There has been a lot of people believing 2023 was not a great year for hip-hop. With commercial rap being tremendously inundated with quite a number of overly violent, sexual, misogynistic, misandrist, and just overall talentless stars blowing up, it's an understandable argument as to why these people believe this. Historically and traditionally, hip-hop has been about street poetry, fun, education, personal experiences meant to enlighten and gain perspective. As times have gone, especially at the golden age of the big 5-0, the artform of rap and culture of hip-hop has evolved, while devolving at the same time. However, over here, we celebrate our triumphs of highly acclaimed albums that help push the fact that authenticity is still the secret sauce to cultural respect and longevity. In honor of the fifty years of hip-hop, this list of fifty will show and reveal that the culture is very much still about legitimacy and genuineness. It may not appear on your commercial radio all the time, but it's out there, and keeping the game alive. This year saw wonderful examples of this with albums from well-known acts like Nas, Killer Mike, Earl Sweatshirt, Talib Kweli, Lloyd Banks, and Black Thought to lesser-known acts like Klassy, MIKE, Ty Farris, Planet Asia, and B. Kool-Aid. This was a way better year than some folks gave this year credit for. If there's an album you feel should've at least made the Honorable mentions list, feel free to let everyone know what folks may be sleeping on. If your album isn't in this top fifty, check out the HMs to see if it's there. It was REALLY hard to put just fifty albums in this list so don't take it personal if it's not in the final fifty. Without further ado, let's get started.
50. Blockhead
The Aux
Production: artist
Guests: Armand Hammer, Danny Brown, Bruiser Wolf, Aesop Rok, Navy Blue, DefCee, SkrapKnel, Quelle Chris, others
We will start with one of the underground's most intriguing labels, Backwoodz Studioz. This label hists the likes of billy woods, ELUCID, Armand Hammer, DefCee, ShrapKnel, Fatboi Sharif, and several others. Their brand of left-brained abstract hip-hop has been quite an interesting focal point of the last few years especially. With numerous highly acclaimed efforts from woods, ELUCID, and Armand Hammer when they're together, the label branched off this year with efforts from ShrapKnel, Fatboi Sharif, AKAI SOLO, and SKECH185 & Jeff Markey. Experimental and definitely not for the overly accessible, this group of talent is for the open-minded at heart. One of the better projects to emerge in 2023 has been from producer Blockhead. Blockhead has been known for crafting stuff for the likes of Aesop Rock, Illogic, woods, Armand Hammer, Murs, Cage, and Open Mike Eagle over the years, and now the Manhattan-based producer delivered his Backwoodz Studioz debut, The Aux. With a lot of who's who artists within the subterrain, this album is filled with varied production that ranges from mellow to alternative and atmospheric. Cuts like the Breezley Brewin'/Aesop Rock featured "Ponzu Sauce" fits an NYC-noir feel similar to the likes of Roc Marci or Griselda in many aspects, while "1970s Post Apocalyptic Skin Flick" with Fatboi Sherif and Creaturenomics is very industrial and experimental in nature, almost with a late nineties El-P feel with it. Other highlights include Ugly Frank's "Lighthouse", "AAU Tournaments" with woods and Navy Blue, and the downright dumb dope, "Now That's What I Call a Posse Cut Vol. 57" which features the likes of Danny Brown, woods, Bruiser Wolf, and Despot over a surprisingly mellow-type beat considering the caliber of emcees on this track. Blockhead delivered a damn good one with The Aux, and if you're still sleeping on the left field quality provided by Backwoodz Studioz, in 2024, starting to wake up.
49. Hit-Boy
Surf Or Drown
Production: artist
Guests: Nas, Dom Kennedy, Jay 305, The Alchemist, Curren$y, James Fauntleroy, others
Grammy Award-winning producer extraordinaire, Hit-Boy, has had an exceptional run over the past four years, due mostly to his assistance with Nas for their King's Disease and Magic series that OFFCIALLY put Nas in everyone's GOAT talks once and for all. Throughout this time, the Cali native has also assisted the likes of Travis $cott, Big Sean, Freddie Gibbs, and Belly among several others. As busy as he's been this year, he managed to deliver two Surf or Drown efforts. The first one may truthfully be the better, but not to say that Surf or Drown 2 was anything slacking at all. With a cast of emcees that reads of the likes of Nas, Curren$y, former partner in rhyme Dom Kennedy, Jay 305, and Uncle Al himself, The Alchemist on the CRAZY "Slippin' Into Darkness" where they pull a Jaylib on the track, where each is rhyming over the other's production. By now, it's no secret how talented Hit-Boy truly is behind the boards, but one should never sleep on his mic skills either, as he demonstrates these as well throughout the project. Head to toe, Surf Or Drown bumps, and this was the start of a few bananas projects that continue to keep him among your conversations as best current producer in the game.
48. Reason
Porches
Production: Coleman, Vinylz, Hollywood Cole, others
Guests: SiR, Doechii, Zacari, Ray Vaughn, others
Cali emcee, and TDE representative, Reason, is considered as the most slept-on and underappreciated of the TDE emcees, which includes Gammy Nominated emcees Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q. His last album, New Beginnings, was quite a formidable introduction to the house that Kendrick made famous, but still he wasn't spoken about as much as the rest of his crew. With reported accusations of management ignoring him and not really making him as big of a priority as say the likes of SZA or even Jay Rock, Reason delivers his second TDE album, Porches, as a means of getting the monkey off his back of being in anyone's shadow. He makes brave attempts at doing so with cuts like "Send You To The Afterlife", You Betta (Jesus Take The Wheel)", "Porch Steps", and "Poster Child" that all provide enough bump and honesty to keep you engaged in what he's saying and the dope production behind it. One could say there's nothing that stands out about him in terms of anything distinctive about him. Jay Rock has a laid-back delivery that's as gangsta as you could imagine. Ab-Soul is the thinking stoner. The one that you can count on to provide brutally honest introspection and arguably the best with his pen. Schoolboy is the storyteller with the fierce delivery and the ability to make a song stand out. Reason may be still finding what his niche is among this all-star talent, however with Porches, he still proves he's capable of delivering a dope album that brings you deeper into his world.
47. Big Hit & Hit-Boy
Truth Is in My Eyes
Production: Hit-Boy, The Alchemist
Guests: The Alchemist, Jay Worthy, Dom Kennedy, Snoop Dogg, Musiq Soulchild, Big Tray Deee, others
In the mid thousands, west coast spitter, Big Hit, was among Cali's most respected that, although he never really blew up nationally, he was known in the game, especially within Cali's underground. However, in 2014, he got locked up and had to serve nine years in the Feds. While this was going on, his son, Chauncey, was becoming big in his own right, and became Hit-Boy. While an emcee himself, he became even more known for his crazy production talents, and working with the likes of Jay, Kanye, Snoop, Travis, and many others put him into our consciousness for excellent production. The volume was turned up though when he started assisting Nas for his King's Disease and Magic series and Hit-Boy became the newest household name in hip-hop production. Once Big Hit came home from doing that time, it was right back to the booth. We first heard their chemistry on the aforementioned sequel to Surf or Drown, Surf or Drown 2, in which Big Hit was heavily featured on the effort. Ready to fully let the world know who he is, Big Hit finally gets his own chance to shine with the board assistance from n his son with Truth is in My Eyes. A couple cuts like "G'z Don't Cry" and "Grindin' My Whole Life" were recorded just before his nine-year bid, but as dope as they are, it really picks up from here. At times sounding like a gangsta autobiography or diary, cuts like the aforementioned "G'z Don't Cry" and "The Pain Is Deep" are painfully honest and introspective. Moments like these are few and far between, as we get back to the streets and turn up with cuts like the Benny The Butcher-assisted "Speaking In Codes", "Boo Bop", the Alchemist-assisted "Man, I'm Rollin'", and the father/son collab-"A$VP Chauncey". He makes sure he gives his respect to those that are still doing time to hold their heads on the cuts "Inspiration" and "Stay On" featuring OG Big Tray Deee formerly of Tha Eastsidaz and LBC Crew. For someone that's been away from the game for nine years locked up, he doesn't sound like he's missed a beat if you remember how he was before the hit & run case that ultimately sent him up. It's rare we ever hear an album where the father-son connection is so strong, but with Truth Is in My Eyes, Hit-Boy does a tremendous job of sonically helping his dad get his own national attention in a way that's way more positive than the negatives he's been surrounded in for the better part of a decade.
46. Mach-Hommy & Tha God Fahim
Notorious Dump Legends 2
Production: Tha God Fahim, Sadhugold, Nicholas Craven, others
Guests: N/A
Allusive, enigmatic, yet unbelievably talented. Those are generally the words most describe NYC-via Haiti-emcee Mach-Hommy. For someone that has gotten co-signs from the likes of Jadakiss to the one and only Jay-Z, the former Griselda emcee has one of the most prolific and consistent discographies in all of hip-hop. His forward-thinking business model when it comes to his projects are to be studied as well. He frequent collaborations with another prolific emcee, Tha God Fahim, also meet and exceed expectations practically every single time they drop. Their collab efforts, whether full lengths, mixtapes, or EPs, always bring quality every time such as the DUCK SZN series, the Dollar Menu series, and Wide Berth. This year, they presented the second installment of the Notorious Dump Legends series. These two together just present a chemistry that's as nicely gelled together as Erick & Perrish or Big Boi & Dre. Cuts like "Olajuwon", "Bad Hands", and "Cold Milk" show their Batman & Robin tag team appeal over tremendous production from Fahim, Craven, and Sadhugold. One can never lose when pushing play on a Hommy/Fahim collab effort and Notorious Dump Legends is just another excellent example.
45. Logic
College Park
Production: artist, 6ix, Boi-1nda, Monte Booker, others
Guests: RZA, Statik Selektah, Joey Bada$$, Redman, Norah Jones, Lil Keke, Bun B, others
Often times, when DMV representative, Logic, is set to drop an album, he tends to get polarized. His discography is checkered but has more hits than misses. His major label debut, Under Pressure, was a very fine debut and showed that he had the gift of verbal spitting above many of his contemporary peers. While follow-ups like The Incredible True Story and his crossover hit, Everybody, were good to great showcases of his talent, others like Supermarket and especially Confessions of a Dangerous Mind were clunky, all over the place, and minimized his otherwise dumb dope mic abilities. He cleaned it up with No Pressure, which was more like his debut than we had heard for a number of projects. His final major label album was 2022'3 Vinyl Wars, which was critically acclaimed as sounding like that album we had been waiting to hear from him since he burst on to the national, mainstream scene. With a purely hip-hop aesthetic, the album was a love letter to the hip-hop he grew up to that inspired him to become an emcee to dazzling results. He returns in 2023 with College Park, which is a very cohesive album that reminds people of what Logic is capable of when he's just trying to put out music, he loves rather than put out formulaic music for the label big wigs. While a lot of the interludes that conclude songs are unnecessarily long, the tunes themselves are quite dope. Cuts like the ode to drinking and being drunk "Village Slum", the weed dedication with Redman and Statik Selektah "Self-Medication", the very long, production and styles splitting "Lightyear", and "Paradise II" with Norah Jones and her charmful crooning are examples of Logic's ability to be honest in bearing his thoughts and emotions, while also keeping it authentic without the need to impress people that don't matter. With College Park, we have one of his most well-rounded albums and Logic seems comfortable again doing what he loves and shows he can be very damn dope at it too.
