The Most Slept-On Albums Of 2017

Illustration: Laura Alston for Okayplayer

Hit the snooze button, wake up and press play on these really dope albums you might’ve slept-on for the year of our Lord, 2017.

There hasn’t been a better time to be alive and love the music industry than right now. People are going from memes to millionaires, and viral creators are appearing on Billboard charts for their imaginative style. All in all, thanks to the Internet, we are able to hear, see, replay and enjoy music from everywhere, hell, anywhere in the world.

From revolutionary cuts to anthems about being better than beaches to making waves and telling Trump to “eff off,” 2017 was an impactful year for music. We were able to create a soundclash of immense proportions. But there was a loop of sorts that managed to take us away from everything that was dope and kept us trapped in the three-chord-fold of trap-hop and same-sounding R&B.

Despite us living in a year where no white man was nominated in the top four “General Field” categories for the Grammys and black people dominated everywhere else (we see you, Jordan Peele and Lena Waithe) — in music, it still has been a struggle to push those who needed to be in the forefront out to the edge of the spotlighted stage. With that in mind, we decided to pinpoint the 17 most slept-on albums that should have dominated more of the narrative in 2017.

From names you may have never heard of to those whose veteran status needs no introduction, peep our list, debate our choices and make some of your own by hitting us up @Okayplayer.

Source: YouTube

17. Matt Martians - The Drum Chord Theory

Release Date: Jan. 26, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Dent Jusay,” “Diamond in Da Ruff”

Matt Martians is a genius recording artist and it is a damn shame that more audiences didn’t digest his latest effort, The Drum Chord Theory. In a year where fellow The Internet stars Syd and Steve Lacy dropped projects, people have chosen to sleep on such cuts as “Found Me Some Acid Tonight” and “Dent Jusay”.

The Drum Chord Theory is a worthwhile effort, ready-to-play and is a pure adventure for any true stone cold roller. Playing this album with friends or just on your own for those lazy, winter afternoons — The Drum Chord Theory is a masterclass session in creating grooves and blowing out speakers. An expertise adventure cultivated by an organic guru, if you need something to kick off your 2018 in a smooth and distinct way, then this is the project for you.

Source: YouTube

16. Nef the Pharaoh - The Chang Project

Release Date: Apr. 28, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Cpt. Save-A-Hoe 2K17,” “My N****s”

Still one of the most engaging and entertaining lyricists from the Bay Area, Nef the Pharaoh has offered rap fans a truly hyphy-esque experience. The Chang Project is co-signed by rap impresario, E-40, as one of hip-hop’s “next up,” and bridges the gap between old head and young bull styles. For those who are still on the fence as to whether or not take a chance on this MC with the effortless quick-witted flow, let us reassure you that “Back Out” and “Bass Head” are two must-hear tracks that you need in your life now. A rapper with an expert level of skill, Nef is equally a prophet, as much as he is a pharaoh, because he can certainly engage the listener in a fun way while pushing the future forward. Don’t miss out on hearing more from this really good MC.

Source: YouTube

15. Problem - Chachiville

Release Date: Jan. 20, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Don’t Want No Smoke,” “Melrose”

Problem, better known as Chachi, has been a staple of West Coast rap for almost a decade. As a connected individual, Problem has prominently gone toe-to-toe on the mic with some of the game’s best and worked with a few legends as well. While his Rosecrans project with DJ Quik was criminally slept-on, his solo forays have been equally snoozed upon with great offense. Chachiville, a project where Problem took a huge step outside of his comfort zone, was worthy of audiophile’s attention thanks to additions by 1500 Or Nothin’ vocalist Uncle Chucc, Airplane James and Tyrin Turner.

“Don’t Belong To You” is a solid, “don’t-chase-‘em, just-raise-‘em-better” cut, which focuses on parenting as opposed to the one-note formula used in prior attempts. Taxstone’s appearance prior to his detainment places Problem and his Compton-bred style of MC-ing to a menacing tilt that compliments anything that his contemporaries, Nipsey Hussle or Kendrick Lamar have come out with this year. Problem will continue to make a living off of rapping, but if he was big enough to leave his comfort zone on Chachiville, you should be willing to do the same.

