StereoVision’s Top 25 Albums of the First Half of 2020
Although 2020 seems to be the year of the L so far with a deadly pandemic, civil unrest, and murderous hornets (that have been ominously silent since they were last reported on weeks ago), it is still hard to deny that this has not been a great year for music. With new projects from The Weeknd, Childish Gambino and Charlie XCX, countless ‘surprise drops’, and deluxe albums that double the size of the original record, there has never been a better time to be a hip-hop fan. When life is tough and hope is lost, we can always count on music to be a righteous force that bring us together even in the harshest times. With so many new projects being released weekly, many might wonder where to start when catching up with the year’s biggest releases. Look no further, as our writers have ranked and compiled our favorite records and projects from the year so far, starting from January 1 to the release of Pop Smoke’s posthumous album. We should note that to keep things fair, we counted the “deluxe” versions of certain records separate from the original, as many of them (like Uzi and Nav) intended on them being separate projects released in one package. Hopefully you spot some albums you recognize and some you don’t in our top 25 Albums of the Year list (so far)!
25. ptsd - G herbo
Chicago rapper G Herbo shocks listeners with his new level of maturity. After seeing a therapist following a charge for gun possession, the 24-year-old was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder upon unpacking his painful past. His goal with P.T.S.D. was to bring awareness to the severe effects of growing up in a city like Chicago. Within songs like “By Any Means” featuring 21 Savage and “High Speed,” G Herbo validates the lasting emotions that accompany the trauma many experience. -Amaya Lorick
Favorite Tracks
Intro
Death Row
High Speed
24. Dark lane demo tapes - drake
Drake's surprise mixtape of leaks and throwaways gives every kind of Drizzy fan something to latch onto and reminds us why he’s one of the most successful rappers ever. From R&B tracks too smooth for their own good (Toosie Slide, Desires, etc.) to classic Drake bangers (Chicago Freestyle, D4L, etc.) Dark Lane Demo Tapes checks every box. The six god is far from complacent though as he continues to experiment and draw inspiration from other camps in hip-hop. He showcases this at the end of the album where Drake clearly calls on sounds and styles from UK and New York hip-hop which continues to keep his sound fresh and to give his already lengthy career even more longevity. Also, it’s important to remember at the end of the day that the tape is full of throwaways meant to hold fans over for the time being. It’s hard for me to picture an album where songs like “D4L”, “Time Flies”, and “Demons”, are tossed to the side in favor of other tracks but believe me, that’s an album I’m VERY excited for. -Spencer Lobdell
Favorite Tracks
Chicago Freestyle (Feat. Giveon)
Time Flies
D4L (Feat. Future & Young Thug)
23. My turn - Lil baby
If you admire Hip-Hop in the slightest, I’m certain you already know all about Lil Baby’s hot new album My Turn. Lil Baby has been in the scene for some time now and he is proving he is here to stay, after this release, I am certain he has plenty more #1’s left in the tank. This album has been running the charts ever since its release in February. Even just by looking at the features on his track list before the release, I knew he wasn’t going to miss. This album has been steady in my rotation and I hope everyone is bumping it when we all get to go back outside. This tremendous project deserves nothing less. -Colson O’Connor
Favorite Tracks
Heatin Up (Feat. Gunna)
We Paid (Feat. 42 Dugg)
Emotionally Scarred
22. the price of tea in china - Boldy James x alchemist
There’s something intoxicatingly grim about Boldy James’ apathetic, lackadaisical delivery. The Detroit MC’s flat, monotone vocals have been helping him kick ill bars so smooth, a passive listener might gloss over the haunting tales about dead friends, drug trafficking and the mental trauma that comes with life in the underbelly of society. If anything has been a constant in Boldy’s relatively overlooked discography, it’s that he’s a master of utilizing minimalistic tones. But for his latest LP, The Price of Tea in China, Boldy has once again linked up with raps most distinguished minimalist: The Alchemist. While The Alchemist couldn’t be more of a sonic foil to Boldy’s usual beat selection centered around hard-hitting trap production, he welcomes the challenge with open arms, as Boldy kills each and every one of the beats cooked up for him on this project. Luke Modugno
Favorite Tracks
Surf & Turf (Feat. Vince Staples)
Slow Roll
Speed Demon Freestyle
21. take time - giveon
Well most fans were introduced to Giveon when he was featured on Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle” at the start of 2020, the Long Beach singer will be remembered for far more. On his debut project TAKE TIME he graces us with his beautifully unique baritone voice that will undoubtedly carry him to R&B stardom. While the 8-track EP only runs for 24 minutes, that’s plenty of time to get to know Giveon as he masterfully walks us through a recent relationship from the promising start full of excitement and potential all the way to the painful end full of heartbreak and jealousy. TAKE TIME should have every R&B fan begging Giveon for new music, it’s so rare for an artist to not only have a generational voice that is aggressively authentic but also be a genius songwriter. There's no doubt that Giveon is going to be one of the biggest stars in music, the only question is when. -Spencer Lobdell
