Hey Hip Hop Fiend readers. Some of you may know me, some of you won’t. My name is Rarest Element and I’m a UK hip hop producer and more importantly a hip hop addict. After reading numerous year end lists I really wanted to reflect on what a great year 2011 was for music. I feel I listened to a variety of projects this year and a lot of things caught my attention. Artists made comebacks, commercial artists released strong projects and there were hundreds of new artists dropping free projects for everyone to enjoy. My year end list was narrowed down to 25 projects (including albums, mixtapes and E.P.s). Please remember this is all my personal opinion and also take into account I never heard everything that was released this year. I’ll admit I never listened to projects by Mac Miller, Tech N9ne, Action Bronson, Tyler the Creator, Freddie Gibbs and Lil Wayne amongst many others which may have made my list otherwise. This is my top 25 projects of the hundred and odd I heard that were released this year:
25- Kris Kasanova – Long Way Home
I was put on to this by Neil (@StateOfMindShop) through a friend of his in New York. Kris just has one of those mellow voices and his flow mixed with a great beat selection created a really strong free project.
Favourites: ‘Mona’ and ‘Gotta Make It’
24- Act Proof – Still Hotter Than July
Grant here at Hip Hop Fiend suggested Act Proof to me and I am glad he did. They had two amazing free projects this year but for me this one was just that little bit better. Still Hotter Than July has some amazing beats and some lyricism beyond the two emcees’ years.
Favourites: ‘Time’ and ‘The Marvel’
23- Royce Da 5’9” – Success Is Certain
I feel like I have been a Royce fan forever. I have heard every album and mixtape and thought Success Is Certain was a real return to form. What makes it even better for me is another Preemo produced Royce track which always seem to be his best (at least for me).
Favourites: ‘Where My Money’ and ‘Second Place’
22- Saigon – The Greatest Story Never Told
This almost became another Detox. Saigon is one of those rappers I always thought could be huge with a bit of luck. I was so glad to see this project finally released and it was very strong indeed. The guy can rap but the drawback for me was I heard some of the tracks a few years ago now so it felt slightly dated or more like a compilation than an album. Still though, I can’t wait to hear more Saigon in the future.
Favourites: ‘Come On Baby’ and ‘The Invitation’
21- Halo – The Blind Poet
2011 was a great year for Jamla. 9th and his army of talented artists flooded the internet with a lot of strong material. Halo can really rap and the features were perfect for this. Appearances from Skyzoo, Sean Boog and Median were well placed.
Favourites: ‘Too Strong’ and ‘Z’s Up’
20- Jay-Z and Kanye West – Watch The Throne
This was not what I was expecting in terms of sound but it was an album that grew on me over time. Frank Ocean killed it and some of the beats were crazy. This was a great, cohesive project that really experimented with a lot of different sounds that both artists are not normally known for and it really worked well.
Favourites: ‘Gotta Have It’ and ‘No Church In The Wild’
19- Co$$ – Sleepwalking
I have to admit I had never heard of Co$$ before and stumbled across this completely by accident. I downloaded it purely based on the artwork and I am so glad I did. This is a project that would definitely have flown under a lot of people’s radars and would urge you to check it out. I am really looking forward to hearing more of Co$$’s work.
Favourites: ‘King’ and ‘Sinful Continued’
18- M.O.P. – Sparta
This was everything I wanted from an M.O.P. project. Give Lil Fame and Billy Danze some heavy beats and you are in for a treat. Snowgoons really held up the production end well and there were a couple of tracks on here that definitely made me remember why I love M.O.P. so much.
Favourites: ‘Sparta’ and ‘Rollin’
17- Evidence – Cats and Dogs
I can’t help feeling a little disappointed with Cats and Dogs. Don’t get me wrong this was a very good album, I just feel like The Weatherman LP was better. Still though, ‘The Red Carpet’ has to be the beat of the year for me and Ev really creates some great tracks. Evidence can do no wrong when you pair him with Sid Roams and Alchemist beats.
Favourites: ‘Falling Down’ and ‘The Red Carpet’
16- Locksmith – Embedded
This was a very a late entry into my list as I only heard it a couple of days before the New Year. One thing is for certain Locksmith is the best thing to come from the Bay Area since Hieroglyphics. I heard of him through his work with Ski Beatz and I think the Wake Up Show anthem was the very first time I heard him rap, and he definitely can rap.
Favourites: ‘The Mirror’ and ‘Devil’s Lasso’
15- Kendrick Lamar – Section 80
A lot of people would have this album a lot higher up and don’t get me wrong it is a great album but this year for me has been a crazy year musically. HiiiPower is probably my favourite track of the year, it has a great beat and Kendrick’s lyrics are so on point. Kendrick seems to kill every track he is on and I have no doubt he will become a favourite of mine.
Favourites: ‘HiiPower’ and ‘Rigamortus’
14- Donny Goines – Success Served Cold
This was free? Even with all those features Donny gave this project away. I will admit I had heard his name before I had heard any music by him and that is testament to Donny’s relentless work ethic. People always give Rick Ross a lot of praise for his beat selection and I think after you listen to Success Served Cold you will realise Donny Goines has one of the best ears for beats in the game.
Favourites: ‘Champion’s Anthem’ and ‘Liar’
13- Pac Div – The Div
Pac Div should be huge. They have an appeal that many artists and groups strive to find. They balance a commercial appeal with a phenomenal ability to rap. Some of the beats on The Div are also phenomenal. A real highlight for me has to be Move On which just reminded me of everything that was great about Slum Village and if SV weren’t the influence for that track I am surprised.
