Wake Up & Jam: The 13 Slept On Albums Of 2016

Neo Jessica Joshua might have begun her career as a background singer for fellow UK acts Kwabs and Jarvis Cocker, but her debut album brings her into the spotlight with sultry pop elements, highlighting a journey into as well as out of love. Over 18 tracks, the singer brings forth cries of love on the sublime “Inhale, Exhale” tosses flirty exchanges on “Get To Know Ya” and plays to her vocal strengths on “Adore You.” Her take on pop delights is appreciated even more than her unspoken odes to Sade and Prince. Nao has been praised over the pond for her dynamic debut, but it’s only a matter of time before the U.S. follows suit.   Worthy for the Aux: “Bad Blood” “Fool to Love,” “Feel Like (Perfume,)” “Voice Memo 161”

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’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”

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)”

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’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)

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”

“Still hangin' with ni***s that can't do nothin' but cause damage, Guess I'm bein' a real n***a like I'm 'posed to be,” could be a troubling retrospect into the world of ScHoolboy Q or simply just a dip into the pool of realness. Either way, fans got to experience the TDE warrior in true form on his sophomore effort. Reaching the top of the charts at the time of its release, it’s still possible for the album to fall in between the cracks of a grief-stricken 2016. Dropping the same week as the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, Blank Face is a gritty yet beautiful interruption. The rapper continues to reach trippy and raw levels while soaking up psychedelics themes on tracks like “Groovy Tony” and “Big Body” featuring Tha Dogg Pound. The rapper (reluctantly) peddles to radio with “Overtime” featuring cool R&B kids Miguel and Jasmine Skye. In the end, Blank Face should never be forgotten and gives us plenty of tracks to comfortably rest with until his next go around. Worthy for the Aux: “THat Part” (featuring Kanye West), “By Any Means,” “TorcH”