A lot of releases caught my ear this year, including projects from Kokayi, lowercase letters, DTMD, Jon Laine, and others. At the same time, the always-endless stream of mixtapes made it damn near impossible to catch everything.
For the second year in a row, I voted in WKYS’s list of the hottest local rappers. (So far, Nos. 3-10 have been unveiled.) It’s nice to see acts like Gods’Illa and X.O. get some shine, but I’m still trying to sort out how M.C.-producer Oddisee tied for10th (?!?!?) on the list.
In 2012, expect to hear new albums from Substantial, RDGLDGRN (formerly The Five One), and Lyriciss. Until then, here are the 2011 projects that kept my finger on the rewind button and my stereo volume at max level.
5. Soulful!, Mumbo Sauce & Drumbreaks
Hip-hop embracing the sounds of blaxploitation never sounded so good. Released in January, Soulful!’s expansive concept album combined brassy ’70s compositions with finely-chopped cosmic grooves, resulting in an energetic opus driven by its layered production. On Mumbo Sauce, Soulful!’s music held its own; the guest MCs were pure frosting.
4. Maimouna Youssef, The Blooming
From the bayou blues stomp of “Black Magic Woman” to the volcanic unrest of “Wake Up,” The Blooming was a dynamic debut album for the former Roots collaborator, as these songs—-each one very different in scope and sound—-blended together for a thoughtful look into love (“I Got A Man”), overseas romance (“O Encontro No Brasil”), and phony rappers (“You Ain’t Hard”). Youssef has come a long way since singing background at Dave Chappelle’s Block Party.
3. Oddisee—-Rock Creek Park
We’re still awaiting his proper solo debut and the follow-up to Diamond District‘s In The Ruff, but producer Oddisee released Rock Creek Park in September, a mostly instrumental project of nostalgic soul renderings that paid homage to the D.C. park and provided a glimpse into the composer’s artistic trajectory. Rock Creek was lush and layered, and stood tall without vocals. Quite the feat for an instrumental project.
2. yU, The EARN
As if his debut album weren’t great enough, yU’s sophomore release exceeded 2010’s Before Taxes and solidified yU’s place as the “humble king” of the local rap scene. Hard work and self-actualization were the central themes of this electro-soul offering, as the Diamond District M.C. reflected upon his childhood (“Time Machine”), exorcised personal pain (“If U Down”), and chastised capitalist excess (“Money”). As a man, yU is low-key and relatively unassuming. As a rapper, he’s the total opposite, controlling the microphone with remarkable maturity.
1. Gods’Illa, CPR: The Blend Tape
Simply put, Gods’Illa’s Blend Tape changed the landscape for local mixtapes, making it unacceptable for DMV rappers to litter their projects with throwaway songs and radio singles. Instead, the Forestville trio proved that free music doesn’t have to sound cheap, and that insightful lyrics don’t need to be preachy. From beginning to end, the Blend Tape is chock-full of quotable one-liners and neck-breaking production, resulting in the same gritty feel as the aforementioned In The Ruff album. And while neo-soul superstar Erykah Badu hosted the Blend Tape, she eventually faded into the background as Gods’Illa’s assertive wordplay took center stage. The group made major moves this year and show no signs of slowing down.