Top 50 Albums of 2013: 30-16

Start here… trust me

30. The Lords of Flatbush- The Underachievers

Favorite Track(s): Leaving Scarps, Flexing, Cold Crush, Fake Fans, N.A.S.A.

Least Favorite Track: Still Shining

Best Instrumental: Fake Fans (Prod. Lex Luger)

X-Factor: Beast Coast is coming strong and I guarantee Lex Luger + Underachievers was one of the best decisions made by anyone in 2013.

Rating: 67

Must Listen Rating: 6/10

29. Doris- Earl Sweatshirt

Favorite Track(s): Burgundy ft. Vince Staples, Sunday ft. Frank Ocean, Hive ft. Vince Staples and Casey Veggies, Chum, Centurion ft. Vince Staples, Whoa ft. Tyler, the Creator

Least Favorite Track: Guild ft. Mac Miller

Best Instrumental: Burgundy (Prod. The Neptunes)

X-Factor: He’s a fucking lyrical genius, like fucking Pinky (who was the genius trust me)!

Rating: 69

Must Listen Rating: 7/10

28. Wolf- Tyler, the Creator

Favorite Track(s): Jamba, Awkward, Domo 23, Answer, 48, Colossus, Rusty

Least Favorite Track: Pigs

Best Instrumental: Domo 23 (Prod. Tyler, the Creator)

X-Factor: It’s Tyler’s best work since Bastard so if you’re a fan or if you’re not this should be a must listen.  Doris’s close rating is just a coincidence I think both MCs could and will release better work but I think the sky’s is the limit for Earl and Tyler while he is a genius producer he is approaching the upper bound of his rap talent, which is still very good.

Rating: 69

Must Listen Rating: 10/10

27. Gods in the Spirit- Blu & Nottz

Favorite Track(s): Boyz II Men ft. Nitty Scott MC, Crème of the Crop ft. Versis & ScienZe, Crooks in the Castles ft. Anth’m, Homeboy, Sandman, Sene, Johaz, End of the World ft. Rashad, End of the World (Remix)

Least Favorite Track: N/A

Best Instrumental: End of the World Remix (Prod. Nottz)

X-Factor: Short, sweet, and perfectly produced, can you ask for more?

Rating: 72

Must Listen Rating: 9/10

26. My Name is My Name- Pusha T

Favorite Track(s): King Push, Numbers on the Boards, Nosetalgia ft. Kendrick Lamar, Pain ft. Future, S.N.I.T.C.H. ft. Pharrell

Least Favorite Track: Sweet Serenade ft. Chris Brown

Best Instrumental: Numbers on the Boards (Prod. Kanye West & Don Cannon)

X-Factor: Push has finally found his comfort zone without his brother Malice and this time around the hooks weren’t trash.

Rating: 72

Must Listen Rating: 10/10

25. Life Changes- Casey Veggies

Favorite Track(s): Life Changes ft. Phil Beaudreau, She in My Car ft. Dom Kennedy, My Vision, Young Winners, The Team, These Days, Take My Life

Least Favorite Track: Whip It

Best Instrumental: She In MY Car (Prod. DJ Dahi)

X-Factor: Thought he was gonna fall off honestly but his two releases this year proved me very wrong.

Rating: 73

Must Listen Rating: 4/10

24. Government Plates- Death Grips

Favorite Track(s): You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it’s your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat, Anne Bonny, Two Heavens, This is Violence Now (Don’t get me wrong), Birds

Least Favorite Track: I’m Overflow

Best Instrumental: Government Plates (Prod. Death Grips)

X-Factor: May be the most violent and aggressive release from this group, and you know me, violent and aggressive is my cocaine.  The second half of the album has it’s downfalls but all-in-all nothing less than I expected from MC Ride and company.

Rating: 75

Must Listen Rating: 0/10

23. No Poison No Paradise- Black Milk

Favorite Track(s): Interpret Sabotage ft. Mel, Ghetto Demf ft. Quelle Chris, Monday’s Worst, Money Bags (Paradise)

Least Favorite Track: Black Sabbath ft. Tone Trezure

Best Instrumental: Ghetto Demf (Prod. Black Milk)

X-Factor: No he really can’t rap all that well, but he is an incredible producer so… there ya go.

