - Mustafa
TEMPORARY HIGHS IN THE VIOLET SKIES - Snoh Aalegra
Vince Staples - Vince Staples
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert - Little Simz
Certified Lover Boy - Drake
GLOW ON - Turnstile
Unfuckwitable - Babyface Ray
Bo Jackson - Boldy James & The Alchemist
Super Tecmo Bo - Boldy James & The Alchemist
Half God - Wiki & Navy Blue
A Martyr’s Reward - Ka
Overgrown - Joyce Wrice
Van Gogh’s Left Ear - ZeelooperZ
Rich Off Pints 2 - Icewear Vezzo
Balens Cho - Mach-Hommy
TV62 - Bruiser Brigade
WEIGHT OF THE WORLD - Maxo Kream
PUNK - Young Thug
Dum N Dumbber 3 - Rio Da Yung Og & Rmc Mike
Bin Reaper 2 - BabyTron
Michigan Boy Boat - Lil Yachty
Up 2 Më - Yeat
Bigger Than Life or Death - EST Gee
to hell with it - PinkPantheress
volcanic bird enemy and the voiced concern - Lil Ugly Mane
If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed - Conway the Machine & Big Ghost Ltd.
Big Ghost Ltd. Music, 2021
Conway the Machine is one of the best rappers alive and along with the rest of the Griselda crew, he releases an overwhelming amount of music. Fresh off of dropping three projects in 2020, he continued his momentum into 2021, offering two more full-length albums. The first of which was the Big Ghost-produced If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed, followed by La Maquina, on which he did much more experimenting and strayed away from his signature sound on some of its tracks. He hopped on Murda Beatz production (for the second time) and recruited features from both JID and Ludacris in a successful attempt to expand his audience with the single “Scatter Brain.” Even though La Maquina shows that he can switch it up and prove how easy it is for him to flow over more mainstream production, his skills are on the fullest display on albums like IIBICBK. His chemistry with Big Ghost is evident, as Conway is his usual grimy self over the dusty drums provided to him by the anonymous producer. On one of the album’s highlights, “Kill All Rats,” he teams up with Ransom and recent Griselda signee Rome Streetz to deliver one of the best posse cuts hip-hop has heard in recent years. Conway has always been introspective and there are incredible examples of that on the album too; "Losses to Blessings” and “Forever Ago." The latter serves as the project’s outro, effectively closing out the album with one of Conway’s most intimate songs to date.
“I live on the charts now, this is my humble abode,” he proudly exclaims on La Maquina’s “Clarity.” Projects just like IIBICBK are sprinkled throughout his dense discography, which is one of hip-hop’s best, and are why he’s been able to gain so much popularity within the past few years, as his skills have risen from the underground into more much-deserved mainstream attention.
Death and the Magician - Rome Streetz & DJ Muggs
Soul Assassins Records, 2021
When I reviewed Rome Streetz and DJ Muggs’ collab album, Death and the Magician, I wrote that “listening to Rome Streetz rap is like watching a basketball prospect sink 100 3-pointers in a row in front of a crowd full of scouts.” After each and every further listen, this becomes even more accurate. When I say that I have never heard any other rapper sound as hungry as Rome Streetz does on every single verse that I’ve ever heard him spit, I really mean it. He raps like he has a permanent chip on his shoulder, and he never wastes a breath or a bar. These characteristics are consistent throughout Rome's discography, most notably in the Noise Kandy series, but he turns it up a notch on DATM, proving that he was ready to sign with Griselda Records. The grimy production provided by legendary producer DJ Muggs is the optimal atmosphere for Streetz to rap both confidently and with purpose, showing why he's one of the most lethal rappers in the game right now.
Check out my full review of the album here.
Dope Game Stupid - Bruiser Wolf
Bruiser Brigade Records, 2021
One of my highlights of 2021 was discovering Bruiser Wolf. The year was filled with releases from the Bruiser Brigade crew, as Danny Brown debuted his new label and proved that he has successfully recruited the most promising and unique label of Detroit rappers. Scattered throughout guest verses on the crew’s compilation album, TV62 and the other members’ albums, lay some of the funniest, most entertaining bars you’ll ever hear via Bruiser Wolf. While each member possesses their own set of unique skills, it's clear that Wolf's personality and sense of humour set him apart from everyone else in the game right now. Even though he sometimes sounds similar to West Coast legend E-40, his quirky bars and high-pitched delivery are entirely his own — nobody else is getting off punchlines and bars as humorous as his with such ease.
To read more of my thoughts on the Bruiser Wolf, check it out here.
Pray for Haiti - Mach-Hommy
Griselda Records, 2021
When Westside Gunn and Mach-Hommy connect, magic is always made. After taking a hiatus from working together for a few years due to a disagreement, the pair of underground greats put their differences aside in 2020 and reunited in the studio for 2021’s groundbreaking Pray for Haiti. They had consistently rapped together throughout the 2010’s, most notably on Gunn’s series of“Easter Gunn Day Freestyles," showcasing their complimentary chemistry. Gunn serves as Pray for Haiti’s executive producer and also provides some spectacular guest verses throughout the album; “Rami” is probably my favourite. The album is the most accessible of Mach-Hommy’s to date, arriving to streaming platforms immediately upon release. This has never been the case for any of his past releases; some classics like H.B.O, although now on streaming services, were originally sold for hundreds of dollars as a digital download on his website. That’s not to mention the vinyls and cassettes, which are extremely limited and sold for thousands of dollars per copy. Other masterpieces like The Spook and The G.A.T. are still not available on streaming services, and might never be, but valuing his art as highly as he does is admirable in today's world.
