#5EUK Top 25 Albums of 2023 (10-1)
Welcome one & all! The final list to cap off my EoY Lists: Top 10 Albums of the overall 25 for the year 2023.
This Top 10 for me is one that I’m very proud of for its variety. Just in the Top 5 alone, they all sit in their own unique sounds. It’s something I’ve noticed when it comes to my tastes: whilst Hip-Hop will always be the reason I do many of the things I do, I’m settling into so many more camps and they’re all bringing me joy in some capacity.
I think this Top 10 really reflects my growth in taste variety & appreciation for things that even five years ago would be outside my purview. Hell, even the other albums in the Top 25 are good indicators of that! Go read if you inexplicably came here first.
Anyway, personal reflection out of the way, lets begin the top 10 with some energy!
№10. Tkay Maidza — Sweet Justice
Just outside the Top 10 is an artist that is without doubt one of the most versatile artists going right now.
I’ve been a fan of Tkay Maidza since LYWW Vol. 2, she has been a mainstay on either my EP lists, Songs lists or both! But the one question remained: What would a Tkay Maidza album be like?
We have our answer and it’s an emphatic one.
“Sweet Justice” is a perfect example of the versatility I was talking about. Spin the album once and you’ll get what I mean. No song is the same. She can float over dreamy production like “Love and Other Drugs” but then right after that she’s meeting the energy of “WUACV” which is a couple of distortion notches away from sounding like a JPEGMAFIA track.
Let’s go again! Who else is bouncing on “Ghost!”, going pat pum vibes with “Ring-a-Ling” AND then flexing with “Free Throws”?
Hopefully I’ve mad my point. Missing her live this year was one of my biggest misses.
Favourite Tracks — Love and Other Drugs, Gone to the West & Walking On Air
№9. Kelela — Raven
This one really grew on me. Whilst I enjoyed the 1st listen when it came out in early February, I didn’t have it on my mind like I did with the others above it, even some under it in this list! But here it is, at number 9.
It’s crazy to think that Kelela’s progressive “Take Me Apart” dropped in 2017. I remember a ton of people — me included — became fans of Kelela at that moment.
But like the Avatar, she vanished. Six years later, “Raven” drops and she’s back like she’s never left.
“Washed Away” is one of the best beginnings to any album this year. Jesus Christ her vocals just send me to space. Funny enough, “Far Away” which extends the prior track is one of the best finishes to an album! Starting to get why this is in the 10 yet?
Don’t worry, I was the same when spinning this for the 2nd & 3rd time.
In the middle of those book-ending bangers are an assortment of Queer-centred dance tunes, mixed with moments of ambience to break things up. At just over an hour, it really takes you to a sense of euphoria if you allow it to; pulling you to different senses gently and letting you off the ship at just the right time. Welcome back, Kelela; can’t wait for the remixes.
Favourite Tracks — Washed Away, Contact & Bruises
№8. Charlie Smarts & DJ Ill Digitz — Charlietape
This is a record that I am pretty confident nobody has put on their lists. And what a shame that is honestly!
Kooley High alum Charlie Smarts & DJ Ill Digitz team up for this Mixtape-style album “Charlietape” that is simply a great Hip-Hop record in my eyes. I adore the way this album is crafted; the producer & feature list is plentiful: 9th Wonder, Skyzoo, Eric G, Nolan The Ninja and J Scienide to name a few.
My fellow Charlie is a hugely underrated lyricist, he really makes this project his, floating over high quality beats; the record scratches are tasty and the samples!!! Can’t get enough of it all.
And I can’t not mention the ton of shoutouts that the Charlietape gets, I’ll leave you to listen on that front. It really adds to the fun essence.
Chiefly, this album is one of my favourites when it comes to sequencing. The way this project flows from songs to next is butter-smooth. A Hip-Hop record in every sense of the word.
Favourite Tracks — Haters Anonymous, Honey Check It Out & Mezzanine
№7. Nas — Magic 3
It had to have been the final one eh!
The commentary around Nas & Hit-Boy’s run has been one of fatigue, as if you guys HAVE to listen to these projects. As if Nasir Jones himself took you hostage or something.
