OFFICIAL 2011 ALBUM LISTS AND DISCUSSION

I don't see the new Beastie Boy album on any lists. Best Buy had it for 9.99 but they were sold out. I gave WAR another spin today and I am putting it up with my Desire ranking of a 4.5 now. I'm sure only 25 people bought it, but to me IMO it's a damn good album.

Kev, how is that Quik? I'm a huge fan, I just haven't got around to it...

That Quik is a banger Norf

Finally picking up that Quik Tuesday.

Anyone know if these are still dropping in June?

Em & Royce "Bad Meets Evil"
Random Axe
Tech N9ne
Pete Rock/Smif n Wessun

i know Tech is for sure

Updated list. Still pretty behind though on some releases. Still gotta check Saigon, Pharoahe, REKS, Rae and Talib. I really like the albums I have checked though.

Random Axe, Beastie Boys & Killer Mike will be added to the list soon.

I just bought a bunch of '11 shit, so I'll update this more later...

1. Raekwon Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (4.25 Stars)
2. Talib Kweli - Gutter Rainbows (3.75 - 4 Stars) I'm with Terry on his assessment...
3. Lupe Fiasco - Lasers (3 Stars) Not great, not terrible. Forgettable though.
4. MMG - Self Made Vol. 1 (3 Stars) Same boat as Lupe, but even more forgettable.

Update(s), as usual, are in bold...

Norfeest wrote:

Kev, how is that Quik? I'm a huge fan, I just haven't got around to it...

Have you heard it yet? I was a tad disappointed on 1st listen but mostly due to my own high expectations. After more spins it got better, its a dope album. Nothing great about it but i'm sure you will like it.

I just got it in the mail today. I'm gonna throw it in the Magnum and pray it doesn't let me down. I'm with you on the high expectation thing, but it's Quik. The bar is always set pretty high.

I gotta run downtown, so I'll have a verdict when I get back in a few hours...

Updated my list with Killer Mike & The Beastie Boys. I will listen to Random Axe one more time before I rate it. Bad Meets Evil, Pete Rock/Smif N Wessun & Big Sean are on deck....

Lots of updates, also threw up a top ten mixtape list

Just made a HUGE edit...what up

Just added Random Axe and Bad Meets Evil. I'll listen to Big Sean & Pete Rock/Smif N Wessun again soon and rate them after that.

I really should update my list.

Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun and Vakill have been added to the list. Undergods, Pimp C, and Big Sean will be added soon, as well as "Legendary Weapons"

Up to date. 100 heard as of yesterday.

I'm glad someone is updating their list other than me.....lol
C'mon People

1. Raekwon Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (4.25 Stars)
2. Talib Kweli - Gutter Rainbows (3.75 - 4 Stars) I'm with Terry on his assessment...
3. Atmosphere - The Family Sign (3.75 - 4 Stars) This is probably a 4 star album at the very least if you're an Atmosphere fan, but I feel like, at this point, they're just making the same album over and over and over...
4. Lupe Fiasco - Lasers (3.5 Stars) Not great, not terrible. Forgettable though.
5. MMG - Self Made Vol. 1 (3 Stars) Same boat as Lupe, but even more forgettable.

I'm spinning that Beastie Boys album right now. Updates in a few...

Update(s), as usual, are in bold...

Added Cyrus Malachi and Vakill

Updated my list with Hassaan Mackey & Apollo Brown. The more I listen to it, the more I like it better than The Left.

Added Jay Z & Kanye West and Big Sean....

Just made an edit the likes of which you have never seen in your lifetime

Finally updated my list and made it look pretty.

Added Slaine, Blaq Poet and Apathy to my list. While they're still new to me, they're all pretty much interchangeable (as in even quality) right now. Some more spins of each should change that a little.

Also shifted a few around.

What did Blaq Poet drop?

Shaun wrote:

What did Blaq Poet drop?

Blaq Poet Society, produced entirely by Stu Bangaz & Vanderslice. Dropped in June, I think.

