My Totally Biased 18 Best Albums of 2018

Welcome to Year 6 of my musical ego trip! 

It is truly an honor that you all return every New Years Eve (or week after) to read my opinion. Shoot, some of you even actively look forward to this list. As always - a self-induced depressive episode the week leading up to this post or not - I deliver to you what I consider the cream of the crop.

If there was any theme to 2018 it was loooooong. Honestly, 2018 felt like two years; are we sure we didn't double-time around the sun? Clearly, the musicians felt the same warp of time and flooded this year with more music than ever. I'm sure I listened to near 100 albums this year if not more.

The criteria remains mostly the same but with an addition:

1) Does the album have a thesis and follow it? 

2) How much does the album knock? 

3) Does this album speak to me/the masses?  

4) How many tracks standout vs fade into the background? 

5) How does the album stack up against its genre peers?

You'll notice this year I've added genres to the description of each album. This is 1) in part to help clue you in to the sound if you have no idea who the artist is but also 2) to help me keep track and not flood you all with the same sound. 2018 was the year I fell into an alternative R&B hole. It was pleasant, no doubt, but I had to bring some perspective while compiling this list. Yes, the choices are mine alone to make, but 2018 was the Year of Balance for me and it'd be a shame if my year end list didn't reflect that.

Without further adieu, let's jump into this year's best albums beginning with those that nearly made the cut (and my way of fudging a top 25).

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Drake's Scorpion
Mitski's Be the Cowboy
Pusha T's Daytona
Natalie Prass' The Future and The Past
SiR's November
Teyana Taylor's KTSE
VanJess' Silk Canvas

*~If a song has a hyperlink, it leads to the music video!~*

18) Robyn’s Honey

Release Date: October 26th

Run Time: 40:18

Genre: Electropop/Post-Disco

After 8 long years, Robyn has finally returned! I'll admit, I was late to Robyn. Like most people, my first experience of her was the Body Talk series. I was ready for a return to the bubbly, sparkily pop I loved. So when Honey gave me something darker, I was thrown off. Don't get me wrong, this is still a pop album, but Robyn has taken time off to reflect and grow as an artist. This time she delivers not club anthems but dance-alone-in-your-room bops. Tracks like "Because It's In The Music" will have you feeling on yourself in front of a mirror. Towards the end, she does manage to sneak in an mod-elevator music song perfect for the beach that would have fit the Body Talk era. There's a little something for every pop lover.

Hit Single:

Honey

Standout Tracks:

Human Being [feat Zhala]

Between the Lines

Skip It:

Ever Again - 'cause out of all the tracks, it's probably the most basic sounding

17) Lykke Li’s so sad so sexy

Release Date: June 8th

Run Time: 34:02

Genre: Pop

No other album on this list as a title as appropriate as so sad so sexy. From the very first track, you can visualize Lykke Li strolling around Stockholm in gloomy weather while sporting a bikini under a trench coat. From start to finish, Li supplies us with tearful body roll music. Her fourth time out the gate, she's a pro at her lane of pop music. Plug in some headphones, walk somberly into your favorite body of water, and allow so sad so sexy to instruct you in its synchronized swimming routine.

Hit Single:

hard rain

Standout Tracks:

jaguars in the air

sex money feelings die

Skip It:

Utopia - 'cause we don’t have time to sing about things that don’t exist

16) Kids See Ghost’s Self-Titled

Release Date: June 8th

Run Time: 23:53

Genre: Rap Rock/Hip-Hop

Kanye West let me down so much this year. Starting with his political affiliations to actively, repeatedly making a fool of himself, I hoped his album would be trash to finally set me free from his discipleship. Luckily Ye was hot garbage. However, something told me to listen to the other four "albums" he would play a part in all June. The production on Nas', Teyana Taylor's, and Pusha T's albums were all amazing, each nearly making the list, but the best among them was clearly his collaboration with Kid Cudi. A long fan of Cudi, his last few LPs have been misses. Thankfully, (most of) these seven tracks came together beautifully. Cudi's moaning on "Reborn" is some of his best work, feeling representative of the whole work. Maybe Kid Cudi will come back and surprise us with another solid album. I truly hope so.

Hit Single:

Feel the Love

Standout Tracks:

Freeee (Ghost Town Pt 2) [feat Ty Dolla $ign]

4th Dimension [feat Louis Prima]

Skip It:

Fire - 'cause it feels like marching music and it needs more cowbell

15) Christine and the Queens' Chris

Release Date: September 21

Run Time: 44:28 (92:56)

Genre: Electronic Pop

It's starting to feel mandatory that I have at least one Frenglish artist a year on the "countdown." Héloïse Letissier, better known as Christine and the Queens, released her second album as a rebranding self-titled LP feeling she could transition to solely Chris. With this album, she's free to express her sexuality and feminism in bouncy ways. She balances her sound with somber tracks like "What's-her-face." As an added bonus, Chris can be listened to as a double album featuring English and French versions. Each album has at least one track exclusive to its language. So if you feel the need to show-off or pick favorites, you can compile your own master mix of the album. Everyone loves options.

Hit Single:

Girlfriend

Standout Tracks:

Doesn’t matter

Goya Soda

Skip It:

Feel so good - 'cause it has too many jarring 80s sound effects not featured anywhere else on the album

14) Travis Scott’s Astroworld

Release Date: August 8th

Run Time: 58:33

Genre: Rap

Travis Scott is a rapper I've avoided solely on the basis of ignorance. I thought it wasn't worth my time, and perhaps he wasn't when he first appeared on the scene. It wasn't until months after Sicko Mode dropped that I finally heard the beat switch everyone was going crazy over. Halfway through the song, I was a fan. The next day I listened to Astroworld, and I was pleasantly surprised. I assumed Travis was a strict trapper rapper, but the production on many of the songs were crisp and varying in fill. Yes, the bar may have been on the ground my first listen, but each time I returned Travis and his crew of features jumped over other rappers' albums. If you're looking for semi-depressing raps over beats that go hard, look no further than a trip to Astroworld.

Hit Single:

Sicko Mode [feat Drake]

Standout Tracks:

Skeletons [feat Pharrell, Tame Impala, The Weeknd]

Stop Trying to be God [feat Kid Cudi & James Blake]

Skip It:

NC-17 - because it's not as explicit as its name implies; bummer

13) Panic! at the Disco’s Pray for the Wicked

Release Date: June 22nd

Run Time: 33:11

Genre: Pop/Alternative Rock

Oh don't give me that look. No, seriously, stop. Listen, it's ok. I've long been a Brendon Urie fan, going all the way back to high school. I've listened to all of his albums. He has a great voice and a great sound. But in the past, since he became the sole member of Panic!, his albums start off strong only to give way to a sub par second half. With sixth album Pray for the Wicked, not the case my friend. Urie has a wide array of influences and they all play a role: from jazz to gospel to 80s synth. Together you get a pop-rock album for all the derelicts to wail along to. I'll admit, perhaps Urie coming out as pansexual played a slight role in how often I played his album this year, but like Honey it was the perfect thing to throw on before a night out, especially with the songs pertaining to booze.

