I think we can maybe handle this in a single post. I will make replies for each quarter and an overall one. Reply under each one or just reply to this one because I know some of you will do so lol

Some of these are EPs.

serpentwithfeet - DEACON
Aaron Frazer - Introducing...
KOTA the Friend & Statik Selektah - To Kill a Sunrise
Tha God Fahim & Your Old Droog - Tha Wolf On Wall St
Lucky Daye - Table for Two EP
KOTA the Friend - Lyrics to GO, Vol. 2
Joyce Wrice - Overgrown
Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams
Codenine - LVNDR - Base & Beauty

Trying to decide which of the first 3 is my favorite so far. I definitely recommend all three. The rest I think are a notch below but definitely worth checking out.

>Tha God Fahim & Your Old Droog - Tha Wolf On Wall St

I haven't listened to this or the other YOD/Fahim project yet but every track that has come up has been really good -- I need to give a more dedicated listen. I just wish Fahim had more than one tone/register (like, literal voice tone) -- everything I've heard from him seems to stick in this one vocal area and it almost becomes a bit grating. The two work well together though (again, from what I've heard so far).

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

I'm not sure why. I think the first one was more YOD and the second one more Fahim so that could be it.

Have to add this one on the list. I don't think it's top 3 for the quarter but might be the next one down after those. Shout out to whoever recommended it.

Also, Tall Black Guy - Airplane Mode is great. I'm not big on instrumental albums but I think I might come back to this one.

Albums:
Armand Hammer & Alchemist - Haram
Your Old Droog & Tha God Fahim - YOD Fahim
Madlib - Sound Ancestors
Batsauce - Wolf's Clothing
Breeze Brewin - Hindsight
Hus Kingpin - Portishus
Bushido compilation
DJ Muggs & Rome Streetz - The Magician
Jazz Spaztiks - Camera of Sound
Chris Crack - Might Delete Later
Crimeapple - YDFWC?
Kota the Friend & Statik Selektah - To Kill a Sunrise
Tall Black Guy - Airplane Mode
Kaimbr & Sean Born - Nino Green
Certified Craftsmen
Awon & Phoniks - Nothing Less


EPs:
DJ Muggs & Flee Lord - Rammelzee
Tha God Fahim & Your Old Droog - The Wolf On Wall Street
Sonnyjim & Kev Brown - Joint Venture
Qwazarr & Batsauce - Stone Giant
Planet Asia & DirtyDiggs – Block Shamen
Milano & Constantine - Eating But Still Hungry
Zo! & Tall Black Guy - Abstractions

Three tiers: most played/getting lots of play.

(In no order). Not including more jazz-ish/classical/instrumental. Will try to share that later, along with some stuff I'm still planning to spend more time with.

----

Q1 Clear Favorites (i.e. most played):

L'Imperatrice - Tako Tsubo

Valerie June - The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers

Kota - To Kill a Sunrise

Jazz Spaztiks - Camera of Sound

Cosima - THE FUN IS HERE

Gallant - Neptune

Lucky Daye - Table for Two EP

Madlib - Sound Ancestors

The Weather Station - Ignorance

Ben Howard - Collections from the Whiteout

Alice Phoebe Lou - Glow

Andrew Bird & Jimbo Mathus - These 13

Buck Meek - Two Saviors

----


Also getting a lot of play:

Kacy and Clayton/Marlon Williams - Plastic Bouquet

Eve Adams - Metal Bird

Jose James - New York 2020 (Live)

Femi and Made Kuti - Legacy +

RAP Ferreira - Bob's Son

Altin Gun - Yol

Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales

Kota - Lyrics vol 2

Breeze Brewin - Hindsight

Chevalrex - Providence

Rapper Big Pooh - What Was Lost Vols 1 & 2

Tall Black Guy - Airplane Mode

Laure Briard - Eu Voo

Rhye - Home

Denzel Curry - Unlocked 1.5

----

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

>Lucky Daye - Table for Two EP

How Much Can A Heart Take
Access Denied
Falling In Love

One of my favorite voices and she writes good songs.

>
>The Weather Station - Ignorance
>

Man, just got to shout this out again as one of the most on point releases I've heard this year.

I don't want to listen to it everyday (too heavy, definitely a mood) but track for track it is just... I don't know, it gets into indescribable territory. It's really hard to pin it down in terms of genre: it has a bit of Kate Bush, a bit of Joni, I'd say a bit of Tori, maybe some Rickie Lee Jones? And yet it's not really like any of them. Meshell's Bitter is like a twin project in a weird way, too, but again, not so much in terms of *sound* but rather in terms of feel.

