2020 brought forth obstacles nobody could have possibly anticipated. We’ve lived through rough times that hit each and every one of us in a unique way. Even though there are countless negatives we could reflect on as we happily rush into 2021, I’d like to reflect on some of the positives of this year.
In my case this year, less time spent with others translated into a relatively narrow outlook in terms of music taste. I can also undoubtedly say that I’ve found myself thinking, “Man, this would sound amazing live” more this year than any other. Hopefully, we can get back to some type of normalcy this spring, I’m missing live events as much as anyone.
The constant release of new music seemed to be one aspect of our pre-COVID life that pushed on throughout the final months of the year. The months of quarantine solidified that if nothing else, we’ve always got new music to look forward to.
Check out my Top 12 albums of 2020 below! They’re in no particular order. Let me know what I missed out on in the comments below.
The Price of Tea in China (Deluxe Edition) – Boldy James & The Alchemist
Boldy James and The Alchemist arguably had the best year of their respective careers in 2020. The Price of Tea in China is quite honestly a work of art, Boldy and The Alchemist put this project together with an incredible amount of thought and care. There was a masterful consistency that The Alchemist’s production achieved in less than an hour of music and Boldy’s buttery raps meshed well with that consistency. With an impressive range of tracks that seamlessly mixed solo efforts with collaborative masterpieces, Boldy achieved a level of continuity and cohesiveness throughout The Price of Tea in China that can stand strong next to any hip-hop release I could think of.
Boldy showcases his ability to achieve intense amounts of emotion on all types of beats, the most impressive being those that feature few ‘bells and whistles’. It’s that type of open production on tracks such as “Carruth”, “Speed Demon Freestyle”, and “Belvedere” that’s open enough for Boldy to speak center-stage; he continually seizes each opportunity with energy and emotion. Other tracks such as “Giant Slide”, “Scrape the Bowl” (feat. Benny the Butcher), and “Slow Roll” abruptly raise the album’s momentum through hard-hitting production. The album seems to take so many twists and turns throughout, production-wise, but Boldy’s always got a story to tell.
This critically-acclaimed 12-track effort received a dope 4-track deluxe revamp that flows right off the back of the initial outro, “Phone Bill”.
Favorite Tracks:
Surf & Turf (feat. Vince Staples)
Slow Roll
Bernadines
The Slow Rush – Tame Impala
A lot of music lovers caught wind of Kevin Parker after Currents was released over four years ago. In turn, Tame Impala’s fourth studio effort was a highly anticipated album for quite a few fans. After hosting intimate listening parties around the world, Kevin finally released The Slow Rush in February. The Slow Rush was slated to hit the United Center early in the summer as a part of a worldwide tour but was obviously canceled. The stadium run for Kevin Parker and his stage-mates would’ve been something special.
Everything you could ask from the talented producer, singer, and songwriter is bundled up and presented proudly via 12 tracks that span 58 minutes. At this point Kevin, if he wasn’t already, seems confident in releasing the exact sound he wants to put out. With an average track time of nearly 5 minutes, each cut has time to build and suppress plenty of energy; some of these tracks are truly a journey. Each song on this album has its own distinct identity and Tame Impala seems to showcase that skill throughout their last few studio albums. The Slow Rush takes you through plenty of emotions and I’d expect nothing less from a post-Currents Kevin Parker.
Favorite Tracks:
One More Year
It Is True
Breathe Deeper
Westside Gunn – Pray For Paris
I had heard of Westside Gunn and Griselda Records quite some time ago but their November 2019 release of WWCD truly opened my eyes to these artists. This range of artists consistently gives their fans everything they’ve got through refined, conceptual offerings. Griselda’s efforts always seem to be released on the back of one another; the collective worked like they wanted to take over 2020 from the jump. Westside Gunn has one of the most addicting flows in the hip-hop game right now and his wide reach of collaborations on his 2020 efforts shows he can curate as well as he can create.
For 13 tracks, Gunn’s NY accent slices through smooth production from some of hip-hop’s most notable beat makers. Gunn shows off his versatility on Pray for Paris; tracks such as “No Vacancy” and “Versace” seem to slowly creep on whereas uptempo cuts like “327” and “Shawn vs. Flair” feature production that rolls quicker. WSG showcases his impressive, aggressive pen and immense levels of creativity throughout every minute of this album. He shines with confidence.
Favorite Tracks:
George Bondo (feat. Conway the Machine & Benny the Butcher)
327 (feat. Joey Bada$$, Tyler, The Creator & Billie Essco)
Shawn vs. Flair
Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music
I first heard of Tom Misch through NPR’s Tiny Desk series, his dope 2018 appearance has racked up over 13 million views on YouTube. Two years after his stellar solo debut, Geography, Tom teamed up with London-native Yussef Dayes, a jazz drummer, to create What Kinda Music. The album released in April through Beyond the Groove / Blue Note Records.
