Adrian Ruhi

5) Wale “Attention Deficit”

“… Wale proves on his debut that he is a multifaceted songwriter and performer who can make seemingly unrelated musical styles coexist through the often narrow lens of hip-hop.”

4) K’naan “Troubadour”

“… Troubadour is an eclectic batch of musical influences: Rock guitar riffs, African percussion, reggae horns and chanting all coexist in a fluid bedrock that supports a foundation of great hip-hop.”

3) Jay-Z “The Blueprint 3”

“Jay-Z has nothing left to prove in hip-hop, or even music. And he spends much of his time on The Blueprint 3, his 11th studio album, making sure we know that.”

2) Mos Def “The Ecstatic”

“45 minutes of focused, concise  narratives, peppered with just the right touch of quirkiness and a sense of discovery not heard from Mos since the late ’90s.”

1) Kid Cudi “Man On The Moon: The End Of Day”

“Man On The Moon may be the ballsiest debut album for a hip-hop artist ever, and it is certainly the most memorable since Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West’s freshman offerings.”

Honorable Mentions:

• k-os “Yes!”
• Blitz The Ambassador “Stereotype”
• Slaughterhouse “Slaughterhouse”
• ¡Mayday! “Technology”