Hit Single:

High Hopes

Standout Tracks:
Say Amen (Saturday Night)

King of the Clouds

Skip It:

Dying in L.A. - while Urie does love a piano ballad, this one misses the mark as the closer to a rather fast-paced album

12) Blood Orange’s Negro Swan

Release Date: August 24

Run Time: 49:27

Genre: Alternative Soul Pop

Remember how I would award different superlatives? Let's keep that going. To Negro Swan I award the "Oh... It Me." I surprisingly related to nearly every aspect of this album because it discusses what it's like to experience depression while black and queer and related experiences. Tracks like "Hope" featuring Diddy sincerely made me diddy-bop my depression away. Then there's "Jewelry" that eerily progresses like a Frank Ocean arrangement. His fourth time out as Blood Orange, Dev Hynes plays my heart strings and then samples them to produce a trippy drum and bass beat. Really, I think it's the balance between his strained vocals and mildly rapper way of speaking that truly completes the package. This is definitely midnight riding music.

Hit Single:

Saint

Standout Tracks:

Charcoal Baby

Dagenham Dream

Skip It:

Holy Will - only if you don't feel like a gospel break

11) Jessie J’s R.O.S.E.

Release Date: May 22-25th

Run Time: 55:23

Genre: Pop

I've always recognized Jessie J's talent, from her verse on "Bang Bang" to her memeworthy riff of "No." I'm not sure why I never checked for her albums; maybe because they were too mainstream pop. However, Jessie J's fourth album toes the line between pop and soul. Sectioned into four EPs (Realisations, Obsession, Sex, and Empowerment), Jessie takes her time to sing about love lost, new options, and finding inner peace. Produced by DJ Camper who coached her along the way, Jessie found her writer's voice again in a real way. It's hard to find a weak vocal anywhere on this project.

Hit Single:

Not My Ex

Standout Tracks:

Think About That

Dangerous

Skip It:

Rose Challenge - so you don’t get tricked into another internet meme/craze

10) Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy

Release Date: April 5th

Run Time: 48:13

Genre: Rap

Name me one person that had a better year than Cardi B? Don't worry, I'll wait. After the hype of "Bodak Yellow," our favorite down to earth vixen finally released her debut album Invasion of Privacy. Though the album is littered with features left and right, Cardi comes in solo for the first track "Get Up 10" to remind us that she's bout her business. She knows where she's been and she knows where she wants to go. Her personality jumps out from track to track. A highlight of the album is "She Bad" featuring YG where Cardi pays homage to her roots and makes a strip club anthem for all the girls still working the pole. One of my few wishes is that she had rapped in Spanglish on "I Like It," but hey, she left me wanting more. I can deal with that.

Hit Single:

I Like It [feat J Bavin & Bad Bunny]

Standout Tracks:

Best Life [feat Chance the Rapper]

Bickenhead

Skip It:

Ring [feat Kehlani] - 'cause it’s just sounds like it was mandated by some record exec; also 'cause it's not "Money!"

9) SOPHIE’s Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides

Release Date: June 15th

Run Time: 39:55

Genre: Electronic

This year's "Charles, What the Hell Am I Listening To?" goes to SOPHIE's Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides. Having only released a compilation album of random singles prior, this serves as her proper debut album. Enlisting the help of Cecile Believe to sing on the album, producer SOPHIE only lends her vocals to the intro track "It's Okay to Cry," which is the tender ballad of the album. For the remainder of the album, the transgender Scot rattles our brains with hard steel drums and electronic onomatopoeias that combine into something audibly beautiful once you get used to the initial screech. Believe's vocals are the perfect balance to the jaunting sounds SOPHIE treats us to. Just before the end of the album, we're treated to a party anthem in the form of "Immaterial." Play this at your next LGBT+ rave.

Hit Single:

Faceshopping

Standout Tracks:

Infatuation

Immaterial

Skip It:

Pretending - only if you don’t enjoy static turned into electronic whale wails

8) Chloe x Halle’s The Kids Are Alright

Release Date: March 23

Run Time: 52:48

Genre: R&B

Plucked from Youtube to nuzzle atop Beyonce's bosom, Chloe and Halle Bailey are two sisters who have paid their dues. Capable of writing and producing most of the album themselves, The Kids Are Alright is nothing but appropriate as the title of their debut album. Throughout the album, you can hear little Beyonce-isms in their vocals yet they both have their own sound and tricks. To add to their accolades, the debut also features "Grown" (the theme written for the show Grown-ish they also act in) and "Warrior" (the lead single for the movie A Wrinkle in Time). With subject matter about being enough to finding love, there's nothing truly innovative but the lyrics still ring true. Every song - including the interludes - are thoughtfully arranged and produced. If Chloe x Halle had a third sister as talented as them, they might even be capable of Destiny's Child level harmonies. Nevertheless, the duo are just fine on their own.

Hit Single:

Grown

Standout Tracks:
Babybird

Everywhere

Skip It:

Baby on a Plane - 'cause no one wants to hear that while they fly, man

7) Jorja Smith’s Lost and Found

Release Date: June 8th

Run Time: 46:00

Genre: R&B/Pop

I disagree with Wikipedia's genre classification of Jorja Smith. To me she's more of an alternative R&B singer-songwriter, but I can understand how that could be a bit wordy. And Lost and Found is less of an debut album than it is a collection of songs Smith wrote between 16 and 21, yet they all work beautifully together. With subject matter from finding-and-losing-and-the-awful-timing of love to issues of racial discrimination and feminism, Jorja Smith isn't afraid to express herself. As a listener, you can easily place yourself in the situations she describes. Even with the British twang to her voice, her vocal abilities will soon be one to rival. Musically, the production is standard, but it's the way Smith uses the melodies to fit her own style that makes Lost and Found so special.

Hit Single:

Where Do I Go?

Standout Tracks:

Teenage Fantasy

Blue Lights

Skip It:

Lifeboats (Freestyle) - only if you like keeping R&B ma’ams from testing their bars

6) The Carter’s Everything is Love

Release Date: June 16th

Run Time: 38:17

Genre: Hip-Hop/R&B

If you want to hear what opulence sounds like, play this album. You know what, yeah, that's it. To Everything is Love I award the superlative "Opulence: You. Own. Everything!" I mean, Jay-Z and Beyonce's combined net worth is astronomical. They shot a music video in the Louvre, for shit's sake. Balla shit aside, the world's favorite open-and-honest couple finally joined forces to deliver their "fourth child" to us. Though it sometimes feels like Jay-Z gets in Beyonce's way, the two still work well together. When Beyonce shines on a track, she shimmers. With Everything is Love, Yonce continues to develop her rap skills, adding to her long list of talents. Jay-Z shade aside, Hov proves he can still keep up with his the next generation over melodic trap beats. Content-wise, the duo give us classic rap: bragging about how they're the best and the richest. The only difference is The Carters have the receipts to prove it. Like Blue said, "Never seen a ceiling in my whole life." Also, we all know cursing Beyonce is the best Beyonce; that's when she's at her most vicious.

Hit Single:

Apeshit

Standout Tracks:

Black Effect

Boss

Skip It:

Nice - but just Pharrell’s verse

5) Anderson .Paak’s Oxnard

Release Date: November 16th

Run Time: 56:19

Genre: Rap/Hip-Hop

This year's "I Feel Like I'm in Middle/High School Again" award goes to Anderson .Paak for his work on Oxnard. He owes this accolade in large part to Dr Dre, who helped produce his third studio album - it's also .Paak's first album under Aftermath Entertainment. The third and last installment of his "beach series," .Paak continues to pay homage to California. During the album's first couple of tracks, you can almost smell the crisp ocean air wisp across your nostrils. With great production and beats in the bag, Anderson .Paak spits some of his best bars proving he's only getting better as the West makes another claim as the best coast in the rap game. In true early 2000s style, this rap album has plenty of features but none overshadow .Paak, not even Kendrick. A favorite track of mine is "Brother's Keeper" featuring Pusha T based off the nostalgia factor alone. With near no error in sight, .Paak can close his beach series with pride.

