{"id":1255530,"date":"2017-12-14T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-14T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1255530"},"modified":"2017-12-14T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-12-14T03:00:00","slug":"the-20-best-rap-albums-of-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1255530","title":{"rendered":"The 20 Best Rap Albums of 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article main-content\" lang=\"en-US\">\n<div class=\"AIContentWrapper-gOOlQO fHyaAp\">\n<div class=\"ArticlePageLedeBackground-JMVDp bIwRjk\">\n<header class=\"ContentHeaderWrapper-cqMZiN ekVjjn content-header article__content-header fullbleed\">\n<div data-testid=\"ContentHeaderContainer\" class=\"ContentHeaderContainer-cMdHiZ fxttZl\">\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderHedAccreditationWrapper-WaWBW fTkfBu\">\n<div data-testid=\"ContentHeaderTitleBlockWrapper\" class=\"ContentHeaderTitleBlockWrapper-cyIGwg dMceKV\">\n<div data-testid=\"ContentHeaderRubric\" class=\"ContentHeaderRubricBlock-aIcNK jMWrMO\">\n<div data-testid=\"ContentHeaderRubricDateBlock\" class=\"ContentHeaderRubricDateBlock-kvxmSu jVyBWg\">\n<div class=\"RubricWrapper-dZIqzO lULYX ContentHeaderRubricContainer-fiPRfk fRUoUz\"><span class=\"RubricName-gkORYq fCauaT rubric__name\">Lists &amp; Guides<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 data-testid=\"ContentHeaderHed\" class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE ContentHeaderHed-SVoJX deqABF fUKuKJ dyRzMH\">The 20 Best Rap Albums of 2017<\/h1>\n<hr class=\"ContentHeaderContentDivider-ldpHoK ddpvNv\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderAccreditation-fcyiw bhgqZY content-header__accreditation\" data-testid=\"ContentHeaderAccreditation\">\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderDek-bCXPyE fuFZml\">From Playboi Carti\u2019s mumbling opus to Vince Staples\u2019 raved-up deconstruction of fame, these are the year\u2019s most vital rap records.<\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderByline-jXtKQj jgXynP\">\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderBylineContent-dkwwFS fRKSvg\">\n<div data-testid=\"BylinesWrapper\" class=\"BylinesWrapper-vmGrt cZzmZD bylines ContentHeaderBylines-cTXqro ljGzhW\"><span class=\"BylineWrapper-jRoBEm jYubaV byline bylines__byline\" data-testid=\"BylineWrapper\"><span class=\"BylineNamesWrapper-jrdaOa fXeqQN\"><span data-testid=\"BylineName\" class=\"BylineName-kqTBDS dDLLkB byline__name\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE BylinePreamble-itSxDZ deqABF kRwXQa jcgMlx byline__preamble\">By <\/span>Sheldon Pearce<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p><time data-testid=\"ContentHeaderPublishDate\" datetime=\"2017-12-14T01:00:00-05:00\" class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE ContentHeaderPublishDate-eNTYkb deqABF kSRRkI eFanim\">December 14, 2017<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderLeadAsset-hVxhYG cUtuGz lead-asset ContentHeaderLeadAssetWrapper-gQBTSl fxZXZn lead-asset--width-fullbleed\" data-testid=\"ContentHeaderLeadAsset\">\n<figure class=\"ContentHeaderLeadAssetContent-kyKlgP eGZaQl\">\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderLeadAssetContentMedia-bwiUDr keSRCn lead-asset__content__photo\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset ContentHeaderResponsiveAsset-cgZUtS coCHna\"><\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"aspect-ratio-container\" class=\"AspectRatioContainer-bEozCe cwMgJu\">\n<div class=\"aspect-ratio--overlay-container\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5a319d7b27e2635ac0518348\/2:1\/w_120,c_limit\/YearEnd_RAP_Header.gif 120w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5a319d7b27e2635ac0518348\/2:1\/w_240,c_limit\/YearEnd_RAP_Header.gif 240w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5a319d7b27e2635ac0518348\/2:1\/w_320,c_limit\/YearEnd_RAP_Header.gif 320w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5a319d7b27e2635ac0518348\/2:1\/w_640,c_limit\/YearEnd_RAP_Header.gif 640w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5a319d7b27e2635ac0518348\/2:1\/w_960,c_limit\/YearEnd_RAP_Header.gif 960w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-attribute-verso-pattern=\"article-body\" class=\"ArticlePageContentBackGround-dcEtzE kUtTlG article-body__content\">\n<div class=\"ArticlePageChunksContent-enJWmu ilcJfn\">\n<div data-testid=\"ArticlePageChunks\" class=\"ArticlePageChunks-fwcPjP cOribe\">\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf fubVbh grid grid-margins grid-items-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP fKzBeN\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV bRelOV grid--item\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv gGoeHn body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<p>On the strength of staggering streaming numbers, hip-hop officially became the dominant genre in America for the first time ever this year. The metrics finally caught up to the zeitgeist, leading to a rap renaissance atop the charts. But there were more subtle reckonings within the year\u2019s most rousing rap albums, which wrestled with form and function, introspection and interaction, self-awareness, legacy, and duty. Rappers deconstructed their old works, or capitalized on years of momentum, or reevaluated their place in rap and the wider world. Young rappers took command, and older rappers took stock. Some delved deeper inside themselves, while others expanded outward into melody and motion, changing the very idea of what a rap record can be.<\/p>\n<p>Listen to selections from this\u00a0list on our Spotify\u00a0and Apple Music playlists.