The lyrics sit in the middle of the most absolutely intimate, vulnerable, confessional space ... but at the same time grapple with huge, macro-, social phenomena (that sounds awful and technical but it's not at all.)

Her voice just complements it perfectly: it *is* intimate, vulnerable, confessional, yet at the same time big and sweeping in its own way.

The musical arrangements are mostly sparse yet have a simmering energy and pulse... and the sparseness allows for a certain elegance when another layer is added (the sax on "Robber", for instance).

The opener, "Robber" is a favorite song of mine for the year so far, for sure and a good example of everything that's great about the writing and execution on the album -- when the sax slides in? Makes what is already an excellent song just other-worldly... https://youtu.be/OJ9SYLVaIUI

And it has what might be the most brutal song of the year for me so far: "Trust" -- just a devastating lyric delivered just perfectly against a a slow track that ebbs and flows, builds and falls back at all the right moments: https://youtu.be/nHY0luoxn9k

I don't know. This is not my most played record and it won't be. But there's a certain type of album that just feels bigger than it has any right being, that hits at something raw and pure and both of the moment but timeless. They don't come along very often and of course they're different for everyone. But this is one of those records for me... this is a stop everything and really listen record.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

Armand Hammer - Haram
Vijay Iyer / Linda Oh / Tyshawn Sorey - Uneasy
Bruno Pernadas - Private Reasons
Black Country, New Road - For the first time
Jadsa - Olho de vidro
Spirit of the Beehive - Entertainment, Death
Tom Rainey Obbligato - Untucked in Hannover
Nappy Nina & JWords - Double Down
R.A.P. Ferreira - Bob's Son: R.A.P. Ferreira in the Garden Level Cafe of the Scallops Hotel
Thumbscrew - Never Is Enough

The Armand Hammer record is definitely my favorite of the year so far. I think it's incredible from front to back and would be shocked if I end up liking anything else more this year.

>Bruno Pernadas - Private Reasons

Need to give this a full listen but I *loved* what I heard so far.

>Jadsa - Olho de vidro

This record is really, really good. It's everything I love about that circle of Brazilian musicians but with a bit more grit and crunch to it (particularly in the guitars).

If you haven't yet, you might check Antonio Neves' "A Pegada Agora É Essa (The Sway Now)" -- every track is a collab (including one w/Ana Frango Elétrico) and has added a few more names to my list of Brazilian artists to watch.

>Thumbscrew - Never Is Enough

Didn't know about this! Thanks for including it.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

New collaborative EP with Jadsa:

Taxidermia x Jadsa x Joao Milet Meirelles - OUTRO VOLUME

Thought you might be interested!

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

Tall Black Guy/Zo! - Abstractions
Tall Black Guy - Airplane Mode
Benny the Butcher - The Plugs I Met 2
Khrysis - The Hour of Khrysis
Armand Hammer - Haram

Topaz Jones - Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma
Tall Black Guy - Airplane Mode
Jazz Spasticks - Camera Of Sound

I was not up on Tall Black Guy, but the first few tracks are phenomenal. Thanks for this post.

Jazz Spaztiks - Camera of Sound for sure

Kind of a slow quarter for me

Casper Clausen - Better Way
Shame - Drunk Tank Pink
Madlib - Sound Ancestors

Since I've seen a few mentioned.

Zo! and Tall Black Guy - Abstractions
Miguel - Art Dealer Chic 4
J. Period - Story To Tell (Chapter One)
Topaz Jones - Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma

Coco O. - It's a Process
Cordae - Just Until.... - EP
Racquel Rodriguez - Sweet Side
DJ Format - Devil's Workshop

Hard to pick a favorite from the first 4 but two are EPs with only 3/4 songs. The second 4 I think are just a notch below. Some other good releases this month but these are my favorites.

Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
The Peacers - Blexxed Rec
Moor Mother & Billy Woods - Brass
Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - Haram
Squid - Bright Green Field
Mach Hommy ‎– Pray for Haiti
Sons Of Kemet - Black To The Future
Evidence ‎– Unlearning Vol. 1
Hiatus Kaiyote ‎– Mood Valiant

Topaz Jones - Dont Go Tellin Your Mama
Khrysis - The Hour of Khrysis
Skyzoo - All The Brilliant Things
Evidence - Unlearning Vol. 1

