The first of three lists of the best of 2011, according to me. These are just the best albums in my opinion. I welcome any thoughts and different opinions. 

1. Watch the Throne – Watch the Throne

The Throne is an album from two of the greatest rappers of all time, Jay-Z and Kanye West. Everything about this album is larger than life, just as it should be. I love songs like Niggas in Paris and Otis with all of their bravado and excess. What really draws me to this album are tracks like New Day, Murder/Excellence and Why I Love You where these MCs get real and tackle real life issues. I enjoy the clever wordplay, signature flows, and intriguing beats. I was also impressed with the very hooks provided by guest appearances from Beyonce, Frank Ocean, and Mr. Hudson. This is the new standard for hip hop collaborations.

2.  Lupe Fiasco – Lasers

One of my favorite conscious hip hop artists put out an album with club beats? I thought it had to be a joke on first listen but after taking some time with it I found that it had a lot to offer under the surface. Songs like Beautiful Lasers were introspective and extremely personal while Lupe kept it socially conscious with tracks like the powerful Words I Never Said and State Run Radio. Don’t judge this album on first listen or you will miss out.

3.  Childish Gambino – Camp

Actor turned rapper, we have seen this transition made before for better and for worse. Donald Glover put everything he had into showing people that Childish Gambino is no laughing matter. This is serious rap and he does it well. Glover’s wordplay is astounding and you will catch a new line for the first couple times you listen to it. I am a huge fan of how he mixes his personal life with pop culture references and tells interesting stories. He can only get better but he is already off to an amazing start.

4. Common – The Dreamer,The Believer

This album came out late in the year and bumped Lil Wayne’s Carter IV off of my top five list. Common’s last few albums did not hit me as much as this one did. He is clever as always but with an increased sense of urgency this time around. This disc has what the past few didn’t, consistency. He is entertaining and introspective and it makes for a disc full of honest tracks that longtime fans will enjoy. Maybe it was getting back to his roots and working with No ID or just taking more time to write the album but the Common I love is back.

5. The Roots-undun.

I have never been a big Roots fan. I enjoyed a few tracks here and there but nothing really hit me as hard as this album did. I just popped this CD on an end of the year playlist and I was wowed. Instrumentally, the band is on fire as usual but the thing that really hooked me was the lyrics. Relatable to anyone that has struggled at any point in their life, this album is awesome all the way through. I will have to go back through the Roots discography because I am pretty sure this isn’t the only awesome CD in their collection.

Honorable Mentions:

The Game - R.E.D., Lil’ Wayne – Carter IV, Maybach Music Group – Self Made Vol 1.