MTV recently released the bottom five of their top 10 hottest MCs in 2013 and we were compelled to do our own ///
10. The People’s Choice
This vote goes up for discussion from the people/listeners…you fill in the spot.
Extra Lovely Considerations for #10 (keep in mind this is “hottest for 2013” not “best of all time”): Kanye, Gunplay, Riff Raff and a couple others we’re too embarrassed to admit.
9. Joey Bada$$
Originality: ////// 6
Style: //////// 8
Solid artist overall, 90’s purist at heart
Lyrical Skill: //////// 8
Flow: //////// 8
Voice: //////// 8
Beat Selection: //////// 8
Buzz/Fan Base: /////// 7
Set Trends: ///// 5
Material/Work Ethic: ///// 5
Overall – 7.0
8. Danny Brown
Originality: //////// 8
There’s only one Danny Brown
Style: //////// 8
Unorthodox
Lyrical Skill: /////// 7
Flow: /////// 7
Voice: /////// 7
It’s definitely distinct but won’t work on every beat, not very versatile
Beat Selection: //////// 8
Buzz/Fan Base: ////// 6
Set Trends: ////// 6
Material/Work Ethic: /////// 7
2 albums, A bunch of mixtapes and guest appearances
Overall – 7.1
7. Roc Marciano
Originality: /////// 7
Style: //////// 8
Lyrical Skill: //////// 8
He’s nice
Flow: //////// 8
New York raw raps
Voice: ///////// 9
Roc’s voice is very distinct and gritty on tracks
Beat Selection: //////// 8
raw
Buzz/Fan Base: ///// 5
Set Trends: ///// 5
Material/Work Ethic: /////// 7
2 albums, 2 EPs
Overall – 7.2
6. Action Bronson
Originality: /////// 7
Pro-Wrestler
Style: //////// 8
Albania/ Queens, NY MC/Chef-Oakely rockin steez
Lyrical Skill: /////// 8
Flow: //////// 8
Voice: //////// 8
They say Ghostface
Beat Selection: /////// 7
Buzz/Fan Base: /////// 7
Set Trends: ////// 6
Everybody’s got a G-pen or a vaporizer these days, I think Action helped out a little
Material/Work Ethic: //////// 8
4 mixtapes, 2 independent albums
Overall – 7.4
5. Earl Sweatshirt
Originality: /////// 7.5
Style: //////// 8
Lyrical Skill: ///////// 9
Skill relative to age is off the charts
Flow: //////// 8
Voice: /////// 7
slightly monotone
Beat Selection: /////// 7
This could improve with the release of the new album
Buzz/Fan Base: ///////// 9
Everyone was waiting for him to come back and now that he has the buzz for his album is big
Set Trends: ////// 6
Material/Work Ethic: ////// 6
1 album, a bunch of guest spots, considering his age and leave of absence
Overall – 7.5
4. Jay Electronica
Originality: //////// 8
Style: //////// 8
Lyrical Skill: ///////// 9
Flow: //////// 8
Voice: //////// 8
Beat Selection: ///////// 9
Some of Just Blaze’s best
Buzz/Fan Base: //////// 8
Set Trends: ///// 5
The only real trend that’s been set is his fans constantly bugging him to drop his album…
Material/Work Ethic: ////// 6
No album, but I have more than 50 high quality Jay Elec tracks in my itunes.
Overall – 7.5
3. A$AP Rocky
Originality: /////// 8
Style: ///////// 9
Self-directed videos w/ original themes and visuals. Brought fashion to the forefront (could be good and bad), brought Trill to NYC (good and bad again). Regardless, definitely one of the most influential in the past year.
Lyrical Skill: /////// 7
Not a ton of substance, but the flow and delivery is extra solid
Flow: //////// 8
Voice: //////// 8
Beat Selection: /////// 8
Buzz/Fan Base: //////// 8
mixtape, Number 1 album
Set Trends: ///////// 9
Definite trend setter
Material/Work Ethic: /////// 7
Overall – 8.0
2. Kendrick Lamar
Originality: /////// 7
There’s been a few Compton rappers rapping about Compton before him
Style: //////// 8
Lyrical Skill: ///////// 9
Pretty much guaranteed to kill every verse, the story behind the album concept was very creative and skilled writer
Flow: ///////// 9
He’s a natural
Voice: /////// 7
Beat Selection: /////// 8
Buzz/Fan Base: ///////// 9
Number 1 album
Set Trends: //////// 8
Bitch don’t kill my vibe
Material/Work Ethic: /////// 7
Overall – 8.0
1.Lil B The Basedgod
Originality: ////////// 10
Definition of ‘one of a kind’. Lil B was the first one to really use multi-social networks to the fullest to gain a buzz and it worked like no other and he’s still doing it today.