My outlook towards the Magic & King’s Disease series is one of appreciation. To have two artists with clearly amazing chemistry cook up six albums in a few years is worth respecting. I don’t even like all of the albums — in fact — this is the 2nd of the six to actually make an appearance on my lists!
You can appreciate and not rate some of the work; you don’t have to like everything Nas puts out, it didn’t stop you before KD1 and it shouldn’t stop you now.
Rant aside — as final albums go — this one is so poetically done. Coinciding with Nas turning 50, the songs for the majority are reflective and full of gratitude. The storytelling for the two “Based On True Events” tracks are great and “No Tears” made my Songs list for this year.
Other reflective tracks like “Speechless, Pt. 2” & “I Love This Feeling” really bring home the celebratory nature of the album in more ways than one.
Favourite Tracks — No Tears, Sitting With My Thoughts & Japanese Soul Bar
№6. Janelle Monae — The Age of Pleasure
We have now reached the part of the album list where the next six albums were pretty much instant locks upon first listening to them, it was just a matter of how I was going to rank them.
Beginning with the incomparable Janelle Monae’s “The Age of Pleasure”. Whist it’s nowhere near as dense as her past albums, this is by far the most fun first listens I have ever had.
I don’t know how Janelle managed to make something with such a carefree nature to it, but then I saw that “Lipstick Lover” video…
Where was I? Oh, right.
Every track on here bangs. An album for hot girls & boys alike to jam to at any summer function. You got bad bitch anthems like “Phenomenal” & “Haute”, transitioning to “Oooh La La” which is more an interlude but with Grace Jones talking French into your ear and then going straight into “Lipstick Lover”?! Absurd run of tracks.
The sequencing of this album is top tier, the features are perfect; the album achieves exactly what it’s aiming for.
Favourite Tracks — Float, Champagne Shit & Know Better
№5. Skyzoo & The Other Guys — The Mind Of A Saint
Kicking off the Top 5 is my favourite Hip-Hop album of 2023 and just so happens to be the first album I spun this year!
Skyzoo — who has quickly become one of my favourite rappers in recent years — and producing duo The Other Guys team up with an amazing concept that speaks to me and I’m sure a ton of other people if they watch a certain TV show…
Some words from Skyzoo.
If you’ve never seen Snowfall, you’ll think it’s a really great album, but if you’re an avid fan of Snowfall, you’ll truly feel as if Franklin, the conflicted boy genius turned millionaire and career criminal, truly did pick up a pen and pad to write his life story over a bed of beats.
If you haven’t gathered yet, this is a concept album where Skyzoo embodies Franklin Saint — the protagonist of “Snowfall” — and with soulful production from The Other Guys, the effect is powerful.
Along with notable clips from the show, the album goes from strength to strength, embodying not just the character but the worldview, the people around Franklin and justifying the increasingly violent actions he took from season to season.
With one of my favourite shows in “Snowfall” ending this year, it was a perfect time for this album to happen and the execution was impeccable.
Favourite Tracks — Panthers & Powder, 100 to One & Bodies!
№4. Hempress Sativa — CHARKA
There’s only three women in music I refer to as a ‘Queen’: Little Simz, Emeli Sande & Hempress Sativa.
I have different reasons for all three, but for Hempress… Her name is HEMPRESS! C’mon!
In the grand scheme — I’m a relatively new fan of Hempress Sativa — but lucky for me, she dropped her second album “CHARKA” this year. I was VERY interested in what she had to say considering her last album dropped in 2017.
And what this album ended up becoming was a riveting, gripping and powerful body of work.
The first two tracks in “Freedom” & one of my Songs of the year in “Sound The Trumpet” — both over six minutes — are some of the best examples of Roots/Dub Reggae fusions you’ll ever hear. Especially “Sound The Trumpet” which literally becomes a Dub remix halfway through. If you’ve never spun Dub Reggae and you like bass, put your ear/headphones on and thank me later.
Past that, the album goes deep into the Rastafarian roots Hempress Sativa holds so dear, it is extremely refreshing to hear from someone such as herself, there aren’t enough voices like her.
