Demetrios’ List – The constant nagging topic this year has been that hip-hop has “fallen off”, even on its 50th anniversary. While it might not have been the strongest year for sales or in the mainstream, there will always be a share of visionary, well-done albums for those who are willing to dig a bit deeper.
There have been many breakout young artists and scenes rising to take the place of those falling off. We might not have a clear pipeline of the next Big 3 that people love to talk about, but the game is in good hands. Plenty of older legends have been coming with their best work as well, proving that rap isn’t just a young man’s game. Hip-hop is alive and well.
I’m frankly not even satisfied with it, given anything after the top four or so could be interchangeable with the honorable mentions or many others; but with that being said, here we will discuss some of my favorite hip-hop albums of 2023:
Honorable Mentions
10. Propain – Made From Scratch
Houston rapper Propain came through with a buzzer beater album of the year contender. Made From Scratch is one of the most motivational and vulnerable listens of the year, with Pro covering some deeply personal issues but overcoming them all the same. Importantly, it’s not only mature, but it’s also hard and should serve as an inspiration to contemporaries like Le$ (no offense intended). Think of this as the Yelohill or Nipsey of the South. Classic samples and legendary Texas features such as Z-Ro, Sauce Walka, Devin the Dude, and ongoing narration by Bun B himself make this a very impactful project.
Listen to Made From Scratch
9. 2Sdxrt3all – Dxrt3all Year
Scenes come and go like seasons these days, but the dark plugg wave in Atlanta right now has a bounty of great and vastly different artists all coming out an once, with 2Sdxrt3all leading the pack so far. Following the sound of mainstays like Slimesito, the sound is defined by airily menacing trap beats and, in Dxrt3all’s case, an absolutely unhinged delivery that somehow sounds like a whisper and a shout at the same time. Alongside Lil Tony Official, L5, and Slime Dollaz, 2024 is set to be a big year for this scene, especially if they keep up their release rate – Dxrt3all dropped four projects this year, and Dxrt3all Year marks it as a breakout.
Listen to Dxrt3all Year
8. Yungmorpheus & Real Bad Man – The Chalice & The Blade
It’s a bit of a disservice that this is the first time we’ve ranked Yungmorpheus given how great some of his past projects have been (Thumbing Thru Foliage and Affable With Pointed Teeth in particular), but a push from Real Bad Man – a producer of the year contender given his work with Blu and Kool Keith – sets The Chalice & The Blade over the edge. Morph has always walked a fine line of lavishness and militance, of emotion and lofi edge. This album’s production pushes him just enough creatively between the dusty funk and relatively big name features. It’s another huge notch in the belts of two greatly prolific artists. Don’t listen if you’re afraid of being called a cracker.
Listen to The Chalice & The Blade
7. Rob49 – 4God II
Rob49 is in a select group of new trap artists who balance aggression, artistry, and broader appeal so well. His newest album 4God II is at least on par with last year’s breakout Welcome To Vulture Island, and it builds on smartly on his in-your-face, Louisiana club influenced sound. Features from the likes of Roddy Ricch, Nocap, and another up and comer in YTB Fatt add depth, while the album’s deluxe plays with more melodic and introspective moments. The unbridled delivery on tracks like “Tweakin” makes Rob49 one of the most infectious and exciting artists out right now.
Listen to 4God II
6. Veeze – Ganger
Everyone knew this Veeze album was gonna be special, just based off the hype and his killer features with artists such as Babyface Ray. In Detroit trap, there tends to be two lanes; one is the more aggressive and bouncy style of Sada Baby, and the other being so slurred and cloudy.
Veeze and the Navy firmly fall in the second, but on Ganger he shows that lyrics don’t always have to come second here. Not a bar is wasted across Ganger‘s hour runtime, as he drones on the funniest, most debaucherous and menacing punchlines. Ganger is already so beloved that “GOMD” and “Not a Drill” are getting remixes left and right. Detroit trap has a new essential, and it’s no surprise.
Listen to Ganger
5. Phiik & Lungs//Lonesword – Another Planet 4
Ta$e Grip has been one of the strangest, but most fun scenes to watch flourish in the 2020s. Consisting of artists such as Akai Solo, Cise Greeny, Noface and Fatboi Sharif, rapper/producer Lungs has been at the center of much of their sound. The Another Planet series features Lungs rapping alongside Phiik, often with production under his own moniker Lonesword. The result is a cascade of heaved, often hilarious and absurd punchlines over a wasteland of retro influenced beats. While their flows are certainly an acquired taste, Lungs’ constant allusions to the plug are sure to win you over, and there’s plenty of more critical, even haunting commentary under the surface.
