StereoVision's AOTY Power Rankings: Week One

By StereoVision Staff

Welcome to our Album of the year power ranking series! Each week all our team members submit their “top 10 albums of 2020 so far” along with some notes about why their list looks the way it does. These lists are then compiled into our overall power rankings which you can find below. Keep scrolling to see each team members personal list which gives interesting insight on how different albums age over the course of the year for specific people. Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoy the article!

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The teams picks:

Besides death, sickness, and tragedy, if you’re a rap fan in 2020 there very little you have to complain about. We’ve already been blessed with enough anticipated releases, albums from industry heavy-weights, and overall excellent music in general to keep me content in quarantine for the remainder of the year. All jokes aside, as fans of hip-hop we really have been spoiled with great music in 2020 which I think might be exactly what we need in the face of a national crisis. Childish Gambino’s new album debuts at number one for me because well I’ve already listened to the record 10+ times, every time I press play it still takes my breathe away. With this being said, this weeks number one spot was very difficult to select because of how fun LUV vs. The World 2 still is and because of the sheer ability that Jay Electronica showcases on A Written Testimony. -Spencer Lobdell

Name another album as captivating and versatile as CHILOMBO that is also 20 tracks long with no skips…  Anyway, as a person who is inspired by the stories of others, PTSD and A Written Testimony are currently both two of my favorite projects. Both showcase a skillful pen and instrumentals that allow them to get their bars off. Honestly, Meg and Nudy only made my list because they are two artists I want to stay in the conversation. I’m just waiting for more music. -Amaya Lorick

So for my list, The Weeknd comes out on top due to the fact that he fully reinvented his sound for After Hours, as well as the fact that the album's narrative is fully cohesive and features the best production on any album I've heard from him (also I'm a big sucker for synthwave). LUV vs. The World 2 was easily the most fun album I've heard this year, so that comes in at #2. 070 Shake and Gambino both had R&B albums that took experimental pop routes, and I really enjoyed them. Denzel Curry and Gupi's albums had some of the most complex and mind-boggling production I've heard this year. Mac's on there for the sentiment and heart behind his album, polearm is a newcomer with a unique, psychedelic pop-rap sound, and Tame Impala's album wasn't my favorite material of his, but it delivered a few key tracks that have high replay value for me. -Owen Tait

Just three months into 2020, this year is stacking up to be one of the best in recent history for hip hop. With plenty of industry giants dropping this year and many more big names rumored to drop this year, the fight for the best project of the year will be fierce. But in the current crop of albums available now, Mac Miller's posthumous record Circles is by far and away the cream. The project is a beautiful send-off to Miller and his fans, completing his discography and symbolizing the final step an astutely profound sonic evolution as an artist. Between dazzling collaborative efforts from Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats (UNLOCKED) and Boldy James and The Alchemist (The Price of Tea in China), and Uzi's impressive pair of projects Eternal Atake and LUV vs. The World 2, 2020 has already been a wild ride. -Luke Modugno

2020 has been a pretty terrible year, but from a musical sense it has not disappointed. 3.15.20 by Childish Gambino and A Written Testimony are two albums by artists at their creative peak. These are projects that will remain in these power rankings very deep into the year no matter what else is released. Brent Fiyaz did what he had to do on F**k the World. He hasn't released a full length project since 2017 and with this he stepped right back into form. Don Toliver has been generating buzz since he was featured on Astroworld and gave us a concise project filled with his hits. The rap community was blessed by Uzi with not one, but two pieces of new music. Both LUV vs The World 2 and Eternal Atake highlight the fact that Uzi never settles with his status in music and is always looking to give his fans a new and exciting experience. -Miles Hagan

This year got off to a slow start in terms of big record releases but as March comes to close we already have a few significant albums under our belt. With Uzi dropping two records after two and a half years, a new Tame Impala record after five, and THE Jay Electronica album after twelve, 2020 has been a great year already for highly anticipated projects. From The Weeknd’s energetic R&B/Hip-Hop Synthesis to Denzel Curry’s long-awaited mix, these are the sounds that have defined my year thus far. -Carter Fife

At number one, ‘A Written Testimony’ may be a questionable choice to many music fans out there since it is not your traditional debut album. But, it’s the most important release this year. Numbers 2, 3, and 4 were a bit of a challenge. Although Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘Eternal Atake’ is undoubtedly the most fun album of 2020, musically it just doesn’t match ‘Circles’ and ‘Chilombo’. At 8 and 9, I had no choice but to incorporate two of my maybe lesser known artists with Boldy James and J Hus. The two released some of the best rap projects this year, J Hus even went #1 on the UK Billboard chart. The Weeknd caps off the list at number 10 since it just came out. -Courtney Fields