44. Jay Worthy & Roc Marciano
Nothing Bigger Than the Problem
Production: Roc Marciano
Guests: Bun B, Ab-Soul, Kokane, A$ton Matthews, Jay 305, others
Cali (by way of Vancouver, B.C., Canada) emcee Jay Worthy is a talented emcee that has been gathering momentum over the past four or so years out of the decade he's been in the game. His collaborations primarily with fellow Cali partner-in-rhyme, Larry June, have put him in a new spotlight with his uncomplicated flow and fairly relatable lyrics to hustling and trying to survive. The Griselda artist linked up NY underground god, Roc Marciano, to bring forth, Nothing Bigger Than the Problem. The album has Marci behind the boards on this effort and brings his brand of dirty samples and clever soulful loops over mostly drumless production and Worthy handles and holds his own on cuts like the sizzling first single "Wake Up", "the Ab-Soul/Kokane-assisted "The Plug", the Bun-B featured, "Underground Legends", and the smooth "Player's Only". With Marci on a few of these tracks as well, these two sound like they should've been working together a long time ago. Clearly, Nothing Bigger Than the Problem is an album both men can be proud of, and hopefully a precursor to more from these two together.
43. Conway The Machine & Wun-Two
Palermo EP
Production: Wun-Two
Guests: Goosebytheway
This has been quite the busy year for Buffalo-bred Conway The Machine. After smacking the hell out of us with his career high of 2022, God Don't Make Mistakes, he dropped several projects in 2023 (some of which are included in this list and in the Honorable Mentions list). One in particular was his collaborative effort with German producer, Wun-Two, Palermo. This ten track project has Machine spitting his brand of no-nonsense, gritty rhymes over some psychedelic, lo-fi boom bap courtesy of Wun-Two. Although primarily dark in texture, this production falls right in line with Conway's typical style of production he tends to rhyme over, very similar to Griselda producer, Conductor Williams. This is gangsta hip-hop the only way Conway can deliver it, and with cuts like the title track, "Bianca", and "Brick by Brick", this effort further puts Conway into people's conversations as one of the single coldest emcees out today, and definitely among the hardest working. With Wun-Two, one would expect more heads to get up more on this producer, because sounds like this should be in more streaming services doing more emcees albums.
42. Bun B & Statik Selektah
TrillStatik 3
Production: Statik Selektah
Guests: Benny The Butcher, Rome Streetz, Method Man, T.F., Paul Wall, Termanology, JFK, Smoke DZA, CJ Fly, Smif-N-Wessun, others
It's only right we get something from one of the game's most revered legends, Port Arthur's own, Bun B. As half of the legendary duo, UGK, Bun has commanded the respect of the whole game, not just within the south. His solo efforts of the popular Trill series, as well as his 2022 effort with producer Cory Mo, Mo Trill, have been seen as staples for the iconic vet. Another series he's been known for is his series with Boston DJ/producer Statik Selektah for their TrillStatik series. With Statik already being busy with his own compilation album, Round Trip (see later), and his handling of the Paul Wall & Termanology album, Start 2 Finish, it was surprising when the announcement was made for a third chapter in the TrillStatik series, but we were all happy for it. With Statik providing his brand of jazzy boom-bap, mixed with some occasional gems of east coast grime and southern bump within, Bun glides and floats over every track, even though for about 95% of the album, he's not alone. Guests such as Benny The Butcher, Rome Streetz, Methos Man, Wais P, Smif-N-Wessun, and Smoke DZA all accompany him on this ride, but Bun is almost never outshined on any track. This may be the best of the series so far, which is saying a lot considering how dope the first two were. With east coast mainstays showing Bun this much love on this project, TrillStatik 3 proves Bun definitely gets loves all over the map, not just in the south. Long live UGK! God bless the Pimp!
41, Open Mike Eagle
another triumph of ghetto engineering
Production: Child Actor, Quelle Chris
Guests: Young Zee, Video Dave, Blu
Los Angeles emcee (by way of Chicago), Open Mike Eagle, is a different brand of emcee. His unique sing-songy flow may not reinvent the wheel, especially by today's standards, but his sense of quirky lyrics and witty bars shifted in, is a niche that corelates very well with OME. While he's been in the game for over a decade, he came into more of a known level with 2014's Dark Comedy. The rest of his discography, which includes the likes of Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, Hella Personal Film Festival, 2020's very personal Anime, Trauma, & Divorce, and last year's Component System With the Auto Reverse are all unique entries that highlight his eccentric, yet methodically strategic, pen game that helps you understand his mindset and artistic tone better with each album. In 2023, he delivers another triumph of ghetto engineering, which may possibly be his best album to date as a whole. The concept and central theme revolve around his love and sacrifices for hip-hop. All his ups, downs, triumphs and disappointments just to become a star and be successful. What subsequently should be somewhat of a generic concept for an album is instead very personal, honest, and relatable to any artist that know about this type of life. Cuts like the title track, "A new rap festival called rolling loud", and "Mad enough to aim a pyramid at you", and "we should have made otherground a thing" are spoken from an experienced man in the game that is spitting jewels, whether upfront or in subtle fashion, about the wears of what hip-hop is and how your life will be affected by the culture. With eclectic, yet engaging, production by the likes of Quelle Chris and longtime collaborator, Child Actor, another triumph of ghetto engineering is more of a reflective and openly honest look at Open Mike Eagle as a veteran of the game and through less quirky humor and more serious jewel-dropping this time around, this is an album that longtime fans may arguably put up there as his best or among them.
40. DJ Muggs
Soul Assassins 3: Death Valley
Production: artist
Guests: Scarface, Freddie Gibbs, Method Man, Slick Rick, Roc Marciano, T.F., MC Ren, Ice Cube, B-Real, Boldy James, Meyhem Lauren, others
We start with the legendary DJ/Producer of Cypress Hill fame, DJ Muggs, who has had quite a run himself over the past few years, doing entire projects with the likes of Flee Lord, Rigz, Rome Streetz, and Eto. After hyped singles such as the Scarface/Freddie Gibbs paired "Street Made" and the Method Man/Slick Rick collab "Metropolis" from 2022, he delivered the MUCH anticipated follow up the highly underrated Soul Assassins II from over two decades ago, Soul Assassins III: Death Valley. Worth the wait, and then some, spots from the likes of Boldy James, Roc Marciano, Cee-Lo, CRIMEAPPLE, and west coast icons Ice Cube, MC Ren, and B-Real on "Dump On 'Em", this album more or less picks up where SA2 left off at and carried the series even further. With other forthcoming projects coming in 2024 with the likes of Boldy and Rome, let's also hope we don't have to wait another decade for another Soul Assassins smash.
39. Lloyd Banks
Halloween Havoc 4 (mixtape)
Production: Cartune Beatz, others
Guests: N/A
The one named "The Boy Wonder" from G-Unit has had a run over the past three years that deserves to be just as heralded as anyone else doing stellar runs in the game currently. He reemerged onto the scene in tremendous fashion with the first of his Course Of The Inevitable series in 2021 and has displayed a ferocity we haven't heard from him since his G-Unit days. However, many say his best and most focused work often appears within his mixtapes. Series of his such as All Or Nothing and Cold Corner are so full of rawness, you can hear more relentless verbal assaults on them and hear the true measures of his talent. Another series of his is the Halloween Havoc series. He dropped his fifth installment of the series entitled, Halloween Havoc IV: The 72nd Hour, and this could be argued that this is among the rawest we've ever heard from mixtape Banks. Cuts like "Condolences", "Broken Arrows", and "No Opinions" are brooding and even haunting in some areas, and really bring the menacing persona of Banks out more freely. While he may have gotten acclaim for his COTI3 album that dropped in 2023 (see later), this album was classic Banks in terms of no-nonsense and intimidating bars from one of the best pound for pound emcees to pick up a mic.
38. Ill Bill
BILLY
Production: DJ Muggs, Stu Bangas, Statik Selektah, others
Guests: Kool G. Rap, Vinnie Paz, NEMS, Tragedy Khadafi, Q-Unique, Immortal Technique, Sick Jacken, Ransom, others
Brooklynite, Ill Bill, has always been a mainstay in the underground fixtures of hip-hop since his Non-Phixion days as well as his bubbling debut, Ill Bill Is The Future. Skills have never really been debatable, as he's clearly a talented emcee, but his narratives filled with conspiracy theories, paranoia, drug glorification, and at times deeply personal bars are what he's known for and pulls everything off fairly well. Past albums like his aforementioned Ill Bill Is the Future, the excellent What's Wrong With Bill, The Hour of Reprisal, The Grimy Awards, his collab with DJ Muggs, Kill Devil Hills, and 2020's La Bella Medusa have shown Bill's passion for this game though his no holds barred delivery and his rugged aura. With his sixth solo album, BILLY, he sticks to his formula, and the results are as consistent as ever. Hardcore rhymes over mostly dark production from the likes of Stu Bangas, Muggs, or even himself, Bill pulls no punches with how he views the world around him and his angst is bleeding through the speakers. Bill continues to show his vigor over hard-hitting, aggressive, yet thumping production that fits his delivery and his subject matter. Count BILLY as another win.
37. Smoke DZA & Flying Lotus
Flying Objects EP
Production: Flying Lotus
Guests: Conway The Machine, Black Thought
NYC's Smoke DZA has been a mainstay in the underground since the mid-00s. His mixtapes and albums have been all fairly well received, and his collaborative efforts with the likes of Harry Fraud, Pete Rock, and Benny The Butcher, among others, have had him increasing in notoriety and popularity. His next big collab venture has him pairing with eclectic, yet tremendously gifted, producer/filmmaker, Flying Lotus for their EP, Flying Objects. The lush and highly layered sounds of FlyLo can be a bit hard to digest over DZA's style of delivery, yet it comes into working out quite well. With only a handful of tracks, this is that type of EP you wish was an entire full-length effort. With appearances from Estelle, Conway, and Black Thought, DZA holds his own and while this isn't the typical type of production you're used to hearing DZA spit over, that's not a bad thing. Clearly, this effort shows that there's a chemistry there, and here's to hoping for more from these two in the future.