Source: YouTube

14. Homeboy Sandman - Veins

Release Date: Mar. 31, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Lemon Ginger Tea,” “Bamboo”

Stones Throw Records signee Homeboy Sandman made N.Y. hip-hop lovers happy when he joined the left-of-center collective to make records aimed at lovers of lyrics and true style. Sand was designated as a unifier of sorts, able to bridge the gap between the multisyllabic rap lovers and those who appreciate great song structure. Fast forward a few years into his career, and it is a travesty that more people don’t have him on their year-end lists when he drops a project.

While Veins might not have been as impactful as 2016’s Kindness For Weakness, that doesn’t mean it didn’t deserve to be on audiophiles' radars. With solid offerings such as “Bless Up,” which brings his love for Golden Era hip-hop to the forefront, and “Bamboo,” which throws your ear on a railroad track and runs it over with a two-ton locomotive of lyrics — Homeboy Sandman’s passion gives listeners something to healthily digest and think about. As you can hear all over Veins, the red-blooded MC sticks out in many ways, and you would be hard-pressed to not let Boy Sand get busy before 2018 starts.

Source: YouTube

13. Talib Kweli & Styles P - The Seven

Release Date: Apr. 14, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Let It Burn,” “Nine Point Five”

Talib Kweli is a treasured and respected man of art. You might feel some kind of way when he sons you Twitter, but that’s because most times you’re an uneducated troll. For those who have been following and supporting Kweli’s solo career, this (and his Radio Silence project) has been the stuff of legend. Seeing on the marquee bill, two of hip-hop’s most preeminent MCs in Kweli and Styles P of The LOX, means you’re going to get the brand of reality rap that only these two can do unlike no other.

It is a travesty that this straight-forward, hard-hitting, consciously-advance project didn’t get more love from our fellow contemporaries. Fueled by production from 88-Keys, Ohno, Nottz and Marco Polo, The Seven is a successful attempt at two MCs collaborating and bringing their distinctive styles to the forefront.

Talib Kweli and Styles P’s chemistry is apparent all throughout The Seven, so before the ball drops and we start another year of Agent Orange, be sure channel your ancestors and enjoy this high-brow masterpiece.

Source: Twitter

12. Snoop Dogg - Neva Left

Release Date: May 19, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Still Here,” “Go On”

For 25 years, Snoop Dogg has been a part of our musical consciousness. Call him whatever you want, just make sure to add “timeless” to whatever you say. The triple O.G. has more hits that you can swing a bat at, plus he is an institution on the West Coast. If you want a stick of bud, you got to ask him, and if you want a guest appearance, you got to make sure to clear it with him first. Despite the longevity, the accolades and the applause from his hip-hop peers, Snoop has been getting a bit nostalgic at this point in his career. Neva Left offers old and new fans a look at just how Tha Doggfather came to be while ensuring his legacy as an iconic hip-hop monument never cracks, fades away or crumbles.

On Neva Left, Snoop isn’t an old, forsaken, crusty, grumpy, frumpled-up man. Instead, he’s lively, spry even, as he drops truth bombs all over this 16-track set. Over BADBADNOTGOOD and Kaytranada production, Snoop tries on a new style like a funky smoker’s jacket and rides through with the ease of a veteran. On other cuts, he sticks with his family: Battlecat, Rick Rock, Too $hort and Devin the Dude.

If you’ve willfully ignored this project, but smoke KK and Chronic while listening to some of that other basura that plays out the radio these days then you should be ashamed. Light up another one, press play on Snoop Dogg’s Neva Left and give this the listen it deserves for 2017.

Source: Twitter

11. MC Eiht & DJ Premier - Which Way Iz West

Release Date: June 30, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Represent Like This,” “Last Ones Left”

From the outset of hearing that legendary, “GEAH!” by MC Eiht, you know you’re going to get into some gangsta s**t. On Which Way Iz West, Eiht proves that there is no age limit to create indisputable rap cuts, while Premier shows “real rap purists” that there is no one way to scratch a record to get the effective reaction. Over 15 tracks, these two legends from the West and East Coasts, respectively, demolish expectations while keeping the elite from that bygone era of rap—The Outlawz, The Lady Of Rage, Bumpy Knuckles, and more—in front of the spotlight.

