My 21 Favorite Projects of 2021
Good vibes During Stressful Times
2021 is crashing and burning as we’re in the final countdown to New Year’s. Despite Season 2 of The Pandemic not being quite we all hoped going into it, it was a great year for music. I believe every year is a great year for music to be fair, but 2021 is definitely gonna have people yearning for nostalgia in about 5-6 years the same way 2016 does til this day. There were some amazing drops from some the biggest names in music and rising stars.
Some key points before moving forward: I emphasize that this list is based on my personal favorites because music, like all art forms, is completely subjective. What may sound great to me may sound terrible to you or vice versa. But that’s what makes music so universal! There’s something for everyone, so instead of trying to do a fool’s errand in trying to “objectively” name the best albums of the year, I figured it would be better to make something reflective of my own personal tastes. I’ve contributed to best albums of the year lists in the past, and in an effort to be “unbiased” I would drop an album I really enjoyed, but was more polarizing in general, down a few spots (if not remove it completely) in favor of something safer . Now, I find it better to make a list around the music I just really had a hard time NOT listening to this year, whether it be a major release, random internet finds or local gems. There was a lot of good music out there, but these were the ones I formed a spiritual attachment with, because music is a spiritual thing (word to Fela Kuti). With that being said, don’t expect to see Donda or CLB on here.
Another key point is that I say 21 projects, but I’m lowkey lying. Some artists dropped multiple projects this year and I get decision anxiety trying to choose one so I just combined them into one spot. Math was never really my thing which why I’m writer in the first place. Aight, enough about me, let’s get into this
(Note: I like to call my favorite standout track for each joint “The One")
4NEM by Chief Keef
The world is a better place when Chief Keef is a relevant name in music. That’s not to say he’s ever irrelevant because he isn’t. The man opened the floodgates for the drill movement and is the most often imitated rapper of his generation. However, people often think his career begins and ends from 2012-2015 when he’s secretly been making some of the best music of his career after that fact. It just hasn’t been well- promoted for a variety of reasons related to industry politics, but with 4NEM, Keef makes a resurgence in letting people know he’s still here and he’s better than ever. If “all gas, no brakes” was an album, it would be this one.
The One: Hadouken
monk. by greenSLLIME
I remember when my mans SLLIME first sent me the private soundcloud link of about a dozen or so songs he was working on for two different mixtapes early this year. He asked me to make two different track lists with the songs in what would’ve been my first lowkey A&R job. I ended up fumbling the bag by not getting around to sending him the track lists before he decided to drop monk. But funny enough, my track listing was about 80% accurate to what ended up making the final cut.
The project’s name is inspired by SLLIME’s self-proclamation as the “Monk of Blunts and Beats.” Adopting the meditation practices and discipline training of Buddhist monks while throwing in his own flavor to it during the creation of this joint, SLLIME’s impresses with humor-filled punchlines interwoven with gritty street raps about robbing people on silky smooth samples. This project is currently only available on Bandcamp so if you like what you heard, be sure to send some love by buying his music directly. (This is also your first friendly reminder to delete spotify off ya phone and use a platform that actually gaf about the livelihood of artists lmao)
The One: goodfellas
SHPESHFTR, Vol.1: A FORCE OF GRAVITY By L.A. VanGogh
L.A. VanGogh has been one of the rawest and most talented musicians in the world in my book for a few years now. For real, there’s not too many guys I want to see win more than him because he just deserves it.
SHPESHFTER is L.A.’s alter ego due to his ability to seamlessly go from singing to rapping to producing to mixing on any of his songs. He’s like a swiss army knife of musical genius, and this album showcases his creative palette. From melodic R&B inspirations to hard-hitting bass and everything in between, L.A. not only knows how to make good quality music, but the messages he conveys are warm and holistic as he tackles subjects like mental health, love, and self-improvement overall.
The One: I’ll Be Right There
FOR CERTAIN by BIA
I been fucking with BIA’s music for a few years now. 2021 proved to be her breakout year as an artist thanks to her hit single “WHOLE LOTTA MONEY,” but I’ve been following her work since the last days of the soundcloud era. She actually is featured on “Safari” from J. Balvin’s Energia album in 2016 and I thought she would go to the moon after that, but growth in the music industry is never that easy. She kept at it though, quietly collecting cosigns in recent years from artists like fellow Boston native Cousin Stizz, Lil Durk, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.
