
Wake Up & Jam: The 13 Slept On Albums Of 2016
Take a listen to the albums, mixtapes and EP's that thrived under the radar.
If 2016 did anything right, it delivered excellent music for every genre.
Releases from musical titans like Beyonce, Rihanna and Drake dominated the radio (and 2017 Grammy nominations) and helped get the party started, which we can be forever grateful for (I mean, "Needed Me" is the ultimate kryptonite to all f**kbois out there). Nonetheless, there were projects we've waited years for; Adele healed broken hearts and Chance The Rapper helped us lift the hostile gospel.
While we're all happy to give a high five to those guys, there were a wave of albums, EP's and mixtapes that grabbed out attention. Each managed to take on their respective genre in a fresh, fulfilling way that's bound to carry on in 2017. From Usher settling into his R&B roots to Schoolboy Q's refusal to water down his groovy demeanor, these projects were celebrated and yet faded from the court of public opinion.
Before you hit the hay today, check out these slept on albums of 2016.

13 Slept On Albums Of 2016

Nao, For All We Know

Mya, Smoove Jones

KAMAU, A Gorgeous Fortune
Kamau does a really good job at putting words together. After all, the Toronto artist tells you so on “Jambo,” the opener to his striking EP, A Gorgeous Fortune. Many might be familiar with his track “Justfayu” featured on FIFA 17, about a friendly reminder to his unappreciated lover on his continued efforts to please her. Over drums and vocal instrumentals, the theme continues on “Gaims” but switches over to mindful lust on “BooDhia.” With minimal production, you’re able to focus on Kamau’s mission of freeing the mind. Prepare to be astonished.
Worthy for the Aux: “Justayu (featuring No Wyld,)” “Gaims,” “FoolMoon”

Ameriie, Drive
Ameriie’s modern yet classic vocals remind us of a good time in music where the genre was rich in hip-hop, but not enthralled in stealing its lush personality. After a mini-break from the music, the singer (and low-key book nerd) released the eloquent Drive, a clean EP with hints of self-reflection on the battlefield that is love and happiness. “Every Time” pairs her vocals with Fabolous, extending their 2009 modest hit, “More Than Love.” She takes the wheel on “Thru the Stars” and “Sing About It,” while highlighting the trouble of letting go with “Take the Blame.” Overall, the EP gives us a teaser on Ameriie’s steady journey back to our hearts.
Worthy for the Aux: “Everytime,” “Sing About It,” “Take the Blame”

Noname, Telafone
If Crooklyn’s Troy Carmichael grew up to create music, we’re sure Noname would be the equivalent. The Chicago MC fits sonic soul sounds with open and honest bars on Telafone, her debut mixtape. Focusing on humble beginnings and those nostalgic memories of juking with friends, Noname shares her life while narrating the listeners'. She reminisces on blissful moments back home with Raury and Phoelix on “Diddy Bop” and shares young black mortality on “Shadow Man.” Having a sense of self in hard times is almost needed. If you’re still searching, be sure to introduce yourself to Telafone.
Worthy for the Aux: “Shadow Man (featuring Phoelix, Smino & Saba” “Diddy Bop (featuring Cam O’bi & Raury,)” “Casket Pretty”

ABRA, Princess
Living out loud is ABRA’s mission, whether you f**k with it or not is solely up to you. Her EP Princess embodies this with tracks like “Vegas” and “Pull Up.” She’s not above feelings as she shares on “Crybaby” how her man’s demands for perfection leave her an emotional mess. The makings of ABRA are left on wax, which makes her the project so satisfying and relatable. She does her best to do you right, but won’t break her back in doing so.
Worthy for the Aux: “Pull Up,” “Vegas,” “Crybaby”

T.I., US Or Else
T.I.’s evolution from Trap King to lyrical revolutionary is firmly felt in US Or Else. The rapper finds a way to make righteous (and sometimes dance worthy) music that pairs lovely with the mission to suppress the opposition. “We Will Not” opens the project and gives a blueprint to the issues that plague people of color like mass incarceration while questioning the origins of the modern Black family dynamic. With the help of Quavo, Meek Mill and Killer Mike, all POV’s of Black men are addressed with thoughtful dedications to Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and the many more than go unreported or overlooked. “40 Acres” points out the power of the black dollar and how money divides African-Americans. “Take your a** out the trap, middle finger to Trump/ F**k the police, they crooked as they come/ They pull you over and know you legit /Ask you for your license/ when you reach then they dump/ Now the prison yard like the cotton field,” Tip squeezes in. Truth hurts don't’ it?
Worthy for the Aux: “We Will Not” “Black Man" (featuring Quavo, Meek Mill , Rara,) “40 Acres (featuring B Rossi and Killer Mike)”

Lionbabe, Begin

Atmopshere, Fishing Blues
Atmosphere's first project since 2014’s Southsiders plays as an ode to their everyman rap days and a conscious teaser of what’s to come. After all, the proof is in the album title. For over two decades rapper Slug and producer Ant have been praised for being themselves, but still found a way to piss off critics by examining the world like many of us do; questioning everything without trying to find the answers. On “Pure Evil,” the song paints the perspective of a police officer, who is more about his ideals than the common man. Slug drops more deep thought moments on “Besos,” “Seismic Waves” and “Perfect” where he battles with his own identity as a biracial being. “Some say that I pass, none say that I'm passive/White trash with a fraction of blackness” and “Irish name, Scandinavian frame/I'm a Rubik's cube, I'm the American dream.” You might have to submerge yourself into the soil, but the gems are well worth it.
Worthy for the Aux: “Pure Evil,” “Perfect,” “Chasing New York” (featuring Aesop Rock)

Usher, Hard II Love
Usher’s eighth album plays as an applied R&B research test, teasing the sexy, somber and joyful moods the genre represents. With the help of a wide-ranging set of producers and artists like Metro Boomin (“Make U A Believer”) Raphael Saadiq (“Champions,”) The Dream (“Bump”) and PartyNextDoor (“Let Me”), Usher sounds the best he has in years by playing into his strengths. As fans continue to search for another Confessions, the singer attempts to stay true the art, despite an obvious temptation to pleasing the charts. What else explains the clear aura of Ty Dolla $ign all over “No Limit?”
Worthy for the Aux: “Bump,” “Make U A Believer” “Rivals” (featuring Future)

Divine Council, Council World
Happy delights bring dab-worthy jams thanks to Virginia collective Divine Council. Their EP Council World introduces $ilk Money, Lord Cinco, Cyrax! and Chicago native/producer ICYTWAT to the ethos with the previously released tracks “P.Sherman (PS42WW$)” and “Rolie Pole Olie.” With the help of mentor Andre 3000, the fellas are making a name for themselves in the untapped Virginia rap game.
Worthy for the Aux: “P.Sherman (PS42WW$)” “Nevaland” “Decemba (Remix)” featuring Andre Benjamin

Saba, Bucket List Project
The Chicago glo-up is real. Saba might be known for his collaborations with Chance The Rapper (“Everybody’s Something”, “Angels”) but his album Bucket List Project sets him apart from his peers. Questioning the values and parallels of the heart and mind, Saba drops lyrics that also question the 22 years he’s lived on mother earth. On “GPS” with Twista, he forces the listener to reset their mission without fear while “Church/Liquor Store” pours some out for the fallen in his crime-ridden community. “There's no logic in love, but there's no love in the streets” he says after sharing his frustrations with the Westside. The rap game might give Saba clarity, but fans are given the portrait of a man becoming an artist.
Worthy for the Aux: “In Loving Memory,” “GPS (featuring Twista,) “MOST”
