#Twelvefor12: Best Albums of 2011
Top 12 for 2011: Projects with massive replay value
12) No I.D.’s “Cocaine 80s - The Pursuit EP”
This 7 track beaut dropped midsummer and hasn’t left rotation. Kanye’s mentor delivers flawless music for any season. In an era and genre where new music is forgotten a week later, it’s great to see a project that favors quality over quantity. You can get it for free, just pay with a tweet, here: http://cocaine80s.blogspot.com/
11) Childish Gambino “Camp”
First off, I wasn’t the biggest Childish Gambino fan when I heard “Freaks and Geeks.” I thought it was an incredible beat and he was just talking a lot of bullshit, with clever wordplay. The typical rapper. Then my buddy, @TheDanBurruto showed me a youtube clip of him rapping over Grizzly Bear’s Two Weeks and I became a fan, instantly. This, paired with the fact that he stars on my favorite show, Community (tomorrow at 8 p.m., NBC), made “Camp” my most anticipated release of the end of 2011.
On Monday, NPR debuted “Camp” in its entirety. Here’s why it made the best of the year list.
The album opens up with incredible back up singers, hypnotic keys and orchestral strings that continually make their presence known throughout the album. On the first track Outside, Donald Gambino starts talking about his childhood and early history, with time conscious punchlines. He talks about his family and their struggle while he was growing up, with poverty and the various issues afflicting his immediate family. His story telling takes precedence over making each line rhyme, and the backup singers really bring the triumph of the song home.
The second track, Firefly is more of a radio friendly song, with playfully serious content matter. He frequently raps about the people in his past who have doubted him, who’ve thought of him as weak and called him a faggot and how they are trying to make amends with him now. He prefers telling the truth and doesn’t hold anything back. His punchline riddled verses (And you’s a fake fuck, like a flesh light) work nicely in between the poppy hook.
Oh yeah, most of the time he favors the words “girls” and “ladies” and “women” over “bitches.” A foreign concept to many rappers.
The third track is the single, Bonfire. Goddamn. Braggadocio raps. He reference’s Earl from Odd Future and Toe Jam Earl in the same bar. He rips Drake twice. Makes a couple Budden-esque controversial bars (Princess Di & Casey Anthony.. and in a later song, Virginia Tech). Show’s love to Nickelodeon for the first time on the album, referencing Invader Zim (he references Reptar in a later track, L.E.S.). He also shouts out Ludwig Goransson, who plays in within the live band during Childish’s shows, and also composes for the show Community. The most rewindable track on the album.
He slows it down with a long lead in on All of the Shine. He returns to his realistic pleas , talking about peoples perceptions of him rapping and why he chooses to do it. This is also the first track he sings the hook on, and does pretty damn well. Throughout, he exhibits his self-doubt and insecurities and in doing so makes the albums best track to this point.
The fifth and shortest track, Letter Home, effortlessly blends with All of The Shine, and talks about a girl he longs for and how he wrestles with wanting to reach out to her.
The sixth song, Heartbreak, sounds like the next single, and definitely could get some play in the clubs, maybe with a remix. Heartbeat has a catchy, hopelessly romantic hook that’s repeated before the Deadmau5-like beat drops. He talks about how it’s hard for a guy to give it all to a girl and the uncertainty of dealing with an ex. He ends the song on an true, A Capella note.
Backpackers sounds like a Tyler, The Creator meets Kanye beat. Childish isn’t really at his best when he tries to go real hard like this, but he still manages to spout off some potent punchlines, and call out all the people who doubted. These spiteful chants echo throughout the album, maybe too often.
L.E.S. begins with a heartbeat bass before the hook drops along with strings. Gambino kinda bites some of Kanye’s style in this one, and a few other bits from various rappers, making the song catchy. He also offers some hilarious insight onto hipster culture.
Hold You Down touches on his haters and his past, again. The handclaps in this one make the underdog vibe work well. He talks a lot about racial differences in this one, and everything and everyone that’s tried to hold him back in the past. Again, the Kanye influences are there with the muted echos in the background. Maybe the best beat on the album. The OHHHHH SHITTTTTTTT moment of the album: “Aimin’ for the throne, Jay and ‘Ye said to watch that / They asked me what I’m doing, and I said I’m stealin’ Roc back”
Kids (Keep Up) is brilliant. This one hits home. Favorite on the album. If you don’t buy it, Youtube it.