Listen to Another Planet 4
4. B. Cool-Aid – Leather Blvd.
What’s made Pink Siifu so special has been his ecclectic influences and ability to adapt to a new genre on every album. Whether is be traditional Southern hip-hop, industrial, or lofi, his Cincinnati via Alabama upbringing shines in a different light every year. Well B. Cool-Aid is his R&B project, aided by production from Ahwlee. They’ve had a couple of solid, shorter projects in the past, but Leather Blvd. is where they really committed to their vision on a more complete album. It’s sexy, it’s old school, it’s soulful, Black, warm and welcoming on a grand scale.
Listen to Leather Blvd.
3. Skech185 – He Left Nothing For the Swim Back
Skech185 probably wasn’t on many people’s radars until this year given his small discography – and maybe he still isn’t; but his new album produced by Jeff Markey should be essential listening for any fan of the Backwoodz ethos. He Left Nothing For the Swim Back will leave listeners shaken regardless of their background, hearing the angst and frustrations of Black America that they’ve either shared in or contributed to themselves. Skech has such memorable bars and a unique perspective on the state of things, sharing stories from a rough Chicago upbringing that are equally steeped in backpack classics.
Listen to He Left Nothing For the Swim Back
2. Talib Kweli & Madlib – Liberation 2
Maybe listen to the album before mouthing off about him. Talib Kweli is a legend in hip-hop, one of it’s most respected MC’s, and a staunch defender of it’s values. Whether his rapping style and hard-nosed personality resonates with you or not, his catalog and place in the game speaks for itself.
With that being said, he’s somehow entered a second or third prime over the past two years, with Madlib seemingly lighting a fire back under him. After the long-awaited second Black Star album last year, Talib’s ability to communicate his ideas through punchy and memorable bars is at an all-time high on Liberation 2. Not only that, but this is also Madlib’s best produced album in quite some years. The overall songwriting is much cleaner and more fleshed out than their original collaboration, and the result, thankfully, is yet another case of a resurging legend.
1. Killer Mike – Michael
I must be addicted to rappers that are controversial on Reddit.
Killer Mike has always had a unique command of the mic, but to many listeners, wasn’t able to manifest that into projects that matched his skill. Sure, Monster is a hard-hitting spin on early trap and the Pledge series was biting in it’s revolutionary messaging, but he has been reduced over the years to just a Run the Jewels guy. On his long awaited new solo album though, Mike pens a love letter to the South through gospel influence, and deeply vulnerable themes. The crusade against him is so frustrating, because this is one of the most complete hip-hop performances in memory.
Listen to Michael
Scott’s List – There have been countless albums in 2023, currently my count is sitting at 1100 albums that I have listened to, so if anyone can attest for this statement its me. That said, there can only be a few you can call the best of the year. Here, we’ll go over these picks & hopefully you can find some new picks along the way.
Honorable Mentions
Conway the Machine & Jae Skeese – Pain Provided Profit
Both Conway the Machine & Jae Skeese have had a busy year. Conway released many collaborative projects with a wide variety of producers, Skeese released one of the best albums of the year with his Sophomore album Abolished Uncertainties. Personally though, nothing is more memorable than the chemistry the two brought together on Pain Provided Profit.
It might not have the personal story telling of Skeese’s sophomore, but that was made up for in the endless bar fest the duo brings throughout the tracklist. Whether its all the sneaker head talk that opens the album with “Cocaine Paste” or the Drumwork posse cut that closes the album with “Food,” you’re bound to walk away from this one with a multitude of lyrics stuck in your head.
Listen to Pain Provided Profit on Apple Music
DaBoii & The Mekanix – Soakin Game
DaBoii feels like he’s always on the verge of dropping that perfect album, and with Soakin Game, he may have done it. He always provides a wide variety of sounds that showcase his skill set, but locking in with producer duo The Mekanix forces his wild flow to stick to a specific sound. Their west coast funk brings out some of the best in DaBoii, invoking that feeling of west coast classics but still being forward-thinking in its delivery. This, along with a rogues’ gallery of modern Californian legends, these elements meld to make an exciting listen. Its not DaBoii’s most daring project, but its easily his most consistent.
