Last year was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, And in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years.
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded songs not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review will cover 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
Run-D.M.C., King of Rock(1985)– Although this album made several lists, it wasn’t nearly as highly-rated as their debut (which I covered two installments ago) or their third album (which will be in our next installment). That’s about where my assessment lands as well. The music pushes itself here compared to their first album- it leans even more heavily into sampling rock, plays with reggae, and has more varied and playful mixes. What it doesn’t have is the track after track punch, sharp vocal presence, and lyrical weight. This isn’t to take anything away from it- sophomore efforts are inherently difficult and producer Larry Smith continued the bold work he was doing all over the place in this era. And if it’s not quite as coherent as an album as what came before and after, that didn’t stop it from going platinum, or being suitably bold in staking their royal claim to simultaneous domination of rap and rock. It even includes a track written by the artist up next…
LL Cool J, Radio (1985)- I have a soft spot in my heart for this album, since it’s one of the first I bought with my own money. But it’s not here because of my partiality, it was an entry on five different “best” lists. Also, did I say “soft spot”? Because that’s not right at all. It’s a hard spot! Hard as the orchestra hits and metallic scratches, the sharp jab of the 808 beats, and the simultaneously aggressive and humorous vocal and lyrical punch of LL himself. Ahem. Okay, but again, don’t just take my fanboying word for it- the album is often cited as one of the turning points for bringing rap’s new school and volume-based boombox sound to the fore in hip hop. It’s also considered an exemplar of Rick Rubin’s spare and hard-hitting production style. Radio was a hit at the time, and it still stands up today, which is even more remarkable when you consider that LL Cool J was 16 and Rubin was a 21 year-old college student when they recorded the earliest songs from it in 1984.
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Last year was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, And in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years.
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded songs not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review will cover 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
Whodini, Escape (1984)– This is the second album from the Brooklyn trio of Jalil Hutchins, Ecstasy, and Grandmaster Dee. Coming off of a European tour that convinced them there was widespread appeal to rap music, they headed back into the studio with pioneering producer Larry Smith. The original plan was to go for a more rock-based sound, but hearing Smith’s work in that vein on Run-D.M.C.’s debut, the group decided for something different, working in live bass tracks and R&B-oriented syntheiszer work. The radio friendly sound that resulted was both successful (it was the first rap album to debut in the top 40) and influential- the album helped launch the “new jack swing” style of the 80s that bridged R&B and rap. It also contains One of the linchpins of the obsession with “freak” songs I formed in junior high dances, “Freaks Come Out At Night”. Talk about influential! (Note: The version linked here is a 2011 expanded edition, but if you take just the first eight tracks, that’s the original 1984 album.)
The Treacherous Three, The Treacherous Three (1984)- This album is something of a throwback (to the extent that hip hop had enough history at that point to allow for throwbacks) in that half the songs on it had originally been released in 1980/81 as singles, and had even been previously compiled in a 1983 release. When Sugarhill Records brought this Harlem-based crew of DJ Easy Lee, Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, Special K and Spoonie Gee on board, producer/President Sylvia Robinson took the earlier singles, added three new songs from 1983 and produced what you find here. If you can find it. You can get all the songs individually and listen to them in order, which is what I did for these purposes, but despite being well-regarded and considered influential, I couldn’t find the album as a whole on any streaming service. I think it’s worth the effort to track these songs down, though, because what you’ll hear on songs like “The Body Rock”, “Turning You On”, and “U.F.O.” is the sound of transition from early hip hop party jams to the electro style that led to so much else. Miami bass, house, techno, and on and on…
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
I mean, at least it’s not 2025 yet? And with that, here we are, the last pre-finale round-up of our quest to find the 23 best albums of 2023!
