2015 was a resurgent year for hip-hop. If the 1990s were the “gangster rap” era, the 2000s the rise and fall of the “bling-bling” era, then the 2010s should be categorized by the rising tide of socially conscious hip-hop.
Watching young rappers like Vince Staples, Joey Bada$$, Earl Sweatshirt and Milo navigate their place in this new, reticent space in competition with rap’s household names is a delight to experience. The struggle, though, is in codifying the relationship between potent poetry and deft production. The following list is how the past year in hip-hop shook out.
1. Kendrick Lamar, “To Pimp A Butterfly”
This will go down as one of the great albums of the decade. With lyrics that read more like a dissertation than a hip-hop album, a cavalcade of sounds and Kendrick at his most combative enable “To Pimp A Butterfly” to captivate as a challenging, kaleidoscopic listen.
2. Lupe Fiasco, “Tetsuo & Youth”
After almost a decade since his last critically-acclaimed album, Lupe warded off whispers of his decline with “Tetsuo & Youth.” On the album’s second song, “Mural,” Lupe fits an album’s worth of rhymes into nine minutes and doesn’t slow down from there.
3. Freddie Gibbs, “Shadow of a Doubt”
After having the second best album of 2014 with “Piñata,” the Gary, Indiana native did not disappoint those who have come to expect his dominance. “Shadow of a Doubt” is as angry and concerted as its predecessor, with just a touch more sonic appeal.
4. Ceschi, “Broken Bone Ballads”
“Broken Bone Ballads” proved to be a celebration party for the Connecticut native. At almost breathless pace, Ceschi (also known as Julio Ramos) delivers dizzying wordplay and introspective storytelling. This album is a lot more sonically accessible than those of rappers who typically occupy Ceschi’s spot in hip-hop’s underground.
5. A$AP Rocky, “At.Long.Last.A$AP”
Inspired by the death of friend and interlocutor, A$AP Yams, “At.Long.Last.A$AP” is as hypnotizing in its melodies as it is pointed in its delivery. Where in albums prior Rocky had a tendency to devolve into hip-hop clichés, he’s as personal as ever on this album.
“Thumbs” was the perfect successor to Busdriver’s “Perfect Hair,” which debuted just last year. The album explores the depths of Busdriver’s introspective outlook on the world surrounding him with as much poignancy as aggression.
7. Jay Rock, “90059”
After almost a decade in the hip-hop circuit, and four years since his last album, Jay Rock’s second studio album, “90059,” proved to be worth the wait in. With a variety of sounds and great contributions from frequent co-conspirators Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Isaiah Rashad, “90059” is a great addition to the already sterling discographies of the Black Hippy collective.
8. Travis Scott, “Rodeo”
With clear Kanye West influences, the sonic consistency of “Rodeo” is as jarring as its appeal. On this project, Scott is finally able to balance his ability as a producer with his performance as an emcee.
9. Milo, “So The Flies Don’t Come”
Milo’s quirky personality and abstract song concepts have often been hit-or-miss on his previous projects. Whether he’s making direct reference to the works of Friedrich Nietzsche or threatening to “decapitate a metacritic,” Milo will always be interesting and always be combative.
10. Vince Staples, “Summertime ‘06”
Technically a double album, “Summertime ‘06” is the rapper’s introduction to the hip-hop consciousness. Staples proves that it doesn’t take dense lyrics to be deep, taking on challenging song concepts with relative ease.
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