This album flows from front to back with ease. Although the effort is listed as Alternative, What Kinda Music is a unique blending pot that taps into several different genres. Tom Misch is stellar throughout and Yussef is effortlessly able to keep up with varying production in impressive fashion; On “Festival”, Yussef is able to add beautiful underlying energy that crawls on throughout the extent of the track. “Nightrider” (feat. Freddie Gibbs) is also one of my favorites. Tom performs, per usual, an addicting chorus before Freddie sneaks in for an overlooked feature that’ll surely impress. Yussef keeps the percussion interesting and energetic throughout the length of the album.
Favorite Tracks:
Festival
Nightrider (feat. Freddie Gibbs)
Storm Before The Calm (feat. Kaidi Akinnibi)
Unlocked – Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats
Both Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats were coming off of impressive 2019s when they decided to join forces in early 2020 to release UNLOCKED, an impressive 8-track effort released alongside a 20-minute video feature. I’ve watched quite a few replays of Kenny’s Twitch stream and he often speaks on how everything outside of the music is as important as the music itself; the duo marketed this tape as well as they could’ve.
Kenny and Denzel locked in for this one and the close collaboration can be heard throughout. The duo produces some music here that, simply put, sounds fresh. Every beat sounds specially tailored to Denzel and he aggressively takes over each song with steez. Kenny’s beats are all quite boisterous and Denzel unapologetically unleashes lyrics that cut through the production. 2020 seemed to be the year of rapper-producer duos collaborating for full-length projects, lets hope this trend continues into 2021.
Favorite Tracks:
So.Incredible.pkg
Track07
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Man On The Moon III: The Chosen – Kid Cudi
“Leader of the Delinquents” dropped mid-April. The loosie got me really hyped for whatever was to come next from one of my childhood favorites. Cudder then announced in November that MOTMIII was to be unleashed before the end of the year. I had expected a lot from MOTMIII but what we got was, in my opinion, easily one of 2020s best full-length efforts.
This album has a wide mixture of tracks that keeps the album interesting and fresh throughout; I’m not sure what more Cudi fans could ask for out of his seventh studio album. From the first full-length track “Tequila Shots” to the phenomenal outro “Lord I Know”, Cudi sounds stronger than ever. Contrasting with his strength you’ll hear Cudi express clear moments of vulnerability and explicit honesty. He sounds as though he’s trying to accept and embrace every one of his internal battles while recognizing, explicitly, that he’s still a “Damaged” man. Some tracks are truly inspiring, I found myself taken back by many of these cuts on first listen. There are jaw-dropping moments on this album. Stellar production and in-form Cudi collide for several dope tracks. The mix/master on this album sounds so large and boisterous; Man On The Moon III: The Chosen would be spectacular live.
Favorite Tracks:
Tequila Shots
She Knows This
Dive
4 da Kidz
Sensitive (EP) – Serena Isioma
Serena Isioma had an amazing year! She stealthily took over the indie-pop scene in 2020 with a bunch of high-quality music that gained some real traction. The Chicago-based artist seems to be on her way to keep the momentum rolling as we shoot into 2021.
I had known of Serena prior to her debut project, Sensitive – EP, but I was thoroughly impressed by every track off of this short compilation. Although her latest effort, The Leo Sun Sets, may have featured a more refined roll-out, I appreciate and enjoy Sensitive‘s juvenile, ‘bedroom-pop’ feel. Featuring a dope mixture of tracks that all hold a unique identity, Serena gave listeners a little bit of everything in just 14 minutes.
I truly think this EP marked the start of a steady progression towards some sort of limelight for Serena, the replay value on this one is sky-high. Shoutout to HateSonny for delivering the lone feature on this project, a dope verse on “Move”.
Favorite Tracks:
All 5 of ’em.
Alfredo – Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
Freddie Gibbs has continued his impressive streak of studio albums with Alfredo, a collaborative effort produced by The Alchemist. This album stands tall next to Freddie and Madlib’s Bandana, one of my favorites to come out of 2019. To see The Alchemist all over this list makes me so glad, 2020 will always stick in my mind as a dope year for music.
Freddie fills every inch of space The Alchemist leaves open with his rifle-like rap cadences. Gibbs is such a pure talent and his beat selection on this album was dope through-and-through. Freddie shows his versatility over all types of production and he enlists some heavy-hitters in Rick Ross, Tyler, The Creator, Benny the Butcher, and Conway the Machine to feature. Laid-back tracks such as “Scottie Beam” with Rick Ross, “Look at Me” or “Something to Rap About” (feat. Tyler, the Creator) contrast immensely with hard-hitting cuts like “Baby $hit” or “Frank Lucas” (feat. Benny the Butcher); this dynamic duo keeps it interesting and I would’ve expected nothing less.
