Ready for new music in 2016? Not so fast, my friend. There are some very important albums in hip-hop during the last year that you probably missed. Before you say goodbye to 2015, make sure you check out this essential list of the albums you slept on.
Alex Faith and Dre Murray - Southern Lights: Overexposed
Alex Faith and Dre Murray of Collision Records are well-known in the Christian hip-hop circles. Although some may disagree,
Southern Lights: Overexposed was definitely an underrated gem because there were was not a lingering buzz around this album. I will boldly proclaim that this team up of two powerhouse solo artists was one of the best albums of 2015.
You should pay attention to this album because these two brothers have the pulse of the South and they put together a complete album. And it's for that reason they are
nominated for The Hype Award in this year's WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS or Best Urban/Rap Album of the Year. Their artistry is evident all over the album, and even off of it; they even released a long form music video where each song from the album served as a soundtrack for the film.
Jarry Manna - Ugly Album
Jarry released the free
Ugly Album in July of 2015 after releasing an EP in January. So his grind mode is top notch. People may have slept on this album because it was not heavily promoted outside of one Christian hip-hop site, really. When an album is free, some may not believe that it is of great quality, but this album bangs. A few people compare his flow to Chance the Rapper, but
Ugly Album is such a unique blend of humor, funny relationship issues and an ill flow. Watch out for Jarry Manna!
Alex Faith - Bloodlines
He's already mentioned on this list with his duo, but Alex Faith's latest solo project has to be included, too. The truth is, Alex Faith dares to go where many are scared to go. On
Bloodlines, he continues to challenge the status quo as he deals with difficult racial issues and even the death of his son. I believe that this album was not promoted enough and it deserves to receive another push in 2016. Pay attention to
Bloodlines and be educated while having some tracks to simply "turn up" to.
Kaleb Mitchell - Soliloquy
The free album by this 17-year-old artist blindsided me in a good way.
Soliloquy showcases the production skills and rapping of someone who sounds as if he's been recording for years. Some people may have been turned away by the album cover or the fact that it was a free album, but pay attention to this young cat because he has a lot to say with MAJOR talent. His production, rapping, etc. will only get better and that makes him very scary (a good scary)!
Theory Hazit - Fall of the Light Bearer
Many wondered what happened with Theory and why he was no longer with Humble Beast Records. In this project, he touched on some of that story, as well as some mistakes he made that caused some heartache. People slept on this record because they did not know what to do with an album that does not fit into the cookie-cutter expectations many people have for Christian hip-hop. Others simply may not have agreed with his content. Pay attention to the boom bip, Theory's agony, and his repentance.
Any albums missing from this list? Which hip-hop album do you think was the most underrated in 2015?