Favourites: ‘Posted’ and ‘Move On’
12- Danny Brown and Black Milk – Black and Brown EP
I admit I am a Black Milk super fan. He is one of my biggest musical influences and I even travelled to London by myself to see him live. Danny Brown is one of the most creative emcees I have heard in a long while and I apologize now that XXX is not on my list purely because I have yet to give it a proper listen. This was always going to be good. Black Milk just goes so left field and Danny Brown follows.
Favourites: ‘Zap’ and ‘Wake Up’
11- XV – Zero Heroes
I can’t believe it took me so long to have heard of XV. Every track he drops I love. He has such a unique voice and really covers a lot of different subjects in his music. I admit Vizzy Zone is probably a better project in my opinion but that was released in 2010. XV is on the path to becoming huge and his album is one of the projects I am looking forward to most.
Favourites: ‘Smallville’ and ‘Pictures On My Wall’
10- A$ap Rocky – Live, Love A$ap
New York loves him. Soon the world will. Harlem hasn’t seen someone who can rap this well since Big L (sorry Cam’ron). That is not a direct comparison by any means as their styles are so different in many ways. As seems to be the norm for 2011 he is backed by a crew of fellow artists who show out well on this project and I look forward to Long Live A$ap that is due this year.
Favourites: ‘Peso’ and ‘Trilla’
9- Steph Castro – Private Affairs
Call me biased if you want but this was a great project and I am so glad I was a part of it. Steph Castro is one of the smoothest lyricists I have ever heard and I actively chased him to work on some beats for him. In my opinion he is one of the best hook writers around and he truly deserves success. Private Affairs is mellow and melodic project that you can just lie back and listen to.
Favourites: ‘Private Affairs’ and ‘Top Class’
8- Frank Ocean – Nostalgia/Ultra
First off I am not an OFWGKTA fan. I have tried listening to quite a lot of their music now and despite a lot of people around me (including Grant) trying to get me into them they just aren’t for me. That said Frank Ocean is phenomenal. He was the best thing on Watch The Throne and he creates some truly amazing songs. He lyrically, despite not being a rapper, is so far ahead of many artists on my list. I look forward to more of his music in 2012.
Favourites: ‘Novacaine’ and ‘Swim Good’
7- Curren$y x Alchemist – Covert Coup
A weed smoking dream team? A match made in heaven? All I know is when I heard about this project I knew I was going to love it. Alchemist is possibly my favourite producer of all time and Curren$y is just smoother than smooth. This was everything I wanted it to be and more. I definitely hope they make a follow up (there was talk on twitter of this).
Favourites: ‘Scottie Pippen’ and ‘Ventilation’
6- Elite – Awaken
I heard of Elite through his work with J.Cole and downloaded this on the off-chance I liked it. The guy can produce, rap and is a great songwriter. This was such a great, mellow project and I remember listening to it just lying around doing nothing which is so rare in my life. Elite is super talented and he really deserves a lot of success in the future.
Favourites: ‘World Premiere’ and ‘Ellis Island’
5- Ski Beatz – 24 Hour Karate School 2
Ski is one of the most underrated hip hop producers in my opinion maybe due to his inactivity for years. Linking up with Dame Dash at BluRoc has brought him into an amazing creative space and it shows in this project. The beats are theatrical, the features are amazing and Ski has crafted an amazing project. I am hard pushed to pick my favourite tracks.
Favourites: ‘Looking For Me’ and ‘Amnesia’
4- King Mez x Khrysis – The King’s Khrysis
I downloaded this purely to hear some new Khrysis beats as he is such a talented producer and definitely one of my favourites. I had never heard of King Mez. He has the most remarkable voice and instantly I became a fan. He is lyrical, his flow is amazing and the beats on here are nice. Overall if this had been a full album I think it would be my number one project of the year.
Favourites: ‘Reaching Out’ and ‘Something’s Missing’
3- 50 Cent – The Big 10
For those that know me this will seem a crazy choice. I downloaded it to hear what 50 was doing these days (it didn’t hurt that Illmind and DJ Khalil both had a beat each on there). This mixtape took me back to the days when 50 Cent was the biggest artist in hip hop. He has the best ear for beats ever in my opinion, he has a great voice and he has some killer hooks. The reason this is so high on my list is that I expected absolutely zero from this project and ended up loving it.
Favourites: ‘Shooting Guns’ and ‘Stop Cryin’
2-Stalley – Lincoln Way Nights
Amazing. What more can I say? Stalley is smooth and the beats are phenomenal. Rashad makes this the most cohesive project I may have ever heard. His constant utilisation of the same sounds throughout gives this album a ‘feel’ and Stalley can rhyme his ass off. Lets hope Maybach Music doesn’t change things.
Favourites: ‘Hercules’ and ‘Lincoln Way Nights (Shop)’
1- J.Cole – Cole World: The Sideline Story
Major commercial appeal mixed with an amazing ability to rap and craft beats. I admit it was never going to be anything else after hearing this. A lot of people argue Friday Night Lights was better and it was a phenomenal project, I just feel Cole World was the perfect progression. It showed that Cole had managed to do what many artists fail to do: create a commercially successful project without alienating his core fans. He has the talent, the image and the opportunity to do something amazing musically and I truly can’t wait for a follow up. The worry is always going to be he will never be able to follow it up. Please Cole don’t stray from the sound you have created.
Favourites: ‘Lost Ones’ and ‘Rise and Shine’
If you took the time to read this thank you. Remember there are hundreds of projects I never heard at all and this is a purely subjective exercise.
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