36. JustVIBEZ & Negro Justice
Art Of The Craft
Production: JustVIBEZ
Guests: Intylect, Gee Slab, others
Nashville's Negro Justice has been a notable within the local scene, mostly due to his Six One tribe collective and his acclaimed album, Chosen Family, in 2022. His content is very much reminiscent of laid-back, community -based, positive images with hip-hop as its backdrop. He returned in 2023 with producer, JustVIBEZ, for Art Of The Craft, a smooth, live instrument produced album that easily picks up where Chosen Family left off at, only a little more in tune with hip-hop and showing off his lyrical talents. While Chosen Family was a personal album, filled with cuts that were introspective and meaningful on a deeper level, Art Of The Craft is fully about hip-hop and how much it means to him as an artist. Cuts like "Get It Understood" and the title track are great examples of his passion for storytelling but also his desire to exhibit his pen game for the masses. The talent is there, the drive is there, and with more exposure, Negro Justice will be someone that not just his home of Cashville (shouts to Young Buck, another Nashville native), but the game at large will appreciate and value.
35. Recognize Ali
Back to Mecca II
Production: Hobgoblin, Abu El, others
NY native (by way of Ghana), Recognize Ali, has been delivering several rounds of heat over the years. Albums such as Recognition, Back To Mecca, the Stu Bangas-produced Guerilla Dynasty, Underground King, and the Bronze Nazareth handled, Season Of The Seven, have all been knockers from the moment you click Play on your streaming device. With a feel that makes you miss 90s NYC hip-hop, Ali doesn't waver on the sequel to Back To Mecca, Back To Mecca II. Comparisons to the likes of Krumbsnatcha are appropriate here, as his style and delivery makes you envision the Boston native quite nicely on cuts like the Busta Rhymes-sampled "What You Need", the standout "Extra-Terrestrial", and the ever knocking "Duck Down". With thumping production that gives you that warm feeling of early Nas, Mobb Deep, and Show & AG, Back To Mecca II is just that and more. Recognize Ali is compiling quite the underground discography and, along with his other 2023 offering Ali, continued to elevate his game.
34. Larry June & The Alchemist
The Great Escape
Production: The Alchemist
Guests: Slum Village, Jay Worthy, Action Bronson, Curren$y, Joey Bada$$, Boldy James, Wiz Khalifa, Evidence, Ty Dolla $ign, Big Sean
San Francisco emcee, Larry June, has been making plenty of waves in hip-hop for over a decade. His laid-back, almost lazy, delivery sounds more grown folk than rah-rah but it somehow works, and he pulls it off. Most of his content and subject matter relates to hustling, getting rich, investing, and roughly anything that involves smart money and the finer things in life. With an already dope discography, he decides to collaborate with one of the game's current production GOATs, The Alchemist, for their first full length album together, The Great Escape. One thing that really makes Uncle Al such a brilliant producer is his niche for finding and tuning the right sound for the right artist. He doesn't ask the emcee to adjust to his style, he adjusts to their style and thus the production here is fairly smooth, almost Sunday morning type production. Nothing menacing here folks. Cuts such as the Slum Village-assisted, "Orange Village", "Turkish Cotton", and the breezy "Ocean Sounds" are reflective of this. As these mixes between a how to get rich manual and cooling to the lavish life, LJ and Uncle Al show a chemistry that is cohesive and polished for this to be their first full effort together. With The Great Escape, this is such riding music, and this is a producer-rapper duo to be on the legit lookout for.
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33. SkyBlew & Scottie Royal
A Soulful Taste of Jazz: The Royal Blew Experience
Production: Scottie Royal
Guests: Amerigo Gazaway, VaughnsMusic
Not a lot of noise is made about the ever forgotten about, ever underappreciated subgenre of Jazz Rap anymore. Sure, we have bits of it here and there at times like Skyzoo's The Bluest Note or Kid Abstrakt's most recent deliveries, but as whole, gone are the days of Digable Planets, Us3, and the late, great Guru's Jazzmatazz series, but NC (via Alabama) native SkyBlew looks to change some of that. As a great blend of Kid Abstrakt, Lecrae, and Common in terms of values and his Christianity, his wholesome music reflects his views and his beliefs without coming off too "preachy". Along with Charlotte producer, Scottie Royal, they put together A Soulful Taste of Jazz: The Royal Blew Experience. This is an elegant sounding throwback to the lush stylings of jazz with fairly appropriate boom-bap intertwined within. Much like most of Kid Abstrakt's material (see later), this is one that you can rotate with various family members without having to feel this would have a lot of explicit content with it. This is literally just feel-good music that makes you salute the fact that young people still have an ear for one of the single most foundational genres in all of music.
32. The Alchemist
Flying High EP
Production: artist
Guests: Earl Sweatshirt, Larry June, Jay Worthy, billy woods, T.F., Boldy James, MIKE, Sideshow
If there's a more prolific, acclaimed producer in hip-hop at the current moment than The Alchemist, I would love for you to show him to me. Uncle Al has been nothing less than on fire for especially the last four years with stellar projects with the likes of Roc Marciano, the aforementioned Larry June, Earl Sweatshirt (see later) Jay Worthy, Armand Hammer, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, and Curren$y. He, of course, would put out his own compilation albums as well such as the excellent This Thing of Ours in 2022. In 2023, he presents the Flying High EP, and the five-track project is as nuts as anything we've ever heard from Mr. Mayman. Cuts like "RIP Tracy" with Earl, The LJ/Jay Worthy featured "Midnight Oil", and the coasting aura of "Bless" with Sideshow and one of this year's breakout emcees, MIKE, once again exhibit Al's ability to bring the best out of whomever he works with. The sequel to this was even better (see later), but this was a great first half of another crazy dope series from a true GOAT. As you've already seen, Al already has taken up some space on this list. This won't be the last time either.
31, MIKE
Burning Desire
Production: DJ Blackpower, Laron
Guests: Earl Sweatshirt, Liv.e, Larry June, others
NY emcee, MIKE, has been an artist many in the underground have heralded, but there are critics that have compared his lax, almost a cross between high and lazy, delivery as another Earl Sweatshirt. That isn't a "criticism" per se, as we clearly know how dope of an artist Earl is. However, being able to find your own voice in this totally over-bloated genre of abstract rap is an occasional challenge. That being said, MIKE is a nice one. His style of delivery may not necessarily be for everybody, but with his new effort, Burning Desire, he attempts to create more waves with his name and talent. Previous outings such as the somber Tears of Joy, Weight of The World, God Bless Your Hustle, and his standout collab with Wiki and Alchemist, Faith Is the Rock (see later) were all demonstrative of MIKE's pen game, but Burning Desire takes things more on an ambitious level. His production game alone has been elevated as, under his DJ Blackpower alias, he experiments with different sounds, samples, and occasional stripped-back production, especially on cuts like "African Freak Sex Fantasy", "Zombie", "Dambe", and the title track. While clearly the standout cut here, stylistically and lyrically, has to be the ever intriguing collab with Earl on "Plz Don't Cut My Wings" as clearly these two need to do a whole project with each other (Navy Blue could fit in good here too), but the "Should Be" interlude could be in talks as most mesmerizing and stunning instrumental of the year with the haunting vocals of Lila Ramani. MIKE's Burning Desire is one more big step into getting him into a bigger consciousness among people above the subterrain, however he does so without compromising who he is as an artist and as a man.
30. Maxo
Debbie's Son
Production: The Alchemist, lastnamedavid, Beat Butcha, others
Guests: Zelooperz
What an acclaimed year for Maxo. The LA native delivered a FANTASTIC effort earlier in 2023 with Even God Has a Sense of Humor (see later). He could've been just fine with that project alone, but he decided to deliver a second album in 2023 with Debbie's Son. Without giving too much away about my review of Even God..., Debbie's Son sounds more convincing in terms of being more self-assured. He not only addresses his issues and frustrations, but he also delivers them with more of a confidence than we tend to hear from him. Over engaging production from the likes of Uncle Al, Beat Butcha, and lastnamedavid, Maxo has never been afraid to be personal and autobiographical such as on tracks like the title track, the lovely sounding "Boomerang", and "#3", and it's moments like these and others that puts Maxo in the conversation of one of abstract hip-hop's most intriguing talents that's finally getting more shine.
29. Statik Selektah
Round Trip
Production: artist
Guests: Posdnous, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Westside Gunn, Bun B, Joey Bada$$, AZ, Ransom, Stove God Cook$, M.O.P., Cormega, Tha God Fahim, others
With over ten efforts to the game, Boston's own Statik Selektah is one DJ/Producer you can tend to count on. His style of soulful, jazzy boom-bap has resonated on very hot compilations such as Stick 2 the Script, Extended Play, The Balancing Act, Lucky 7, and What Goes Around to tremendous results. He continues his consistency on his latest effort, Round Trip. While performances from the likes of Griselda, Joey Bada$$, Ransom, Fahim, and Stove God Cook$ are all noteworthy, it's the very first cut that grips you the most, as De La Soul's Posdnous eloquently eulogizes his fallen longtime partner in rhyme, Trugoy The Dove aka Dave aka Plug Two over very moody production complete with a fitting piano sample that could fit in with "T.R.O.Y." and "Love Comes & goes" as great dedication cuts in all of hip-hop. This is a tearjerker as it should be. Statik's board work here and his penchant to get the best emcees in the game on one album shines once again with another bumper and one that ranks among his best works.
28. Kid Abstrakt & Leo Low Pass
Still Dreaming
Production: Leo Low Pass
Guests: Awon, Phoniks, Tab-One, others
Cali native Kid Abstrakt truly loves the artform of rap and the culture of hip-hop in its fundamental aspects. Past efforts like Higher Vibration, Jazzy Vibes, and Daydreaming were definitely for those that aren't with gimmicky, vulgar, explicit, violent hip-hop. His Hip-Hop was for everyone that just prefers good beats, rhymes, and meant to educate and appreciate life. Abstrakt returns in 2023 with another effort reminding us of this with Still Dreaming. Not changing his formula of what was just mentioned, his subject matter mostly revolves around family, friends, and his love of hip-hop. In today's climate of misogynistic, misandrist, overly sexual, coke rap, it's great to see music like this as a break from all of that in engaging fashion. Don't be confused: this isn't necessarily syrupy, corny, made directly for the Billboard Top 200, but what it definitely is authentic, pure, and honest, which one must respect today. Much like the previously reviewed SkyBlew & Scottie Royal effort, this album is one you can bump with the spouse, parents, and kids all in the house. Abstrakt and producer Leo Low Pass made a very nice and mellow effort with Still Dreaming and one that instill positive honesty without feeling or sounding forced.