Favorite Tracks:
God Is Perfect
Frank Lucas (feat. Benny the Butcher)
Baby $Hit
LULU – Conway the Machine & The Alchemist
Griselda and The Alchemist really turned up this year, it was truly something I kept my eye on throughout 2020. I was impressed by Conway’s full-length From King To a God as much as I was by LULU, but there’s a level of cohesiveness The Alchemist offers in his executively-produced projects that is inimitable. You might also notice that The Alchemist has writing credits on many of the songs he produces… give this man the praise he deserves!
As Conway says on “14 KI’s”, “We winnin’ like the Cowboys back in the Michael Irvin days”. I anticipate Griselda’s momentum to only grow through 2021.
Conway the Machine stepped out after WWCD to release a fresh compilation effort. On LULU, The Machine and The Alchemist embody the killer shark depicted on the cover art. Aggressive raps paired with sample-filled, intricate production flows seamlessly for 7 tracks. The flow of tracks reminded me of The Alchemist’s 2019 effort, Yacht Rock 2, a remarkable compilation of cuts. Fit with menacing hooks and uncut storytelling, LULU was everything I’d want from a Conway/Alchemist collaboration.
Favorite Tracks:
Shoot Sideways (feat. ScHoolboy Q)
Calvin
Gold BBS’S
Mt. Marci – Roc Marciano
Roc Marciano has been a staple in the hip-hop world as both a producer as well as a lyricist for quite some time now. If you haven’t heard of him, you’ve definitely heard music inspired by Roc’s diverse production style. I was truly impressed with his November-released effort Mt. Marci. This album is his 8th studio album and it was first released through Roc Marciano’s website.
Roc’s production style achieves neck-breaking rhythm without the use of over-bearing percussion. His chops are impeccable and his bars require a second look, the lyricism is outstanding. At times, tongue-twisting bars seem to roll out of Roc too quickly to catch; a few of his tracks require some stop-and-go for full comprehension which is impressive. The grouping of features consisting of ScHoolboy Q, Action Bronson, Stove God Cook$, and Kool Keith is immaculate, each feature seems to add a unique but necessary flavor to their respective track. Also, that artwork, man… too dope.
Favorite Tracks:
Spirit Cooking (feat. Action Bronson)
Baby Powder
Burden of Proof – Benny the Butcher
Benny the Butcher had a few strong features that were already listed on this Top 12, but he also spent time perfecting Burden of Proof throughout the year. The album spans across 12 tracks spanning 38 minutes. Benny sounds confident as ever throughout this album that sounds like one of his most refined efforts yet; he takes victory lap after victory lap on this one.
I also can’t write this Top 12 without mentioning Hit-Boy, he was unquestionably one of the best producers in 2020.
Benny opens up solo with the title track that’ll quickly introduce you to the Buffalo-native if you haven’t heard of him yet. Burden of Proof is a diverse album from Benny that features some spectacular guest verses. As usual, the Butcher holds nothing back and offers intense storytelling as well as a few raw hooks. The track “Thank God I Made It” (feat. Queen Naija) suggests the Butcher feels comfortable where he’s at, yet pure hunger can still be heard in his voice. I can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for 2021.
Favorite Tracks:
Where Would I Go (feat. Rick Ross)
War Paint (feat. Westside Gunn & Conway the Machine)
Legend
The Tonite Show with Curren$y – DJ.Fresh & Curren$y
Whenever you hear DJ. Fresh’s producer tag reverberate out of headphones or speakers, it’s typically a sign that the following track will be dope. DJ. Fresh has certainly perfected his own sound by now, so any offering from the California-based producer guarantees quality.
For the latest ‘Tonite Show’, DJ. Fresh enlisted The Spitta himself, Curren$y, to float over 10 total tracks of vibey production. Curren$y is back after hitting my Top 12 in 2019 after dropping 2009 alongside Wiz Khalifa. The Spitta’s effortless flow pairs perfectly with DJ. Fresh’s rhythmic production. DJ. Fresh’s signature rhythmic synth basses rumble on tracks like “Easy Hard” (feat. Guapdad 4000) and “Gambling Shack” (feat. T.Y.). The latter was one of my favorite tracks of the year, the track is addicting the moment DJ. Fresh first hits you.
Favorite Tracks:
Pound in the Sky
Gambling Shack (feat. T.Y.)
Funny Money (feat. Problem, Chevy Woods & OG MarlynMonROLLUP)
