My Top 150 Albums of the 2010s
During the 2010s, I finished up high school, graduated from college, drove across the United States twice, started working full-time, and got engaged to the love of my life. I made friends, lost friends, and learned how to love myself better. I embarked on a faith journey that has left me with more questions than answers. And these are 150 of the albums released in this decade that have been part of my soundtrack along the way.
To compile this list, I scoured my iTunes library and settled on 150 albums (and mixtapes) released in the past 10 years that I enjoyed musically, changed the way I see music, that I have significant memories attached to, or that I look back on fondly. After compiling this list, I ranked the albums in sections of 25 based on my personal connection to them until I completed all 150.
Disclaimer: these are my personal favorites — not a “best of” list.
Listen to selections from this list on Apple Music and Spotify.
150.
Raury: Indigo Child (2014)
I remember seeing Raury at a Miguel show in Atlanta in summer 2015. As I was leaving the show, I saw a dude walk by who looked eerily like Raury and he was wearing what looked like the signature “Raury hat.” Not knowing if it was him, I decided not to say anything. But I should’ve. It was him.
Listen: Datpiff
149.
Chiddy Bang: Peanut Butter and Swelly (2011)
In 2011, I remember hearing that Chiddy broke the Guinness World Record for “Longest Rap Freestyle” with a rap that lasted 9 hours, 16 minutes, and 22 seconds. I thought that was the dopest thing. I also thought their I Can’t Stop Freestyle was pretty dope too.
Listen: Bandcamp
148.
Ed Sheeran: + (2011)
Other than The A Team playing every time I get in my car, I actually like Ed Sheeran’s debut album a lot. With bops like Wake Me Up and Kiss Me, this is a go-to album for me whenever I’m in the mood to sing my lungs out in the shower. My British accent is pretty trash, though.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
147.
Drake: Thank Me Later (2010)
Drake, arguably one of the top three artists of the decade, kicked off the 2010s with his debut album Thank Me Later. And in doing so, he changed hip-hop forever. One second he’s hitting you with the most quotable punchline, and the next second he’s dropping a harmony that will permanently put you in your feelings.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
146.
Kesha: Cannibal (2010)
This album takes me back to doing dumb stuff with my friends in high school. And let’s not forget Kesha got THE André 3000 — yes, from THAT Outkast — to drop a verse on the remix of Sleazy. She’s a real one, no doubt. Also, it’s worth saying The Harold Song is arguably one of the saddest songs of all-time.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
145.
Childish Gambino: “Awaken, My Love!” (2016)
This album’s sound definitely came as a surprise to me, but it was warmly welcomed — minus California (we could’ve done without that song). 2016 felt like a renaissance year for Donald Glover, especially with the release of Atlanta. It was fun to see him flex his creativity on this project.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
144.
Big K.R.I.T.: K.R.I.T. Wuz Here (2010)
I remember coming across this mixtape right as I was starting to get into Adele. Big K.R.I.T. samples her song Hometown Glory on his reflective track, Hometown Hero. He also started the song with a sample from Friday Night Lights’ Boobie Miles, which I absolutely loved.
Listen: Datpiff
143.
Snoop Dogg: BUSH (2015)
This album makes my list for Stevie Wonder’s vocal run at 2:51 on the intro track alone. There are also features from Charlie Wilson and Kendrick Lamar that help make this Pharrell-produced project a really easy listen. Shoutout to Uncle Snoop for continuing to stay creative even as the game evolves.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
142.
Earl Sweatshirt: Doris (2013)
This album was an indication that the Earl Sweatshirt I knew from the “Free Earl” Odd Future days was cut from a different cloth than the rest of the OFWGKTA crew. But you could still tell it was a transitional point as there were still features from Frank, Tyler, and Domo. Whoa still goes super hard.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
141.
Eminem: Recovery (2010)
Every fall, my Facebook Memories remind me that this album was the soundtrack to my 2010 junior year high school football season. It was the first year my high school was getting a football team, and it was the first time I’d be back playing since middle school. This album marked a comeback for Eminem too, hence why it resonated for an arrogant 16-year-old.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
140.
The Brilliance: All Is Not Lost (2017)
A few months after Donald Trump was elected president, The Brilliance released this album to help bring hope to a hurting nation. This project met me in my pain and questioning and called me to see the child of God in others, even as an administration took office that devalued marginalized groups.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
139.
Brasstracks: Good Love (2016)
Technically, this is an EP. But it’s the length of most albums that come out nowadays, so we’ll let it pass. Honestly, the first two tracks of this project — both instrumental only — were two of the best songs I heard in 2016. It’s so easy to imagine Chance rapping over them.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
138.
Odd Future: Radical (2010)
After I was introduced to Odd Future through Tyler, The Creator, I found this mixtape on Datpiff and was immediately thrown into a world of angst and outlandishness. It’s funny looking back in retrospect that this project’s intro is set at a carnival and now Tyler hosts an annual carnival, Camp Flog Gnaw, with some of the biggest acts in music. Growth.
Listen: Datpiff
137.
Jaden Smith: SYRE (2017)
I wasn’t expecting Jaden Smith to come so hard on his debut studio album. Not only did he break the internet with Icon, he tapped Lido to deliver one of the coolest intros to an album I’ve ever heard with the tracks B, L, U, and E. Ninety, also produced by Lido, is another beautiful track. I’m still out here yelling, DON’T SLEEP ON JADEN.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
136.
John Mark McMillan: Mercury & Lightning (2017)
This is another album that came on the heels of Donald Trump’s election as president of the United States and put words to the turmoil I felt. This project also meant a lot to me because it was a prominent Christian musician sharing candidly about deconstructing his faith.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
135.
