“The Genius Community’s 100 Best Albums of the 2010s”
ALBUM: Chief Keef, Finally Rich (Deluxe)
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: Chief Keef, progenitor to the Chicago Drill music scene, reinvented rap with his 2012 debut album Finally Rich. Full of "Bang Bang" adlibs and rowdy trap classics, it became the basis for modern Hip-Hop and established Keef's status as a heavy inspiration in the genre at seventeen years old. The album begins with one of music's greatest introductions, with avid fan Jordan Gilty ranting about haters, which leads into the iconic hit single "Love Sosa." As the album progresses, Keef continues to release more impressive drill tracks, including the irate "I Don't Like," which was even remixed by Kanye West and included on Cruel Summer. Finally Rich also boasts impressive features from Cozart's contemporaries like Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent, and even French Montana. Finally Rich's influence on modern Hip-Hop is profound, and this timeless album certainly holds its ground for this decade and will continue to inspire next generation rap.

ALBUM: Travis Scott, ASTROWORLD
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: Houston native and Kanye West protégé Travis Scott returned to his roots with the 2018 album ASTROWORLD. Since the release of Rodeo, many of Scott's fans were disappointed with the newer albums of BITTSM and HJ,JH, but Travis took it back to his hometown to release the critically acclaimed and Billboard 200 topping masterpiece ASTROWORLD. Named after an old amusement park in Houston, this roller coaster ride of an album features relaxed songs like "ASTROTHUNDER," lyrical tracks like "HOUSTONFORNICATION," as well as raging anthems such as "NO BYSTANDERS" and the chart topping single "SICKO MODE." Scott's third solo album was an incredibly important moment for him, as the record details his new relationship with Kylie Jenner and his transition into fatherhood. ASTROWORLD can be viewed in two different lights: a return to Scott's old self or the reinvention of an artist, but above all, it's just an amazing album.

ALBUM: Young Thug, Barter 6
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: Young Thug's debut commercial mixtape Barter 6 is an essential trap album and cheat sheet for the new school of Hip-Hop. The title comes from Thugger's idol, Lil Wayne, as Jeffery felt that he was continuing Wayne's legacy with his Tha Carter series. As far as album content goes, Thugger has perfected his craft since I Came From Nothing and 1017 Thug, and features his mentors, trap icons, and solo cuts. Some of Thugger's most prominent works over his career, like "Halftime" and "Numbers", are all featured on this masterpiece album. Chief among Thugger's works, however, is easily "Check". This ad-lib filled track about making money quickly became an Atlanta anthem and even charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Barter 6 still holds its ground as one of the greatest trap albums of all time, and Thugger's heavy inspiration on recent rap freshman only proves how inspiring this album is.

“The Genius Community's 50 Best Albums & 50 Best Songs of 2019”
ALBUM: So Much Fun
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: Easily the best trap album to come out of this year, So Much Fun sees Young Thug at his prime, perfecting unique flows and reestablishing his status as godfather of the booming Atlanta music scene. Thugger shows massive improvement in his versatility as an artist, a seemingly impossible feat coming from a founder of Country-Rap and one of the most influential artists of all time. Thug's solo records on So Much Fun are the epitome of his evolution, and the artists which he features reaffirm his hold on the industry, as artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Gunna, Juice WRLD, Lil Baby, and Lil Keed have all been taught by Thug, signed to his YSL label, or cited him as having an impact in their sound. Song for song and flow for flow, So Much Fun is a defining album of 2019, and with Thug's stronghold on the rap game, it is sure to constantly inspire the new generation of rap and force his competitors to step up their music.

