2016 Albums of The Year
There's a tradition at the end of every year where just about every single magazine, website, and reviewer decides to reflect on the past year and summarize the best albums of said year. There are plenty of lists out there but the only album of the year list you have to read is right here on Aztec Daily. This is an extremely biased review, but hey, at least it's not rigged. (*COUGH* *COUGH* Grammys *COUGH*) Without further ado... HERE ARE OUR TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
#10 KAYTRANADA - 99.9%
℗ 2016 XL RECORDINGS
I first discovered KAYTRANADA from one of those recommended follow lists on twitter and quickly found that he had done multiple collaborations with many of my favorite artists like The Internet, Vic Mensa, and Anderson Paak. I immediately looked into his music and fell in love with the experimental DJ.
KAYTRA mixes Hip Hop, Electronic, R&B and Dance music to create a brand new very refreshing sound. I also have to give some credit to this beautiful cover art which embodies the album’s sound and captures the vibe created in the music. It should be mentioned that KAYTRANADA is a producer and excels at creating songs that reflect his personal style because of that, a couple of the songs don't have any lyrics and are just him doing what he does best. However, the songs that DO have artists featured to come in and sing are extremely well-made tracks with “GLOWED UP” (feat Anderson Paak) being a high point in the album as well as being an effective transition to the vibe the rest of the album carries.
#9 CHILDISH GAMBINO - AWAKEN MY LOVE
℗ 2016 Glassnote Entertainment Group LLC
I’ll admit it. This album hella disappointed me. Prior to the release of this album, two singles were released by the names of “Me and Your Mama” and “Redbone” which I can personally say are two of the greatest tracks to have ever graced the people of earth. That being said, it set the bar immensely high, resulting in an initial let down and dispirited feelings about the album. However! upon further review, you get an album with incredible production, a perfectly executed addition of instruments and samples with an accompaniment of auto-tuned vocals done right. Although, I do think this album has its flaws like on songs “Riot” and “California”, there are still redeeming qualities to them that can be found through the percussion and instrumentals. Tracks like “Stand Tall” “Zombies” and “Baby Boy” were a couple of personal highlights for me mostly because the style of these songs were reminiscent of the sort found in “Redbone” and “Me and Your Mama”. I am somewhat conflicted on what my real opinion about this album is and I don't know if it's because I don't want to hate on Bino, or if the two singles carry the album and make it for me, or even whether if I've decided I can like the album solely for the beats rather than the vocals or even vice versa with liking the vocals but not the beats. All I can really say is that there are two kinds of people that listen to this album…. those who like “California”, and those who don’t. This separates the person that really likes this album and the other that gives it a solid “Eh it's aight”.
#8 ISAIAH RASHAD - THE SUN’S TIRADE
℗ 2016 TOP DAWG ENTERTAINMENT
Top Dawg Entertainment is a collective of artists known for its members Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, SZA and their youngest member Isaiah Rashad who released his second album “The Sun’s Tirade” back in September. Each member of T.D.E pertains to their own style of Hip-Hop with the central theme of West Coast music based in California. Isaiah Rashad's unique contribution to the collective is this smooth, vibe based style of rap that comes from this self-loathing, conscious individual. Being from Tennessee, Rashad had to find his voice and style in order to fit into T.D.E and that's exactly what he does on “The Sun’s Tirade”. Songs “Dressed Like Rappers”, “AA”, “4r Da Squaw”, and “Wat’s wrong (Feat. Kendrick Lamar) all come together and sum up Isaiah’s sound being a very distinct rap style that is laid back but can also have these impactful verses that are found within the lyrics.
#7 SCHOOLBOY Q -BLANK FACE LP
℗ 2016 TOP DAWG ENTERTAINMENT
Schoolboy Q returns with “Blank Face LP” with some of his best work to date. Returning to a more West Coast Rap style telling stories of the life of a drug dealer/gang member and telling the struggles that young low-income African American people face in the streets that they grow up in. The term “Blank Face” itself refers to a persona without identity that would be implemented by him and other people of his community whenever the cops would show up or when they had commit robberies in order to make money. The album carries tendencies of Gangster Rap with choruses and hooks with influences of soul music which fits well because of Rap and Soul being genres that revolve around singing about your struggles. Songs “By Any Means”, “Dope Dealer”, and “John Muir” all highlight hood life and carry melodies that make you want to go out and join a gang but in a good way.
#6 CHANCE THE RAPPER - COLORING BOOK
℗ 2016 CHANCE THE RAPPER
Coloring Book is Chance The Rapper’s commercial debut mixtape focusing on the love that he has for his family, his city, and his religion. Being a fan of all his previous works like “10 Day”, “Acid Rap” and even all the work he’s done with The Social Experiment it makes me just extremely proud of how far Chance has come since his early days. The album has elements of Gospel, Hip-Hop, and Jazz as well as having Chance’s classic flow. Songs like “No Problem” “Angels” and “Blessings”(reprise) all have melodies and beats that just give you chills and can't help but sing along to. Chance has this ability to just infuse his music with happiness that is a staple of his music, every time I listen to Chance I get a rush just by listening to the melodies and choruses that he creates making him one of my favorite artists.
#5 DANNY BROWN - ATROCITY EXHIBITION
℗ 2016 WARP RECORDS LIMITED
Detroit rapper Danny Brown is one of the most progressive artists of this year, his project “Atrocity Exhibition” being an extremely experimental rap album that embodies the artist's life and personality into an album. Being an ex-drug user/dealer, Danny Brown has a unique outlook toward life creating vivid imagery through his raps telling stories of his struggles with addiction and speaking out on mental illnesses simultaneously keeping his artistic point of view and sense of humor. The album’s experimental hip hop shines through on the track “Ain't it Funny” with the bending of genres like Techno, Rock, and Rap. The album still manages to have a couple of modern mainstream songs for the people with songs “Really Doe”(Ft.Kendrick Lamar) and “Pneumonia ” these songs are what kids these days would call “Fire”. The albums fearlessness in trying something different and executing it perfectly is what makes into my top 5.