Like Backpackers, in You See Me Gambino tries rappin’ over a hype beat or a faux Lex Luger beat. This one’s full of pop culture references, Kanye beatmarks and flows, “Dark Knight” tones, and his fetish for Asian girls. I dig the Harris Wittels @humblebrag shout, and the fact that he introduced me to Rosie Jones O_O.
Sunrise features a hook calling out rappers doing stupid shit while Gambino’s already a few steps ahead. I wish the Black rock reference wasn’t to Lost, but to Blakroc. The backup singers steal the show on this one, the handclaps are back and so’s the pulsating beat. Whoever sings at the end MAKES the song, awesome.
That Power is one of the best album closer’s I’ve ever heard. This song actual might be my favorite, because of the story. The beat is phenomenal due to the strong structure that makes the drops even better. The background singers CRUSH the beat. The keys, claps, bass and drum are all clicking. Then at the end of the song, he displays his uncanny storytelling ability. The story he tells is fucking incredible (written by his Derrick Comedy buddy, @DCPierson). This is where you find out why the album IS titled “Camp.” He talks about the girl he ‘more than liked’ at camp, and how he breaks it to her. The lesson learned is beautiful. “She said one word, ‘Destiny’”
If you don’t listen to anything else on the album, listen to That Power, especially the story. Oh yeah, Kanye’s influences can be heard in the background of this one, too.
The album comes out this coming Tuesday, November 15th, the same day as Drake’s “Take Care,” and as I mentioned earlier, he takes a few shots at him inthe first single, Bonfire. I highly recommend buying it. He’s also signed toGlassnote Records, the Indie rock label, pretty cool, right? Yup.
10) Apollo Brown’s “Clouds”
One of my favorite albums to listen to at anytime of day. Instrumental hip hop may be my favorite genre of music due to the intricacies of the beats that don’t require any verses or bars from an MC. They allow the listener’s mind to wander and paint a story with the various tones. Apollo Brown, is one of my favorite current producers, and one of the way too talented artists on the Mello Music Group roster. He’s established a buzz in his native Detroit and has begun working with various MC’s on an international scale. He also released a full length album this year with Rochester MC, Hassaan Mackey, that will be featured in the honorable mentions of this best of the year list. I’d recommend pouring yourself a favorite drink, or simply laying back on the couch and let the soul beats take you into Apollo’s awesome world. Check out the album here: http://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/clouds and browse around the various Mello Music Group releases, some of which will be further up on the list.
9) Open Mike Eagle’s “Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes”
Right off the bat, I really like when an artist chooses to include the name of the producer right on their tracklisting, giving them the proper respect for their contribution to the track. I first found out about Open Mike Eagle, when I used the App, Aweditorium, and came across the song “I Rock.”, instantly becoming a fan of his unique style. The “Satire Hop” lane he’s carved out is phenomenal, and is vividly displayed on Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes.
The album starts off with the rewind-friendly track “The Processional (The Funeral March)”, produced by the albums most featured beatsmiths, E. Super. Mike begins by explaining his out of place lifestyle, joking how he remembers the keywords from the hits off of Pinkerton and how he prefers tunes from the landline era. This is the first mention of his hyper-aware knowledge of the ‘unforeseen’ consequences of the broadband generation. He later mentions finding a woman in the normal way, again, preferring a coffee shop over match.com. Hip Hop heads will appreciate his Masked Villain reference, and his love for avant-garde music. He isn’t going to beg anyone to listen to his tracks, but if you choose to, raise your damn hands and rock.
Much like the structure of many albums, a single appears next, but it isn’t what you might expect in this day of radio-friendly bangers. Instead, Mike chooses a soulful hook to recall his insomnia and the worries they birth (sorry for the weird image you might currently have in your mind). I’m a sucker for homonym’s, so the line that stands out most to me is “Give me food truck tacos, heavy sour cream no cilantro. Raps all post modern.” Again, this track is chock full of lines that will make you rewind, so I’d rather not spell them out here. He does give a nod to Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and knows he has a sharp mind, but he tip toes around.
On the next track, “No Body Nose (prod. Loden), Mike talks more on his concerns of the internet, especially in the regard of new people trying to reach out and be friends with him. If you aren’t or haven’t shared a special occasion/event/holiday with him, chances are slim.
