A Decade of Favorite Albums: 2014–2023

2014: Piñata — Freddie Gibbs and Madlib

The first of the two collaboration albums between producer Madlib and rapper Freddie Gibbs is a combination that does not disappoint whatsoever. Madlib’s production on Piñata is absolutely incredible. There is not a single lack-luster beat on this project; Madlib is truly the master of sampling, as Piñata has some of the best and most beautiful sampling I’ve ever heard, like on songs like “Robes’’ or “Shame.” Freddie Gibbs is also phenomenal on this project. His deep tone and dark lyrics contrast perfectly with Madlib’s gorgeous beats, and fit so nicely over some of the darker beats on the project, like the first part of the incredible song “Real.” Another highlight on this album is the feature list ranging from BJ the Chicago Kid to Earl Sweatshirt to Mac Miller and many more. Piñata is an absolute classic with some of the best beats anyone will ever hear.

2015: To Pimp A Butterfly — Kendrick Lamar

What is there to be said about this album that has not been said already? What Kendrick Lamar did on To Pimp A Butterfly may never be done again. Kendrick not only made the best album of 2015, but he made one of the best albums in the history of music, and my personal favorite album of all time. Despite being a lengthy album with a run time of one hour and 18 minutes, every single track is sonically outstanding while also being lyrically brilliant. There is something special about every song: the beats on “Wesley’s Theory,” and “Momma,” the storytelling on “How Much a Dollar Cost,” the grooves on “These Walls’’ and “i,” and the absolutely genius, heart wrenching track, “u.” There is a deep importance within every single sentence on this album, whether it seems like it or not, and every song can be looked at for deeper analysis and from a different perspective. “Alright” was even used as a chant in black lives matter protests around America. Not only does Kendrick rap about racism on To Pimp A Butterfly, but he also covers topics such as depression, self hate/love, and religion. It is albums like these that will never be forgotten within the history of music. Kendrick Lamar created a generational masterpiece, and there may never be a greater rap album than this one.

2016: Blonde — Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean created an absolute masterpiece with Blonde, and sadly, he may never release another album again. Blonde is truly a special project. Instrumentally, every single track is gorgeous; the guitars on “Ivy,” the piano on “Pink + White,” the strings on “Seigfried,” and production on every single other song. Lyrically, Frank talks a lot about failed relationships, and childhood memories, like on “Self Control” and “White Ferrari.” The only thing more beautiful than the instrumental on this album is Frank Ocean’s stunning vocals. Frank really shows off his vocal ability on each song, and he also shows clear improvement from his previous album CHANNEL ORANGE. He even shows off a little bit of rapping on the second part of the two-part song “Nights.” Blonde is a phenomenal project, and it is really unfortunate that Frank Ocean has not put out more music. Hopefully he becomes more active in the future, but for now there is only hope.

2017: Ctrl — SZA

2017 is the first year on the list so far where the was not a clear album of the year–it was extremely difficult for me to pick just on album to represent this absolutely stacked year for music. However, after careful consideration, I eventually landed on Ctrl an R&B album with phenomenal vocals from SZA and great instrumentals all throughout the project, especially on the tracks “The Weekend” and “Broken Clocks.” Ctrl also opens really well with “Supermodel,” and closes with the slow, gorgeous ballad “20 Something.” Speaking about gorgeous tracks, “Normal Girl” is easily one of the best songs of 2017, a song about SZA feeling like she will never be good enough for herself and others. Not to mention the incredible production and vocals on the track as well. The features on Ctrl are great too, with apparences from Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Isaiah Rashad, and more. SZA really made a great project in 2017, and she proved herself as a star R&B artist.

2018: TA13OO — Denzel Curry

Like 2017, there was no clear pick for 2018 but 2018 might have been even harder. There were a ridiculous amount of amazing projects releases this year, but I eventually chose the conceptual project from Denzel Curry, TA13OO. The album is split into three parts: the light section, the gray section, and the dark section. As the album progresses, the songs get darker and darker. This concept is what makes TA13OO so special, as there is a beautiful contract between songs like the title track, “TABOO”, and the violent, aggressive closer, “BLACK METAL TERRORIST”. While all three sections are fantastic, my personal favorite is the gray section, with bangers like “SWITCH IT UP” and “MAD I GOT IT”. However, my favorite song on TA13OO is the collaboration with JID, “SIRENS”, a dark track about the political state of America. The hook, sung by both Denzel and Billie Eilish, is absolutely haunting, while being simultaneously beautifully. Since the release of this project, Denzel Curry has shown no signs of slowing down, and he deserves much more credit for incredible albums like this one.