I firmly believe BIA is set up for a similar breakout as Cardi B and Meg Thee Stallion before her. FOR CERTAIN is definitely music for the baddies that make their own bread. Her delivery is strong and straight to the point, with a flow as cold as expensive jewelry. Mark my words. As long as BIA keeps up her consistency, she’ll be a household name in no time.
The One: BESITO
Navy’s Reprise by Navy Blue
“Navy came from Socialists, I’m reading all the Marxists” is my favorite rap line of the year, full stop. I’ve been a casual fan of Navy Blue for a while now after being impressed by some joints friends recommended, namely his appearance on Alchemist’s “Nobles” with Earl Sweatshirt (that song damn near changed my life but that’s a story for another day). Listening to Navy’s Reprise forced me to take a deep dive into this man’s catalog and honestly it’s only up for the New York based rapper-producer. If I had to describe his music to a stranger, it would be like if Fidel Castro and The Alchemist did the fusion dance together.
Navy’s Reprise is an introspective look into his life and cultural influences. The man was raised by a Black mother who was a professional singer and an Indigenous Chilean father who practiced Santería, split time in New York and L.A., and is a student of Communist theory. You’re not gonna get too many raps from anyone with the same perspective as him, which is why I appreciate it so much. A lot of stuff he raps about really resonate with me, whether he be rapping about eating a warm plate of arroz y habichuelas on a cold winter day or preaching liberation theology. His music is down to earth with humanistic lyrics and warm sample chops that will cleanse the soul.
The One: Peach Cobbler
HOLD ON 4 DEAR LIFE by 4200Kory
I stumbled upon this project just a couple weeks before deciding to make this list. In fact I would say it was one of the few that inspired me to make it just because it would be a damn shame to let a debut album this good go unrecognized by media outlets just because the artist is a little known independent rapper from Indiana. After having it sent to me by my mans Eric, I decided to check it out and I was blown away.
For a debut album, 4200Kory’s sounds beautifully pristine and well-thought out. It reminds me of some early projects from TDE’s roster, namely Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, and Kendrick (y’all might think I’m crazy comparing this kid to some goats but go ahead and listen to HO4DL and then listen to Cilvia Demo or Overly Dedicated and come back to me. Every legend has to start somewhere). Indiana is a really slept on state in terms of rap but thanks to Freddie Gibbs, more cats are starting to make it out. I’m really excited to see what’s next for 4200Kory, and trust that I will be there to cover his evolution as an artist every step of the way.
The One: GOD BODY
Bin Reaper 2 and Luke Troncic by BabyTron
Did you know that BabyTron was the #1 person in a study asking people aged 18-34 across the country who the most influential person in youth culture is? That statistic is completely made up, but it sounds believable because of just how dope BabyTron is. Detroit really got the rap game on lock right now, and few are better than Tron. His beat selection is so absurd that it’s great (the name “Bin Reaper” alludes to digging through bins of records to sample). He effortlessly floats over these beats with the same rushed, blunt delivery that’s become the calling card of Detroit’s sound, and helped establish himself as the self-proclaimed “Punch God.”
He raps about scamming on just about everything from 80s synth pop loops to the theme songs for Harry Potter, and Mermaidman & Barnacle Boy from Spongebob. It doesn’t make sense how good his music is, but it just is.
The One: Jugg Messiah 3
Shut The Fuck Up Talking To Me by Zack Fox
Zack Fox is known for being an internet troll and comedian, so I didn’t know what to expect going into his album, especially considering the only other two songs he’s released prior (“Square Up” and “Jesus Is The One”) are joke songs not meant to be taken seriously. The album sure enough features his same brand of outta pocket-ness but they’re also legitimately really fucking good. It’s a mistake to call Zack Fox a “comic rapper” because on this album, he’s clearly a comedian that just so happens to know how to rap well. My man’s also rapped over an Alchemist beat. You know how raw Alchemist thinks you have to be to give a beat? He’s not just slanging those to anyone. Fuck Pitchfork.