ALBUM: The Plugs I Met
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: Inspired by a line on November 2018's "Broken Bottles"---"I heard they sick about me rapping ‘bout the drugs I stretch / I’ma write a whole album ‘bout the plugs I met"---Benny the Butcher's 8th project, aptly titled The Plugs I Met, sees him at his lyrical best. Assembling an all-star feature list, including OGs in hip-hop like Black Thought of The Roots and Jadakiss as well as the most consistent lyricists in 2019 such as Pusha T, Benny and his collaborators flows over smooth instrumentals and spit some of the best raps in recent years. The Plugs I Met is a standout album for this year, and Benny's ability to meld his stories of selling drugs with fine raps solidifies it's high placement for the end of 2019.


SONG: RICKY
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: Denzel Curry's "RICKY" is an absolutely essential single of 2019. This track discusses his hometown in Carol City, Florida, as well as his basic family values and life lessons, such as loyalty and respect---advice given to him by his siblings and mother, but especially his father, the namesake of the single. Denzel's ability to deepen his voice and alternate flows from the pre-chorus to the verses is mesmerizing as he shifts the focus of the song to his influences and come up with SpaceGhostPurrp's Raider Klan. On "RICKY", Denzel Curry breaks free from his underrated, underground self and legitimizes himself as one of the most talented rappers in the new school.

SONG: "Babushka Boi"
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: A$AP Rocky channeled his inner Tony Montana in "Babushka Boi"---an ode to the blemish on his right cheek---for one of the greatest songs of 2019. Named after his personal fashion movement which spawned countless memes and innumerable questions, Rocky remained traditional with stellar flows and flashy lyrics. Rocky uses the themes of the 1983 film Scarface, being drugs, money, and violence to boast about his wild lifestyle, unpredictable tendencies, and high-class status. Releasing shortly after Rocky was arrested and found guilty of assault charges in Sweden, the #FreeRocky movement, which attracted the likes of Travis Scott and President Donald Trump alike, came together at the release of "Babushka Boi", easily one of Rocky's greatest singles in recent years. At the time when Rocky's legal status was clouded and troublesome, the new release became to beacon for fans and a classic song days upon release.


SONG: Bandit
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: From the beginning of "Bandit", the late Chicago rapper Juice WRLD warned his fans that this song would be like nothing they have ever heard before---"It's funny, the shit I put on this song ain't gon' sound nothin' like the shit we was just doin'". Accompanied by rising star YoungBoy Never Broke Again for a song about stealing hearts, taking medication, and shooting firearms, WRLD steps out of his more cloud and emo rap singles like December 2017's "All Girls Are the Same" and February 2019's "Robbery" for the trap themed collaboration. Juice especially raps on of his most impressive verses ever and holds admirable flow along the song in a manner which he never fully explored during his career in the music industry. R.I.P. Juice WRLD, you were an inspiration to many and will be missed.


SONG: Crown For Kings
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: Although many have claimed to be the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T) or the leader of hip-hop, "Crown For Kings" leaves little debate as to who sits on the throne of the rap game. BENNY THE BUTCHER, accompanied by the legendary lyricist Black Thought of The Roots, demands his crown and the respect as royalty which he rightfully deserves after this incredible, jaw-dropping rhapsodic track. The braggadocios lyrics, beautiful instrumental sample of Al Green's October 1972 Al Green track "Look What You Done for Me," and consistent bars by some of rap's finest all make for one of the best, and most lyrical, tracks of the year. BENNY and Thought have a bold stake to claim, but with the sheer magnificence of "Crown For Kings," it is safe to say that they deserve their spot in the Hall of Fame.


SONG: Sanguine Paradise
AUTHOR: @UnderstandingRap
WRITE-UP: Lil Uzi Vert returned to his devoted fans with "Sanguine Paradise"---the holy grail of Uzi's casual routine and wild career. Dedicated to his fast cars, loud firearms, exclusive fashion sense, and an infatuation with one lucky girl, Woods' return to music following the removal of March 2019's "Free Uzi" from streaming services and the fan's distress and lack of hope with the ever-delayed Eternal Atake makes the single all the more glamorous. Although the remainder of 2019 was quiet for Philly's most fashionable star, hopefully 2020 will have a better horizon and a handful of more releases.

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