No album this year was as thoughtfully constructed or cohesively and eloquently delivered as Kemba’s Gilda. The music is indisputably beautiful, and the songwriting and lyricism are so high level that most won’t truly overstand.
Gilda is an ode to Kemba’s late mother, and a story of mourning, moving on, and making it in the music business. The 15-song, 42-minute epic feels like looking through a private peephole into the humanity of this powerful — but flawed — young Black American man, as he hands us his heart and soul, divulging on the ups and downs, the insecurities and regrets, the sacrifices and successes.
“Alive” feat. Eric Bellinger [prod. by Ivan Jackson]
“Last Year Being Broke” [prod. by Frank Drake]
“What A Day” [prod. by Ivan Jackson & Frank Drake]
Rapsody isn’t only one of the best Hip Hop artists with a vagina, she’s one of the best Hip Hop artists. Period. Her past albums were great, but with Eve the Carolina-born queen of Jamla and rapper’s rapper took it to another level. The 16-track LP is more than an hour long, without an extraneous second — and every song pays tribute to an influential Black woman.
At once a masterful work of art and powerful protest against the oppression of Black women in America, Eve is worth listening to over and over again — and purchasing, so Roc Nation, Live Nation, Universal and the whole damn music industry know what it is.
“Serena” [prod. by Eric G]
“Hatshepsut” feat. Queen Latifah [prod. by Nottz]
“Cleo” [prod. by 9th Wonder]
Radamiz is right: nothing changes if nothing changes — and with his 2019 album he’s ensuring the industry adjusts to him. No release this year feels so utterly New York, that New York Shitty of our youth. Before the gentrification. Before the Disneyification.
Radamiz is rapping for his life, and at 26 he sounds more like a Generation Xer than a Millennial. With Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes, the young rapper with an old soul uses his obsidian-sharp pen to tell the tale of the East Coast urban immigrant with an intensity and wittiness typically reserved for the upper echelon of underground rap paragons. Whether reminiscing about family life, honoring the city streets, or obsessing over his legacy, the nuanced Nuyorican paints evocative pictures over headbanging beats and enticing soundscapes.
“Benzo” feat. Riz Allah [prod. by The Goonie Toons]
“Shadowboxing” feat. DJ Cutbird [prod. by History]
“Stage Fright” [prod. by Budgie Beats & Jonathan MP Williams]
It’s hard to believe North Carolina producer L’Orange and Chicago emcee Jeremiah Jae crafted the war-themed Complicate Your Life with Violence concept album mostly over email. They say magic’s made when artists collaborate in the studio, but the connection between these two — built across seven or so years — is so strong they could probably send each other song ideas with ESP.
Complicate Your Life with Violence feels like a Spaghetti Western, but with a little more irony than humor and a bit more torment than quirk (“summer camp in asylums, where the boys and girls sing”). Across their sophomore Mello Music Group release, the duo fuses vivid bars and haunting beats to answer “eternal questions with an assassin’s bluntness: when do you fight and when do you flee, what does sanity look like in a sick world [and] how does one retain valor among the corrupt?”
Everyone says they’re “making a movie,” but with this 17-track, 42-minute soundtrack to violent combat and internal conflict, L’Orange and Jeremiah Jae succeed. At once reminiscent and prophetic, and as much parabolic as precise, Complicate Your Life with Violence hits closer to home than most street rap albums.
“Cool Hand” feat. Chester Watson
Everything Smif N Wessun drops is a classic, and with 12 soulful boom bap tracks produced by 9th Wonder and The Soul Council The All may be their best effort yet. A quarter century after the release of their debut studio album, the Brooklyn duo formerly known as the Cocoa Brovas definitely give their all, delivering what we’ve come to expect: hardcore rap bars and an abundance of street knowledge. Amen.
This is the music I grew up with, and it’s still the music I’d take to the deserted island.
“The Education of Smif N Wessun” [prod. by E.Jones]
“Testify” [prod by Khrysis]
“DreamLand” feat. Raekwon & Heather Victoria [prod. by 9th Wonder]
Your Old Droog is a master of controversy. He first gained public attention in June 2014 when rumors circulated that his Your Old Droog debut EP was actually secretly recorded by Nas; it wasn’t until early autumn that he finally revealed his true identity, live in concert at Webster Hall in New York City.
Dudes just mad, they was passed over like Fredo /
Or how I pull up to Passover, with a solid-gold dreidel /
Or the iced-out mezuzah, told my jeweler ‘two tone’ /
Put some extra rocks on it, like a Jewish tombstone
Jew Tang Clan is nothing to fuck with. I might get blocked for this.
“BDE” feat. Mach-Hommy & MF DOOM [prod. by Preservation]
“Jew Tang” feat. Matisyahu [prod. by Quelle Chris]
“Jew Tang Forever (The Reprise)” feat. Matisyahu [prod. by Tha God Fahim]
7. Hus Kingpin – Slime Wave
We asked Hus Kingpin for an interview in 2019, and it still hasn’t happened, but we can’t hold it against him. As The Winners capo, himself, said:
‘Cause niggas don’t move like me, there’s not a drop a loyalty /
There’s only ‘yo, yo, yo, can you do more for me?’ /
I birthed you niggas, all y’all rappers got my last name /
And niggas never did nothing yourself
Not only that, he does it the best — at an extraordinary cadence. His output rivals most of his peers, minus the throwaways. His late 2019 collaborative album with Smoovth almost made the top 20 list, too. And, while the Stu Bangas-produced “Sunkist” was a no-brainer as my most-played song of the year, it was hard to limit the Spotify playlist to only three songs off the Slime Wave project.
