The Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2011
2011 was a year of great diversity, in which rap fans were faced with enough variety to find whatever flavor of hip-hop they wanted.
David Amidon
Emile Haynie: We Fall
Underground-turned-super producer Emile Haynie (KiD CuDi, Lana Del Ray, Eminem) stunt-casts his debut like crazy (Randy Newman?!) and against the odds crafts a very firm pop record out of the attention deficit.
Brodinski: Brava
Modern French house pioneer and Yeezus co-producer drops his first solo album after years of remixes and singles. Sadly, the result is far too middling.
Kid Ink: Full Speed
Kid Ink is a major label rapper, and Full Speed is his collection of major label rap song facsimiles.
Future & Zaytoven: Beast Mode
By teaming up with one of Atlanta hip-hop's biggest cult heroes and trimming all the fat, Future has not only put out his definitive album, but perhaps one of 2015's as well.
Rick Ross: Hood Billionaire
Rick Ross' second album of 2014 might've better served his fans as a mixtape but if you wanted more of exactly what you'd expect from him, here it is.
Thee Oh Sees: Drop
Thee Oh Sees made a studio album. It's different in the right way.
Young Money: Rise of an Empire
Lil' Wayne hits the reset button on his Cash Money imprint, but with only minor roster changes is it worth the effort?
ScHoolboy Q: Oxymoron
ScHoolboy Q takes everything he's learned in the Top Dawg stable and unleashes it in a very finely tuned burst.
R. Kelly: Black Panties
R. Kelly returns to the obtuse comedy trappings of Double Up and Untitled, but after two albums of retro soul are we really eager to hear a 47-year-old do his best Ty Dolla $ign anymore?
Dom Kennedy: Get Home Safely
Only Kennedy's second retail release, it's also perhaps his first that feels more like a rap album than a fashion statement.
Beyoncé: Beyoncé
It's her most honest album. It's a surprise. It's dirty as hell. It's the fantastic pop album we waited for all year. Happy New Year.
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