Records That Made 2015 Dope.

This is such a soothing and minimalistic album. It strips Lana of any excess noise that was found on Ultraviolence (and the Rick Rubin meddling.. barf). Gone are the hip-hop influences and high-energy guitar tempos of her previous efforts. Instead, we have Lana going for a much more orchestral and vulnerable sound, which complements the melancholic subject matter. Throughout the album, there are anthems of American soul, ballads dedicated to detachment, and songs of sorrow. All of which are complemented by lush instrumentals that mesmerize you, yet feel skeletal.

In this case, it’s not a bad thing that the instrumentals are almost an afterthought— her brooding voice is the main focus here. And with a voice like Lana’s, that’s how it should be.

You Should Check Out: Salvatore, Swan Song, High By The Beach

Compton marks the death of Detox, which was just becoming this unfocused mosaic of Dre trying to appeal to today’s sound. But on Compton, Dre’s vision is realized — accompanied by Anderson.Paak (check this guy out, he’s the future), King Mez, Justus, Kendrick Lamar, and more, he paints a vivid picture of Compton as a city and as a state of mind. The beats are octane-heavy when Dre’s showing off his impeccable flow and delivering his (ghostwritten) lyrics, and they’re effectively laid back when he’s being introspective and political. What captivated me most about this album is how well Dre was able to orchestrate his grand finale yet how personal the project also felt. He brought all of his protégés (Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Game, Kendrick Lamar) along for the ride, collaborated with his contemporaries (Ice Cube, Xzibit, DJ Premier) to give us a bout of nostalgia, and gave shine to the next generation of rap greats (King Mez, Justus, Jon Connor, Anderson.Paak, and BJ The Chicago Kid), essentially passing down the torch to them.

While Compton isn’t the game changer 2001 & The Chronic were, it cements Dre’s legacy and lets him bow down gracefully. He doesn’t need to change the game again, he’s already done it numerous times.

You Should Check Out: Animals, Talking To My Diary, Deep Water

As soon as you hit play on this EP, the funk hits you. The Beyond/Where The Giants Roam is such a rich album to listen to — its rich in its textured instrumentation, its rich in its soothing melodies, and most of all, its rich in its commentary on death. Thundercat isn’t just hitting you with falsettos while talking about the death of his loved ones (such as on Where The Giants Roam/Field Of The Nephilim), but his falsettos also touch upon the death of relationships (on the fantastic Them Changes). And that’s what makes this album so engrossing — it’s overarching theme is so dark, yet Thundercat’s calming delivery, dynamic voice and neo-soul instrumentation make it so soulful, so relatable, and so real.

The EP only lasts 17 minutes, but that’s enough time for Thundercat to bring you into his world where harmonized vocals, layers of rich instrumentation and the funky bass-lines are plentiful. And at the end of it all, you wish this trip into Thundercat’s world lasted a bit longer.

You Should Check Out: The whole thing. It’s only 17 minutes long.

After last year’s warm-up, Some Love Lost, Joe Budden finally delivered All Love Lost this past October. Just like his Mood Muzik series, All Love Lost features Joe Budden delivering painfully honest raps that could double as therapy. Throughout the 13-track album, Joseph is heard venting about his strained relationships, his vexations with his public persona and his past with drug addiction. All of these topics are nothing new to a Joe Budden fan — his strength lies in introspection — and his catharsis makes it so much easier for him to create remarkable music. There’s a certain feeling on these tracks that only an artist like Joe Budden could achieve through his authenticity. For example, on Love I’m Good — where Joe wrestles with the fact that although he’s experienced love, he can’t live with the pain it brings — he has painfully honest one-sided conversations with his 3 loves (hip-hop, his ex Tahiry, and his son) over some haunting piano notes and hard-hitting drums (provided by AraabMUZIK). Throughout the album, Joe’s soul cries are accompanied by somber instrumentals that are heavy with piano riffs, violin strings and guitar solos, which are a welcome departure from his usual mediocre beat selection.

Consistency and genuineness are really hard to come across these days, but Joe Budden’s music relies on such qualities that you learn so much about him through All Love Lost. And even though the exorcising of his demons makes for some great music, one would hope he finds solace through his spoken word therapy-- just like his fans do.