Alpha MC lends his production skills and bars on the next track “NH2” which talks about the fact many don’t understand when they hurt people, until it happens to them.
The title track, “Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes (prod. E. Super)” touches on the fact that rap has turned into a career-arc industry. The artists are no longer concerned with putting out a piece of art that they are proud of and “going for broke,” like Mike’s past heroes, but rather, seeking out the next radio single, and staying relevant until they go grey.
On the record’s most head spastic beat (Thank you Taco neck), Mike delivers his best verse on the album. Now, I might be biased because of theCommunity reference, but I really feel like he matches the angst of the track with his unbelievable wordplay. He talks about his incompatibility with Malibu’s and the reactions of park-goers who clutch their purses when he walks past.
E. Super really crushed this album, delivering the classic video game tones to Mike on “Rent Party Revolution,” my favorite track. He actually performed this song at the U.C.B. theater (among others, snoop around the youtube), and has also performed shows with comedian heavyweight, Paul F. Tompkins.
“Kings” features lyricists VerBS and Real8, alongside Open Mike Eagle to provide the albums strongest track. The theme of the entire album is explicitly stated in the hook, “pay attention.”
In respect to the ADD of the general reader (and writer), I’m going to briefly touch upon the final 6 tracks of the record:
“Exiled from the Getalong Gang” - Hilarious conceptual track, chronicling the falling out of two friends trading voice messages.
“Right Next to You” - favorite beat on the album (E. Super, yet again), packed with humorist bars.
“Dishes” - Where else can you find an MC talking about doing the dishes and hypothetically spray painting a classic VW Beetle gold, before following Slug around on tour. Also, a great, poignant bit about jumping through hoops wraps the track.
“Bright Green Light” - The album’s second single, talks about the pressures of almost giving into the haters, but ultimately finding the will and motivation to kick ass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OhobMZupEA
The album finishes up on a high, but conscious note, with a reprise of Natural Causes and Old Member Reclamation. The lyrics let you know that “You were the one that you were waiting for.” You had it all along, it’s within! In the final, “hidden track,” Mike holds nothing back, providing all of his observations. “It’s hard to forget it all,” rewind it over and over and learn the truth, from Open Mike Eagle. Enjoy!
Pick up the album here: http://www.amazon.com/Rappers-Will-Die-Natural-Causes/dp/B0057RIGWA Seriously, do it. It won’t leave rotation for years to come.
8) The Antlers - Burst Apart
I’ve been wrestling with the idea of writing this review for about a week now. Every time I put on this album, I get halfway through the second track, I’m completely locked in, I zone out on the beautiful instrumentation and before I know it the album’s over. The Antlers are Peter Silberman (high cooed vocals, infectious guitar riffs, harmonica, accentual harp, accordion and perfect keys), Michael Lerner (I blame his drums & percussion for zoning me out. I love hip hop music, and his simple drum lines carry each and every song so well) and Darby Cicci (Fantastic keys, trumpet and even the damn banjo). The wonderful sounds produced from this Brooklyn collective have kept this album in my car stereo since the IllusiveMangla introduced me to them midsummer. I typically get so lost in the music but if you pay close attention you’ll find the lyrics are just as powerful. I won’t spoil them here, it’s better if you just head to their website and pick up the disc: http://theantlers.cinderblock.com/
7) Zilla Rocca - Nights & Weekends EP
Ten seconds in and you find yourself sipping with Roger Sterling at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday. Zilla Rocca feverishly paints bars like he’s Luther slicing the evidence room looking for diamonds to plant on the scene. The first verse, before the awesomely haunting sample, is the birthplace of noir steeze, describing everything from a lucky lighter to Sinatra Sunday.
Let me back track a bit. Zilla Rocca is the founder of Noir Hop. He’s a self made beast out of Philadelphia who released the Nights & Weekends EP this summer, thanks to the help of people like you. That’s right, his fans helped this album come to life. This combined with his unbelievable social presence, allowed him to create a 10 track album and help out his friends. Over the past year, I’ve been emersed in hip hop music and have been fiendish for the Mello Music Group label. One of my favorite new artists this year is Rocca’s Philly mate, Has-Lo, who laced a few tracks on the Nights & Weekends EP, including my favorite, “Michael Caine Glasses.” I’ve been lucky enough to eavesdrop on the Philly hip hop loop and hear the fantastic beats of Small Pro, who recently won a DJBooth contest hosted by Fortilive, and also hear the gripping bars from fellow shameless Bills fan, My Man Shafe. I won’t spoil all the features on the album for any hip hop fan is sure to spend countless hours researching these architects before the next big project drops (I can’t fucking wait).