As we approach the end of March, I think that the album releases this year prove to show more quality than quantity. I stay busy listening to Mac Miller’s bittersweet final project Circles, Jay Electronica’s long-awaited album A Written Testimony, and the new Lil Wayne record Funeral (he really doesn’t miss). The artist that most surprised me, however, was G Herbo. His new project PTSD has become a personal favorite because of his ability to paint a picture with his words, accompanied by fire features like Juice WRLD, 21 Savage, and Chance the Rapper. If the rest of 2020 looks anything like the first three months, we’re in store for a strong year. -Colson O’Connor

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“UNLOCKED” Dishes out an Air-Tight Blend of Boom-Bap and Experimental Hip-Hop Featuring Some of Kenny Beats’ and Denzel Curry’s Most Daring Performances

By Owen Tait

Ever since the exponential growth of the underground hip-hop scene on streaming platforms such as SoundCloud, many rappers have struggled to maintain a reliable, consistent run in the limelight. Not the case for Floridian artist Denzel Curry. Ever since his breakout single “Ultimate” took the internet by storm in 2015, the Carol City native has seemingly perfected and reinvented his sound multiple times. His 2018 release Ta13oo spiraled into the dark depths of Curry’s persona, boasting sinister, unrelenting tracks such as “Clout Cobain,” “Percs,” and “Vengeance,” featuring experimental rapper JPEGMAFIA and City Morgue member Zillakami. 2019’s Zuu was a triumphant ode to his city, and 2020’s 13lood In + 13lood Out reinforced the darker themes he explored in previous projects. 

Now, not even a month later, Curry has teamed up with underground producer Kenny Beats, whose collaborations range from 03 Greedo to Rico Nasty to Dominic Fike, to release an eight track EP titled “UNLOCKED.” The project marks the duo’s first official collaboration over streaming services, but the two had worked together on Kenny Beats’ signature YouTube series “The Cave” the previous year. In addition to the EP, the two released a highly entertaining animated film to accompany the project. The short was visually thrilling and absolutely hilarious, but luckily, the album functions just as well without it.

The project’s opening track is mainly instrumental, featuring an unsettling, vintage vocal sample that narrates over the majority of the cut. However, in the last leg of the track, the beat switches to a villainous boom-bap anthem, and glitchy vocal samples introduce Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats as the main antagonists. Kenny Beats keeps his mean streak hot on “Take_it_Back_v2,” a clunky, hard as nails cut on which Denzel reveals his true motives: to finish his competition. Lines such as “I don't got candy but I'll turn your head to Gushers, sucka / When you see the barrel better pucker” allow him to perfectly balance his goofier persona with darker content. Furthermore, the choppy flows and heavy percussion serve as an ode to old school boom-bap, an aesthetic that remains prevalent throughout the rest of the record.

One particular method Kenny uses to pull off this aesthetic is by making many of instrumentals’ melodies very subtle, putting emphasis on the thumping percussion and creating more rigid, brash drumlines similar to the ones present in much of old-school hip-hop. Additionally, the abundance of chopped interludes and pitched vocals call back to old methods of sampling found in projects such as Madvillainy; however, Kenny Beats manages to throw experimental twists into the equation, making every unexpected quirk and sample a welcome surprise. Tracks such as “‘Cosmic’.m4a” and “So.Incredible.pkg” exemplify this spectacularly and carry a super fresh sound as a result. And Kenny isn’t the only one making callbacks on this project: tracks such as “DIET_” and the aforementioned “‘Cosmic’.m4a” feature Denzel sporting boisterous inflections reminiscent of rappers such as DMX and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and aside from the obvious comparisons, he’s the most animated he’s sounded in a long time.

Occasionally, Kenny and Denzel return to the current wave of underground rap, crafting minimalist, nocturnal bangers with in-your-face bass and and haunting melodies. The track “Lay_Up.m4a” incorporates a chunky west coast bassline and some of Denzel’s hardest bars on the project. It’s certainly a good detour from the rest of the album’s sound, and the same goes for the penultimate interlude, a trippy instrumental with numerous beat switches and a funky bassline throughout. On the track, Kenny combines elements of acid jazz with chopped versions of Denzel’s vocals from other cuts on the project. Overall, it makes for a tight, satisfying journey, and it perfectly transitions into the anthemic final track, “‘Cosmic’.m4a.”

With UNLOCKED, Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats come through with an EP that has very few flaws. Its tracklist is airtight at just under 18 minutes, the instrumentals are a near-perfect blend of modern experimental hip-hop and old-school boom-bap, and Denzel’s vocal deliveries are as dynamic as ever. However, as I experienced multiple times during my first listen, listeners may scoff at some of Denzel’s punchlines or find them extremely corny. While bars such as “Harry Potter clip filled with deadly ass hollows” are certainly clever, lines such as “Doctor buggin out like Flick versus Hopper” don’t hold up as well, and others such as “Captain Planet / I'm on my packin' cannons to crack Atlantis” don’t even make much sense to begin with. Hell, even the line about Gushers mentioned earlier could be seen as too goofy to take seriously.

