PopMatters Best Hip-Hop of 2011

Honorable Mention: Tyler, the Creator Goblin

As the leader of controversial teenage rap collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, who’ve spent the past 18 months as darlings of the alt-hip-hop world, Tyler, the Creator’s first major label release Goblin was as much anticipated by his detractors as his fans. Not since Eminem exploded into the mainstream’s consciousness a decade ago has a rapper been so wildly derided for his wicked lyrics and perceived prejudices. “I’m not a fuckin’ role model,” he declares on Goblin‘s title track, but Tyler’s profile has been on a steep rise. He spent the first half of 2011 unexpectedly gracing mainstream magazine covers, filling column inches and performing to larger audiences. All of a sudden it seemed like more than just a handful of bloggers were listening. Shit got real.

But Goblin is not The Marshall Mathers LP. There’s nothing ready-made for radio or regular MTV rotation like “The Real Slim Shady” or “Stan”, two unmissable pop culture phenoms that infiltrated the consciousness of even the most closed-eared American. Instead, Tyler has produced a long, ambitious, and testing record, giving a three-dimensional deconstruction of his own bitter, self-loathing, and delicate psyche. As with his first album Bastard, Goblin plays like an elongated therapy session between Tyler and his therapist (known as Dr. TC, also played by Tyler via voice altering software) and in this environment he’s becoming increasingly candid in his lyricism. The pressures of fame and hype surface, as well his bemusement at controversies he’s stirred (“You fucking critics are making my nerves hurt / Since I’m saying fuck everybody I guess that I’m a fucking pervert,” he declares on “Window”).

Of course, Tyler being Tyler, there’s a certain shock value attached to some of his lyrics, but, for the most part, they can offer some insight into his thought process. Tyler’s demons are laid bare as he reveals his awkwardness with girls, as well as in the tears shed over his absent father. Indeed, it’s away from the yells of “kill people burn shit fuck school!” we’re allowed into the mind of this talented, intelligent 20-year-old, punctuated by the fact that Tyler takes on most of the production duties himself and his musicianship continues to grow as he fills his arrangements with eerie synths, reverberating bass thumps, and jazzy piano chords. Dean Van Nguyen

10: Action Bronson Dr. Lecter

Action Bronson must rap about food more than any MC in the history of the game. The burly Queens-based, ethnically Albanian rapper does love his grub, working as a chef when not rhyming; both worlds frequently collide, like when he put out a mixtape in 2010 titled Bon Appetit….Bitch!!!!!. That his attention usually turns to food, often describing his own favourites in delicious detail, is a fascinating quirk that’s stamped all over Bronsonelli’s work, even if he sometimes struggles with the obsession. For instance, his candid description of his unhappiness with his weight and lack of discipline when controlling his food intake on “Ronnie Coleman” is intriguing: “If I had a little motivation, money and a hot body / I see it now, Bronson the heartthrobby,” he sighs, yearning for a picture perfect physique in a way that few rappers have ever discussed on a record. But despite drawing unusual influences, Dr. Lecter is not a gimmicky album. In fact, it blusters along with an authentic New York City corner vibe, largely thanks to its production, supplied solely by Tommy Mas. The long-time Bronson affiliate provides a rag tag selection of knuckleduster beats, built unsteadily on soul samples, horn stabs, double bass riffs, and gorgeous snares that play to the MC’s strengths. Bronson’s style is often compared to that of Ghostface Killah, which is apt, as his sharp tongue and energetic flow whizzes through the 15 lively tracks like an unstoppable force. Dean Van Nguyen

01: Big K.R.I.T. Return of 4eva

Despite the hype surrounding Big K.R.I.T. since he emerged on the mixtape circuit a few years ago, some are of the opinion that he isn’t actually that great of a rapper. Such has been the enthusiasm for the Mississippi native’s skills as a producer and songwriter that many have been compelled to talk down his abilities on the mic. Contrary to this belief, K.R.I.T. is actually a wonderful MC. His laid-back southern drawl is warm and comforting. He wraps his voice around his words with real elegance, letting his rhymes flow smoothly. And he can chant his own hooks, to neck-snappingly good effect. While his other talents have thus far threatened to elbow his merits as an MC out of sight, everything comes together brilliantly on Return of 4eva, K.R.I.T.‘s love letter to the rap game and southern hip-hop culture.

Over 21 brilliantly constructed songs, K.R.I.T. tips his hat to southern rap’s greats and illustrates the impact they’ve had on his life. Writing and producing every track, the 25-year-old channels the spirit of maestros like Organized Noize, Pimp C, and Three 6 Mafia in a way that recalls their mid-‘90s output. But far from just exploiting their legacy (à la Game, whose love of West Coast greats sometimes veers dangerously close to misrepresentation rather than straight homage) the record feels like a celebration of their legend. K.R.I.T. wants to his listeners to understand their importance by taking them back in time to when Southern pavements crumbled under the weight of Scarface’s bombastic beats blasting from old school Chevys. And with his snappy snares, well-chosen soul samples, and infectious hooks, he knows what made their music so great. On “Rotation”, for example, you can almost feel the steering wheel in your hand.

But away from his technical merits behind the mixing desk, K.R.I.T. is actually the perfect guide to the south because he helms the album with the humility of a kid who once had his hands and face pressed up to the candy shop window and is now right in front of the counter. He begins the gorgeously soulful “Dreamin’” by acknowledging his heroes influence before later outlining some of the hurdles he’s overcome in his fledgling career. “I ain’t rappin’ about dope nor did I sell it / I guess the story of a country boy just ain’t compelling,” he says, bemoaning today’s image-conscious industry. And while there are some surprises (“Get Right” is a cool ride through Los Angeles’ palm tree paradise, while song-of-the-year contender “Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed and Encouraging Racism” sees K.R.I.T. in character as he bemoans the lack of opportunities for the poor and undereducated), they don’t detract from this being a fully cohesive work, but instead highlight that Big K.R.I.T. is far from a one-trick artist. On the contrary, he’s got all the attributes to emulate the southern greats he looks up to so earnestly. Dean Van Nguyen

Full list is here: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/152139-the-best-hip-hop-of-2011/