Wired 25: The Best Albums Of 2014

The Los Angeles newcomer displayed dexterous wordplay and a perspective that greatly exceeds his 20 years of age on “Dreams,” the leading single from his strong debut project. But after pressing play, it’s clear that track (though extremely strong) was only the tip of the iceberg.

It’ll be interesting to see how the rapper grows under the tutelage of J. Cole and Dreamville Records.

24. Ab-Soul – These Days…

The Black Lipped Pastor’s most recent sermon was a nuanced look into the mind of perhaps TDE’s oddest character. And we mean that in the best way possible.

23. Jamla – 9th Wonder Presents: Jamla Is The Squad

9th Wonder architected this extremely slept on compilation LP, featuring Rapsody, GQ, Add-2, and Heather Victoria from his Jamla imprint, as well as MCs like Pete Rock, Phonte, Talib Kweli, Blue and others from outside of the fold.

22. Black Milk – If There’s a Hell Below

Representing Detroit, listeners can always count on Black Milk to capture the city’s soul and grit on wax. This LP is no different, but one can also debate that its the rapper/producer’s best to date.

21. Bas – Last Winter

Sometimes it takes an artist a few tries to finally hit their stride. After showing promise in the Quarter Water Raised Me Series, Bas put his best food forth to craft this dazzling body of work.

20. Logic – Under Pressure

Logic spent years developing on the back burners of the Def Jam Records roster, but “Carpe Diem” was indeed the motto when his time came. In turn, rap fans received one of the most emotionally revealing and relatable releases of 2014.

19. Nicki Minaj – The Pinkprint

Nicki’s her ability to spit a hot verse and make a hit record goes without saying. The Pinkprint, however, was a new frontier for the rap star; one that’s extremely in tune with her emotions and the strife caused by superstardom.

18. Step Brothers (Alchemist & Evidence) – Lord Steppington

There’s a consistency in the narrative around collaborative projects featuring The Alchemist and another rapper. This time, he and Evidence were inspired to create a raw, hard-hitting project with a perfect list of guest appearances.

17. Big K.R.I.T. – Cadillactica

To many, Krizzle’s debut album faltered the buzz created by a string of outstanding mixtapes. Fortunately for him and the fans, the second time out proved to be a damn good charm.

16. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!

A true master of sonic composition and conceptual art, Flying Lotus crafted a project marked by its intricate details. Not to mention that he drew the best out of Kendrick Lamar.

15. Azaelia Banks – Broke With Expensive Taste

The sounds of Electro-pop, EDM, Hip-Hop, and Dance music were promised to be derivatives of the sound that shaped Banks’ long-awaited debut album. Factoring in the amount of detractors the New Yorker’s earned from her social media antics, we’re sure many folks expected her to drop a piss poor LP that treaded the line of hipster-ish and trendy.

Think again.

14. Skyzoo & Torae – Barrel Brothers

The notion that New York City no longer sits atop of rap music’s hierarchy is fair, but to say that city’s scene is dead is unfair to an album like this. Restructure your playlist.

13. Stalley – Ohio

Though MMG’s year did not pan out as expected (mostly due to Meek Mill’s unfortunate incarceration), the crew did churn out a gem in Stalley’s major label debut.

12. Isaiah Rashad – Cilvia Demo

One could argue that the TDE newcomer’s debut was the strongest of any project released by the clique the entire year. Though we’d contend that this project lacks a certain flair that a veteran rapper could have provided.

11. Diamond District – March On Washington

Rekindling the flame, the Washington D.C. trio of Oddisee, Uptown XO & yU the 78er gave listeners a lesson of what rap with no gimmicks sounds like. Rappers, let the music stand on its own two.

10. Jeezy – Seen It All: The Autobiography

Though criminally slept on, Jeezy deviated from the knocking track tunes to create a much mellower, and albeit dope album.

9. Common – Nobody Smiling

Reconnecting with Dion, bka longtime friend No I.D., Com’ Sense rhymed poignantly about life in Chicago amid a very violent year in the inner city.

8. ScHoolboy Q – Oxymoron

Remember the flair (or lack thereof) we spoke of on Isaiah Rashad’s project? Well, ScHoolboy brings that and lyricism. While Oxymoron‘s sequencing takes away from how good it could have been, the Los Angeles rapper still delivered a stellar album featuring some perfect songs.

*Here’s to you “Break The Bank.”*

7. YG – My Krazy Life

Let the Internets tell it, YG delivered perhaps the album of the year on the mainstream front. I won’t go that far, but can agree that the Compton rapper delivered the most captivating display of West Coast life on wax heard this year.

6. Pharoahe Monch – PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Monche, a veteran MC, detailed his own demons through this absolutely chilling opus. This album requires multiple spins to properly ingest the message.

5. Ratking – So It Goes

The famed rap quotable, “Manhattan keeps on making it,” immediately comes to mind when discussing trio Ratking’s stellar debut release. Considering the lineage of that line, a good listen is suggested.

4. J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive

J. Cole gave fans four weeks notice that he was dropping 2014 Forrest Hills Drive, heightening anticipation via social media and personable experiences with fans. But in the end, it’s the music that sets this album apart from other rap noteable releases.

3. PRhyme – PRhyme

The combination of beats and rhymes from DJ Premier and Royce Da 5’9″ promise listeners an audible dosage of rap greatness. But add the musical catalog of producer Adrian Younge to the catalog, and you have the recipe for the dazzling act that is PRhyme.

2. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2

This was a tough choice, as Run The Jewels’ follow-up album could have easily nabbed the number one slot on our list. Nevertheless, Killer Mike and El-P can rest assured that they’re currently the best duo in rap.

1. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata

Piñata isn’t the most experimental album to release sonically or in regards to songwriting, but it’s honestly the most surprising collaborative effort of the year. Gangsta Gibbs waxes poetics, delivering songs about everything from love lost with a twist to living the street life to his love for Los Angeles. Madlib delivers some of his most cohesive production since producing the classic Madvillainy album for MF DOOM.

That says enough.