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jamla  Roc Nation\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/6527ff7de7c02d796e845590\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Rapsody-%2520Laila%25E2%2580%2599s%2520Wisdom.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Jamla \/ Roc Nation<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">20.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Rapsody: <em>Laila\u2019s Wisdom<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Rapsody spends almost every second of <em>Laila\u2019s Wisdom<\/em> offering lessons, many of them passed down from her grandmother, for whom the project is named. But just as many are hers\u2014detailed instructions on finding beauty in blackness, or neighborly warnings about the dangers that plague black communities, or breaking down the differences between tenuous and tangible power. The indie-rap vet has long been one of hip-hop\u2019s premier writers, and on \u201cJesus Coming,\u201d she plays out the final thoughts of several victims of gun violence\u2014a man hanging with the wrong crowd, a mother and daughter who become bystanders, a shootout among gangbangers leaving both bloody\u2014each scenario slowly becoming an elegy. These are the recitations of a lifelong listener, thoughtful and profound, sharing all she\u2019s absorbed along the way.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Rapsody, \u201cJesus Coming\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ruby Yacht\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/59888bed06cb3d7a4d86b64d\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/who%2520told%2520you%2520to%2520think_milo.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Ruby Yacht<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">19.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>milo: <em>who told you to think?\u200b?\u200b!\u200b!\u200b?\u200b!\u200b?\u200b!\u200b?\u200b!<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>milo is an intensely cerebral MC who values theory. There is a sorcery to his wordplay, and <em>who told you to think??!!?!?!?!<\/em>\u00a0finds as much value in the perfect articulation of an idea as the train of thought that spawned it. The album is a seemingly endless maze of digressions, asides, and musings, philosophical in nature yet craft-like in practice. But don\u2019t be fooled: Every sentence is purposeful; no word is out of place. He\u2019ll burrow into a beat and then spring forth, uncoiling dense raps mentioning art theorists, essayists, and sculptors, sometimes in reference to their works or ideas but mostly as personal touchstones in an endless search for truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> milo, \u201csorcerer\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Clothing Apparel Shirt Human Person Jersey Text Advertisement and Poster\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5991b38cb5493d7110d14295\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/ai%2520youngboy_youngboy%2520NBA.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Self-released<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">18.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>YoungBoy Never Broke Again: <em>A.I. Youngboy<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Baton Rouge teenager YoungBoy Never Broke Again found new power in freedom on <em>A.I. YoungBoy<\/em>, his post-prison screed. It\u2019s a cold and absorbing project that bubbles with pent-up rage and unease as it hides trauma with gun-toting machismo. His songs are indebted to local forebears like Boosie Badazz and Kevin Gates, who have similar track records, but he has grown into a formidable MC in his own right, versatile and charming. These are tales of a young man trying to find his way, one who feels beholden to the same streets that could cost him his life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf fubVbh grid grid-margins grid-items-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP fKzBeN\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV bRelOV grid--item\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv gGoeHn body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> YoungBoy Never Broke Again, \u201cWat Chu Gone Do\u201d [ft. Peewee Longway]<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"2 Chainz Pretty Girls Like Trap Music\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/652802d1ba01f0efc949d942\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/2%2520Chainz-%2520Pretty%2520Girls%2520Like%2520Trap%2520Music.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Def Jam<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">17.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>2 Chainz: <em>Pretty Girls Like Trap Music<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>To promote <em>Pretty Girls Like Trap Musi<\/em>c, 2 Chainz covered an abandoned Atlanta house in pink paint. His raps have a similar effect, airbrushing trap scenes in bright and eye-grabbing colors, making them garish and absurd. Long a punchline legend, 2 Chainz honed his songwriting and became one of the most complete rappers across the last few years, and he can continue to count himself among the greatest rap imagineers of his generation. His raps feel as plush as the luxuries he covets, and this album is the rapper\u2019s most centered offering in a career full of devastatingly vivid zingers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong>\u00a0 2 Chainz, \u201c4 AM\u201d [ft. Travis Scott]<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Human and Person\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5a0373a40e15342eab4c1ecc\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/before%2520I%2520wake_kamaiyah.