No one is required to do the impossible, but our journalist still managed to do it: choosing his five favorite albums of the year that is ending.
Posted at 1:00 p.m.
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Dark TimesVince Staples
Times are tough. Vince Staples finds it too. The Los Angeles rapper's previous albums chronicled his youth in the underprivileged neighborhoods of the Californian metropolis. Dark Timeshis sixth, evokes more the present moment, always quite dark. Vince Staples seeks to get rid of the residue of the past, whether it be certain people or mentalities. With his deadpan humor, his monotonous tone and a new vulnerability, the 31-year-old MC criticizes the immobility of his original environment and of society in general. On mostly vaporous productions by LeKen Taylor, Michael Uzowuru and company, Vince wishes for equanimity and a light more enveloping than that of the American west coast. As he sings about Little Homieswe must not despair: “Life hard but I go harder”.
Excerpt from Government Cheese
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Dark Times
Vince Staples
Def Jam
#RICHAXXHAITIANMach-Hommy
Haitian-American Mach-Hommy cultivates a mystery around him that goes far beyond his covered face. Of course, his true identity remains unknown, but it is more the density of his works that fascinates. The rapper's encyclopedic knowledge is impressive. His ability to deliver his point in a colorful, sincere and comical manner does just as much. On #RICHAXXHAITIANare arsenal of flows seems limitless. He raps, sings and speaks – sometimes in Creole – on a variety of beats which fit him like a glove. That of the title track is by Quebecois Kaytranada. The prodigious Conductor Williams and SadhuGold sign most of the others. Mach exchanges on the microphone with other masters, such as Black Thought and Roc Marciano, then relies on the voices of Drea D'Nur and Georgia Anne Muldrow (Hephzibah) to deliver even more vivid emotion.
Excerpt from On the Avignon bridge
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#RICHAXXHAITIAN
Mach-Hommy
Independent
Alligator Bites Never HealDoechii
There are few guarantees of quality like the Top Dawg label. Kendrick Lamar's former record label released brilliant albums this year from ScHoolboy Q, SiR and Ab-Soul. But it's Doechii's, which is actually a mixtapewhich delighted me the most. Alligator Bites Never Healthe Floridienne's third release, is a demonstration of her immense talent. The 26-year-old artist moves with ease from acrobatic rap to moving soul and then to sultry R&B, while touching on pop and electro. Her charisma and theatrical side are reminiscent of Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliott. Like these, his performances in front of an audience stand out for their overflowing imagination. The rapper exposes her doubts and vices without shame more than the average, in addition to displaying a strong protest spirit.
Excerpt from Denial Is a River
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Alligator Bites Never Heal
Doechii
Top Dawg
Penalty of LeadershipBoldy James et Nicholas Craven
In January, I wrote that the song Formal Invite could end up being one of my favorites of the year. In fact, the entire album by Detroiter Boldy James and Quebecer Nicholas Craven deserves its place in my list. Second collaboration between the two artists, Penalty of Leadership has the charm of a film in which the flawed hero wins the hearts of the audience through the trials he faces. Boldy James came close to death in the months leading up to the recording of the 11 tracks. What emerges is an awareness of one's own mortality and a feeling of invincibility. Nicholas Craven's productions infused with melancholy and nostalgia fit perfectly with the colorful stories of the forty-year-old rapper, whose cadence and voice command our attention by calming the mind. We are impatiently awaiting the third part.
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Penalty of Leadership
Boldy James et Nicholas Craven
Independent
The Thief Next to JesusThe
On October 12, Kaseem Ryan, aka Ka, passed away at the age of 52. A month earlier, its 11e album, The Thief Next to Jesushad been placed on listening platforms after being offered only in vinyl format by the rapper. Ka was one of those fiercely independent artists. He is the sole author and composer of the 14 songs of his final work. It explores themes such as faith, social injustices and the complex relationship between Christianity and African-Americans. His calm tone and his delivery, which approaches speech, have a captivating intimate character. The production borrows from gospel in a sublime way and reinforces the spiritual theme. Did he know that The Thief Next to Jesus would be his artistic testament? No answer could be the balm hoped for, but his tragic departure will perhaps allow some to discover the greatness of his work.
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The Thief Next to Jesus
The
Iron Works
