Yes, this includes mixtapes, EPs, and all that stuff. Commentary will begin with the top 5.
20. Brother Ali - Left In The Deck
19. Pusha T - My Name Is My Name
18. Death Grips - Government Plates
17. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2
16. clipping. - Midcity
15. Dessa - Parts Of Speech
14. Danny Brown - Old
13. Armand Hammer - Race Music
12. Czarface - Czarface
11. Black Milk - No Poison No Paradise
10. Sadistik - Flowers For My Fathers
9. Flatbush Zombies - BetterOffDEAD
8. YC The Cynic - G.N.K.
7. Ka - The Night's Gambit
6. Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire - Kismet
5. Ghostface Killah & Adrian Young - Twelve Reasons To Die
Being a Wu stan that checks out almost every release from all the weed carriers, I can say that this is the best Wu-Tang release in many moons. Throughout the albums 40 minutes, Ghostface is able to fit in some of the most thrilling lyrics he's dropped in years, while Adrian Young delivers with the most cinematic production you'll hear all year. The impressive guest list of wu affiliates are able to deliver great verses, while sticking to the Italian horror movie concept that Ghost so greatly nails. As always, his delivery is unparalleled and his storytelling puts you into the beautiful world that Adrian Young creates.
4. Young Fathers - Tape Two
I can honestly say that this album has gotten more rotations than any album on this list. It's short running time may play into this, but over the course of 30 minutes, the Young Fathers play to their strengths. They use their dark, monotonous delivery on some tracks, but get close to screaming on tracks like "The Queen Is Dead" Each song comes with sounds that you haven't heard before, as they merge elements of electronic, rock, jazz, African tribal music, and almost any other genre of music you can think of. Sure, it's not entirely hip hop, but most of these albums aren't. Tape Two just goes farther down the left field. Young Fathers have successfully taken the experimental door that many artists have opened, and completely blown it off the hinges. As hip hop continues embrace evolution, no one is embracing it more than Young Fathers
3. R.A. The Rugged Man - Legends Never Die
That evolution is great, and will undoubtedly lead to more great albums, but in terms of pure rapping over dope beats, Legends Never Die take the cake. R.A. The Rugged Man has a long history of being hip hop's most eccentric personalities, to where it;s reached the point that he's somewhat of a folk legend. Through stories at least. His catalog shows flashes of brilliance, highlighted by his verse on "Uncommon Valor", but it took R.A, until 2013 for him to finally deliver his masterpiece. Legends Never Die is filled with his inhuman breath control, hilarious lyrics, great personal tracks, and a touch of social commentary for good music. Multiple listens are essential to anyone claiming boom bap hip hop is dead. It's not. R.A. The Rugged Man has made that very clear.
2. Billy Woods - Dour Candy
In 2013 Billy Woods is one of the world's best rappers. If and when he gains the acclaim he rightly deserves, Dour Candy will be viewed as his masterpiece. That's no small feat either, considering the man's released released two full lengths and one collaborative album over the span of a year and a half, all being fantastic. Through his slightly off flow, he fiercely delivery some of the most complex and thought provoking lyrics you'll hear all year. Nothing he say is as clear as he makes it seems, and repeated listens paint the ghetto picture Billy is trying to create. His choice to only work with producer Blockhead push the album to new heights. The music pushes boundaries, mixing the root elements of hip hop with futuristic sampling. Each instrumental has it's own personality, but it all sounds so damn cohesive. Dour Candy will most likely never get it's rightful props, but through it's 15 songs, it perfectly embodies everything great about 2013 hip hop.
1. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels
For those that go back to the Company Flow days, the work of El-P has set a standard. Before the days of the Death Grips, and Kanyes, Producto was pushing hip hop through boundaries that many thought it would never come close to reaching. In 2013, the same thing can be said. The production on Run The Jewels is masterful to say the least. Each song has a small detail that pops up with every listen. El-P always sounds impeccable over his own work, but there's not a moment where Killer Mike isn't rapping head-to-head with him. You can read our review for a more in depth analysis, but I feel stupid trying to explain why this album is great. 2013 has been a pretty solid year in our genre, but Run The Jewels is on a whole nother level.
- @LukeHardin9
20. Prodigy & Alchemist- Albert Einstein
19. Jarren Benton- My Grandma's Basement
18. Yelawolf- Trunk Muzik Returns
17. Big K.R.I.T. - King Remembered In Time
16. Godfathers- Once Upon A Crime
15. Heiroglyphics- The Kitchen
14. Flatbush Zombies- BetterOffDead
13. Black Milk- No Poison No Paradise
12. Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge
11. Eminem- The Marshal Mathers LP 2
10. Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire- Kismet
9. Ka- The Night's Gambit
8. Billy Woods- Dour Candy
7. YC The Cynic- GNK
6. RA The Rugged Man- Legends Never Die
5. Ill Bill- The Grimy Awards
What can I say? I am a fan of Ill Bill, and he puts some of his best work into this album, both lyrically, and with the production. There were some great, high marquee features that put this album over the top for me, as far as being one of my favorite of the year. Guest producers also included legends, Pete Rock, Primo, and Large Professor, as well as a vocal and production feature from El-P. Very versatile display of skill put forth on this record.
4. Czarface- Czarface
There isn't much about this album that I could say that I already haven't. Deck and Eso are on top of their game,and the production from 7L makes this album great. Very throwback 90's approach to an album, featuring two seasoned vets. It only adds to this album that it may feature the dopest artwork of all time.
3. Young Fathers- Tape Two
It is hard to explain why this twenty-eight minute album is as good as it is, but trust me, it fucking is. Young Fathers bring an undeniable charm to alternative hip-hop, that really hasn't been denied by any fan or critic of hip-hop. If you are into pushing the boundaries of hip-hop, then this album is one you need to hear.
2. Run The Jewels- Run The Jewels
You all saw my review for this shit, I love it. The production is damn near perfection, courtesy of El-P, and both El and Mike flaunt their mic skills over this thirty minutes of pure fucking bliss. Producto brings his complex lyrical style, while Mike sticks to the hard hitting punch lines, and the chemistry keeps this album deep in my rotation.
1. Armand Hammer- Race Music
I did a review for this album, but I don't think I really displayed how much I love this project. There isn't a track that I don't play over and over again. The mixture of complex lyrics, and entertaining production makes for this album to be the perfect recipe. Both Elucid and Woods kill their verses, and the song New Museum may be the best track of the year. By all means, you should hear this.