Favorite Tracks
THE BEACH
FAVORITE MISTAKE
HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY
20. ungodly hour - chloe x halle
Grammy nominated sister duo, Chloe x Halle, received an abundance of attention after appearing on the Freeform sitcom, Grownish and singing its theme song. Their second studio album, Ungodly Hour, arrived after the nationwide protests demanding justice for the many Black people murdered by police. Advised by Beyoncé and given creative freedom from Parkwood Entertainment, Chloe x Halle encapsulated the many realities Black women face surrounding personal identity, relationships, and young adulthood. -Amaya Lorick
Favorite Tracks
Forgive Me
Do It
Ungodly Hour
19. fuck the world - brent faiyaz
If Brent Faiyaz is a name you are unfamiliar with, now is the time to get familiar. Brent slid under my radar for too long, and I soon realized he featured on some of my favorite songs and I just didn’t know it. His new album ‘Fuck The World’ is full of incredible, spacious layering that paint pictures in excruciating detail. This is the perfect album to throw on during a late night drive, you are simply bound to catch a vibe. I enjoy his sound because he just doesn’t sound like anyone else. Not to mention, homie can SING! The R&B scene is in good hands as long as Brent Faiyaz stays in the game, and based off his progress so far, I think his next project will somehow be even more captivating. -Colson O’Connor
Favorite Tracks
Fuck The World (Summer in London)
Clouded
Been Away
18. unlocked - Denzel Curry x kenny beats
Over the past couple of years, Denzel Curry has become one of the most discussed artists in the current generation of rappers, breaking out of the underground due to his slick flows, high-energy delivery, and clever—often goofy—lyrics. Meanwhile, Kenny Beats has become one of the most sought-after hip-hop producers, largely due to his collaborations with Vince Staples, Rico Nasty, and JPEGMAFIA. With that said, it only makes sense that a joint project between the two would’ve gone this hard. Throughout its tight eight-track runtime, Denzel delivers some of his most aggressive and rowdy performances yet, taking inspiration from legends such as Ol’ Dirty Bastard and DMX. On the production side of things, Kenny arranges an extremely intricate blend of boom-bap, experimental hip-hop, and jazz rap; the tone he sets is immaculate, and it perfectly compliments Curry’s combination of dark and cartoonish bars. The duo truly proved how well they could work together, and I hope to hear more collaborations from them in the near future. -Owen Tait
Favorite Tracks
Take_it_Back_v2
DIET_
‘ Cosmic ’ .m4a
17. High off life - future
High Off Life is the best project Future has put out since Beast Mode 2. While not perfect, the highs on this album are very high. The production is dark and booming putting you right in the middle of Future’s world. Above all else he sounds hungry and motivated again which is dangerous if he has more music to come this year. -Miles Hagan
Favorite Tracks
Ridin Strikers
Too Comfortable
Accepting My Flaws
16. everything - kota the friend
The timing of Kota The Friend’s new 12-track album couldn’t have possibly been better. By the time of his release, I was very cooped up due to the pandemic, and the negative vibes were catching up to me pretty quick. I liked Kota’s previous work, but I wasn’t necessarily a major fan. That all changed after one play through of EVERYTHING. I have probably bumped this project every day and its positive and wholesome energy has really help me stay grounded and calm in a time full of uncertainty. My favorite thing about this album is that Kota has nothing to prove. He is solely trying to catch a vibe and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. This reminds me a little bit of J. Cole in that sense. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend you do so. EVERYTHING has easily made its way to my top five albums this year. Big props to Kota for killing it on this one. -Colson O’Connor
Favorite Tracks
B.Q.E (Feat. Joey Bada$$ & Bas)
Always (Feat. KYLE & Braxton Cook)
Summerhouse
15. it is what it is - thundercat
A few weeks into many of our quarantines, Thundercat blessed us with his fourth studio album It Is What It Is. Thundercat continues to show the best of his new age jazz and RnB sound with tracks such as “Funny Thing,” “Dragonball Durag,” and “King of the Hill” (feat. Steve Lacy). It Is What It Is has everything you would expect from a Thundercat project: bass, humor, and unrequited love. On this project, however, Thundercat gets more introspective and philosophical than ever before. His ability to hold the space for laughs, grooves, simping, and curiosity all within the scope of a single album is nothing short of an incredible feat. -Kaila Cherry
Favorite Tracks
Funny Thing
Dragonball Durag
King Of The Hill (Feat. Steve Lacy)
