In no particular order my top 10 rap records of the year...

Schoolboy Q — Blank Face

Schoolboy Q has the perfect voice for rap and knows the type of beats that work well with it. Could have lost a few tracks but still one of the best rap records of the year

Top Tracks =  Lord Have Mercy  //  Groovy Tony / Eddie Kane  //  Neva CHange

 

 

Drake —Views

The numbers don't lie. Over a billion streams, the most played album on Spotify and quadruple platinum by the end of the year. There is a reason they say Drake has the Midas touch and this record is no exception. The time, effort and attention to detail is evident throughout, with some top notch production and some brilliant sampling. Sometimes it tries to please everyone and sometimes it's a bit over the top but overall it's a fantastic Drake record

Top Tracks =  U With Me?  //  Weston Road Flows  //  Controlla

 

 

CZARFACE — A Fistful of Peril

This latest CZARFACE record is the real deal. Heavy beats and decent bars...real rap music. Absolutely loved it

Top Tracks =  Dust  //  Tarantulas  //  Talk That Talk

 

 

Vince Staples — Prima Donna

A cracking EP from one of the most exciting new artists in hip hop. Top notch production and a decent flow, best played loudly with lots of bass. Loved the cover art too

Top Tracks = Loco  //  Prima Donna  //  Pimp Hand

 

 

Skepta — Konnichiwa

Skepta couldn't have had a better year. Highly anticipated and worth the wait, this record managed to live up to all the hype. No filler tracks and no empty bars, just well crafted, first class grime

Top Tracks =  It Ain't Safe  //  Numbers  //  That's Not Me

 

 

A$AP Ferg — Always Strive and Prosper

I was never the biggest fan of A$AP Ferg but this record took me by surprise. Great concept, some great production and some decent features made this one of the better rap releases of the year.

Top Tracks =  Strive  //  Pyscho  //  Grandma

 

 

Bas — Too High to Riot

Well produced with some sweet samples and decent bars. Great record from Dreamville...loved it.

Top Tracks =  Housewives  //  Live For  //  Night Job

 

 

A Tribe Called Quest — We got it from here... Thank You 4 your service

Somehow tribe managed to make a record that sounded like it could have come straight out of the vault. Classic tribe sound brought right back into 2016. Some of the features felt a little bit tagged on and it could have maybe lost a couple of tracks but was still something very special. Loved it.

Top Tracks =  We the People...  //  Whateva Will Be  //  Enough!!

 

 

Kanye West — The Life of Pablo

The Madison Square Garden launch, the awkward rollout, the Taylor Swift thing and all of the controversy on tour. Strip all of that away and you're still left with one of the best rap records of the year. Not Kanye's most cohesive project but still enough decent stuff on there to be ranked as one of his best.

Top Tracks =  Ultralight Beam  //  Feedback  //  Real Friends  //  Fade

 

 

J Cole — 4 Your Eyez Only

Cole loves to pop up out of nowhere with great music. Released just a few weeks ago this went straight into my end of year list. Some great sampling, some crazy flows and some deeply personal lyrics made this one of the best rap records of 2016.

Top Tracks =   Deja Vu  //  Neighbours  //  She's Mine, Pt. 2  //  4 Your Eyez Only

 

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The Longlist

Logic — The Incredible True Story

Flatbush Zombies — 3001 A Laced Oddesy

Domo Genesis — Genesis

J Dilla — The Diary

Chance the Rapper — Coloring Book

Oddisee — The Odd Tape

Vic Mensa — Theres a Lot Going On

Rapsody — Beauty and the Beast

DJ Khaled — Major Key

Lando Chill — For Mark, Your Son

Audio Push — 9061

Red Pill — Instinctive Drowning

Isaiah Rashad — The Suns Tirade

Jay DK — Empty Bank

Kool Keith — Feature Magnetic

Apollo Brown + Skyzoo — The Easy Truth

DJ Mustard — Cold Summer

Danny Brown — Atrocity Exhibition

Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered

Ugly Heroes — Everything in Between

NxWorries — Yes Lawd!

Phantogram — Three

Smoke DZA & Pete Rock — Don’t Smoke Rock

Fliptrix — Patterns of Escapism

La Coka Nostra — To Thine Own Self Be True

Common — Black America Again

Denzel Curry — Imperial

Swet Shop Boys — Cashmere

Kate Tempest — Let Them Eat Chaos

KA — Honor Killed the Samurai

MindsOne & DJ Iron — Phaseology

Giggs — Landlord

Dec. 99th — December 99th