Mach-Hommy - Pray 4 Haiti
Your Old Droog - Time
Czarface & MF DOOM - Super What?
L'Orange & Namir Blade - Imaginary Everything
Evidence - Unlearning Vol. 1
Skyzoo - All the Brilliant Things
Lloyd Banks - The Course of the Inevitable
Chris Crack - Sheep Hate Goats
Wrecking Crew- Steel's Kitchen
Khyrsis - The Hour of Khyrsis
Eric Bobo & Stu Bangas - Empires
Peter Rosenberg - Real Late
Tyler the Creator - Call If You're Lost
Planet Asia - Holy Water
Crimeapple - YDFWC?2
Dagha - D-A to the G
The God Fahim - Dump Gawd: Stock Lord
Vic Spencer - Legend Laws of Power
Larry June - Orange Print
PremRock - Load Bearing Crow's Feet
Sault - Nine
Hiatus Kiyote - Mood Variant


EP -

Ransom - Se7en
Blu & Sirplus - For Sale
Flashius Clayton -The Dust Diaries
The Alchemist - The Thing of Ours
Hus Kingpin - Threesome 2: The Art of Sex
Crimeapple - Peach EP

I think I liked the Czar/DOOM and J Cole a lot more than most people.

Mara TK - Bad Meditation
Sinead Harnett - Ready Is Always Too Late
Czarface & MF DOOM - Super What?
J. Cole - The Off-Season

Honorable Mentions:
Mustafa - When Smoke Rises
Patrick Paige II - If I Fail Are We Still Cool?
Masego - Studying Abroad: Extended Stay
Apathy - Where The River Meets The Sea

I really fell behind. I've only listened to albums once through the first week of September. Still need to go back through July and August albums. I think I will go back over the 2nd quarter albums before I list my overall for the quarter. For now here are my favorites from June.

Skyzoo - All the Brilliant Things
Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Various Artists - Liberated / Music For the Movement Vol. 3*

Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant
Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown - Lovesick
Evidence - Unlearning Vol.1
SAULT - Nine

*It's a 4 song EP but all the songs are dope.

Holy cow do I love this joint. It's still getting better and I've had it in pretty heavy rotation.

I know I did per month but I am revisiting my top 80ish projects from 2021 and figured I'd list my picks per quarter as I go.

Favorites which will be in consideration for best of the year:
Skyzoo - All the Brilliant Things
Czarface & MF DOOM - Super What?
Mara TK - Bad Meditation
Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant
Topaz Jones - Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma

Sinead Harnett - Ready Is Always Too Late
Evidence - Unlearning Vol.1
Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown - Lovesick

Best EPs from quarter:
J. Period - Story To Tell (Chapter One) (EP)
Various Artists - Liberated / Music For the Movement Vol. 3 (EP)
Zo! and Tall Black Guy - Abstractions (EP)
Miguel - Art Dealer Chic 4 (EP)

Honorable mentions
Coco O. - It's a Process
J. Cole - The Off-Season
Mustafa - When Smoke Rises
Your Old Droog - TIME
SAULT - Nine
Racquel Rodriguez - Sweet Side
Patrick Paige II - If I Fail Are We Still Cool?
Masego - Studying Abroad: Extended Stay (EP)
Cautious Clay - Deadpan Love
Raw Poetic - Big Tiny Planet (EP)

Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermès 8
Tanya Morgan - Don and Von
Boldy James/Alchemist - Bo Jackson
Little Simz- Sometimes I might be Introvert
AZ - Doe or Die 2
Nas - King’s Disease 2
Fat Joe - What Would Biggie Do?

Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space
IDK - USEE4YOURSELF
Leon Bridges - Gold-Diggers Sound
BJ The Chicago Kid - 4 AM*


Rejjie Snow - Baw Baw Black Sheep
Isaiah Rashad - The House is Burning
Statik Selektah & Termanology - 1982: The Summer EP*
Brittany Howard - Jaime (Reimagined)

*Short EPs.

>Brittany Howard - Jaime (Reimagined)

This was really really good - much better than I expected as remix albums right now are really hit or miss - and almost felt like an album in itself. It's stayed in rotation for me since it released, for sure.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

i think she had done a couple remixes of it a long time ago and they didnt do anything for me. when i listened to the album i really enjoyed it though.

Cleo Sol - Mother
Nas - King's Disease II
Tanya Morgan - Don & Von
Freshman Woes - Thank You Rap Gods

​dvsn & Ty Dolla $ign - Cheers to the Best Memories
Benny the Butcher - Pyrex PIcasso
Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf

*Chefs kiss*
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
NAO - And Then Life Was Beautiful

Dope:
Blu - The Color Blu(e)
Novel - The Joys of Misery

Spotty but good:
Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B
Pell - Floating While Dreaming II

Honorable mention:
Common - A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2

I'm only planning to post my 4th quarter and overall after this, hopefully the mods don't lock before then.