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Self-released<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">16.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Kamaiyah: <em>Before I Wake<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Kamaiyah is an indomitable force of positivity, and on the mixtape <em>Before I Wake<\/em> she refocuses, taking control of her career and her mental health following a rash of frustrating album delays. The project is cohesive, glossy, stylish, and sophisticated, as her candied melodies get compressed through a sleepy, singsong delivery. \u201cWhich one of y\u2019all gonna stop me? \u2019Cause ain\u2019t nobody standing in my way,\u201d she sings on \u201cThe Wave,\u201d suggesting an imminent title run. Until then, this will more than suffice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Kamaiyah, \u201cSlide (Bet)\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Selfreleased\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/6528068567e6b7d3514a78e3\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/MIKE%2520May%2520God%2520Bless%2520Your%2520Hustle.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Self-released<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">15.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>MIKE: <em>May God Bless Your Hustle<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>This prodigious teenage rapper from New York City is constantly seeing and analyzing. His raps are packed with snap judgments, stream-of-consciousness observations that vanish as quickly as they appear.\u00a0<em>May God Bless Your Hustle<\/em>\u00a0is a marvel, delivered through a sonorous, megaphonic voice. On \u201cGreedy,\u201d he\u2019s starkly confessional: \u201cIt ain\u2019t really \u2019bout the lyrics or the wordplay\/Boy, this somethin\u2019 for my spirit and my worst days, nigga\/Lookin\u2019 in the mirror be the worst thing\/Bulky black body where the shirt hang.\u201d But he\u2019ll sneak in something sly just as fluidly. Some songs are flashes. Others are monologues. MIKE makes rapping seem easy, but it\u2019s the kernels of wisdom scattered in his musings that resonate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf fubVbh grid grid-margins grid-items-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP fKzBeN\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV bRelOV grid--item\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv gGoeHn body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong>\u00a0 MIKE, \u201cPIGEONFEET\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Advertisement Poster Collage Human Person Brochure Paper and Flyer\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5ecd64181ed2d15ae865826d\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Luv-Is-Rage-2.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Atlantic<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">14.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Lil Uzi Vert: <em>Luv Is Rage 2<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Lil Uzi Vert has proclaimed himself a rockstar\u2014going as far as wearing an iced-out Marilyn Manson pendant\u2014and his breakout smash, \u201cXO\u00a0TOUR Llif3,\u201d positioned him as the boldest emo rapper out there. Outfitted with glowing production and poised performances, <em>Luv Is Rage 2<\/em>\u00a0isn\u2019t quite as unexpected as that hit, but it still solidifies the arrival of a promising young star. Whether Uzi is slathering his strange Auto-Tuned croak over gleaming rap ballads or holding his own on collaborations with Pharrell and the Weeknd, the 23-year-old provides a palpable punk energy at every turn.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Lil Uzi Vert, \u201cXO TOUR Llif3\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"RBC  Glo Gang\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/6528098fb3fd9849598b51ac\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Chief%2520Keef-%2520Thot%2520Breaker.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>RBC \/ Glo Gang<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">13.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Chief Keef: <em>Thot Breaker<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Of all the radical pivots in Chief Keef\u2019s fascinating career, <em>Thot Breake<\/em>r is the most sublime. Full of his sweetest melodies and soothing tones, the mixtape exists as an affectionate outlier in an otherwise thorny catalog. When he isn\u2019t wooing women, he\u2019s having heart-to-heart talks about trust and friendship. He\u2019s genteel, charming, and accessible, serenading side chicks and delighting in their companionship. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry, girl, it\u2019s just you and me,\u201d he croons. But, for all its sentimentality, this isn\u2019t a fantasy. Refusing to be mistaken for a romantic, Chief Keef luxuriates in messy relationships, seducing women away from their boyfriends and stewing in the chaos he\u2019s caused. Even his softer side is mischievous.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Chief Keef, \u201cCan You Be My Friend\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Flag Symbol Human Pedestrian Person Crowd Urban Road Town Building City and Downtown\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/599b2faad7cfca73eb7c517f\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/no%2520mountains%2520in%2520manhattan_wiki.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>XL<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">12.