This year we had a lot of great releases but the following 5 of them stood out above all for me:
Bad Meets Evil - Hell: The Sequel
Eminem and Royce Da 5'9 joined forces once again to put out this collaborative EP as a sequel to their previous album. While this album didn't appeal to much to me when it dropped, it grew on me as time went on. With Eminem on the album, this was bound to sell anything else Em puts out. Eminem's Recovery sales to date have got him platinum status once again and the hype from that album definitely carried over to this album to give him a boost in sales. Royce also got some mainstream spotlight with the hit single "Lighters" featuring Bruno Mars.
Favourite Track: Fast Lane
The Weeknd - House of Balloons
It's been a while since I've loved an R'n'B artist as much as the Weeknd. While there is a bit of bias since he's also from Toronto, The Weeknd's atmospheric sound captured ears of a ton of people around the globe. Not to mention, it's amazing how he literally came out of no where. No one even knew what this guy looked like until recently! The mixtape was put together very well and left the listener yearning for more.
Favourite Track: The Morning
J. Cole - Cole World: Sideline Story
A highly anticipated debut by who some called "The next Nas." I enjoyed the album and it definitely brought back lyrical hip-hop into the mainstream. Another part that impressed me a lot was that J. Cole did a lot of the production himself. This was impressive because beats like "Dollar and a Dream III" and "Rise and Shine" sound like the work of a very experienced producer. On the other hand tracks like "Lost Ones" showcased Cole's lyrical ability and his story-telling talent. J. Cole has a long run ahead of him but he may go down as a legend some day.
Favourite Track: Lost Ones
Kendrick Lamar - Section 80:
Another new comer that impressed me A TON. Kendrick Lamar is the definition of a rapper to me. His lyrical ability surpasses most rappers in the game today in my opinion. The mixtape itself is very well put together and each song is amazing. Kendrick also appeared on his homeboy from Los Angeles, The Game's album and killed that too. He's running in a league of his own right now and hopefully he continues to put out amazing music.
Favourite Track: Tammy's Song
Drake - Take Care
Now while Take Care isn't my favourite album by a huge margin, it edges out due to Drake's versatility on the album. The album is very atmospheric and something you have to listen to as a whole to fully appreciate. Tracks like "Practice" and "Shot For Me" show Drake's ability to sing and rap, while there are songs like "Doing It Wrong" that fully concentrate on singing. The album contains all kinds of music but it still flows together with finesse. That's the reason Take Care was my favourite album this year.
Favourite Track: Practice
I'm not claiming these were the best albums of the year but these are MY personal favourites, what are yours?
3/02/2012
Joe Valdez