Listen to Soakin Game on Apple Music
Autumn! – Midnight Club
Which Autumn! release has been the best this year has been a difficult choice, but Midnight Club might have the most replayability of all of them. Golden Child 3 is a long yet engaging experience, allowing you to get lost in the world he sets up, but Midnight Club is filled with hits. His melodies allow sink you into the plugg backdrop, but the catchiness of the bars proves that he’s not just saying whatever. Instead he shows his mastery as a rapper, dropping references to other songs yet converting them to his realm. Truthfully, there’s not many other plugg rappers that can touch his abilities to craft songs like these.
Listen to Midnight Club on Apple Music
Potter Payper – Real Back in Style
UK rapper Potter Payper dropped one of the most focused albums of 2023, portraying his life in exhaustive detail throughout every track. Against the depressive scenes provided by the production, they allow him to display these struggles of street life to make ends meat, giving attention to detail of each obstacle that was laid in his life. This, along with his emotional voice & flow, transports you directly to the places he describes. Covering everything from his family tree, to the loss of life through the drugs, its all laid bare while set to some of the intricate beats of the year.
Listen to Real Back in Style on Apple Music
Kamaiyah – Another Summer Night
Oakland, California artist Kamaiyah has years in the industry at this point. With countless writing credits, Another Summer Night sees herself hit a stride. Some of the most endearing melodies of the year, aided occasionally by gang vocals that add dimension of those tracks. Every track makes you feel like you’re right there, dancing the night away, with not a care in the world.
Listen to Another Summer Night on Apple Music
UnoTheActivist / The Act – Deadication 3
Uno, The Act, whatever you want to call him, he’s remained a consistent force in the underground scene. His series Deadication has seen him maintain that older mixtape mentality, taking others beats making them your own. This spirit seems to be lost on the newer generation of rappers, understandably so since there’s an endless source of beats thanks to social media, but Uno’s efforts to keep this style alive make for fun results.
Listen to Deadication 3 on Apple Music
Lancey Foux – BACK2DATRAP
UK rapper Lancey Foux went to focus on the Rage sound with BACK2DATRAP, and he achieved the sound in spades. Production provided primarily by Bally creates this absurdly aggressive sound that Lancey effortless employs all his vocals over. It feels like the anti-thesis to last year’s Life in Hell album, which focused on much slower sounds & a more experimental style. This change of pace sees him letting loose across the runtime of the album, making for constant entertainment.
Listen to BACK2DATRAP on Apple Music
Robb Bank$ & Tony Shhnow – I Can’t Feel My Face Too
While both Robb Bank$ & Tony Shhnow had a hell of a year, they both came together to provide a ridiculous display of lyricism. Endless cultural references that could be picked apart for hours, almost framing themselves as these enigmatic figures that can control it all, its some of the most fun you could have all year. This along with the incredibly fun sample choices, the album is a rewarding experience the more familiar you get with their topics. Even if these fly over your head, the chemistry is too engaging to be skipped over.
I’m the one that gave Tracy Morgan the kidney
I’m the one who introduced Bobby to Whitney
I’m not there in the physical I’m there in the spirit
Listen to I Can’t Feel My Face Too on Apple Music
Kool Keith & Real Bad Man – Serpent
Kool Keith’s career is absurdly expansive, going back to earliest days of Hip Hop, and for its 50th anniversary he released multiple albums. Amongst these though, none standout more than the Real Bad Man-produced album Serpent. Filled with countless non-sequesters that have given Keith his signature style criticize all of the industry pitfalls & dangers, the difference here is Bad Man’s darker tone of production give these lyrics a whole new dimension.
It feels somewhat a full circle moment as well, as many have pointed to his Dr. Dooom persona’s album First Come, First Served as innovating the current wave of “drumless” beats, and here he is with Real Bad Man encouraging the new generation of innovators. The album that feels like as pure a celebration of Hip Hop as it can get.
Listen to Serpent on Apple Music
klwn cat & Nonazz – Greymatter
While I gave a lot of praise to Nonazz’s Tread Lightly, his collaborative album with klwn cat, Greymatter, might have surpassed it. This album is much darker, way more personal than maybe anything you’ll hear all year. With Nonazz’s commanding voice cutting through the dreary production choices, each song feels complete despite their short run time. If anything, the final track to close out the album will blindside its story & topics.