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Since the year is coming to an end, I thought I’d do a list of the best Mixtapes/Albums of 2013.
Now keep in mind that this is entirely my own opinion. My opinion may be a lot different than yours. My music tastes are different from yours. Most of this will be hip hop based because that’s what I listen to and keep up with the most. Don’t get mad at me if your favorite pop album isn’t on here. I don’t have a set number of the amount of mixtapes/albums I will include i’m just going to put down the mixtapes/albums I have enjoyed the most this year. Also the ones I believe deserve the recognition. They’re not in any specific order either.
Let me begin now.
Joey Bada$$ – Summer Knights
Joey Bada$$ is one of the best and one of my favorite MC’s so this mixtape was a must for this list. Summer Knights is Joey Bada$$’s second mixtape release. Joey Bada$$’s lyricism is progressing really well and this mixtape shows that. He just goes in on some of the tracks in this mixtape. One of them being “95 Til Infinity”. Joey continues to create some of the best hip hop out there. This mixtape is real hip hop. If you want to download Summer Knights just click on the link.
Killer Mike & El-P – Run The Jewels
Killer & El-P, where do I begin with these two guys. These guys are the perfect hip hop duo. They complement each other so perfectly. I enjoyed Run The Jewels so much. El-P is a producer but he can spit some legit bars. Killer Mike is one of the best hip hop MC’s out there as well. If you ever heard any of their solo music then that should be pretty clear. I don’t know what it is but these two guys together fit so perfect. El-p’s production on this album sounds very futuristic filled with low fidelity sounds. At times it sounds a bit electronic. I know that may scare away some hip hop fans sometimes but trust me this album is one of the best hip hop albums ever. If you want to download Run The Jewels just click the link.
Earl – Doris
Odd Future’s Earl released his debut album in 2013. This much anticipated and hyped debut album did not disappoint at all. Doris is a masterpiece. Earl is one of the best hip hop artists out there and at his young age he has a long bright career ahead of him. If you have heard any of Earl’s previous work you’ll love this album. He continues his use of gritty, dark lyrics and he also gets intimate and deep on a few tracks. I don’t have a download link for Doris but you can stream Doris by clicking on the link.
Vic Mensa – INNANETAPE
Chicago’s own Vic Mensa released his second mixtape this year titled, INNANETAPE. The former Kids These Days MC went on to pursue his solo career after the breaking up of Kids These Days. This mixtape is a very easy tape to listen to in my opinion. It includes feel good tracks like “Lovely Day” and “Orange Soda”. It also includes cool and unusual tracks like “Run!” and “Yap Yap”. I recommend this to everyone who hasn’t listened to it already. Vic Mensa is highly underrated by many and he deserves more recognition. Vic is a true MC who can put together magnificent verses. His flow is amazing. If you want to download INNANETAPE just click the link, you know the drill.
Chance The Rapper – Acid Rap
This post wouldn’t be complete without Chance The Rapper’s, Acid Rap. Chance completely blew up with the release of this mixtape. He got features from Twista, Ab-Soul, Action Bronson, Noname Gypsy and Childish Gambino on this tape. It’s really hard to choose a favorite track if I were to be asked that question because the whole tape is very enjoyable. You can listen to this from beginning to end easily. Chance got very innovative with this mixtape and it worked out very well for him. This tape has been rated highly by many. If you haven’t checked this out you’re really missing out. If you’re interested in downloading Acid Rap click on the link.
Tyler The Creator – Wolf
A lot of people hate Tyler The Creator because of his character and what not but I like this guy. He’s very creative with his music and he’s hilarious. A lot of people hated him because he took shots at religion and he sort of glorified dark things in his music. I don’t think he’s a bad person for that though. To me it made sense and I got the whole picture. Moving on to this album, Wolf was a great album. He put together a much better album compared to his last album. Tyler is an easy guy to hate but check out this album if you haven’t. You can stream Wolf by clicking on the link.
Action Bronson – Blue Chips 2
Action Bronson released two projects this year. He released Blue Chips 2 with Party Supplies and SAAB Stories with The Alchemist. I personally liked Blue Chips 2 a lot more. It’s very different and cool in the way it is put together. Action Bronson is very creative with his lyrics. He’s a funny guy too. His lyrics are very memorable. His flow is said to be similar to Ghostface Killah’s flow by many and I agree with that. This mixtape is very enjoyable. It’s very different. I like it a lot. To download Blue Chips 2 just click on the link.
The Underachievers – Indigoism
This mixtape was released early in the year. I feel like it came out last year. Anyway The Underachievers really put themselves out there with this tape. Indigoism is regarded by many as one of the best hip hop mixtapes of the year and it really is. This hip hop duo from Flatbush, New York is very talented. I’m not sure how many people are even aware of this group but they deserve recognition. Their music is based on old school New York hip hop and psychedelic hip hop. I think all hip hop heads should check this out if they haven’t already. Download Indigoism.
Bishop Nehru – strictlyFLOWZ
For those of you who don’t know who Bishop Nehru is he is a 16 year old hip hop artist from Rockland County New York. One thing that stands out with this kid is his flow. He has amazing flow for a 16 year old and just in general. If you like artists from Pro Era or the Underachievers you’ll like Bishop Nehru. Bishop Nehru makes old school sounding music with a soulful vibe. That’s how I would describe it. This mixtape is titled strictlyFLOWZ. I think this is one of the more underrated mixtapes of the year. It was hosted by Peter Rosenberg. If you wanna check out or download strictlyFLOWZ go ahead and click on the link. Check this one out, it’s really good.