Kings Kaleidoscope: The Beauty Between (2017)
I used to listen to Kings Kaleidoscope’s renditions of famous hymns and loved the spin they put on them but didn’t listen to them too much after… well, until they released this album. It came not too long after the 2016 presidential election when I was desperate for thoughtful expressions of faith.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
134.
Kehlani: You Should Be Here (2015)
Kehlani’s voice is fantastic. But more than anything, this project makes me want to be friends with her. She just seems so cool. You can also tell she wants to be more than a singer — she wants to be an inspiration. For proof, look no further than Bright.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
133.
Justin Bieber: Believe (2012)
This album marks the end of Justin Bieber’s childhood for me. It also features what I believe to be one of Drake’s greatest verses on Right Here. And who can forget Fall? A love song for the ages. “Did you know you’re an angel who forgot how to fly? Did you know that it breaks my heart every time to see you cry?” 😭😭😭
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
132.
Drake: More Life (2017)
Technically a playlist (whatever that means), More Life is reggae Drake’s zenith. You can’t help but laugh at some of the lines (“If it’s a chit chat ting, better talk nice”), but it’s also full of plenty iconic moments, including that famous flute on Portland and the transition from 4422 into Gyalchester.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
131.
Rick Ross: Teflon Don (2010)
This album has SO MANY moments. But the main one for me is that Jay-Z verse (“B*tch, I said was amazing, not that I’m a Mason / It’s amazing that I made it through the maze that I was in / Lord, forgive me, I never would’ve made it without sin”) and those John Legend vocals on Free Mason.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
130.
Tyler, The Creator: Goblin (2011)
I’m always amazed listening back to Tyler, The Creator’s earlier music because, through all the bizarre and even problematic lyrics, you can hear moments in his writing and production that better reflect who he currently is. Songs like She and Tron Cat stand out to me. And then obviously Yonkers.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
129.
Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid (2010)
I didn’t know much about Janelle Monáe prior to this album. If I’m remembering correctly, Tightrope (featuring Big Boi) was my first taste of Monáe’s music. I remember the high-energy music video for the song where she was dressed in a tuxedo and bow tie. So, so cool.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
128.
Drake: Scorpion (2018)
A little after midnight on June 29, 2018, I began listening to Scorpion, Drake’s much-anticipated marathon of an album. Millions also listened, many of us arriving uninvited to listening parties on Twitter feeds. The conversation throughout this album cycle was Internet gold.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
127.
Ta-ku: Songs To Make Up To (2015)
Whether it’s through his music or photography, Ta-ku’s creativity always shines through. Especially on this project, which has sometimes been study music for me and, at other times, sleep music. Love Again (featuring JMSN & Sango) and Down For You (featuring Alina Baraz) are both pure gold.
Listen: Apple Music| Spotify
126.
Lido: Everything (2016)
At some point in college, JT showed me Lido’s remix of Kirk Franklin’s Melodies From Heaven, and I couldn’t believe this Norwegian dude had the wild gospel chops. From that point on, I couldn’t help but follow his career, which led me to his much-anticipated album, Everything. It delivered.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
125.
The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence (2011)
I remember my first time hearing The Weeknd’s cover of Michael Jackson’s Dirty Diana. Those drums nearly took my heart out of my body. Presented as part of Trilogy, a trifecta of The Weeknd’s mixtapes, this collection of songs definitely stands out.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
124.
Childish Gambino: Camp (2011)
I remember there was this weird Drake vs. Childish Gambino debate around the time this album dropped because both artists rapped, sang, and acted. It’s funny in retrospect because I feel like they are both looked at very differently in culture now but both beloved in their own ways.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
123.
Big Sean: Finally Famous Vol. 3 (2010)
This is one of those goldmines from the mixtape era. Some of Big Sean’s best work. There are songs I distinctly remember falling in love with upon listening to them: What U Doin. Too Fake (featuring Chiddy Bang). Fat Raps Remix. Sean was in his bag on this one.
Listen: Datpiff
122.
SZA: Z (2014)
Before this EP, I only knew SZA as “that girl signed to Kendrick’s label.” Then, I heard SZA and Chance the Rapper float over XXYYXX’s About You and knew she wasn’t playing around. Her tracks Julia and Babylon (featuring Kendrick Lamar) were also super special.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
121.
Daft Punk: Random Access Memories (2013)
Oak House used to host these alcohol-free dance parties. Every now and then if you could gain control of the Spotify queue, you could play that obscure dance track no one had heard yet. One night, Hal played Doin’ It Right and changed everything.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
120.
Wale: Ambition (2011)
While I’m still confused about how Wale ended up as a member of Maybach Music Group, his MMG debut delivered a number of hits and iconic lines, including Meek Mill’s fire opening line on Ambition, “Uh, only hope I had was selling dope / Was on my grind cause times was harder than a cellar floor.”
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
119.
Cautious Clay: Blood Type (2018)
I think I was randomly watching last year’s Soul Train Awards on BET when I heard, “Next up: Cautious Clay!” I immediately became filled with pride as I knew my mom and sister, who I was watching the awards with, had no idea who he was. I felt like my friend had made it.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
118.
¿Téo?: ¿Téo? (2018)
Carter put me onto this ¿Téo? project. I had never heard of ¿Téo?, but I soon learned he was connected with Jaden Smith. Matter of fact, Jaden and Lido are the only features on this project. That’s an easy way for me to be intrigued by a collection of music. And this album did indeed impress.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
117.