14. 3.15.20 - Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino is a vet. He has earned the right to be trusted in basically all of his artistic endeavors. It seems almost blasphemous to say that 3.15.20 seems to have flown under the radar. This album sonically sounds like nothing else to drop this year. Gambino once again expands his vocal range track after track, never allowing the project to become stagnant or stale. While the production can be off the wall, it makes it equally if not more refreshing than the sharpest albums this year. -Miles Hagan
Favorite Tracks
12.38
47.48
35.31
13. how i’m feeling now - charli xcx
Following the seamless blend of pop and experimental aesthetics that appeared on her 2019 outing Charli, fans were definitely eager to see where UK pop artist Charli XCX’s sound would venture next. Trapped in self-isolation, she took the time to reflect on her relationships with her significant other, her friends, and herself—a process that resulted in her most intimate and innovative project to date. On how i’m feeling now, Charli pushes further into the strange more than ever before, as the majority of the tracklist is saturated with glitchy percussion, distortion, noise, and busy synths that perfectly compliment Charli’s heavily-manipulated vocal delivery. Additionally, Charli manages to bring one powerful performance after another to the table, delving into a variety of introspective topics such as her love life, friendships, and mental health. If you’re searching for the future of pop music, look no further than this one-of-a-kind album. -Owen Tait
Favorite Tracks
forever
claws
enemy
12. wunna - Gunna
In the accompanying documentary that was released with Wunna, Gunna talks about needing to leave Atlanta to quiet the noise and find new inspiration well crafting his latest wave. This tactic pays off tenfold on Wunna as the album successfully transports listeners to the Caribbean from the first swirling guitar bend on “ARGENTINA”, the addicting intro to the album. Gunna flexes the best writing of his career on WUNNA meaning there isn’t a single throw away across the 18-track album. More than ever Gunna also steps back and shines the spotlight on YSL’s team of superstar producers (Wheezy, Turbo, Taurus, etc.) resulting in one of the most cohesive projects of the year that is undeniably fun. -Spencer Lobdell
Favorite Tracks
DOLLAZ ON MY HEAD (Feat. Young Thug)
SKYBOX
NASTY GIRL / ON CAMERA
11. eternal atake - lil uzi vert
The drama this album caused is honestly what makes it one of my favorite drops this year. The wait for this album was insane, but when it finally dropped, it literally shook the industry. Uzi’s journey to get this project to drop is one of the best stories in music this year. It was just a great moment for music as a whole, Uzi beat the label! Drama aside, it’s just a fun album, it’s impossible to be in ai bad mood well playing Eternal Atake. -Courtney Fields
Favorite Tracks
Homecoming
Prices
Secure The Bag
10. rtj4 - run the jewels
Four years after the release of their last studio LP Run The Jewels 3, the rap duo of Killer Mike and El-P return once more for a healthy dose of their subversive style of hip-hop in what may be their best album yet. El-P’s tangible in-your-face production paired with the aggressive rap styles and political register makes this record perhaps more relevant than the ones that preceded it. The free mixtape’s release timing was perfect, delivering iconoclastic and status-quo shattering bars in a time we needed it most. -Carter Fife
Favorite Tracks
JU$T (Feat. Pharrell & Zack de la Rocha)
walking in the snow
holy calamafuck
9. chilombo - Jhené Aiko
For an album with 20 tracks, every song on CHILOMBO beautifully transitions into the next. Longtime fans will notice Jhené is happier especially in songs like “Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E)” and “Love.” With features ranging from Future to John Legend, Jhené successfully cultivates a project that appeals to various audiences. The simple yet detailed production shows Jhené’s commitment to the process itself. -Amaya Lorick
Favorite Tracks
Triggered (freestyle)
Tryna Smoke (feat. MicahFoneCheck)
10K Hours (feat. Nas)
8. pray for paris - Westside Gunn
The resurgence of the grimey boom-bap roots of New York hip-hop in recent years can almost solely be accredited to Westside Gunn, the head-honcho of Griselda Records. Pray For Paris exemplifies the greatest aspects of the boom-bap renaissance, as Gunn’s ever-unique inflection and ad-libs paired with his beat selection make for one of the best debut albums in recent history. With a star-studded line-up of rappers, producers and a few of the best cyphers of the year, Pray For Paris is amongst the elite albums of 2020. -Luke Modugno
Favorite Tracks
$500 Ounces (Feat. Freddie Gibbs & Roc Marciano)
George Bondo (Feat. Benny The Butcher & Conway The Machine)
327 (Feat. Joey Bada$$, Billie Essco & Tyler, The Creator)
7. shoot for the stars aim for the moon - pop smoke
Long Live The Woo! Pop Smoke’s debut album gives me a jaded feelings; I’m never sure if I’m happy or sad when I’m playing it. The songs on this project prove two things:
1. I’ll never get tired of Pop Smoke’s signature sound (many dub this as making the same song over and over again), but Pop is the one artist I don’t mind that from. I was actually disappointed that there weren’t more “Dior” or “Welcome to the Party” sounding tracks on there.
