- Yayo

2011 was a fantastic year for rap music. That’s really all I need to summarize this, but we’re still gonna write a whole lot of words about it because that’s what bloggers do. This is only the beginning of it, and to kick things off, I present to you my top 25 albums and mixtapes. Why 25? Because I kinda ran out of steam around 23, but totally had to have a cliche number.

1. Future – True Story (Freebandz, 2011) – 2011 was Future’s year. With three exceptional solo projects and one decent collaboration, Future was easily this year’s MVP, which makes narrowing down his mixtapes to one a difficult task. Nonetheless, none of them were as thoroughly enjoyable as True Story. Filled with almost half a dozen of the greatest rap singles this year, what is arguably Future’s most important project to date had just as much rabid, cerebral rapping as it did off-kilter autotune hooks. A fuller review of this project will come to close out the year, but for now, know that Future’s True Story reigns as king in a very crowded throne room.

2. Spaceghostpurrp – Blvcklvnd Rvdix 66.6 (Mixtape, 2011) – If this were properly mastered, it’d probably be number one, but for now this is as close a second as you’re going to get. Blvcklvnd is a dark, and at times rather disheartening, look at a young man who is far too weary of the world for his own good. Even when he’s rapping about having a threesome with two attractive FWBs, the boy is snarling out of his nose like a bloodthirsty dragon. Purrp’s had a very long year, but throughout it all, the highlight is certainly Blvcklvnd Rvdix.

3. Gucci Mane – Writing On The Wall II (Brick Squad, 2011) – Speaking of long years, no one has sufferered more from that than Gucci. With three retail projects to his name, a mixtape with Future, a mixtape with Brick Squad, and two solo mixtapes, Gucci has released more than anyone this year, save Lil B and Soulja Boy. The scary thing is he has only been out of jail about 3 months of the year! This is nothing new, at all, for Gucci, but what is different this year is the quality issues Gucci’s work has been plagued with. Gucci was on the verge of burning out in 2010, but made it without any real slights when December rolled around. While he wasn’t as lucky this year, one project did defy the odds and earn Gucci the critical acclaim he’s become so accustomed to, and it’s none other than Writing On The Wall II. WOTWII takes all the different faucets of Gucci’s career, and gives him one of the best musical pallettes he’s had in a long time to finally have some fun again. With big, poppy hooks and a lot of colorful production, it almost felt like it was 2008 again here.

4. ASAP Rocky – LiveLoveA$AP (Sony, 2011/2012) – It was like 1987 all over again, as you couldn’t go anywhere this year without seeing the color purple (I’m assuming Prince really was that popular). It wasn’t because of a certain musical genius with a fondness for silk blouses however, as the Houston traditional of mixing codeine with Sprite was more popular this year than it’s ever been. A lot of songs payed homage to those gallons of Screw, but no one exemplified it quite like Rocky and the ASAP Mob. A young rapper out of Harlem, Rocky took influences from every region he could fine, and mashed them up with some New York sprinkled on top for what was easily one of the most refreshing albums in a long time.

5. Dark Sister – Swag Hag (Owlhead Collective, 2011) – Dark Sister stole my heart, then put it in a jar in a dark, dingy basement full of summoning spells and full-body latex outfits. Coming out of Tennessee, these girls bring back the dark stylings of Memphis favorite Gangsta Boo, but update it for a new generation to fear. Equally frightening and desirable, their four track EP is more immersive than most rappers’ albums, and their chemistry is unmatched.

6. Lil B – Bitch Mob Vol. 1: Salute To The Bitch (Mixtape, 2011) – I miss the old Based God. In 2011, Lil B became more of a wandering philosopher than the crazy, crackpot cartoon character he’d been for years prior. Even though the Based lifestyle has always been deep and focused on bling bling and world peace, it was also about having fun. Lil B doesn’t seem to be having much fun anymore, at least with his newest material, but on Bitch Mob he totally loses his mind and wilds out once again. He reclaims his spot as “Rawest Rapper Alive” here by completely bodying beats from all different sources, most of which present harsh sonics to accompany his lunatic ravings of Rosie O’Donnell and Kurt Angle.

7. Waka Flocka Flame – Salute Me Or Shoot Me 3 (Brick Squad Monopoly, 2011) – Is Waka Flocka the best thing rap has to offer right now? It’s arguable. Even though he didn’t release anything as earth-shattering as last year’s Flockaveli, he had his hand in seven different projects himself this year. It’s hard to really sort out which is the best of the bunch, but the one that started off a stellar year for Flocka definitely sticks out the most in my memory. Full of ridiculous threats aimed at robot rappers and claims of watching his power spread, Salute Me Or Shoot Me 3 carries on the legacy of this great series strongly with arguably the best installment yet.

8. Trouble – Green Light (Duct Tape Entertainment, 2011) – Trouble seemed like a sidekick when he really emerged at the beginning of the year, but now he’s, at the very least, Alley Boy’s equal. December 17th showed a lot of potential, but Green Light really pushed Trouble forward. One of the stranger releases out of Atlanta’s trap scene in recent memory, Green Light found Trouble being the perfect counter-point to Future’s often unhinged style. He showed vulnerability that hasn’t really been seen in a gangsta rapper since Curtis, crooned a whole bunch of hooks, and still managed to come out at the end as one of the most intimidating figures in the industry. That’s just unreal.

9. Danny Brown – XXX (Fool’s Gold, 2011) – Psychadelic rap is totally in right now, as evidenced by the smell of skunk and soiled trousers resinating from this list, but no one better embodies this than the incredible Danny Brown. Danny Brown isn’t just on drugs, dude is a poster child for substance abuse. His voice changes rapidly from track to track, and not one song sounds the same. It’s impossible to classify Brown as any specific type of rapper. He possesses wit that would make Redman embarrassed, he is arguably more batshit crazy than Lil B, he flows like five different rappers, and he’s got production that ranges from bare-bones finger snaps to futuristic trap rap. XXX is an oddessey that must be explored many times to really comprehend, but you’ll know it’s something special from the moment you set foot.

10. Juicy J – Rubberband Business 2 (Mixtape, 2011) – The inside of Juicy J’s body may resemble the toilet bowl of a recovering addict trying to flush his bad habits away, but Juicy’s unhealthy lifestyle made for some of the best hooks and offensive lyrics of the year. Rubberband Business 2 took an idea that was poorly executed upon in its predecessor, and stepped up to the plate with over 20 fully fleshed out songs, all of them brimming to the top with Irene and Molly.

11. Tyler, The Creator – GOBLIN (XL, 2011)
12. Gucci Mane & Waka Flocka Flame – Ferarri Boyz (Brick Squad/Warner Bros, 2011)
13. Clams Casino – Instrumentals (Type, 2011)
14. Drake – Take Care (Young Money/Cash Money, 2011)
15. Riff Raff SODMG – Living Legend (Riff Raff Records, 2011)
16. The Throne – Watch The Throne (Def Jam, 2011)
17. Schoolboy Q – Setbacks (Top Dawg Entertainment, 2011)
18. Curren$y – Weekend At Bernie’s (Warner Bros, 2011)
19. Roach Gigz – B!tch, I’m A Player (Goomba, 2011)
20. Gunplay – Inglorious Bastard (Maybach Music, 2011)
21. Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (Top Dawg Entertainment, 2011)
22. 2 Chainz – T.R.U. Realigion (Mixtape, 2011)
23. Main Attrakionz – 808s & Dark Grapes II (Green Ova, 2011)
24. Alley Boy – Purgatory (Duct Tape Entertainment, 2011)
25. Soulja Boy – The Bernard Arnault EP (SODMG, 2011)