Leon Bridges: Good Thing (2018)
My roommate is a big Leon Bridges fan. His dog Hamilton (named after the Broadway musical) howls every time Leon Bridges starts playing. This album, in some way, is symbolic of my move from Colorado to Ohio. It marks a new chapter—a new beginning—for me.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
116.
CHVRCHES: The Bones Of What You Believe (2013)
This album takes me back to sophomore year of college. It dropped a few months before I met Elizabeth. I’d bump this project with Taylor and a few of the Oak House guys. It was the first album of its kind I really loved.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
115.
Migos: Culture (2017)
Migos really captivated culture with Bad and Boujee. That song was EVERYWHERE. You had Donald Glover at the Golden Globes shouting out Migos from the podium and thanking them for making Bad and Boujee. They even had a cameo in Glover’s show, Atlanta. Where were you when Migos shocked the world?
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
114.
GoldLink: Diaspora (2019)
I recently heard GoldLink on a podcast talking about how Pusha T dropped the hottest rap verse of 2019 on Cokewhite. It’s hard to disagree. I also love that U Say track. Back in September, I had to convince a few coworkers who were going to Tyler’s IGOR Tour that GoldLink was worth going early for.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
113.
The Weeknd: House of Balloons (2011)
I remember, my freshman year of college, JT, Taylor & I put this album on while Matt was sleeping and we couldn’t stop laughing about what kind of dreams he was going to have while unconsciously listening to The Weeknd.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
112.
Lady Gaga: Joanne (2016)
As I look at this album in retrospect, there’s a direct line for me between Joanne and Lady Gaga’s role in A Star is Born. She even said herself, in a Beats 1 Radio interview with Zane Lowe, that she couldn’t have carried out her role in the movie how she did without making Joanne.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
111.
THE CARTERS: EVERYTHING IS LOVE (2018)
“I can’t believe we made it.” That line meant more to me in 2018 than I feel comfortable sharing here. I remember coming back from WyldLife camp when this album dropped by surprise. I had to wait until we got out of the mountains and had cell service to finally play it.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
110.
Daniel Caesar: CASE STUDY 01 (2019)
This album reminds me of slow weekends and nighttime drives. It holds space for me to lose myself in the music and also process my thoughts if I need to. I played this album during my last 30 minutes on a drive from Ohio to North Carolina and got swept up in ARE YOU OK?
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
109.
Sam Smith: In the Lonely Hour (2014)
The story for a lot of these albums is my first car, my late Grandma’s 2006 Mercury Mariner, only had a CD player. So whichever albums I had hard copies of became albums I lived life with and learned inside and out. This is one of those albums.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
108.
Pusha T: King Push — Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude (2015)
I fell in love with this album’s cover art before I fell in love with the music. Kanye’s DONDA team was involved in the conception and design of the artwork. It was my introduction to guys like Virgil Abloh, Nate Brown, and Joe Perez.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
107.
Young Thug: Slime Season 3 (2016)
I remember watching the live stream of Kanye’s Yeezy fashion show at Madison Square Garden. At one point, Kanye says Young Thug wants to play some new music. With Them comes through the speakers, and it felt like everyone in the arena started bobbing along.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
106.
A Tribe Called Quest: We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service (2016)
I watched the music video for The Space Program as I finished reading Hanif Abdurraqib’s Go Ahead in the Rain. The video continued even after I read the final page. Then, minutes later, the closing credits began and Can I Kick It? entered in. Yes, you can. Always. Phife Dawg forever.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
105.
Ab-Soul: Control System (2012)
I learned about Ab-Soul through his outro on Kendrick Lamar’s Section.80, which my friend Ross put me onto. We both got into Ab-Soul’s Control System project together. We were also super into conspiracy theory videos on YouTube and Ab-Soul spoke directly to that part of us.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
104.
Haim: Days Are Gone (2013)
I have this playlist called Funky Nostradamus Warhol Music. It looks different now than it once did, but, in its earliest iteration, it featured lots of Haim because they captured this fun, funky sound that felt like it was from a different decade. I also liked that they didn’t look like their music should sound like it does.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
103.
Drake: Views (2016)
This is a controversial album among Drake fans, and I get it. But I remember it dropped a month before I graduated college. My college house used to host this party once a year called Black & White, and we listened to this album all day while we set up for it.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
102.
Theophilus London: Timez Are Weird These Days (2011)
This feels like a timeless album title. When haven’t “timez” been weird? Theophilus London was another staple on the earliest iteration of my Funky Nostradamus playlist. On this album, there were some fun tracks that felt like they were from another decade.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
101.
Passion Pit: Gossamer (2012)
Take a Walk felt like it was on every Taco Bell commercial. I also went to this random music festival in Winter Park my first year living in Colorado and Passion Pit played before Kid Cudi took the stage. Some girl also sat on her friend’s shoulders and flashed Passion Pit. It was weird but hey—you do you!
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
100.
BROCKHAMPTON: GINGER (2019)
“And if you’re hurting, love yourself with my heart.” I want that bridge on Victor Roberts to wash over me like warm shower water. Also, someone played Sugar on Touch Tunes at Bob’s Bar the other night and I felt like I was in a music video.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
99.
LANY: Malibu Nights (2018)
This album dropped during my first-ever trip to Nashville, and I played it on loop throughout my visit. It’s an easy album to play on low volume if you want to have a conversation with someone, and it’s also, in my opinion, one of the greatest albums to belt out in the car. Total in-my-feels music.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
98.
Kings of Leon: Come Around Sundown (2010)
Someone in high school burned this album onto a CD for me before I even had a car, so I was playing this album on the stereo in my bedroom. When I finally did start driving, this album was perfect for summer rides. Windows down, just me belting out, “This could be the end!”
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
97.
