After listening to more than 1700 songs I came to the conclusion that there were several very good rap albums released in September 2011 and only several unfortunately.
On those very good albums the production was extremely tight, the music well thought out with deft rhyming skills by the rappers. The problem was there was nothing new, different, particularly artistic or clever.
At least that's what I thought until I got my hands on a late entry which became this month's choice of best rap album.
Hailing from Hempstead Long Island and comprised of the rappers Hus Tha Kingpin and SmooVth Dude the rap duo called Tha Connection released their album titled Lost Scriptures and it is my selection for Best Rap Album of September 2011.
It is very easy to tell that Tha Connection was weened on hip hop's jazzy age when groups like A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, and Organized Konfusion ruled the streets and the clubs when you listen to Lost Scriptures but the group isn't stuck in the 90's as their rhymes attest. These cats keep stride for stride lyrically with current groups like MellowHype, Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt but instead of random scratches, clicks and beeps passing for music that those groups have embraced Tha Connection is well at home with Post Bop as the musical foundation holding up the walls of some good old boom bap.
I loved this refreshing album and you may not but you'll be okay. The Best Rap Album of September 2011 is Lost Scriptures by Tha Connection.
Other September Releases I Dig Phonte,Charity Starts at Home 9th Wonder, The Wonder Years Strange Fruit Project, A Dreamer's JourneyBrenk, Gumbo II (Pretty Ugly)
July was an excellent month for rap music. Three were many hidden gems to be found. But I am not going to bore you with a long winded analysis of the state of rap music. Let me give you a few hot albums and quickly get into my selection.
From the U.K. the rap group Contact Play dropped an amazing album in July titled Champion Fraff. It is one of the best rap albums of the year from purely a musical standpoint. The lads lyrics are clever and whimsical in a very British way. Nice to see artists not attempting to mimic American rappers. I enjoy hearing unique voices of the hip hop culture from around the world. Check that album out.
Jay Rock released his album Follow Me Home paying homage to the West Coast but not in a screw everyone else I gang bang perspective you heard in the past from a lot of west coast rappers which honestly became derivative or played out as you might say. However, judging from many west coast artists releases this month that lesson has fallen on deaf ears.
Also from the Bay Area, Mistah F.A.B. dropped his second album of the year, The Grind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste, and was very close to being my pick this month. This cat gets it but he's not the young boy I thought he was. Not a knock because I'm not the young boy I used to be either, just an observation. His album is still worth more than a listen. Buy it.
Other decent albums to listen for are BlackenedWhite by MellowHype, Born to Win by Skit Slam, the group Black Folk, Inc and their Ode album and the artist The Fatboy with his self titled and frustrating album. To The Fatboy I have two suggestions for you homey. First, change your name your current tag is a killer on search engines and YouTube. No one can find you dude. Second, put a foot in the ass of the dude who produced the first five awful songs on your album. And if you produced them yourself kick your own ass because one more song the quality of the last nine and you sir would have been my choice of album of the month. Please take my advice to heart homey.
With that out of the way. My selection for Rap Album of the Month for July 2011 is from Black Rob with the album Game Tested, Streets Approved.
After doing a seven year bid for grand larceny former Bad Boy recording artist Black Rob hit the streets in May of 2010. Wasting very little time Black Rob got back to the lab and started working on singles and mix-tapes to get his sound back on the streets. One year later Black Rob surprisingly released an album not filled with bitterness or hatred.
Black Rob could very easily have made an album filled with blame and anger towards Sean “Diddy” Combs, the system or the streets for his circumstances. Black Rob however took a different path for the material on this album. He clearly missed his family as much as the streets, both of which he has profound love. But this love hasn't made him soft, it has made him grateful and it shows on every song.
In the song Celebration, Black Rob is celebrating the return to both his immediate family at home and his extended family in the streets of Harlem.
The Black Rob flow and word play that penned many a Bad Boy hit, many rapped byDiddy himself, not only holds up but is a breath of fresh air from the over simplified rhyme cadence of many rappers who became prominent while Black Robwas in the pen. Black Rob does however seem less concerned with staying on beat now and more focused on getting his point across. There is no lamp camp scamp bamp here. His lyrics have meaning and illustrate the story of an ex-con still ready to do battle on the mic with anyone but now values his freedom with a new sense of appreciation.
Not every song on this album is a masterpiece though. The fourteen song album is about four songs too many and more artists should really listen to legit A&R's when it comes to selecting tracks for their albums.
The songs that are good are really outstanding and should put Black Rob back on the map and maybe even a bigger star than he was before he was sentenced to jail.
The Rap Album of the Month for July 2011 is Game Tested, Streets Approved by Black Rob. Enjoy
June 2011, it was the best of times it was the worst of times. I listen to no less than 50 rap albums this month. A lot of garbage and a few nice surprises.
One of the most pleasant surprises this month was the release of what I believe to be the first hip hop musical documentary whose subject is the legendary Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest. The album The [Abstract] Best Vol. 1 produced by J. Period is amazing for its musical production and fresh takes of Tip's music in addition to being a historical record for this genre. You absolutely must get a hold of this album.
