Best Albums of 2013 (So Far)
Record-setting debuts, big comebacks and more.
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The Best of the Best - 2013 is the year of the comeback. With several of music’s most revered artists releasing some of their most outstanding material to date, we’ve rounded up some of the best albums of the year, thus far. With Jay Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, J. Cole's Born Sinner and Kanye West’s Yeezus still on the tongues of music aficionados everywhere, it’s safe to say that for being only seven months in, this year in music is proving to be pretty sweet.By Moriba Cummings(Photos from left: Courtesy ROC NATION, GOOD Music)
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Jay Z, Magna Carta Holy Grail - Hov’s latest studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail is riding high, topping the Billboard 200 unconvential release on July 4th. The 16-track LP boasts features from Jay’s Legend of the Summer tour-mate Justin Timberlake, wife Beyoncé, and fellow hip hop veteran Nas, to name a few. Hov tackles both deeply personal (fatherhood) and pop culture (Miley Cyrus’ twerking addiction) topics, while continuing to merge the worlds of high-end art and hip hop.(Photo: Roc Nation)
Photo By Photo: RocNation
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Kanye West, Yeezus - Always one to push the envelope with his music, Kanye West went well off the reservation on his sixth solo album, Yeezus. Still, the hip hop star left no doubt as to prowess as a production wunderkind. Boasting heavy synths, bass lines, and sparse unconventional sounds, Yeezus may be Ye’s best produced album to date. The brazen nonconformist approach is an example of Ye communicating his genius well before the masses are equipped to comprehend.(Photo: Roc-a-Fella Records, GOOD Music)
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J. Cole, Born Sinner - Music lovers can appreciate nothing more than quantity and quality in one package. J. Cole’s sophomore effort Born Sinner, is an exercise in both. The 16-track set on Born Sinner’s regular edition offers quality with fan favorites “Power Trip” and “Let Nas Down,” while the additional five tracks on the deluxe version provides "quantity" for the die hards. Born Sinner sees the rapper take a more introspective and honest approach to his music, ignoring the politics of radio spins and chasing hits for what many simply call good music.(Photo: ROC NATION)
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Wale, The Gifted - It took him a while to get here, three albums to be exact, but Wale has earned the title,The Gifted. Released last month (June 25) Wale nabbed his first No. 1 album by giving listeners pensive insight into his imaginative world through a sound that has been dubbed "new Black soul." With big names like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and 2 Chainz on board, Wale proves that he's a master storyteller and poet. Not to mention, possessing the acumen for hit making. The album’s lead single, “Bad,” featuring Tiara Thomas is one of the genre's biggest singles of the year...so far.(Photo: Maybach Music Group)
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Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience - After being absent from the music scene for seven long years, many began to believe that Justin Timberlake put down the mic once and for all. That is, until now. The former *NSYNC front man shocked the world with the release of his unequivocally groovy album The 20/20 Experience. With no song lasting under five minutes, it was apparent that JT took his time to give his fans the best work he could possibly produce. Leading his comeback with the spring anthem “Suit & Tie” featuring rap titan Jay Z, Justin mixed a variety of sounds and moods on this project to help give the biggest first week sales (968,000) of the year. From the sensually smooth and summery “Strawberry Bubblegum” to the samba-infused sounds of “Let The Groove Get In,” Justin made it resoundingly clear that he’s back.(Photo: RCA)
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A$AP Rocky, Long.Live.A$AP - Bridging the gap between hip hop and contemporary pop and rock, Long.Live.A$AP features guest appearances from hip hop heavy hitters like Drake, Schoolboy Q and Big K.R.I.T., and also pop and rock’s new movers and shakers like Florence Welch and Santigold. With recognizable hits like “F**kin’ Problems" and “Goldie” already under his belt, this is clearly only the beginning for A$AP Rocky. Long live A$AP, indeed.(Photo: Interscope Records)
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El-P & Killer Mike, Run the Jewels - El and Mike are focused on one thing on this album: pleasing your ears. Leaving the heavy issues of rap’s current “state” and their musical legacies at the door, these two rappers joined forces to make hip hop listeners simply feel… good. The 10-song, 40-minute heavy-hitting LP cuts to the chase, showcasing more straightforward production than is expected from both artists, and it totally works!(Photo: Fool's Gold Records)
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Mac Miller, Watching Movies With the Sound Off - Making almost a complete transformation from the happy-go-lucky aspirational fan-like demeanor of his debut album, Blue Slide Park, to the mildly darker and more philosophically sound Watching Movies With the Sound Off, Mac Miller is a true testament that with growth comes great success. Collaborating with the likes of rap favorites Jay Electronica and Action Bronson, Miller officially ditches the premature good-boy persona for a more mature and experienced sound on this album.(Photo: Rostrum Records)
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Ciara, Ciara - After the much publicized failure of her fourth studio effort, Basic Instinct, Ciara’s proven that determination never fails. The Atlanta-bred singer’s self-titled album sees her soar to a height that she hasn’t since 2006’s Ciara: The Evolution. With the album’s lead single, “Body Party,” taking the Billboard Hot 100 by storm and her second offering, "I’m Out," featuring femcee Nicki Minaj following close behind, Ciara is only warming up for what’s to come. With a slew of single potentials such as “Super Turnt Up,” “Read My Lips” and “Overdose” just waiting to be released, Ciara is surely about to turn up this year. Welcome back, CiCi.(Photo: Epic Records)
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Lil’ Wayne, I Am Not a Human Being II - I Am Not a Human Being II, the 10th studio album from Young Money poster child Lil Wayne, sees the rapper prove that he is surely not from this planet. Rounding up a who’s who of hip hop’s current scene such as Nicki Minaj, Drake and Future, Lil Wayne continues to push the envelope of controversy in his raps.(Photo: Young Money Records)