Hit Single:

Tints [feat Kendrick Lamar]

Standout Tracks:

6 Summers

Anywhere [feat Snoop Dogg & The Last Artful, Dodgr]

Skip It:

Left to Right - only 'cause is plays like a bonus track after Sweet Chick’s closing credits vibe

4) Ariana Grande’s Sweetener

Release Date: August 17th

Run Time: 47:25

Genre: Pop/R&B

My pop princess has finally jumped into the world of R&B I always knew she was capable of! This is largely thanks to Pharrell leading the production on Sweetener. He even threw Ariana a track Beyonce didn't use; that's the one time being a runner-up can feel like winning. Often criticized for not using her voice's full potential, Ariana belts and runs more on Sweetener than her three previous albums. Dance records a given, the pony-tailed diva takes the time to expose her softer side with "better off." "breathin" has easily become a break-up/mental health anthem, driven by the tenderness her voice possesses. Did I mention that Ariana pseudo-covers Imogen Heap's "Goodnight and Go" and turns it into a bop? Yes, Sweetener is perfect girls' night music - which to me translates to a near perfect pop album. 2019 has been bitter enough; let everyone's favorite ex-girlfriend sweeten it up for you.

Hit Single:

No Tears Left to Cry

Standout Tracks:

breathin

god is a woman

everytime

Skip It:

the light is coming [feat Nicki Minaj] - cause it would have been the perfect slot for Thank U, Next

3) The Internet’s Hive Mind

Release Date: July 20th

Run Time: 57:49

Genre:R&B/Funk

After lead singer Syd took time off last year to find her voice with her solo project, she returned to Matt Martians and the rest of The Internet to form like Voltron. Hive Mind is truly the culmination of each band members best efforts as they "Come Together" to form one voice. Allowing their most recent addition to take the lead on the first proper song of the album, Steve Lacy reminds us he can charm the pants off us even over a roller-disco funk beat. Handing the reigns back over to Syd, our favorite stud leads us through an album of pure bliss and romance. Even though she's most certainly singing to a woman on "Stay the Night," I still find myself pointing to my chest and mouthing "me?" every time. With the vocals secured, Martians leads the band's production and collaborates with Lacy, Patrick Paige, and Christopher Smith. Each track blends with the one that follows while still maintaining its individuality, just like The Internet manages to achieve. To Hive Mind, I award "Perfect Synchronization" and hand them my application to play tambourine on the next album.

Hit Single:

Come Over

Standout Tracks:

La di da

It Get Better (With Time)

Skip It:

Bravo - only if you hate high-hat driven beats

2) Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer

Release Date: April 27th

Run Time: 48:42

Genre: Funk R&B/Pop

What if I told you had I trouble writing this review because I couldn't stop dancing to the album? It's no secret that Janelle Monae is one of my favorite current artists - maybe even of all time - so it's no surprise she's this high on the list. Face it, she earned it. Not only did Prince lend his talents to the album before he passed in 2016, but Monae herself grew as an artist. Diverging from the usual tale of Cindi Mayweather, Dirty Computer focuses on Jane and the landscape the humans and androids of Metropolis inhabit. In doing this, Monae is allowed to make parallels and criticize the world we live in, because we are all "Screwed." By switching the perspective to Jane, Monae also takes the chance to open up about her pan-sexuality. She drives home her attraction to women with the song and video for "Pynk" so that no one can possible miss it. While Dirty Computer has heavy rock and 80s-influences, Monae raps more on this album than her prior efforts. "Django Jane" may be the hardest rap song of the year, but I'm biased. Between the range of her voice, her message, and her production value, Janelle Monae has arguably released the best album of her career. It nearly took the top spot... but one song kept it from greatness. So in lieu of best album, I award Dirty Computer "Miss Congeniality."

Hit Single:

Make Me Feel

Standout Tracks:

I Like That

Screwed (feat Zoe Kravitz]

Pynk

Skip It:

American - 'cause it’s just so damn hokey

1) Kendrick Lamar and Co’s Black Panther Soundtrack

Release Date: February 9th

Run Time: 49:12

Genre: Hip-Hop

One time for the cultureeeee!!! That's right, for once "The Blackest Album of the Year" is also my Album of the Year.

I'm sorry, but this was the first album that I instantly knew would make it on my top albums list and surprisingly no one bested it.

Led and arranged by Kendrick Lamar, Compton's-own allowed Ryan Cooliger's film and Ludwig Goransson's original score to inspire him to make film soundtracks great again. There's something nostalgic about a soundtrack being this consistently solid that I really appreciate. Though only two of the songs are featured in the film (and one used during the end credits), each song transports you to either Wakanda or Compton - two contrasting nations that must find harmony and peace with each other. Somehow Kendrick managed to play audible ambassador.

As a strong lyricist himself, Kendrick needed to build a suitable Justice League (wrong universe, I'm aware) to keep pace. Future, 2 Chainz, and Anderson .Paak are among the peers he enlisted, with rookies like Jorja Smith, Khalid, and Swae Lee gaining experience along the way. Ever mindful, Kendrick was sure to rope in South African artists Babes Wodumo, Sjava, Yujen Blackrok, and Saudi to round out and balance the soundtrack's vibe and culture.

Though the soundtrack is full of rap features, R&B and updated tribal music provide the right amount of variation to keep you fully engaged. Each artist brings something unique to the table, and producer Sounwave helped unify these skill sets into a powerful weapon against Yacubian-ism. (Props to James Blake as the lone, audible white voice on the album).

Kendrick fans may be mad at me that this is what finally earned him the title of "Best Album of the Year," but meh. We all know he's great, but this year he proved he's what we needed him to be: a great leader, our T'Challa.

Hit Single:

All the Stars [feat Kendrick & SZA]

Standout Tracks:

Redemption [feat Zacari & Babes Wodumo]

King's Dead [feat Jay Rock, Future, James Blake]

Paramedic! [SOB X & RBE]

Skip It:

Pray for Me [feat The Weeknd] - so you can start the album from the beginning again

Woo! Another one in the books, and minutes to spare before the self-publishing deadline I set for myself. As always, thank you for excusing any typos. 

What do you think of my list? Agree? Wholeheartedly disagree? Think I missed an album I would have loved? Not likely this year, but let me know and we can talk it out. This list is always meant to encourage a musical dialogue. 

Well, I'll see you all again at the end of 2019. Until then, you can check out my back catalog here: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

Word





Once again, here's the Spotify playlist featuring selections from all of my favorite albums (and notable mentions) this year. Enjoy!

The Story of Wayne Brady

I don't exactly remember when I realized I was on the verge of becoming an Uncle Tom, but I assure you it was before I graduated college. There wasn't any grand event like a cop singling my out amid my white friends or a profound witchhunt like a proud black woman calling out something problematic I said. No, I was too homely and quiet for either of those to transpire. Besides, being problematic didn't exist in 2007-2011; you were just wrong.