Danny Brown – Old
Danny Brown is a very odd person but he does make some of the best hip hop music. Despite how weird the dude is he’s always putting out great tracks. His latest album titled, Old was another great work of his. I didn’t really listen to Danny Brown much before. His character got in the way of his music to me. With time I started to listen to music more often and I came to like it a lot actually. This album is a really solid piece of work. Check this out though if you’re looking for something different. You can stream Old at the link.
M.I.A. – Matangi
M.I.A. is one of the most influential music artists out there. As a hip hop artist she is very innovative with what she does. Matangi is a great example of this. M.I.A. has always put out really good music. A standout track on this album is “Bad Girls”. The music video to that track is something else. The whole sound of this album is very digital. If that makes sense. There’s a mix of eastern and western musical styles. The production sounds very unusual sometimes but in a good way. Her wordplay is really good. I really enjoyed her wordplay. I can’t really think of specific adjectives that describe it. If you haven’t listened to this album or if you have been reluctant in doing so I recommend you go ahead and check it out. You can stream Matangi at the link.
Queens of The Stone Age – …Like Clockwork
I’m gonna switch it up a little bit for this next album. Now I really do like hip hop a lot but I grew up listening to band like Queens of The Stone Age before I ever really got into hip hop. I really like Nirvana, Incubus, The Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains, Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, Linkin Park and several other bands. Moving on, Queens of The Stone Age released one of the years best albums. …Like Clockwork had me hooked for weeks when it first released. This band truly is great. If you’re a fan of this band you probably already heard this album already. If you’re a fan of rock/alternative rock/hard rock music definitely check this album out. You can stream …Like Clockwork by clicking the link.
Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks
Another band I really enjoy is Nine Inch Nails. This year they released a new album titled, Hesitation Marks. This album was very enjoyable. Its actually really hard to not like this album. If you like alternative rock you’ll like this album easily. I definitely recommend this album. You can stream Hesitation Marks by clicking the link.
Blu & Nottz – Gods In The Spirit EP
Blu is one of the best hip hop artists lyrically. If you haven’t heard his Below The Heavens album with Exile then you’re missing out on some really good music. For this Gods In The Spirit EP he partnered up with Nottz. I always like Blu’s music and I really enjoyed this EP. If you like Blu you’ll like this Ep. You can stream Gods In The Spirit EP by clicking on the link.
YC The Cynic – GNK
YC The Cynic is not very well known by many but he is a very talented guy. He is from the Bronx. This album, titled GNK, gives off a 90’s hip hop feel with his selection of beats. I love it because those kind of beats are my favorite. Old school hip hop is the best. YC The Cynic spits over these beats seamlessly. His flow fits perfect with the beats he chose. If you want to stream and listen to GNK go ahead and click on the link. I recommend this one to everyone.
Jonwayne – Cassette 3: The Marion Morrison Mixtape
Stones Throw artist Jonwayne released this project, Cassette 3: The Marion Morrison Mixtape, this year and it was one of the projects I listened to the most this year. The cool thing about this guy is that he doesn’t do anything special he just raps and does a great job at it. Most of the beats on this project are self produced. He also has some beats from Dilla, DJ Premier, Madlib and Don Canon. If you’re looking for just a straight up hip hop project check this one out. I hope that down the line Jonwayne gets the recognition he deserves. If you’re interested in Cassette 3: The Marion Morrison Mixtape you can stream it at the link.
Milo – Cavalcade
When I first listened to Milo a while back I wasn’t a big fan. His style of music at the time wasn’t something I was really in to. I’m more into real old school hip hop, spitfire lyrics, and boom bap beats. Milo does not necessarily fit in to those characteristics. However that doesn’t mean I don’t like this guy’s music. I really like his first project I Wish My Brother Rob Was Here. This year Milo released his Cavalcade project. This is his fifth project. I enjoyed this project a lot. Once I got a few listens on it, it grew on me. I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for something different. Milo is a great writer and lyricist. If you listen to all his projects you can tell that his lyrics have grown more obscure and more challenging. If you’re interested in checking out and downloading Cavalcade click on the link. It’s free to download.
Ghostface Killah – Twelve Reasons to Die
Another one of my favorites this year was Ghostface Killah’s collaborative album, Twelve Reasons to Die, with Adrian Younge. Now I don’t think Ghostface Killah has ever put out a bad album so if you haven’t heard any of his albums you should check them out. I don’t think I know anyone who hasn’t heard any of his albums though. If you’re new to the genre then I guess it makes sense….barely. Anyway this album was great from beginning to end. Adrian Younge produced and composed the whole album. I actually think this album could possibly be the best hip hop album of the year. Ghostface Killah is just an amazing artist. If you want to stream Twelve Reasons to Die just click on the link.
Honorable Mentions
These following mixtapes/albums I enjoyed a lot I just don’t think they were the best mixtapes/albums of the year. Nonetheless they were really good.
Logic – Young Sinatra: Welcome To Forever
Kid Cudi – Indicud
J.Cole – Born Sinner
A$AP Rocky – Long.Live.A$AP
Alice in Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
Jimmy Eat World – Damage
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