30. Lil Yachty – Lil Boat the Mixtape

Lil Yachty managed to become one of the year’s most divisive artists, calling into question the very definition of hip hop itself and finding both unlikely fans and outspoken enemies. Following the success of tracks like “One Night” and “Minnesota”, the red-haired, auto-tune obsessed singer/rapper dropped his debut project Lil Boat to both massive acclaim and total derision. Opening with some of Ellen Degeneres’ dialogue from Finding Nemo, the intro track “Just Keep Swimming” introduces both the unflinchingly positive tone of the album and Yachty’s dual personalities: the rapper Lil Boat, and the singer Lil Yachty. From heartfelt love songs like “Out Late”, to the hater-dismissing “Wanna Be Us” and “Not My Bro”, to the positive vibes exuded on “Good Day” and “We Did It (Outro) *Positivity Song*”, Yachty created an album that’s remarkably catchy and has more replayability than almost any release this year. It’s difficult to describe exactly what it is about Lil Boat the Mixtape, but it’s an album that just feels good to listen to.

29. Kweku Collins – Nat Love

Nat Love is simply one of the most pleasant albums you’ll hear this year. Illinois rapper Kweku Collins is one of the brightest voices on the steadily growing Closed Sessions label (along with Jamila Woods, #26 on this list), and has managed to create one of the albums I’ve listened to the most this year despite still being a teenager. Named for Nat Love, the former slave-turned cowboy/black folk hero, Collins’ first full-length project (following his acclaimed 2015 EP Say It Here, While It’s Safe) is everything fans have come to expect from the incredibly introspective artist. Mixing rapping and singing, while combining elements of trap and neo-soul, Nat Love is an inspirational testament to working through anxiety and learning how to save the world. “Stupid Rose” is a regretful love song to both a girl (“If I’m a rapper, then she’s a bad bitch”) and marijuana that manages to do justice to a flip of D’Angelo’s “One Mo’ Gin”; Jamila Woods and Collins connect on the vulnerable, piano-heavy “Ego Killed Romance”; and “The Outsiders” takes the classic S.E. Hinton novel and turns it into a lovely ode to both romance and the city of Chicago (“Can you see the sun set real good on the West Side? You can see it on the East Side too”). Kweku Collins has a massive career ahead of him, and if Nat Love is any indication he’s going to become one of the brightest voices in Chicago.

28. Rihanna – Anti

Rihanna’s come a long way since dropping “Pon de Replay” at 15 years old. With Anti, she manages to leave behind a lot of the pop sounds that’s made her one of the biggest stars in the world, and embraced a far more R&B-inspired edge that’s always existed on the periphery of her pop hits. Opening with a duet with TDE songstress SZA with “Consideration”, Anti progresses through some really tender songwriting and a variety of different musical styles. Singles like “Kiss It Better” and the Drake-assisted “Work” give her the radio replay she’s known for, but Rihanna’s incomparable vocals really shine on the tender “Close To You” and the badass, self-affirming DJ Mustard track “Needed Me” (“fuck your white horse and a carriage”). The Travis Scott-assisted “Woo” has Scott’s murky trap feel, “Never Ending” incorporates subtle elements of country, and “Same Ol’ Mistakes” is a surprisingly decent cover of Tame Impala’s 2015 track. Anti is by far Rihanna’s best project to date, with a cohesive sound and a variety of emotional tracks that show off her incredible vocal abilities.

27. Travis Scott – Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight

Since gaining acclaim as the guy who helped Kanye make Yeezus, Travis Scott has managed to turn himself into one of the biggest artists in the world right now. Many fans felt let down by the sprawling, often directionless Rodeo album (the followup to his acclaimed Days Before Rodeo mixtape), but Scott managed to really come into his sound with his sophomore album. Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, named for a Quavo lyric from “Pick Up the Phone” and referencing Grammy-winning singer Brian McKnight, has all the murky, trap-tinged, atmospheric production of Scott’s early work, but with the help of executive producer Mike Dean he’s managed to create a far more enticing and focused album. The features alone are enough to draw significant attention: André 3000 delivers a menacing verse about child serial killer Wayne Williams; Scott’s hero Kid Cudi brings his trademark hums and emotional lyrics to “Through the Late Night”; Kendrick Lamar delivers a stellar verse for “Goosebumps”; and 21 Savage brings some of his best work to date for “Outside”. Bryson Tiller, the Weeknd, Young Thug, and newcomer Nav are only a handful of the rest of artists featured on the project. Travis Scott’s vocals have never been better, and his debauched tales of sex and intoxicants have never been so well-articulated. Scott’s proven himself as more than a hit-maker: he’s an artist capable of moody, fully-realised albums that show his incredible potential.

26. Jamila Woods – Heavn

Jamila Woods started out in the R&B duo M&O (fka Milo & Otis), and began gaining acclaim for her features on tracks like Saba’s “Butter”, Chance the Rapper’s “Blessings”, and most notably Donnie Trumpet’s “Sunday Candy”. Heavn is her first solo record, released through Closed Sessions, and Jamila uses her spotlight to celebrate both black feminity and the city of Chicago. Recruiting Noname for “VRY BLK”, a self-affirming testament that borrows the vocal melody for Mary Mack; Chance the Rapper for the Lake Shore Drive-celebrating “LSD”; and other fellow Chicagoites Lorine Chia, Donnie Trumpet, and Saba, Heavn is a true Chicago record, incorporating all the best elements of the city’s neo-soul tradition with a healthy dose of jazz, soul, and R&B. Jamila’s hooks have brought her a lot of acclaim, but her solo debut is an absolutely beautiful and powerful testament to the issues close to her heart.