27. Maxo
Even God Has a Sense of Humor
Production: Karreim Riggins, Ahwlee, Madlib, Beat Butcha, Graymatter, lastnamedavid, others
Guests: Liv.e, Pink Siifu, others
Earlier, we reviewed Maxo's Debbie's Son album, and stated it was more of a self-assured, confident album that not only addressed his issues, but did so fearlessly. With his first effort of the year, Even God Has a Sense of Humor, this album has the Los Angeles emcee addressing his issues with a more vulnerable tone and has an openness about him that, although he tries to occasionally see light through his darkness, it's the fact that his issues tend to be quite heavy for him. Demonstrated on stunning cuts like "onedayatatime", "Free", and "Both Handed", Maxo stands in his internal conflicts and confusion, and he willingly or unwillingly invites the listener into them. Musically, this is among the most sonically experimenting yet beautiful albums you'll encounter this year, very reminiscent of Leather Blvd later in the year (see later). Maxo had a damn good year in terms of two dazzling efforts that show why signing this veteran to Def Jam was the best choice.
26. 7XVETHEGENIUS & DJ Green Lantern
The Genius Tape
Production: DJ Green Lantern
Guests: Conway The Machine, T.F., Rome Streetz, Che Noir
Drumwork's 7XVETHEGENIUS is becoming a force to be reckoned with within this game. The Buffalo native is not a rookie to this, but since getting put on under the umbrella of Conway The Machine, she's developed more exposure of her craft. Previous efforts like Self7XVE, Self7XVE 2, and Thy Will Be Done all showed her dope pen game, but her collab with longtime DJ/Producer, Green Lantern, The Genius Tape, is perhaps the best project that we have heard from this emcee. Not relying on sexual imagery and misandrist views to get her point across, she instead leans into her personal experiences and her own street commentary over excellent Green Lantern production. Cuts like the personal "Mediation", "Brain Food", the Conway-assisted "Brainstorming", and the Collab with another hard-hitting, no frills female emcee, Che Noir, and Griselda all-star Rome Streetz "Neck Protected" all provide enough intrigue and sonic knock to keep you repeating this project often. While we anticipate her next effort in 2024 (including her Death Of Deuce album and his reported collab album with fellow Buffalo emcee, Che Noir) 7XVETHEGENIUS has enough venom to keep you satisfied and focus on her lyrical prowess and sharp pen game.
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25. Meyhem Lauren
Champagne For Breakfast
Production: DJ Muggs, Madlib
Queens vet, Meyhem Lauren, is known for his luxurious fly shit street rap much like Westside Gunn. His delivery resembles the likes of Ghostface and Freeway and his penchant for making coke sales sound inviting is quite a feat. He's also known for his dope collaborative efforts. Lauren's collabs with DJ Muggs (Gems from the Equinox, Frozen Angels), Harry Fraud (Glass, Glass 2.0), Buckwild (Silk Pyramid), and Daringer (Black Vladmir), are all seen as tremendous bumpers that keeps his music in constant rotation within our streaming services. Enter 2023, and in the early part of the year, Lauren returned months after his aforementioned CRAZY Black Vladmir with Champagne for Breakfast. The album is exclusively handled by previous collaborator Muggs and also this time by production genius, Madlib. These two production giants gave Lauren some of his career best production to spit fire over to pretty much faultless results. Standouts like "Dom vs. Cris", "Sunday Driving", "Fresh Out the Water", and "Big Money" all have him rhyming luxurious, lavish life over some of the most bumping production you'll hear and further makes you somewhat wish you knew, much like the likes of Larry June, what this type of boss life is like.
24. Nas
Magic 2
Production: Hit-Boy
Guests: 50 Cent
What else is left to say about Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones that hasn't been said already? A legend? Check. One of the greatest over forty runs in history? Check. Owner of arguably the GOAT hip-hop album of all-time in Illmatic? Check. Nas is in many of your favorite's Mount Rushmore of emcees and this four-year run with west coast production phenom, Hit-Boy, is one to be studied and examined closely. From his first King's Disease in 2021 to now, Nas has shown both his peers and the younger generation how it's done and done properly. With Magic 2, he attempts to follow up the dopeness of his first Magic album. He does so, and then some. Keeping it true and legit as he always does, he shows he's still in booth shape with standouts like "Pistols On Your Album Cover", "Motion", and "Bokeem Woodbine". Some critics have stated that his Magic series is the "leftovers" of his King's Disease series, which is completely nuts. His Magic series stands up equally to his KD series, and Magic 2 was the first of his two epic releases of 2023 (with Magic 3 being the other-see later). If Nasir Jones isn't in your list of all-time greats by now, there's nothing else to say about your taste.
23. Conway The Machine
Won't He Do It: Side A
Production: Daringer, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Graymatter, JR Swiftz, Juicy J, Khrysis, others
Guests: Benny The Butcher, Fabolous, Goosebytheway, 7XVETHEGENIUS, Sauce Walka, Juicy J, Ransom, Westside Gunn, others
Many had scoffed that 2023 wasn't as critically acclaimed of a year as previous years have been for them. While there may be a small bit of truth to that, it's more the exception than the rule. The music they did put out, however, was FAR from wack folks. Perhaps the most overall bumping of any of the Griselda projects was Conway's follow-up to his INCREDIBLE Shady release, God Don't Make Mistakes, Won't He Do It: Side A. Although this slightly lacks the purposely confessional and somber lane of GDMM, this is still a very cohesive effort that still has Conway bringing raw honesty in his music. Instead of moody, dark production like what we heard on GDMM, this is still very street, but occasional radio touchups are present here as well such as the powerful J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League-produced "Kanye" "The Chosen", and the southern bounce of "Super Bowl". Other cuts like "Kill Judas", "the Gunn-assisted "Brucifix", and the ominous collab with Ransom "Stab Out" are customary Conway with threatening rhymes over very gritty production. Having one of his most prolific runs currently with numerous features and efforts in 2023, Conway is nowhere close to tired. With a Side B coming in 2024 along with reported other efforts such as the follow up to Lulu with Alchemist, the return to his Everybody Is F.O.O.D. series, his inclusion on WWCD2, and the much anticipated, long-awaited Reject 3, Conway is about to embark on a 2024 takeover, much like he damn near took over 2023.
22. Klassy
Good Seeds
Production: Fatgums
Guests: Rocky Rivera, Mystic, Marco Kane, others
Despite the fact that a large majority of rappers that are women lean towards the overly sexual, male-bashing misandry that dominate the radio airwaves and produce tons of revenue and sold-out arenas, there are those rappers that just like to spit, no gimmicks, bring their personal thoughts onto wax and just deliver good music that go with little to no notoriety. One such emcee is Cali native, Klassy. With the vocal stylings sounding like a cross between Jhene Aiko and Noname, Klassy presents her 2023 offering, Good Seeds. This album serves as her own diary of issues she faces such as the challenges of being a single mother, misogyny in the business, and losing in love, while also appreciating the art form that hip-hop is within her life. Rhyming since her high school years, Klassy has a presence about her that has the optics of a woman that is about what her implies states and implies. The production on this album is mellow for the most part and full of tremendous soul samplings and live instrumentation, as cuts like "Personal", "Love Letter", and "Like This" so demonstrate. Much like epic efforts like Leila's Wisdom, This Week, and As God Intended, Good Seeds is a must-listen that can appeal not only to women but also to men that truly appreciate women emcees that go beyond and deeper than advertising their sexual traits and more on their lyrical talents.
Couple of years ago, there was a rumored sequel to the Griselda favorite, Hall & Nash, the dumb dope EP by Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine from 2016. Hailed as a classic within the Griselda camp, there were certainly talks of a sequel happening but the certainty of when was unknown. From there, the almighty Uncle Al himself alluded to the fact that he had, in fact, finished up a Hall & Nash sequel around 2020-2021 time. It never saw the light of day...until now. This blistering Hall & Nash 2 has Conway at his hungriest and Gunn as sharp as we have heard him in a couple of years himself. Tons of cocaine talk, threatening bars, and vengeful attitudes are all over the monster of an effort, with Alchemist providing production that range from menacing to haunting. Old leaked favorites such as the Schoolboy Q-assisted "Fork In The Pot", "Rey Mysterio", and the insanely grimy and bumping ";94 Ghost Shit" are represented well on this project. Unreleased cuts, however, such as the title track "Budz", and the ominous "Michaelangelo" give this album more momentum of it being arguably the year's best effort from the Griselda camp. As bananas as this effort is, Al further stated that they were working on "the real" version of Hall & Nash 2 with frequent in-house producer, Daringer, in what is sure to be among the craziest releases to be put out in 2024. Until then, this effort alone is worth the highly anticipated wait, as not a single minute of the nine-track effort is wasted. Many say the glory days of Griselda are becoming behind them, but releases like this show people that notion is far from the case.
20. Wiki, MIKE, & The Alchemist
Faith Is The Rock
Production: The Alchemist
Guests: N/A
In another of Alchemist's highly acclaimed efforts, he worked with MIKE and former Ratking emcee, Wiki, for Faith Is a Rock. This under ten track EP is top to bottom a scorcher and both MIKE (whom as we've already stated had quite a year with his Burning Desire album) and Wiki sound very comfortable over Uncle Al's stunning production. Wiki and MIKE are no strangers to collaborating with each other, but for a project to this magnitude is telling, as cuts like "Cop's A Mayor" and "Thug Anthem" show their ability to hold more than one cut together and sound like they've been rhyming together for a pretty good while. One might not conceive MIKE's seemingly high and almost lazy-sounding delivery, and Wiki's nasal vocal texture and a delivery that somewhat resembles Evidence, to work, but they actually complement each other very well. If there's a full-length coming between these three, and Faith Is The Rock was a teaser, as fantastic as this EP was, imagine a whole full-length!
19. Teflon
2 Sides To Every Story
Production: DJ Premier, Jazimoto
Guests: M.O.P., Benny The Butcher, I-Fresh
After being away for over two full decades, Brownsville's Teflon reemerges with his LONG-awaited follow-up to his debut album of 1997, My Will, 2 Sides To Every Story. While we've been holding our breath for his DJ premier-handled, Showtime, under Preemo's Year-Round Records in the mid-thousands, we at least get a new project from Tef that has half the album handled by Preemo and the other half done by relatively unknown, yet no less dope, producer Jazimoto, and the results are hard-hitting. M.O.P.'s associate emcee shines with the same hunger we heard from heard over twenty-five years ago. Same ferocious delivery, same street narratives that present him as someone you still don't want to cross. Bangers like "Out the Gate", "Know Our Way Around", the Benny The Butcher assisted "Hostile Takeover", and "Life In the Feds" are all examples of the high-powered nature of this release. This is for those that prefer their hip-hop filled with NYC fight music and with 2 Sides To Every Story, Teflon, along with M.O.P., Preemo, and Jazimoto, deliver in ways that would make the softest of individuals feel like they could start clapping in broad daylight.