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Wiki: <em>No Mountains in Manhattan<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Wiki\u2019s <em>No Mountains in Manhattan<\/em> is made up of dispatches from a New Yorker maneuvering through his community and absorbing his surroundings. Each verse is full of jump cuts, motioning constantly to catch everything in the frame. The raps are jam-packed with the personality of a rush hour subway car. He can stretch out a single paranoid moment or compress an entire philosophy into a few bars, his economical nature and streetwise slick talk a product of his environment. Wiki is a good sport and a dreamer, a savant who found his kingdom in his own backyard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf fubVbh grid grid-margins grid-items-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP fKzBeN\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV bRelOV grid--item\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv gGoeHn body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Wiki, \u201cMayor\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Open Mike Eagle Brick Body Kids Still Daydream\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/65280a9767e6b7d3514a78e5\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Open%2520Mike%2520Eagle%2520Brick%2520Body%2520Kids%2520Still%2520Daydream.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Mello Music Group<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">11.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Open Mike Eagle: <em>Brick Body Kids Still Daydream<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Homes are more than brick and mortar. They are extensions of ourselves, physical and spiritual sanctuaries for our very beings. In this context, gentrification is an act of violence. Open Mike Eagle\u2019s <em>Brick Body Kids Still Daydream<\/em> examines such violence and its perpetrators, focusing on Chicago\u2019s demolished Robert Taylor Homes, once the largest housing project in America. \u201cThey blew up my auntie\u2019s building\/Put out her great grandchildren\/Who else in America\/Deserves to have that feeling,\u201d he raps, seeking some humanity. This is a stunning eulogy for the ghettos, for the families that were uprooted, for the bodies dislodged and disposed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Open Mike Eagle, \u201cLegendary Iron Hood\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lil B Black Ken\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/65280bf070150f03cf2ec0a4\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Lil%2520B-%2520Black%2520Ken.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Basedworld<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">10.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Lil B: <em>Black Ken<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>A project seven years in the making, <em>Black Ken<\/em> is a culmination of several terabytes of music, the full realization of the Based God mythos. It is his long-awaited ode to hip-hop, local and universal, retro and futuristic, all at once. (At one point, he dedicated the mixtape\u00a0to basically everyone.) <em>Black Ken<\/em> is one of the handful of Lil B\u2019s musical projects that doesn\u2019t feel like it\u2019s at least somewhat part of an elaborate performance art piece, full of feel-good music and oddball motivational speeches delivered on an endlessly positive platform.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong>\u00a0 Lil B, \u201cGlobal\u201d [ft. iLoveMakonnen]<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Shirt Suit Coat and Overcoat\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5929c24b13d197565213bce1\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/ae52c98d.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Young Money Entertainment \/ Cash Money<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">9.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Drake: <em>More Life<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Drake\u2019s world music playlist\u00a0<em>More Life<\/em>\u00a0is kaleidoscopic in nature, finally realizing the promise of <em>VIEWS<\/em> with a shuffling mix of South African house, dancehall-lite, grime, and pop-rap. The music is more expansive and the roster is more diverse, but there\u2019s still the same Drake beneath the plush sounds and accents: a paranoid star seeking solace, a hopeless romantic self-sabotaging in every relationship he has, a rap king constantly sobered by his own success. \u201cI\u2019ll probably self-destruct if I ever lose, but I never do,\u201d he raps. Within these vibrant tracks, Drake reestablishes his all-world empire while continuing to consider the costs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf fubVbh grid grid-margins grid-items-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP fKzBeN\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV bRelOV grid--item\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv gGoeHn body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Drake, \u201cMadiba Riddim\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Human Person Furniture Couch Clothing and Apparel\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5d766c7a0db1d10008f1fb22\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Playboi-Carti.jpeg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Interscope \/ AWGE<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">8.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Playboi Carti: <em>Playboi Carti<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Playboi Carti\u2019s self-titled debut mixtape is largely a triumph shared with South Carolina beatmaker Pi\u2019erre Bourne, who produced the majority of the project, including the breakout hit \u201cMagnolia.