The One: Shut The Fuck Up Talking To Me
Before I Die by 박혜진 Park Hye Jin
I don’t know a single word shorty is saying in any of these songs save a few english words here and there but I just know she’s flowing. I came across this album during a time where I was deep into listening to international records from artists across the globe thanks to some YouTube channels dedicated to showcasing global music. I didn’t find this album from those channels, but I carried that mindset to listen to more international tunes, and one day this appeared on the “New Music” section in Tidal. I recognized from the foreign characters in her name that the artist must be Korean, said fuck it, and pressed play and let me just say: WOW.
One of my favorite things about music is its ability to connect cultures and people just by producing vibrations in the air. These beats are undoubtedly a result of Chicago House Music becoming a global export and making its way to Korea’s dance music scene. Good music has no language barriers.
The One: Let’s Sing Let’s Dance
Bulletproof Luh, Pray For Haiti, Duck CZN: Chinese Algebra, & Balens Cho (Hot Candles) by Mach-Hommy
When it comes to discussing Mach-Hommy in 2021, all I can say is… What. A. Year. Four legitimately great projects in one calendar year is the stuff that legends are made of, and we see one in the making with the Newark-based Haitian artist. I first got in tune when he dropped Pray For Haiti and it stayed in my rotation for a LONG TIME. Mach is technical genius who seamlessly stitches rapping in English and Haitian Kreyole in rich interwoven detail.
I really believe Mach-Hommy is keeping the spirit of MF DOOM alive. When the news was announced that we lost the underground goat on New Year’s Eve of last year, there was a major hole left in that realm of music. Mach had already been rapping for some time, but the way he ascended through the ranks in the last 365 days dropping instant classic after instant classic that blew up through word of mouth all while keeping his identity concealed is some real Metal Face shit. There must always be the perennial “your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper” in hip-hop, similar to how DOOM was for so long. If there’s one artist that all of your faves are either publicly or privately studying, it’s the man behind the mask.
The One: Self Luh
Bonus: His collab with Kaytranada just to prove that he can indeed make music that doesn’t scare the hoes
Van Gogh’s Left Ear by ZelooperZ
Earlier this year, I visited the immersive Van Gogh Art Exhibit in Chicago with a friend of mine. I’m not crazy about classical art but Van Gogh is one of the few guys whose work I really fuck with heavy. He also has a tragic story and I find myself being drawn to those. It was a wonderful experience showcasing the Dutch painter’s creative evolution with tranquil orchestral music playing in the background.
This experience has nothing to do with Van Gogh’s Left Ear by Detroit rapper ZelooperZ. In fact, other inspiring the album art (painted by Z himself), this project has nothing to do with Vincent Van Gogh at all. It’s just a really weird rap album that you’re either gonna love or hate. He raps over the Crash Bandicoot theme song at one point with Danny Brown. Stop reading this and go listen to it.
The One: Bash Bandicoon
EnRoute by MfnMelo & SqueakPIVOT
This one’s hard to write about. So instead, I’m gonna advise that you read this wonderful profile about the project and it’s creators by my good friend and colleague Pedro Gonzalez: MFnMelo & squeakPIVOT Are #EnRoute.
Long live Squeak & John Walt.
The One: LL COOL J
Not For Sale by femdot. and Blue 2000 by Victor Internet
These are two projects I thoroughly enjoyed and had the privilege of interviewing the artists behind them! So instead of making a lil blurb for each, I’m just gonna include the links to the profiles I wrote, courtesy of These Days Magazine.
Victor Internet Finds His Way Back Home
Summertime Mix by Layton Wu 雷頓狗
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about hip-hop projects but I don’t ever want people to think that’s all I listen to. In fact, if my yearly wrapped list was based off YouTube which is what I primarily use to listen to music while I’m working, my wrapped list would probably include a lot of random 70s and 80s Japanese jazz and city pop songs. Summertime Mix by Layton Wu offers a modern interpretation of this era of music.