18. Rome Streetz & Big Ghost LTD
Wasn't Built in A Day
Production: Big Ghost LTD
Guests: Conway The Machine, Method Man, others
Griselda's Rome Streetz presented one of the game's most dynamite albums in 2022 with his Griselda debut, Kiss The Ring. Flawless from head to toe, this album ranks among the top tier Griselda efforts ever and brought Streetz to a bigger audience. Never abandoning his roots, the Brookyln native remains true to his underground and continuing to give heads that music that got him signed to Griselda in the first place. One such effort this year was his collaborative effort with crazy underground notable, Big Ghost LTD, for Wasn't Built in A Day. BGL's knack for dark, atmospheric, ominous production blended well with Rome's vivid, street-laced rhymes to have this effort be among both guys' best works. Standouts includes the Mobb Deep-jacked "Gem Drop", "P'z & Q's", and "Antidote", but you can take your pick of what the true highlight of this effort is. This is a wall-to-wall smash and is guaranteed to keep Rome's name on your mouth as one of the hottest emcees currently going. Keep in mind, he wasn't done yet for the year.
17. Noname
Sundial
Production: Saba, Gaetan Judd, Slimwav, others
Guests: Common, Jay Electronica, Eryn Allen Kane, Ayoni, billy woods, others
When one mentions great Chi-Town emcees, immediate names that come to mind are Common, Twista, and (maybe) Kanye. Another name that should be there in that list is emcee/poet Noname. Her spoken word, conversational delivery mixed with her generally soft vocal tone is definitely a standout trait for her. Her mixtape Telefone received a ton a critical acclaim and rightfully so. This incredible project was filled with autobiographical accounts of love, hurt, and vulnerability. This set the stage of her debut, Room 25, which stands among the best albums throughout the entire 2010s. Basically, picking up where Telefone left off, the album was even more personal and vulnerable. Some five years after this project she reemerges with her long-awaited return, Sundial. A lot has happened between Room 25 and Sundial, including a pandemic, failed relationships, issues with the likes of J. Cole, and more. This album has her a little less soft spoken and unassuming and more upfront, confrontational, and passionate. No, she's not necessarily screaming or on some rah rah, but on cuts like "Potentially The Interlude", the controversial "Balloons" featuring a spirited yet subjectively inflammatory verse from Jay Electronica, and the soulful, choir laced "Gospel" with billy woods and Silkmoney are showing her presence more lyrically and not as minimalist. Cuts like "Toxic" and "Afro Futuristic" delve into the transparency of her being a Black woman and angering, heartbreaking betrayals. While her views concerning race relations can appear to be controversial and noteworthy, Sundial is still another fantastic showing of her fearlessness to confront her issues and let them be open to the world's interpretation.
16. Apollo Brown & Planet Asia
Sardines
Production: Apollo Brown
Guests: Ty Farris, Marv One, Sick Jacken, TriState
It's very safe to say Detroit's Apollo Brown is one of the game's most exceptional producers within this generation. Compared to the likes of a Detroit version of 9th Wonder (the Grammy Award winning 9th Wonder mind you), Apollo has quite the discography in his own right, putting out yearly material that easily are in best year-end album conversations. His work with the likes of Skyzoo (The Easy Truth), Guilty Simpson (Dice Roll), Joell Ortiz (Mona Lisa), Locksmith (No Question), O.C. (Trophies), Ras Kass (Blasphemy), and Philmore Greene (Cost of Living) are just bananas and show his penchant for soul samples and slick to dusty drum kicks work profoundly. Not to mention his compilations of Grandeur and Sincerely, Detroit especially highlighted his production with various dumb dope emcees flowing over them. Another emcee he's worked with in the past was Cali underground legend, Planet Asia. Their previous effort, 2017's Anchovies, provided enough bump to keep heads plenty satisfied for that year and was definitely among the best projects that year. They reunited this year for their second album together, Sardines. As much of a heat seeker as Anchovies was, Sardines is even hotter. Asia continues to verbally shine on that mic and how mean that pen game is. Apollo, on the other hand, provided even better soundscapes for Asia to rhyme over. While many may scoff over the occasional drumless production Apollo sends him, it doesn't negate the SICK nature of the music within it. Highlights include the insane "Peas & Onions" (Apollo used the same sample Harry Fraud used for Dave East's "Diamonds" to CRAZY results), the Raekwon-sampled "Get the Dough Off", the Ty Farris-assisted "88 S-Curl", and "Jungle Juice" and trust me, the rest of the album is right in tune with these cuts. Quite easily, Sardines is in the top echelon of both men's careers and hopefully we get more from this duo.
15. Skyzoo & The Other Guys
The Mind of A Saint
Production: The Other Guys
Guests: N/A
Those familiar with the acclaimed FX show, Snowfall, know about one of the central characters of the show, Franklin Saint. Played by Damson Idris, Saint is a young man that turned from convenient store clerk to a big deal, successful coke dealer that realizes with more money and more status come more problems. Obviously, a big fan of the show, Brooklyn's own, Skyzoo, imagines himself as Saint and, along with production duo The Other Guys, bring us The Mind of a Saint. With previous other exceptional efforts such as his Pete Rock-handled Retropolitan, the Apollo Brown-blessed The Easy Truth, The Salvation, Music for My Friends, In Celebration of Us, and 2021's All the Brilliant Things, this one may be conceptually the most special and intriguing. This album has Sky portraying Saint and how Saint would be if he was an up-and-coming emcee, while still trying to leave the street life alone. It's quite the interesting mental visual as Sky very eloquently spits personifying Saint and actually makes you believe Sky has transformed into him. Cuts like the bumping "Straight Drop", "Panthers & powder", and the slick "Balancing Act" all demonstrate how Sky envisions Saint struggling between the streets and the booth, a common thing among most hip-hop artists of today. It's the final two cuts that fully encapsulates the aura of the album in terms of a morality point of view, with the AMAZING sounding "Apologies in Order" and "Purity", both shows humanity and slight bits of vulnerability (the fact that Sky blends Franklin into today's world meeting the father of the late, great Nipsey Hussle). Sky and The OGs really deliver with The Mind of a Saint, and it's Sky's ability to not only provide insight to those unfamiliar with Saint, but to provide a different look at Saint to those that are familiar, and it's elements like that which make Skyzoo such an undefeated emcee.
14. Black Milk
Everybody Good?
Production: artist, Raphael Saadiq, Karriem Riggins
Guests: Phonte, Raphael Saadiq, Mike Jenkins, Quelle Chris, others
Celebrated Detroit producer/musician/emcee Black Milk was looked at as the next version of the late, great Detroit legend J Dilla, and for the most part, he has stepped up in his own way. His discography is pretty consistent and solid with excellent efforts such as Popular Demand, Tronic, Album of The Year, If There Was a Hell Below, and No Poison, No Paradise. His last effort, DIVE, was a dope, yet fairly modest, album that reminded us why Milk is such a fixture of acclaimed Detroit hip-hop. He returned this year with Everybody Good? and this is arguably his most experimental album, with awesome results. Incorporating more with live instrumentation rather than a lot of samples, a lot of the sounds mix elements of soul, funk and jazz all over the album. Where his last full-length album, FEVER, was a mixture of funk, soul, rock, and sketches of EDM, Everybody Good? is a little more within his personal taste, but boy did he come through in a big way. With cuts like "Ain't Nobody Coming Down to Save You", the title track, and "Feelings Don't Feel", Milk sounds confident lyrically but clearly his production is the news here, as bring his elements of minimal to moderate bass, sharp drum kicks, and slick keys are prevalent here. While never being necessarily the one to render on topics like the usual sexual exploits, street narratives, coke sales, and excessive riches, he goes personal and honest on certain tracks, but it's the Phonte-assisted "No Wish" that made heads talk when it came to Phonte's brutally honest and vivid account of his molestation as a child that made this cut among the true standouts of the year, and along with Raphael Saadiq's musicianship on display here as well, this cut is highly memorable. With Everybody Good? Black Milk created a career benchmark that may be the new goal post for himself. Dilla continues to be proud and impressed with Mr. Curtis Cross.
13. Elzhi & Oh No
Heavy Vibrato
Production: Oh No
Guests: Guilty Simpson, Blu, others
We just spoke about fellow Detroit native Black Milk and his fantastic latest offering, not to mention how tremendous his discography. Add Elzhi to that list as well. Regarded as one of hip-hop's truly potent, yet strangely underrated, emcees, the former Slum Village member has quite the impressive discography of his own (perhaps his greatest moment being The Preface, which was exclusively handled but the aforementioned Black Milk), and 2023's offering Heavy Vibrato is no exception. Handled by Cali's own Oh No (half of Gangrene with Alchemist and the younger brother of evil genius Madlib), Elzhi goes nuts over some of the best production we've ever been delighted to hear from Oh No. Mostly consisting of boom-bap jazz, Oh No shows his style much like his Grammy Winning brother, while still differentiating his style from Madlib's in several areas. Elzhi sounds more invigorated and hungrier than his last effort, the enjoyable yet slightly underwhelming Zhigiest, and it's super apparent on cuts like "Say It, Don't Spray It", "Last Nerve", and "Trick Dice" that all exhibit Elzhi as a lethal mic presence throughout. One of the most tremendous technical emcees of his generation, Elzhi delivers on all cylinders with Heavy Vibrato, and with Oh No's penchant for brass cymbals, cleverly used samples, and meticulous bass make this album such a highlight for both men's careers.
12. Lloyd Banks
The Course of The Inevitable 3: Pieces of My Pain
Production: Cartune Beatz, V-DON, others
Guests: Method Man, Dave East, 38 Spesh, Tony Yayo, Vado, Cormega
Earlier, we reviewed Banks' mixtape, Halloween Havoc IV as it presented a return to corner store Banks with his street narratives and classic bravado. However, earlier in the year, he wrapped up his COTI series with COTI3: Pieces Of My Pain. Without question, this album is the most personal album throughout his excellent discography. Examining his own mortality, struggles with mental illness, vulnerability concerning the loss of his mother, and other very transparent, poignant subject matter, Banks pulls the curtain back and lets us in like never before on certain cuts like "Opened Gates", "Voices", and "Invisible". While these cuts are indeed great enough to make you applaud him for letting down his tough guy persona long enough to show us more of his human side, it's "Daddy's Little Girl" that may be among the most touching cuts he's ever done, as he dedicates this cut to his daughter, who's also on the cover of his album. Putting down "The Boy Wonder" in place of being daddy, this cut is such a light on an otherwise pretty dark album. Some have stated they feel this is his worst of the series. That's fine, but truthfully, this may be the best simply because of how transparent Lloyd Banks is, much less over consistently searing production from up-and-coming producers such as Cartune Beatz and Haas Almahdi. While Halloween Havoc IV was the Banks we all know and love, COTI3 showed us more of Chris Lloyd, and that's possibly even more impressive.