Hey T you ever gonna update your list man? The longer you wait the harder it will be haha. Also, I'm down to like 20 albums from this year in my Spotify queue, I'm gonna start scanning these lists again for some more albums to peep.


FEED ME RECS

Added Tha Carter 4 and the Black Rob....

Re-arranged some stuff. Daily Bread is now my number 2. Covert Coup is now my number 3. Both of those albums have grown on me A LOT. Curren$y sounds so hungry on Covert Coup and Alchemist kills every beat.

Up to date @ 125.

Deanie O'Banion wrote:

Up to date @ 125.

Nice, nice. I have to update mine, I'm up to about 90 at this point. I'll do it later tonight.

Half wrote:

Deanie O'Banion wrote:

Up to date @ 125.

Nice, nice. I have to update mine, I'm up to about 90 at this point. I'll do it later tonight.

Good stuff Half, there's a few I just added that I haven't got around to listening to yet like The Carter IV, Ferrari Boyz, Planet Pit, somebody named Tinie Tempah and maybe a couple others, but I think that's it. It's tough to get around to albums you know you're probably not going to like.

Deanie O'Banion wrote:

Half wrote:

Deanie O'Banion wrote:

Up to date @ 125.

Nice, nice. I have to update mine, I'm up to about 90 at this point. I'll do it later tonight.

Good stuff Half, there's a few I just added that I haven't got around to listening to yet like The Carter IV, Ferrari Boyz, Planet Pit, somebody named Tinie Tempah and maybe a couple others, but I think that's it. It's tough to get around to albums you know you're probably not going to like.

Yeah, I really had to force myself to listen to I'm Gay (I'm Happy) and The Carter IV so I could be fair in my evaluation.

No knock to you guys on the real. But i'm not even trying to hear that many new albums one year. No point imo. Unless I was getting paid too.

(What Kev said)

However, I wish more people would actually give ratings for what they have heard for this year. It helps me out because some things I won't even check out unless I see folks' list or see that the CD has been given props in the review thread.

TicNitty706 wrote:

No knock to you guys on the real. But i'm not even trying to hear that many new albums one year. No point imo. Unless I was getting paid too.

We know, you're a grumpy gus that hates on most everything new anyway. Your point on the matter has been established many times over. Highsmith is even worse than you, so you go ahead and keep reading your comics to the same few albums over & over.

No response? Did you realize that your stance on this is exactly why radio stations get away with playing the same bullshit over & over. DITC right? Stop waiting for other people to tell you what to like, it's a wonderful thing.

Deanie O'Banion wrote:

TicNitty706 wrote:

No knock to you guys on the real. But i'm not even trying to hear that many new albums one year. No point imo. Unless I was getting paid too.

We know, you're a grumpy gus that hates on most everything new anyway. Your point on the matter has been established many times over. Highsmith is even worse than you, so you go ahead and keep reading your comics to the same few albums over & over.

Anyway,

There is no music soaking in imo with that method. It stops becoming about the music or quality and more about the quanity and bragging rights. What is truly soaking in? How can you really appreciate an album or artist especially when you are listening to the next one and next one and the next new one?

I have heard over 35 new albums from this year. And for me thats stepping it up...lol. But I can't even fathom truly bumping 100+ new albums. And really getting a feel for said artist or album. If thats a grumpy gus that hates on everything new than crown me gus. But thats betta than a loosely listening lame lewis trying to bump every album in my sight.

How do you know what's good and what's not if you don't?

I don't really see a problem with it. You spin a ton of shit, but the weaker shit gets 1 or 2 spins at most, the better shit gets more spins, and that's how you develop it. I've probably been listening to anywhere from 2-5 or more new CDs a week since 2004. I know some people have less time to listen to music overall so you have to devote your time carefully, but if you have the time to listen to music whether at work, going to and from work, the gym, etc. you certainly could still peep a ton of new shit and not just skim through shit.

I don't just listen to current music. That is the reason why I made that comment. I spin older albums from each genre, as well as, listen to music from this year. If that isn't acceptable to you it's not like I give a fuck, I'm just stating my opinion.