With a relationship trump tight since 1992 (Compton’s Most Wanted’s “Def Wish II (Remix)”) — MC Eiht and DJ Premier vibrate colorfully together, lacing each entry with gangsta rap seasoning plus dark-and-grimy sonic landscapes. If you’re missing out on that West Coast sound from yesteryear without it sounding forced or dated then MC Eiht and DJ Premier’s Which Way Iz West is the project facing right in your direction.

Source: YouTube

10. Freddie Gibbs - You Only Live 2wice

Release Date: Mar. 31, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Alexys,” “20 Karat Jesus”

The hype was palpable for You Only Live 2wice when Freddie Gibbs was freed from an Austrian jail cell. Since then, it has been buried underneath numerous releases, no pushes and the budding hype for Bandana—a collaborative effort with Madlib. A damn shame since Gangsta Gibbs keeps the spirit of hardcore raps and drug tales alive on You Only Live 2wice. With each song from the eight-track engagement sounding like different scenes from a Francis Ford Coppola movie — Freddie Corleone shares his relief at being home, the happiness of being a father figure to his daughter and cementing his reputation as a devastating lyricist.

For those who haven’t seen or heard the Baby Face Killa, yet, You Only Live 2wice is worth the play and the replay. From “Crushed Glass” to “Amnesia” to “Phone Lit” — the former Gary, Indiana to Los Angeles transplant puts on a solid performance that should serve as a reintroduction of sorts since being taken away from us by the law. With production by BADBABDNOTGOOD and Kaytranada — the ESGN CEO has mastered just what you need for that lean-down-in-the-seat, driving-slow, gangsta-riding-music in your whip. Do yourself a favor, plug in your AUX and jam out You Only Live 2wice a few times before the snowstorms come.

Source: YouTube

9. Chaz French - True Colors

Release Date: July 14, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Invite Only,” “So Are We”

First Look Friday alum, Chaz French, has grown considerably since dropping his debut project. Now, poised as a champion of D.C. culture, Chaz’s newest effort, True Colors is a kaleidoscope of cool energies, high moments, low and dark times, all tinged with a clearer, more mature outlook on it all. The Curren$y-featured single, “Invite Only,” got the ball rolling, while appearances from Phil Ade and Innanet James helped to balance the story that Chaz was looking tell.

In addition to the 17 tracks, Chaz has an initiative that aims to help fathers and their children reuniting after incarceration. A theme that is littered throughout True Colors that is worth your examination. If you have a heart, a true love for your own city and the feeling of complication that comes with success then Chaz French’s album, True Colors, is right up your alley. Don’t miss out!

Source: YouTube

8. BROCKHAMPTON - Saturation II

Release Date: Aug. 25, 2017

Featured Tracks: “QUEER,” “SWEET”

“I’ma be a star even if I say the same things,” Vann raps astutely over the sinister-sounding cut, “CHICK,” which focuses on his biting sense of humor and Debo-esque lyrics. The West Coast Wu-Tang-like collective better known as BROCKHAMPTON has flooded the game like a new D-boy on the block. They are successful utilizing the thought of “less is more,” which has me a bit verklempt as to why folks in the 30-plus generation aren’t jumping on the bandwagon to appreciate these faster-than-fios rappers. Songs such as “JELLO,” “GUMMY” and “JUNKY” are cool, charming and stand out from what’s currently abusing your ears on the airwaves. Plus, these are Disney kids turned into grimy rap spitters. BROCKHAMPTON is a legit, polished and funky collective.

Armed with a button that goes from zero to 60 on the aggressive meter (see: “QUEER,” “SWEET”) — BROCKHAMPTON is beats, rhymes, and life below the age of 25. Each song sounds as important as the next, so it should be apparent that anyone snoozing on BROCKHAMPTON should wake the eff up and learn about these guys with extreme urgency. For those who enjoy seeing their artists incubate and grow, BROCKHAMPTON is also the right one for you. Saturation II has exuberance, despite not having enough boom for your head top, while prizing an otherworldly coolness that is currency in today’s rap game. As BROCKHAMPTON continues to develop into a hip-hop/pop force, listen to these guys and help them to keep their freeform approach to making music as they move up in the ranks.