There was never any separation from black classmates as a whole. I had several friend groups during college, one being the extensive multi-cultural underground at my PWI. No, one day I just realized I was an uppity negro.

Though I grew up in a crime ridden city, I definitely grew up privileged. I had two older sisters and divorced parents, but I still got most of what I asked for. I still remember the day I ask my mother if we were poor because we switched from boxed to bagged cereal, yet I was never in danger of not going to private schools. My parents definitely sacrificed and provided for me.

By the time I reached middle school, I realized I was different. I couldn't relate to the other kids at church when they talked about their shenanigans. I would run into elementary school classmates and wonder how we came from the same place. My natural intelligence was budding. I knew better than to do certain things that would make me look "foolish" or ghetto, but I also looked down on those that participated in those reindeer games.

I had never seen the crime I heard about in Newark, but I always knew it was around me, lurking. Eventually it would come for me. And somewhere along the way, I equated lack of education and desperation to my black peers who weren't lucky enough to grow up like me. Newark was too black for me; I didn't know how to relate. So I was happy to leave for college, not realizing it was my gateway drug to caucasity.

Baltimore reminded me of Newark; it felt like home right away. However, there was a light that shined on Baltimore that at the time didn't shine on Newark. I realize now that light was gentrification mixed with quirkiness. The quirkiness is what distracted me, what drew me, what I related to. Besides my immediate family, I didn't know of any black people that were as weird or silly as me. I equated silliness with being carefree, but of course that isn't true. As a now silly 29 year old, I can assure you I am not carefree. I am weary.

Part of this weariness comes from the current state of our nation. It's exhausting, I'd like to report on it from the black perspective, but these days I only have my own. It's not that I've lost touch with black culture, but I've lost touch with the community. Post-college, I surrounded myself with wacky and interesting people, men and women of different cultural and sexual backgrounds. It was my own little bubble from the world, but in it, it's hard to admit white wasn't the default. Sure at the core of the group was a gay black man, an afro-latina lesbian, and an unfortunately-straight Asian men, but our playgrounds were wholly white spaces we inserted ourselves into, proving we could go anywhere.

Along the way, I lost the ability to relate to some black people. Occasionally, a friend would bring over a black person I didn't like because they seemed ignorant through and through. Granted, I held contempt for some of the basic white women my friends would invite over as well, but the unwanted black guests burned hotter in my spirit. Was I disappointed they weren't being "10x as good" but instead fine with the environment they were in? Was I jealous they were so at peace with themselves, that they knew where they belonged? Reflecting on it, it's still hard to tell.

So why am I exposing myself in this manner? Why am I criticizing myself? Why do I feel so lost?

Well, because I thought I had it figured out, but I don't. This year has proved that to me.

Part of me has always believed I had trouble writing because I was writing for the wrong audience, from the wrong experiences. I shifted my audience in college to educate the white and straight majorities about black and queer culture, but I lost myself along the way. I needed to be back among my people if I was going to properly write for them.

Last year, I joined an organization to not only help spread sexual health awareness and LGBT acceptance but to reconnect with black gay men. However in the last 20 months, I froze up during any event were they were the majority. I passed up invitations to black gay events because I didn't know who I would go with, to afraid to dive in on my own. I felt like a phony within my own demographic. Perhaps it's because I'm trying to be something I'm not, but still I yearn to reconnect with them.

In another facet of my life, I moved from the outskirts of the city to the downtown area two and a half years ago. I went from a mixed community to a predominantly black area experiencing an invasion from med students and young white 20-somethings. I had long considered myself a peacemaker between black and white, but that was no longer the case. The people I now live among are more like the people I left behind in Newark.

It's often that I feel the glares of the locals as I walk from the bus stop to my home. It's like they can tell I've abandoned them, that I'd rather sit up under my white friends than talk to them. And it's hard to say they're wrong. As much as I long to have a regular crew of people around me that knows how to play Spades and remembers Moesha, I don't actively seek them out.

I was robbed again at the end of last week, not even a full month after experiencing a home invasion. This time my friend and I were walking around our neighborhood playing PokemonGo, foolishly showing off our phones. We'd done it all summer; we didn't think anything of it. Before we could cross MLK Blvd, not even four blocks from our house, two black guys got us at the corner. I wanted to fight back, but they held my friend hostage with a chokehold. I didn't want to risk him getting hurt. I felt dumb; I felt betrayed; I felt humiliated. I never had much trust in white people as a whole, but living around them, I was starting to trust my own kind again - even if I still silently judged them as they stood on the corner. I would have liked nothing better than to be robbed by a white man for once.

I know I still have Uncle Tom tendencies; I'm working on them. It's still difficult when you don't feel accepted or safe around your own kind, but what have I done to make them feel accepted when they come across me?

My mind is still racing from all that's happened to me this summer, from the experiences of my entire existence. I don't want to feel other-ed anymore. In reality, though, it has to start with me. I have to change my mindset and be more open. That doesn't mean let my guard down; I've done enough of that already. However, I have to stop judging black people so harshly. Other cultures do that for us enough.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to attempt to find a black lesbian on TalkSpace* to listen to all my problems.

Word

*Not a paid advertisement, but it could be.

Liam Neelon's Daughter

I love Baltimore. That's no secret. If you count college credit, I've lived here for 11 years this September. This place is literally my home. It feels like I grew up here. People constantly mistake me for a native instead of one of Jersey's sons when they meet me. I've become very comfortable in my surroundings. Perhaps a little... too comfortable?

Before Jay-Z officially claimed he was "good on any MLK Boulevard," I made my way home one summer night after an evening of drinking. It's something I was used to doing, even during my undergrad years (though back then it was York Road). I spent a wonderful night of singing karaoke at one of the few gay bars still in Baltimore followed by post-gaming with a virtual-reality headset at my friends' place. Oddly not feeling like sleeping on a couch for once - I paid for my mattress six years ago after all - I left my friends' apartment and started my usual mile trek down MLK back to my home.

The air was crisp that night. It was cool but not chilly, just the right temperature to prevent me breaking a sweat like I'm prone to do. I was feeling myself, not only because I had a great buzz going but because I had on a very - for lack of a better term - hipster outfit on: blue overalls and a short sleeve button-up with a pattern I can only describe as summer-into-fall realness. 

I was about halfway through my walk in the shadows of the boulevard bouncing along to my karaoke greatest hits when I felt something cold against the back of my recently buzzed head. Being drunk, I felt at total peace with the world and turned around calmly as if I already knew the predicament I was facing. I soon stared down the barrel of a pistol. A gun? A glock? I just remember it felt cold, so it was definitely real. The man holding it wore a ski mask. "Take out your wallet and throw it on the ground." Without even thinking to run, I did as he said. I was basically broke anyway.

Soon I noticed two other guys with bandannas over their faces appear. One was clearly the lookout while the other kicked my wallet around to open it. He was avoiding any unnecessary fingerprints. I quickly admired the operation these three young black entrepreneurs started for themselves. "You got money on you anywhere else?" the runner asked seeing I only had three singles in my wallet. 

"Naw, but my card is in there." I offered up my debit card because I knew I could cancel it but more importantly because I remembered hearing of robbery victims being shot because they were too broke and had nothing of value to offer. Basically, they were killed for wasting the criminals time.

"Naw, you good." The runner left the card and the cash in the wallet and backed up. 