This month had some of the best albums of the year but not a ton that are on that same level.

All of these could be AOTY
Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space
Cleo Sol - Mother
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
NAO - And Then Life Was Beautiful
Nas - King's Disease II

Honorable mentions, really good but a big step down from the above.
Leon Bridges - Gold-Diggers Sound
Blu - The Color Blu(e)
IDK - USEE4YOURSELF
Cosha - Mt. Pleasant
Tanya Morgan - Don & Von
Novel - The Joys of Misery
Rejjie Snow - Baw Baw Black Sheep
Common - A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2
Isaiah Rashad - The House is Burning
Brittany Howard - Jaime (Reimagined)
Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B
BJ The Chicago Kid - 4 AM (EP)
Statik Selektah & Termanology - 1982: The Summer (EP)

Kind of a dull month.

Dope:
Lute - Gold Mouf
Guilty Simpson & Gensu Dean - EGO

Worth a listen:
Curren$y & Harry Fraud - Regatta
Bronze Nazareth & Roc Marciano - Ekphrasis

Honorable mention:
Gangster Doodles - Gangster Music, Vol. 2
Nice variety and dope instrumental tracks but not consistent enough.

Dope:
India Shawn - BEFORE WE GO
Your Old Droog - Space Bar

Worth checking out but will probably fade:
Noveliss & Dixon Hill - Book of Changes
Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic
Napoleon da Legend & Amerigo Gazaway - The World Changed

Boldy James & The Alchemist - SUPER TECMO BO
Khalid - Scenic Drive (The Tape)
Mach-Hommy - Balens Cho (Hot Candles)
Nas - MAGIC


I'm not sure any of these will get consideration for my best of the year list but they are worth checking out.

Whoops I was including September.

The India Shawn is dope but it's kind of still too fresh for me to feel confident that it will hold, I have no complaints about it though. Not the best quarter for AOTY contenders but definitely some albums worth checking out.

Favorites:
India Shawn - BEFORE WE GO
Noveliss & Dixon Hill - Book of Changes
Khalid - Scenic Drive (The Tape)
Lute - Gold Mouf

KAYTRANADA - INTIMIDATED (EP)
Only 3 songs so more of a single

Honorable Mentions:
Nas - MAGIC
Guilty Simpson & Gensu Dean - EGO
Your Old Droog - Space Bar
Boldy James & The Alchemist - SUPER TECMO BO
​serpentwithfeet - DEACON'S GROVE (EP)
Napoleon da Legend & Amerigo Gazaway - The World Changed


The Nas is definitely growing on me, it still feels a bit too much like a mixtape to me to really put it up there but it is right on the edge. All the rest I would recommend checking out.

Breeze Brewin "Hindsight"
Madlib/Kieran Hebden "Sound Ancestors"

fail

truth...

thanks for taking that well.

Some good albums so far...but table for two is a level above

yep

AOTY so far for me!

Very nice...

Just catching up on 2021 albums.

I guess this is an EP, but still...

Others so far:
Valerie June--The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers
Skyzoo--All the Brilliant Things
Topaz Jones--Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma
Mach Hommy--Pray For Haiti
Zo! & Tall Black Guy--Abstractions

Not too much released this year has caught my ear thus far except:

Rochelle Jordan, Playing with the Changes
Shame, Drunk Tank Pink
Sons of Kemet, Black to the Future
Children of Zeus, Balance
Gallant, Neptune

I'll be back by year's end with more favorites once I discover them ...hopefully with some of the picks noted in other posts in this thread. Like this Aaron Taylor ...this shit is nice!

Friday would have been the last release day of the first half of the year. Working on a playlist and a top list so far -- man, this has been a really fun year so far.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

.

Skyzoo and Evidence on repeat for now, but that one has gotta be my next one to really listen to.

just based upon interactions with you, through the years, regarding music…I think you’ll dig it. Dude is quite a rapper and the beats have a lot of depth to them.

Previously I’d only heard guest verses from him. Going to give this one it’s time, and then eventually look up some of his other releases.

I didn't know much about dude.
Somebody suggested going back to his HBO album and man,
that joint goes too.

A top album of the last few years. Soooo good.


Try to find GAT and Bulletproof Luh too

Two months left, lol.

Anyone taking any early stabs at a year-end favs list?

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

Hasn't been an amazing year, but some really good releases sprinkled throughout.