Earl Sweatshirt: Earl (2010)
I used to rap. And I remember, after hearing this mixtape, all I wanted to do was write verses like Earl Sweatshirt. He’d string all these words together that started the same, creating this cool alliteration. I still think Tyler saying Earl’s lips looked like a “split sundae” is so funny.
Listen: Datpiff
96.
Wale: More About Nothing (2010)
I saw Wale perform at halftime of the Jordan Brand Classic in 2008. That was also the night I met Vince Carter and high-fived Michael Jordan. While he was definitely the lesser point of that night, it definitely forged a connection for me between Wale and his music.
Listen: Datpiff
95.
Rex Orange County: Pony (2019)
This is definitely the newest album on this list, but I couldn’t not include it. I was so excited about this release after hearing the first few singles and knew it was going to be one of those albums I couldn’t stop listening to. And it definitely has been. Especially Always. 🔥🔥🔥
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
94.
Thirdstory: Cold Heart (2018)
The homie Hosp helped with the creative direction for this album. I got to hang out with him in LA a month or so before Elizabeth and I got to see Thirdstory in Columbus. It was cool getting see them go from singing background on Chance’s Tiny Desk to playing their own music.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
93.
Francis and the Lights: Farewell, Starlite! (2016)
I saw Francis and the Lights open up for Chance the Rapper at Chance’s Coloring Book tour stop in Denver. As Francis erratically danced back and forth across the stage, I got so much enjoyment from people wondering what was going on.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
92.
Calvin Harris: Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 (2017)
CALVIN HARRIS HAS BOPS. Elizabeth and I talk about it all the time. Calvin Harris has all these songs we know but we have no idea why we know them. The star power on this album is unmatched. Frank Ocean and Migos. Young Thug, Pharrell, AND Ariana Grande??
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
91.
Bruno Mars: 24K Magic (2016)
Uncle Forest has a miniature animatronic James Brown in his basement. You press a button, and it sings and dances while rattling off catchphrases. Bruno isn’t James Brown, but there’s a sound on this album that carries enough nostalgia to make it really fun to sing and dance to.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
90.
Carly Rae Jepsen: E•MO•TION (2015)
In his 2015 collection of essays, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, Hanif Abdurraqib writes, “Watching Carly Rae Jepsen play E•MO•TION live is an hour-long clinic in vulnerability… a public display of affection…” I feel that when listening to this album.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
89.
Travis Scott: Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016)
I remember Twitter damn near exploded when they realized André 3000 had a surprise feature on the intro track of this album. There are also some Kid Cudi hums on the beginning of through the late night that transported me to another world my first time hearing them.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
88.
Khalid: American Teen (2017)
Sometimes when I think back on my time in Colorado, it feels like windows down, one arm out the window, while this album blares through my speakers. I’m not great with remembering lyrics but I love singing, so, when I come across an album that I can confidently recite, it means a lot. This is one of those albums.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
87.
KIDS SEE GHOSTS: KIDS SEE GHOSTS (2018)
When Kanye and Kid Cudi beefed in September 2012, it felt like watching my parents fight. Two artists that, growing up, I saw myself in… now going at it. To see them come together musically again on this album did something special for me.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
86.
Saba: Bucket List Project (2016)
In 2016, lots of great hip-hop music came out of Chicago. Chance had Coloring Book, Noname had Telefone, and Saba cemented himself as a notable voice among them with this album. I especially loved Saba and Noname coming together on Church / Liquor Store.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
85.
Mac Miller: Watching Movies with the Sound Off (2013)
I remember riding around Elon sophomore year with JT and Taylor bumping Watching Movies. It was one of those albums that I had on a burnt CD in my car and got plenty of spins with the homies.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
84.
John Mayer: The Search for Everything for Everything (2017)
Elizabeth and I have this thing where, whenever we text each other the same thing at the same time, we send each other wave emojis (🌊🌊🌊). Only to find out John Mayer has a song on this album called Emoji of a Wave. “Oh honeyyyy!”
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
83.
Solange: When I Get Home (2019)
When Tyler talks about making IGOR, he talks a lot about Solange, who dropped this album earlier in the year, as an inspiration. It makes sense when you think about the way they both approach music as an experience—bringing us into their reimaginings of the world.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
82.
Sampha: Process (2017)
A Pitchfork review by Marcus J. Moore described this album as “meditative,” and I couldn’t agree more. The lyrics read like a memoir. The grief is so tangible on (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano. It’s hard for me to hear the emotion in Sampha’s voice and not become in touch with my own emotions.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
81.
The 1975: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (2018)
I sat on a train from Princeton to the Newark Airport. A woman sat across from me. Headphones in, we both aimed to fortify our personal spaces. I pressed play on this album and got lost in Sincerity Is Scary. When those horns come in… and that choir.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
80.
Bon Iver: Bon Iver (2011)
To be honest, I probably listened to this album more with my eyes closed than I did with them open. Justin Vernon has the kind of voice that, while not super clean, gives you permission to rest. When his voice hits that high octave on Holocene, I exhale and my mouth curls into a smile. It is very good.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
79.
Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour (2018)
I didn’t know a song like Oh, What a World was allowed to be made. A country song with a Daft Punk-like intro. First time I heard it, I was shook to the core. What is this? Not in a bad way. I had just never heard anything like it before. Turns out, Kacey Musgraves is truly magnificent.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
78.
Drake: Nothing Was the Same (2013)
Elon sophomore year. I was living at the Lonely Island with Taylor and Morgan. This album served as the subtle backdrop. Kicking it in the living room. Had the stereo with the iPod port. Hold On, We’re Going Home blaring out the speakers.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
77.