In the digital age where we have access to an unlimited and ever-growing library of music for just a small monthly fee, Mach forces fans to really be in tune with his movement in order to support him. On Pray for Haiti, Mach uses his newly increased platform to draw attention to his country’s poor living conditions, while also reinforcing that he’s one of the most skilled rappers to ever grace a mic. As always, his mature vocabulary paired with his expressive cadences are on full display, making for yet another undeniable gem in his catalogue. If Pray for Haiti was your introduction to the legend that is Mach-Hommy, hopefully you’ve been able to hear some of his other work and will continue to follow along.
Haram - Armand Hammer & The Alchemist
Backwoodz Studioz, 2021
billy woods and ELUCID know how to rap really well, painting pictures through their poetry in the process. The Alchemist knows how to make beats really well, placing the perfect drum patterns over the most obscure of samples. When all three of these individually talented acts come together, the poetry is in motion. Their styles compliment each other so well; it’s as if The Alchemist’s beats were made exclusively for them. In reality, he makes a seemingly never-ending amount of beats and has everyone ranging from Anderson .Paak to Boldy James rap over them. As a duo, Armand Hammer rap almost as if they’re performing spoken word poetry and while it may sometimes take a few listens to understand the double meanings and imagery that they paint, the soundscape in which they deliver it over is utterly breathtaking on Haram.
CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST - Tyler, the Creator
Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music Entertainment, as exclusive licensee, 2021
Being a Tyler, The Creator fan since the earliest days of his career, watching his progression from a dark rapper to the multitalented artist we know him as today, has been entertaining to say the least. Through each and every album release, he’s both matured and improved as a creative. On CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, he returns to his roots and creates his self-proclaimed “rap album.” Citing Griselda frontman Westside Gunn as one of the main inspirations for wanting to make a full-on rap album again, the album starts off with Tyler rapping over the same instrumental as the intro to Gunn’s Flygod Is An Awesome God 2 project. Homage is payed right away and it becomes immediately clear that Tyler wants his respect as an elite rapper, reminding us that he should be respected as such.
While Tyler has always been a skilled rapper, he’s typically let other aspects of his skillset shine on recent albums. On 2019's IGOR, he mostly throws bars to the side, choosing instead to flaunt his beautiful melodies over heartwarming production. CMIYGL was yet another impressive release from Tyler, as he further cements himself as one of the most complete artists and rappers of my generation.
ALPHA - Charlotte Day Wilson
Stone Woman Music, 2021
2021 was the biggest year of Toronto's Charlotte Day Wilson’s career so far; her 2019 song “Mountains” was featured on Drake and Travis Scott’s “Fair Trade” off of CLB, and she finally dropped her debut album. The rollout for ALPHA began in 2020 with the release of the album’s first two singles, “Take Care of You” and “Summertime.” Touching on themes of longing, relationships and her identity as a queer person, Charlotte’s soothing vocals take centre stage. As a whole, the album elaborates on the calming qualities of both singles, further showcasing her incredible songwriting abilities and cementing her as one of not only Canada's, but the industry's most promising talents. The lead-up to ALPHA was a long one, but well worth the wait.
Disco! - MIKE
10k, 2021
New York rapper MIKE has been around for a few years, quietly sharpening his skills with each release and influencing the likes of Earl Sweatshirt and Navy Blue along the way. Disco! is his most clear and concise offering to date. Opening with one of the best hip-hop songs of the year in “Evil Eye,” MIKE establishes his presence as a rapper who doesn’t need to over shine the production. He relies on the depth of his lyrics and abstract flows to get his point across, and it’s rather admirable. Throughout Disco!, he finds interesting pockets to rap in, expressing himself in an intimate and low-key manner. The beauty in MIKE's music lays in both its simplicity and intimacy.
Navy’s Reprise - Navy Blue
Freedom Sounds, 2021
Navy Blue was another artist who had a breakthrough year in 2021. He showed off his skills as a producer, producing entire albums for Wiki (Half God) and AKAI SOLO (True Sky), while also releasing his own third album in two years, Navy’s Reprise. He concludes the album’s intro, “Light,” by setting the tone for the remainder of the project; “It ain’t sit right with me that I might die / No I can’t go, I got work to do / The never-ending life cycle, how a circle do / This is personal.” The album’s 39-minute runtime is a spiritual journey through Navy Blue’s mind, as he uses the art form of rapping to express himself better than anyone else in the game right now. Navy Blue is here to stay and his debut three-album run has proven just that.
Hitler Wears Hermes 8 - Westside Gunn
Griselda Records / EMPIRE, 2021
There might not be anything that I love more in this world than Westside Gunn talking his shit and rapping over dusty drums and grimy loops. That’s exactly what Hitler Wears Hermes 8 is; nearly two hours of it, actually. Of course there’s skits and guest verses mixed within that runtime, but that’s another aspect of Gunn that’s become evident and wildly impressive; his curating skills. He always seems to know who to put on what beat, when to rap himself, when to let the production shine. Serving as the final instalment of his infamous Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series, the double album does its job in bringing together all of Gunn’s skills and putting them on display. Everything a hip-hop fan could ever ask for is present; a Griselda posse cut, a clever Lil Wayne verse, Stove God Cooks rapping about cocaine, wrestling skits, etc. Only Westside Gunn could have Jadakiss, 2 Chainz, Jay Electronica, Lil Wayne, Sauce Walka, Boldy James and Tyler, The Creator on the same album and make it work this well.
Starting off 2022, Westside Gunn is officially too big of an artist to continue releasing projects with Hitler in the title; a testament to Griselda’s growth and influence in the hip-hop game.
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