\u201d They make a prime pairing: the best new rap playactor finding room in quirky beats from the most exciting young producer. Carti is a swag rap oddball, one who usually prioritizes his aesthetic over songcraft; his entire rap philosophy can be boiled down to a lyric on \u201cdothatshit!\u201d: \u201cI\u2019d rather not talk about it just do that shit.\u201d Talking is important for most rappers, but Carti can dictate a catchy song on ad-libs alone. Here, he and Bourne deconstruct rap\u2019s time-honored tradition of producer-rapper duos, redefining what exactly their roles are supposed to be.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Playboi Carti, \u201cMagnolia\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Animal Bird Vehicle Transportation Aircraft and Airplane\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5929c06d5e6ef95969323550\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/f50f99fa.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Self-released<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">7.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Run the Jewels: <em>Run the Jewels 3<\/em><\/h2>\n<p><em>RTJ3<\/em> is filled to the brim with righteous indignation and riotous energy. Released on Christmas Day 2016, its messages\u2014and its rage\u2014have carried over into a year dominated by headlines about corruption and abuses of power. The album is a reckoning for the masters, a confrontation of the ruling class. There are fewer tag-teams more formidable than Killer Mike and El-P, and <em>RTJ3<\/em> is their manifesto: Hold everyone accountable, deface memorials of tyrants, challenge oppression wherever it may reign\u2014and always stay medicated on the most potent herbal remedies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Run the Jewels, \u201cLegend Has It\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Clothing Sleeve Apparel Human Person Long Sleeve and Art\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5929c1e6c0084474cd0c33dc\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/d2f1a76e.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Epic<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">6.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Future: <em>HNDRXX<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>After underwhelming with his self-titled 2017 album, Future evolved again for <em>HNDRXX<\/em>, which forefronts the tortured but exhilarating R&amp;B of a bitter man still reeling from heartbreak but finally regaining some control. Many songs are petty and dismissive, finding sublimity in spite. \u201cEven if I hit it once, you part of my collection,\u201d he posits on the opener. But just as many moments are enchanting, sleek, and seductive. \u201cI\u2019ll scoop your son up from your baby daddy\/From this point on, you don\u2019t have to deal with talkin\u2019,\u201d he sings on \u201cUse Me,\u201d offering a few of the kindest gestures in his entire catalog.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf fubVbh grid grid-margins grid-items-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP fKzBeN\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV bRelOV grid--item\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv gGoeHn body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Future, \u201cUse Me\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Quality Control  300 Entertainment\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/651c7ce4fce6fefcd169023c\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Migos%2520Culture.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Quality Control \/ 300 Entertainment<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">5.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Migos: <em>Culture<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Since 2013, Migos have pretty much shaped the rap zeitgeist in their image, but the motor-mouthed trio could never capitalize on their influence until the aptly titled <em>Culture<\/em>. Things started with the chart-topping single \u201cBad and Boujee,\u201d and the massive uptick in devout followers that resulted helped power what is by far their best album, packed with high-octane glitz raps. They\u2019ve been this wonderful in spurts, but <em>Culture<\/em>\u00a0finally turns years of banked cachet into gold.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Migos, \u201cBad and Boujee\u201d [ft. Lil Uzi Vert]<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"UMG  Roc Nation\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/651c7e189accbbeca9f91a1d\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/JAY-Z%25204%252044.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>UMG \/ Roc Nation<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">4.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>JAY-Z: <em>4:44<\/em><\/h2>\n<p><em>4:44<\/em> is a legacy album\u2014not only because it deals with the lessons JAY\u2019s parents left him and the fortune he\u2019ll leave his kids, but because it is an act of myth-making in disguise. Canny raps about restoring and preserving a reputation double as smart business moves, while the Brooklyn icon makes teachable moments out of his most public failings. He raps as well as he has this decade, appraising his empire, his mistakes, and what they could have cost him. It\u2019s in the album\u2019s quiet moments, when rap\u2019s greatest winner faces his shortcomings, that we get something truly extraordinary: Not JAY-Z the myth, but JAY-Z the man.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> JAY-Z, \u201cThe Story of O.J.