You Should Check Out: Love I’m Good, Immortal, Only Human, Slaughtermouse, Playing Our Part

Mick Jenkins is the future of hip-hop. He really is. His last project, The Water[s], introduced us to his ability to create a substantial and focused body of work. With Wave[s], Mick’s trying out some new things and as opposed to pursuing a concept, he’s pursuing a feeling. But don’t get it twisted, because the quality is still there, the spontaneity is still there, and the conviction is still there. The content here is diverse — Mick showcases his lyrical prowess on tracks such as Alchemy and P’s & Q’s that prove he’s a master wordsmith; and he tries to make his sound more accessible by integrating a pop influence on tracks such as Get Up Get Down and Your Love. For the most part, the EP has strong beats, the majority of which are fast-paced, and feature a sophisticated and refined trap sound. And when Mick’s kicking dope rhymes over these beats, he successfully projects his flexibility as an artist — he’s not just a conscious rapper (as evidenced on The Water[s]) nor is he limited to creating radio friendly songs (tracks like Slumber would have you think so). But he’s able to create the right music for the right occasion, it just depends on how he’s feeling.

Don’t let the ugly artwork fool you. Wave[s] is a lot deeper and doper than the cover would have you believe.

You Should Check Out: P’s & Q’s, Alchemy, 40 Below, Your Love

The music found on Currents is completely new to me. As a hip-hop purist, I was pleasantly surprised at how often I kept coming back to this album. The sound found on this album was so intoxicating and the hazy vocals just push you into a lucid state. When travelling from track to track on Currents, I found myself not paying attention to the lyrics — the sonics on this album took precedence to me. Tracks like Let It Happen, and Cause I’m A Man make you feel like you’re at Osheaga and the world’s at a standstill.

The feeling that Kevin Parker’s psychedelic sound evokes is so unique. It’s the feeling that nothing else is going on at the moment, and that the moment is all that matters. It’s the feeling of nostalgia and for the longing of summer.

You Should Check Out: Let It Happen, Yes I’m Changing, New Person Same Old Mistakes

When Game first announced that his next album would be a sequel to his classic debut, I was worried for him. The Documentary was such a quintessential West Coast album— how could Game, whose last few albums were meh, recreate the magic? Well, looks like the pressure made a diamond, because Game delivered. He came through with a double-disc project that (ironically) is a lot more focused and true to his West Coast braggadocio than his most recent efforts. On disc 1 of The Documentary 2, Game goes for a more accessible sound and brings a star-studded guest list (Drake, Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, Q-Tip, Snoop Dogg) to help him wax poetics about his Compton upbringing, his gang-banging past, and his recent relationship woes. While disc 1 was Game showcasing diversity and trying to appeal to the casual listener, disc 2 is where he really shines. Disc 2 is Game at his most raw and unfiltered — this is the album he wanted to make. It’s a pure West Coast sound, with beats supplied by Battlecat, DJ Quik and DJ Mustard, that sounds like it could have been released in 1992. The lyrics on this portion are a lot more conscious, passionate, and delivered with greater conviction. Case in point, on Gang Bang Anyway, Game trades bars with Jay Rock (who steals the show) and ScHoolboy Q about the perils of LA’s gang culture; there’s even a little history lesson at the end of the track. If disc 1 of The Documentary 2 was Game rapping about his life and his situation, then disc 2 has him dishing lyrics about the world around him. Tracks like The Ghetto, Magnus Carlsen and Last Time You Seen are a clear indication that Game can effectively rap about deeper social issues that are outside the realm of gangster rap.

The Documentary 2 isn’t better than its predecessor, but it achieves its mission. It proves Game has grown as an emcee and the fact that he’s still as cold-blooded as we first heard him on his debut. Now, where’s The Doctor’s Advocate 2?

You Should Check Out: On Me, Dollar & A Dream, Documentary 2 (this is probably my favourite beat of 2015), Magnus Carlsen, Gang Bang Anyway, Outside, From Adam

This is probably the first time you’ve ever heard of Goldlink. Who exactly is he? He’s a charismatic rapper from D.C. who crafted the “future bounce” sound. Hot off the release of The God Complex, Goldlink connected with Rick Rubin (nooooo!!!!!!) to create And After That, We Didn’t Talk, which is an 11-track long project that deals with the fragility of relationships. With such a focus, you’d assume that the music would be self-deprecating and filled with sorrow; but that’s the farthest from the truth. Goldlink sticks to his signature sound and goes for uptempo beats that are heavy with 90’s hip-hop and R&B influence. What’s so great about this album is how high-energy it is and how refreshing it sounds — everything from Goldlink’s sing-song-rap flow and cadence, to the beats, and even the lyrics contains charisma that you wouldn’t expect based on the subject matter. Even on the album’s most seemingly bleak songs, Palm Trees and See I Miss, Goldlink articulates his message with such vigour that you wouldn’t even know he’s just lamenting about his exes.