For those just joining, what happened so far: In 2021, to re-familiarize myself with the latest releases after a new music drought of a decade or so, I listened to the critics choices for the best albums of the 2010s, and picked my favorites based on their choices. I did the same for 2020, picking my top 20 from the critics lists for that year. At the same time I started listening to new releases each month, eventually arriving at my picks for the 21 best albums of 2021. I figured that one good year deserves another, so I did it again in 2022, reviewing new releases monthly and discovering the 22 best albums of 2022. And I’ve doing it again for 2023!
There are links to the 2020, 2021, and 2022 albums in the posts above, but if you’d like an all-in playlist for each year, I have those on Spotify:
Each month is divided into “yes” and “maybe” categories as follows:
Yes– This represents the albums that, upon first listen, could definitely be in the running for best of the year. That’s no guarantee though, there are now 132 “yeses”, and only 23 spots. The fields will be soaked with the blood of dead albums!
Maybe– These albums have a lot to recommend them, but also some factor that gives me pause. I put them in their own category, because “maybes” sometimes linger and eventually become “yeses”. As of this post, there are 133 “maybe” albums. More blood! More soaking!
And there you have it! With that, here are my final contenders for 2023 from 224 October-November new releases.
Aesop Rock, Integrated Tech Solutions– Oh the old school bass, synth, and drum machine sounds! It’s a very deliberate invocation, as the 80s IT-themed album cover, occasional appearance of video game sound effects, and shout-outs to everything from Salt N Pepper to Mr. T make clear. It’s not purely an exercise in nostalgia though- the flow and often even the mix feels very modern. Aesop Rock has produced some of my favorite hip hop of the past few years, and I’d add this to that list!
Ceci Bastida, Every Thing Taken Away– What I read about her was, “Since moving from Tijuana, Mexico, to the United States, the former Tijuana No! keyboardist and singer Ceci Bastida has released records and podcasts extending the Latinx punk tradition.” What I have to say is, this album is brilliant, nervy, electronic and rocking, with stripped-down beats, fun, and attitude!
Chase & Status, 2 Ruff, Vol. 1– Stuttering beats, glitchy sounds, dub on noisy overdrive. The metallic bass feels like looming dread, and the vocal’s autotuning actually works, it turns them into the urgent yet distorted voices of prophets. Distorted dread that you can dance to! This U.K. drum’n’bass/dubstep duo has apparently been kicking around since the early 00s, and I’m told this less polished and more like a mixtape that their usual albums. Well amen!
Christian Kjellvander, Hold Your Love Still– Moody and atmospheric guitar-driven music, replete with minor chords, and haunting old-time vocals with literate and philosophical lyrics. The musical and vocal range is limited, but this Swedish-born, Seattle-raised singer-songwriter with indie lo-fi roots is powerful.
CMAT, Crazymad, For Me– You know those Irish singer-songwriters with a wicked wit and playful inventiveness who are lush pop vocalists with a strong country flavor? Well, Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, aka CMAT is one of those. Actually, I don’t know how many more of those there are, but she’s a damn good one, and I love it!
Danny Brown, Quaranta– Oh, I like the mix here! Muscular, surprising, full of glitches, stutters, computer samples. The flow and the lyrics are likewise delightful in having a knack for hooks, and being varied and interesting. Thank you Detroit rapper Danny Brown (and associated collaborators) for reminding me what fun hip hop can be.
Dhani Harrison, Innerstanding– Knowing he’s George Harrison’s son, I went in with a certain semi-conscious expectation, and ended up encountering something more daring and experimental. To be sure there are hints of the sunny hazy side of 60s and 70s rock here, but also aspects of electronic, experimental, shoegaze, and noise rock as well. He reminds me of one of my favorites from last year, Particle Kid (aka Willie Nelson’s son Micah), in the way he both enhances and subverts the musical legacy that he’s inherited.
Goat, Medicine– The opening starts with a suitably growling distorted guitar that sounds like a 70s psyche rock freakout. Track two has a bit of an ornate pop feel to it, backed up by EDM effects. The third track combines strains of all of these and pumps up the echo. And so it goes on from there! My sources tell me that Goat is a Swedish alternative and experimental fusion music group, released in the US on the Sub Pop label. I tell me sources I love this!
