Nine years after “A.D.I.D.A.S.” became his only substantial hit, Atlanta hip-hop fixture Killer Mike made a knockout album with an agenda that doesn’t even hint at pop crossover. Produced by El-P (whose own solo album of this year, Cancer 4 Cure, is worth hearing), R.A.P. Music is tough, lean and assured, the work of an artist who knows how hard he can strike. It also bubbles over with political fury: “Reagan” starts with a memory of the Iran-Contra scandal and its ripple effects on black America and goes on to indict all subsequent Presidents too.
Top 10 Albums
- 10. Killer Mike, R.A.P. Music
- 9. Azealia Banks, 1991 EP
- 8. The Mountain Goats, Transcendental Youth
- 7. Various Artists, Listen, Whitey! The Sounds of Black Power 1967–74
- 6. Swans, The Seer
- 5. Getatchew Mekuria & the Ex & Friends, Y’Anbessaw Tezeta
- 4. Dirty Projectors, Swing Lo Magellan
- 3. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
- 2. Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city
- 1. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do
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