The gunman looked me up and down, realizing I was too drunk to lie or to care. "Alright, you good. Pick up your wallet and go." I did as he said, probably replied with some dumb goodbye, and continued my walk home. I was happy they didn't go for my card or phone, most likely because they were easy to trace. I was happy they didn't do as little as pistol whip me. I was happy I was too drunk to be afraid. I appreciated the Robin Hoods. Merry Men? No, that would have sounded too gay to them. Robin Hoods. 

To this day, I barely remember the gun in my face. In all honestly, I'm shocked I lasted until 29 to be held at gunpoint. My hometown Newark definitely could have had that privilege. If anything, I was sad the invincible, tipsy negro of York Road had finally been defeated on his new route. Clearly, I refrained from walking home at night for a week or two, but I'm back to my old tricks now. I'm just more observant like I always should have been.

Unfortunately, robbery seems to related to the same death entity of Final Destination fame.

Three weeks ago, I received a message from my house's group text. My roommate "Don" woke up from his nap and walked out into the hallway to find a hooded man dart out of "Chet's" bedroom. I left work early to help Don and to access the situation.

Chet beat me home and was already helping Don but obviously he was anxious and scared. I waited until Don stepped upstairs to laugh to Chet, "Ha! We got robbed." Making light of it was all I could do. Make comedy out of pain; that's what my culture does best. I looked around. The guy stole all three of the game systems we had downstairs, the controllers, the games, my laptop, Don's meds, and Magnum condoms I left on the game room table from work. I walked in the kitchen and noticed the box of Magnum condoms from my room on the stove. He must have left them behind when he got caught. I ran up to my room to see he went through my desk, but the condoms were the only thing he found of value. Likely for Chet, the robber was spooked away by Don before he could take the Xbox in his room.

When I returned downstairs, there was a knock on the door. I went to open it and then froze. I realized it was the police. I realized they had already been inside the house. I realized I was black. My heart dropped. After a beat, I unlocked the door and let the (thank the lord) friendly, mid-20s officer assigned to our case in. Don reiterated that the robber came in through the back window in the kitchen, most likely seeing our back gate was barely locked from the bike lock we were provided by the landlord. The officer asked if Don got a good look at the man, but he only remembered his black hood and possibly black gloves. 

It still hits me in waves that we were actually robbed. Again, I'm surprised it took this long to be robbed. Other friends in our neighborhood had this happen to them, and it was no pleasure for them either. I suppose now we're all a part of the same club.

Since the robbery, we've upped our security by... deadbolting the front door when we leave and making sure the back kitchen window is always locked. Lightning rarely strikes twice, but at worst they would steal my TV and Chet's remaining Xbox. 

I don't miss anything that's gone until I jokingly whine about wanting to play a game that's gone or realizing I can't freely type something up like I've neglected to do earlier in the year. Honestly, the only thing of value we lost in the robbery was Don's sense of safety at home. Hopefully he can regain it soon, but I know it's a process. The investigation's obviously still in progress, but I'm not expecting to see any of my stolen devices again. I sincerely hope I never see the stolen Magnums again.

So, why did I wait so long to write this post? Well, shit happens everyday. It makes us stronger. Also I'm still pretending like I'm not shaken by these events. Maybe I'm truly not; perhaps I just feel like I should be. Is guilt of not being traumatized a thing? 

Do I hate Baltimore after this happened to me? No, not at all. The acts of a few men do not define the acts of the many. However, if this happens a third time, I may have to reevaluate some things.

Is black on black crime a thing?  I mean, yeah, white people rob white people all the time, too. I don’t know why I thought just cause I’m black I wouldn't get robbed by the locals just cause there are plenty of whites to jack. I can get this work, too, and clearly I have.

Finally, what's the moral of the story? Purchase renter's insurance or whatever. Like most insurance, it seems useless and like an unnecessary expense until you actually need it. Guess I'll skip robbery coverage and just pay extra for natural disaster damages.

Word.

My Totally Biased 17 Best Albums of 2017

🎶 Wacko's review list's back, and it's better than ever. For New Years this year, my review list's here! 🎶

Five years running, it's about time I got a jingle, right? Welcome back to my musical ego trip that people occasionally look forward to reading. Like most years, 2017's albums seem to have a theme or two: men being especially vulnerable and producers having the time of their lives. All things considered, it makes sense that a female artist isn't at the top of my list for once. Oops, wasn't supposed to let that slip, but down scroll down yet!

There was so much great music this year, I didn't finalize my list until the 29th. There were a few albums I didn't get to, so pleeeeeease let me know if them were fire. As always, I drop this list to start a discourse. 

A reminder of my criteria: 

1) Does the album have a thesis and follow it? 

2) How much does the album knock? 

3) Does this album speak to me/the masses?  

4) How many tracks standout vs fade into the background? 

Without further adieu, let's discover a few of my favorite things.

17) Ty Dolla $ign's Beach House 3
Release Date: October 27th
Runtime: 51:39

Secretly, I've always been drawn to Ty Dolla $ign's melodic voice, but I denied myself pleasure because I filed him under Trap Rap Goons™. It wasn't until last year that I decided to stop being a bitter old nigga and give the new sound a chance. I'm thankful I did because Beach House 3 had me milly rocking in every room of my house. This album is also great for riding around a video game's large explorable world. From the first song, Ty sets us up for a conversation about all the fame-greedy among us over a few simple guitar chords. From there, we receive the first of many Famous interludes that introduces the song to follow perfectly. While Ty feels free to experiment with dubstep reggae (shout out to Skrillex and Damian Marley), most of his production is the usual trap beats with a slightly softer edge. And though the album is riddled with features, Ty truly shines on the last quarter of Beach House 3 when he takes time to dance in the moonlit sand alone.

Hit Single: 
Love U Better (feat Lil Wayne & The-Dream)
Standout Tracks:
Droptop in the Rain [ft Tory Lanez]
All The Time
Skip It:
Lil Favorite [ft MadeinTYO] - because you can hear this track from anyone else in the game

16) Logic's Everybody
Release Date: May 5th
Runtime: 70:56

Logic has been on my radar since he randomly appeared on a track with Childish Gambino a few years back. Unfortunately, I wrote him off as another lame white rapper like G Eazy (which is fucked up, because I liked G Eazy's Endless Summer mixtape). It wasn't until his suicide prevention song finally reached me that I decided to give him a chance. Imagine my surprise when I not only discovered this is his third studio album, but that he is also of mixed descent. I know this because he reminds us on every other track. While Everybody easily wins this year's Thesis Award, Logic relies too heavily on speaking directly to his audience after he raps on more than two tracks. That said, his interludes with Neil Degrasse-Tyson counterbalance how annoying his self-delivered sermons are. Exploring topics of black/white relations, parenting, and reincarnation, this conscious rapper earned enough respect from me to avoid using mixed raced slurs in this review. He's heard enough of them and I need to work on not being so problematic anyway.