If karma exists, the Wave Lord will achieve the success he deserves, at the very least for all the alley oops he tosses everyone else.
“Sunkist” [prod. by Stu Bangas]
“Gargoyle Ceremony” feat. Sauce Heist & The Deity [prod. by ChopTheHead]
“Benzoylmethylecgonine” feat. Estee Nack [prod. by Fortes]
8. Koncept – Champagne Konny
A New Yorker like me, the former Fat Beats clerk took off for Asia — and not Japan, or even China — to pursue his dreams. And it worked.
Meanwhile, he’s stayed true to his sound (and aesthetic), with a distinctive voice and an impeccable blend of bravado and humility.
“A lot of motherfuckers want to ball like me… but did they fall like me?”
In stark contrast to the vast majority of artists of all genres, the Koncept you get on record is the Koncept you get in person. He lets you in, through his music, and you can’t help but root for him.
It doesn’t hurt that he can not only rap but write songs, and seems to always pick the right beats as his backdrop.
While Champagne Konny isn’t necessarily better than The Fuel, Koncept’s latest album demonstrates his growth as an artist and as a person — and I never questioned its top 10 placement on this list.
“Watch The Sky Fall 2″ feat. Royce da 5’9” [prod. by Wrist]
“Feeling Good” feat. Toine Kruze [prod. by Karma]
“Sheeesh” [prod. by Wrist]
9. Atmosphere – Whenever
With his verse on “Go!,” the Atmosphere frontman didn’t disappoint, and he exceeded expectations in 2019 with his contribution to Wherever, his 13th studio album over his quarter-century career.
If you’re new to the Minneapolis duo known as Atmosphere, Whenever could be your favorite release of the year; the only negative, for a long-time fan, is the familiarity of the content.
Of course, that same familiarity is also what feels so good — along with the stellar production of one of the most underrated beatmakers of all time, Ant.
Slug, don’t ever retire. Ant, send me some beats!
“Whenever” feat. Gifted Gab, Murs & Haphduzn
“Lovely” feat. Nikki Jean
“You’re Gonna Go”
10. DJ Criminal & Illogic – A Change In Mantra
At the end of 2019, I dug deep into the treasure trove of rap releases to create this list and re-discovered the critically acclaimed but under-the-radar street poet and battle champ. I’m glad I did. There’s good reason he’s been able to do this for two decades.
A Change In Mantra is reminiscent of Atmosphere, with top-tier production from the relatively unknown DJ Criminal. On “Experience” and throughout the LP, Illogic gives us “a peak behind the curtain” — and his songwriting is matched only by his honesty.
“Be careful of the bridges you’re burning.”
“Experience”
“The Spark”
“A Change In Mantra”
11. Add-2 – Jim Crow the Musical
Chicago community activist and artist Add-2’s Jim Crow the Musical is probably the most cohesive project on this list, with a fluid narrative told across the album’s four acts and 19 songs and skits.
Start eating and split it when niggas starving wit’ ya /
Study like scholars, I’m still smart as them Harvard niggas /
I make figures for niggas who need father figures /
Who follow niggas who follow niggas who quick to lick a shot /
After taking a shot of liquor, the bottle hollow /
I hear ya holla the hollow hit ya like, damn! /
We lose heads, like the Sleepy Hollow /
Get caught sleeping and your wick is sure to follow /
My uncle like sixty, he still play the lotto /
He told me life is a gamble, that shit his favorite motto
“Homecoming (They Aint Ready)” feat. WdotILL [prod. by Slot-A]
“Git Your Hands Out My Pocket” [prod. by Sirplus]
12. Brother Ali – Secrets & Escapes
I’ve been listening to Brother Ali for 20 years. Probably played “Forest Whitiker” a thousand times from my college dorm room.
While the Rhymesayers rapper’s “Atmosphere brothers brought [him] along,” his “talent versus fame [still] isn’t adding up.” It’s the same old song — the most intelligent and authentic never reach the heights of the ignoramus-influencers.
But that hasn’t stopped me from celebrating Ali’s growth as an artist and human being.
“Father Figures”
“They Shot Ricky”
13. Little Brother – May the Lord Watch
But then shit happened, as it often does.
After numerous stops and starts, rumors and ruminations, there was great anticipation for the return of Little Brother. With May the Lord Watch, a cohesive, mature followup to Leftback almost a decade earlier, they exceeded expectations — earning accolades across the industry, and outside of it.
“Goodmorning Sunshine” [prod. by Focus…]
14. Skyzoo & Pete Rock – Retropolitan
On two of the many album standouts, the Brooklyn and Bronx pair “Carry the Tradition,” connecting with other “Eastern Conference All-Stars.”
