Again, no particular order and we based our choices on buzz and not that much radio play (except WTT), records sales had no influence on our choices either. There was a lot of great albums and it was a great year for Hip Hop on the charts and record sales. Looking forward to another solid year in 2012!
The Dreamer/The Believer
Drake didn’t make the top 5 and had nothing to do with Common blasting him on Sweet, The Dreamer/The Believer was a true Hip Hop album and proves Common still loves and respects the culture. BUY THE ALBUM
Watch The Throne
No doubt this is on everyone’s top albums and clearly dominated album sales along with radio spins. Not to mention a sell out tour. But Kanye and Jay-Z had fun with this album and made quality music that proved Hip Hop has no age limit and solidify their place in music History. BUY THE ALBUM
Cole World: The Sideline Story
Produced all his track and Jay-Z only gave him a verse, at first it seemed J.Cole was going to be a bust but he beat the odds and put up solid sales numbers. Aside from album sales, J.Cole was a unique rapper in 2011, staying away from flashiness and smoking weed, Mr. Cole World spoke about the struggles in the game and real life problems. BUY THE ALBUM
Kendrick Lamar - Section 80
Kendrick beat up Big Sean and Wiz to make the cut, they had great albums but their mixtapes were stronger and had more radio joints. Kendrick meanwhile brought the West Coast back to the top and no radio push on his critically acclaimed Section 80 album. Expect big things from Kendrick in 2012. BUY THE ALBUM
Saigon - Greatest Story Never Told
Saigon set the bar high with one the first Hip Hop albums of the year that feature great lyrics and solid production. An album that has to be everyone’s top list, that’s if you understand this Hip Hop culture. #NoShots