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Human Person Animal Bee Invertebrate Honey Bee Insect Plant Flower Blossom and Nature\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5d76b30053e80c0008f43815\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Tyler-the-Creator-Flower-Boy.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Columbia<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">3.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Tyler, the Creator: <em>Flower Boy<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>For years, Tyler, the Creator has been trying to get to the root of his isolation in song. He comes closer than ever on <em>Flower Boy<\/em>, his gorgeous and tender course-correction, which reconciles his rabble-rouser past with personal truths. Leaner and more focused, this is his most disarming and accessible collection of songs: subdued, wistful, permissive, relatable. <em>Flower Boy<\/em> is personal and complicated, revealing long-withheld thoughts on race and sexuality: \u201cTell these black kids they can be who they are,\u201d he raps. And within these dazzling songs, he takes his own advice, stepping out into the sun for the first time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf fubVbh grid grid-margins grid-items-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP fKzBeN\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV bRelOV grid--item\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv gGoeHn body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Tyler, the Creator, \u201c911\/Mr. Lonely\u201d [ft. Frank Ocean and Steve Lacy]<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Animal Head and Fish\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/594c1ddad3993f4ad30b94c4\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/vince%2520staples%2520big%2520fish%2520theory.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Artium \/ Blacksmith \/ Def Jam<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">2.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Vince Staples: <em>Big Fish Theory<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>On <em>Big Fish Theory<\/em>, Vince Staples uses the sounds and textures of electronic music to deconstruct rap stardom. He settles into the nooks of aerodynamic productions that flash and creak, his verses zigzagging and fracturing. The record cuts back on the narration that dictated <em>Summertime \u201906<\/em> in favor of concision, moving deliberately as he decodes the rap experience from the outside and the inside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Vince Staples, \u201cBagBak\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-IJXIe gTiKnX\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-fkZDUs kHRAYC asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eEeytc eRSvCP asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cIfZLr fHIkTW asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Human Person and Magazine\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eNxvmU cfBbTk responsive-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/5929c3e8eb335119a49ed80f\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/31d2b6fd.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ lffKHz caption AssetEmbedCaption-fyuOdR eXMqGf asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionText-brNLzD deqABF gfMdJi fGraOh caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Top Dawg Entertainment \/ Interscope<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"heading\" class=\"heading-h3\">1.\u00a0<\/div>\n<h2>Kendrick Lamar: <em>DAMN.<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>Through musings on balance, karma, and ego, Kendrick Lamar explores the intersections of divinity and humanity on <em>DAMN.<\/em> An internal monologue runs throughout, forcing the rapper to examine his place in the world, in his industry, in his community, in his own body, in the next life. Blood and DNA stand in as markers of life force, identity, and heritage\u2014what we get from our ancestors and pass down to our children.<\/p>\n<p>And while Kendrick has always been God-fearing, he\u2019s starting to wonder just how much sinning will cost him here. <em>DAMN.<\/em> is more a prayer than a sermon, bearing out internal conversations with his conscience. The album is both sacred and secular, boasting Kendrick\u2019s most digestible storytelling\u2014autobiographical in some passages, sprawling in its compositions, yet more laden with gorgeous hooks and melodies than anything he\u2019s made before.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Kendrick Lamar, \u201cDNA.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p> Source URL: https:\/\/pitchfork.com\/features\/lists-and-guides\/the-20-best-rap-albums-of-2017\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lists &amp; Guides The 20 Best Rap Albums of 2017 From Playboi Carti\u2019s mumbling opus to Vince Staples\u2019 raved-up deconstruction of fame, these are the year\u2019s most vital rap records. By Sheldon Pearce December 14, 2017 On the strength of staggering streaming numbers, hip-hop officially became the dominant genre in America for the first time [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-1255530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-pitchfork-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1255530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1255530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1255530\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1255530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1255530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1255530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}