MOOSE’s Top 8 Albums of 2016

Things went south in 2016. It was a dumpster fire of a calendar year; I went through some whack shit in my personal life, and so did the rest of the world. But I hate being a negative mofcka, so I’ll shift the focus onto the blessings we did receive this year. Specifically, to the list of albums that managed to hijack our aux cord this year.

Full disclosure, this isn’t intended to be a best-of list; more of my favorite shit. There’s plenty of releases I didnt even know came out. I’m lowkey an elitist when it comes to clicking play on a song, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. However, I do listen to music all day, usually high as fuck, riding around town armed with Soundcloud likes and an Apple Music subscription. And for the most part, I hear some amazing stuff. Sidebar, I did not include projects that came out in December (Childish Gambino, J. Cole, Ab-Soul) for they are too new to be fully digested.

There’s a few notable releases that deserve honorable mentions. ScHoolboy Q’s street journal Blank Face LP was a highlight, YG’s summer banger Still Brazy, Drake’s underwhelming Views, Phonte & Eric Roberson’s adult contemporary offering Tigallero, Noname’s spoken word laced Telefone, Bruno Mars’ I Love The 80s inspired 24K Magic, and Mayer Hawthorne’s heavily underappreciated Man About Town. There were plenty of amazing singles from okay projects, and a handful EP’s that kept it short and sweet. For intensive purposes, I kept it at the best full-length albums. I shall start with my personal favorite of the year:

Malibu by Anderson .Paak

Best Songs: “Heart Don’t Stand A Chance”, “Am I Wrong”, “Without You”

Anderson’s rise from underground artist to household name has been dope to see. The LA songwriter dropped his funk/soul opus Malibu in the first quarter, setting the tone for stellar national TV performances, corporate ad campaigns, and impressive guest verses. Backed by his band The Free Nationals, with support from industry heavyweights like 9th Wonder, The Game, ScHoolboy Q, Hi-Tek, and Talib Kweli, .Paak soulfully croons about his unique upbringing, his intimate relationships, and his pursuit of true happiness. On “Lite Weight”, he says: “There’s no reason to be afraid, no time to be lightweight.” Wise words to live by in today’s socio-political climate.

Coloring Book by Chance The Rapper

Best Songs: “Blessings (Reprise)”, “All We Got”, “No Problem”

Speaking of artists who reached mass appeal this year. Lil Chano from 79th dropped arguably 2016’s strongest project. In 14 impressive tracks, Coloring Book effortlessly weaved through varying sounds and styles, all while staying cohesive to the message expressed. Historically, artists avoid being open about their spirituality, with fear of isolating those who don’t share the same faith. Chance, on the other hand, spoke the gospel with tasteful precision using catchy melodies and witty, relatable songwriting. You don’t have to be a church goer to relate to “milly rockin scooping all the blessings on my lap” as he exclaimed on the 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne-assisted single “No Problem”. Regardless of your beliefs, artists spreading positive energy is always someone to root for.

Blonde by Frank Ocean

Best Songs: “Self Control”, “Nights”, “Solo”

For years I boycotted the dark side of streaming subscriptions, until news broke that Blonde was to be an Apple Music exclusive. Like many others, I had long awaited the follow up to Channel Orange, and Frank did not disappoint. Ever the recluse, he spent the last 4 years traveling the world, experiencing the life to pen about, carrying external hard drives of the album, meticulously building a record one could be proud of. Blonde tells the adventure of a hopeless romantic trying to find love and nirvana in a world gone mad. In “Solo”, he sings “it’s hell on Earth and the city’s on fire; inhale in hell there’s heaven.” Frank’s decision to strip down the production to 2-3 layers and light drum arrangements (some songs have zero drums) helped focus all the attention to his vivid storytelling. Finally free from his deal with Def Jam, it’s sobering to see one of our generation’s best songwriters do things on his own terms.

