whose nominations?

Honestly, I think The New Classic is a commendable album. It's low on my Top 10 but prob in there anyway. Oxymoron and Blacc Hollywood were both *pretty good*. MMLP2 came out in 2013, so...

the Grammy's.

hope Beyonce wins album of the year though. her album is stunning.

that Beyonce album is great, yeah.

i really like the new J. Cole album man. i woke up this morning and the first thing i did was putting it on, even my mother was vibing to it lol. haven't had this feeling with an album in a while, might even go ahead and buy it. will be my 3rd purchase this year after Piñata and FKA twigs' LP1.

gonna revisit my early favs from this year today and see how they stand in my top 10 of the year now.

Well, I still think Blacc Holywoodwas way above par for that ninja. That album deserves a shout at least. MMLP2 was released in 2013, but the cutoff for the 2014 year starts in October of 2013. It's always been like this. It's irritating but fuck it. So are the Grammys.

But obviously the year's best have been
Underachievers- Cellar Door
Wu Tang Clan - ABT
GHOSTFACE KILLAH - 36 Seasons
Run the Jewels - RTJ2
Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
The Roots - ATYSYC
We The Plug (HS87 & Hit-Boy)
Talib Kweli - GRAVITAS
And fuck whatever else you hear.

Wait, except for IntoXXXicated (SpaceGhostPurrp), Cadillactica (Big KRIT), and a bunch of other shit that I forgot about when I typed this post and forgot to post it (really late last night)

Is this out yet? I haven't heard it.

already leaked, officially drops tomorrow. planning to cop.

well i was exaggerating, over the last few weeks i came to realize MMLP2 doesn't suck. last year i couldn't appreciate it, i was hating. and some of the hooks are still sketchy. but in all honesty, it's probably my 2nd fav Eminem album behind Relapse.

no Piñata? listened to it again and decided it's my pick for album of the year. yes it's pretty "traditional", but it's also everything i love about music.

FUCK I forgot Piñata. Dammit. Ok shut it down. Gotta start over.

You guys aren't going to BELIEVE 36 Seasons. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think it might even be better than 12 Reasons to Die.

The production is unlike anything out there. The soul is real soul... But the beats go hard as fuck when they have to. The lyrics are brolling and the storyline is more complex (still a basic tale of bitches, turncoats & super powered revenge)... But it's less heavy handed than 12 Reasons. It takes its time and the intensity builds and while yes it is technically a sci-fi funk Epic that's ridiculous in more than 12, 24 or even 36 ways, it's also an album that could be played on random and still appeal to old school Wu fans.

I must say it's one of the best albums of the year, in any genre.

Im finnin to check that out

I believe it. Ghostface is one of the few rappers out there who consistently continues to hone is craft and just be the weirdo he is.

Yeah, and he is totally unashamed of being a nerd (which he must be... I mean, I do believe that's the art of John Romita Jr. in the 36 Seasons accompanying graphic novel), and he is absolutely unhindered by hip-hop trends and rules. Does he alienate fans? Sure. The other day someone came into he store looking for A Better Tomorrow I asked him what he thought so far, and if he was looking forward to the new GFK. He said "I don't know.. Not if it's more of that Adrian Younge shit.. If I want that I'll put on the Ropts (sic), when I listen to Wu I wanna get my ass kicked!"
(It was unclear whether he was referring to ABT or 36 Seasons, but he seemed to be talking about Wu-Tang Clan as a whole; skmehow he'd fallen under the misconception that RZA was no longer producing Wu work. I don't think anything in his response referred directly to 12 Reasons or 36 Seasons.)

Anyway, clearly somewhere along the way this guy became disenfranchised with the whole shebang, for reasons that had to do with Adrian Younge's work on 12 Reasons, ostensibly, though it could also be because of his assistance on ABT.

Anyway, the point is Ghostface Killah can work with whoever he wants... Any producer, any situation, and have an end result that sounds completely unique and unlike anything else in mainstream hip hop. He's really more of an experimental artist than he's given credit for, and he drops albums like Catholic mums drop babies in a Monty Python skit.

I did my reader's poll for pitchfork yesterday. I always miss it (well, at least ½ the time I do. I have a love/hate thing going with them) so I just rattled off a draft of my favorite albums of 2014. To my surprise, there wasn't a single rap album present. But I just wanted to score some points for Dub Thompson and Morgan Delt and other highly overlooked artists who rocked the year. But if I'd had time I would have put 36 Seasons in the top 10.

