My Top 10 Albums of 2020

It's been almost three years since I reviewed an album on this blog, and after careful consideration I decided that my first post back had to carry some weight behind it. Although we are now in March 2021, reviewing my Top 10 albums of 2020 feels like a good place to start. 

This was not an easy list to make by any means, due to the coronavirus and a global pandemic it meant that a lot of artists were able to record and release music to eager fans who needed to fill their time during quarantine. We certainly were not disappointed. There were 17 albums that I considered for the list, and it was extremely difficult to narrow down. 

So, kicking the list off at number 10 is:

Playboi Carti - Whole Lotta Red

After a two year hiatus, Carti finally returned with his sophomore album - Whole Lotta Red, composing of 24 tracks. 

One of the most anticipated hip-hop albums in recent memory, WLR gained an unprecedented amount of hype since it was first announced due to the success of Carti's self titled mixtape 'Playboi Carti' and his debut album Die Lit. Carti is numero uno amongst the Gen Z generation, due to his biggest hit 'Magnolia' which gathered popularity in the summer of 2017, and after that nothing was the same. 

Whole Lotta Red showcases Carti's musical evolution, particularly in the first half of the album. 

Executive Production by Kanye West, one of the best ever producers to grace the hip-hop industry allows Carti to display his full rockstar evolution. Whilst I particularly wasn't a fan of the first 11 tracks, the final 13 somewhat saved the album for me, as I even tweeted the same thing at first listen. 

Due to production from more familiar faces like Pierre Bourne, Carti's long time producer, the run that follows from 'Vamp Anthem' to the final song on the album 'F33l Lik3 Dyin' can almost be compared to LeBron James' 2018 playoff run with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Overall, this was a solid album that allowed Carti to experiment whilst also providing hits we all love like 'Sky' and 'ILoveUIHateU'.

9: Pop Smoke - Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon

On February 19, 2020 just twelve days after releasing Meet the Woo 2, Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was murdered in a home invasion at only 20 years old. Pop's debut studio album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon unveils just how much potential he had in the rap industry.

The album was released posthumously, executively produced by 50 Cent and has features from artists such as Quavo, Lil Baby, Roddy Rich and 50 himself. 

Before his death, there were always questions about Pop's versatility, whether he was a one trick pony, only capable of making drill songs. 

However, his potential and versatility as an artist were on full display throughout the album, on songs such as 'Something Special' which samples Tamia's 1998 R&B hit, So Into You. 

Pop's deep, sinister sounding drill was still evident though, with songs such as '44 Bulldog', which is a continuation of the music that made him so beloved. 

In his absence, we’re only left to ponder what could've been.

It'll never be enough, but it'll have to do. 

8: Future - High Off Life

Looked upon in the music industry as the king of toxicity, Future almost never fails to deliver. High Off Life is his 8th studio album, and the King of Atlanta has secured his legacy as one of the most influential artists of the last decade. 'Mumble Rap' is a sound that he has crafted and perfected over his tenure as one of the most popular artists of the 2010's, and High Off Life continues the trend after he dipped into his R&B bag in 2018 on the album 'HNDRXX'. 

Anthems like Life is Good featuring Drake prove that he can still reach the peak of his creative powers as he did on DS2 in 2015, whilst still evolving as an artist and tinkering with his trademark sound that fans are accustomed to. 

Future is a major trendsetter in the rap industry, we saw this on 'Mask Off' as multiple artists followed suit by generating songs with the signature flute sound that the legendary Metro Boomin fashioned. 

This trend continued as on 'Too Comfortable', the 13th track on the album that uses a guitar sample throughout. Following the release of High Off Life, guitar samples have become a major instrumental amongst his peers' songs. 

Although High Off Life does have some notable hits, it does fall short of his DS2 and HNDRXX peak, which leads him to placing at number 8 on the list.

7: Chris Brown and Young Thug - Slime & B

Possibly the most unexpected collaboration since Kanye West teamed up with Rihanna and Paul McCartney and released FourFiveSeconds, Chris Brown and Young Thug came together like yin and yang to create a mixtape that easily surpassed my initial expectations. 

Thug is at the peak of his powers right now, and can seemingly do no wrong. Since 'So Much Fun' was released in 2019, it feels like he is finally getting the respect he deserves as one of the most versatile and influential artists of this generation, and on Slime & B he moves into Chris Brown's R&B world and dismantles him almost as badly as Breezy did to Rihanna. 

