Every year people make lists noting the best and worst of what was created that year, but what results more often than not is a list of favorites. This list is an honest attempt at remembering what music mattered this year. Although these are numbered, please don’t think of this as a competition. However this list is sequenced now, I could easily change it tomorrow depending on my mood. This is less of a list and more of a conversation starter. Find your joy people, 2015 is upon us.
1. J cole-2014 Forest Hills Drive: Released towards the end of the year, 2014 Forest Hills Drive proves that the third time is the charm. His most honest work to date; FHD follows Cole from boyhood to manhood with storytelling that would make Joe Budden raise an eye brow. At a concise 12 songs: (not including the outro/credits) Jermaine loses virginity on “Wet Dreamz”, takes on all comers with “Fire Squad” and coasts to Hollywood with the gem “St. Tropez” before learning that one has to “Love Yourz” in order to be happy in life. Stating that “being broke was better” at the end of the album, Jermaine Cole the person seems to have grown enough so that J. Cole the artist could craft the album that he was born to make.
Largely self- produced, announced 3 weeks prior to release, and without any clear attempt at a single, J. Cole’s album is important because it proves that lyric heavy hip hop with depth can still make noise in the market place. Artists like Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj, and a few one and two hit wonders have made splashes in 2014 with big songs that affect YouTube, Soundcloud, and Radio, but that fact that people have supported this album means that rap artists in the future will be able to create honest music and have it succeed in the market place instead of pandering to radio programmers and fickle fans. J Cole has turned the tide, the good guys are winning.
2. PRhyme-PRhyme: Dj Premier and Royce Da 5’9 hit the sweet spot with this one. At around 34 minutes in length, PRhyme is a short film starring Royce that features all your favorite guest stars of the moment. Like most of the album, the title track references Royce’s issues with alcoholism, infidelity, and his place in the landscape of hip hop while rapping like it’s going out of style. Standing next to Jay electronica, Common, Ab-Soul, and others, this maybe Royce’s best lyrical showing yet.
Why does it matter? As hard as it may be to admit, DJ Premier’s music is great when great lyricists are on top of it, and not so much when they are not. It has been a while since Premo has offered a full project with an MC that knows what to do with a Premier instrumental. Outside of the key players, this album matters because of the invisible member of this group, Adrian Young. As a producer for the Black Dynamite soundtrack, Ghost face, and others, Young’s musical goal is basically to create original music reminiscent of the late 60’s and early 70’s for hip hop artists to sample. If this trend becomes popular, the way artists create music could change drastically in the next few years.
3. YG-My Krazy Life: Between the overall decline of gangsta rap, and the resurgence of lyric driven rap in the last few years, YG is a bit of an outcast. Hailing from Compton, the emcee is not as gifted on the mic as some of his contemporaries. That being said, My Krazy life tells a story through song that rivals any of the competitors on the list or in modern day rap at all. Storming out of the gate with “BPT”, YG vividly explains how he was jumped into his gang as well as the stresses of dealing with jail while trying to pursue music full time. The story telling continues with the Kendrick Lamar featured “Really Be”, where Kendrick offers his experience of trying to balance new found fame and fortune while staying connected to the harsh realities of life and death in their shared home town.
My Krazy Life matters because West coast gangsta rap like this hasn’t been seen on this scale in a long time. While artists like SchoolBoy Q and Nipsey Hussle offer more repentant versions of gangsta rap, but YG’s album details his life in his own language with songs like “Bicken Back Being Bool” and “Meet the Flockers”. Between that and DJ Mustard proving that his hit making ability is not limited to the kinds of songs that are littered throughout mainstream radio, 2014 will absolutely be remembered as YG’s coming out party.
4. Freddie Gibbs/ Madlib- Piñata: When an underground hip hop producer and a gangsta rapper from the collided earlier this year, piñata came into existence. At a lengthy 17 tracks, Freddie Gibbs does a great job showcasing different flow patterns to compliment the instrumentals provided by producer Madlib. The album is a mix a sample laden storytelling (Deeper, Knicks) and aggressive double time flow (Shitsville, Thuggin) that shows Gibbs discussing everything from lost love to his fondness for Los Angeles. Gibbs does a great job on the microphone, but also has no trouble bringing in assistance from legends like Scarface and Raekwon as well as new comers like Ab Soul, Domo Genesis and Earl Sweatshirt.
Aside from just being really good, piñata is important in 2014 because it serves as proof that the walls that divided different hip hop artists in the late 90’s are fading away. Gibbs has gone beyond his comfort zone with this project by working with producers and emcees that don’t share his background. As a result, the final product is a piñata filled with all kinds of goods that has raised Gibbs’ profile from that of a regional rapper that people know of to an artist that demands respect.
5. Run the jewels-RTJ2: Jaime and Mikey are violent, so you’d better run the jewels. It’s hard to blame them: for the people that have followed the solo careers of Killer Mike and EL-P prior to RTJ, these guys have had more downs than ups in their respective solo careers. Opening with Jeopardy, Killer Mike is up at midnight with a gun, a knife and a metal pipe with the intentions to scare. EL-P ends the song strong with the line “Run the Jewels is the answer, the question is what’s poppin’.” The madness continues with ‘Lie, Cheat, Steal’, with El-P leading the way with rapid fire flow before Killer Mike follows up with a smooth verse explaining why violence might be necessary. With production duties largely handled by EL-P, the group has created a dark gritty and up-tempo sound that has given the two a new lease on life.
