The Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2011
2011 was a year of great diversity, in which rap fans were faced with enough variety to find whatever flavor of hip-hop they wanted.
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The Metaphysical Dream of BTS’ SUGA aka Min Yoon-gi
In Min Yoon-gi’s (BTS’ SUGA) music there’s a common idea floating of his dreams, even if he hasn’t identified them, or found a way to coexist with them peacefully.
Late Show Bandleader Jon Batiste Discusses His Genre-Busting Year
Pianist and bandleader Jon Batiste is a near-perfect representative of what it means to be a millennial jazz musician in 2021.
Talib Kweli Tells His Story along with a History of Hip-Hop and New York City
Talib Kweli’s memoir, Vibrate Higher, is an excellent documentation of hip-hop’s history, New York City in the ’80s and the life of this exceptionally talented man.
Lil Nas X’s “Satan Shoes” and Our Queer Satan
Lil Nas X’s “Satan Shoes” takes on the Devil and righteously subverts anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
El Michels Affair Create Soulful, Modern Mood Music on ‘Yeti Season’
El Michels Affair’s Yeti Season is soulful, modern mood music with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting from start to finish.
Slowthai’s ‘TYRON’ Revels in Complexity of Human Relationships
Despite the rowdy noise of TYRON's first seven tracks, it's the gentler songs on the second half that genuinely highlight Slowthai's voice.
J Dilla’s ‘Welcome 2 Detroit’ Pointed the Way to 21st Century Hop-Hop
J Dilla's Welcome 2 Detroit announced where hip-hop could go in the 21st century. This reissue, expanded and spread over 12 seven-inch records, with a book that tells the whole story, reveals just how crucial an album it remains.
Armand Hammer Are at the Vanguard of Rap with ‘Shrines’
Hip-hop duo Armand Hammer are known for their dense abstract lyricism and experimental style, which their latest, Shrines, dives into fearlessly.
Farhot’s ‘Kabul Fire Vol. 2’ Is a Luscious Look at Afghanistan
On Kabul Fire Vol. 2, Farhot's Afghan roots are not the only parts of his musical identity, but they are integral, represented in samples from film, folk music, and voices from his distant home.
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Sleaford Mods’ ‘Spare Ribs’ Offers a Rich and Welcome Catharsis
Sleaford Mods' 11th studio album runs a glorious gamut from righteous anger to poignant introspection in a masterpiece of incisive cultural commentary and fully realized artistic vision.