That is not meant to disregard Brown's ability whatsoever, as he is still one of the kings of R&B, it is more of a testament to how effortless Thug slides onto tracks. Most notably on the track She Bumped Her Head featuring Gunna, the two Atlantan artists flow off each other so smoothly it begs the question why they still have not collaborated on an album together. 

Breezy certainly holds his own though, particularly on Animal as he showcases what has took him to the top of the charts on numerous occasions as he hits notes only he can hit. This album was unexpected, fun, and easily one of the better albums of 2020 which according to Thugger was made in 'one day' and if that is the case, it signifies just how great the two artists are.

6: Headie One - EDNA

A tribute to his late mother, Edna Duah - Headie One's debut studio album lives up to expectation after the hype generated by the Drake feature on Only You Freestyle. Slinky anthems such as 'Princess Cuts' featuring Young T and Bugsey give fans a sense of the life the trio are celebrating by rapping about diamonds, women and music. 

This is the second collaboration between Headie and the duo, as Headie featured on 'Dont Rush' which dominated the mainstream charts and TikTok for much of 2020.

 

More personal tracks feature on the album, mainly 'Cold' featuring Kaash Paige's amazing vocals. Headie's rise to stardom in the UK has been special to witness, showcasing his versatility on mixtapes through the years, especially on the Fred collaborative project GANG. 

Headie's monotone approach to his songs can often leave fans becoming bored throughout his album, as his flow can rarely change, however on EDNA he offers more versatility than he previously has, accompanied with a range of features such as Future and M Huncho. For a debut album from one of the UK's most popular rappers, there's plenty of evidence that he will have made his mum proud.

5: M Huncho & Nafe Smallz - DNA

Crafted in Barcelona, Spain, the first collaborative project between two of the UK's hottest artists right now fails to disappoint. The pair have previously worked together on bangers 'Part of the Plan' and 'Thumb', so you know what you're going to get from them, and after listening to this album countless times, DNA is an experimental twist on the usual sounds we are accustomed to hearing. 

On the intro 'Da New Age' (DNA), you can hear Nafe and Huncho deciding on the name of the album, which swiftly flows into Huncho's usual soothing mumbling at the start of his songs. They bounce off each other effortlessly over production by Cage Beats, rapping about money, cars, and women. 

At the forefront of the UK trap genre, melodic rap and catchy vibes are littered throughout the project, most notably on the 8th track - Party. Yet again produced by Cage Beats, the rappers switch flows and rap about the staple topics; drugs, diamonds, and money. Nonetheless, the production allows Huncho and Nafe to slide on the beat with seemingly minimal effort, exhibiting the new wave of sound that the pair are sprinkling through the youth of today.

4: Don Toliver - Heaven or Hell

Yet another debut studio album graces my top 10 albums of 2020, and at number 4, Houston rapper Don Toliver's debut surpasses the high expectations he set when he had his breakout moment on Travis Scott's 'Cant Say'. 

Don's attempt to step out of his protege Travis Scott's shadow via trance-inducing rapping and eccentric melodies, showcases his versatility with his unique voice. Although this is only his debut, Toliver is nothing short of a generational talent, as his sound is nothing we have heard before. 

Standouts 'Cardigan' and 'After Party' blend together the exuberant production from Sonny Digital and Don's unique ability to sing and rap in one. No wonder his fans - including myself, craved the full version of the two songs after they initially leaked on YouTube before the albums release.

For the most part, Don's debut album offers a peak into what he is capable of, and his sky-high potential that is begging to be fulfilled - however if he creeps into creating songs such as 'Candy' - where he feels lost in the production, he can succumb to becoming another artist lost in the rap game. 

3: Lil Baby - My Turn (Deluxe)

A contender for album of the year after debuting at number 1 on the US Billboard 200, Lil Baby's My Turn shows his step into stardom as one of the hottest artists right now. His god-given talent to create momentum with his flow on heavy-bass produced tracks, such as 'Heatin Up' featuring fellow Atlantan rapper Gunna, showcases the chemistry the pair have struck up since Lil Baby fell backwards into rapping in 2016. 

Since then, he has released seven projects in two years - in an age where quantity seems to be valued more than quality, Lil Baby has pushed the boundary and consistently delivered with each project release. 

The only questions surrounding Baby is his ability to change his flow so his songs don't all sound the same, and on My Turn he creates some of the most played rap songs of 2020 - We Paid featuring 42 Dugg, and Emotionally Scarred. 