99.9% by Kaytranada

Best Songs: “Got It Good”, “Glowed Up”, “You’re The One”

After years being one of the biggest names in the Soundcloud producer circuit, Kaytranada finally made his mainstream debut with 99.9%. According to the Montreal native, the album title signified his search for his true identity, that being able to come out of the closet and finish the project was him reaching 99.9% happiness. Kaytra used elements from electronic, funk, and house genres, blending these different flavors flawlessly to create unapologetically black dance music. The guest features were star-studded: UK legend Craig David, fellow upstarts .Paak, Vic Mensa & Goldlink, along with crooners Phonte, AlunaGeorge and Syd among others. With this album, he’s “Glowed Up” to a whole new level. Can you imagine once he finds that other 0.1%?

Too High To Riot by Bas

Best Songs: “Clouds Never Get Old”, “Ricochet”, “Methylone”

Under the Dreamville imprint, it’s not easy to get out of J. Cole’s shadow. But with a body of work as impressive as Too High To Riot, Bas was able to make quite a name for himself. Behind groovy soulful productions, he penned thought provoking words relatable to anyone striving to overcome. A line in the outro “Black Owned Business” resonated with me deeply: “my brother Eeb told me some niggas just wanna be safe, and some niggas just wanna be great. Which one are you? Let’s make some history today.” The message of the album is clear: anyone trying to navigate the matrix, whether as an entrepreneur or up the corporate ladder, can agree that there is only one way to move up. And if you’re too high or jaded to riot for yours, then you will be stuck exactly where you are. Take it from a college dropout and former drug dealer who just did his first world tour.

Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight by Travis Scott

Best Songs: “Goosebumps”, “Lose”, “Through The Late Night”

Travis Scott managed to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump and released what could be his best work to date. The all-star personnel behind the album–headlined by hip-hop legend Mike Dean–did a masterful job of helping solidify the quintessential Travis Scott sound: dark ominous chords, heavily pitch corrected vocals, and grand beat switch ups. You’ll never mistake Travis for a lyrical wordsmith, but he can sure write something that’ll be stuck in your head. Birds is what I like to call beautiful trap music, the perfect soundtrack to getting ready for the function and getting fucked up once you’re there. Did I mention he got verses from Andre 3000, Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar, Young Thug, and The Weeknd all in one album?

We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service by A Tribe Called Quest

Best Songs: “The Space Program”, “Enough!!”, “We The People”

I went through a roller coaster of emotions on my first listen of We Got It From Here. Eternal bliss because it had been 18 years since Tribe had released music together, and it meant that Q-Tip and Phife Dawg had at least reconciled (for reference of the strained relationship watch the “Beats Rhymes & Life” documentary). Sadness because hearing the 5 Foot Assassin rap in posthumous fashion was quite heartbreaking. Nostalgia because having Jarobi back with crew, alongside honorary members Consequence and Busta Rhymes had me reminiscing of the golden era. And lastly relief because the release date was timed perfectly on the heels of an election that left many Americans feeling hopeless. Music is therapeutic like that, and in an unstable time like the one we live in, it’s important to have things put into proper perspective. With this album as their final act, A Tribe Called Quest used guest features from Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Lamar as a passing of the torch, carrying their legacy into the next generation.

The Life of Pablo by Kanye West

Best Songs: “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1”, “Real Friends”, “Ultralight Beam”

Taking time away from designing shoes and starting a family with the queen of reality TV, Kanye finished Pablo after 3 long years. Even with the fumbled Tidal release and fans clamoring how they miss the old Kanye, the album proved that it was still business as usual when it came to creating epic ass, mosh-friendly music for the following Saint Pablo Tour. What he lacked in lyrical prowess of yesteryears, he made up for with the grandest sounds and catchy melodies. With the help of young stars like Metro Boomin, Chance The Rapper, Desiigner, and Sia, elder statesman West was able to mix his staple sample chops with modern production styles. Though he may not be the music trendsetter he once was, he’s riding the right waves to remain a prominent voice in the industry. As a Ye stan, it sucks to see this guy bleach-haired, completely out of touch, hanging out with bigots, but I hope he figures things out.


Stream Moose’s favorite tracks and honorable mentions from 2016 on Apple Music.

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