Joyce Wrice - Overgrown
Damu the Fudgemunk - Conversation Piece
Madlib - Sound Ancestors
Cleo Sol - Mother
Telemakus - The New Heritage
Alfa Mist - Bring Backs
Kiefer - When There's Love Around

>Joyce Wrice - Overgrown

Was a bit let down with this one but I need to go back and give it some more time. Makes me feel old as hell to admit, too, but the Freddie and Westside features made me think, "Now why'd you have to go and ruin a perfectly good cut with some crass overly-explicit shit?" Wasn't as bad as that Raheem Devaughn album - which for me bordered on a caricature of r&b, lyrically - but it just makes me want to change the track if it feels like it comes out of nowhere/out of place.

>Damu the Fudgemunk - Conversation Piece
>Madlib - Sound Ancestors
>Kiefer - When There's Love Around

Not sure if these will make my absolute top albums list but they're definitely some favorites of the year for me. Still digging into that Damu though. Was glad Kiefer released the full-length because that EP he dropped earlier wasn't really doing it for me. This one though is really solid.

>Cleo Sol - Mother

Absolutely, no question. Every time I listen again I hear more and more that is new. Just beautiful and beautifully done.

>Telemakus - The New Heritage

Just heard this the other day and enjoyed it. They're new to me so excited to go back for another spin.

>Alfa Mist - Bring Backs

Will admit that this didn't do a lot for me but need to spend some time with it. I'm starting to think I'm just not a fan and that's fine.



-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

but tolerable
WSG though? What the fuck was he thinking? And more importantly, what the fuck was Joyce thinking? That shit should NOT have been on the album. At all. How did no one say "nah"?

>Kiefer - When There's Love Around

Just when back to listen to this again and immediately thought of mndsgn's "rare pleasure" album ... if you haven't checked it yet, definitely do, some similar sounds/textures and probably some shared musicians, even. They go really well together.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

Favorite hip hop albums:

1. Evidence - Unlearning Vol. 1
2. Topaz Jones - Don’t Go Tellin Your Momma
3. Westside Gunn - HWH 8
4. Boldy James - Bo Jackson
5. Tanya Morgan - Don and Von
6. Lute - Gold Mouf
7. Little Simz - Introvert
8. Nas - King’s Disease 2
9. AZ - Doe or Die 2
10. Skyzoo - All the Brilliant Things

Hon. Mention:
Khrysis - The Hour of Khrysis
Sean Boog - It’s Midnight Somewhere vol. 2
Mach Homme - Pray for Haiti
Armand Hammer - Haram
Lloyd Banks - The Course of the Inevitable
Fat Joe - What Would Biggie Do?
Benny the Butcher - Plugs I Met vol. 2
Planet Asia - Rule of Thirds


I’m probably forgetting a few, but those are what stand out to me as albums I listened to a lot and enjoyed. That Planet Asia just dropped but it’s definitely a very solid album.

good shout, i forgot

Nas - King’s Disease 2
Mach Hommy - Pray for Haiti

I focused on hip hop, but that Tall Black Guy and Zo! album “Abstractions” was one of my favorites.

Also a newer album, BeMyFiasco - Where I Left You, has really grown on me.

That IamNobodi EP “Interludes” was really good and featured probably my most played song of the year in “Let It Roll” - Phonte bodied that verse.

And one more that deserves a mention: Cesar Comanche/Poe Mack - A Promise Not to Sting. DOPE production on that. Classic 9th and Khrysis beats - it’s got that prime Justus League era sound.

I’m thinking right today I’d have that at 6 or 7 at the lowest.

ill give a snapshot of where im at. i am barely starting to go through albums released in october and havent revisited august and september albums yet. i do think some early releases are starting to lose their standing but i need to go back and listen to all these in order to know where im with them right now. so this below list is where im at with the albums based on the last time i took time to listen to them in full and rate the songs. i am not including any EPs (i think).

Favorites
+Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space
+Cleo Sol - Mother*
Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf*
NAO - And Then Life Was Beautiful*
+Mara TK - Bad Meditation
Topaz Jones - Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma
Sinead Harnett - Ready Is Always Too Late
+serpentwithfeet - DEACON
+Aaron Frazer - Introducing...
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert*

Honorable Mentions
Czarface & MF DOOM - Super What?
Skyzoo - All the Brilliant Things
KOTA the Friend & Statik Selektah - To Kill a Sunrise
IDK - USEE4YOURSELF
​dvsn & Ty Dolla $ign - Cheers to the Best Memories*
Maiya Blaney - 3
J. Cole - The Off-Season
Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant
Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Freshman Woes - Thank You Rap Gods*
Tanya Morgan - Don & Von*
Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown - Lovesick

*albums that havent received a full second listen so they might move up or down a decent amount.

+ ignoring ratings, these are the ones that stuck the most with me so far and that i definitely expect to remain in my favorites list for the year.