Hit Single: 
1-800-273-8255 [ft Alessia Cara and Khalid]
Standout Tracks:
Everybody
America [ft Black Thought, Chuck D, Big Lenbo, & No I.D.]
Skip It:
Mos Definitely - because you can tell how badly he wanted a featured verse from Yasiin Bey

15) Haim's Something to Tell You
Release Date: July 7th
Runtime: 42:34

Every so often an album makes it on the listen not because I connected with it but because someone very close to me fell in love with it after I introduced them to it. This year's Best Friend Connector goes to Something to Tell You. The sisters Haim have a way of stringing together lyrics and harmonies that hook me song after song. Meanwhile, for my friend, it was the album's breakup elements that really spoke to her. In my experience, finding an artist to marry a bop with heartbreak is rare, and I'm not sure where Robyn is these days. A few of their songs are reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac's sound, with one even sounding surprisingly Neo R&B-ish without tripping the appropriation alarm. That said, once you get into the album, a few of the songs can start to blind together. This isn't totally terrible as it allows for it to become a vibe. The songs are easy to pick up, so sliding around in socks as you clean the house is definitely this album's main function in my life.


Hit Single:
Want You Back
Standout Tracks:
Little of Your Love
Walking Away
Skip It:
Found It In Silence - because it's the most stereotypical use of their collective talent

14) Sam Smith's The Thrill of It All (Deluxe)
Release Date: November 3rd
Runtime: 35:38 (49:24)

To be honest, The Thrill of It All took its time growing on me. Though I truly can't, I like to pretend I can hear the loss of huskiness in Sam Smith's voice that originally drew me to him. However, the now-slim British songbird is back to sing for all of our dramatic homosexual montages (regardless of your sexual orientation). While his debut album focused more on dealing with when you'll never obtain your crush/love's affection, The Thrill of It All is geared towards those ready to run away as fast as they can before they turn back around and return to their favorite mistake. While the tracks don't differ much melodically, Sam still manages to hit on different angles of when it's time to chuck up them dueces - even singing from the perspective of the person left weeping in the dust with his song Burning. However, his choo-choo-like singing on Midnight Train is very much appreciated. I hope Sam can break away from his Adele comparisons more with his next album, maybe with some help from his Disclosure brothers? A guy can dream.

Hit Single: 
Too Good at Goodbyes
Standout Tracks:
One Last Song
HIM
Skip It:
The Thrill of It All - as a boycott because why isn't the title track on the gotdamn regular edition

13) Sampha's Process
Release Date: February 3rd
Runtime: 40:17

Finally free from Sbtrkt's Bass-ment, Sampha finally graces us with his long awaited debut album. I loved this album when it was released but it quickly fell to the wayside as more records reached my ears. It also didn't help that a podcast ruined Sampha for me by saying he sings with cold grits in his mouth, so now you must have the misfortune as well. All jokes aside, Process is a very personal album to Sampha as he deals with the loss of his mother to cancer and losing himself in the spotlight. The very first sound you hear is a heart monitor as Sampha pulls you into the operating room, trying to numb himself from the pain with Plastic 100°C. Throughout the album, we listen to him slip further and further away, each track sounding nothing like the one before it yet all connected. By the time we reach Under, we're back on the operating table hoping we come out of the other side. For this reason, I create a new superlative: The Empathy Evoker. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go cry in the fetal position for an hour.

Hit Single: 
(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano
Standout Tracks:
Blood On Me
Incomplete Kisses
Skip It:
Take Me Inside - because after Like the Piano, it pales in comparison as a ballad

12) Charlotte Gainsbourg's Rest
Release Date: November 17th
Runtime: 46:23

You can be mad that I included an album with lyrics your little, feeble American brains can't understand all you want; blame Pitchfork for getting her single Rest stuck in my head. Our third entry from the UK, Charlotte Gainsbourg is a British-French singer/actress that has been in the game longer than I've been alive, Rest being her fifth LP. I would wonder why I've never heard of her before now, but I'm sure it's because I struggled to pass French in college. However, that doesn't stop me from enjoying or attempting to understand her sly Franglish lyrics. Rest very easily plays from start to finish like it could soundtrack an alternative version of the movie Drive, so I'm already hooked there. Once you dig deeper, you discover the theme of death in the wake of her father and half-sister's departure from this world. Don't pick up the bottle to drown your sorrows too fast because she talks about alcohol addiction, too. Have no fear, the album isn't a totally bummer. Stick around until Les Oxalis' bonus track that gives hope for Ms Gainsbourg's future.

Hit Single:
Rest
Standout Tracks:
Deadly Valentine
Les Oxalis
Skip It: 
Dans vos airs - because French titles scare me, too

11) N.E.R.D's No_one_Ever_Really_Dies
Release Date: December 15th
Runtime: 51:09

Pharrell and the fam are back to heat up this cold, frigid ass winter, and you heathens best be thankful! I've come across a few criticisms of the album of people saying it's not what they expected after hearing Lemon. It must be remembered that N.E.R.D. simply contains both members of the Neptunes but is not the Neptunes. Their sound has always bordered on the edge of rock and experimental hip-hop, with their self-titled album being the funkiest of all their efforts. Every track is a different kind of bop, some a bit more jaring on first listen than others. Within each spoon full of melodic sugar is a dose of medicine, including messages about police brutality, learning we all have positivity to share, surviving trauma, and getting it right when people ask "What the hell are you on, man?" No_one_Ever_Really_Dies is riddled with features from Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, Future and more, but I love none as much as the child that sings the letter G on Thunder Fire Magic Prayer. It's a weird album for the eccelatic in all of us.

Hit Single:
Lemon [ft Rihanna]
Standout Tracks:
Viola [ft Gucci Mane & Wale]
Don't Don't Do It [ft Kendrick Lamar]
Skip It:

Lifting You [ft Ed Sheeran] - because it's weird hearing a reggae inspired song featuring someone who was on Game of Thrones

10) St. Vincent's Masseduction
Release Date: October 13th
Runtime: 41:36

Though I constantly read the album as Masseducation, Masseduction definitely has something to teach us: the art of a well balanced album. You want ballads, she's got ballads. You want guitar riffs, she's got the riffs. You want unexpected 808 drums, she's got the beat, she's got the beat. But in all seriousness, St. Vincent's subject matter is so diverse and dense, I haven't had the time to full devote myself to the dissection it truly deserves. Maybe if I did, it would be higher on this list. With full apologies to her, I know this album is not just a snack but a full course meal I'll enjoy anytime I take it out of the fridge. The production value is diverse and cohesive. The lyrics I have managed to catch are sway and twirl worthy. If the goosebumps on my arm are any indication, this might be one of her most personal records to date, and that would be a shame to miss out on. For this, I award Masseduction Miss Congeniality.

Hit Single: 
Los Ageless
Standout Tracks:
Pills
Masseduction
Skip It:
Sugarboy - because it's only a long intro into Los Ageless

9) Superfruit's Future Friends
Release Date: September 15th
Runtime: 55:08

I seem to be in the mood of giving out more "awards" than ever this year. So, here is my pick for Unapologetic Pop Favs of the Year. With Avi (the phenomenal bass singer) departing from Pentatonix, many of the members took 2017 to focus on their solo endeavors. Well, duo endeavor in the case of Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying. Future Friends was released as two EPs over the summer, being combined into a full length LP later. Though they often take turns, half of the songs feature Mitch going high and Scott finding his bass roots as they sing together. That said, Future Friends feels more like Mitch's breakout role after Scott took the brunt of the lead in Pentatonix' first album of originals. I had my favorite tracks from the album with plenty of tracks shrugged off as filler, but as Superfruit dropped a video for nearly every song, I soon found something to like about all of them. So grab a friend, decide who has the higher register, and learn these easy pop hits from your new favs.

