Top 5 Albums: 2020 (So Far)
Intro:
We’re almost halfway through the eventful year of 2020. The music industry has definitely taken a big hit during the past few months and surely is holding back a lot of great/anticipated albums from being released yet. With that being said, there are still some great albums that have dropped. This is a subjective list of my five favorite albums that have came out so far. Despite being about my overall enjoyment of the project, I still hold some thing accountable like quality and replay value.
5. LU LU - Conway & The Alchemist
I’m sure there’s at least one Griselda member in everyone’s lists right now. Both Conway & The Alchemist come together for an incredibly concise and complete body of work. The Alchemist comes through with menacing sample-based production that perfectly fit Conway’s street perspective and gangsta rap lyrics. Conway brings incredible wordplay and imagery that flow well along every beat. It wasn’t my favorite or most revisited album this year, but there aren’t too many flaws I had with it. If you love authentic gangsta rap and dark samples, this was made for you.
4. Everything - Kota the Friend
Kota dropped probably the most chill and laid back album of the year so far. It completely lived up to his last 2 projects and has all the great qualities you’d look for in Kota’s music. It expresses the state of staying positive and accepting of life’s balance. The samples and melodies give the album a “feel good” vibe/aesthetic. This, along with bouncy drums and nice lyrics, gives this album an easy listening experience. You can read more of my thoughts in my review.
3. UNLOCKED - Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats
This collab project was a pleasant surprise for fans of both rapper Denzel Curry & producer Kenny Beats. Kenny gives Denzel amazing beats filled with clean chops and dusty boom-bap drum patterns. Denzel spazzes over every beat showcases different flows that fit the pocket perfectly. What’s more impressive is that Denzel apparently freestyled the entire project (which itself was made in an extremely short span of time). If the album itself wasn’t enough, they gave us an incredible visual narrative that really completes the body of work. It wasn’t a perfect project (repeated lyrics for example from Zel freestyling) but still one of 2020’s best.
2. F**k the World - Brent Faiyaz
Unintentionally is the only R&B album on my list, but I think more will make my year end list. Regardless, Brent Faiyaz being #2 on this one is well deserved. He proves on this album to be one of the most interesting and mysterious new school R&B artists. I always liked Brent, but I never loved his work until the 2 singles that were released leading up to this album: Summer In London & Rehab (Winter In Paris). He authentically sings about himself and lifestyle with a voice that’s very soothing to the soul. The production is also really atmospheric and “lowkey”, which adds to the albums overall aesthetic.
1. Pray For Paris - Westside Gunn
This and Brent’s album were VERY difficult for me to choose between. However, Westside Gunn edged out on top while listening to these albums in preparation for writing this ranking. Similar to Conway’s LU LU (and Griselda’s overall music), Pray For Paris features grimy, menacing and quality gangsta rap lyrics and themes. Westside has always been my favorite Griselda member due to his uniquely high pitched voice that he still manages to sound as vicious and real as his bars. His ad-libs are also really catchy, captivating and add to the overall imagery. I think this album also has some of the best production this year with some beautiful and dark samples/instrumentation.
Overall:
These were my favorite albums of the year so far. I recommend all of them to people that are curious about and of the 5 or need new music to listen to during the world’s on going injustices/pandemic. I’m expecting that my year end list will probably include some of these 5 (maybe all of them along with the others). Thank you all for reading, and next week I’ll be sharing an important post/opportunity so stay tuned.