11. Rome Streetz
Noise Kandy 5
Production: Wavy Dah Gahd, Evidence, Conductor Williams, Sovren, Denny LeFlare, Sadhygold, others
Guests: Boldy James, Curren$y, Joey Bada$$, Rigz
Earlier in this list, we reviewed Rone Streetz' collab with Big Ghost LTD, Wasn't Built in A Day, as one of the year's hardest offerings. He brings things to another level when he revisits his heralded Noise Kandy mixtape series. Supposedly, Noise Kandy 5 is the last of the series, but this is quite arguably the best of them all. With his newfound stardom under the Griselda umbrella, the influence is more than apparent all over the album, as this may be the best, and most grimy, sounding album of the series. Cuts like "Hell Backwards", "Clutchin'", "Go Raw", and "Pocket Full of Beans" are filled with such menacing beats as Rome glides over them all with such precision with his usual brand of street narratives, coke-laced rhymes, and violence, yet doing so in such great lyrical fashion. Much like Kiss The Ring, his storytelling chops are impressive and his sadistic taste for revenge and tough guy talk just like on Wasn't Built in A Day are both represented well here. With production from the likes of Griselda in-house beatsmiths Conductor Williams and Denny LeFlare, Evidence, Sadhugold, and frequent collaborator, Wavy Da Gahd all providing enough chills and brooding appeal for this that revel in that type of sound, Noise Kandy 5 will be your cup of tea with a vicious lyrical emcee like Rome making it worth your while to keep up with him.
10. Danny Brown
Quaranta
Production: Paul White, The Alchemist, Quelle Chris, Chris Keyz, others
What an acclaimed year for Detroit's Danny Brown. He and JPEGMAGIA delivered an eccentric classic in SCARING THE HOES (see later) earlier in the year, but it's also his album Quaranta that brings things next level for Brown. Regarded as the sequel, if not prequel, to his critically acclaimed mixtape, XXX, Brown goes very much beneath the surface with this effort. Not nearly as rowdy as XXX and Old, and not nearly as dark and containing as much visceral druggy humor as his brilliant Atrocity Exhibition, Quaranta opens up his newly sober heart in painful and vulnerable fashion like we've never seen from him. We truly get the man behind the emcee on poignant cuts like "Down With It", "Hanami", "Shakedown", and "Ain't My Concern", but also make time to address social issues in his own unique fashion on cuts like "Jenn's Terrific Vacation", and "Dark Sword Angel". Musically, it's more somber, moody, and overall, more emotive than any previous project, plus his vocal delivery for nearly all of the album is way more subdued compared to his otherwise hyped up, zany delivery. However, the lead single "Tanta" and the somewhat fun "Y.B.P." featuring the ever unique, Suga Free-spitting Bruiser Wolf that lighten the load slightly. It concludes, ironically, with the slow-paced "Bass Jam", which shows how in the midst of his chaos, turmoil, and mental issue struggles, he uses music from his childhood home to seek solace in while also having music unifying his family. Danny Brown has an entire therapy session on Quaranta, but it's very welcomed and refreshing. Brutally honest at times and intensely personal, Brown is to be applauded for his transparency and fearless nature to open his heart up to give us more insight to his regretful past but also his lessons for his future.
9. Black Thought & El Michels Affair
Glorious Game
Production: El Michels Affair
Guests: KIRBY, Son Little
While we all knew the brilliance of Black Thought as an artist, lyricist, and overall mic decapitator, it was the now legendary freestyle session with Funk Flex in 2019 that made the world get reminded of why we should now and forever put some respect on his name. The lead emcee of The Roots is among the most verbally gifted emcees to ever touch a mic, and past collab albums such as his Streams Of Thought series with 9th Wonder, Salaam Remi, and Sean C & LV, as well as his phenomenal collab with Danger Mouse in 2022, Cheat Codes, all demonstrated he could excel beyond Quest-Love and the crew. Enter 2023, and this time he gets assisted by musician and arranger Leon Michels and his cinematic soul band, El Michels Affair for Glorious Game. Viewed somewhat as a more personal and unsettling hip-hop musical, Thought delves into this project full force with this being arguably his most personal and deeply rooted effort to date. Diving into his youthful days growing up in Philly, this album is full of gems that are meant to both, confess and teach. Cuts such as "Alone", "I Would Never", and especially the heavy "The Weather" are examples of how much Tariq cares about presenting himself as an elder statesman to spit "game" to today's culture. Along with the stunning production of the El Michels Affair, Glorious Game is a triumphant musical endeavor of Black Thought and the El Michels Affair that puts us in the shoes of one of hip-hop's lyrical giants in such a personal way that it feels so real.
8. billy woods & Kenny Segal
Maps
Production: Kenny Segal
Guests: ELUCID, Aesop Rock, Quelle Chris, Benjamin Booker, others
As much as we give sincere props to the likes of Nas, Skyzoo, and a very select few others for phenomenal runs through the past several years or even through the past decade or so, you simply can't exclude NY's billy woods from the conversation. One of the most prolific and fascinating wordsmiths in all of hip-hop, the Armand Hammer member is establishing a legacy of almost unimaginable proportions in terms of constant excellent material and some of the most compelling lyrics ever written among this era. Stellar efforts such as Today I Wrote Nothing, History Will Absolve Me, his Armand Hammer efforts such as the UNREAL Alchemist-handled HARAM, Shrines, and Paraffin, and woods' own outstanding contributions to 2022, Aethiopes and Church, are all some of the underground's most endearing and celebrated efforts. He started his yearly assault reuniting with past collaborator, Cali-based producer Kenny Segal, for Maps. With their prior collaborative effort, Hiding Place, gaining such tremendous acclaim, it was only right for them to repeat the same critical success and did they ever. Whereas Hiding Places was more grim, dark textured, and walking the brink of excessive paranoia, Maps is more of a look of an artist that's traveling the country just after the pandemic and going from one unknown area of his life to another and how to deal with all of it, while all the while yearning to return to his "home" of peace and solitude. Remarkable cuts like "Houdini", the moody "NYC Tapwater", and "Hangman" are such strong evidence of how enormously gifted this son of a writer and an English Literature professor really is. This album is filled with cautionary tales, uncertainties, social awareness, and politically charged narratives, but also woods' insights into the world he sees as he "travels" throughout this life searching for his absolution. This is another genius effort from woods and Segal, and clearly Maps is a stylized masterwork.
7. Killer Mike
MICHAEL
Production: No I.D., El-P, Robert Glaspar, Cool & Dre, Cory Mo, James Blake, Andre 3000, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Don Cannon, Beat Butcha, others
Guests: Andre 3000, T.I., Cee-Lo, El-P, Young Thug, 2 Chainz, Jagged Edge, Eryn Allen Kane, 6LACK, Curren$y, others
As one half of one of hip-hop's most acclaimed and revered duos, Run The Jewels with El-P, and former member of the legendary Dungeon Family, Killer Mike has always been able to hold his own with anyone on the mic. His influences were drawn from the likes of Nas, Jay, Scarface, and Ice Cube, and it absolutely shows often. With a very impressive solo discography that includes his I Pledge Allegiance to The Grind series and his first outing with El-P behind the boards, R.A.P. Music, we've been waiting for that one official classic from the ATLien to drop. Enter MICHAEL, an exceptional collection of KM's most personal and heartbreakingly honest tunes over some of the most varied and tremendous production he's ever rhymed over. We've known a lot about the activist and community leader Killer Mike, as well as the fiery, socio-political emcee with El-P, but he peels back layers of his onions to reveal painful, somber, and emotional stances from his career and his life. With Grammy Award winning producer, No I.D., supplying most of the boardwork, as well as being Executive Producer of this album, this album has tons of that southern bump that his core audience appreciates such as the DJ Paul-produced "Talkin' That Shit", the trunk rattling "Spaceship Views" with 2 Chainz, Curren$y, and Kaash Paige, and the knocking Cory Mo-crafted cut with Cee-Lo's soulful crooning, "Down By Law". However, more of No I.D.'s influence shines on other tremendous cuts such as the stellar Andre 3000/Future/Eryn Allen Kane assisted "Scientists & Engineers", the Young Thug-assisted "Run", and "NRich" with 6LACK. However, it's the more personal cuts that make this album among the best of the entire year. On "Something For Junkies", he describes the relationship between him and his drug addicted aunt in very honest, yet relatable, fashion. The standout is the Eryn Allen Kane-assisted, "Motherless", which painfully has him navigating through his thoughts and feelings being without his mother and grandmother (the Robert Glaspar-assisted remix of this is simply heartbreaking yet stunning as Mike can barely make it through the cut due to breaking down so much. One of the most wrenching pieces heard in such a long time). With other incredible cuts like the first single with El-P, "Don't Let The Devil", "Exit 9", the ode to his wife "High & Holy", and the Mozzy-assisted "Shed Tears", MICHAEL is head and shoulders above most efforts put out by his peers. Killer Mike became Michael Render for this effort, and we are all glad about it. This album has set a new career benchmark and is the new standard for him in his life and career. While we still wait for RTJ5, MICHAEL will not only more than satisfy us until then, but it'll place KM further into upper echelon and top tier mentions.
6. Nas
Magic 3
Production: Hit-Boy
Guests: Lil Wayne
Earlier in the year and in this list, we highlighted Magic 2, as it was as excellent follow up to his prior Magic effort. Then, out of the blue some months later, teases started emerging of another Nas album. It turned out to be Magic 3, and it was revealed that this was not only the closing of the Magic series, but it was also the final full length from he and Hit-Boy together. As so many were bummed out to hear the news, the only way to go out is with a memorable album to let people know just how undefeated Nas and HB are together. Folks, Magic 3 did its job and di it well. Over some of Hit-Boy's most knocking and scintillating production yet (and that's saying a mouthful), Nasir rips into the production with superior delivery and rhymes that has him sounding like the emcee during his Stillmatic or Life Is Good days. Everything on this effort is special and has meaning, as only your average Nas album would be. Cuts like "Japanese Sushi Bar", "Superhero Status", "I Love This Feeling", the vivid two-part "Based On True Events", and the Lil' Wayne-assisted "Never Die" ranks among some of his best work in the past decade. People tend to debate which was the overall better series, King's Disease or Magic? Neither answer is wrong. Both series catapulted Hit-Boy into one of the game's most sought-after producers and put Nas in a four-year run the likes of which we may never see like this again. A newfound fire was lit under Nas and with Hit-Boy's guidance and sonic assistance, Nas went from legend to icon. While we look forward to seeing what's next with Nas, let Magic 3 remind you of just how high his greatness extends.
