1. Chance the Rapper – Acid Rap
This guy doesn’t sound like anyone else rapping right now. The first few times I heard him I wasn’t that impressed, but then “Favorite Song” got stuck in my head and a few days later I put on “Lost” in my car and I was convinced. Chance makes weird, inspirational music that touches on everything from smoking cigarettes to his relationship with God. One of the most interesting and entertaining things about this mixtape is listening to the all of the different ways Chance stretches his voice over and around beats. On “Interlude (That’s Love)”, he effortlessly spills out poetry before shifting into a sincere croon. He spontaneously starts drawing out his vowels mid-verse on “Acid Rain” and on “Juice” he screams ad-libs all over an off-kilter flow. Like Kanye or Kendrick, Chance pours emotion into his music and the result is impressive. (Download)
2. Big K.R.I.T – King Remembered In Time
Big K.R.I.T. is one of the most consistently good rappers putting work in. Since 2010 he has released three outstanding mixtapes that have each been legitimate candidates for mixtape of the year. When you also consider his underrated album and this most recent project, you would be hard pressed to find another rapper with a comparable catalogue over the past four years. One of the criticisms I’ve read about K.R.I.T. is that while he’s an outstanding producer, he’s average as a rapper. Hopefully, King Remembered In Time can dispel that sentiment. On “Talking Bout Nothing”, he targets rappers who spit ignorance by making one of the most brilliantly ignorant bangers I’ve ever heard. It’s like he’s saying, “You think you’re good at rapping about women, cars, and money? I’ll show you how to rap about women, cars, and money?”. On “Banana Clip Theory” he raps about violence and what it means to be a man with a pair of vivid stories. At least critics usually get one thing right: Big K.R.I.T. is an amazing producer. Whether he’s flipping a James Blake sample, crafting Organized Noize reminiscent country-fried masterpieces, or putting together confessional beats that are low on percussion and heavy on lush strings and horns, K.R.I.T. is able to conjure up his own sonic universe on every project he releases. (Download)
3. Gee Watts – Watts Up
This mixtape’s initial draw is that it features a Kendrick Lamar verse. Once you move away from that track though, you’ll discover an impressive project with a West Coast influence. Too often, talented rappers with a lot of potential will fall back on their ability to simply rap for the sound of it. It takes more than a great flow and the ability to effortless rhyme to make good rap songs, as cheesy as it sounds you need to have a message to really make an impact. Gee Watts understands this, and that’s the biggest strength of Watts Up. He raps about gender politics, childhood, violence, crime and religion by taking us through personal experiences. (Download)