So go ahead and get your late self acquainted with the god, Zilla Rocca.
Buy the album: http://5oclockshadowboxers.bandcamp.com/album/nights-weekends-ep
Learn from those links.
6) Tiron & Ayomari - A Sucker For Pumps
I’ve been a huge fan of Tiron ever since my buddy @TheDanBurruto played me his mixtape, Ketchup, while touring ‘round suburbia. I wasn’t really big on hip hop at the time and was just getting exposed to some of the better conscious rhymers out. I was hearing the new west coast (Fashawn, Blu, etc.) and falling in love with the sound. I’ve been following Tiron ever since and was anticipating the summer release.
A Sucker For Pumps is a beautiful album that tells the truth and offers insight on the relationships between men and women, from all angles. You can tell that each track was tinkered with until it sounded perfect. The flow of the album is beautiful. They scored some features from a couple hip-hop heavyweights, Exile and Yummy Bingham, and also the breakout star, Thundercat. I wasn’t all that familiar with Ayomari before the release, but he and Tiron go toe-for-toe on each of the tracks, making for one of the years best efforts. I think I may have overdosed on Kendrick Lamar’s Section.80, or the west coast sound in general, because I could have sworn I heard K.Dot spit a few bars on some of the songs.
All in all, this is a phenomenal album, and you’ll be really happy with your purchase: http://thecafeterialine.bandcamp.com/album/a-sucker-for-pumps.
West coast hip-hip is back, taking over, and here for the long haul.
5) Destroyer “Kaputt”
Kaputt is a 9 track masterpiece that will appeal to nearly everyone. The sound is phenomenal, blending the impeccable production and the effortless, almost painkiller induced, delivery of singer Dan Bejar. Because of this, you can zone out on the rich sounds it provides or dig deep into the lyrics that reflect on the ex-wildside of Bejar. The words slip by, heavily repeated on some tracks, making this a perfect edition to your vinyl or cd collection for multiple spins. The single, “Kaputt” reminds me of MGMT’s “Time to Pretend,” andproduced a fantastic video, but my favorite track is “Suicide Demo for Kara Walker.”
You can pick it up here: http://www.mergerecords.com/store/store_detail.php?catalog_id=750
4) Kendrick Lamar “Section.80”
This album lets you know from the jump that you’re about to get a dose of wisdom, setting the scene around a fireplace. The narrating aspect comes in and out throughout the album, discussing the various themes K.Dot is about to lyrically rip to shreds. I was unbelievably excited for this album, after overdosing on Overly.Dedicated for months. The day I got the album, I spent the entire day driving around Washington D.C. blasting the albums with the windows down. I probably listened to the album 6 or 7 times through that day alone, and didn’t get sick of it.
I’m still not sick of it. The Compton MC literally touches on 21st century everything in a socially aware way, presenting it in a universally understandable flow. He absolutely bodies these tracks. He released multiple videos for the tracks, the standout being “Tammy’s Song.” It’s really hard to pick a favorite on this album, but I’d have to say the best tracks are “Keisha’s Song (Her Pain”, “A.D.H.D”, “The Spiteful Chant”, and “Rigamortis”.
If I had to choose just one song to listen to for the rest of my life, on this album, it’d have to be the homage to Pimp C, “Members Only.” Wait, wait, wait… what am I talking about, the J. Cole laced “HiiiPower” might take the cake. It’s just too hard to choose.
Buy this album http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/section.80/id447516359
and put three damn fingers in the air.
3) St. Vincent “Strange Mercy”
I’m not going to spend the time writing up a review for one of the most critically praised albums of the year, I’m just going to tell you that you should listen to it, buy it, and listen to it again. then repeat.
You should watch this music video of hers and this Jimmy Fallon performance.
Oh you fell in love with her, too?
Back the fuck off.
cop it: http://beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/strange-mercy/
2) Has-Lo “In Case I Don’t Make It/Conversation B”
I first discovered Mello Music Group when I was watching an interview of Odd Future’s manager on Al Lindstrom’s website. They chose to use an instrumental from Apollo Brown’s “Clouds” album, which came in at #10 on this best of the year list. After playing the hell out of that album, and thanks to the tireless promotional skills of the labels founder, Michael Tolle, I finally purchased Has-Lo’s “In Case I Don’t Make It.” Little did I know, I was effectively purchasing the hip-hop equivalent of:
Has-Lo is lyrically unmatched.