Guided by Voices, Nowhere To Go But Up– With Guided by Voices and their habit of releasing multiple albums a year, these annual reviews are a little like a visit to the optometrist- Is #1 better? Or #2? #1? Or #2? This one’s got bruising guitar with plenty of distortion and a feeling for chord progressions that are heavy but melodious. The lyrics are evocative as ever, and there isn’t a track here that lags. Update my prescription and get me new glasses doctor, I’m in!
Jockstrap, I<3UQTINVU– I<3UQTINVU (“I Love You Cutie, I Envy You”) is a remix compilation from this UK duo’s 2022 album I Love You Jennifer B. I found that album to be too polished and muted, but these reworkings are anything but. The glitchy beats and vocals, spare mix, and ability to go EDM, experimental, and rocking sometimes all at the same time really stand out. There are genuinely surprising moments throughout, and the sound is familiar enough to be accessible, but also challenging and a promise of new possibilities.
Joe Jackson, Mr. Joe Jackson Presents Max Champion in What a Racket!– The album is presented as the work of the fictional Max Champion, a turn of the century music man. As such, it’s thoroughly in early 20th century music hall style. This is what we call “high concept”. And, in the hands of someone less skillful than Joe Jackson, it might be extremely annoying. But what actually results here is a flawless set of songs that sound totally period but also feel contemporary and alive, and if the whole thing reads a bit like an album-length treatment of “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”, well apparently I needed that and didn’t even know!
Joell Ortiz/L’Orange, Signature– Produce L’Orange joins with Ortiz to re-interpret his 2021 album Autograph (hence Signature, get it?), in the process producing a new “old” album. New in that the reinterpretation stand son it’s own, “old” in the sense that they mine some classic sounds. I like the lurching offbeats, unusual and powerful mix, positive ownership of the lyrics, and the swagger and power of the flow.
Kurt Vile, Back to Moon Beach– You know I like about lackadaisical low-fi songs with an acoustic/country flavor, evocative but elliptical personal lyrics, and interesting distortion-laden production? Everything! A lot of these are about making music itself, which further recommends itself to me, and it includes a genuinely haunting ode to Tom Petty, and a ridiculously fun song about Santa. If the vocal and musical range is limited, the excellence and the strangeness keep it in contention.
Marnie Stern, The Comeback Kid– Blistering guitar work, booming power pop sound, 80s synth overtones, an exuberance and edge to the mix, and a unique vocal presence. All right, Marnie, all right! I also love the way she messes with us, like on the second track about the sound being hard to take, which keeps layering on sonic challenges as it goes. The title refers to her decade off of new releases, but you sure couldn’t prove it by how much virtuosity is on display here.
Mayer Hawthorne, For All Time– Classic grooves and electro drums and synths are apparently a great way to get my attention! Which is to say this is redolent of late 70s/early 80s R&B in a pleasing way. Mayer Hawthorne turns out to be the soul crooning alter-ego of former DJ/Beatmaker Andrew Cohen, and this is his sixth album in that guise. He is darned good at it!
Mndsgn, Snaxxx– A bright kaleidoscope of beats, quirky effects, and chopped samples, with a lighthearted wit- the second track warns against falling in the lava with the singer- and genuine soul chops and jazz accents along the way. Mndsgn (pronounce “Mind Sign”) is an LA-based producer and artist, and I love what his synths and samplers are doing here!
MJ Lenderman, And The Wind (Live and Loose!)– This live album from Asheville singer-songwriter Lenderman is full of distorted guitars, sometimes in a country vein, sometimes more like southern rock or even noise rock. This topped with a yearning drawled melancholy to the vocals, and a lyrical side featuring heartache, humor, and oddly poingant slices of life. Reminding me of Uncle Tupelo in their early days, Lenderman is a telent worth keeping an eye on!