I don't get why everyone hated on Adrian Younge's producing on 12 reasons...I thought it was great.

I'll be hopefully buying GFK's album this weekend. It better be as good as you say, Severian.

oh man the new Ghostface is so good. It's at least AS GOOD as 12 Reasons. That's for sure. Wow.

i hope Lupe's next album will be good. the man who made Food & Liquor and The Cool must still have some talent in him. plus "Tetsuo & Youth" is a such a cool title.

1. Summer
2. Mural [Prod. by The Buchanans]
3. Blur My Hands (Feat. Guy Sebastian) [Prod. by S1 & M-Phazes]
4. Dots & Lines
5. Fall
6. Prisoner 1 & 2 (Feat. Ayesha Jaco) [Prod. by MoeZ'art]
7. Body Of Work (Feat. Troi & Terrance Martin) [Prod. by S1 & Vohn Beatz]
8. Little Death (Feat. Nikki Jean) [Prod. by S1 & Vohn Beatz]
9. No Scratches (Feat. Nikki Jean)
10. Winter
11. Chopper (Feat. Billy Blue, Buk Of Psychodrama, Trouble, Trae Tha Truth, Fam Lay & Glasses Malone) [Prod. by DJ Dahi]
12. Deliver [Prod. by MoeZ'art]
13. Madonna (And Other Mothers In The Hood) [Feat. Nikki Jean] [Prod. by DJ Dahi]
14. Adoration Of The Magi (Feat. Crystal Torres) [Prod. by DJ Dahi]
15. They.Resurrect.Over.New (Feat. Ab-Soul & Troi) [Prod. by DJ Dahi]
16. Spring

drops January 20th.

I think it is. I just read the Pitchfork review and they think it's pretty shamelessly stupid; like it's actually the work of a man with no new ideas who can only do what he's done before again and again....

They're pretty merciless. They also seem to think (reflecting back to us a sentiment that is virtually the exact opposite of our own) that Ghostface Killah has been “in a creative tailspin” for nearly a decade (?!?), struggling for relevance and doing the same-old same-old for 7 years (I'm guessing this little shit means “since Fishscale.” While most of us on the board seem to feel that he is the most daring, relevant & inventive rappers (Wu-Tang or otherwise) to still sell records. I have no clue how the aging 30-something's who populate this board, and who, despite their age, still manage to beat the world to all its music (assuming the rest of the world ever catches up at all!), could be so out of touch with the snowmisers of of modern cool.

Either we're wasting our breath talking about the lamest shit around, or Pitchfork's compass needs to be re-calibrated. Of course GFK has a definitive, signature superhero spin that he puts on all of his work. I'm sure it's not lost on him that 36 Seasons is a lot like 12 Reasons. I mean, the titles rhyme, and the numbers on them (like 36) are all divisible by 12.... This is not a “I don't get my own kitsch” thing... it's not as though GFK doesn't understand the absurdity of his a sci-fi / horror narratives. And with that in mind, it's easier to appreciate how FUCKING HARD the flows live beats go on this record. I guess Pitchfork can't see past the cover art...

Apparently they're also forgetting that they liked 12 Reasons quite a bit. Oh well... Just steer clear of the reviews. Listen to A Better Tomorrow, and let the minor disappointment of that sink in, then crank up the volume and play 36 Seasons. It will be refreshing. By the second track the groove will own you :)

Yeah, what the fuck aboht Kanye for the love of fucking shite?!!

that pfork review was idiotic. Fishscale is overrated anyway. And I'm sorry, but a lot of shit Ghost has dropped since then was far more interesting work. Pfork seems to be re-writing his history. "Creative talespin" = wtf?

Yet, the gave his album 0.1+ than Wu's ABT.

Why does that tracklist look like a mixtape? Why do many producers? He was a pretty big deal for a while there. You'd think he'd have a continuous producer, or high profile executive producer to give the album a more streamlined sound.

I really don't think many rap artists can successfully bounce between multiple producers on a full length studio album without sacrificing some of the quality of the album as a whole. A$AP Rocky juggled between in-house producera and very specifically selected outside talents for Long.Live, but... Well, he's fuckin' A$AP Rocky.

I never fucked with Lupe, though. So I can't say I know jack shit about his strengths or weaknesses. I just like that Food & Liquor album. Sorta.

the cover art was actually designed by DONDA.

