ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2013

Yeah, only 4 rap albums is nuts, but I guess I'm kind of partially to blame. I didn't listen to or vote for a ton of rap albums this year and most of the ones I did were kind of niche interest.

this is ridiculous, it's one of the most VARIED albums that were released last year - an incredible amount of styles, almost all impressively sui generis, packed into it. and of course it's not "light" it's a fucking war, it's a crusade, a marathon, you're meant to feel exhausted and overwhelmed

― lex pretend, Thursday, January 30, 2014 9:33 AM Bookmark

OTM OTM OTM

Do people who have listened to Goldenheart a lot get the sense of an emotional/cathartic arc to the flow of it? I didn't experience that the handful of times I listened to it, and am wondering if a sense of that will come with time. It's one of the things I loved most about Armor On

huh this is not what I expected Oneohtrix Point Never to sound like

maybe I will spend some time coding to this

wasn't a lot of consensus in rap circles last year

Couldn't even agreee which Kevin Gates album was better

I went with Luca Brasi

http://i.imgur.com/3oBk5LA.jpg

11 CHANCE THE RAPPER Acid Rap (872 points, 26 votes, 4 first place votes)

Do people who have listened to Goldenheart a lot get the sense of an emotional/cathartic arc to the flow of it? I didn't experience that the handful of times I listened to it, and am wondering if a sense of that will come with time.

absolutely though to be fair it took a lot of listens for it to sink in. tbh i still feel like i'm hearing new things in it every time

Doesn't rap usually do better in tracks than in albums?

whoa this is lower than i was expecting

Great album

The rap albums I voted for (Clipping was my number 4, Death Grips 11) haven't probably come close to making it

Would I like Chance?

ended up as my #1

daaaaaaaaaaamn

yay, good album cover too

Ah, almost top ten. Love this record a whole lot!

I haven't heard Chance the Rapper yet but he was hilarious on The Eric Andre Show

Prodigy and Alchemist was easily my favourite rap album of the year, thought that would make it. The Dom Kennedy album was up there too.

chance was my #1

completely stunning album front to back. ridiculously musical, incredibly lyrical. moving. inspiring. thoughtful. assured even its not.

I was one of the 4 (!) number one votes. Can't believe it missed the top ten. The most colorful and vibrant and just life-packed album I heard all year by far.

Ok there were 10 rap albums last year, that is a pretty dramatic shift.

i couldn't get with this guy's voice at all

i like the sound of acid rap a lot but i spent a lot of time trying to make it click into love & adoration as it had for so many others but it never happened, i could never get myself to care about HIM. really not sure why

here's the link to chance for those who want to hear it http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/21980/chance-the-rapper-acid-rap.html

It's not actually that varied or that polyrhythmic, a lot of it just comes across as heavy-handed to me, and the vocal effects on Dawn's voice give a lot of the ballads this air of sameyness. I find it a bit of a chore overall, although I love Northern Lights and the run from 86 onwards. Armor On is a better and more varied record in almost every way despite its brevity.

It managed to contain both the most joyous rap song of the year "Juice" and the saddest "Paranoia".

chance wasn't even close to the top 10 btw. he got 872 votes, the next album was over 1,000. he was closer to 17 than 10.

It managed to contain both the most joyous rap song of the year "Juice" and the saddest "Paranoia".

― raggett neds of your summer dress (The Reverend), Thursday, January 30, 2014 12:41 PM (4 seconds ago) Bookmark

the outro (bang bang bang SKEET SKEET SKEET) might be the most joyous part of the album

er 872 points*** obv

Matt, I was referring to Matangi, thought you were too?

I did wonder where you were hearing all these crazy polyrhythms in Goldenheart.

did non-goons just not hear this album or what?

Chance was my #3. A total pleasure. So much so that I'm worried his official debut won't be able to match it.

that's a pretty crazy jump from 10 to 11!!

goons dont vote

and with that i have to go pee in a cup. i should be back in about an hour though.

*andre 3000 voice* BREAK!

Yeah we're about to see the score/vote totals take off.

I mean I wouldn't have thought I would ever even tolerate let alone grow to love a track like say ' Cocoa Butter Kisses' but 'Acid Rap' and Chance wins me over so thoroughly that I find it just utterly charming. Don't think a week has gone by that I don't play this tape at least a couple of times.

I did wonder where you were hearing all these crazy polyrhythms in Goldenheart.

― Matt DC, Thursday, January 30, 2014 9:42 AM Bookmark

Ha, ok. That would work for Armor On tho! I guess I got mixed up with Lex's post I OTM-ed too.

J0rdan did you see my email from last night?

Not my fav song on Acid Rap but I have to give credit to Chance's art director who does amazing art/videos
http://youtu.be/Gctf0n8b3F4

So much so that I'm worried his official debut won't be able to match it.

― What is wrong with songs? Absolutely nothing. Songs are great. (DL), Thursday, January 30, 2014 12:42 PM (45 seconds ago) Bookmark

i think he's gonna make another classic. everything about 'acid rap' feels so non-accidental. i don't think he's going to have a major fuck up his vision either.

I quite enjoyed Acid Rap but his voice at its raspiest isn't really for me. A load of amazing songs though - Paranoia, Acid Rain, Everybody's Something, Everything's Good. Kinda wish he's go a bit further down the juke route because he works so well over those beats.

J0rdan did you see my email from last night?

― the first cologne based on a sea-captain based celebrity (seandalai), Thursday, January 30, 2014 12:44 PM (59 seconds ago) Bookmark

yes replying now

took me a few weeks to get used to Chance's imitations and drawls but once I did I realized what a well-observed portrait of adolescence he drew

Here's Paranoia http://youtu.be/lj3eZQigvsI

I'm expecting the next to be Kacey Musgraves or Sky Ferrera.

so, top 10 order. closest gets an affectionate FP

Kacey has a pretty good chance of hitting the top five.