Kennedy London, Associate Arts & Entertainment Editor

A decade has passed us by, which means a colossal amount of music has flowed into our ears and has stayed in our minds. The following albums are my ten favorite albums fo the 2010s and this was not an easy list to do. But, these are the albums that I not only loved, but certain ones affected me in a personal and emotional sense. Before we get into the list, here are some honorable mentions that sadly did not make the top 10: FLYGOD by Westside Gunn, Lemonade by Beyonce, Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes, Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae, Control System by Ab-Soul, Watching Movies with the Sound Off by Mac Miller, PRhyme by PRhyme, and Care for Me by Saba.

 

1.) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West (2010)

This is my favorite album of all time and obviously my number one album of the 2010s. I was 12 or 13 when I first heard this album and I never put it down since. This album and “The Devil is a Lie” by Rick Ross were what caused me to transition from the alternative rock music I listened to as a kid into hip-hop fully. The first track I heard off of it was “Gorgeous” and I just fell down the rabbit hole after that. I found myself swept up in the grand and lush production, the fantastic verses, Kanye’s egotistical and self-centred yet human voice, and just how well constructed the album was. It was body blows all throughout the album and the replay value is absolutely insane. It feels like you are listening to the album for the first time every time you hear it. My favorite tracks include “So Appalled”, “Blame Game”, “Gorgeous”, and “Devil in a  New Dress”. Dark Fantasy, to me, really feels like musical magic.
Cosign: Torrence Banks, Lilac Burrell

 

2.) To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar (2015)

It is difficult to find another album that hit me hard emotionally as this album did. I honestly thought I was sitting to the wrong album when I heard the first song, but that confusion quickly went away as Kendrick took a dive into black consciousness, black culture, and black emotions. The emotion is pure, the rhymes are fantastic, the music is hypnotic and has major staying power, and it sparks conversation. The track “u” in particular had me near tears. “Complexion”, “The Blacker The Berry”, and “These Walls” are also some of my favorite tracks. This album was always one that stuck with me all these years and it reminded me of how risk-taking in music can payoff.

Cosign: Jair Hilburn, Torrence Banks, Lilac Burrell

 

3.) Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels (2014)

The duo of Killer Mike and El-P delivered an album filled with vicious bars, ruthless beats, an eerie atmosphere, and themes that are really haunting to think about. RTJ is really important to me as a hip-hop fan as they helped me with my growth within the genre. I was a relatively fresh listener at the time in high school and RTJ was a group that I gravitated towards because not only were my ears entertained, my mind was. The themes of race, class, police brutality, religion, higher power, individuality, and survival were things that scratched my brain and I wanted more of it. Mike and El were always two voices for the people, no matter how angry or vulgar those voices may be. Songs like “Early”, “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry”, and “Close Your Eyes (And Count to F**k)” perfectly capture that anger. RTJ holds a place in my heart because they helped me grow up.

 

4.) Malibu by Anderson .Paak (2016)

This album just captivated me. It’s groovy, funky, fun, expressive, wholly entertaining and comes from the soul of Paak. The tunes were infectious, the rhymes were as well, and .Paak never loses a sense of what emotions and feelings he wanted to convey. The album is full of bangers from “The Waters” to “Parking Lot” to “Am I Wrong” to “Lite Weight” and .Paak is so fluid in how he dips in and out of genres. “Malibu” really poked at the part of my spirit that wanted to be happy and lively and it gave me some sort of hope. Hope that there was this glorious feeling that I can feel at any given moment. Years later, it still gives me that feeling.
Cosign: Jair Hilburn

 

5.) Atrocity Exhibition by Danny Brown (2016)

This one of the most insane, schizophrenic, mentally challenging, and incredible albums I’ve ever heard in my life. Danny Brown really captures the sense of someone being on drugs in a musical sense and the result is something that I was not ready for. Danny’s rapping is diverse, unpredictable, and unnerving and the production matches it. The song “Ain’t It Funny” is a downward spiral into paranoia, “Lost”’s beat is chilling, “Dance In The Water” is frenetic, and “Really Doe” is a lyrical exercise between Danny, Kendrick, Ab-Soul, and Earl Sweatshirt. This album opened me up to another side of rap that I was not paying attention to. This was another album in high school that I never put down as the years went on.
Cosign: Torrence Banks