Lupe used to be in the same position that Kendrick is in now. "Hurt Me Soul" is still one of the most moving rap songs i've heard.

really? I don't remember his acclaim being that same level that Kendrick gets now. And he def never made an album as insanely perfect as Good Kid...

I always liked Lupe. But that's about it. I LIKED him. I was never motivated to even buy any albums. Just y'know, turn up the radio (or Pandora) when one of his tracks came on. Kind of how I am w/ Kid Cudi too.

Lupe gave people hope, he was seen as the "savior" of hip-hop.

on his first two albums he was rapping with such genuine emotion. Hurt Me Soul's opening lines get me every time: "now i ain't trying to be the greatest, i used to hate hip-hop, yup, because the women degraded..".

Kendrick is obviously bigger though. it's hard for me to say better because i consider Lupe's best moments to be on par with Kendrick. but Kendrick is definitely more consistent. at least he has been until today. i just hope he'll never fall off.

I hope there's a reason to talk about Kanye again REALLY soon, instead of any of these other assclowns.

Just kidding. Ghostface, Kendrick, Lupe ain't no assclowns.

Drake is pretty much an assclown though. I hate his face. What can I say? I still wanna punch it.

finally heard the new Big KRIT... I feel like it's kind of boring. :\

Pitchfork is like the Onion only for music trollz and lolz.. also, severian, don't kill it now as ive started to.enjoy this.thread again

No, pitchfork is like the Onion only it doesn't know how ridiculous it is. Got fucking 24 year olds writing about Swans and proto-punk and shit that happened before they were born. It's just a bit of silliness to enjoy with your morning coffee. It would be folly to heed any of the site's constantly shifting opinions. Even if you agree with them.

In fact, if you find yourself agreeing with a pitchfork review, you should probably consider the possibility that you're wrong... At least for a moment. If you disagree, go about your day as planned.

The whack reviews of A Better Tomorrow and 36 Seasons have only served to increase my confidence in what I'm saying here.

Also, I picked up 2014 Fprest Hill Drive. Planning on listening to it shortly.

I enjoyed Born Sinner well enough, but it was just ok. Slightly better than the 2013 release by BOATS II:#MeTime; slightly worse than Nothing Was The Same.

haven't listened to it. don't think i will either.

Wait, I thought you really liked KRIT. ??? WTF, yo?

Yeah, it's not some miracle Yeezus album. It's not super inventive, but I think it's pretty solid. There's no reason not to listen to it when streaming services make it so easy to do so.

I think it's receiving pretty damn good reviews, across the board. It's definitely providing KRIT with a career jumpstart. Like I said, the old school minimal vibe reminds me a LOT of 808's & Heartbreak. The rest reminds me of early Outkast. There's a hint of experimentalism in the record that separates it from the herd. It's not a quality that often appears in nostalgic hip-hop records, so it gives Cadlactica a kind of dichotomous sound and feel. It's easy to love one track and hate the next, but I think it's a grower, and it's one of the better "big" hip-hop album releases of the year.

Remember, this year has been overflowing with instantly forgettable albums by established artists, and underwhelming releases by promising up and comers that have not lived up to the hype at all (Yeah, Schoolboy... You vacant fuck.) In a year that began with YG, Kid Ink, and Future, only to peak with fucking Iggy Azalea (WTF? But seriously, her record slammed in comparison to that basic shit by Sage the Gemini and blah blah blah), Cadillactica stands out as an album that sounds singular and uniquely unlike the rest of the albums we've heard.

For that reason alone, it deserves a freaking Spotify spin, at least... Come on bra!

i like him, but i had a feeling it's just an inferior remake of his mixtapes. i'll take your word and give it a chance though.

and yes Oxymoron was a huge letdown, but fucking Habits & Contradictions is still one of the best albums by any new school rapper if you ask me. can't go wrong with sampling Portishead.

a very short trailer of D'ANGELO's new album, titled "BLACK MESSIAH": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVsiVf_eSYE

so it's really happening guys..

Listening to A Better Tomorrow right now. "Felt" sounds like classic Clan. Dope as hell. Fuck the critics. This joint is skammin, and dark as the material on the W. Nice little footwork sample fading in and out of the background too.

This album's growing on me. Might be superior to 8 Diagrams :0

holy fuck a new D'Angelo album exists!

RE: Krit, I'm sorry but I just don't think this is as good as even Return Of 4ever