At the point where I've sketched out a rough list, but now I'm relistening to stuff that I've only heard once or twice, or trying to catch up on teh key that I missed.

I don't think anything is coming out before the end of the year to top it IMO...next album I'm waiting on is Bonobo - Fragments

Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant was great
Sound Ancestors too...but I didn't really wear out any other albums

Anita Wilson- Soul Sister.

Just started listening to gospel so that was the only one I found that came out this year. Pretty fire.

Space Afrika - Honest Labour
Low - HEY WHAT
The Peacers - Blexxed Rec
Moor Mother & Billy Woods - Brass
Maxo Kream - Weight of the World
The Bug - Fire
Shame - Drunk Tank Pink
Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
Little Simz ‎- Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Joy Orbison - Still Slipping Vol. 1
Isaiah Rashad - The House Is Burning
Squid - Bright Green Field
Nas - King’s Disease II
Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - Haram
J. Cole - The Off-Season
Flying Lotus - Yasuke
Mach Hommy ‎- Pray for Haiti
Hiatus Kaiyote ‎- Mood Valiant
Madlib - Sound Ancestors
Sons of Kemet - Black to the Future
Christoph De Babalon - 044 (Hilf Dir Selbst​!​)
Evidence ‎- Unlearning Vol. 1
Casper Clausen - Better Way
Anika - Change
Tyler, the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost

There's too little time to be able to give all albums I'm interested in real listening sessions I feel. Also, I only listen to music at home so there's that. Anyhow, here is a list of albums I have enjoyed so far this year.

Hip hop:
Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - Haram
Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin - Smokebreak
Mach-Hommy - Pray For Haiti
Mach-Hommy - Album: Balens Cho (Hot Candles)
MIKE - ”Disco!”
Evidence - Unlearning Vol. 1
Wiki - Half God

Other:
Dell/Lillinger/Westergaard - Beats
Punkt.Vrt.Plastik - Somit
Okuté - Okuté
Ches Smith & We All Break - Path Of Seven Colors
Alice Coltrane - Kirtan: Turiya Sings
Petter Eldh - Projekt Drums Vol. 1
Makaya McCraven - Deciphering The Message
Various Artists - Changüi: The Sound Of Guantánamo
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle

>Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin - Smokebreak

No snark.

I ask because you clearly have excellent taste in rap. I've T R I E D to get into those Siifu releases, but every time anakin raps all I hear is that Bobcat dude from the Police Academy movies.


Did it take time?

I know what you mean. I don't know, I mostly listened to it for the vibe to be honest. The beats are great. Haven't listened to it in a while thought.

“Man Made” - Greentea Peng
“Shout Out! To Freedom…” -Nightmares On Wax

Pretty good year for hip-hop. There wasn't a clear, far and away #1, like there was last year. I'd also say that the difference in quality between #1 and like #16 isn't that big.

Top 25 albums:

1. Armand Hammer & Alchemist – Haram
2. Evidence – The Unlearning Vol. 1
3. Blu – The Color Blu(e)
4. Your Old Droog – Time
5. Westside Gunn – Hitler Loves Hermes 8/Side B (tie - because Side B is a product of the same sessions)
6. DJ Muggs & Flee Lord – Rammelzee
7. Boldy James & The Alchemist – Bo Jackson/Super Tecmo Bo (tie - for same reasons as #5)
8. Mach-Hommy – Pray For Haiti
9. Nas – Magic
10. Czarface & MF DOOM – Super What?
11. Tanya Morgan – Don & Von
12. Your Old Droog – Space Bar
13. Styles P & Havoc – Wreckage Manner
14. Guilty Simpson & Gensu Dean – Ego
15. Your Old Droog & Tha God Fahim - YOD Fahim
16. Planet Asia & Evidence – Rule of Thirds
17. Bronze Nazareth & Roc Marciano – Ekphrasis
18. Solemn Bingham – South Sinner Street
19. L’Orange & Namir Blade – Imaginary Everything
20. Lute – Gold Mouf
21. Skyzoo – All the Pretty Things
22. Dillon & J57 – ’83 Kids
23. Hus Kingpin – The Firm
24. Peter Rosenberg – Real Late
25. Career Crooks – Never At Peace

And now, top 25 EPs:

1. Mach-Hommy – Balens Cho (Hot Candles)
2. The Alchemist – This Thing of Ours Pt. 1 & 2
3. Qwazarr & Batsauce - Stoned Giant
4. Raw Poetic – Big Tiny Planet
5. Tha God Fahim & Your Old Droog - The Wolf On Wall Street
6. Marv Won – Rabbits Can’t Shoot
7. Doppelgangaz – G Pack Vol. 3
8. Curren$y – Collection Agency
9. Crimapple - Sancocho
10. Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Regatta
11. Chong Wizard – Blessing Season
12. Hus Kingpin – Bolio: Reze Pelo Rio - Pray For Rio ‎
13. Hus Kingpin – Holiday Hus: XXXMAS
14. CZR MGA – Montana & Rice
15. Brother Ali – Brother Minutester Vol. 1
16. Tha God Fahim – Shot Clock King Vol. 1 & 2
17. Vince Staples
18. 2 Hungry Bros. & Homeboy Sandman – Senile Chef
19. Ransom - Se7en
20. Sonnyjim & Kev Brown - Joint Venture
21. Marv Won – Hagler
22. Hus Kingpin - Threesome 2: The Art of Sex
23. Benny the Butcher – Pyrex Picasso
24. Flashius Clayton -The Dust Diaries
25. Milano & Constantine - Eating But Still Hungry

I really love that album.

Curious if you checked that Topaz Jones, and if so what your thoughts were?

I thought I listened to a lot of albums in 2021, but there’s some on your list I need to check out. That Muggs and Flee Lord being one of them. I need to give Blu’s album another listen too.

>Curious if you checked that Topaz Jones, and if so what your
>thoughts were?

You know what, I haven't. I really should remedy that. Thanks for reminding me.

>I thought I listened to a lot of albums in 2021, but there’s
>some on your list I need to check out. That Muggs and Flee
>Lord being one of them. I need to give Blu’s album another
>listen too.

Both really grabbed. I'd like Flee Lord's stuff well enough before, but I like how they both approached this concept. And with Blu, I'm a sucker for jazz/blues samples done well.

>
>>Curious if you checked that Topaz Jones, and if so what your
>>thoughts were?
>
>You know what, I haven't. I really should remedy that. Thanks
>for reminding me.


Yeah, I figured you hadn’t heard it because most of the albums I really like, you rated highly. Seems like something you’d like. I never would’ve listened if Phonte wasn’t calling it an album of the year contender right after it came out, on Twitter/IG. Love that album.

>>I thought I listened to a lot of albums in 2021, but
>there’s
>>some on your list I need to check out. That Muggs and
>Flee
>>Lord being one of them. I need to give Blu’s album
>another
>>listen too.

Always liked Blu. I think I listened once at a time where I was trying to listen to too much new stuff, so it was hard to even process it all. I don’t really remember it, but gotta go back since I like most of his stuff.


>Both really grabbed. I'd like Flee Lord's stuff well enough
>before, but I like how they both approached this concept. And
>with Blu, I'm a sucker for jazz/blues samples done well.

i think ive only listened to evidence and the boldy / alc projects

>Pretty good year for hip-hop. There wasn't a clear, far and
>away #1, like there was last year. I'd also say that the
>difference in quality between #1 and like #16 isn't that big.
>
>Top 25 albums:
>
>1. Armand Hammer & Alchemist – Haram
>2. Evidence – The Unlearning Vol. 1
>3. Blu – The Color Blu(e)
>4. Your Old Droog – Time
>5. Westside Gunn – Hitler Loves Hermes 8/Side B (tie -
>because Side B is a product of the same sessions)
>6. DJ Muggs & Flee Lord – Rammelzee
>7. Boldy James & The Alchemist – Bo Jackson/Super Tecmo Bo
>(tie - for same reasons as #5)
>8. Mach-Hommy – Pray For Haiti
>9. Nas – Magic
>10. Czarface & MF DOOM – Super What?
>11. Tanya Morgan – Don & Von
>12. Your Old Droog – Space Bar
>13. Styles P & Havoc – Wreckage Manner
>14. Guilty Simpson & Gensu Dean – Ego
>15. Your Old Droog & Tha God Fahim - YOD Fahim
>16. Planet Asia & Evidence – Rule of Thirds
>17. Bronze Nazareth & Roc Marciano – Ekphrasis
>18. Solemn Bingham – South Sinner Street
>19. L’Orange & Namir Blade – Imaginary Everything
>20. Lute – Gold Mouf
>21. Skyzoo – All the Pretty Things
>22. Dillon & J57 – ’83 Kids
>23. Hus Kingpin – The Firm
>24. Peter Rosenberg – Real Late
>25. Career Crooks – Never At Peace
>
>And now, top 25 EPs:
>
>1. Mach-Hommy – Balens Cho (Hot Candles)
>2. The Alchemist – This Thing of Ours Pt. 1 & 2
>3. Qwazarr & Batsauce - Stoned Giant
>4. Raw Poetic – Big Tiny Planet
>5. Tha God Fahim & Your Old Droog - The Wolf On Wall Street
>6. Marv Won – Rabbits Can’t Shoot
>7. Doppelgangaz – G Pack Vol. 3
>8. Curren$y – Collection Agency
>9. Crimapple - Sancocho
>10. Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Regatta
>11. Chong Wizard – Blessing Season
>12. Hus Kingpin – Bolio: Reze Pelo Rio - Pray For Rio ‎
>13. Hus Kingpin – Holiday Hus: XXXMAS
>14. CZR MGA – Montana & Rice
>15. Brother Ali – Brother Minutester Vol. 1
>16. Tha God Fahim – Shot Clock King Vol. 1 & 2
>17. Vince Staples
>18. 2 Hungry Bros. & Homeboy Sandman – Senile Chef
>19. Ransom - Se7en
>20. Sonnyjim & Kev Brown - Joint Venture
>21. Marv Won – Hagler
>22. Hus Kingpin - Threesome 2: The Art of Sex
>23. Benny the Butcher – Pyrex Picasso
>24. Flashius Clayton -The Dust Diaries
>25. Milano & Constantine - Eating But Still Hungry
>

