Two days into 2015, there’s a year’s worth of music to indulge. Focusing on the artists likely to deliver quality product, Hip-Hop Wired lists the 20 most anticipated albums of the year.
Names like Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Kanye West appear on the list alongside a bevy of other rappers looking to cement album of the year status in December. Hit the jump to see where your favorite rap artists (and maybe others) rank on this list.
Leave your thoughts in the comments.
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Photo: Saturday Night Live/NBC
20. Raekwon
Album Title: Fly International Luxurious Art
Much of Raekwon’s 2014 output was comprised of freebie tracks, Throwback Thursday releases, freestyles, and guest appearances. Now it’s time for that album that you promised us, OG.
19. Earl Sweatshirt
Album Title: N/A
Sweatshirt revealed to fans that the bulk of his sophomore album has been done for some time. Let’s hope we see the project release this year; especially when the West Coast rapper is dropping gems like this.
18. Joey Bada$$
Album Title: B4.DA.$$
Early leaks like “Curry Chicken,” “No. 99,” and more infer that Bada$$’ debut his hold heaters.
17. Lupe Fiasco
Album Title: Tetsuo & Youth
Sweatshirt revealed to fans that the bulk of his sophomore album has been done for some time. Let’s hope we see the project release this year; especially when the West Coast rapper is dropping gems like this.
16. Travi$ Scott
Album Title: N/A
The release of Days Before Rodeo, a project that ended up on a bevy of year-end (including ours), solidified Scott in the eyes of many rap fans. It’ll be interesting to see how he follows up.
15. Big Sean
Album Title: N/A
Big Sean Don left the booth stinking and radios blazing with his angst-filled, club knocking hit “IDFWU.” But let’s not forget the poetics he waxed on tracks like “Paradise,” “4th Quarter,” and “1st Quarter.” Enough said.
14. Action Bronson
Album Title: Mr. Wonderful
The unmitigated charisma Bronsolino possesses both on and off records makes his major label debut one of the most anticipated of this year.
13. Chance The Rapper and The Social Experiment
Album Title: Surf
The most heralded freshman rap has seen in some time promises to release a few projects masterminded by himself and band The Social Experiment.
12. A$AP Rocky
Album Title: N/A
Disclaimer: We are not the same if “Pretty Flacko 2” doesn’t make you excited for what the Harlem rapper has to come in the new year.
11. Meek Mill
Album Title: Dreams Worth More Than Money
A skid bid behind bars for a parole violation derailed what was potentially a career year for Meek. Fortunately, the MMG rapper’s Instagram and an extended stay in his native Philadelphia (per a court order) infers that he’s frequented the studio. Heat to come?
10. Young Thug/Rich Gang
Album Title: N/A
Yes Thug can be polarizing, but he effectively impacted the charts and the streets in 2014. As one half of Rich Gang along with fellow ATLien Rich Homie Quan, an album from the “Stoner” rapper would draw ears if he were flying solo or a part of the group dynamic.
9. Wale
Album Title: The Album About Nothing
A stellar promo campaign assisted by legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld piqued interest for Wale’s upcoming LP. But his Festivus mixtape, the first body of work indicating where he’s at artistically, says the Washington D.C. wordsmith may come with his best project yet.
8. Tyler, The Creator
Album Title: N/A
Wolf was an underrated album and deserved to sit high on 2013 album of the year list, in my opinion. And considering that he’s Odd Future’s most creative member alongside Frank Ocean (who knows if he’s technically OF anymore), it’ll interesting to see how he expounds on the topics he discussed in his FADER cover story.
7. Jay Z
Album Title: N/A
With much of rap’s elite slated to debut new projects in 2015, how much do you want to bet that Jigga Man will throw his name into the conversation with his own batch of new work.
6. Lil Wayne
Album Title: Tha Carter V
The saddest part of Lil Wayne’s label strife with Cash Money Records is that the fifth installment of Tha Carter album series.
5. Nas
Album Title: N/A
Coming off a year of exalting Illmatic, it’s about that time for Nas to deliver that album he’s been discussing since releasing Life Is Good.
4. Frank Ocean
Album Title: N/A
As recluse an artist as there is, fans have anxiously anticipated new material from the singer-songwriter responsible for channel ORANGE. Ocean was recently spotted in the studio with Lil B, too, if that counts for anything.
3. Kanye West
Album Title: N/A
“All Day” is already lauded and a borderline mythological track, and an audible version has yet to release. Then comes the Paul McCartney-assisted “Only One,” in which West delivers thoughtful testimony of fatherhood. Needless to say that it sounds like the legendary producer/rapper has reinvented himself once again.
2. Drake
Album Title: Views From The 6
Blazing the trails in 2014 without an album, Drizzy is set to return with his fourth studio album. Like him or not, the Toronto rapper is likely the best hit maker rap music has ever seen. That ability, paired with his penchant for delivering emotionally candid records all but promises that his next opus will be a gem.
1. Kendrick Lamar
Album Title: N/A
Much like his friend J. Cole, it’s clear that King Kendrick in on a different plane mentally than most of his rap peers. His comeback single “i” wasn’t a darling on the charts, but it foreshadowed a message that’s seldom heard in mainstream rap.
But “Untitled,” a track Lamar performed live on The Colbert Report, unequivocally displayed how much he’s developed as a songwriter. That’s a scary sight, considering what he displayed on his critically acclaimed debut good kid, m.A.A.d city.