5. Armand Hammer
We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
Production: Kenny Segal, Messiah Muzik, El-P, JPEGMAFIA, Preservation, ELUCID, Sebb, DJ Haram, others
Throughout this past decade, very few, if any, duos match the written craftsmanship and complex aura of Armand Hammer. The duo consisting of ELUCID and the ever enigmatic, yet brilliant, billy woods have been among the most critically acclaimed darlings in the underground. Albums such as Race Muzik, Paraffin, Shrines, and the masterwork that was the Alchemist-helmed HARAM all made people take notice but also examine how methodical their penmanship and among the bloated subgenre of abstract hip-hop. With both men dropping fantastic offerings in 2022 with ELUCID delivering the fascinating I Told Bessie, and woods dropping two monsters of the Preservation-blessed Aethiopes and the Messiah Muzik-crafted, Church. It was only right for them to get back together, and the results are practically spellbinding. Their 2023 offering, We Only Buy Diabetic Test Strips, is a their most musically and thematically ambitious project to date. Mixing eclectic sounds and different musical experiments to push their left field agendas, this album contains more of the same stuff in terms of illuminati references, conspiracy theories, socio-political agendas, and anxiety-driven manifestos that tend to burn their way into your brain. Where HARAM has been (somehow) seen as their most "accessible" with Uncle Al's seemingly perfect board game, this album darts everywhere musically, and that's the point. Cuts like "Woke Up & Asked Siri How I'm Gonna Die", "Niggardly (Blocked Call)", "The Flexible Unreliability of Time & Memory" and the El-P-crafted "The Gods Must Be Crazy" are filled with chaos, paranoia, society dysfunction, and glaring observations. Guests such as Junglepussy, JPEGMAFIA, the aforementioned El-P, and Pink Siifu add more layers to this highly complex, yet amazing, collection of cuts only Armand Hammer can maneuver through with such left-brained wonder. Armand Hammer clearly dropped another career defining project with We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, and while the casual, outside person would think they're musically, lyrically, and thematically crazy, they're here to remind us, with projects like this, they're crazy like foxes.
4. Danny Brown & JPEGMAFIA
SCARING THE HOES
Production: JPEGMAFIA
Guests: redveil
Earlier, we reviewed Danny Brown's super introspective and honest work, Quaranta, that pulled the curtain back on a man struggling to find himself past his sobriety and having to face his emotional demons. However, early in 2023, this was not prevalent at all, as he got up with NY's evil genius, JPEGMAFIA, for the incredibly clever, yet highly dysfunctional, SCARING THE HOES. The combination of these two is like a marriage we never really knew we needed. The album fits the left-brained chaos of Danny Brown and the alternative-genre defying stylings of Peggy and the results are unbelievable. While we've gone over how sporadic, yet intriguing, Brown's overall discography has been, Peggy's fan base started building with albums like 2018's Veteran, All My Heroes Are Cornballs, and the highly diverse 2021 offering, LP! One thing this album isn't is boxed in. This effort combines elements of hip-hop, soul, jazz, alternative, EDM, and indie rock sounds, which is customarily right up the alley of Peggy. Concepts are wild, fun, psychedelic, and off the wall, and you'll never hear anything all year quite like this collection of cuts. Standouts include the title track, "Orange Juice Jones", the lead-off single "Lean Beef Patty", and the eccentric "Fentanyl Tester" and the rest of the project sounds, and feels, like an entire acid trip that's the most fun ride you've ever been on. Brown & Peggy delivered quite the eclectic mash-up with SCARING THE HOES, but the outcome is one of the most fascinating albums in recent years, and perhaps the most defining album in the career of JPEGMAFIA, especially. For Brown, this was a cross between his drug-induced dive into insanity, Atrocity Exhibition, and his fun, yet off-kilter, XXX. Both guys win here and win big.
3. B. Kool-Aid
Leather Blvd.
Production: Ahwlee
Guests: Butcher Brown, Ladybug Mecca, Liv.e, Jimetta Rose, Big Rube, Quelle Chris, Kamilah, Denmark Vessey, others
Birmingham, AL's Pink Siifu is an emcee/artist that is a very interesting figure. He clearly is a musically inclined and in tuned artist. His influences range from Mos Def to George Clinton to Death Grips, and all show have showed up in various releases over the years. His most notable project came in the form of 2021's Gumbo! in which we hear his lazy drawl delivery succeed over elements of trap, soul, and jazz. He gets back with one of the album's producers, Ahwlee, and they become B. Kool-Aid as they present their debut album under that moniker, Leather Blvd. The musical nature of this album blends jazz, neo-soul, and blues. If D'Angelo, Miles Davis, and the aforementioned Mos Def were in the same building, this is the hodgepodge you get as a result. Siifu's melodic stylings along with Ahwlee's distinctively mellow live instrumentation blends impeccably here. The ambiance of the album is like a Black owned coffee shop that has a grown folk's lounge night event going in. You can smell the incense and the occasional greenery through the speakers the moment you push play on your device. The easy-going and relaxed vibe of cuts like the Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets fame "ChalkRoundIt", "Soundgood", and "Can't Fk Around" This project still has Siifu being highly observant of his culture and community in spots, and in other spots, he just trades them in for good vibes and sense of Black grandeur. Cuts like the Denmark Vessey/Quelle Chris-featured "Brandy, Alliyah" and "CntGoBack" are such examples of feel-good auras that help make the album what it aspires to present. While musically, the album sounds and feels like a Soulquarian jam session at times, which is a good thing, this is ultimately about the Black experience in the form of a cultural and musical community. B. Kool-Aid's attempts at escaping the problems and stress of the world succeeds and succeeds greatly with Leather Blvd, and in today's times, it's always good to escape from our realities sometimes. If only Leather Blvd was a real place instead of arguably the most feel-good hip-hop album of the year.
2. Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist
Voir Dire
Production: The Alchemist
Guests: MIKE
In 2021, Uncle Al stated there was a secret album he and Cali phenom Earl Sweatshirt put together and it was scattered all over YouTube. As fans were practically fiendish over trying to find this highly intriguing material, eventually, people gave up on trying to locate it. Fortunately, the ever-allusive Mr. Maman decided to put out this material and confirmed this was the lost collaborative effort between him and Ear. The results were the album, Voir Dire. We've heard Earl over Al tracks before like "Old Friend", "Loose Change", "Falling Out The Sky" from Armand Hammer's HARAM, and "Loose Change", and every time we're practically yearning for more. Quite frankly, Voir Dire is everything we knew the collaborative effort would be and more. As we all know Uncle Al tends to bring the best work out of anyone he works with, this is especially true with Earl, as cuts like "Dead Zone", "100 High Street", and "Mac Deuce" cleverly demonstrate. Low on guests, the lone guest spot is reserved for one of the year's rising emcees in MIKE on the vocal crooning sample-heavy "Sentry", but Earl does more than a fantastic job holding his own by his lonesome. Al's penchant for crafting the right production for whomever he works with is truly a gift and signs of a genius in music, and Earl is among the most hand-in-glove artists he currently works with. While Earl's discography is simply spectacular, with albums like Doris, I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside, the simply musically INGENIOUS Some Rap Songs, and his most recent offering Sick!, Voir Dire stands near the top, and begs the question, is there more stuff between these two we have yet to hear??
1. Talib Kweli & Madlib
Liberation 2
Production: Madlib
Guests: Damani, Pink Siifu, Westside Gunn, Roc Marciano, Roy Ayers, Goapele, Q-Tip, Mac Miller, MeShell N'Degeocello, Jessica Care Moore, Wildchild, others
We turn back the clock to 1998. Brooklynites Mos Def and Talib Kweli become Black Star and deliver one of the game's most epic hp-hop monuments with their debut, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. Seen as hip-hop in its most pure and authentic form, the album was a genuine classic among critics and fans alike and rightfully so. Follow that up with 2000's Train Of Thought with production partner Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal. The album hit pretty much every bit as greatly as the Black Star effort, only with Kweli having the primary spotlight and showing up excellently. From there, albums such as Quality, Eardrum, the highly underrated Beautiful Struggle, Prisoner of Consciousness, and the most recent Radio Silence have all demonstrated Kweli's insightful pen game and the ability to tap into the Black experience while also tackling socio-political issues, his love of hip-hop, and community awareness. It was in 2007 when he got up with producer extraordinaire Madlib for their debut collaborative mixtape, Liberation, that we got a very promising effort between the two and, while it was sorely slept-on by many, those that tapped in realized how dope of a project it was. Some sixteen years later, Madlib, who just provided his brand of sonic soul and jazz to the reunited Black star effort of 2022, No Fear Of Time, reunited with Kweli for Liberation 2, and the results are mesmerizing. Madlib's wonderful blend of soul, jazz, and occasional funk is so elegantly displayed throughout this album, while Kweli displays a vigor and renewed zest within his delivery that truthfully, we haven't quite heard since Radio Silence, and that was in '97 (although he and Styles P did drop that excellent EP, The Seven, that same year). Cuts like "Air Quotes", the spectacular "Nat Turner", and the elegant "Wild Beauty" are some of the most fantastic cuts within the very extensive discography of either artist. His subject matter consists of most of the same we've known from him: love of the Black woman, community, Black history, revolutionary imagery, and third eye vision. Madlib, in comparison, provided some of his best work in some time, and easily matches excellence of his such as his collaborations with Freddie Gibbs (Pinata, Bandana), Declaime (his In The Beginning series), and almost to the level of, dare I even say, the GOAT underground album, Madvillainy Heavy on the soul, jazz, and his knack for obscure and clever sampling, Madlib creates an ambience worthy of an album such as this with its aforementioned subject matter. Other phenomenal cuts like "Ad Vice", "One for Biz", and "Something Special" continue the majestic nature of what could be considered a landmark effort for both men. Along with guests such as Roc Marciano, Westside Gunn, Wildchild, Roy Ayers, a verse from the late, great Mac Miller, Q-Tip, Pink Siifu, Meshell Ndegeocello and his children of Diani and Amani, they don't take away from Kweli and his well-crafted bars whatsoever. If anything, they give each track they're on more flavor for the food, and nothing is off base. Simply put, Liberation 2 not only respectfully outdoes its predecessor, but sets a new bar for each man's respective, legendary careers. Perfectly sequenced, incredibly arranged, and systematically structured to where each track naturally glides off the previous track effortlessly, this could low key prove to be a timeless album for those that need their hip-hop the only way it needs to be from the soul.