Pink Navel & Kenny Segal, How to Capture Playful– The dense and quirky flow and lurching left-field mix here caught my attention up front. The intelligence of the geeky pop culture-obsessed lyrics and varied and unusual sample and mix choices kept me tuned in. This collaboration of innovative L.A. producer Kenny Segal and nerd culture aficionado and Massachusetts hip hop artist Pink Navel (aka Devin Bailey) is a delight!
Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, Saved!– Avant garde artist Kristin Hayter has shed her Lingua Ignota persona, and released a gospel inspired album on which she, by her own recounting, reaches, “new levels of unhinged, spiritually and sonically.” I mean, okay, I can get behind that! And in fact, it’s pretty amazing. The spiritual yearning is sincere, but the traditional vocal and piano arrangements of the songs are mutated through the influence of electronica, metal, and noisy distorted experimental music. The results are jarring, unsettling, and sometimes abrasive, but it never feels gimmicky, and the evocative and uncanny nature of the songs lends itself to the quest.
Roger Waters,The Dark Side of the Moon Redux – The natural objection here is the hubris of redoing a classic, but I admire musical hubris, and if anyone has a right to re-approach this material, it’s Roger Waters. The next issue is the inherent thorniness of covers (which, again, I love), but the good news here is this meets my criteria for “gold standard” of a cover- not a too-faithful reproduction (because what would we need that for since we have the original?), but also something that substantively engages with and honors the original in some form. Waters has produced a version of these songs that isn’t a novelty or a copy, but instead pulls out their original air of darkness even more sharply and comes from the point of view of a worn yet wise observer of life. In other words, he brings the perspective of an 80-year-old self to the music he made as a 30-year-old. The effect is truly compelling.
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band, Dancing on the Edge– Spontaneous feeling stripped down Americana-flavored indie rock with articulate personal lyrics and transparent vocals. It has an often-upbeat feeling, but with an undertow of complexity and sadness. Louisville Singer-songwriter Davis has headed the band State Champion, started a music festival, and founded a DIY record label, and here on his first solo outing he proves yet again to be a dynamic voice worth listening to.
The Exbats, Song Machine– AllMusic says: “Father-daughter garage punk combo with a love of simple but hooky songs and witty tales of love and pop culture.” I am repeating that because I couldn’t say it better. And I love it! This could be my favorite underground bubblegum yet rocking & substantive band of any decade from the 80s to now!
The Serfs, Half Eaten by Dogs– The album has a hard rocking start, then electronic music effects and drum machines kick in on track two. It gets more electronic as it goes, throwing in influences from industrial and post-punk while staying loaded with echo and reverb. How am I not going to love this? This Cincinnati trio has something good going on!
Maybe
Chris Stapelton, Higher– Country? Yes. Rock? Yes. Blues? Also possibly yes. A reminder in a way of the eras when all those things could be the same, but not strictly a throwback sound, and a recall of how powerful American music can be.
Creation Rebel, Hostile Environment– After Prince Far I was murdered in his Jamaican home in 1983, Creation Rebel disbanded. Several decades later, U.K. dub impresario Adrian Sherwood invited three of the group’s members to join him for live dates, and they then worked on music together during the COVID-19 lockdown. The result, Hostile Environment, is the first Creation Rebel album in over 40 years. The newest sound in the world? No. But performed and produced by masters, and I like dub way too much to not love it!
DJ Ramon Sucesso, Sexta dos Crias– I kind of love this! It’s grating, lurching, but also delightful in it’s use of multiple aspects of hip hop, house, techno, and 2000s EDM styles. A little deliberately rought o get through, but this 21 year-old Brazilian DJ-producer’s album is confirming for me that I need to check out some more baille funk!
Duff McKagan, Lighthouse– Axl and Slash are such big presences that one could be forgiven for not remembering that everyone in Guns N’ Roses was banging. One of the first things I noticed listening to this is what a major contributor to their sound Duff was. But this isn’t purely a block of GNR nostalgia, there are studied lyrics-heavy acoustic sections here, reminders of 80s hard rock radio, and grunge (Jerry Cantrell even shows up on a track), and a polish that never sounds ingenuine.
