Strictly hip-hop this year. I didn't really listen to much new non hip-hop shit, aside from the Du-Rites (which was really dope). There are some gaps for stuff I either haven't listened to yet (Busta Rhymes, One Be Lo, KRS-One, Saigon, Paris) or didn't listen to enough (D-Smoke, Killah Priest, annd MC Eiht, among others) So let's do it.


Top 20 Hip-Hop EPs of the year:

1. Conway & The Alchemist – LuLu
2. Boldy James – The Versace Tape
3. Mach Hommy – Mach’s Hard Lemonade
4. Tanya Morgan – Be Right Back
5. GQ & 9th Wonder – A Midsummer’s Nightmare
6. Griff/Scorcese – Midnight Express
7. Ray West & Zilla Rocca – Rowhouse Whispers
8. Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Director’s Cut
9. DJ Chong Wizard – The Mind Stone
10. Craig G – Fragile Ego
11. Lyric Jones – Closer Than They Appear
12. J-Live – Drawn Up
13. Him Lo – King Kong On Cocaine
14. Milano Constantine – Winston Wolf
15. Jamal Gasol – Ghost of Fritz
16. Chris Crack – Washed Rappers Ain’t Legends
17. Eto – Eto Brigante
18. Jamal Gasol & DitryDiggs – 100 Blunts In Venice
19. Ankhlejohn – Drill Scott
20. Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Bonus Footage

Top 10 "In-Between" projects of the year (too long to be EPs; too short to be albums):

1. Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Outrunners
2. Zilla Rocca & DJ Chong Wizard – Midnight Sons
3. Flee Lord - In The Name Of Prodigy
4. Willie Da Kid – Capital Gains
5. Crimeapple – If I Don’t See You in Paradise
6. Chris Crack – Good Cops Don’t Exist
7. Boldy James & Sterling Toles – Manger on McNichols
8. Armani Caesar – The Liz
9. Atmosphere – The Day Before Halloween
10. A-Plus & The Architect – Free Dope


Top 20 hip-hop albums:

1. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo
2. Run the Jewels – RTJ4
3. Black Thought – Streams of Thought, Vol. 3
4. Your Old Droog – Dump YOD: Krutoy
5. Stove God Cook$ & Roc Marciano – Reasonable Drought
6. Blu & Exile – Miles: From An Interlude Called Life
7. Mr. Lif & Stu Bangas – Vangarde
8. (tie) Conway – From King To a God/Westside Gunn – Pray 4 Paris
9. Aesop Rock – Spirit World Field Guide
10. Benny the Butcher – Burden of Proof
11. Leonard Simpson Duo – LSD
12. Koreatown Oddity – Lil’ Dominique’s Nosebleed
13. Marlowe – Marlowe 2
14. Sa Roc – Sharecropper’s Daughter
15. Boldy James & The Alchemist – Price of Tea in China
16. Armand Hammer - Shrines
17. Homeboy Sandman – Don’t Feed the Monster
18. Jorun Bombay & Phill Most Chill – Jorun PMC
19. Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony
20. Elzhi – 7 Times Up, 8 Times Down


And finally, #21-50, in rough, but not concrete order:

Cargo Cults – Nihillist Millenial
Apollo Brown & Che Noir – As God Intended
Ka – Descendants of Cain
Westside Gunn – Who Made the Sunshine
RA the Rugged Man – All My Heroes Are Dead
Iron Wigs – Your Birthday Is Cancelled
The Professionals
CJ Flyy – Rudebwoy
Illogic – Autopilot
Action Bronson – Only For Dolphins
Quelle Chris & Chris Keys – Innocent Country 2
Nas – King’s Disease
Ill Scholars
Roc Marci – Mt. Marci
Moor Mother & billy woods – BRASS
Jamo Gang – Walking With Lions
Shrapknel
Enemy Radio – Loud Is Not Enough
Rasheed Chappell & Buckwild – Sinners and Saints
Boldy James – Real Bad Boldy
Doppelgangaz – Dumpster Dive
Casual – Big Head Science
MURS & Dee-1 – He’s the Christian, I’m the Rapper
4-IZE – Look Into My Eyes
Dueling Experts
Statik Selektah – The Balancing Act
Preservation – Eastern Medicine
Clever1 – Perverted & Drunken wit Lord Beatjitzu
Him Lo – Smackyagoddamnfaceoff
Felt – Felt 4 U
Royce Da 5’9” – The Allegory