I first met the Taiwanese artist on some random shit while we were both studying at DePaul. My homie Tony Santana introduced us just once, but he told me Layton is gonna go down as a goat someday. So I kept up with bro’s music, and I’m glad I did. Summertime Mix is a wonderfully optimistic project that’s needed in a time where despair and hopelessness is pretty much the leading headline to every news story. It’s good, wholesome vibes perfect for dancing like no one’s looking in the comfort of your own home. The songs from this album are available on streaming as separate singles but if you want to listen to it as a complete body of work I encourage you to check it out on Latyon’s Bandcamp page! (And this is another friendly reminder to delete your spotify and find ways to support artists directly lol)
The One: Midnight Dance
Monarca, SEN2 KBRN VOL. 1, and Sauce Boyz 2 by Eladio Carrion
Eladio Carrion is probably the best rapper you’re not listening to if you’re only listening to American hip-hop. In fact, I would argue that he’s one of the 5 best rappers in the world. Not just in Puerto Rico or Latin America. I’m talking about the entire globe across all languages. As a sucker for pop culture references, his tongue-in-cheek punchlines always land (he once said he has a quarter of a mil in the safe in Pokémon cards alone). The Puerto Rican rapero has done nothing but consistently drop quality music ever since dropping his debut album Sauce Boyz in 2020. Despite a global pandemic slowing things down for most people, Eladio went full throttle in 2021, dropping not one, not two, but three impressive projects with a series of impressive freestyle singles and features to boot.
Eladio can rap his ass off, but he’s also a chameleon at making just about any type of song, which is essential in Latin America. It’s difficult to make a name for yourself in the Latin Music industry unless you know how to make something people can dance to in the clubs, which is a technique he’s mastered without a doubt. He’s really at his best when he’s just spitting bars though. He’s among the last of his kind that puts emphasis on making Latin Trap and Drill as many artists from that era have shifted away from that sound entirely to make more radio and club-friendly hits (nothing wrong with that, but it goes to show that Eladio is more interested in keeping a pulse on the streets than becoming a pop star). So even if you don’t know a lick of Spanish, you best pull up google translate and a lyric website, because you don’t wanna miss any of this man’s bars.
The One: AL CAPONE
Planet Her by Doja Cat
THIS IS A PRO-DOJA CAT HOUSEHOLD. I keep on telling dudes all the time how gas her music is. Not just her raps, but her pop shit too and I’m not even crazy about contemporary pop to be honest. Planet Her is a kaleidoscopic look into Doja’s solar system of different sonic influences. The album starts off with the Caribbean flavored “Woman” and it’s an excellent introduction of what you can expect from the rest of the album, as she sings lovingly on the first half before rapping her ass off in the second half without missing a beat.
Doja may have first reached fame and notoriety with a meme, but she’s a true artist who leveraged that clout into a serious full-blown music career. She makes songs that will make the dust heads bob their heads AND unconsciously shake their hips. It’s Doja Cat’s world and we’re all just living in it.
The One: Woman
Elephant In The Room by Mick Jenkins
Elephant in The Room might be the smoothest album of the year in my opinion. Mick’s latest project feels like you’re chilling in a dimly lit jazz house smoking a joint while vibing in the corner. I’ve always been biased toward Mick’s The Water[s] mixtape as the best project of his due to the strong sentimental attachment I have toward it, but damn it, EITR is like the grown man version of The Water[s] and it just might easily be his best body of work yet.
I’ve always enjoyed Mick’s music because it always means something different to me the older I get and revisit it. I relate to/understand different aspects of his music (from themes and sonic style) that I had no prior experience to before. This album resonates with me sonically because of it’s heavy jazz vibes, which is a genre I’ve taken a strong affinity to in the last couple years. On a thematic level, Mick’s emphasis of addressing the bullshit that exists in this world that our society really just kinda shrugs its shoulders, says “oh well,” and carries on like nothing happened (hence the album’s title). Sometimes I feel like a madman whenever I point out these things to peers just to be met with a resounding “It is what it is” but listening to Mick gives me the affirmation that I’m not alone in feeling this way. I also gotta shout out my mans greenSLLIME for spitting arguably the best verse of the year on “D.U.I.”
The One: D.U.I.