Rating: 75

Must Listen Rating: 3/10

22 The Proposal- Ransom & Statik Selektah

Favorite Track(s): I Do, Unexplainable, Life of Sin, How it Feels, Jade, It’s Ransom ft. Syles P,

Least Favorite Track: Reservoir

Best Instrumental: Unexplainable (Prod. Statik Selektah)

X-Factor: Statik Selektah is a master of the decks.

Rating: 75

Must Listen Rating: 7/10

19. New Jet City- Curren$y

Favorite Track(s): Choosin ft. Wiz Khalifa & Rick Ross, Sixteen Switches Part 2, Three 60 ft. Juicy J, Living for the City, Bitch Get Up ft. Juvenile, Mary, New Progam ft. Young Roddy

Least Favorite Track: These Bitches ft. French Montana

Best Instrumental: Choosin (Prod. Lex Luger)

X-Factor: Curren$y.

Rating: 75

Must Listen Rating: 10/10

20. Dour Candy- Billy Woods

Favorite Track(s): The Undercard, Redacted ft. Elucid, Central Park, Tinsletown, Hack, Cuito Canavale

Least Favorite Track: N/A

Best Instrumental: Redacted (Prod. Blockhead)

X-Factor: Blockhead and Billy Woods work perfectly together on this hard hitting release.

Rating: 76

Must Listen Rating: 6/10

19. Bastards of the Party- World’s Fair

Favorite Track(s): ’96 Knicks, Heathrow (Children of the Night), Sammy Sosa, Nem Diggas, V.S.O.P., B.O.T.P., Your Girl’s Here Pt. II, Rearview, Blacklisted

Least Favorite Track: N/A

Best Instrumental: B.O.T.P. (Prod. SPVCE)

X-Factor: Modern boom bap 90’s rap at its fucking finest.

Rating: 76

Must Listen Rating: 7/10

18. Extended Play- Statik Selektah

Favorite Track(s): Birds Eye View ft. Raekwon, Joey Bada$$ & Black Thought, East Coast ft. N.O.R.E. & Lil Fame, The Spark ft. Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$ & Mike Posner, Funeral Season ft. Styles P, Bun B & Hit-Boy, Camouflage Dons ft. Smif-N-Wessun & Flatbush Zombies, Gz, Pimps, Hustlers ft. Wais P & Slaine, My Hoe ft. Blu, Evidence & Reks, Live From the Era ft. Pro Era

Least Favorite Track: Home ft. Talib Kweli

Best Instrumental: My Hoe (Prod. Statik Selektah)

X-Factor: NYC may not be my city of choice but NYC hip-hop is my drug of choice.

Rating: 77

Must Listen Rating: 10/10

17 (tie). Summer Knights- Joey Bada$$

Favorite Track(s): Alowha, Hillary $wank, My Yout ft. Collie Buddz, Death of YOLO ft. Smoke DZA, 47 Goonz ft. Dirty Sanchez & Nyck Caution, 95 Til’ Infinity, Amethyst Rockstar ft. Kirk Knight, #LongLiveSteelo

Least Favorite Track: Trap Door

Best Instrumental: Hillary $wank (Prod. Lee Bannon)

X-Factor: Joey switches up his approach from the explosive release 1999 instead of the hard spacious style of 90s New York he uses a more jazzy melodic approach on this mixtape.

Rating: 78

Must Listen Rating: 10/10

17 (tie). Acid Rap- Chance the Rapper

Favorite Track(s): Good Ass Intro ft. a whole bunch of people, Cocoa Butter Kisses ft. Vic Mensa & Twista, Juice, Favorite Song ft. Childish Gambino, Smoke Again ft. Ab-Soul

Least Favorite Track: Pusha Man ft. Nate Fox & Lili K

Best Instrumental: Juice (Prod. Nate Fox)

X-Factor: Drugs, a lot of them.

Rating: 78

Must Listen Rating: 10/10