‘Twas the year of Drake becoming inescapable, Nate Dogg’s death, Camel & KanYe’s Otis, J. Cole’s rise, Tyler The Creator’s Yonkers, Heavy D’s peaceful journey from the house to the hearse, Big Sean blowin’ up, Azealia Banks’ 212, Yelawolf’s album on Shady Records, and the A$AP Rocky okie-doke… but let’s not hold any of that against 2011 eh?
2011 was the peak year of the blog-Rap era, which was both a gift and a curse: on one hand, I found so much quality music via blogs; on the other hand, the Rap internet was awash with terrible blogs by delusional Wavery lads desparete to ride Yams’ coattails. Whateva, man – variety is one of life’s spices rather than one of its vices, so 2011 was an enjoyable year in Rap for me.
E-40 ft. B-Legit & Stresmatic – Rear View Mirror
Juicy J – Who Da Neighbors
Mic Terror – Chief Sampson
Hollywood Holt & Million $ Mano – The Show
Meek Mill ft. Young Chris – House Party
Gunplay – No Arm And Hammer
Lady – Pussy
DJ Quik ft. Suga Free & Ty Dolla $ign – Nobody
Tyga – Rack City
Danny Brown – Lincoln Continental
Bo Deal ft. Mello G Blanca – Safe Sex
Husalah – Da Mob
The Jacka ft. Laroo & J. Stalin – All We Do (Remix)
Joe Blow – The Dopest
Sir Michael Rocks ft. Shorty K & Tris J – Too $hort Back
Max B – South Wave
French Montana ft. Charlie Rock – Shot Caller
Chinx Drugz – Superlight
Treal Lee & Prince Rick – Shoes Up
Kreayshawn – Gucci Gucci
DB Tha General – Upgrade Em 2
N.O.R.E – N.O.R.E Shot Somebody
Fam-Lay ft. Project Pat – Money Makin’ Trick
Rich Boy – All I Know
TREE – Trouble
A-Mafia – Foldin’ $100 Billz
Mouse On Tha Track – Swagger Fresh Freddie
Foxx – Friends
Webbie ft. Lil’ Phat – What’s Happenin’
Lil’ Phat ft. Mannie Fresh – Talk Some Mo Shit
Boosie & B.G. – 187
Black Rob – Up North
Mysonne – In Jail
Jackie Chain ft. Bun B – Parked Outside
King Louie – We Like To Party
Travis Porter – College Girl
Rich Kidz ft. Young Thug – $100 Autograph
Fat Trel – Rolling
LoveRance ft. IamSu & Skipper – UP!
Roc Marciano – My Persona
$tarlito – Rather Be With You
Yo Gotti ft. Zed Zilla – Bang Bang (video version)
Pac Div – Posted
Waka Flocka Flame & Slim Dunkin – Twin Towers 2 (Intro)
Wooh Da Kid – I Prefer
TKO Capone – Louis Gucci
Ike Eyes – Blue Roxies
Katie Got Bandz – I Need A Hitta (O.G video version)
Rittz ft. Yelawolf & Big K.R.I.T – Fulla Shit
Kendrick Lamar – A.D.H.D
Soulja Boy – Zan With That Lean Part 2
Boldy James ft. Tennille – Concrete Connie
HD Of Bearfaced – 40 Glock USA (Remix)
Future – Same Damn Time
A$AP Rocky ft. A$AP Twelvy & A$AP Nast – Trilla
Giggs – Monster Man
Bonus thoughts: one of the many great things about Young Bleed’s Stamp On It is that you can have the edited low bitrate video version in your 2006 list and then put the explicit CDQ album version in your 2011 list; of course, you could have Young Bleed’s Holla At Uh Dog in your 2011 list instead and it’d be an equally great selection; Trilla is the ONLY song which justifies A$AP Mob’s existence as rappers although 80% of that song’s appeal is the beat & the hook; I don’t care that King Louie’s We Like To Party is still officially unreleased a decade on because I first heard that song in 2011; Giggs’ Monster Man absolutely deserves to be on this list because it’s as good as any American song and it’s a song no American could ever make; I’m annoyed to learn that Cousin Fik’s No Gravity is #actually from 2010 because I love that song like Frank Bruno loves Harry; the saddest song of 2011 was Dhat Fam & Mista’s Expose One since both members of Dhat Fam were murdered for making it.
