Top 10 Hip Hop Albums of 2020
Detroit 2- Big Sean
Detroit 2 is a rare album released at the perfect moment in time and created with a genuine purpose to leave its listeners inspired. Music is supposed to touch your soul so that it gives you something that you’re missing or needing. The energy Big Sean gives off in this album is something everyone in 2020 should feel no matter if they are in the missing or needing category (possibly both, depending on the situation). The album is incredible; you must give it a listen because you might get something that your missing or needing.
Pray for Paris- Westside Gunn
“Bonjou But now I’m out here in Paris crushin’ on you (Crushin’ on you), I’m out here in Paris Just crushin’ on you (Crushin’ on you), I’m out here in Paris.” Westside created something special with this album. When I describe the album, I label it as High-End luxury street rap, and it deserves to be put into a contemporary museum. A song like “George Bondo” embodies that High-End luxury street rap sound Westside Gunn brings not only with this album but a style he brings to any track he raps over. His voice, the adlibs, the killer piano keys combined with that Griselda big three on that track is an undeniable excellent Hip-Hop record. The whole album is a love letter from Westside Gunn to the streets, luxury fashion, wrestling, art, and Paris. All wrapped up in a classic album.
THE GOAT- Polo G
Polo is a young goat. His debut album “Die a Legend” from last year was in my Top 3 albums of the year for 2019. So for Polo G to be back in my 2020 list shows how much faith I have in him to be one of the top faces of Hip-Hop for this decade. GOAT is my new go-to album when I want to put someone on to drill music that wouldn’t expect a conscious and lyrical artist in that sub-genre. It’s truly heartfelt and real sentimental music, something most people wouldn’t think they would find in a drill album. What separates Polo G from the rest of the drill artist is that he takes drill beyond the typical gun violence, drug dealing, rich dope boy lifestyle topics that dominate most of the drill tracks. Expanding his reach of topics to talk about love, addressing drug addiction, dealing with fame at a young age, and the oppression of growing up as young African-Americans in America. It’s a deep album from an artist who is only 21 years old but has continued to show he can be remembered as a GOAT!
Shoot For the stars Aim for the Moon/Meet the woo 2 — Pop Smoke
Pop Smokes growth as an artist is something that, with this album, he showed off to his listeners. He could have stayed in his lane and went with an NYC drill heavy album, but instead, he displayed how versatile he can be. From the production to the different flows he rapped
throughout the album, he put out his best work to date, in my opinion. Shoot For the stars Aim for the Moon and Meet the woo 2 will be remembered for displaying all the potential that Pop Smoke had to give the world; what should have been just the start of something special now leaves fans wanting more.
REST IN POWER
POP SMOKE
King’s Diseases — Nas
I am blessed to be able to hear a new Nas album. Whenever Hip-Hop legends drop anything new, I tap into it, but Nas is in my Top 5 of all time, so this was genuinely a special release to me. On top of that personal excitement, King Diseases, in my opinion, is one of his best albums ever. The album serves as a Victory Lap for Nas, who uses his verses throughout it to spread the knowledge learned in his life, show love to his fans, and showcase that he can create music that still impacts the culture. That impact was felt because of the praise the album generated from die-hard hip-hop fans to getting a grammy nomination for Best Hip-Hop Album.
I believe Kings Disease will take the award since it showcases how Hip-Hop’s sound can have many sub-genres, but when you reel it back to its classic sound with a Legend like Nas, the music always will create a winning recipe.
Alfredo- Freddie Gibs
Alfredo is an album that many people who consume albums like fast food would overlook, or dare I even say those people would label it as trash. But a music lover like me, or should I speak as a student of Hip-Hop culture, I appreciate the masterpiece Freddie Gibs cooked with Alfredo! It’s like a fine wine every time that I listen to the album. I always make sure to listen to the whole thing from intro to outro. Like the other albums on this list, Alfredo does a great job transporting the listeners into the world Freddie Gibs creates. The most noteworthy thing about this album is the way each track flows so effortlessly into each other that it feels like one complete track that transitions act like chapters in a story.
No Pressure- Logic
People like to hate on Logic for his style or the content of his music (JOE BUDDEN), but even with the hate, you can’t deny that this men’s skill set as an Emcee is elite. You may not like Logics boom-bap style, but no matter what, you got to respect it because it’s a level of lyricism that not many commercial rappers can reach. Logic is a Legend who ended his career with an album that solidified him as a one!
Savage Mode 2- 21 Savage & Metro Boomin
Sequels to albums sometimes fall short of even reaching the first album’s magic, but this isn’t the case for Savage Mode 2. It’s the growth as artists in all aspects for both Metro Boomin & 21, where you can hear the difference from SM1 to SM2. Add in a Halloween theme to the mix with Morgan Freeman, and you get some new elements to the album. In my opinion, this album helps solidify Metro Boomin & 21 Savage as one of the best producer & artist duos of this generation of Hip-Hop.
Burden Of Proof- Benny The Butcher
The Butcher delivered! Benny created an album centered around building yourself up from the bottom of the most bottomless hole, then when you reach the top, send a rope to all those who helped you get there. It’s the classic come up story album that could appeal to anyone because the knowledge he puts into his lyrics go deeper then what some might see as just him talking about selling dope. He took lemons and made lemonade. What I mean by that is he took the terrible situation he was born on the chin then flipped it to empower him to make his dreams happen. My favorite thing about the album is that it honestly plays like a movie because it was very well arranged, track to track, to give it that effect.
Karma 3- Dave East
RIP SHOOTER! This album is Dave’s best work to date. In my opinion, the lyricism shines on this album. I can tell Dave’s growth from his first album, Paranoia; a true story to Karma 3. The song craftsmanship hits different in the sense that you hear production sound match Dave’s prolific flow. There are no weak bars in any of the 15 songs on the album, which could only be said for a handful of albums that got left of this list.
HM: Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial- Roddy Ricch, Top- NBA YoungBoy, My Turn- Lil Baby, Wunna- Gunna, Edna- Headie One , Eternal Atake- Lil Uzi Vert, Dark Lane Demo Tape- Drake, Good Intentions and Brown Boy 2- Nav, Good News- Megan Thee Stallion, Pray 4 Love- Rod Wave
Originally published at http://scubawrites.wordpress.com on December 30, 2020.