Kendrick Lamar: DAMN. (2017)
I was in L.A. for a work trip a few days after DAMN. dropped. I ended up at a Compton Starbucks waiting to get picked up by the Young Life area director there. Across the street, thousands were lined up at Best Buy. Turns out Kendrick was doing a surprise album signing.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
76.
Tyler, The Creator: Bastard (2009)
This mixtape technically released on Christmas day in 2009, but it wasn’t until 2011 after I heard Yonkers that I came across this project. It’s the beginning of irreverent Tyler, especially as he tries to distance himself from typical West Coast hip-hop/streetwear culture.
Listen: Datpiff
75.
Young the Giant: Mind Over Matter (2014)
Elizabeth burnt this album onto a CD for me. I thought it was the most thoughtful thing. There was something classically romantic about it… like when people used to make mixtapes for their crushes. I played it on repeat as we drove around.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
74.
Saba: CARE FOR ME (2018)
There’s something incredibly brave about the title for this album. It’s almost as if they’re the words Saba couldn’t say but has always wanted to. Especially as a black man in this country, when can you admit you want to be cared for? We’re expected to be caretakers—yet seen as not having the capacity for care.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
73.
Kali Uchis: Por Vida (2015)
I can’t remember how I found out about Kali Uchis… I was probably reading an article or something… I love reading music articles… but I do remember how I felt when I heard Know What I Want start playing on the movie Dope. I could see my music taste being reflected on the big screen.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
72.
Vince Staples: FM! (2018)
One of my favorite Vince Staples moments is when he and Tyler were on Rosenberg’s radio show and he explained why Ray J is “probably top 5 hip-hop West Coast of all time.” When he has these comedic moments, it’s easy to overlook the darkness often reflected in Vince’s lyrics.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
71.
Big Sean: Dark Sky Paradise (2015)
I spent the summer of 2015 in Atlanta. On 4th of July weekend, I was driving to Uncle Forest’s lake house and stopped at Target on the way to pick up some albums I could listen to during the drive. I picked up this one and To Pimp a Butterfly. Without a doubt, Sean’s best album.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
70.
Twenty One Pilots: Vessel (2012)
When we first started talking, Elizabeth would rave about Twenty One Pilots. They were from Columbus just like she was. She’d seen them live multiple times. I’d never heard of them. She burnt YouTube rips of their songs onto a CD for me, and I immediately became hooked.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
69.
Mac Miller: K.I.D.S. (2010)
Taylor, Ross, and I went to see Mac Miller at Amos’ Southend our junior year of high school. K.I.D.S. had been out a year. Best Day Ever had just dropped. It was one of those nights where you feel older than you really are because you’re out, no parents, just doing something you love.
Listen: Datpiff
68.
Vampire Weekend: Contra (2010)
I often joke that this is the Urban Outfitters album. It’s always on vinyl displayed right in front of the store. When I first heard this album though, Urban Outfitters was the promise land. Whenever I could go and get something from there, I knew I’d leave 10 times cooler.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
67.
Noname: Telefone (2016)
Just like Chance, Vic Mensa & Saba, Noname is a product of the YOUmedia Program for Young Creatives at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library. There, they were given a platform to create and be encouraged in their creativity. You can hear Noname’s early poetry days on this album.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
66.
Ariana Grande: Sweetener (2018)
Back in college, a song would come on and JT would say the title and then go, “…produced by?” The answer more times than not would be Pharrell. This album is full of those moments as Pharrell’s signature production is all over it.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
65.
Nipsey Hussle: Victory Lap (2018)
When I hear about Nip’s passing, it shook me to the core. This is a man who not only created great art but took that art and said, ‘You know what? I want kids who look like me, who are from where I’m from, to know they can do this too.’ This was Nip’s life’s work in a quick lifetime.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
64.
Pusha T: DAYTONA (2018)
When first listening to this album, I didn’t realize it was going to kick off one of the more captivating rap beefs in recent history between Pusha T and Drake. I was more so confounded by how Pusha T and Kanye could pack so many great rap moments into 21 minutes. Come Back Baby is masterful.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
63.
SZA: Ctrl (2017)
The way SZA floats across the intro track Supermodel, showing off her creative take on melody, captured me on my first listen. It was reminiscent of James Fauntleroy, who is actually featured on Wavy (Interlude). I also love SZA’s millennial anthem, 20 Something.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
62.
Travis Scott: ASTROWORLD (2018)
Back in February, Elizabeth got tickets to Travis Scott’s ASTROWORLD tour stop in Columbus. I was getting back from a trip that night. We decided we’d try and make it. Ended up getting to the show two hours late. Still made it in time for Sicko Mode.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
61.
GOOD Music: Cruel Summer (2012)
There are some bizarre moments on this album. An unfortunate R. Kelly feature on the intro. Pastor Ma$e going bar for bar with Pusha T on Higher. A solo Kid Cudi track. And all of GOOD Music it feels like hopping on a remix of Chief Keef’s Don’t Like. Long live GOOD Music.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
60.
Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience (2013)
Another sophomore year Elon album. I bought the hard copy because I really liked the singles, Suit & Tie and Mirrors. Riding around to it, I fell in love with Pusher Love Girl, Strawberry Bubblegum, and later on, I came to really like That Girl.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
59.
J. Cole: 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014)
“I said do you wanna, do you wanna be happy? I said do you wanna, do you wanna be free?” J. Cole starts this album by asking what kind of people we want to be. Then, he takes us on that journey as he tries to figure out the answers to those questions.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
58.
