1. Iggy Azalea, Glory (EP)
Iggy Azalea was signed by T.I. earlier this year and blew up with her single “Murda Bizness” off of her EP. This Australian babe raps like nobody’s business, combining unstoppable sex appeal and rough lyrics. For a sexy time check out “Flash” featuring Mike Posner.
2. Aesop Rock, Skelethon
This was Aesop’s first fully self-produced full-length studio album. With bangers such as “Grace”, “Tetra”, “ZZZ Top”, and “Zero Dark Thirty” it won’t disappoint. Heavy beats and serious rhymes turn childhood anecdotes into songs you won’t soon forget. Aesop is known for being rather dark, but this is one of his darkest albums yet.
3. A$AP Rocky, LONG.LIVE.A$AP
Although the whole album hasn’t technically been released yet, there have been 2 singles and a leak of this album that assure me it makes it into my top 5 list. Videos for “Long Live A$AP” and “Goldie” can be found online, having been released earlier this year. The release date has been pushed back a number of times, but it will definitely be worth the wait.
4. Odd Future, OF Tape, Vol. 2
Odd Future did it again with their second tape. They presented inappropriate, offensive, disgusting, abrasive songs to us in a fashion that no one seemed to notice. Who could help it? Tracks like “Doms”, “Forest Green” and “P” became instant classics. It was quite a bummer not having Earl on there, but I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of him in the next year.
5. Brother Ali, Mourning in American and Dreaming in Color
Brother Ali is incomparable in the way he reaches the hearts and souls of his listeners. This album touches on so many aspects of simply being human in today’s world. He brings to light what we should be grateful for and what we should be fighting to change. With instruments of all sorts, this live band album truly swept me off my feet.