Deanie O'Banion wrote:

How do you know what's good and what's not if you don't?

Because I have L & E's (limits & exclusions)....lol.

I know what I like and what I tend to like. That comes with time. My goal is to hear dope music that I am interested in or may be be interested in. I will step outside my comfort zone at times because being completely closed minded is not my thing but at the same time I know me. And very well I must say. I was not knocking you for your adventures in the album race. I was just saying I do not have that in me.

Also like Highsmith said, I do not only listen to new school I listen to my old shit too. So if I include that with the 35+ albums I have heard the number goes waaay up.

Highsmith wrote:

(What Kev said)

However, I wish more people would actually give ratings for what they have heard for this year. It helps me out because some things I won't even check out unless I see folks' list or see that the CD has been given props in the review thread.

I rated my top 20. Those ratings are not definitive just as of now of course. Maybe that will help give you an idea of the quality at least.

I listen to old and new shit and not just hip hop. I can see the argument about letting albums sink in. However, it's like SRP said, weak/boring shit gets 1/2 spins and better stuff gets more spins. I've increased my music consumption dramatically this year, but the methods by which I listen to and appreciate music haven't changed. I didn't give wack albums more spins just because I heard fewer albums in a year. It's different from person to person though. It's just that this year, I've given albums a chance that I wouldn't have given a chance before when I limited myself more and it has resulted in some good surprises, as well as some ill-fated listening experiences. But I'll take the chance to hear something dope if it means listening to a couple of wack albums in the process.

Not in any order, just off the top of my head. I'll organize it soon:

Bumpy Knuckles and Statik Selektah - Lyrical Workout- Teetering on 5 stars. My favorite of the year
Elzhi- Elmatic- 4.5-5.
Random Axe - Random Axe- 4.5ish
J-Live- S.P.T.A.- 4.5*
Royce Da 5'9 - Success Is Certain- 4.25-4.5. Grew on me a bunch
DJ Quik- Book Of David- 4.25-4.5 *
Kendrick Lamar - Section.80- 4.25. This too
Vakill - Armor of God- 4.25ish. I skip a few tracks
Pharoahe Monch - W.A.R.- 4.25
One Be Lo - Laborhood Part 1- 4.25 off of one listen
Canibus- Lyrical Law- 4.25
The Doppelgangaz - Lone Sharks- 4 *
Reks- R.E.K.S.- Around 4 *
K-Rino - Alien Baby- 4. Haven't played it in a while, though
Bad Meets Evil - Hell: The Sequel- 3.5-4
J-Cole- Cole World: The Sideline Story- 3.5ish

* Denotes the rating will probably change when I get the physical and play it more.

Up to date, nice and neat.

I need to make a list. I can't even remember everything I've heard this year. All I know is this J. Live and Apathy are going to be top 5. Imma try to work on this today while I got some time.

1. Raekwon Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (4.25 Stars)
2. Game - The R.E.D. Album (4 stars)
3. Phonte - Charity Starts At Home (4 Stars) <---production is prety good, topics make this one a winner though. Good guest list too (Median, Pharoahe Monche, Big KRIT, etc...).
4. Talib Kweli - Gutter Rainbows (3.75 - 4 Stars) I'm with Terry on his assessment...
5. Atmosphere - The Family Sign (3.75 - 4 Stars) This is probably a 4 star album at the very least if you're an Atmosphere fan, but I feel like, at this point, they're just making the same album over and over and over...
6. Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (3.5 Stars)
7. Lupe Fiasco - Lasers (3.5 Stars) Not great, not terrible. Forgettable though.
8. MMG - Self Made Vol. 1 (3 Stars) Same boat as Lupe, but even more forgettable.

Update(s), as usual, are in bold...

My friend has been playing that MMG at work a lot, and I have to say it's not nearly as bad as I expected it to be. I feel like Wale is kinda just going through the motions, trying to conform, but Pill is really killing it. If the beats didn't kinda all sound the same and Ricky didn't do every goddamn hook, it could have been a dope compilation/group cd.