RTJ’s presence in 2014 is a reminder that the rules of the music business are falling apart. A few days before the album was scheduled to be released to stores, the duo decided to give the album away since a leak was inevitable. It may have hurt their bottom line as far as album sales went, but they were omnipresent online when the album was available, and you can bet that will have impact their financial lives as they continue to tour. The duo’s willingness to take control of their careers at that moment, coupled with Nasir Jones premiering new music at their album release party, proves that the underground artists are no longer underground.
6. Ghostface Killah-36 Seasons: Ghostface Killah may no longer have the attention of the mainstream hip hop world, but to his loyal fans he has quietly been releasing quality music for the past few winters. 36 seasons proves no exception, as Ghost creates an amazing story about coming home to Staten Island after 9 years away. Ghost returns home on ‘Battlefield’, co- starring Kool G rap and AZ, who both feature prominently throughout the album. Our main character goes through heartbreak, disillusionment, and hometown pride in what is probably the best concept album hip hop has heard in years.
Tony Starks’ presence in 2014 is proof that the old lions still have a place in the hip hop wild as long as the music is good. Many of the veteran hip hop artists struggle to find a place in the current landscape, and as a result they chose either to follow the current trends or rehash what made them famous years ago. With 36 seasons, Ghost shows the young generation how to make a story in hip hop. The world that GFK has created with this project will add to his legacy and satisfy Wu-Tang fans young and old.
7. Isaiah Rashad-Cilvia Demo: If one were to argue that Isaiah Rashad had the best of the TDE releases this year, it would be hard to argue. He continues the modern jazz infused rap that TDE is known for on the title track of the album, and creates a chant that SchoolBoy Q would envy on ‘RIP Kevin Miller’. Rashad’s melodic flow sounds great on the battle cry sounding ‘Banana’, or on ‘Ronnie Drake’, where he shows great chemistry with label mate SZA. At 14 tracks length, Cilvia Demo introduces the southern leg of TDE in strong form.
Rashad is certainly a new artist that needs refinement, but his presence puts another southern artist on the map that goes against the grit of what some might expect from hip hop music made below the Mason- Dixon line. For all the athemic Young Thug’s and Rich Homie Quan’s that ran 2014, artists like Rashad balance out his peers, and in doing so make the hip hop landscape richer.
8. Vince Staples-Hell Can Wait: From features with label mates Common and Jhene Aiko, to touring with Schoolboy Q, the NO I.D protégé from Long Beach, California has been popping up quite a bit in 2014. His groundwork leads us to Hell Can Wait, a 7 song EP that is filled with old school lyricism from one of the youngest in the business. The project opens with ‘Fire’, a short but strong song that finds staples describing a hellish environment while ironically stating that he is “prolly gon go to hell anyway.” Staples has a measured lyricism that carries his voice and makes every word count, and that is shown on ’65 Hunnid,’ a piano driven track that makes Long Beach sound like the wild west of old. Staples shows range as well on the Teyana Taylor featured ‘Limos,’ which flips an old Mary J. Blige song to create a smooth song that men and women can enjoy.
Like Rashad does for the south, Staples provides diversity for the ever flourishing hip-hop scene in Los Angeles while showing that TDE isn’t the only place in California to go for meat and potato Lyricism. Between his talent, range, and a musical palette that lives in the old and new school at the same time, Staples is proof that the future of west coast hip hop is quite bright.
9. SchoolBoy Q-Oxymoron: If Kendrick Lamar is the captain of the spaceship TDE, then Q is a very capable commander. Oxymoron does indeed command the listener’s attention with a mix of somber tales about drug use and poverty with more than a few songs tailor made for the party. With Oxymoron, Quincy shares the stories and emotions from a gang member’s point of view that transcends that environment and resonates with people from different backgrounds. Mix in the ability to craft catchy hooks with a melodic flow, the SchoolBoy has created a gangsta party that everyone is invited to.
As far as impact goes, Q’s success in 2014 proves that Los Angeles isn’t just Kendrick’s town as far as mainstream music lovers are concerned. While southern California has proven to be a hot bed for talented artists with different sounds, having only one artist catch the national spotlight (and keep it) affects how people may view the west coast. With SchoolBoy Q in the game however, that probably won’t be the case.
10. Various Artists-Singles: So there are a few other albums that are good and may warrant a place in the end of year conversation, but if we are going to be honest, 2014 was the year of the single. While Nicki Minaj’s Pinkprint hasn’t shaken the ground, her single Anaconda did more to catch the ear (and eyes via YouTube) of millions of music fans. The same can be said for Drake’s 0 to 100, Rich Gang’s Lifestyle, and of course everyone’s favorite Twitter punching bag, Iggy Azalea. I can’t think of anyone that is listening to ‘The New Classic’, but her single Fancy has been omnipresent in 2014.
The fact of the matter is that the way people listen to music has changed. The shuffle feature on ITunes means less album and more individual songs. It may not be ideal, but it is certainly where we are headed.
SideBar: Be sure to check out CJ’s newest track, Blacklemonade