A Non-Exhaustive List of 2020’s Best Projects from Black Artists
Lianne La Havas – Lianne La Havas
A heart-wrenching tour de force, the third studio album from UK singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas is easily her best. This self-titled project is a concept album about the culmination of a long-term relationship and documents Lianne’s efforts to grapple with feelings of loneliness, sadness, and anger in real-time. The idea of a failed relationship providing the impetus of an album is not a novel one. But Lianne’s gift for radically honest and introspective song writing (still recuperating from hearing the chorus to “Paper Thin” for the first time), coupled with her sultry, impassioned vocal delivery and the Joni Mitchell-inspired folk/neo-soul production interspersed throughout the project allows the listener to truly access and connect with her immense sorrow. The true star of the show here is her virtuosity on the acoustic guitar, which takes the spotlight on “Courage” and “Seven Times” and adds texture to a sonic palette that includes the double bass, flutes, and the occasional piano flourish.
On Repeat: “Weird Fishes”. An outstanding rendition of a Radiohead classic, this track emotional crux of this project. La Havas begins in her usual tranquil register but ends the song at her most raw and vulnerable state, over rapid-fire drums and ascending guitar arpeggios.
Flo Milli – “Ho, why is you here?”
It is undeniable that we are in the midst of a female rap renaissance, and no one embodies the next iteration of the genre better than Flo Milli. The exuberant 20-year old gained notoriety throughout 2020 through her highly quotable viral hits, “Beef FloMix” and “In the Party”, which became the soundtrack to an endless supply of Twitter fancams. Her debut mixtape “Ho, why is you here?” is a ray of sunshine in an unbearably turbulent year, an unadulterated good time from start to finish. She raps about her exorbitant wealth (don’t step on her Guccis!) and manipulating naive men, all in a sing-song cadence that would have earned her a spot in Cher and Dion’s clique in “Clueless”. “Ho, why is you here?” oozes with charisma and potential and showcases why Flo Milli will be an artist to watch in upcoming years.
On Repeat: “Weak”, which sees Flo Milli turn the 90s slow jam “Weak” by SWV into a wholly entertaining airing of grievances against the lackluster men in her life, accentuated by “ew!” adlibs.
Odunsi, The Engine – EVERYTHING YOU HEARD IS TRUE
The idea of enjoying nightlife in a crowded club or bar is a fleeting, distant memory at this juncture in time. However, if any project could conjure feelings of a Friday night in a pre-pandemic world, EVERYTHING YOU HEARD IS TRUE would be it. Odunsi, The Engine is a force in Nigeria’s alté scene, a genre that is best described as an amalgam of afrobeats, hip-hop and R&B. This confluence of Black-pioneered genres are on full display in EVERYTHING YOU HEARD IS TRUE – from its dreamy, pulsating rhythms to its Die Lit-esque flows. Odusni’s charisma, high-energy production, and outstanding performances from guest features are guaranteed to leave you wanting more than what the EP’s fourteen-minute duration provides.
On Repeat: “wicked, sexy!”. The track’s title serves as 2020’s most infectious, Instagram-caption fodder hook and its blaring synths over staccato, afrobeat percussion is in the upper echelon of production from 2020.
Dinner Party – Dinner Party
It would not be hyperbolic to argue that a collaboration between Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder is akin to the ‘96 Chicago Bulls or the cast of “Ocean’s Twelve” in terms of superstardom. These inordinately gifted musicians and producers have played integral roles in the production of ground-breaking albums that form the crux of hip-hop’s canon (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, To Pimp a Butterfly, and The Black Album, to name a few). Their joint collaboration under the moniker “Dinner Party” magnifies why their collective knack for weaving jazz-fusion and R&B together has been in high demand within hip-hop circles. Dinner Party is an effortlessly smooth endeavor, rife with piano and guitar flourishes, The Low End Theory-era drum loops and silky vocals from frequent Noname collaborator, Phoelix. Though there is a great deal of cohesion between each member, Dinner Party reaches its sonic peak when Kamasi Washington is granted full creative control. This notably occurs on “First Responders”, where he delivers an outstanding saxophone solo. This project is a must-listen if you are looking for an accessible entry point into the world of jazz.
On Repeat: “Freeze Tag”. The track’s cheerful and soul-infused production contrasts Phoelix’s lyrics about an interaction with the police gone awry. It is symbolic that any iota of joy that one can experience while being Black is often belied by a fear that the world you inhabit will strip it away at a moment’s notice.
Pop Smoke – Shoot For the Stars, Aim For The Moon (Deluxe)
The advent of the deluxe album in the streaming age has been the epitome of the dual-edged sword (no one asked for 32 songs NAV!). However, the rapper most befitting of a sprawling testament to their artistry and impact is Pop Smoke, who tragically lost his life in February. Released posthumously, Shoot For the Stars, Aim For The Moon is a gaudy collection of unreleased tracks that showcased Pop Smoke’s unfulfilled desires to become his generation’s answer to 50 Cent — someone who could blend the hard-hitting Brooklyn drill sound that he helped pioneer with pop sensibilities to garner crossover appeal. Pop Smoke tries his hand at a cacophony of sounds and regional trends throughout this project. It ranges from afrobeats on the Davido-featured “Tsunami”, to straight-ahead R&B on “What You Know Bout Love”, all in his distinctive Scottie Pippen-meets-DMX voice. Though the context surrounding its release is fraught with the weighty complications of being successful, visible, and Black, Shoot For the Stars, Aim For The Moon is a jubilant celebration of what was, and what could have been.
On Repeat: “The Woo”. This track is an unimpeachable summer classic that represents a passing of the torch from 50 Cent to Pop Smoke and features: 1. numerous City Girls references 2. an interpolation of 50’s “Candy Shop” and 3. Roddy Ricch doing his best Minnie Ripperton impersonation.