If you're interested, I made this post. I write a little about the best 25 albums and the top 45 EPs, plus list a bunch of other stuff that I enjoyed in 2021 as well.

https://medium.com/hedrush/best-hip-hop-releases-of-2021-e66377dfad4f

Took some time, but was actually a great year for music, not so much for Hip Hop, but a lot of other creative ish in other genres...no real order...

1. Helado Negro "Far In"
2. Flying Lotus "Yasuke"
3. Low "Hey What"
4. Evidence "Unlearning Vol. 1"
5. Alfa Mist "Brink Backs"
6. Greentea Peng "Man Made"-bangers on here, wow...
7. Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra "Promises"
8. Madlib/Four Tet "Sound Ancestors"
9. Aesop Rock & Blockhead "Garbology"
10. Duran Jones & The Indications "Private Space"

*Edit*...forgot this Cleo Sol "Mother", amazing stuff...

In a rough order

Makaya McCraven: Deciphering the Message
Xenia Rubinos: Una Rosa
Hiatus Kaiyote: Mood Valiant
Topaz Jones: Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma
Tyler, The Creator: Call Me If You Get Lost
Vince Staples: Vince Staples
MALIA: Unpolished
Sinead Harnett: Ready Is Always Too Late
Leon Bridges: Gold-Diggers Sound
Jon Vinyl: Lost In You


Greentea Peng: MAN MADE
Emma-Jean Thackray: Yellow
Sons of Kemet: Black To The Future
Ferraz: Fino
Cleo Sol: Mother
Bemyfiasco: Where I Left You
Otis Kane: Purple BLUE
Coco O.: It's A Process
Jazmine Sullivan: Heaux Tales
Silk Sonic: An Evening With Silk Sonic

These are the albums I thought were great and would recommend to anyone. There are tiers, I am going to put them in order of how I feel not my exact rating.

These are worth on being on my all time favorites list:
Cleo Sol - Mother
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Skyzoo - All the Brilliant Things

I loved these but for whatever reason they don't connect with me as much as the above:
Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space
India Shawn - BEFORE WE GO
Mara TK - Bad Meditation
Czarface & MF DOOM - Super What?

Great albums but probably had a couple of duds:
Aaron Frazer - Introducing...
Nas - King's Disease II
serpentwithfeet - DEACON
NAO - And Then Life Was Beautiful

Really good but will probably not stick with me long term:
Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant
Topaz Jones - Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma
Sinead Harnett - Ready Is Always Too Late
Noveliss & Dixon Hill - Book of Changes
Khalid - Scenic Drive (The Tape)
Lute - Gold Mouf
Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Evidence - Unlearning Vol.1
Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams
Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown - Lovesick

I considered short albums as full albums and not EPs. The below are EPs that are around 4 songs or less that I really liked.
Various Artists - Liberated / Music For the Movement Vol. 3 (EP)
Lucky Daye - Table for Two (EP)
J. Period - Story To Tell (Chapter One) (EP)
Zo! and Tall Black Guy - Abstractions (EP)
KAYTRANADA - INTIMIDATED (EP)
Miguel - Art Dealer Chic 4 (EP)

Let me know if you want my next 10/20 albums. I went back through 80 albums/EPs from last year to come up with this list. Everything that I rated a 9/10 or above. After going through them I moved 14 under 9/10. Everything I posted above I have as a 9.5/10 or above.

I went through 305 albums/EPs last year lol