Lamont's Lists

2016 may have sucked in many ways, but it was an awesome year for rap music. There was so much good stuff out there it was hard to keep up - ranging from young upstarts who forced us to re-think the boundaries of what should even be considered hip hop, to elder statesmen who set out to prove they could still hang. Below (in reverse order) is my take on the top 10 rap albums of the year. Enjoy. 10. Royce 5’9” / Layers – Whenever I listen to Royce Da 5’9” I’m reminded of the same fact - this dude can rap his ass off! On Layers , Royce is given ample space to show off his verbal high jinx, which come off as clever, quick-witted and razor-sharp as always. “Dope” is a hilarious take on a hustler’s addiction to the drug game. “Startercoat", is a rapid-fire throw back to the days when Royce rocked the iconic jacket. And “Layers” is a tour de force where he raises his game to compete with Pusha T and Rick Ross who show up for cameos. But he does his best work when he goes beyond ...