Source: YouTube

7. Prophets of Rage - Prophets of Rage

Release Date: Sept. 15, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Unfuck the World,” “Legalize Me”

This supergroup of Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill managed to help fuel the angst-filled masses towards disobeying Trump’s law and kicking arse to anyone who was against progress. Sure, Run the Jewels proved that the revolution doesn’t stop just because you’re over 30, but these guys were/are the architects of being at the head of the table of their respective movements. Putting them together wasn’t just some slick marketing ploy to return Shepard Fairley back to prominence — the times demanded it. Trump, Russia, racism in full swing, poverty increasing and a lack of human decency called for the Prophets of Rage to come together and fight against the ignorance of the upper echelon.

Hearing Chuck D scream and snarl, “We f***ing matter!” on “Who Owns Who” is a great moment in music history. If you’re sleeping on these legends just because they seem “old” or “dated,” well don’t be surprised if explosive riffs by Tom Morello or lyrics by B-Real wake you the eff up. If nothing else Prophets of Rage the album helps to distill the polluted taste of bile and Shchi that’s going on in today’s American politics with activist music that doesn’t even need the word “political” appended to it to sound good. Prophets of Rage is a blueprint for those looking to change the current climate of our world and say something new that hasn’t been heard before.

Source: Twitter

6. EarthGang - Rags

Release Date: Sept. 1, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Meditate,” “House”

Prioritizing bars over style has been a successful lane for Spillage Village collective, EarthGang. With an un-relentless vitriol within their lyrics, EarthGang dropped the Rags EP. If you haven’t heard this strong effort yet, you’re doing your ears a disservice. Rags shines a bright light on black life in America. Songs such as “Nowhere Fast” and “House” paint a picture of father-son relationships through incarcerations, jazz-laced instrumentals, and really unique vocal inflections.

Rags pushes genre-melding forward in a way that helps those who love the emo-influences of Lil Peep and the lyricism gymnastics of J. Cole find a perpetual bridge. By pressing play on this album, Rags helps to destroy the stale three-note-beat of today’s hip-hop sound, while pushing the creativity forward in an exhilarating way.

Source: YouTube

5. Conway & DJ Green Lantern - More Steroids

Featured Tracks: “St. Regis,” “Voices”

Conway and his brother, Westside Gunn, have become household names in the true hip-hop loving community for their ill voices, raw lyrics, and gangsta ways. With the former treading water on his own alongside DJ Green Lantern with More Steroids — this is an entry that should be in anyone’s collection that loves original production and hardcore wordplay.

Green Lantern tones down the signature tricks to shift the spotlight on Conway and his incredible flourishes as a lyricist. On “3 Bodies,” Conway absolutely decimates the bass line and piano twinkles and turns them into ground beef, marking one of the tape’s stand out performances. As a Shady Records signee and a possible MVP in his own right, Conway proves that he is one of the most fuego rappers in the game doing it right now. You’d be doing yourself a huge disservice if you missed out on hearing More Steroids and doping up on some of this good hip-hop.

With each appetizer making the full course meal of his official Shady debut, G.O.A.T., all the more appealing — Conway’s brand of high-end, passionately personal, detailed-filled lyrics about life in the streets of Buffalo is worth a listen. Proven that he’s capable of so much more, More Steroids is just enough to tide us over until dinner is served.

Source: Problem

4. Problem - Selfish

Release Date: Nov. 3, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Ghost of Rosecrans (Remix),” “Ain’t Like You”

It took almost a decade for Problem to put out the project “he’s been waiting to hear for his whole career.” Family woes, personal demons, and probably a reluctance to hear what critics thought put the halt on Selfish coming out, but we’re thankful it did. If you treated this project like you did Chachiville, you should be ashamed of yourself. With production from Terrace Martin, 9th Wonder and featured appearances from Airplane James and his partner-in-rhyme, Bad Lucc — Problem uses his considerable experience and Rolodex to craft a personal effort worth playing on repeat.

Painstakingly honest, Selfish is selfless at best, as he opens himself up like never before. Problem goes into detail about having women get abortions, contemplating out loud the punishments he might experience and shares his heartfelt emotions about letting down his daughter. “Man Enough,” the track which Terrace Martin produced about Problem’s daughter, is a reality check for any father blessed with a child and what that should mean to him. Though a short listening experience (clocking in at nine songs) — Selfish is for the earnest at heart. And if you’re like Problem at all then you’ll have no problem digesting this effort and learning more about one of Compton’s great MCs.