Hit Single:
Imaginary Parties
Standout Tracks:
Deny U
Hurry Up
Future Friends
Skip It:
Keep Me Coming  - because as one of the last tracks on the albums, it might be their most phoned in song

8) Miguel's War & Leisure
Release Date: December 1st
Runtime: 48:02

Just like the last time Miguel wandered between my ears, I wanted to hate. Apparently I still feel like I was the one kicked between the eyes when he misjudged his leaping abilities. Luckily for Miguel, his singing abilities are undeniable and apparently his production skills are also on point, receiving minimal help with the album. With Sky Walker being the lead single, most of War & Leisure feels like you're hovering, teetered to the ground only by what worldly obligations you have before you. To say Miguel's chief export is sex is an understatement; he does "have a banana clip on his left for you," after all. While offering the best today's R&B vibe has to offer, Miguel pays tribute to his forefather Prince's sound with Told You So. Rounded out with features from J. Cole, Travis Scott, and Rick Ross, War and Leisure has a little something for everyone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to log onto a dating app and change my most listened to song to Banana Clip to let these queers know what time it is.

Hit Single:
Sky Walker [ft Travis Scott]
Standout Tracks:
Pineapple Skies
Told You So
Come Through and Chill [ft J. Cole & Salaam Remi]
Skip It:
City of Angels - only because Miguel still has some work to do before I allow him into the rock and roll lane

7) Kendrick Lamar's DAMN.
Release Date: April 14th
Runtime: 54:54

If Kendrick Lamar made hip-hop albums before, DAMN. is definitely his departure into rap. The difference is hard to explain, but if you listen to his older work, you know exactly what I mean. Obviously, I got upset with the change and placed DAMN. on the self to collect dust for a few months. After I got over myself, I realized Kendrick was still spitting his same conscious lines but evolving his sound, supplying us with more singles, making the album not so dense: all things I critiqued his near-perfect sophomore album for lacking. Eating my words, I now love DAMN. The inclusion of the legendary Kid Capri to transform the album into more of a mixtape and reducing each song to represent one word/theme were genius moves. To the delight of most hip-hop heads, the album's few features come from singers, proving Kendrick to be an emcee that can stand on his own. Production-wise, the album offers up distincts beats. DAMN. truly could have been on top of this list... but 2017 provided stiff competition.

Hit Single: 
HUMBLE.
Standout Tracks:
ELEMENT.
LOVE. [ft Zacari]
Skip It:
FEEL. - only because I can hear the smooth funkadelic sounds of To Pimp a Butterfly trying to sneak back out

6) Thundercat's Drunk
Release Date: February 24th
Runtime: 51:24

An early favorite, Drunk speaks to my heart and not because it's my constant state of being when the sun goes down. With how ethereal Thundercat's voice and production are, it's amazing the album wasn't called High or Shrooms. Then I realized of the LP's 23 tracks, only 6 clock in over three minutes - the longest lasting four. From my time curating playlists for parties, I can tell you drunkards have short attention spans; so touche, Thundercat. Though he spends a track telling people to not tweet their lives away, most of his tracks are filled with whimsy and nonsense. One of the album's intro tracks instructs listeners to "beat your meat;" another meows and explores how fun it must be to be a cat, naturally; later, he explores the wonders that is manga/anime culture in Tokyo. The album is like a blur, making you question whether that was Michael McDonald trying to seduce you or Wiz Khalifa surprisingly not rapping solely about getting high. And was that Kendrick Lamar on yet another person's album? Enjoy this record with a glass of Sprite if you want; you'll leave buzzed anyway.

Hit Single:
Show Me The Way [ft Michael McDonald & Kenny Loggins]
Standout Tracks:
Drink Dat [ft Wiz Khalifa]
Them Changes
Skip It:
Friend Zone - only because while I love the song, it doesn't exist, and how can you love something if it doesn't exist?

5) Dirty Projectors' Self Titled
Release Date: Feb 21st
Runtime: 48:14

From the church bells that ring in Keep Your Name, David Longstreth clocks your attention right away. His stretched out vocals stick to the walls of your brain, causing you to feel haunted by the friend you no longer see because of artistic differences. The sentiment carries into the second track until you reach Up in Hudson: a call to wash yourself clean and start new, the horns and bubbling drums as encouraging as Longstreth is happy to welcome his new collaborators for the album. The ride continues on and on, with disjointed sounds that are still aesthetically appealing with lyrics that compel you to live a better life after self reflection in your own little bubble. This being my first Dirty Projectors' project, I have nothing to compare it to besides its peers of the year. I have been entranced with every listen I give this self-titled seventh album. Its lyrics are honest and reflective and relatable. Listen to this in a quiet room with an hour to yourself, because every time I close my eyes, I can envision the scene Longstreth projects and I smile.

Hit Single:
Cool Your Heart [ft Dawn Richards]
Standout Tracks:
Little Bubble
Up in Hudson

Skip It:

Ascent Through the Clouds - only because the autotune on this track might remind you of 808s and Heartbreak

4) SZA's Ctrl
Release Date: June 9th
Runtime: 49:01

A mixtape songstress for years now, SZA finally drops her debut album. To quote the youth: issa vibe. Featuring her mother on interludes throughout, CTRL demonstrates the everyday person's struggle to find control from dating woes to growing up in a 2010s kind of world. The production is eccelatic, dipping between woozy drums to guitar riffs in all shapes in forms to a few traditional R&B sounds. SZA's voice is like velvet caressing your body after a warm shower, but don't forget her lyricism. CTRL gives us iconic lines like "skrt skrt on niggas" and "you like 9 to 5; I'm the weekend." She also seems to have an infinity for 90s It Girls, naming one of her tracks Drew Barrymore and another Go Gina after the leading woman from the sitcom Martin; she also hops on the same shrimp boat Frank Ocean rode and sings about Forrest Gump being more than he seems. I guess it's canon that the black community sees Tom Hanks as one of us.  All of CTRL's elements come together to crown SZA as this year's Avatar of R&B, despite being sabotaged by Solange's direction for the Weekend video over old Beyonce tweets the internet dug up. But we were all young and bitter once.

Hit Single:
The Weekend
Standout Tracks:
Go Gina
20 Something
Skip It:
Normal Girl - only because, like, what is "normal"?

3) Gorillaz' Humanz (Deluxe)
Release Date: April 28th
Runtime: 49:19 (68:55)

Back after seven years, Blur frontman Damon Albarn and animator Jamie Hewlett reunite to give my teenaged-Toonami heart a reason to beat on. From the first listen, the Gorillaz' fifth studio album rang in my ears. While many have torn Humanz down for not having an unified sound, I disagree. The Gorillaz - always being a collaborative effort from artists across the genres - use a multitude of sounds and vibes and continually find a way to string them together. With Humanz, a cohesive story is formed of the band reacting to the world falling apart around them, retreating deeper and deeper into their "secret" hideout until all of their members reconvene ready to restart the world. Or you can listen to it as an apocalyptic dance party; both work. With features from Grace Jones to DRAM to Zebra Katz, Humanz is not short on providing us with the full homo sapien experience. However, amidst the chorus of voices, 2D's (or Albarn's) seems to fade into the background. While I miss it, this seems to represent a cis, straight(?), white male stepping aside to let black and female and occasionally queer voices to be heard. By the end of the album, it sounds as if the gang is ready to take on the world; but in the extended director's cut (the deluxe version), we find our heroes gathered together joining hands and singing to the end of the world. How will you choose to listen to the album?

