NipplesAndToes23
Member
Year in Underground Hip-Hop 2015
It's that time of the year again. With the close of 2015 we have gotten quite a selection of music in the rap/hip-hop genre. To those returning I'd like to inform you that this year's write up isn't as extensive as last year's because I had written during a time where I was very busy and didn't have much time to do what I wanted and thus spent time little by little to create a piece that would alleviate much of the frustrations I was going through. Music helped me through the nights of writing papers and doing homework and it was also a part of the time I spent to work on my drawing. Though I had a lot more free time this year, I felt that I generally listened to less music and felt just a bit less passion because of my current predicament. Overall, I found the quality output this year to not compare to that of last years, though that does not indicate that the majority was of low quality, it was just disappointing. Last year putting the lists together was a lot harder, while this seemed pretty simple. I'm also disappointed at the lack of projects from my sistas in this year. Most of the ones I listened to last year didn't put out anything this year and a couple that did released terrible projects and I hardly found any that were new to me. With that being said let's get into this and check out my write-up from last year if you're a new reader. This list omits mainstream rappers who have gone independent in the recent years, so no Czarface or Ghostface on here. Also, thanks Gaf for providing me with some last minute listens last month.
10. Broadcast One
Artist: Memory Man
Release Date: January 8
I was very late on the come up of this album. I just listened to this about two days ago when I was doing some last minute searches for albums I missed this year. I'm glad I found it because it ended up being a neat little treasure full of the more mellow and funky sounds that I like from time to time in my melodics. Memory Man does a great job on the production of this project. These jazzy and funk sounds have a serenity to them perfect for easy listening. While this is technically a production album since Memory Man drops no rhymes on here, I put it in with the main top ten because it is heavy with featured artists and these artists are pretty top notch. The likes of Kool Keith, Mr. Lif, and Open Mike Eagle are on this album and each of them do a good job on standing out on this album. The more jolly and silly flow from Busdriver on “Live from Death Row” made me do a double take at first, but it's good for what he's going for. Overall it's a great album with some stellar production and decent rhymes that edges out to making my top ten.
Notable Tracks: The Kool Keith Show, Story Time, The War Room
9. El Mismo
Artists: ChocQuibTown
Release Date: May 5
Colombian reggaeton group ChocQuibTown dropped their latest album today titled El Mismo (The Same in English) and I have to say that it is great. El Mismo is the group's fifth album to date and it brings the flavor and energy that the group is known for. The titled track is set to an upbeat instrumental and the trio does a decent job when it comes to flows and energy. It's serviceable and gives you an understanding of their style, but the proceeding tracks after the original version of "Cuando Te Veo" are the exceptional pieces of this project. The album has a varied range in terms of tone and sound. You have tracks like "El Mismo" and "Una Raza Llamada Sabor" that are the more upbeat salsa type songs while you also have the serene tracks like "Cuando Te Veo" and "Nuqui". "Salsa & Choque ft. Ñejo" is my personal favorite of the dance tracks.
I have to also point out that the production is exceptional on this album. Slow Miguel did a superb job on constructing this. The tunes are fine salsa and reggaeton beats. The guitars and xylophones featured throughout are my favorite instruments. The saxaphone on "Nuqui" was also a nice touch to add to the placid feeling the song evokes.
As far as the rapping goes, I feel that it is done rather well. Carlos has the best flow out of the group, Gloria's rhymes are a nice blend from her vocals, and Miguel has the best energy. I cannot comment on their lyrics as they rhyme in Spanish and not being well versed in it. I know Spanish well enough, but enough to dissect it from music, especially something as fast moving as rap. If I could find lyrics for this album I'll dissect them then.
This album also features four renditions of their leading single "Cuando Te Veo". All of them are pretty good and apply a different genre to each version. A couple of the mixes actually sound better than the original. I have to say I probably like the Pop version the most. Overall, this album is fantastic and I have to say their best album to date. This is a high recommend.