Honorable Mentions
Jeezy- I Might Forgive, But I Don't Forget
Ty Farris & Graymatter- Sounds That Never Left My Soul
Conway the Machine & Conductor Williams- Conductor Machine EP
Conway The Machine & 38 Spesh- Speshial Machinery
Conway The Machine- Drumwork: The Album
Conway The Machine & jae Skeeze- Pain Provides Profit EP
Larry June & Cardo- The Night Shift
Westside Gunn- And Then You Pray For Me
Estee Nack- NACKsaw Jim Duggan
Oddisee- To What End
Atmosphere- So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously
Che Noir & Big Ghost LTD- Noir or Never
Larry June & Cardo- The Night Shift
Curren$y & Jermaine Durpi- For Motivational Purposes Only EP
Reuben Vincent- Love & War
Eto & Futurewave- Dead Poets
NEMS & Scram Jones- Rise of The Silverback
Tha God Fahim- Iron Bull EP
Tha God Fahim & Oh No- Berserko EP
Tha God Fahim & Mike Shaab- Rhyme Pays
Tha God Fahim & Sadhugold- Dump Gawd: The Knocking of Roll
Tha God Fahim- Dump Gawd Reloaded
Jae Skeeze- Abolished Uncertainties
Navy Blue- Ways of Knowing
Hit-Boy- Surf or Drown 2
Grafh & 38 Spesh- Art of Words
Koncept Jackson & Sadhugold- Draft Dodger
Recognize Ali- Ali
38 Spesh- Gunsmoke EP
SUBSTANCE810 & Hobgoblin- Death Waits In The Dark
Royce Da 5'9"- The Heaven Experience EP
Chuck Strangers- The Boys & Girls EP
Ransom & Nicholas Craven- Director's Cut 4
Ransom & Nicholas Craven- Deleted Scenes 2
Ransom- Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child EP
Chino XL & Stu Bangas- God's Carpenter
Legendary Traxster- Chicago
Al-Doe & Spanish Ran- Holy City Zoo
Curren$y & Harry Fraud- Vices
Paradime- Period
RJ PAYNE- Jigsaw EP
RJ PAYNE- My Life Iz a Movie 2
Joell Ortiz- Signature
Mello Music Group- Omakase
Nicholas Craven, Raz Fresco, & Estee Nack- Gia...A La Carte EP
Eto & Body Bag Ben- Integrity 2
Neak- Die Wurzel
Mickie Diamond - Nobody Bleeds Like Flair (mixtape)
Mickie Diamond- Oruku Saki (mixtape)
Mickie Diamond & Sadhugold- Death Threats (mixtape)
Mickey Diamond & Camouflage Monk- Capital Gains (mixtape)
Micky Diamond & Big Ghost LTD- Gucci Ghost 3 (mixtape)
Mickey Diamond- Bangkok Dangerous 4 (mixtape)
Nick Grant- Sunday Dinner
CHIKA- Samson: The Album
Stik Figa & The Expert- Ritual
Fatboi Sharif & Steel Tipped Dove- Decay
Jay Royale- Criminal Discourse
Cril- The Next Big Step
Beneficence & Jazz Spastiks- Summer Night Sessions
Vega7 The Ronin & Superior- Sleep Is the Cousin
Marco Polo & Torae- Midnight Run
Blu & Real Bad Man- Bad News
Blu & Nottz- Afrika
DefCee & Messiah Muzik- The Golem of Brooklyn OST
Czarface- Czartificial Intelligence
Living Legends- The Return
Sean Price & Royal Flush- The Royal Price Show EP
Elcamino- They Spat on Jesus
Domo Genesis & Graymatter- What Don't U Think?
Vinnie Paz- All Are Guests in The House of God
Elaquent- Rediscovery
Black Rob- Life Story 2
Termanology & Paul Wall- Start 2 Finish
Aesop Rock- Integrated Tech Solutions
Moka Only- In & Of Itself
AJ Suede & Televangel- Parthian Shots
YUNGMORPHEOUS & Real Bad Man- The Chalice & The Blade
SKECH185 & Jeff Markey- He Left Nothing for the Swim Back
Kool Keith & Real Bad Man- Serpent
Boldy James & RichGains- Indiana Jones
Rasheed Chapell & The Arcitype- Sugar Bills
AZ- Truth Be Told
Homeboy Sandman- Rich
Mick Jenkins- The Patience
Vince Staples & The Alchemist- Long Beach Chemistry EP (unofficial leak)
Stove God Cook$ & Roc Marciano- If Kitchen Walls Could Talk (unofficial leak)
As an added bonus, just like in 2022, we will present several of the absolute best cuts to bless our ears, whether singles or album cuts, these cuts along with countless others, have been in frequent and constant rotation this year, and will likely do the same in years to come. In honor of hip-hop turning 50 this year, we will highlight 50 tracks. Click the links to experience these joints and find them on any streaming platform you wish.
1, Skyzoo & The Other Guys-" Apologies In Order" (production: The Other Guys)
2. Talib Kweli & Madlib feat. Diani, Pink Siifu- "Ad Vice" (production: Madlib)
3. Skyzoo & the Other Guys- "Straight Drop" (production: the Other Guys)
4. MAXO feat. keiyaA- "onedayatatime" (production: Karriem Riggins)
5. Logic- "Clone Wars" (production: artist, 6ix)
6. Rome Streetz & Big Ghost LTD- "Gem Drop" (production: Big Ghost LTD)
7. Hit-Boy & The Alchemist- "Slipping Into Darkness" (production: Hit-Boy, The Alchemist)
8. Conway The Machine feat. Goosebytheway, Drea D'Nur- "Kanye" (production: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)
9. Jae Skeeze- "Bonneville" (production: Cartune Beatz)
10. Recognize Ali- "Extra-Terrestrial" (production: Tone Spliff)
11. Lloyd Banks- "Movie Scenes" (production: George Getson)
12. Tyler, The Creator- "WHAT A DAY" (production: Madlib)
13. Teflon- "Out The Gate" (production: DJ Premier)
14. Lloyd Banks- "Cliffhanger" (production: V DON)
15. Black Thought & El Michel Affair- "The Weather" (production: El Michel Affair)
16. Killer Mike feat. Eryn Allen Kane- "Motherless" (production: No I.D.)
17. Killer Mike feat. Eryn Allen Kane, Robert Glaspar- "Motherless (remix) (production: No I.D., Robert Glaspar)
18. Killer Mike feat. El-P, thankyougoodsir- "Don't Let the Devil" (production: El-P)
19. Nas- "Pistols on Your Album Cover" (production: Hit-Boy)
20. Ill Bill- "The Mandalorian" (production: Farma Beats)
21. Conway The Machine- "Brick Fare" (production: Daringer)
22. billy woods & kenny Segal- "FaceTime" (production: Kenny Segal)
23. Jay Worthy & Roc Marciano- "Wake Up" (production: Roc Marciano)
24. Estee Nack feat. Westside Gunn- "OLDNACKDONALDHADAFARM" (production: Crucial the Guillotine)
25. 7XVETHEGENIUS & DJ Green Lantern feat. Conway The Machine- "Brainstorming" (production: DJ Green Lantern)
26. Ill Bill feat. Kool G. Rap, Vinnie Paz- "Root For The Villain" (production: DJ Muggs)
27. Benny The Butcher feat. Stove God Cook$- "One Foot In" (production: hit-Boy)
28. Teflon feat. Benny The Butcher- "Hostile Takeover" (production: DJ Premier)
29. Statik Selektah feat. Posdnous- "Round Trip" (production: Statik Selektah)
30. Statik Selektah feat. Joey Bada$$- "Life & Times" (production: Statik Selektah)
31. Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist- "Mac Deuce" (production: The Alchemist)
32. MIKE- "Snake Charm" (production: Laron)
33. Drumwork feat. Conway The Machine, Benny The Machine, 38 Spesh- "LALO" (production: Graymatter)
34. DJ Premier feat. Rome Streetz, Westside Gunn- "Runway" (production: DJ Premier)
35. Black Milk feat. Phonte- "No Wish" (production: Black Milk & Raphael Saadiq)
36. Noname- "Toxic" (production: Saba, Ben Nartey)
37. Open Mike Eagle- "a new rap festival called falling loud" (production: Child Actor)
38. Apollo Brown & Planet Asia- "Peas & Onions" (production: Apollo Brown)
39. Little Brother- "Wish Me Well" (production: Deonis Pumah Cook)
40. Armand Hammer feat. El-P- "The Gods Must Be Crazy" (production: El-P)
41. Rapsody- "Asteroids" (production: Hit-Boy)
42. Nas- "Japanese Soul Bar" (production: Hit-Boy)
43. Oddisee- "The Start Of Something" (production: artist)
44. Nicholas Craven & Boldy James- "No Pun Intended" (production: Nicholas Craven)
45. Westside Gunn & Conway The Machine- "'94 Ghost Shit" (production: The Alchemist)
46. Lloyd Banks- "Take Me Under" (production: Cartune Beatz)
47. The Alchemist- "Nothing Is Freestyle" (production: The Alchemist)
48. Rome Streetz- "Clutchin'" (production: Wavy Da Ghawd)
49. B. Kool-Aid feat. Ladybug Mecca- "ChalkRoundIt" (production: Awhlee)
50. MAXO- "Boomerang" (production: Ahwlee)
Obviously, there are a TON more heaters that graced us this year, but this is a small batch of what 2023 offered. There was something for whatever your taste is this year. You had moments of tears, moments of anger and fighting, moments of vibing and relaxing, and everything in between. With albums from the likes of Rapsody, MULTIPLE projects from Conway, Benny's Everybody Can't Go at the beginning of 2024, the collab album between Common and Pete Rock, returns of Ludacris and T.I., TDE dropping projects from Schoolboy Q and Jay Rock, Che Noir, Ghetto Sage (the supergroup of Saba, Smino, and Noname), Rome Streetz, Alchemist running the game again with projects such as his long-awaited full length reunion with Oh No as Gangrene and possibly a collab album with Kid Cudi, multiple efforts from Boldy James (hopefully we can get blessed with the Drug Dilla project we were supposed to get this year), Wayne's Carter VI, Mach-Hommy's RICHAXXHAITIAN, Run The Jewels' much anticipated RTJ5. and 50 Cent supposed retirement album, 2024 will be another crazy year for releases and new needle movers for hip-hop. Until next year folks, keep bumping that music!
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