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The Year 2015 in Review
Author: Zach 'Goose' Gase
This year started out with a bang after what many perceived to be a disappointing 2014.
While Kanye never dropped an album, he had people buzzing through the early months with the release of singles like "Only One," "Wolves" and "FourFiveSeconds." Drake, Lupe Fiasco, Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar dropped huge first quarter releases that stuck in my playlists for just about the entire year.
It was a relatively calm spring and summer, but Wale, Vince Staples and Oddisee dropped excellent projects. Mac Miller, Big KRIT and Big Grams released some of the best music of the fall season. Pusha T capped off an excellent 2015 with a banger of an album that snuck its way into my personal top 5 in the fourth quarter.
Overall 2015 was an excellent year for hip-hop. Last year's top album "Run The Jewels 2" would've ranked third this year.
This year, I decided to rank every album that I listened to more than once all the way through using my scale.
Here's a little breakdown on my scoring technique:
Over the past five or so years, I've assembled a way to calculate albums on a 1-100 scale. There are 10 categories, which I consider important aspects that a great album will have, and they are worth up to 10 points each. These categories include:
* Replay Value (How often I want to go back and listen to this album again?)
* Vocal Performance (I rate non-hip hop albums on this scale as well. This category essentially means how good is the rapping: rhyme scheme, flows, etc.)
* Production (Are the beats dope or nah?)
* Subject Matter (Is there a decent amount of topics or angles for songs on the album?)
* Songwriting (I don't have a lyric category because good lyricism can mean many different things. For multis, punchlines and technical prowess, you get points in the Vocal Performance category. Songwriting includes structure, hooks, etc.)
* Cohesion (Do the songs flow well in order? Is there a common theme?)
* Originality (Does this album bring something different to the table?)
* Popular Influence (How did this album affect popular culture? Yes this category gives an advantage to mainstream artists, but if an album can do everything else effectively, but on a bigger scale, I believe it deserves more points than an artist who isn't reaching many people.)
* Personal Influence (How did this album reflect my personal life in 2014?)
* Gut Reaction (How did I feel about this album the first few times I heard it?)
For tie-breakers, I take the higher score of: replay value, personal influence then gut reaction.
Albums I need to listen to again before rating:
- Game - "The Documentary 2.5"
The first half of this album was already too long, so I didn't have much desire to listen to the second half of this.
- Rick Ross "Black Market"
I really liked "Black Dollar" and played "Black Market" all the way through, but it didn't stick enough for me to give it a proper rating. I'm sure it'll land in the same neighborhood as "Black Dollar."
- Deacon the Villain "Peace or Power"
This is an album I'm upset about sleeping on. The songs I've heard from it are excellent and show the CunninLynguist member going outside of his comfort zone.
- STS & RJD2 - self-titled
"Hold On, Here It Go" was one of my favorite jams of the summer. I played the album a few times, but I don't recall it well enough to give it a rating. I'm sure it would've placed in my top 30.
Rappers of the year:
* Kendrick Lamar
* Lupe Fiasco
* Pusha T
* Drake
* Vince Staples
* Oddisee
* Chance the Rapper
* Red Pill
* Mac Miller
* Big KRIT
* Big Sean
* Mick Jenkins
* Scarface
* Fashawn
* Big Boi
Here is the list of all the albums I listened to more than once in 2015, ranked from worst to best.
42. Lil Wayne - "FWA" (42)
41. Lil Durk - "Remember My Name (50.5)
40. Tyler, The Creator -Ê"Cherry Bomb" (56)
39. Towkio - ".Wav Theory" (56)
38. Travi$ Scott - "Rodeo" (57.5)
37. PHENOM -Ê"I Didn't Come, I Was Sent" (59.5)
36. Game - "The Documentary 2" (59.5)
35. Logic - "The Incredible True Story" (64.5)
34. Meek Mill -Ê"Dreams Worth More Than Money" (64.5)
33. Rick Ross - "Black Dollar" (65)
32. Freddie Gibbs - "Shadow of a Doubt" (65)
31. Mello Music Group - "Persona" (67)
30. Fashawn - "The Ecology" (69)
29. James Gardin & KuroiOto - "The Living Daylights" (69)
28. Dr. Dre - "Compton" (69.5)
27. Red Pill - "Day Drunk EP" (69.5)
26. Earl Sweatshirt - "I Don't Like S#%t, I Don't Go Outside" (70.5)
25. Sadistik & Kno - "Phantom Limbs" (70.5)
24. Jay Rock -Ê"90059" (70.5)
23. Drake & Future - "What a Time To Be Alive" (70.5)
22. Future - "56 Nights" (71)
21. iLoveMakonnen - "iLoveMakonnen2" (71)
20. Raury - "All We Need" (71)
19. Joey Bada$$ - "B4Da$$" (72)
18. A$AP Rocky - "At.Long.Last.A$AP" (73)
17. Future - "DS2" (73.5)
16. Red Pill - "Look What This World Did To Us" (73.5)
15. Mick Jenkins - "Wave[s]" (74)
14. Doomtree - "All Hands" (74.5)
13. Scarface - "Deeply Rooted" (74.5)
12. Wale - "The Album About Nothing" (74.5)
11. Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment - "Surf" (76)
The Top 10
10. Big Grams - "Big Grams" (77.5)
9. Mac Miller - "GO:OD A.M. " (78)
8. Vince Staples - "Summertime '06" (78)
7. Oddisee - "The Good Fight" (78)
6. Big KRIT - "It's Better This Way" (78.5)
5. Big Sean - "Dark Sky Paradise" (80)
4. Pusha T - "King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude " (80)
3. Lupe Fiasco - "Tetsuo & Youth" (82.5)
2. Drake - "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" (87.5)
1. Kendrick Lamar - "To Pimp a Butterfly" (95)
Originally posted: December 29, 2015
source: RapReviews.com
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