Despite this issue that may turn some listeners off, I found the EP as a whole very enjoyable. The off-the-wall production, flighty interludes, and aggressive flows and vocal performances from Denzel Curry make for an entertaining ride. Furthermore, at under 20 minutes, the project flies by with no problem, increasing replay value and giving fans a set of enticing tracks to hold them over until Denzel’s next full length project. Earlier, I discussed the longevity problem that many new artists face in today’s industry, but if Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats continue to put out work this consistent, I can’t see them fading out anytime soon.

Favorite Tracks

Take_it_Back_v2

DIET_

‘Cosmic’.m4a

Rating: 8

Listen to UNLOCKED here:

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Songs of the Week: April 28th

By Spencer Lobdell

Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior along with one throwback song of the week. To stay up to date on all new music, follow my Spotify playlist “What I’m Feeling” which is updated weekly to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:

A playlist updated weekly with whatever new songs I'm feeling at the time. Always 30 songs and in order with what I'm feeling the most at the top.

New Songs of the Week:

“Boyer” by Kevin Abstract

Boyer, a song by Kevin Abstract on Spotify

“Boyer” is the final track off Kevin Abstract’s new album ARIZONA BABY. The song is named after one of Kevin’s closest childhood friends and gives us a vivid look inside of what’s going on inside of Brockhampton’s leaders head. The song is fast paced with a short refrain that beautifully sums up the tone of the song and the entire project for that matter (We cannot run forever now/gotta learn your lesson child). The song lasts just under two minutes and will have you pressing replay over and over again to fully appreciate the genius and beauty in Kevin’s writing which feels oddly familiar and nostalgic.

“I was high as hell, hanging with my white friends
Thinkin’ I’ma be alright if I’m just like them
Then the police pull up on me with the lights dimmed
Had me on the ground begging for my life, man”

— Kevin Abstract "Boyer"

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“Relative” by Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats

Relative, a song by Rico Nasty, Kenny Beats on Spotify

A standout track on Rico Nasty’s new album Anger Management, “Relative” is a fiery freestyle about clout chasers in her life who are suddenly interested in being Rico’s friend now that she’s famous. This Kenny Beats instrumental is one of my favorite beats he made for Anger Management and features an eerie piano riff over hard-hitting trap drums. Rico flexes her lyrical abilities on “Relative” through numerous different flows and polished writing. It was hard to pick just one track off this album, but “Relative” is undeniable.

“I be gettin’ money, now everybody my relative
Talkin’ bout, “It’s all love,” like I don’t know what jealousy is”

— Rico Nasty "Relative"

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“Attention” by ScHoolboy Q

Attention, a song by ScHoolboy Q on Spotify

The outro on ScHoolboy Q’s new album CrasH Talk gives us Q the story teller for one of the first times on the album. ScHoolboy is at his absolute best when he is rapping about his real life experiences and it’s something I wish we would’ve gotten more of on CrasH Talk because of how damn good songs like “Attention” are. Over one verse lasting majority of the 3 minute song, Q raps about his relationship with rap legends, joining the Nifty 50’s Crip Gang as a kid, and a shootout at a Laundromat. The beat is menacing and leaves a perfect pocket for Q’s bars.

“Just imagine some of these rappers that ain’t have Q
The godfather of this street shit that gave y’all truth
From Pac, Snoop, Kurupt, Daz, bitch, I’m déjà vu
You see my homie in the hood ‘cause I hate y’all too”

— ScHoolboy Q "Attention"

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Throwback Song of the Week

“California” by Dom Kennedy

California, a song by Dom Kennedy on Spotify

Few things feel as good as driving the streets of Southern California blasting Dom Kennedy. In his ode to his home state “California” Dom raps about day to day life in Los Angeles. Dom frequently references people and places in LA connecting him in an intimate way with listeners who know what he’s alluding to. The instrumental is as west coast as it gets with a high-pitched, Dr. Dre-esque synth looping throughout the songs. Kennedy has been an under appreciated emcee for years and “California'“ might be the most obvious piece of evidence for his lack of commercial recognition.

“Y’all out of town niggas just don’t understand
We ain’t got the same mindset or the same plans
I done ran with my mans, ‘stead of runnin’ to the man
Two shows back to back, got paid 50 grand”

— Dom Kennedy "California"

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Check back in next week for three new hot songs and one new throwback! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get updated when we post:

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