Blood Orange: Freetown Sound (2016)
This album is black black. And when I think back on 2016, it was much needed. The names of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling come to mind. As silence engulfed my office in the aftermath of their deaths, I struggled with whether or not my black life mattered.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
57.
Mac Miller: Swimming (2018)
Swimming is a sobering album to listen to as it was the last album Mac Miller would release during his lifetime. There’s pain, there’s heartbreak, there’s reflection. It is, in fact, very human. From the outside looking in, it feels like he was learning how to become more comfortable with himself.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
56.
James Vincent McMorrow: Post Tropical (2013)
I think Cavalier is one of the most calming songs I’ve ever heard. Whenever the world around me feels too loud, I turn off the lights in my room, lay in bed, and throw on this album. James Vincent McMorrow’s voice is hypnotizing.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
55.
Curren$y: Pilot Talk II (2010)
I remember buying this album and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy on the same day. But I didn’t really give it the appreciation it deserved until it was one of the only CDs I had in my car. Taylor and I would ride around to Michael Knight repeating Curren$y’s ad-lib “Scoodododododododododoo.”
Listen: Spotify
54.
Tyler, The Creator: Cherry Bomb (2015)
Cherry Bomb is one of Tyler’s most experimental projects, where he navigated new sounds with each song chasing a sonic experience he had wanted to provide since the beginning of his career. On this album, you can hear him getting closer to Flower Boy and IGOR.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
53.
Jeremih: Late Nights (2015)
When I first listened to this album on December 6, 2015, I tweeted, “JEREMIH GOT HITS.” Four years later on October 12, 2019, I tweeted, “Damn Jeremih’s Late Nights album really was fantastic.” It still surprises me how good Late Nights is to this day.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
52.
A$AP Rocky: LongLiveA$AP (2013)
Lines from this album have become engrained in my everyday conversations. Taylor and I constantly saying, “Anything is better than that 1Train.” Elizabeth and I repeating the hook from Wild for the Night to one another. This is album is full of great quotables.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
51.
Daniel Caesar: Freudian (2017)
My favorite moment with this album wasn’t even while listening to this album. I was at Thirdstory’s show in Columbus and Grace Weber was opening and she covered We Find Love but, about halfway through, transitioned into Donnie McClurkin’s We Fall Down.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
50.
Post Malone: Stoney (2016)
One of my biggest regrets of 2016 was not putting this album on my list of favorite albums for the year. It dropped near the end of the year, and I didn’t get a lot of time with it but knew I loved it from the times I did listen. It is so melodic and, honestly, there isn’t a bad song on it.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
49.
Maggie Rogers: Heard It in a Past Life (2019)
As I navigated leaving my first job and stepping into something new—something that felt more like me—Maggie’s music met me where I was. “And I walked off you, and I walked off an old me.” Then, a few months ago, I went with Elizabeth and Andrew to see her live. Still not over it.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
48.
Travis Scott: Days Before Rodeo (2014)
Taylor and I stumbled upon this mixtape and couldn’t get enough of Skyfall (featuring Young Thug). We would get so hype, pretending we were at a Travis show. Jumping around like he did at his concerts. Shaking our heads like we had dreads. And it’s crazy when Thug comes in.
Listen: Datpiff
47.
Mumford & Sons: Babel (2012)
This album came out during my freshman year of college. I remember my hall at Colonnades was really excited about this album—so much so that people were giving me their flash drives so I could transfer the album over to them.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
46.
Sonder: Into (2017)
I remember Sonder dropped these mini projects in 2016, Undone and Victoria, that put them on my radar. Then, when I first heard Brent Faiyaz’s Sonder Son, I had no idea he was the lead vocalist for the group. It led me back into their catalog where I fell in love with this album. The spin they put on 90s R&B is… 👌🏽
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
45.
Wiz Khalifa: Burn After Rolling (2009)
This mixtape released near the end of 2009, the album cover fashioned after the 2008 movie Burn After Reading. I remember this project took me by surprise because of the beats Wiz chose to rap over. Empire of the Sun’s Walking On A Dream. Beyoncé’s If I Were A Boy. To name a few.
Listen: Datpiff
44.
Travis Scott: Rodeo (2015)
Antidote was colossal. Any dance party I went to, I had my fingers crossed it would get played—sometimes getting control of the Spotify queue so I could put it in the mix. Also, I can’t talk about this album without talking about Maria I’m Drunk. Bieber with the bars, and Thugger too?!
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
43.
The Avett Brothers: The Carpenter (2012)
To many people’s surprise, The Avett Brothers are the band I’ve seen in concert the most times. This album came out during my freshman year of college, and I would go on to see The Avett Brothers for the first time later that year for their annual New Year's Eve show.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
42.
J. Cole: Born Sinner (2013)
Before I left home to go back to Elon for my sophomore year, I burned a bunch of albums, including this one, onto empty CDs I had sitting around my house. JT, Taylor, and I would drive around Burlington belting out Miguel’s hook on Power Trip. J.Cole’s ad-lib on Forbidden Fruit is also noteworthy.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
41.
Justin Bieber: Journals (2013)
I recently heard someone refer to Journals-era Justin as “light-skinned Bieber,” and I felt that. Honestly, we need more light-skinned Bieber. This album had HITS. Heartbreaker. All That Matters. Confident (featuring Chance The Rapper). We need another album like this.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
40.
Miguel: Kaleidoscope Dream (2012)
Do You … feels like Saturday mornings at Biltmore (my college house during my junior and senior years). Taylor and I would wake up. He’d make us cups of coffee, and then we’d just sit and listen to music. I also think Adorn is one of the best R&B songs of all time.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
39.