2019: Igor — Tyler, The Creator

While the last two years were very difficult for me to pick a favorite, 2019 is quite easy. Igor is by far my favorite album of 2019. Following the impressive 2017 release “Flower Boy,” Tyler, The Creator comes out with a unique, strange, but amazing album, where he ditches rap for the most part and tries something different–it almost seems like Tyler created a new genre with this project. The whole album is a beautiful chronological story about a relationship that Tyler is in. There’s love, hatred, confusion, and a whole bunch of other emotions displayed throughout Igor. Another thing I love about this album is the versatility. There are soulful, calm tunes like “I THINK”, and there are also insane, unique tracks like “NEW MAGIC WAND” and “WHAT’S GOOD”. My personal favorite song is “A BOY IS A GUN*,” which uses the same sample as Kanye West used for “Bound 2” back in 2013. In this track, Tyler compares his lover to a gun, alluding to the fact that love can be dangerous. Even though 2019 was one of the weaker years for music in recent memory, Igor will always be in my rotation, due to it’s incredible creativity and unique sound.

2020: From King to a God — Conway the Machine

Not only is this still my favorite Griselda release of all time, I think this may be one of the most underrated and underappreciated rap albums of the last ten years. There is not a bad song on this project. Conway is so talented as a rapper and is a great lyricist as well. He gets very personal on this album, especially on songs like “Forever Dropping Tears,” and “Seen Everything But Jesus,” where he discusses the loss of some of his close friends. There is also a feature from Freddie Gibbs with an amazing melodic verse. Some of the beats on this project are absolutely filthy, but in the best way possible. For example, the cold-blooded, dark atmosphere on “Lemon” is outstanding, and I love Method Man’s feature as well. The collaboration with fellow Griselda members Westside Gunn and Benny the Butcher, “Spurs 3,” might have one of the strangest beats I have ever heard, with the instrumental being built upon what sounds like wind chimes, but in the strangest way possible. However, somehow, the track still seems to have a clear sense of direction, and all three rappers provide some fantastic verses. More people should appreciate this project, as it is still one of the best rap albums of the decade so far.

2021: The Off-Season — J. Cole

2021 was extremely difficult for me, but not for the same reasons as 2017 and 2018. With those two years, it felt as if there were a million albums to chose from, but for 2021, I was between only three projects: CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST by Tyler, The Creator, An Evening with Silk Sonic by Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak), and The Off-Season by J. Cole. Honestly, it’s basically a three-way tie for first place, but I chose to write about The Off-Season, which is what I believe to be J. Cole’s best album. There is more energy on this project than there is on any of the other J. Cole albums, and the bars are way more clever as well. I also believe this project to have J. Cole’s best performance as a rapper. His flows are amazing, especially on “a m a r i” and “ t h e . c l i m b . b a c k.” He brings insane energy on 9 5 . s o u t h” and “a p p l y i n g . p r e s s u r e.” Also, “m y . l i f e” has one of 21 Savage’s best features ever, which is saying a lot for someone who is better known as a feature artist than he his as a solo artist. This whole project is just filled with bangers. Even though this is my least favorite album on this list, it’s still a great project and J. Cole’s best work to date.

2022: The Forever Story — JID

After released two impressive albums, The Never Story and DiCaprio 2, it always felt like JID had so much potential, but he had not quite reached it yet. The Forever Story is JID at his full potential that was hinted in the past. There is not a single bad song, beat, or performance on this album. The beat and flow switches on “Raydar” are unbelievable, the storytelling on “Crack Sandwich” and “2007” is amazing, and the singing on “Kody Blu 31” is gorgeous. The features here are also brilliant, as there is not a single bad or misplaced feature. 21 Savage has an amazing verse on “Surround Sound,” EARTHGANG has great chemistry on “Can’t Punk Me,” and Lil Durk may have his best verse ever on “Bruddanem.” Those are just a few of the outstanding guest appearances. Lyrically, the most prominent topic on the project is family, especially on the incredible song “Sistanem,” handily one of the best songs of 2022. The third verse of this song is truly one of the highlights of this masterful album, where he raps about the importance of his family and the impact that they have on him when he is distant from them. There are plenty of other amazing tracks on this record as well, as each one of them is unique and fantastic. JID put all of his heart and soul into this project, and hopefully whatever he comes out with next is special as well.

2023: Lahai — Sampha

Lahai has got to be my pick for the most beautiful album of the 2020’s so far. Not only is every instrumental filled with gorgeous details and luscious production, Sampha’s vocals are angelic and absolutely stunning. The song “Dancing Circles” is a great example of Sampha’s exceptional singing, as he is singing his heart out near the end of the track. “Suspended” is also another highlight on the tracklist, with a sensational, powerful hook and one of the most energetic instrumentals on the album. Speaking of powerful, Léa Sen’s feature verse on “What If You Hypnotize Me?” is grand and emotional, and possibly the most powerful moment on Lahai. While Sampha took a six year break after the release of his 2017 album Process, I’d say that the wait was worth it. If Sampha continues to produce quality albums like this one, I wouldn’t mind waiting another five to six years. He is truly the definition of quality of quantity, and I am personally a fan of that.