The worse piece of trash came from an "artist" calling himself N.A.P. with his contribution titled Define Me. I have never been so insulted in all my life. You people really should be paying me to listen to everything in order to be fair and objective about my selections. I see why other critics and award selection committees are so lazy. It really is painful to waste one's life listening to "music" like this. But when you find some gems as I did this month life is worth living again.
This month's selection for best hip hop album of June 2011 was hard people. We got blessed with some extremely creative and entertaining albums and I have been flip flopping more than John Kerry over my choice.
The south really did it big this month with albums like Big Sean'sFinally Famous, C.O. Tha! Bad Black with Themi-God and Curren$y'sWeekend at Burnie's. The east coast was represented strong by the new Smif-N-Wessun joint Monumental produced by my man Pete Rock, Vast Aire dropped OX 2010: A Street Odyssey and the new group Random Axe released the self titled album Random Axe. There is not a bad one in the bunch. Even Bad Meets Evil, with Femi uh I mean Eminem and Royce Da 5'9 was pretty decent. I am not an Eminem fan but I have to speak the truth. It's not bad but I only liked five cuts therefore it won't be winning so dislodge any suspense you had for it from your mind.
The choice came down to two albums, Weekend at Burnie's by Curren$y and Monumental by Smif-N-Wessun and I am still going back and forth even as I write this post but let's break it down like this.
These two joints, both destined to be classics and should make both acts some serious scrilla this year, are listened to for different reasons.
If you want to smoke one and lean back while listening to some hip hop with steady beats and lyrics that pay homage to the good life, chilling and living a laid back life style then Weekend at Burnie's by Curren$y is definitely your album. This is burn one music for the 21st century but clever, imaginative and entertaining without resorting to Tom Foolery and buffoonery like some other weed head albums that came out about a decade ago. The subject matter gets serious occasionally but not enough to kill your buzz.. Curren$y did an amazing job and should be proud of this album.
For that street, head nod music you bang in your car or turn up to piss off your neighbors there was nothing better released in June than Monumental by Smif-N-Wessun featuring Pete Rock. With Pete Rock's ever flawless beats and production along with guest appearances from Black Rob, Raekwon, Hurricane G, Freeway, Sean Price, Memphis Bleak and Styles P the lyrics are not for the faint of heart. This hard New York City street music at its finest and excellent I must say. Smif-N-Wessun chosing Pete Rock to produce this album was a stroke of genius and hopefully will continue on future albums bot only after Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth bless us with something. Does it sound like I'm begging? Good because I am. Pete Rock we need that reunion album homie. For real.
You know what I'm not going to declare a tie. I am going to be a fucking man and make an executive decision. As much as I love that street shit my selection for best hip hop album of June 2011 is Weekend at Burnie's by Curren$y. Only because I know that I will be listening to it slightly more than Monumental and for no other reason. If you have the money get both albums dammit and enjoy the summer right.
As a matter of fact I gave you a bunch of great albums to discover and enjoy. Just stay away from that N.AP. cat and his rubbish and you'll do very well.
I want to also add that Big Sean's album is outstanding yet some people will attempt to say he is imitating Drake, that's bullshit. This cat is actually from the south and had this sound and flow since he was 16. Drake is from Toronto and his mom is well you know. You tell me whose southern flow is genuine. I'm not saying....but I'm saying.
My initial choice for the rap album of May 2011 was a bit controversial with some friends. They thought I was crazy for even thinking about naming Tyler, the Creator's album Goblin but I found his lyrics very entertaining and unique. However, a late entry into the race came out of nowhere and won by a nose.
Tinnie Tempah's album Disc-Overy was awful to me. I thought that JadaKiss's album I LOVE YOU, Killer Mike's album Pl3dge and Still On The Hustle by Neek the Exotic and Large Professor crushed that garbage. People, please don't believe the hype.
The album that won was dropped by a dude that I have to say in all honesty, I'd never heard of before and almost decided not to bother listening to it. But if I am going to do this blog each month and be honest I have to put in the work and listen to everything which brings me to another point.
Just because I didn't mention a release doesn't mean I didn't hear it. Everything that was released on iTunes or Rhapsody I heard and if your stuff isn't on one of these digital services then that's on the artist and his or her company. I have a job and bills to pay I am not about to runaround chasing down every loose mix tape and 12”. Just not doin' it.
From a hot new artist coming out of Chicago, Illinois I present to you The Best Hip-Hop Album of May 2011- heartbeat by Pennjamin Bannekar.
Although this cats style is nothing like Common who is also from Chi-town there is a respect and appreciation for soul music that is shared by these cats which is so appreciated in this current age of not so clever synthesized beats and out of tune hooks.
The dopest song on the album in my opinion is Illwrite. The chord progressions of the horns chosen as the central tone work perfectly to create a modern day “player” feel as his lyrics performs the obligatory brags and boasts but at the same time subtly crushes all the foolish Illuminati slick talk being bandied about regarding successful rap artists.
There are a couple of misses on the album like Counterfeit and Worlds Apart but the songs that do work are outstanding and are sure to be heard bouncing in the cars and jeeps this summer.
The Best Hip-Hop Album of May 2011 – HeartBeat by Pennjamin Bannekar, for real.
*******Honorable mention goes to Square Off and their great album Moet Money and Memories*******
At least that's what I thought until I got my hands on a late entry which became this month's choice of best rap album. 