Taylor Swift: Red (2012)
When I first heard Taylor Swift’s vocals break through on State of Grace, I knew this was going to be a very different Taylor Swift listening experience for me. I still rave about this album. Even as Taylor Swift has released projects like 1989 and reputation, this is the album that really stole my heart.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
38.
The Weeknd: Beauty Behind the Madness (2015)
There’s this vocal run The Weeknd does at the 1:24 mark on Earned It that JT, Taylor, and I would take turns hitting. It’s so dang smooth. There are also some runs he hits on the Kanye-produced Tell Your Friends that absolutely give me life.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
37.
Tyler, The Creator: Wolf (2013)
I lost my mind when I first saw the music video for IFHY (featuring Pharrell). The colors. The dollhouse setting. It’s so dope. Then, on the song, Pharell does this thing where he sings the word “love” and goes “loOove-v-v-v.” Taylor, JT, and I still text one another about that.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
36.
Miguel: Wildheart (2015)
“Too proper for the black kids, too black for the Mexicans, too square to be a hood nigga, what’s normal anyway?” These are Miguel’s opening lines on what’s normal anyway. I reflect on these moments in my own life where, as a black kid who has often been in white spaces, I’ve felt like I don’t belong.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
35.
Solange: A Seat at the Table (2016)
Among the great albums released by black women in 2016, this is one of my favorites. “Oh, to be us… for us, this shit is for us,” Solange sings on F.U.B.U. This album encourages me to love my blackness and all things black. We are black on purpose.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
34.
Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment: Surf (2015)
“Homies breathing, family’s eating, Mama’s singing, is a miracle.” This album is full of simple pleasures. You can hear birds chirping in the background of Warm Enough. Chance gives an ode to his grandma on Sunday Candy that makes me think about Grandma Watts.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
33.
The Internet: Ego Death (2015)
For my birthday in 2016, JT and I “traveled” an hour to Durham to go see The Internet perform at The Art of Cool festival. I underestimated how much emphasis they placed on instrumentation in their music. It’s easy to overlook when Syd’s voice is so mesmerizing.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
32.
Young the Giant: Young the Giant (2010)
When Elizabeth and I first started hanging out, we’d drive around in my car to different places listening to lots of music. This was one the albums we bonded over. We especially loved I Got, singing it out loud together whenever it came on.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
31.
Mr Hudson: Straight No Chaser (2010)
I’m really glad I came across this album. You might remember Mr Hudson from Paranoid on 808s & Heartbreak, or Jay-Z’s Young Forever. Kanye once said, “I believe Mr Hudson has the potential to be bigger than me, to be one of the most important artists of his generation.”
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
30.
Rihanna: ANTI (2016)
I’m just saying, the first seven songs on this album may be one of the best starts to an album ever. It’s hit after hit after hit after hit. I especially love Consideration (featuring SZA) and James Joint (co-written by James Fauntleroy). The melodies are wonderfully creative.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
29.
Kid Cudi: Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010)
Kid Cudi made it cool for me, as a black kid, to be who I am. He made being open about my struggles accessible. I knew it was okay life sucks sometimes because of Kid Cudi’s music. Thank God for Scott Mescudi.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
28.
Future: Dirty Sprite 2 (2015)
I was in Atlanta the summer this album dropped. Mimo kept telling me Future was the best rapper out, said he did a surprise show in downtown Atlanta a bunch of people were going crazy about. I didn’t think I was a trap music fan, but, then I heard this album and everything changed. Gucci flip flops.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
27.
Chance the Rapper: Coloring Book (2016)
This mixtape meant a lot to me as a black kid who grew up with my Mom dragging me to church to listen to black choirs sing like they did on Coloring Book. Grandma Watts had How Great is our God and Kirk Franklin bumping in her car at all times. This tape helps me reminisce.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
26.
Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)
Lemonade was a cultural phenomenon. Just like her self-titled album from a few years before, this project dropped without any warning. And people lost their damn minds. Full disclosure, I never watched the short film. But musically, this album stands on its own.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
25.
Curren$y: Pilot Talk (2010)
“Xbox web browser/ Download a updated NBA roster/ Play a 82-game season/ Condo full of snacks, Spitta not leaving,” Curren$y raps on the trumpet-heavy, Mos Def-produced Breakfast. I loved that he rapped about normal, everyday things I could relate to—with the exception of the weed talk.
Listen: Spotify
24.
Justin Bieber: Purpose (2015)
In the words of Jimmy Butler, “@justinbieber you did your thing on that purpose album.” I went and bought the hard copy as soon as it released, and it was all I played in my car for like six months straight. Sure, looking back, I had this weird obsession with JB because he loved Jesus, but still… this album slaps.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
23.
Bryson Tiller: TRAPSOUL (2015)
I heard J.R. Smith talk about playing this album before basketball games to help him get in a flow, so now I do too. I still think Bryson Tiller would’ve been a dope OVO artist. Seeing him and Drake together on a track would’ve been wonderful.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
22.
Kanye West: Yeezus (2013)
On June 26, 2013, I tweeted, “Yeezus sucks.” Oh, how foolish I was. On Yeezus, Kanye hardly finishes any song how he starts it. There are beat changes, plenty of surprises, unexpected artist collaborations, and lyrics that make you do a double-take. It’s controlled chaos, yet also stripped down.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
21.
Kendrick Lamar: Section.80 (2011)
Ross told me about this album during my junior year of high school. It quickly became the album that tied our friendship together. Kendrick holds nothing back lyrically as he explores faith, politics, and the world around him, which is what we were in the midst of doing too.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
20.
Frank Ocean: nostalgia, ULTRA (2011)
I immediately fell in love with this mixtape because it felt like Frank was meeting me where I was. strawberry swing spoke to the part of me that listened to Coldplay nonstop. And there will be tears let me know someone else listened to Mr Hudson.