Hit Single:
Saturn Barz [ft Popcaan]
Standout Tracks:
Strobelite [ft Peven Everett]
Let Me Out [ft Mavis Staples & Pusha T]
The Apprentice [ft Rag'n'Bone, Zebra Katz, & RAY BLK]
Skip It:
Momentz [ft De La Soul] - only because I can hear this being a frat house's favorite track

2) Jay-Z' 4:44 (Deluxe)
Release Date: June 30th
Runtime: 36:11 (46:18)

Back for the twelfth time, Jay-Z returns to apologize for Magna Carta Holy Grail! ...no? Is he apologizing for Kingdom Come? Okay, why are you getting mad at me for bringing up old shit? In all seriousness, 4:44 is arguably Jay-Z's best album as he leaves behind his boastful ways and reveals himself to be a reflective and flawed man, apologetic and grown. Dubbed the Blackest Album of the Year by me, Jay-Z takes time out of his busy schedule to school us - the black delegation - on building generational wealth and refraining from posting money-phone selfies on Instagram. He wants to see us all invest our money and create our own businesses; I take this to mean he wants more investors in Tidal. When he's not giving out lessons so "hopefully ya'll wouldn't have to go through that," he's revealing how the industry hates to see black people shine, outing his mom, and airing out his dirty laundry. Though it's so much more, 4:44 will always be the response to Beyonce's Lemonade. To have the title track be his actual apology followed by his wife's vocals on the song after and call it Family Feud, I will always appreciate great album structure. Backing all of this are NO I.D.'s production skills and samples that truly elevate 4:44 to a godlike level. But then to have Blue Ivy freestyle on the deluxe edition of the album, bruh, are you kidding me?! So what kept this album from taking the number one spot? Well... cheaters don't deserve to come in first.

Hit Single:
The Story of O.J.
Standout Tracks:
4:44
Bam [ft Damian Marley]
Skip It:
Caught Their Eyes [ft Frank Ocean] - only because Jay-Z really loves talking about how much he went to Paris; oh, wait, he was chasing Beyonce on his knees begging for forgiveness? Never mind, let it play

1) Tyler, the Creator's Flower Boy
Release Date: July 21st
Runtime: 46:33

Oh, ya'll wanted a twist, huh?
I've long had an interesting relationship with Tyler, the Creator's music. While I was drawn by his Nigerian charm and his spine-crunching beats, his brash nature and occasional [read: frequent] use of certain slurs kept me from claiming him as one of my favs. When he dropped his first single Who Dat Boy for his fourth album, I was attracted like a bear to honey, but this time I was prepared for the bee's stinger. Imagine my surprise when I was greeted by smooth melodies, R&B features for days, and no inclusion of the word faggot at all. Who is this Tyler and what has he done with the one I knew and feared?
Whether (Scum Fuck) Flower Boy is autobiographical or fictional, Tyler allows us in to see his vulnerable side. He has no one to watch Clarence with. No one to understand how anxiety ridden he is. No one in his life to keep him from obsessing over cars to distract himself. Each song flows seamlessly into the next thanks to his own production skills as he leads us on a journey of self discovery. Flower Boy plays like the diary your best friend left open to a particular page on his bed for you to find. Not only do you find that he's possibly bi, that he's "been kissing white boys since 2004," but that he has a crush on you. Oh, the teenaged drama of it all! As a depressed, lonely, dramatic, queer boy, I have no idea why I relate to this album.
Though I'm harping on the sexuality aspect, Flower Boy is an album of self reflection and admittance anyone can relate to. All of his featured artists, including Kali Uchis and Jaden Smith, lend their voices to orchestrate a beautiful chorus. Whether he's rapping or trying to sing, Tyler's lyrics are descriptive and masterful. Flower Boy is lacking in no aspect. It is with great pleasure I award Best Album of the Year to a man for the first time in my short reviewing career. Congrats, Mr. Okonma.

Hit Single:
Who Dat Boy [ft A$AP Rocky]
Standout Tracks:
Boredom
911/Mr. Lonely [ft Frank Ocean & Steve Lacy]
Pothole [ft Jaden Smith]
Skip It:
Enjoy Right Now, Today - only because you don't deserve this beautifully crafted ending credits instrumental


Honorable Mentions
Ariel Pink's Dedicated to Bobby Jameson
Calvin Harris' Funk Wav Bounce Vol. 1
Kelela's Take Me Apart
King Krule's The OOZ
Lorde's Melodrama
Mac DeMarco's This Old Dog
Syd's Fin
Washed Out's Mister Mellow


Welp, another review list in the bag. Thanks for rocking with me all these years. I wonder if I'll keep increasing the number of albums I critique as the years go on. Only time will tell. Until then, you can check out my back catalog here: 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013. Merry 2018, you scoundrels. 

Word.



I'm coming off my Apple-high, so this year please enjoy this year's best tracks via Spotify. (Bug Jay-Z to stop being good at marketing and share his music with other platforms.)

Year of the Transition

With everything that happened in 2016, my friends and I may have been overly optimistic about 2017. At our yearly New Years Day brunch, we usually brainstorm a name for what the coming year has instore for us. It started very jokingly in 2014: Year of the Butt Stuff. With our heads still up our asses, we foresaw things repeating and named 2015 Year of the Throwback; plenty of shows and movies saw revivals that year, so we felt magical. 2016, however, was a brunch full of shady jokes and insults. We named it Year of the Savage in tribute of that day. Little did we know our true power.

Realizing that with great power comes much responsibility, I led the charge for naming 2017 Year of the Blessing. Things were so rough for us all and the country, there didn't seem anywhere to go but up. However, a true savage never dies, and 2016 still had its claws in our backs. Throughout the year, couples broke up, homes were broken into, jobs were lost or unobtained, and the country looked bleaker than ever as Trump and the Republicans/Conservatives undid everything Barack touched.

It's been mentioned that as we get older, things seem worse and worse because we continue to see the world for what it is and how bleek our lives can be. I don't want to believe that. I refuse to focus on the wackness; I want to see the dopeness.

That said, this year has produced wonderful things. Two of my best friends welcomed their first daughter into the world, and while she had her complications healthwise, she continued to be a shining bundle of joy every time I saw her. Beyonce also had her twins, so.

For a multitude of reasons, many of us in the friend group have moved to new homes in Baltimore. Some upgrades, some downgrades, but we're saving money and in better headspaces. Thanks to this, some friendships have become stronger than ever. One friend even purchased an Oculus headset and I didn't break his tv when I tried it out; if that's not moving up and helping build relationships, I don't know what is.

Job offers popped up: from climbing the corporate ladder with more conventional hours to surveying Baltimore's syphilis infected population. The actors among us are still getting work, some even crafting powerful shows about women of colors struggles through the lens of the Salem witch trials. I even heard someone became a captain without acquiring a need for an eyepatch.

And through we age and lose friends, new ones took their place and proved to be wonderful improvements to your life.

With all the blessings in disguise that have come this year, I revised 2017 to be Year of the Transition. It could be argued that our lives are in a constant state of transition if we are truly living. If that's the case, then I don't think we've been wrong about naming a year yet.

Here's to 2018 and whatever wackiness it may bring.

Word