Not sure of the exact order:
Kendrick Lamar/
T.P.A.B. - Even though I think it gets just a bit too pedantic in spots, I can't think of many albums that are able to touch on the subject matter with the same sort of heavy handedness that don't have the same faults. It's well nuanced in way that makes it both extremely personal and socially relevant and I think it's even more ambitious than GKMC overall. Definitely not as polished or immediately engaging, but the ambition and depth is impressive alone. It also comes off a bit rawer and more emotive in ways. To be able to come out with an album in 2015 that tackles the current racial hysteria and manage to sound (when it's successful) like modern amalgam of Blowout Comb and Tupac is very notable in my eyes.
$ha Hef/
Super Villain - Usually when you hear a gangsta rap tape there will always be these big breaks in character to try and show a softer side, allude to a desire to change, or create something for the ladies (or radio). $ha Hef is unabashedly set in his ways and in portraying thug life in the most accurate and blunt fashion. In turn the pure savage nature of his descriptions and grimy atmosphere that he sets up gives subtle hints that his life isn't exactly anything to boast about, but at the same time he refuses to relent and buries his psyche in this super villain role as a refuge against the tragic, brutal nature of his work. He's aware and then willfully deluded in the next second. He's highly successful in translating the imagery and title of the album to its concept.
Future/
Dirty Sprite 2 - DS2 is the culmination of Future's nihilistic opiate-fueled run, and despite a few lackluster bonus tracks it proves to be arguably his most potent and concentrated effort solidifying all of the attributes which set him apart from all the other Atlanta trap rappers while concealing most of his weaknesses. The more I listen to it the more I appreciate the imagery, which while never quite deep or astute proves to be quite vivid and possesses a base poetic nature that is undeniably charming.
Vince Staples/
Summertime 06 - Summertime 06 perfectly encapsulates the irony of summer, when it's bright and warm out more violence seems to occur, the heat is a medium for flaring tempers and kindling passions and emotion...Vince has never sounded more passionate and well rounded than on this project, though the subject matter still says within his comfort zone as an artist the lines are challenged on this effort. He manages to perfectly encapsulate a period of time in his life in way that's both relatable and evocative.
Billy Woods/
Today I Wrote Nothing - Billy captures these vignettes of feeling and experience with a collage of storytelling and symbolism, shifting and colliding within itself like a collapsing tower of emotion. Today, I Wrote Nothing is the aural version of what a John Cassavetes directed Spike Lee film might feel like. Billy's lyricism is simultaneously concise, poignant, and powerful. Furthermore, there's no one rapping quite like him, which is an impressive feat considering the lack of novelty in the exhausted genre.
Earl Sweatshirt/
I Don't Like Shit I Don't Go Outside - Earl's lyricism is bleak, depressing, and alarmingly paranoid, this is the most sustained emotion he's shown in a while and at its high points it's brilliant. This album has grew on me exponentially. I find myself gravitating to it whenever I feel reclusive or depressed. It's definitely late night headphone rap.
Freddie Gibbs/Shadow of a Doubt - It's pretty much a flawless marriage of his earlier somewhat downtempo melodic style and his more recent trap influenced mixtape output. Freddie's range is arguably most apparent on Shadow of a Doubt. He enlists a motley crew of rappers to feature on these tracks, and they're are a few moments where it feels like he's really trying to experiment with his sound, but the basic formula of what makes Gibbs special is ever present and very rarely does it feel like he's pandering.
Earthgang/
Strays With Rabies - While it would be easy to try and downplay the quality of the album's coming of age story by comparing it to other great hip-hop album, namely G.K.M.C., doing so would serve as a great injustice. The internal struggle plaguing the artists is portrayed with a spirituality and poeticism that is unique and personal despite the similarities in the general story arc. Definitely the sleeper rap album of the year in my opinion.
Lil Ugly Mane/
Oblivion Access - It's one of the most depressing and honest projects of the year. It's nihilistic and is astute representation of the horrors of the internet age. It's grown on me like a plague, it's the R Plus Seven of the rap world capturing the chaos of the modern computer age with its onset of immediate gratification and proliferating of mass misinformation.
Quelle Chris/
Innocent Counry - The album's brilliance is understated, easily glazed over and lost within its somewhat traditional boom-bap assets. Chris' subtle humor and subdued yet often poignant social commentaries are on full display with this album, which is deceptively deep and thought provoking under its veil of sarcasm and irony.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Warm Brew/
Ghetto Beach Boys - Originally in my top ten, this is my feel good rap album of the year with his summery nostalgia laden breezy rap sound. When you're on the way to mall, to the club, to your jumpoff's house, or just out to enjoy the ride in of itself this the type of the album that you'll find yourself gravitating to over and over again. I've just been in a sort of shit mood and it's not quite resonating with me as much as it usually does and I just happened to have made my top ten within this period.