2. Pop Smoke was a STAR. Tracks like “Enjoy Yourself”, “What You Know But Love”, and “Diana” prove that Pop was far from a one-dimensional artist. He clearly had so many different sounds in his bag, and he was destined for stardom.
RIP Woo, a young legend gone far too soon. -Courtney Fields
Favorite Tracks
Enjoy Yourself
Got It On Me
Diana
6. she already decided - smino
It’s been a minute since we’ve gotten a complete project from St. Louis rapper Smino. Fortunately, Smino is another artist this year that treated fans to a surprise release, though in Smino’s case it was a free mixtape that was partially composed of both original tracks and remixes to the past year’s most iconic hits. On She Already Decided we see Smino at the top of his game, proving himself to be one of the most dynamic and versatile artists in hip-hop today. Synthesizing elements of soul, hip-hop and R&B, this record is full of hits that are certain to stay in rotation. -Carter Fife
Favorite Tracks
Already
Good Ol Julio
2MuchFronto
5. after hours - the weeknd
There isn’t an album I appreciate more this year than After Hours. Being in the industry for almost 10 years, I’m glad Abel took a step in some uncharted territory. It’s always refreshing to see such a big star sift into new genres and sounds. The Weeknd’s take on 80’s Synth Pop easily makes this my favorite album of his. This album shows Abel’s love for music; he didn’t have to shift his entire identity and sound to sell this project, but he did. He took a huge risk that reaps huge rewards in my books. -Courtney Fields
Favorite Tracks
Snowchild
Escape From LA
Save Your Tears
4. LUV vs. the world 2 - lil uzi vert
If someone were to ask me what the most fun album of 2020 has been so far, I would likely respond with this project, a deluxe album that Philadelphia rapper Lil Uzi Vert saw fit to drop only a week after the colossal success of his highly anticipated record, Eternal Atake. On the sequel to his 2016 mixtape, not only did Uzi meet the bar he set for himself a week earlier, but completely he flew past it, exceeding everyone’s expectations. The tracklist was tighter, the mixing was cleaner, and Uzi’s vocal performances were far more dynamic, leading to an album with far fewer skips than Eternal Atake and a lot more replay value. Meanwhile, a star-studded list of features and catchy production only added to its appeal, making it one of the most enjoyable and infectious listens of 2020. -Owen Tait
Favorite Tracks
Yessirskiii (Feat. 21 Savage)
Strawberry Peels (Feat. Young Thug & Gunna)
Moon Relate
3. circles - mac miller
In what may be his final album, Pittsburgh producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and rapper Mac Miller crafts a tear-jerkingly beautiful ending to his discography. Produced and arranged by legendary producer Jon Brion, the project is amongst the most well-produced in Miller’s catalog. The album serves as both a tribute to Mac’s life and a beautiful love letter to his fans and loved ones. Circles is the final step in a sonic and artistic revolution of one of the music world's most brilliant minds. -Luke Modugno
Favorite Tracks
Circles
Good News
Right
2. a written testimony - Jay Electronica
After almost a decade of waiting for Jay Electronica’s debut record, fans were rewarded for their patience earlier this year with a surprise release from the man himself. A Written Testimony is a masterfully produced exercise in top-notch writing, production, and lyricism. Over the course of the record’s ten tracks, created in a span of only 40 days and nights, Electronica and the equally mythological Jay-Z trade bars on success, self-doubt, and religion. Together the duo produced a project that was truly worth the wait. -Carter Fife
Favorite Tracks
A.P.I.D.T.A
The Blinding (Feat. Travis Scott)
Fruits of the Spirit
alfredo - Freddie Gibbs x alchemist
Alfredo is the perfect storm. Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist have both been crafting incredible music individually over the past year. It seems strange that such successful artists seem to be getting better as they age, yet this is what we have. Alfredo is coke rap done at the highest level. Alchemist utilizes such unique instrumentation on each track yet still allows Freddie to navigate every beat with ease. There are so many levels to this project, and with each listen another one is revealed. It may be early, but this will not be an easy project to top. -Miles Hagan
Favorite Tracks
Scottie Beam (Feat. Rick Ross)
Something to Rap About (Feat. Tyler, The Creator)
Skinny Suge
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