The Bat Cave

Album of the Year Contenders

Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby (R&B/Soul)
BENNY THE BUTCHER – The Plugs I Met (Rap) 4.17/5
EARTHGANG – Mirrorland (Rap)
Freddy Gibbs & Madlib – Bandana (Rap)
Lana Del Rey – Norman F*****g Rockwell (Alternative/Pop) – 3.71/5
Raphael Saadiq – Jimmy Lee (R&B/Soul)
Rapsody – Eve (Rap)
YBN Cordae – The Lost Boy (Rap)

Must Listens

Anderson .Paak – Ventura (R&B/Soul)
Boogie – Everything’s for Sale (Rap)
D Smoke – Inglewood High (Rap)
Dreamville – Revenge of the Dreamers 3 (Rap)
James Blake – Assume Form (Electronic)
Kemba – Gilda (Rap)
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow (Alternative)
Skyzoo & Pete Rock – Retropolitan (Rap)

Highly Enjoyable

03 Greedo & Kenny Beats – Netflix & Deal (Rap)
BJ the Chicago Kid – 1123 (R&B/Soul)
Crimeapple & DJ Skizz – Wet Dirt (Rap)
Emeli Sande – Real Life (R&B/Soul)
Emotional Oranges – The Juice, Vol. II (R&B/Soul)
Khalid – Free Spirit (R&B/Soul)
Marlon Craft – Funhouse Mirror (Rap)
Silas – 1998 (Rap)

Recommended

Ariana Grande – thank u, next (Pop)
Bas – Spilled Milk – EP (Rap)
Berner – El Chivo (Rap)
Berner & Mozzy – Slimey Individualz (Rap)
Big K.R.I.T. – TPT (Rap)
Bun B & Statik Selektah – Trillstatik (Rap)
Danny Brown – uknowwhatimsayin? (Rap)
Devin the Dude – Still Rollin’ Up: Somethin’ to Ride With (Rap)
Gary Clark, Jr. – This Land (Rock)
Jean Grae – That’s Not How You Do That Either (Comedy/Rap/Alternative?)
KXNG Crooked – The Weeklys, Vol. 1 (Rap)
Little Brother – May the Lord Watch (Rap)
Lucky Daye – Painted (R&B/Soul)
NF – The Search (Rap)
Rick Ross – Port of Miami 2 (Rap)
ScHoolboy Q – CrasH Talk (Rap)
SiR – Chasing Summer (R&B/Soul)
Smoke DZA – Baconeggandtrees (Rap)
Zacari – Run Wild Run Free – EP (R&B/Soul)
Tuxedo – Tuxedo III (Funk)

Decent

AZ – Legacy (Rap)
Berner & Curren$y – Pheno Grigio (Rap)
Brother Ali – Secrets & Escapes (Rap)
Logic – Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (Rap)
Miley Cyrus – SHE IS COMING (Pop)
Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire (Rap)
Nas – The Lost Tapes 2 (Rap)
Toro y Moi – Outer Peace (Alternative/Electronic)
Watsky – Complaint (Rap)

No Thanks

Kanye West – Jesus is King (Gospel/Rap)
Obie Trice – The Fifth (Rap)

*If an album is unlisted, I skimmed it and moved on, never listened to it, or didn’t like it.

TBD

Tobe Nwigwe – Three Originals (Rap)
Common – Let Love (Rap)
Dave – Psychodrama (Rap)
Little Simz – GREY Area (Rap)
BROCKHAMPTON – GINGER (Rap)
Summer Walker – Over It (R&B/Soul)
Maxo Kream – Brandon Banks (Rap)
Blood Orange – Angel’s Pulse (R&B/Soul)
GoldLink – Diaspora (Rap)
Solange – When I Get Home (R&B/Soul)
Offset – Father of 4 (Rap)