2010: Best Rap Albums

Named Album of the Year not because he actually thought it would be, but because it is the summary of his past year, as explained on "365". This album sees the former Dilla replacement turned exciting man of his own keep pushing that D Sound into new forms and generations, and rapping a pretty darn nice verse or two himself on the way. And it's one of the more exciting production works of the year fittingly enough. One of the more underappreciated things Dilla did was make electronic soul sounds (Raise It Up for instance) and Black Milk actually played into that beautifully with his previous album, I was hoping for more of that with this and I guess it threw me off to hear something different so soon. I still want more o' that, but on my second listen here I realize what a pouty bitch I was being, because what he's doing here is actually really cool and fascinating. I complained about how impenetrable and cacophonous it was before, and yes it's a dense sound, a risky one filled with so much percussion sometimes that I would medically advise you to stay the fuck away if you have a hangover. But what you find is once you really focus and let the picture come together is that you got magic. The drums are a clean clanging boom that sounds very very organic. I'm not sure but I'd say he may have recorded actual drums here rather then drum machines. The result gives this a STRONG and fresh rhythmic edge that really makes a million of the basic beats. And those basic beats ain't so basic either, there's a ton mixed into every track, lots of layers are there under that drum one. Pretty jazz, blips twirs and beeps, whistling, distant singing and then some all at once....and what's cool is that it sounds simple anyway. It's easy to hear shallow generic backpacker material, but what you really have under it all is an audiophiles dream, an album that is extremely rewarding to just...listen to deeply, get it all in your ears. The rhyming is some nice street stuff which is only a perfect fit if I've ever heard one. I already think this is super underrated and it just came out, it's been well reviewed but I honestly think it's a lot fucking better then even what it's getting. It's going to age really well as people keep realizing how deep and amazing the production work is, how rewarding and wonderful it's sounds. An album that really could take a year to aurally explore. And the fact that it's set to straight talking rhyming is all the better. I keep doubting this guy for some reason, probably having to do with the "NEW DILLA" hype confusing and misdirecting my perceptions, but fucking forget all that. He's not the new Dilla he's the Black Milk of now, and he's one of the best producers in the fucking game.

Rating: 5
Highlights: Keep Going, Deadly Medley, Round of Applause, Warning (Keep Bouncing)

I've been thinking lately about how a sort of hunger is missing from modern music, hip-hop and rock alike. How yes, none of this stuff is dead and worthless, I don't buy into that obviously. But I'm not also so naive as the people who insist on some magical world where everything's just as good as it used to be in the various golden ages of the various genres. It isn't. Fact. Yes I know there was lots of crap back then too, in fact I know it better then probably all of you leveling that at me (unless you're Diction...), YOU haven't forced 70 albums into an 88' hip-hop list! I know damn well what shit there was, but don't even start talking like what was gold back then is on par with now. And I think that's because we ain't hungry. We're a generation now and country now and even world now that is inundated with super sensitivity to the status of all we do (similar stuff talked about with Kanye no?), and everything suffers from that. Most of the best hip-hop now is artsy backpacker types, while the streets seem to be just buying into ill fated fads mostly. I hate typing that but it's true. And no matter how good backpacker rap gets....there's something fundamentally missing from this modern stuff mostly. What is it? Real hunger. Back in the day the best rap was from the street, and not dumb fads, but progressive rap for raps sake competitive sport almost, coming from the hear and off the cuff. Both street and cellar are missing. I started to feel like we'd never hear that combo again. But then in comes Big KRIT. This guy is as real and off the street as anyman, definitely from round the way, and not into fads. He's into straight talking, wondering about what he's gonna do, how he's gonna make it, whose he gonna lose. And by his drawl and even beats a shallow listener would hear Chamillionaire. But there's a real goddamn rapper here, the long lost true meaning of keepin' it real. I don't hear the super sensitivity, the lack of soul for arts sake (oxymoronic), and desperation. Just a young hungry real man pulling nothing. I don't know if I can accept most of what I consider decent modern rap anymore.

Rating: 4.5
Highlights: They Got Us, No Wheaties, Small as a Giant, Voice

I keep looking back at this album and at it's various parts, none of the songs really blew me away (alright maybe Monster did), none of the beats were amazing, none of the raps were really outstanding, and nothing about it's elements was particularly innovative or interestingly fresh (it sounds like most synthy rap/r&b that now rules the radio). It was good in those departments for sure,But we're living in the post-post modern times, these nostolgia times where everyones super skeptical of everything and particularly the way celebrities present themselves. That rare thing that much hated Kanye embodies. He's done nothing but get himself hated on in the past few years, it's become easy to rag on him for fans of his music and genre or not. Even the president called him an asshole! But I think, because he's dared to be this tremendous asshole, this incredibly self-centered ego maniac, And that infectious overindulgent meglomania is all over every damn track here. Every otherwise pretty normal synth-rap song is transformed with flabby fucking asshole mode, and it's wonderful. That's what makes this so big and fun, so bold and out there.

Rating: 3.5
Highlights: Dark Fantasy, All Of the Lights, Monster, Runaway

Believe me, I went into this very skeptical. I have little to no experience with Damian's work let alone reggae in general. I like his father's stuff, but that's about as noteworthy as saying you like vanilla ice cream so I didn't know what to expect at all. Having no pedigree or experience. But what they hey the thing is nice. Nice and even...natural? Yeah, felt natural. Maybe Nas isn't usually on beats like this but I've heard plenty of rap done over the sort of island/african style music that Damian cooks up for the backing. Like what K'naan does, and guess who shows up twice here? It was just a very pleasant listen on the whole. One main flaw is that Nas gets kind of lost here in the music, I just couldn't focus on him as much, and with Nas that's a shame, he's too lyrical for that. But it didn't hurt the album, just robbed it of potential. Nice works overall guys.

Rating: 3.5
Highlights: Tribes At War, Strong Will Continue, Friends, In His Own Words

Well he's WAY better here then on Relapse, not that this is saying much. On the whole though he is playing to his strengths mostly here rather then his weaknesses (Relapse was like a celebration of everything bad he's ever done). Here shades of what made him great are all over the first half of the record and when it synergizes it's almost a blast from the past. While the second half slowly descends into dumb poppy stuff, even that never gets as irritating as did Relapse. This is a high 3 well earned by a strong effort, but it mostly just made me kind of bored. Feeling tired of what are now well worn cliches of his act.

Rating: 3
Highlights: Cold Wind Blows, Talkin' to Myself, Going Through Changes, Not Afraid