Bo Jackson and Super Tecmo Bo by Boldy James & Alchemist
I have a little personal saying that I came up with some time ago: “If Alchemist produced it, then it’s the best of the year.” Boldy James and Alc have linked up for 4 collaborative projects and all of them are gas. The Detroit native’s signature rough and gruff voice is like smooth butter on the toast that is Alchemist’s fuzzy soul- sampled loops. All the albums on this list are pretty much no-skip albums in my book, but Bo Jackson just might be the one that has the best overall track listing and fluidity between songs. There are probably at least two or three three-piece combos (what I call songs that appear back-to-back-to-back) that leave me with the stank face and beg me to run it back.
Super Tecmo Bo is essentially a victory lap for the duo. Whether these joints were throwaways that were originally recorded for Bo Jackson or entirely new records, it doesn’t matter. Alc’s production is the perfect canvas for the broad strokes Boldy uses to paint vivid portraits of himself serving the streets. It’s art that is equally fascinating as it is frightening, similar to reading a Junji Ito manga.
The One: Illegal Search & Seizure
Vince Staples by Vince Staples
Let me just start out here saying how much I love Vince Staples’ music. I first got put on to him in 2015 sometime between his verse on Earl Sweatshirt’s “Hive” (I’ll die on the hill of that verse being the best of the decade) and his debut album Summertime ‘06. My appreciation for his art only grew with each passing year in which he would drop a new project that sounded nothing like the previous and then go on a media tour of interviews in which he talks about his disdain for fame and celebrity culture before going back into reclusion to work on the next project. He just like me fr.
With his self-titled album, Vince is perhaps the most vulnerable and stripped down version of himself he’s ever been. Executively produced by Kenny Beats, it actually sounds nothing from what fans are used to from the pair’s previous collaborations. Ever the master of minimalism, Vince paints the world through his eyes in just 22 minutes. His delivery is monotone and unenthusiastic, which he explained is so that people can pay attention to his words. From grieving the loss of loved ones whether it be through gang violence or heartbreak, I implore you to sit with Vince Staples for just 22 minutes out of your day and focus on nothing but listening to his story.
The One: TAKE ME HOME
Call Me If you Get Lost by Tyler, The Creator
“Come get lost with me… When you, when you really get out there, call me, I'll be there.” These words are uttered during the “BLESSED” interlude in Tyler, The Creator’s (possible) magnum opus Call Me If You Get Lost. Tyler invites you, the listener, to escape with him into a world that's equal parts Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory as it is a Gangsta Grillz Mixtape. CMIYGL dropped at a time when I was particularly “out of it” for lack of a better term. Feeling uninspired, depressed, and at times hopeless, this project transported me into a world of awe and wonder. It was a feeling reminiscent of the first time I ever listened to Tyler’s Bastard and Goblin mixtapes in middle school after spending too much time on the internet.
Tyler’s emergence as a bonafide pop star from niche internet edgelord rapper after dropping IGOR in 2019 is the stuff legends are made out of, and a worthy case study for any artists trying to figure out their own blueprint. CMIYGL is Tyler at his best both on the rap and producing tip. Fusing the gritty outta-pocket rhymes of his early mixtapes with the serene and eclectic musicality of his studio albums, this album quite simply has solidified T as one of the rawest entertainers of the last decade.
The One: SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE
Honorable Mentions (Albums I didn’t feel like I spent enough time with them to justifiably include them on my list, but are still really good and will revisit in the future to give it the attention it deserves)
SZNZ by Mother Nature
Wake Up Lucki by LUCKI and F1LTHY
Who Is Nardo Wick? By Nardo Wick
Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Mama by Topaz Jones
Self-Medicated by SolarFive
Hall of Fame by Polo G
I GOT BANDZ FOR THE MOONLANDIN’ by Semira Truth
Children Play With Fire by nombreKARI
LYKE MIKE by Myke Towers
WHITECUBE by Daichi Yamakoto
Anything that Griselda Records dropped
25 by G Herbo
The House is Burning by Isaiah Rashad
Friday Night Activities and Orange Print by Larry June
Sometimes I might Be Introvert by Little Simz
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