Goldlink described And After That, We Didn’t Talk as “getting really drunk one night and thinking a lot…”. Well, if Goldlink keeps on drinking and thinking, then you’re bound to hear his name more often. Goldlink got next.

You Should Check Out: Dark Skin Woman, Unique, Palm Trees, See I Miss

This is the album we were all waiting for from A$AP Rocky. Experimental and psychedelic, AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP is an ambitious body of work that features lyrics that go beyond the latest Raf Simons/Rick Owens spring/summer collection. On this album, we get Rocky spitting bars about false prophets, shallow relationships, and the trials and tribulations that accompany fame amongst other topics. The raps are accompanied by strong beats that carry Rocky’s signature Houston-meets-NYC sound but also have a heavy rock influence (thank you, Danger Mouse). If before, Rocky sounded like UGK mixed with The Diplomats, we can now throw in The Eagles to the mix (I don’t know how accurate that is since I don’t listen to The Eagles). Guitars and background vocals (mainly provided by Joe Fox) are abundant on the 67-minute album, which also features Future, Kanye West, Juicy J, Mos Def, Lil’ Wayne, M.I.A., U.G.K., Miguel, and…. Rod Stewart! The album is a lot more concise and somber than I was originally expecting and there’s a lot more substance on it than his debut release. While the solemn mood can be attributed to the passing of Rocky’s close friend, A$AP Yams, the record still has moments of indulgence. Tracks like Excuse Me, Jukebox Joints, Wavybone, and Back Home feature Rocky rapping about the finer things in life and giving the album it’s well-needed lighter moments. With the death of A$AP Yams still heavy on his heart, A$AP Rocky was able to piece together a project that the late A$AP MOB capo would be proud of.

It’s fresh. It’s experimental. It’s A$AP’s natural evolution. At long last A$AP, you’ve crafted your magnum opus.

You Should Check Out: L$D, Excuse Me, Fine Whine, M’$, Everyday, Back Home

I can’t even talk about how good this album is — any words I type won’t do it justice. You have to listen to this album. Remember the praise that good kid, m.a.a.d. city got? That’s the praise this album should be getting, because it’s the antithesis to Kendrick Lamar’s debut and paints a vivid picture in a much more abstract way. Vince Staples crafted a profound record that is so true to itself and unapologetically bleak. This album tells the story of an innocent kid who succumbed to temptation, who didn’t get saved, who became a victim of his surroundings. Vince Staples shares his story with such ease and so nonchalantly, it’s almost as if his violent past has left him unfazed and he’s numb to anything else that life throws at him. The lyrics here are conversational and straight the point, while the beats provide the perfect canvas for Vince to give you a tour of the dangerous streets of Long Beach.

So what are you waiting for?! Go stream Summertime ’06 and prepare yourself to ride shotgun with Vince Staples through Northside Long Beach.

You Should Check Out: Lift Me Up, Norf Norf, Summertime, 3230, Might Be Wrong, Street Punks

Summertime ’06 is my favourite record of the year.

With so much good music in the past 365 days, it was really tough to pick the 10 best records. While the aforementioned albums were my personal picks, here are a few others that you should still check out:

• Cherry Bomb by Tyler the Creator
• Songs To Make Up To by Ta-Ku
• Rodeo by Travis Scott
• To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
• Surf by Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
• In Colour by Jamie XX
• Free by Lil B & Chance The Rapper
• The Darkest Before Dawn by Pusha T — Truthfully speaking, I enjoyed Pusha T’s prelude to King Push and it was easily a top contender for one of my favourite projects of the year. The only reason why it didn’t make my above list was because I didn’t have enough time to sit with it and thoroughly digest it. Also, replay value is a huge factor that I had to consider and there hasn’t been enough time since The Darkest Before Dawn’s release to see if it’ll stand the test of time.