It's that time of year where every website you go to is putting together their "year-end lists", well, TOTR is no exception. Oh except for the fact that these lists only include free releases from the artists. I was on hiatus for a few months so there's a good chance I missed some great releases. If you feel like I left something off the list, please leave a comment. Well, with no further adieu, I present Top Of The Roof's Top 7 (because why not?) Free Releases of 2011.
1. Childish Gambino - Freaks & Geeks EP
Freaks & Geeks was actually my introduction to Childish Gambino's (aka Donald Glover) music. I was absoultely blown away. The production was impeccable, the lyrics were on point, and on top of all of that, it really gave the listener of sense of "this is who Donald Glover really is". Ludwig Göransson is also due a ton of credit for the beautiful backdrop to Glover's vocals. Great production can really help set you apart from everybody else. I can't tell you how many times I listened to this whole EP on my way to work and then get off work and listen to the whole EP again on my way home. This came out in March (at least that's when I found it) and it never got old throughout the course of 2011. I had trouble narrowing down this list however, I had no trouble figuring out that Freeks & Geeks would be #1. If you've been living under a rock and still haven't heard it, check it out
HERE.
2. The Weeknd - House Of Balloons
Canadian singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye dominated 2011 releasing 3 full length FreeLP's with each one being met with critical acclaim. None, however, garnered quite as much attention as his debut, House of Balloons. Teaming up with fellow Canadian producer, Noah "40" Shebib, The Weeknd delivered what was easily the most unique, and yet still, top shelf releases of 2011. Breaking the norm for standard R&B, The Weeknd crafted epic 7 minute tracks that didn't stick to any standard song structure and definitely broke the profanity barrier rarely crossed in todays R&B scene. There's no better album (retail or free) that is better suited to be played in it's entirety while driving at night, and driving in the rain. If there was a "Sexiest Music of 2011" list, this would be #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5. Check out House of Balloons
HERE.
3. XV - Zero Heroes
TOTR All Freshmen Team representative continued his strong showing releasing yet another great FreeLP with Zero Heroes. When I first heard Zero Heroes, I didn't expect it to end up being one of my favorite releases of 2011. But as I continued to listen to it, I continued to be more and more impressed by the sheer awesomeness of XV. Vizzy made some great moves by enlisting long time collaborator, Seven to handle a large portion of the production. Nobody knows how to help the Kansas native shine quite like Seven does. He's come a long way since 2006 and with Zero Heroes, he only further solidified his spot as one of my favorite "up-and-coming" artists. "Pictures On My Wall" literally gives me goosebumps everytime I listen to it. Check out Zero Heroes
HERE.
4. The Airplane Boys - Where've You Been
The Toronto duo followed up their great 2010 year by delivering one of the years best relesaes in Where've You Been. They're really in a league of their own and this release really showcases the group's unique sound and identity. I don't feel like you can listen to them and go "Oh yea, these guys sound like..." because nobody is doing what they're doing. NOBODY. I'm usually not even a fan of hip hop groups because often times you have one quality emcee surrounded by mediocre ones. That's not the case with The Airplane Boys. Time and time again, they manage to deliver memorable verses with each member taking turns with spotlight. Where've You Been really provided the group with an opportunity to show off their range and versatility and they totally capitalized on it. I think my 3 favorite tracks on this are "Sleep", "Escape", and "Gold Ribbons". Check out Where've You Been
HERE.
5. Phil Adé - A Different World
DMV representative Phil Adé led into his LP by releasing a track every Friday as a part of his #PhilAdeFridays series. Genius move on his part. The problem most artists have with a weekly song series is their inability to put out that much quality music. Not a problem for Phil consdering he manage to drop all of those tracks and then still put out a full length FreeLP that was better than you favorite rappers album this year. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Phil Adé is the emcee Wale should have been but never will be. At the time of writing this, "Second CHance" is likely the favorite to win Song Of The Year. Easily the most played song of the year for me. I love how Phil Adé manages to write amazing bar after bar without ever dipping in the quality. My only knock against A Different World is the guest appearances. I'm sorry but nobody hold their own on tracks with Phil. Check out A Different World
HERE.
6. Chiddy Bang - Peanut Butter & Swelly
Hands down my favorite release from the former Drexel students, Chiddy & Xaphoon Jones. Peanut Butter & Swelly saw Xaphoon Jones at his best production wise and Chiddy at his best on the mic. In short, PB&S is the result of when it all goes right. The groups last big hoo-rah before they release their debut album next February, Chiddy Bang pulled out all the stops and gave us one of the most enjoyable albums of the year. The music really speaks for itself with this one. Check out Peanut Butter & Swelly
HERE.
7. QuESt - The Reason: A Defense Mechanism
The Reason was actually the first FreeLP TOTR posted in 2011. Prior to it's release, I had zero exposure to QuESt so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. What I managed to stumble into was mix of Lupe Fiasco and Kendrick Lamar. That should really be all I have to say about this to make you want to check it out. Track 2, "In My Defense" was a song I played literally every morning on my way to work at TSA for the 3 months that I worked there and yet, I never grew tired of it. There are quite a few tracks on here so I'd be lying if I said I loved all of them, but truthfully, this release was probably better than 90% of the retail hip hop albums that came out this year. I love when an emcee can be super lyrical and yet still craft songs. It seems to be a lost art to balance the two but Miami's QuESt acts as if there's no alternative. Check out The Reason: A Defense Mechanism
HERE.
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By now most of you know of Childish Gambino, a.k.a. Donald Glover. If you don’t, now is good time to get familiar. His recent, Freaks & Geeks EP, is earning him some major attention and even landed the title track in an Adidas commercial. I knew him as Troy Barnes long before I knew of him as Childish Gambino, but being a fan of Glover’s character on Community didn’t affect my opinion of his music. Had his music been terrible, I would have gladly written him off as an “actor turned rapper” and never listened to him again. That wasn’t the case. From the first track off of Freaks and Geeks, “Be Alone”, all expectations of a CG simply being a “gimmick” were shattered. I can’t lie, I was late on Childish Gambino especially considering I didn’t even know he rapped until the end of March. Come to find out, Glover has not only been rapping but even producing (under the moniker mcDJ) for several years. This post is dedicated to spotlighting his from I Am Just A Rapper to his recent Freaks & Geeks EP. CG released 2 mixtapes, titled Sick Boi & Poindexter, prior to I Am Just A Rapper however, Glover dismissed them claiming he had to “hide behind gimmicks” resulting in a less authentic listening experience. It’s important to note that CG and Ludwig Göransson (Composer for Community) have collaborated to produce many of Childish Gambino’s tracks. After listening to these 4 CG releases, I think it’s safe to say Glover is at his best when his lyrics are focused on his internal struggle and duality of character, as well as his sense of mortality. When he’s not airing out his dirty laundry, the resulting product is some of the best “guilty pleasure” braggadocio you can find.
I Do Not Talk seems to be a collection of tracks Donald Glover completed prior to releasing his Freaks And Geeks EP. Childish Gambino started out like most rappers, a little rough around the edges and gradually began to carve out his own niche and this mixtape is proof of that. The mixtape shows Glover's progression/development as an artist in chronological order, so much in fact, he seems unfamiliar at the beginning of the mixtape. After track 6, Gambino seems to resemble his current voice and style making the latter half of I Do Not Talk much more enjoyable. According to Glover, I Do Not Talk is the perfect segway to Culdesac which I can only assume is an upcoming project. I've been eagerly anticipating any sort of new music from Childish Gambino since I recently heard the Freaks & Geeks EP and although this tape can be a little rough around the edges, after it hits its stride it manages to deliver several quality tracks.