 

6.) Bandana by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib (2019)

Bandana is the perfect example of someone flexing their talents and leaving in you in awe. With Gibbs rapping and Madlib on the beats, this album is a roaring, aggressive, cutthroat, raw, often introspective, and gritty rap explosion. The talent of these two men, both masters of their craft, is absolutely insane. The beats are multifaceted and full of surprises and Gibbs’ rhyming seems effortless as he switches flows, cadences, and rides Madlib’s beats with extreme skill. With feathers such as an otherworldly Pusha T and Black Thought, they only add to the onslaught of bars that were already provided by Gibbs. I honestly think I have put this album on almost every day since it has dropped. I really cannot stop listening to this project and Gibbs & Madlib outdid themselves even though they have the fantastic “Pinata” on their resume. Tracks such as “Half Manne Half Cocaine”, “Education”, and “Crime Pays” reminds us just how magical of a duo Freddie Gibbs and Madlib are.
Cosign: Lilac Burrell

 

7.) Cilvia Demo by Isaiah Rashad (2014)

The moment I pressed play and the first track played, I knew I was listening to something special. Isaiah really delivered on heartbreaking verses and a clear sense of him trying to recover from the trauma that he was dealing with ever since his youth. His perspective is something that makes him unique because not only it is relatable, but it makes the listener reflect on their lives and how they have dealt with their vices and their traumas. “Banana” is a fire-breathing lyrical exercise, “Heavenly Father” deals with Rashad coping with himself, “Tranquility” is an introspective deep-dive, and “Menthol” is a beautiful reflection on his life. Cilvia Demo touched me in how personal it was.
Cosign: Lilac Burrell

 

8.) Anti by Rihanna (2016)

Rihanna was in full sultry savage mode with Anti and the songs perfectly reflect her mentality, passions, and emotions. The music just makes you feel free and makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. With tracks like “Desperado”, ”Woo”, ”Yeah, I Said It”, and “Needed Me”, Rihanna takes full command of her craft and musical sense and takes you on a roller coaster ride where you enjoy the highs and reflect on the lows. The album is just full of absolute bangers and has not aged one bit. It is rich in its music, vulnerable in its content, and is willing to show the multiple sides of Rihanna. If only we can get the follow-up album that RiRi is teasing us with.
Cosign: Jair Hilburn, Lilac Burrell

 

9.) Isolation by Kali Uchis (2018)

Isolation really affected me personally because it was one of the albums this decade that made me remember how my younger self was. Through Uchis’ seductive and angelic voice coupled with the smooth production, it made me remember the frenetic energy that I had as a child that I wanted to release but couldn’t. It made me think about how I want to feel like an adult and how I don’t want to feel trapped physically and mentally. Through songs such as “Gotta Get Up”, “Your Teeth in My Neck”, “After The Storm”, and “Dead to Me” stuck with me as the themes of conformity, freedom, and confidence resonated with me. Isolation made me reflect on the self I wanted to be as a kid and how I have a chance to be that self as an adult.

 

10.) Laila’s Wisdom by Rapsody (2017)

The sheer confidence, skill, and energetic nature of Rapsody really caught my attention and this album is a perfect manifestation of those traits. The rhymes are unapologetic, the production is grounded and pulse-pounding, the themes of womanhood and confidence are rich, and the replay value is top-notch. This album made me a huge fan of Rapsody and her talent as she is here to tell the world that she is a force in hip-hop. She’s been one of my favorite artists for a few years now and she never disappoints in provoking thought and provides a beating heart. Songs like “Power”, “Chrome”, “You Should Know”, “Nobody” and “Sassy” reminds us just how powerful Rapsody is.

Cosign: Jair Hilburn