25. Young Thug – Jeffery

Originally titled No, My Name Is Jeffery, Young Thug announced this album with the intention of rebranding himself. Not wanting his kids to grow up knowing him as “Young Thug”, Jeffery Lamar Williams asked to be referred to by his birth name for the week this mixtape was released. Under this temporary new moniker, Young Thug released one of his best projects to date. The tracklist featured a list of his biggest inspirations, from Wyclef Jean, Kanye West, and Guwop to the late Harambe. Thug’s sound has never been so refined, as he fully embraces his unconventionality and massive range of styles: even the cover art is unconventional, featuring Thugga in a dress, but we’ve come to expect this kind of defiant androgyny from him. Jeffery bounces between guttural yelling (“Harambe” and emotional wails (“RiRi”), and shows off the ridiculous variety of sounds Thug is able to produce with his voice alone. Guests include Quavo, Offset, Gucci Mane, Wyclef Jean, and Travis Scott on their joint collaboration “Pick Up the Phone” (which also appeared on Scott’s last album).

 24. Denzel Curry – Imperial

2016 was Denzel Curry’s biggest year to date. Following years of a huge underground following and collaborations with the likes of Lil Ugly Mane, tracks like “Knotty Head”, “Gook”, and the resplendence of his 2015 hit “Ultimate” on Vine brought his name directly into mainstream attention. With an aggressive flow and incredible wordplay, Imperial is Curry’s most impressive project to date. Curry shouts his lyrics with forceful aggression and unbridled anger tracks like “Gook” and “ULT”, but manages to show a softer (yet no less aggressive) side with “Pure Enough” and the Twelve’len-assisted “If Tomorrow’s Not Here”. Rick Ross and Joey Bada$$ provide the album’s other two features, and both bring their A game, and producers including the Internet’s Steve Lacy and rap collective $uicideboy$ provide a varied array of incredible production. Curry attacks a variety of heartfelt topics on Imperial, from the death of A$AP Yams to police aggression. Imperial is a loud, angry project, but it shows previously unseen sides of Denzel Curry, and establishes him as one of the East Coast’s most exciting new voices.

23. Mac Miller – The Divine Feminine

Mac Miller has had one of the most impressive progressions in rap history, growing up from a foul-mouthed frat boy to a philosophical lovemaker. Watching Movies with the Sound Off, Faces, and GO:OD AM established the terrifying psychological and chemical issues that plague Mac’s life, but a sense of security and a newfound romance with longtime friend Ariana Grande have allowed the Pittsburgh rapper to embrace a far more positive side of hip hop. Whereas his past few albums have been obsessed with death, The Divine Feminine is obsessed with love: it’s named after a philosophy that compares the intricacies of the universe to the heavenly nature of feminity, believing that one must treat the universe like a woman (with love, respect, and nurturing) in order to get the best back. The result is the most original album in Mac’s discography, embracing elements of R&B and jazz, with Mac singing far more than he raps. He may not have the most conventionally impressive voice, but his emotions play across every line. Kendrick Lamar provides an incredible, unconventional feature for the eight-minute outro “God Is Fair, Sexy Nasty”, CeeLo Green blesses early single “We”, Anderson .Paak provides one of his best hooks for the instantly-catchy “Dang!”, and Ariana and Mac share a heartfelt duet on “My Favorite Part”. It’s a very strange record from the guy who made “Nikes on my Feet”, but it’s so much fun to watch Mac explore new things with a newfound sense of love.

22. Saba – Bucket List Project

Following up his acclaimed ComfortZone mixtape, Saba has been teasing Bucket List Project for the past couple years, and it was worth the wait. Citing Lupe Fiasco as his biggest influence, Bucket List doesn’t idealize Saba’s hometown of West Side Chicago. All the harsh realities of one of America’s most violent cities are laid bare across the 13-track record, and the album’s subtle obsession with death is highlighted by the skits that finish nearly every song. Artists from Chance the Rapper to Stunt Taylor to Lupe Fiasco himself list the items on their bucket list, all the things they hope to accomplish before they die.The concept of “bucket” is used twofold in this album, however, referring to both the titular list and Saba’s car, a symbol of community and opportunity (“but I know my bucket gonn’ make it to California”). Bucket List is a project that can’t help but root itself in death and vices, citing the close proximity of liquor stores, funeral homes, and churches on the Noname-assisted “Church/Liquor Store”. Saba’s writing has never been clearer and more illuminating, and while ComfortZone spent a lot of time in Saba’s own head, Bucket List Project takes a much wider approach to the world around him.

21. Gallant – Ology

With an opening tour slot for Sufjan Stevens and a hit single with “Weight in Gold” in 2015, many expected Gallant to blow up this year, and they won’t be disappointed. Following his largely-unnoticed Zebra EP, the D.C. R&B singer delivered an absolutely stellar project with Ology. Gallant has a heartmelting voice, capable of soaring highs and sensual lows, peaking in remarkably high falsettos that could even put 2016-Childish Gambino to shame. Ology features some incredible songwriting, as Gallant uses the record to make a study of himself (the suffix -ology being defined as “study of”); from his fear of a breakdown on “Talking to Myself”, to self-medicating, faith-questioning “Bourbon” and “Counting”, to the relationship struggles described on “Episodes” and “Jupiter”. Jhené Aiko comes through with the album’s sole feature on the heartfelt duet “Skipping Stones”. In a year of excellent R&B, Ology is a phenomenal, standout project from a new artist with a undeniably successful career ahead of him.