Milliano's Way: 2011

Top Ten Albums

1.

Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Mr. West returned from a self imposed hiatus to deliver his most creative and lyrical album to date, while continuously pushing the boundaries of rap/hip hop with the unconventional song structures present on this album. An album far ahead of it's time, Kanye continues to raise the bar with stand out cuts such as "Dark Fantasy", "All Of The Lights", and "Blame Game". MBDTF is by Kanye's best work today.

2.

Reflection Eternal- Revolutions Per Minute
Talib and Hi-Tek reunite 8 years later for the follow up to the monumental "Train of Thought" and the wait was well worth it. Anchored by the top notch board work of Hi-Tek (one of the most underrated producers to date) and the lyrical dexterity of Talib this album is the perfect kryptonite to the monotness that is present on the radio. Tracks such as "Ballad of the Black Gold", "In The Red", and "Long Hot Summer" alone ought to justify the ranking of this album. A definite must have for true hip hop fiends.

3.

Rick Ross- Teflon Don
Teflon Don finds the Bawse Ricky Ross at the top of his game as he continues to improve with every album. Not even beef with 50 Cent could derail this album. This album provides the perfect sonic backdrop for Ross' delivery and style and also finds Rozay expanding his horizons on tracks such as "Free Mason", "Tears of Joy" which features a powerful hook from Goodie Mob front man Cee-Lo Green, and "All The Money In The World" featuring Raphael Saadiq. Dont worry The Boss keeps the streets happy with anthems such as "Aston Martin Music" and the infectious "B.M.F.'

4.

The Roots- How I Got Over
This may be one of the most introspective Roots' albums to date. While this album is feature heavy, Black Thought manages to out rap every guest on every track with the exception being a standout verse from Phonte on "Now Or Never", with that said every feature was well placed and each artist did more than hold their own alongside of the rhyme veteran. How I Got Over may require a second and maybe third listen to some to realize how dope and intense it is but this album is by far one the best albums of the years lyrically and production wise.

5.

Ghostface Killah- Apollo Kids

Ironman returns with another hard hitting soulful collection of Wu bangers. Apollo Kids lives up to the level of quality present in Ghost's stellar catalouge. A few tracks from the Rza may have boosted Apollo Kids standing on this list but all in all a well put together album which proves that Ghost hasn't lost a step lyrically or conceptually. Tracks such as "Purified Thoughts" featuring GZA and Killah Preist, "2gether Baby", and "Troublemakers" which features Raekwon, Method Man, and Redman bring out the best in Tone Starks.

6.

Skyzoo and !llmind- Live From The Tape Deck

Still missing the Skyzoo train? This is the perfect time to hop on. After dropping the near flawless "The Salvation", S-k-y-z-o-o teams up with producer !llmind for a very efficient exercise of lyricism and production. The duo teeter along the line of golden era hip hop without sounding outdated which is a very hard feat to accomplish within itself as both emcee and producer sound hungry as ever.Don't believe me just listen to cuts such as "Krylon" and "Frisbees".

7.

David Banner and 9th Wonder- Death Of A Popstar

I waited a long time for this album due to release date set backs, but I must say I am not disappointed one bit. As hard as it may seems, 9th Wonder's immaculate production has seem to improve and become more diverse and provide a much needed back drop and change of paste for rap's Incredible Hulk, David Banner. This album finds Banner at seemingly his most relaxed and comfortable as he the doesn't have the unjust pressure of a major label pressuring him for a radio single. The outcome is the "Cadillac on 22's" and "Seein' Things" David Banner on steroids. Tracks such as "Somethings Wrong" and "The Light" are prefect examples of Banner's and 9th Wonderbread's chemistry.
8. B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray [Explicit]

B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray [Explicit]

B.o.B.- The Adventures of Bobby Ray

The big day finally arrived for Bobby Ray and he did not disappoint. B.o.B. fought through the Andre 3000 comparisons to deliver one of the most diverse sound scape's of the year. No matter what you are into, there is something for everyone on this album. While I would have preferred him to let the world see the lyrical beast that he is more than he did, this album turned out to have a perfect balance and flowed seamlessly throughout. From the Lupe Fiasco assisted "Past My Shades" to "Ghost In The Machine" the Adventures of Bobby Ray didn't miss a beat throughout.

9.

T.I.- No Mercy
Just as it seemed that the King was finally on the path to redemption, he had another minor set back which ended with an eleven month sentence. Before he he left he manage to construct another stellar album along the lines of his previous release "Paper Trail". While No Mercy definitely provides ample tracks that focus on redemption such as "Get Back Up" and "Castle Walls" tracks such as "Poppin' Bottles" featuring Drake (which would be a surefire hot if Tip had the chance to promote it properly) and the aggressive Kanye and Kid Cudi assisted "Welcome To The World" help provide a good blend to the album.

10.

Nas and Damien Marley- Distant Relatives

Seems that 2010 was the year of the collaborative albums and most were done in good taste, Distant Relatives is no different. An album that focus' on Africa, our culture, and the ills of society can be easily overlooked in today's music climate as is the case with this album. This is easily one of the most lyrical album this year with Damien Marley and Nas both bringing the heat on nearly every track. If you haven't heard this album you are doing yourself a disservice (see "As We Enter" , "Leaders", "Nah Mean" and "My Generation" featuring Lil Tunechi and Joss Stone).

Honorable Mentions