Listen: Datpiff
19.
Jamila Woods: HEAVN (2016)
I couldn’t stop telling people about this album after listening to it. It’s so black. And Jamila Woods, a product of Young Chicago Authors and YouMedia, shows off her poetic prowess, delivering lines like, “I put a post-it note on my mirror / So I might love myself / So I might be enough today.”
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
18.
Kendrick Lamar: good kid, m.A.A.d. city (2012)
For whatever reason, I decided to download the clean version of this album when it first released. So anytime I ever played it in my car, there were no cuss words. My attempt at being a “good kid” I guess. I got to see Kendrick perform this album live at UNCC with Baden.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
17.
Anderson .Paak: Malibu (2016)
JT and Taylor were the first people I heard rave about Anderson .Paak. I didn’t jump on board at first, but, little by little, I started getting more into this album. A few months later, I even got to see .Paak open for Bryson Tiller at Red Rocks.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
16.
Chance the Rapper: Acid Rap (2013)
I remember JT showed me Good Ass Intro for the first time, and I was dumbfounded. What is this? Soul… juke… gospel… jazz? And Chance was rapping about “orange cassette tapes with Timmy, Tommy, and Chuckie.” Elizabeth put Cocoa Butter Kisses on a CD she made for me.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
15.
Drake: If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (2015)
I drove to Target one night while I was home for the summer and bought this album. I play it as much today as I did then. It helps that Elizabeth really loves this album too, so, if we ever want to listen to something we both know, I’ll throw this album on. Elizabeth’s got some flow.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
14.
Kanye West: The Life of Pablo (2016)
Remember when this album was called So Help Me God? Or Swish? Then Waves? Then, there was that Twitter fight with Wiz Khalifa in which he tweeted “#Wizwearscoolpants.” I even went as far as to download Tidal just to listen to this album. Honestly, what a time.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
13.
Brent Faiyaz: Sonder Son (2017)
I remember I came across some random photo on Instagram that had this album pictured in it, and I was like, Wait, I’ve seen that somewhere before… I should listen. So I listened and couldn’t help but get lost in the 90s R&B sound and introspection.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
12.
Jay-Z & Kanye West: Watch the Throne (2011)
There’s this Watch the Throne documentary out there. And I love how Beyoncé is just casually hanging out. At one point, Russell Crowe randomly walks into the room where they’re recording. And while recording his verse for Why I Love You, Jay-Z says, “Words are hard.”
Listen: Apple Music
11.
Bon Iver: 22, A Million (2016)
Elizabeth was visiting me in Colorado Springs, and I decided to take her out to Buena Vista—one of my favorite drives. We were listening to 8 (circle) and, as the song started to open up, we turned this corner and the sky opened up to the most beautiful mountain range I’ve ever seen. A holy moment.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
10.
John Mayer: Paradise Valley (2013)
Senior year is weird because you know you won’t ever be able to hang out with your friends in the same way again, so you do anything to savor that time. One night, JT and I just drove around Elon smoking Black & Milds and listening to this album.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
9.
Drake: Take Care (2011)
This album has to be in the Sad Boys Hall of Fame. A few months ago, Damian and I got together just to sit outside his house, listen to this album, and drink wine. Taylor and I used to sit in his bedroom and moodily sing Doing It Wrong. Morgan once said, “Drake amplifies my regrets.” I feel that.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
8.
Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
In They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, Hanif writes, “The link between black music and black survival shows up when the stakes are at their highest… music is how black people have gotten free…” This album is black music. It’s our freedom manifesto. We gon’ be alright.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
7.
Beyoncé: BEYONCÉ (2013)
This is the album that made me a Beyoncé fan. I think, before this album, I primarily saw her as a radio-hit pop star—and sure that’s true to an extent. But this is the album that helped me recognize she’s not just a radio artist… she’s an icon. And Mine is one of Drake’s best features.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
6.
Childish Gambino: Because the Internet (2013)
I had a Gambino-esque afro when I really started getting into this album—so much so that I ended up being Childish for Halloween in 2014. This album was really special to me because it was an experience… I mean, he wrote a whole screenplay to accompany the album.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
5.
Tyler, The Creator: Flower Boy (2017)
“Tell these black kids they could be who they are.” Even before, Tyler rapped those words on Where This Flower Blooms, Tyler was that voice in culture through the years who told me to be myself. I’d say Tyler’s greatest contribution is instilling that idea in young people.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
4.
Frank Ocean: Channel Orange (2012)
This album defines my freshman year at Elon. Most times if you got in my car, this is what I was playing. As I think about the friendships I had then, I can’t help but think about Frank’s line on Thinkin Bout You: “We’ll go down this road ‘til it turns from color to black and white.”
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
3.
Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
I remember watching the Runaway film on MTV. Kanye did a Q&A afterward. A copy of the film even came with the album. The physical copy of the album also had different cover inserts you could slide in and out. I still have them. I even remember the GOOD Friday drops leading up to this album.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
2.
Tyler, The Creator: IGOR (2019)
When I started my job at Jeni’s at the beginning of the year, I had no idea we were going to be making an ice cream with Tyler, or that I’d get an opportunity to meet him—all of which made this album release so much sweeter. IGOR is the album Tyler had been wanting to make.
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
1.
Frank Ocean: Blonde (2016)
I closed out last year listening to Blonde. This album connects on a soul level because it feels like existence—in control, and out of control. Ethereal, and eternal. I’ve asked questions in the past few years I thought I never would. But somehow it’s all-right. “Keep a place for me.”
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
