TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2015 - pt. 2 (10-6)
Itâs exceptionally rare for a rapper to have permanence in the grand scheme of hip-hop. Compton is proof that Dr. Dre is one of a select few that are capable of delivering quality music after decades in the industry. In song after song, Dre seems right at home over modern, textured instrumentals courtesy of superproducers like DJ Dahi and Dre himself. With countless quotable lines, his flow and lyrical ability are rawer than ever (ex. âSometimes I feel like I could just bury âem, bury âem/Cause delirium, mass hysteria, scarier area/Iâm very aware hip hop needed somethinâ to carry it/So I married that bitch and swung down in that chariotâ). In addition, a long list of guest features including Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak, and Snoop Dogg (to name a few) bring a dynamic sound to the album.
Highlights: âItâs All On Me,â âDeep Water,â âAnimalsâ
Art Angels is a conflicting listen. On one hand, the first third features some of Grimesâs least accessible and most poorly written music ever (Iâm looking at you, âSCREAMâ). On the other, beginning with ridiculously ear-grabbing âFlesh Without Blood,â it transforms into one of 2015âČs best pop albums. Each song in the last two thirds feels fully realized and wholly divergent from the next. Her talent for striking a unique balance between idiosyncratic lyrical delivery and absurdly catchy pop melodies is more apparent than ever before. For the most part, Grimes rarely strays from love songs. Exceptions like âKill V. Maimâ - a reimagining of The Godfather 2 in which Al Pacino is âa vampire who can switch gender and travel through spaceâ - and âVenus Flyâ - a badass feminist anthem - are a nice change of pace.
Highlights: âArtangels,â âRealiti,â âVenus Flyâ
8. Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Josh Tillman AKA Father John Misty is a bizarre character. On I Love You, Honeybear, his observations and reflections about love and life itself are unorthodox, yet immensely relatable. Songs like âI Love You, Honeybearâ and âHoly Shitâ explore themes of passionate, almost blind affection. Alternatively, âThe Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt.â and âThe Ideal Husbandâ are brutally cynical tales of failed relationships. Tillmanâs lyrics across these songs are often poetic in nature, which makes his sentiments remarkably memorable (ex. âMaybe love is just an economy based on resource scarcity/What I fail to see is what thatâs gotta do with you and meâ). Such poetry stands atop lush folk rock instrumentals that establish a strong sense of cohesion throughout.Â
Highlights: âThe Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt.,â âThe Ideal Husband,â âHoly Shit,âÂ
7. Lupe Fiasco - Tetsuo & Youth
Concept albums are inherently ambitious endeavors. With Tetsuo & Youth, Lupe Fiasco took them to a whole new level. The entire record plays out like an autobiography of sorts. The nine-minute, insanely dense intro track âMuralâ actually represents Lupeâs current state in life, while songs further into the track-listing represent his past. As a result, every song is a genius double or even triple entendre with its own standalone meaning as well as a contextual one. âThe Adoration of the Magiâ can be interpreted as a religious song, a song about videogames, or a figurative representation of Lupeâs infancy, for example. This can make listening to the album a daunting task at first. Thankfully, brilliant lyrical moments (ex. âSimple as a Buddhist monk in a temple standing in some heel grooves with the abbot, practicing stillness/Real still tilâ he realizes his realness/Defeat Samsara, achieves nirvana and brillianceâ) and incredible forward-thinking instrumentals provide enough surface-level enjoyment for even the most casual of hip-hop fans to appreciate.
Highlights: âMural,â âThe Adoration of the Magi,â âThey.Resurrect.Over.Newâ
Trap rappers in modern music are a dime a dozen, and itâs not difficult to see why. Generally, the formula for creating this music is so simple that even the most amateur artists can be successful, albeit unsubstantial. While Travis Scott doesnât quite reinvent the wheel with Rodeo, he is able to break the mold of countless others in the genre. From the very first track, âPornography,â itâs clear that his sound has evolved significantly since his previous projects. The booming instrumental and Travisâs warped, autotuned vocals establish a certain grimy extravagance that underlies the entire album. His utilization of autotune is unique in that his voice maintains an expressively organic quality. Digging deeper into what heâs saying is often an unfulfilling experience though, due to mediocre-to-decent lyrics at best. This is most apparent in an ignorant crowd-pleaser like âNightcrawler,â which also presents the issue of poor guest verses (Chief Keef and Swae Lee in this case). Despite these shortcomings, when Travis flies solo, his infectious refrains and exceptional flows stick with the listener long after the album is over.
Highlights:Â âOh My Dis Side,â âAntidote,â âImpossibleâ
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