This is what we all need more of.
“Carry the Tradition” feat. Styles P
“Eastern Conference All-Stars” feat. WestSide Gunn, Conway, Benny & Elzhi
15. Danny Brown – uknowhatimsayin¿
With his distinctive voice and oddball delivery, and his free associative rhymes and post-modern musical choices, Danny builds his own universe on every album.
Speak in code so nobody know the lingo /
Life like a dice game, ain’t no casino /
Street life, Contra, ain’t no cheat code /
Everyday on the line like a free throw
“Dirty Laundry” [prod. by Q-Tip]
“Shine” feat. Blood Orange [prod. by Standing on the Corner & Paul White]
16. Open Mike Eagle – The New Negroes (Season 1 Soundtrack)
Open Mike Eagle is not only an ingenious Hip Hop artist, he’s a funny motherfucker — and listeners get the exemplary amalgamation on The New Negroes, the soundtrack to Season 1 of his Comedy Central show with Black comedian Baron Vaughn.
While this may not be the best Open Mike Eagle album ever, this is by far and away the most successful TV show soundtrack I’ve ever heard — and good enough to make the top 15 albums of the last year.
“Eat Your Feelings” feat. Method Man & Video Dave [prod. by TK Kayembe]
17. Marlon Craft – Funhouse Mirror
There’s always the fear whenever a new artist raps like Marlon Craft that years of lunchroom, street corner and afterparty freestyle sessions created a monster: a cat who can rap, but can’t write a song.
But, for me at least, there was something different about the Hell’s Kitchen emcee — and it wasn’t that his initials spell MC or that we once lived down the street from each other. There is substance to what he says, even in his radio show showoff sessions.
Nearly two-million plays and about as many major co-signs later, “Gang Shit” is in the Hip Hop history books, and Marlon Craft has a full album worthy of a placement on this top 20 list.
Plus, my second favorite song on the album, “Personal,” represents a monumental divergence from the record that made his famous — and it reminds me of the direction Mac Miller was heading before his untimely death.
“Personal” feat. Ricky Motion & Evan Crommett [prod. by Ricky Motion]
“Gang Shit” [prod. by Kevin Theodore, Alex Silver, Bobby Wesley & Arbus beats]
18. Modenine & Teck-Zilla – Esoteric Mellow
Teck-Zilla, meanwhile, more than holds his own. He’s dropped a ton of projects over the years, both with and without rappers adding assistance.
Esoteric Mellow is a cohesive listen, with expectedly repeat-worthy bars and beats that’ll more than satisfy the average rap ‘fan’ who can’t decipher the message.
I’m honored to be featured on this album, and have no qualms including it on my top 20 list.
“Don’t Move to Me”
“Collage” feat. AWKWORD
19. Awon – Soulapowa
The underrated Awon released a lot of music in 2019, and Soulapowa is my favorite.
Without being preachy or pushy, the Brooklyn rapper manages to make profound statements — over beats that match his message.
Not automatically identifiable as a New York emcee, but certainly with an East Coast aesthetic, Awon continues his streak of quality contributions to the broader Hip Hop landscape and Black American experience. I hope in 2020 he gets his due.
“Baldwin” feat. Anti Lilly [prod. by Phoniks]
“Let You Know” [prod. by Phoniks]
20. Donwill – One Word No Space
The album cover to Donwill’s 2019 HiPNOTT debut One Word No Space tells you everything you need to know about the Ohio-born, Brooklyn-based Hip Hop renaissance man. He embodies urban culture (symbolized by the subway), with a global world view and bright disposition (symbolized by the scene outside the train).
Surprising he even finds time to write raps. But he does, and One Word No Space is a thoughtful, forthright adult rap project with more than few songs that deserve multiple listens.
“Phonies” feat. Von Pea
“One Word”
The Top Albums of 2019: Best EP
UFO Fev & DJ J Hart – Emigres
“Flow Thug & Harmony”
“Sunrise” feat. CJ Fly, Red Inf & Zandra Kaye
The Top Albums of 2019: Honorable Mentions
The 2019 – 2020 AWKWORD Hip Hop Awards
Rapper of the Year
Kemba
Rapsody (Runner Up)
Producer of the Year
Pete Rock
DJ Muggs (Runner Up)
Album of the Year
Kemba – Gilda
Rapsody – Eve (Runner Up)
EP of the Year
UFO Fev & DJ J Hart – Emigres
Smoke DZA & Benny – Statute of Limitations (Runner Up)
Foreign Album of the Year
Modenine & Teck-Zilla – Esoteric Mellow (Nigeria)
Sampa the Great – The Return (Australia/Zambia) (Runner Up)
Song of the Year
Open Mike Eagle – “Woke As Me” feat. Phonte [prod. by Bionik]
Hus Kingpin – “Sunkist” [prod. by Stu Bangas] (Runner Up)
Video of the Year
Marlon Craft – “Gang Shit” [dir. by Nathan R. Smith & John Tashiro]
Verse of the Year
Kemba on “Daemons” by XXXTentacion
Most Underrated
Radamiz
Next to Blow
Kemba
Most Anticipated Album of 2020
Run The Jewels