Style: //////// 8
Very versatile, if you really give his tracks a listen he covers several different rhyme/song styles. The vans
Lyrical Skill: ////// 6
Flow: ////// 6
Voice: /////// 7
Beat Selection: /////// 8
He pretty much gave Clams Casino his first shine
Buzz/Fan Base: ///////// 9
Dedicated and Based
Set Trends: ////////// 10
Thank You Basedgod, F@#K My Bitch Basedgod, Protect Lil B, Task Force
Material/Work Ethic: ////////// 10
Endless amounts of mixtapes, based freestyles, free downloads and videos. Oh, he wrote a book too…did any other rapper give a lecture at NYU this year?
Overall – 8.2
Additional Thoughts:
We understand there’s an issue of naming MCs that might lack experience and others that might have a little too much. For Instance, we didn’t talk about Nas, Jay-Z, 50, Eminem, Wayne, Drake…We also didn’t go too far underground and mention cats like Quelles Chris, Underachievers, Flatbush Zombies, SpaceGhost Purp…
In conclusion We feel like there was a lot more to pick from when it was 1996 ///
Kool A.D., Former member of Das Racist, releases a new mixtape entitled 63 (perhaps his level of Based?). The mixtape features A.D. rhyming stream of conscious-type lyrics over some forward thinking hip hop beats for 2013.
Lapalux, experimental/electronic producer from the UK, prepares to release his new album Nostalgic, March 25th on the Brainfeeder label. He’s released some new material including a track off the album. Lapalux’ sound consistently possesses many lush layers of atmosphere and a line of percussion and synths that carries the track to it’s final destination.
Mndsgn, experimental beat producer residing in Los Angeles by way of New Jersey, releases a new EP entitled bed. The EP was available for purchase on a short run of cassettes which quickly sold out. You can now bu the digital version of the EP via his bandcamp.
Sir Froderick, by way of Philadelphia, Boston and most recently, the Pasadena area of Los Angeles. He is one of the top producers forging ahead with sample-based production in today’s brand new musical environment that’s put the producers back in the foreground.
His new LP, entitled “SUBTL WHOADI”, is the first vinyl release from Froderick on the (iN). The artwork made by Sir Froderick himself, was screen-printed individually by hand so that every single record has a unique and different design and colorway, printed by Texas artist Wingknut. The music inside the colorful jackets is somewhere between meditation and taking a vacation to the head-nod Olympics. Every cut on the album brings a different flavor with all of these songs being created with an original mind, some records and an MPC. Instrumental Hip-Hop that teaches history as well as inviting the listeners to move towards the future. And all of that happens inside the headphones.
Khalil Nova (MC from Atlanta, GA) and Gamera (producer from Denver, CO) team up to release a two part EP entitled Astral Kush. The two artists have coined their sound as “spirit wave” which resembles psychedelic trap/hip hop with an experimental feel. Both Khalil and Gamera come from the midnight kids academy music label KC.93 records and radio. Look for more from them in 2013 and download Astral Kush for free.
A mix of Nu-wave, progressive, electronic, experimental, soul and dance music for an Aquarius by Stainless Steele for free download.
01 Big Boi – Higher Res feat Jai Paul and Little Dragon
02 Toro Y Moi – Rose Quartz
03 Solange – Losing You
04 The Mighty Jungle – Mush Song
05 Little Dragon – Sunshine
06 Shlohmo – Later
07 Lion Babe – Treat Me Like Fire
08 Toro Y Moi – So Many Details
09 Jesse Ware – 110%
10 Snakehips – When I Look at You
11 Thundercat – For Love I come (Lapalux flip)
12 Noo-Bap – DE’_OW
13 Frank Ocean – Thinking Bout You (Ryan Hemsworth bootleg)
14 Knxwledge – unfoolish
15 Little Dragon – Forever (live)
Noo-Bap a young experimental/electronic/hip hop producer from Montreal, QC comes with some amazingly lush and melodic vibes. Sample based, jazzy fusion tracks come one after another on his album AILLEURS. Noo-Bap is another strong addition to the PIU PIU beat scene in Montreal that continues to represent the music lovely.
Dual Form is a 53-minute dive into the musical other, a place where freedom of form meets depth of vision, where the old world rhythms meet new world means, and where your labels – wonky, lo-fi, ambient, body music, nerd shit, beat scene, No Wave, pysch, pop – begin to fall apart. Leaving Records is one of Los Angeles’ best, a hand-curated cassette label whose international reach belies its boutique status and DIY style. Its rare editions are snatched up instantly, sent off to the mailboxes of those who know around the globe. Dual Form finds Leaving teaming up for the first time with Stones Throw Records. The partnership was natural: the two labels are both based in the Highland Park neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles and share a similar spirit and an enthusiasm for outsider music and art.
Dual Form could’ve easily been a retrospective of Leaving Records’ “greatest hits,” but that’d be a disingenuous introduction to a label that’s always looking forward. All of the tracks on the album are new, original recordings. If the names gathered here look unfamiliar, it’d be a good time to start studying them.
Lion Babe consists of Jillian Hervey (daughter of Vanessa Williams) on vocals and Lucas Goodman (aka Astro Raw) on production. Check out their tumblr and facebook for more updates.
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