Feeling Figures, Migration Magic– Crunchy and fuzzy guitars! Female vocalists! Punk and yet pop instincts! 10 songs in less than 30 minutes! It isn’t the most groundbreaking thing every, but you can’t fault a thing about how it’s done, and I likes it!
Maria Jose Llergo, Ultrabelleza– This is as perfect a set of EDM pop as one might wish for. There is the language issue (it’s almost entirely in Spanish) that I know is keeping me from getting the full impact, but the music, intelligence of the mix, and emotive power in the vocals of this Spanish singer needs no translation.
Poppy, Zig– Blistering stuttering electronic dance breaks? Check. Pop sad girl instincts with noise rock attitude? Check. Gothy darkness? Check! It may not be the most profound thing out there, but I like the noise the young kids are making in this space- it’s a pop that suits our era.
Slauson Malone 1, Excelsior– This outing from multidisciplinary artist Jasper Marsalis combines post-rock experimentation with modern abstract-fueled left-field hip hop. What results is experimental, challenging, and unusual! It’s not always an easy listen, but it is a worthwhile one.
Tele Novella, Poet’s Tooth– The beginning (and end) was a little muted, but by the second track it was sparkling. It reminds me in a way of The Velvet Underground and Nico as read through an Omnichord, with forays into cowboy ballad and English country madrigals along the way. All of which is to say, as was true of my 2021 list’s honorable mention from Tele Novella, Merlynn Belle, this is delightfully eclectic, charming, and not like anything else you will hear this year.
The Mountain Goats, Jenny From Thebes– I loved their album Bleed Out last year. Musically, vocally, and in terms of lyrical twists I’m still there with feeling good about this outing, and in fact a few songs here seem like overflow from that album. But the thematic unity here doesn’t seem quite as tight, which is keeping it off of the “yes” list.
Therion, Leviathan III– Look, I just can’t help it! Is the mix of orchestral chorus and paint-stripping technical metal a little overblown? Yes. Does it also keep pulling you in track after track? Yes. Swedish metal for the win!
Thy Slaughter, A. G. Cook & Easyfun, Soft Rock– The glitchy mix, degraded sound effect kaleidoscope, and over the top melodies amidst fragmented songs are kind of delightful. Even if this collaboration of artists from London-based record label/art collective PC Music doesn’t quite come together with an album’s coherence, it’s things like this that give me hope that pop music may find its way to a genuine “new” at some point. Or at least an “interesting”!
Van Morrison, Accentuate the Positive– Gadzooks, he’s done it! After a string of COVID conspiracy screed albums, his last album was a skiffle and covers-heavy outing that I really rather liked. But it still had a hint of COVID rant about it, and continued the bloated 1 1/2-2 hour length of those other albums (I liked them too when they weren’t as ranty, musically and vocally they were great). Here we have all covers, a one hour run length, and a relaxed master having fun with rock, country, & R&B standards. If it’s not revelatory, it works from start to finish.
Willie Nelson, Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 (Live at the Hollywood Bowl)– You may think I’ve lost my mind! It’s not that common to get a live album that works as a fully satisfying album. It’s even rarer for me to sign off on something that clocks in at more than 3 hours. And, as a (largely) covers album, this even breaks the cardinal rule of having the same song appear more than once! Nevertheless, this live album of a concert at the Hollywood Bowl celebrating Willie’s 90th birthday is a delight from start to finish. It starts with a thick set of great covers by many obvious choices, with some brilliantly unobvious ones thrown in as well, and then a thirteen song set of Willie himself teaming up with various luminaries, ending in a rendition of Happy Birthday. I may be hallucinating, and it’s not something you could just throw on to listen to every day, but I think this is an essential piece of the legacy of an essential American musician.
And there you have it. Other than my hip hop 50th Anniversary series, the next time you hear from me will be to announce the 23 best albums of 2023!
Chris LaMay-West 