Notable Tracks: Salsa & Choque ft. Nejo, Una Raza Llamada Sabor, and Cuando Te Veo
8. Words Paint Pictures
Artist: Rapper Big Pooh
Release Date: March 24
This album was a little under my radar, but once I found out about it and listened to it, I liked what I found. It was a hard choice between this and Home Sweet Home, but I ended up picking this likely due to me naturally listening to it more. Though I feel Home Sweet Home to be on par with this I excluded it from this in favor for keeping the top ten diverse in terms of artists. As for this project Big Pooh's delivery is sufficient providing enough energy and flows that correspond with the beat and stand out to set your attention to. “Stop” is a particular track on this album where the delivery catches your attention enough and has you intensely listening to the lyrics. This track tells the story of a man driving while black and the risks that entails. The instrumentals on this ep I can say is the one thing that edges over Home Sweet Home. I'm a fan of soul samples and “Candlelight” is the best one on this project. You also have two remixes from L'Orange and Apollo Brown and when those two are involved you're getting a good instrumental. As far as the features go, they're okay to me mostly. Steve Roxx, Marv Won, and Eric don't do much for me, but don't take away from the songs in any matter, but veteran MC Ras Kass is great on “Eyes Wide Open”. Words Paint Pictures is an all around good album and I'm looking forward to listening to more of his work.
Notable Tracks: Stop, Augmentation
7. Time? Astonishing!
Artists: L'Orange & Kool Keith
Release Date: July 24th
L'Orange and Kool Keith dropped the anticipated Time? Astonishing! today and it's as good as I hoped. For those unfamiliar L'Orange is a producer from the Mellow Music Group label and Kool Keith is an underground rapper dating back to the 90's. I'm not sure if this pair could be any better. L'Orange's jazz and old film noir vibe instrumentals seem to be the perfect pairing for Kool Keith's laid back flow and his taste for the bizarre. On the touch of the production, this is among L'Orange's best. The beats are filled with saxophones, drums, and kicks. A lot of them remind me of performances in jazz night clubs. There also a couple of tracks that are boom bap. The instrumentals on"The Green Ray" seems to evoke a story on its own. All of them are served for easy listening as usual for the producer and as previously said, a good match for Kool Keith.
As far as Kool Keith goes, this album reminds me a lot of Dr. Octagonecologyst. Kool Keith's flow is remarkably similar, but it doesn't get old, Keith also has alter egos in this one as well, playing as a time traveler and a doctor with dual identities. As far as lyrics go there is quite a bit of wordplay. I am still quite unsure what to make of Keith's lyrics. I'm listening to every word, but I'm not sure exactly what he's saying. The words are clear, but they don't seem to connect to one another for the most part. "Dr. Bipolar" is one of the few tracks where I get lyrics and how they connect. It basically tells the story of a man living a dual identity. Regardless of that, it just sounds dope. His voice and his flow are so in synch with the beats that is sort of over-exceeds that. This album also has quite a few features on it, which also make this album great. You the oh familiar Blu, Open Mike Eagle, and Mr. Lif who all do fantastic jobs on their tracks. Mr. Lif and Open Mike Eagle's verses are my two favorites on the album and the others I'm unfamiliar with like J-Live and Montage One also do a fair job. This album is great. The chemistry is great between the producer and the rapper and the featured artists all add something unique to the album. This is a highly recommended album.
Notable Tracks: Twenty Fifty Three (feat. Mr. Lif), Dr. Bipolar, and The Traveler
6. Another Time
Artists: DJ EFN + Various
Release Date: March 3rd
This compilation album is truly ambitious. DJ EFN puts together several rappers and producers of the 90's early 2000s and of upcoming underground for something special. You have the likes of Guilty Simpson, Scarface, Talib Kweli, Blu, Guilty Simpson, Redman, Masta Ace and Sa-Roc. These features are all that and a bag of chips, with the dip! I found myself in love with the few tracks ready to claim this album as a nine, but as it went on I didn't like it as much. The production on some of the tracks I disliked such as “Power” and “HomeTeam”. I was excited to hear Sa-Roc and Masta Ace's verses on that same track, but I came out disappointed. Sa-Roc didn't seem to rhyme on the beat while Masta Ace did, but his lyrics didn't live up to snuff. That comes to the end of the flaws of the album. Those two tracks are really my only issues, the rest is quality. I usually don't favor trap, but Scarface gave me one of my many exceptions with his verse on "Who's Crazy?". He might have been the proprietor of trap as Dr. Dyson suggested. Another Time is an album worth purchasing for any fan of rap.
Notable Tracks: Another Time, South-West, and Paradise