#4 ANDERSON .PAAK - MALIBU
℗ 2016 STEEL WOOL / OBE / EMPIRE
Anderson .Paak! I've been putting people on to this guy ever since his features on Dr. Dre’s album “Compton” back in 2015 and ever since then Paak has exploded into the scene with the release of his second album “Malibu”. Having guest features in each A Tribe Called Quest's, Mac Miller’s and even Schoolboy Q’s albums as well as his collab album “Yes Lawd!” With Knxwledge this year, Anderson Paak is undoubtedly my 2016 artist of the year. As for “Malibu”, this album carries such a unique sound that only Paak could create with his own Jazz, Soul, Funk like influences including a West Coast Hip Hop, R&B forward thinking outlook on the music industry. He and his band, The Free Nationals, have been working together for years performing live music with ACTUAL instruments rather than creating music through just production, creating fantastic and original beats in the songs on this album while including Anderson Paak’s extremely prevalent drums. Songs “Come Down”, “Am I Wrong”, and “The Waters”(ft .BJ The Chicago Kid) highlight Anderson Paak’s ability to create upbeat, progressive music that you can dance to while tracks “The Bird” and “Silicon Valley” focus on Anderson’s outrageous ability to sing. I personally can not wait to hear more of this artist in the future and keep watching his rise to stardom.
#3 A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - WE GOT IT FROM HERE...THANK YOU 4 YOUR SERVICE
℗ 2016 EPIC RECORDS
The quintessential rap album of this year, “We Got It From Here...Thank you 4 Your Service” is A Tribe Called Quest's return to the scene after EIGHTEEN YEARS. I wasn't even born the last time these guys released an album and I hadn't actually listened to their music till about a year ago but somehow the name always seemed familiar. The reasoning behind that is actually because these guys are considered legends amongst the rap community and were known for their ability to infuse Jazz and Soul into their music. A Tribe Called Quest was a frontrunner in creating Hip-Hop into what it is today and you clearly see why when listening to this album. Check out the review on our website for an in-depth look at the album.
#2 KANYE WEST - THE LIFE OF PABLO
℗ 2016 G.O.O.D / DEF JAM / UMG RECORDINGS
I MISS THE OLD KANYE but I LIKE THE NEW KANYE CREATING HIS OWN GENRE KANYE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ARTIST OF OUR GENERATION KANYE THE GREAT PRODUCER KANYE THE ADDING OF GREAT FEATURES LIKE (Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Chance, Vic Mensa) KANYE THE TALKING ABOUT HIS LIFE KANYE THE MAKING SONGS ABOUT HIS WIFE KANYE YEAH I USED TO LOVE KANYE but THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THIS NEW KANYE WHAT IF I WROTE A REVIEW ABOUT KANYE? RAPPING LIKE “I LOVE KANYE”? MAN THAT'D BE SO KANYE! AND I HOPE THAT BY THE TIME THAT YOU LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM THAT YOU CAN LOVE KANYE. LIKE KANYE. LOVES KANYE.
#1 FRANK OCEAN - BLONDE
℗ 2016 BOYS DON'T CRY
Frank Ocean’s album “Blonde” is a masterfully crafted 60-minute assortment of progressive and passionate music that has this consistent feeling and atmosphere throughout with tonal shifts and transitions that create this sensation felt across the album. The intro “Nikes” itself sets a precedent for the rest of the tracks with emotional and powerful songs about love and passion and is the perfect follow-up to “Endless”, his visual album released prior to “Blonde”. “Nikes” being an explanation of the staircase he builds in “Endless” relating to his 4-year absence and the growth he had to achieve in order to create an album like “Blonde” saying it would only be awkward if you didn't listen to him now. The songs on this album are so good that you can debate for hours on which one is the best, those songs being “Self Control”, “Nights”, ”Pink + White”, “Solo”, “Nikes”, and “Ivy” but it obviously all boils down to personal preference. My favorite being “Futura Free” for what I think is the best outro that could've been made for this album. Frank Ocean earns album of the year for 2016 for being a passionate and meaningful return to music and the scene itself returning with a refined ability to create outstanding lyrics and vocals, hopefully this all means Frank will be collaborating, touring and just making a return to giving us more music and joy for the leading years. Thank you, Frank Ocean.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Beyonce - Lemonade Rihanna - Anti Solange - A Seat At The Table
The reasons that these are honorable mentions are because these people WILL be winning the actual Album of the Year awards by overwhelming margins. I am also not gonna lie, I ain't about that life and don't listen to these artists as much as others, although, I gotta say Anti and Lemonade are extremely powerful albums in both talent and emotional aspects. Another note is that this Top 10 you may have noticed is mainly Hip-Hop influenced music and I did that because I can't in good heart put in any other genre for a Top 10 list. However, if I 100% did not care about how people felt about the list and genres I put in I would've added albums like “Negus”(by Kemba), “Teens of Denial"(Car Seat Headrest), "In My Mind”(BJ The Chicago Kid), "Passion, Pain, and Demon Slayin”(Kid Cudi), "3001: A Laced Odyssey”(Flatbush Zombies), and “You Will Never Be One of Us”(by NAILS) which are all of completely different genres and styles. So that's it! Thanks for reading and don't @ me on this list.