January - June

While people on socials claim that the music industry has died out this year, I’ve been listening to quite a few albums on repeat that prove the opposite. Below are ten of my personal favorites (plus a few extras) from just the first six months.

10. Rory’s I Thought It’d Be Different

To those who aren’t quite sure what they’d like to listen to at the moment, or who are in a bit of a music rut, trust in Rory. While you won’t literally hear his voice on I Thought It’d Be Different, his meticulous curation of artists and sounds tells the story of a life unraveling. His life. With features from artists such as Ari Lennox, Conway the Machine, GoldLink, reggie, Jay Electronica, Kirby, etc., the atmosphere of each track is completely its own yet not one of the thirteen feels out of place. Whether you’re looking for simmering R&B or straightforward rap, melancholia or love in 3D, Rory has found an artist to embody your cravings and put them on this album.

9. Khamari’s A Sacred Place

In his debut album, A Sacred Place, Khamari fights an upward battle towards success; success in relationships, success in his career, success in life. He has a lot to say and not enough words to say it, though what he comes up with in the end is soulful and eloquent. Piecing together images of a relationship in decay, he reflects on his life and purpose. This smooth, contemporary R&B, with a sound reminiscent of Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange, is Khamari’s promise to both the craft and himself that from here he can only go up.

8. Masego’s Masego

If anyone has been more consistent than Masego in recent years, please guide me in their direction. And while we’re at it, if anyone can interpolate the “Cha Cha Slide” into an R&B track better than he did in “Black Anime”, please send me the file. The singer’s self titled project takes us through every phase of his career, from playing small gigs just to pay the bills to dealing with the consequences that come from spending time in the limelight. Relationships bud, bloom, and wilt, and he reminisces on what he had before his music ever blew up. Through a combination of smooth vocals, clever saxophone placement, and punchy production, Masego immerses the listener in his lived experiences. I guarantee you won’t be able to walk away from this album without one of the tracks looping in your head.

7. King Krule’s Space Heavy

An album unlike anything else on this list, Space Heavy is sonically entrancing. If the rest of the projects here are too upbeat, lustful, or extroverted, Archy Marshall’s fourth album under the alias King Krule offers a much more somber tone. Dealing with new fatherhood and the heavy weight of his own existence, Archy has provided a dream state of contemplation. Airy lullabies, saxophone laced punk pieces, guitar strings in distress. If you’re alone in your dark room in the middle of the night, or staring up into the never ending sky, you’ll get it.

6. Amaarae’s Fountain Baby

Amaarae’s sophomore album is an Afrobeats infused pop blessing. The Ghanaian American singer dives into a world of using and being used, loving and avoiding. Her words are dressed up in Dior and sex as she contemplates those chasing after her for her wealth and status, only ever denying their affection, never their bodies. Amaarae’s voice here is just as rich as she claims to be, and it’s obvious that she has no problem floating above either punchy drums or orchestral arrangements. If you’re looking for something to listen to that’ll make you feel sexy and in control, all the singer asks is that you “Come Home to God” and press play on Fountain Baby.

5. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown’s SCARING THE HOES

The goal of SCARING THE HOES isn’t to be replayed by the general public, nor is it to even appeal to a wide audience of people. When Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA put this project together, the only people who had to be happy about its final state were them and them alone. It turns out, however, that when artists create art out of pure love for the craft, some of the most innovative, interesting, scary pieces can be made. Both known for pushing the limits of hip hop and producing albums that crush the concept of alternative altogether, seeing their minds work in unison to make a single body of work is simply mind boggling and worth paying attention to even if it’s just briefly.

4. ICECOLDBISHOP’S GENERATIONAL CURSE

For a debut album to be as good as GENERATIONAL CURSE is, an artist must be truly gifted. And while that should be how listeners view ICECOLDBISHOP after the first listen, the LA native spends the whole album explaining the opposite. After a life of blindly following the harmful actions of prior generations and watching his community do the same, he’s become overwhelmed with the concept that this may be a never ending cycle of violence. Today’s younger generations are bound to continue in the footsteps of those who dealt and killed before them even if they have no idea why they’re doing it. ICECOLDBISHOP’s zany vocals, poignant lyrics, and catchy trap beats make his first album hard to step away from, and while the tracks may be fun to listen to, it’s important to hear the words as well.

3. BLK ODYSSY’S DIAMONDS & FREAKS

While sex isn’t a rare topic in modern music, it isn’t usually explored to the extent that it is in DIAMONDS & FREAKS. BLK ODYSSY’s sophomore album narrates the sexual addictions and confusion of the singer as he tries to navigate the thin line between love and lust. Narrated by Keisha Plum and Bootsy Collins, with heavenly instrumentation and vocals woven throughout, this funky R&B tape is laced with so much brutal honesty it’ll have you questioning your own preferences by the end of track fifteen.

2. Killer Mike’s MICHAEL

Killer Mike is no newbie to the game of hip hop, and the most recent addition to his discography proves that. Michael may be some of the smoothest rapping (if not the smoothest) to come out of 2023. With features from artists like Ceelo Green, André 3000, Future, etc., beats from legendary producers like No I.D., and clever lyrics that flow oh so easy, this project was created for a top ten list. To say you’re a fan of hip hop and claim that there hasn’t been a solid project released this year when Michael exists is simply insane.

1. Q's Soul,PRESENT

Through glowing synths, 80s inspired melodies, and irresistible dance breaks, Q takes listeners on a trip through his struggle with allowing himself to love the way he wants. The album’s overarching message of keeping your thoughts with the present moment instead of allowing the future to scare you into submission is a sentiment that drives his ability to heal and focus on what he’s lucky enough to have now, something everyone should keep in mind. A clear departure from his singer/songwriter past, Q finds his sound in this project, one that’s equally addicting, inspiring, and upbeat.

Originally published July 2nd, 2023

On Repeat

Daniel Caesar’s Never Enough
KAYTRANADA & Aminé’s KAYTRAMINÉ
Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here.
Yves Tumor’s Praise A Lord Who Chews…
Wale the Sage’s Running From Time
Kari Faux’s REAL B*TCHES DON’T DIE
TAICHU’s RAWR

Top Albums of 2023 So Far