Source: Twitter

3. Oddisee & Good Company - Beneath The Surface

Release Date: Nov. 10, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Rights & Wrongs,” “You Know Who You Are”

Oddisee is a cherished MC around these parts. We welcome him whenever he has a new project or even when he opens up his own doors to us, we’re excited to learn something new from this Diamond District MC. With his first live project, Beneath The Surface, out and available for your ear’s enjoyment, allow us to make the pitch for anyone out there still slumbering on this man’s immense creativity and talent. Linking up with Good Company, Oddisee explodes with the kind of energy reserved for a Tesla sports model car. Shining on cuts such as “Like Really,” as guitarist Olivier St. Louis, keyboardist Ralph “Real” Washington, DJ Unown, drummer Jon Laine and more co-star with Odd in pouring out their hearts and souls on subjects they sincerely care about.

The magic and chemistry between these two are infectious and magnetic. Hearing the crowd rap full bars out loud, as Oddisee engages his fans with earnest humility is worth the price of admission. After all, Oddisee is not one who stands on either side of the line when it comes to this hip-hop thing. He is astute, learned, intelligent and says things that genuinely resonate with the listener without coming off as preachy or corny. For those willing to dig deeper and don’t need to “skrrt, skrrt” around the tougher-to-bite-into-parts, Beneath The Surface nails the live album feel and will have you feeling like you’re in good company into 2018.

Source: CyHi the Prynce

2. CyHi the Prynce - No Dope on Sundays

Release Date: Nov. 17, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Dat Side,” “No Dope on Sundays”

CyHi the Prynce has been doing this for a hot minute. Crafting legendary verses for Kanye West as a hired pen, the ATL gangsta-turned-MC left a life on the streets for Hermes bags and the finer things. Never forgetting who he was and where he came from, CyHi was still a favorite of God’s iPod when his debut album, No Dope on Sundays, dropped this past November. Despite no longer being on G.O.O.D. Music, CyHi’s official project doesn’t feel bittersweet in the least. If you haven’t heard “Dat Side,” which features Kanye Tudda or “Nu Africa,” then you should stop reading this and hear it now. CyHi brings a level of lyrical excellence that is not easy to do or even done well by most people standards. The level of syllabic acrobatics he does on No Dope on Sundays will have you questioning your 21st century top 5 dead-or-alive MCs list.

Seriously.

From start to finish, No Dope on Sundays is an ill, slap-your-mama-before-going-to-church-service, rewind-rinse-repeat-and-rejoice effort from an MC who respects the craft that so many have put their all in to create. It isn’t a vibe record or something that you play while sipping on some hallucinogenic drink. CyHi has put together a project that is clear, concise and worthy of the recognition he deserves. You should not be putting any more ZZZ’s on this MC. Get a dose of this fire, as No Dope on Sundays has more than enough beats, rhymes and songwriting (a rarity) to make your head nod off of its shoulders.

Source: Scarface

1. Scarface - Deeply Rooted: The Lost Files

Release Date: Dec. 15, 2017

Featured Tracks: “Black Still,” “Live That Life”

Scarface is one of my top three MCs to ever do it (debate me on Twitter @KevitoClark). His controversial brand of real talk has gotten him into hot water, exposed fraudulent MCs and manage to curb genuine substance over shallow wack shit for almost three decades. With his Deeply Rooted: The Lost Files out, Face shows that he still has it and that you cannot ignore greatness (no matter how hard you might try). Reinterpreting Public Enemy’s 1988 classic “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” for “Black Still,” Face continues to speak out on the injustices that plague our community almost on a daily basis.

The video, which is also a must-see, finds Scarface unabashed and unafraid to speak his mind on the topics of the day. He is truly still one of our leaders in thought-provoking lyrics and visuals. Plus, as the new generation works themselves through this “trap-pop” stage, it would be important and impertinent to learn the ways and means of the icon Brad Jordan. In a year where we have been shot, insulted, denied our rights as human beings, made to feel less than and struggle for a “seat at the table” — it is encouraging to know that Scarface, the H-Town legend, is still fighting for black people and taking shots at racist cops and Trump to push for a better way.

If any of these entries on this list don’t make a bleep on your radar then at least play Deeply Rooted: The Lost Files and get your entire life.