In my review of Mike Eagle’s “Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes”, I talked about the title track of that album, and how Mike’s heroes were the MC’s who used to put out a piece of art they could be proud of, not something that ends up as some tweeny boppers ringtone (see: ovoxo). Has-Lo, like Mike Eagle, embodies the hero MC mentality, the teacher, the knowledge spreader, the Louis C.K., the George Carlin, it’s unbelievable.
When I found out he’d be re-releasing the classic, with a whole bunch of producers that I love, my head nearly exploded. What an honor it must have been to have all of these great producers recognize a masterpiece, and lend their talents to making sure it reached an even broader audience.
As far as hip-hop is concerned, I thought the West had won and they were in position to take the hip-hop rebirth, that is 2011-2020, and stomp out all the competition. However, Philly has a chance, they have the “rookie” of the year, and his peers are coming on strong.
I’m not going to go into great detail dissecting each track lyrically, I’ll leave that up to the university professor’s who will certainly be teaching this in their classes for years to come. Instead, I’ve made a track list of my favorite songs from the two albums, and included my favorite bar from each.
1. Reincarnate (prod. Audible Doctor)
(I fight inside for inner peace with each side/Ironic. I’ll bite your head off)
2. Face in Disguise (prod. Exile)
(The usual theme, you dead in the sea / Stuck juggling work you hate, but you do it for cream)
3. (Tie) Everything Is / Never Was yours (prod. Kev Brown)
(Who dreamed I could sit pretty, and I could lift grammys/And I was better off rich/and now I’m older with issues the money can’t fix)
4. Fiber Optics
(you sell your soul for a bill with a large face/With that said, is it life that the art imitates)
5. Kinetic Energy
(I found that/The moment you being callous and show love/Then you only get a small ounce back)
6. Hindsight (prod. Apollo Brown)
(A lot of ni**as I had are livin in drag, it’s sad/Though he’s shifty I’d give him a pass)
7. Untitled #1 (Hold On)
(Sportin’ summertime babies from wintertime sex/I believed in a system that failed me, and fell deep)
8. Deaden The Pain (prod. Small Pro)
(A job wants your educational and work history/When they decide visually)
9. Forgotten Styles
(Life’s like a short story where you build wealth/And the cost is you lost touch with the old you)
10. Maxell UR
(He let me hold both Jeru and Gang Starr/We’d bang a joint like 3 days and trade off)
11. Storm Clouds
(The next epic, much more than battle of Olympus/Diamond tipped needle cut a record twelve inches)
12. Years Later
The whole song. A true masterpiece.
13. Subliminal Oppression
(To keep your mind in a zoo/Try and control me, try and control you)
14. Limbo
(If history has taught me anything, it does repeat itself)
15. Last Day of School (Prod. Oddisee)
(And I see ‘em as cheap and uncouth/So we evenly each be unmoved)
16. Everything Is (Oddisee Remix)
(It’s like, being cuffed to a foul friend/now and then you remember how it was)
Go and get your hands on the albums, and learn from the artists on the Mello Music Group roster:
ICIDMI: http://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/in-case-i-dont-make-it
Conversation B: http://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/conversation-b
1) Little Dragon “Ritual Union”
This is the soundtrack to all of your bad thoughts on a night out. By far, the most fun sounding album of the year, deserved of the top spot. The title track alone is a timeless anthem for the party scene.
The Swedish collective has managed to create their own sound using a blend of R&B/Hip Hop and Electronic tones that lead singer, Yukimi Nagano, rides beautifully.
If there is one act I’m dying to see in 2012, it’s Little Dragon (after all, the best concert I’ve ever seen was the Gorillaz, and Little Dragon had their hands on two songs on the smash “Plastic Beach”).
I really hope to see collaborations with hip-hop artists in the coming years, seeing as almost all of the tracks on Ritual Union could be bodied by your favorite MC, as is. I can’t imagine how some of my favorite producers would flip it, but I hope to find out.
Go ahead and buy the album, listen to it first if you have to, but I’m telling you, this is the most slept on album of 2011 and easily one of the best: http://little-dragon.net/