On Emotionally Scarred, the rapper looks back at what his old life left on his mindset that he carries today. "A love letter came through the mail, it said I miss you/I ripped it up and flushed with the tissue, try to forget you" is the opening line of the song and sets the precedent for how he feels about his new life. 

Overall, the album shows progression from his previous pieces of work, however the main criticism I have with the album is the features don't live up to the expectation that the names come with. All of Young Thug, Lil Uzi, Future and Lil Wayne are outshone by their smaller rap counterparts like 42 Dugg, Gunna and Rylo Rodriguez, but make no mistake, Baby fulfils his own standard set with the name of the album.

2: M Huncho - Huncholini the 1st

Huncholini the 1st, the second mixtape by the UK rapper M Huncho expands on his talent as an artist and the wave he has created. He is one of a select few UK rappers that boast their own sound, and on this project he proves, as the album cover suggests - he is one of a kind. 

M Huncho has always been known as the man with the mask, and on Blow Off My Cover he reflects on his life up until this point and the choices he has made. He raps "Took me some time to get to the surface/I was so low and I felt so worthless, yeah" indicating the highs and lows of trying to succeed in the music industry. 

From the start of Huncho's career he wore a ski mask to shield himself from the media and people in the street, as he does not want to be recognised. The element of mystery seems to be adding to the respect he has amongst his fans. 

Now, Huncho wears a custom mask that was shown being made in the music video for 'Ocho Cinco' and the development of his mask can be compared to his music - it's smoother, better, and shows he means business.

He has risen to the top of the UK rap industry in such a short space of time with his delivery and ability to pick the right tempo for each beat he uses. 

It may sound repetitive, but that is not the case - there is a new message in each song and he is a genuine artist at work.

Quincy Tell Em, his main producer allows Huncho to go into his bag throughout the course of the project to produce an easy listen from start to finish. There are no skips on this album, which is why it deserves its flowers with a number 2 spot on the list.

1: Gunna - WUNNA (Deluxe)

In all honesty, this was the easiest decision so far. Even the non-deluxe version of this album would have been my number 1. Yet Gunna, another rapper who hails from Atlanta, decided to bless our ears with a deluxe version of one of my favourite albums in recent memory. 

Gunna's sound is like marmite, its very hit or miss for a lot of people - the way he raps is unlike anyone else, he possesses his own vibe that can be listened to in any mood.

This is his second studio album, following on from Drip or Drown 2 which was subject to mixed reviews. Gunna was criticised in the music industry, as it felt like he had fallen off from the early peak of his music career which he set on his breakthrough 2018 mixtape Drip Season 3. 

This is the most invested he has been since then, and he came back with a reinvigorated sound. His flows are crisper, and the beat selection is phenomenal. 

New-age producers Wheezy and Turbo headline the production behind the album, and the duo feel like Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan in their prime. Each beat is tailor made royalty for Gunna to slide onto, with his mellow, tantalising voice.

Familiar faces appear across the album, with features from Travis Scott, Future, Young Thug and Lil Baby that do not disappoint. 

Gunna also pays homage to the legendary Michael Jackson at points across this album, mainly on the song 'Dirty Diana' and the music video for the song Rockstar Bikers & Chains.

It wouldn't be a Gunna project if it didn't involve rapping about his designer clothes, and on Met Gala he does exactly that. "It's easy to slip don't want you to fall/Walk in with the drip at Met Gala Ball", pointing to the fact that his outfit is so outrageous that you may fall over because of his drip. 

However the highlight of the album is the 21st track, Nasty Girl/On Camera. Gunna raps about sexual encounters he has with women all over the world throughout the song, which is produced by Taurus and Wheezy. The seamless beat transition between the two parts feels like it came from outer space. 

Each Gunna project has made me appreciate him more and more, with his strangely therapeutic way of rapping and hypnotising beat selections that possess guitar strings and high-key piano notes. If his next album lives up to the standard set by WUNNA, we have another cinematic trap-rapper ready to lay claim to the throne. 

Honourable Mentions

From albums that were years in the making, to ones that were created through quarantine-surged creativity, 2020 boasted one of the best years for albums in recent memory. This leads to some inevitably not making my top 10 list. Some albums that I enjoyed but didn't end up making the top 10 cut were:

The Weeknd - After Hours

Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon 3; The Chosen One

Future & Lil Uzi Vert - Pluto x Baby Pluto

D Block Europe - The Blueprint

Lil Uzi - Eternal Atake

Tame Impala - The Slow Rush

Jack Harlow - Thats What They All Say