The bars on “Ghetto Life” are deep, the fun of “Top Rank Queens” is palpable and the rub-a-dub style of “Strickly Roots” is just an earworm.
All hail the Queen.
Favourite Tracks — Sound The Trumpet, Top Rank Queens & Strickly Roots
№3. Jalen Ngonda — Come Around and Love Me
For the bronze, we have an aptly brown-coloured album artwork but more importantly, my favourite R&B album by a male since Aaron Taylor got the same spot in 2020.
My adoration for Jalen Ngonda and his album “Come Around and Love Me” was as instant as that first play on the title track.
“FINALLY” — I said to myself — “someone went back and brought to me that Old Soul that sings to me!”
Seriously how did this man teleport back in time and get all this heat?! In the same way Laura Mvula went ahead and created one of the best 80s pastiche albums of recent memory, (There are a lot of them) or even Leon Bridges with his albums, Jalen Ngonda had the vision and executed it to perfection.
Every song is soft, soulful and sonically sweet. Jalen’s song writing and vocals — whoo them vocals — are top notch, holding the time period he’s aiming at tightly.
If you love the era of Gaye, Smokey & Ruffin, you have yourself a modern take that will make you want to sway in the middle of the room with your significant other.
Favourite Tracks — Come Around and Love Me, Lost & What a Difference She Makes
№2. Brandee Younger — Brand New Life
This is an album that is worthy of providing context. For that, we have to go back, way back.
It’s February, 1968 and Dorothy Ashby has just dropped what will be considered one of the greatest uses of the Harp in modern music. It was classed a Jazz-Funk record but holds a ton more elements from the Jazz world and even the world of Soul.
“Hold up Charlie” I hear you say, “who is Dorothy Ashby?”
My bad, I got ahead of myself! The irony is that I asked that question to myself this year as well. Dorothy Ashby was a singer, composer and most importantly, a Jazz Harpist. In fact, we could call her THE Jazz Harpist. With her work spanning over 30 years, she wasn’t hailed in the way she is now. To quote her on the battles she faced via Living the Jazz Life:
“It’s been maybe a triple burden in that not a lot of women are becoming known as jazz players. There is also the connection with black women. The audiences I was trying to reach were not interested in the harp, period — classical or otherwise — and they were certainly not interested in seeing a black woman playing the harp.”
She died in 1986 and it seemed that the trail she blazed wasn’t seen by anyone.
Whilst we can thank Hip-Hop a little for the occasional sampling of her work, (Big ups Pete Rock & Jurassic 5 to name a couple) Brandee Younger went ahead and created a work that’s beautiful regardless of the context I just gave you.
An African-American harpist, creating an album based on the writing & compositions of her musical mother. I dare you to find another album with such weight.
I’ve been listening to Brandee Younger for a few years now and every time I see her name on someone else’s record I get excited. I genuinely enjoy the harp and she plays it to dreamy effect.
The aptly named “Brand New Life” is exactly that, bringing in some of my favourite names in music including Makaya McCraven, MuMu Fresh, Meshell Ndegeocello; 9th Wonder and the aforementioned Pete Rock; this album is not just reaching back, but also tipping a hat to Hip-Hop.
So you can understand why I love this album so much. The storytelling, the homages, the music itself with all the blending of worlds. I think Ms Ashby would be proud.
Favourite Tracks — Brand New Life, Livin’ And Lovin’ In My Own Way & Moving Target
№1. Adi Oasis — Lotus Glow
I’m trying to think. Have I had a №1 from an artist I never heard of when the year began? Maybe Ocean Wisdom in 2018 but I could be wrong on that.
Regardless if that is the case or not, consider it at minimum a rarity or at maximum a near impossibility to have someone completely fresh to me to be at the top of my Album list.
Since this is number one, a little story on how I discovered Adi Oasis.
For the past two years (and locked in for a third) I have been going to Cross The Tracks: The self-proclaimed “№1 Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival”. I have had an amazing times in both years I’ve went — but for purpose of this story — there’s one moment that I will note out of all the experiences I had.
Upon seeing the line-up for this year’s edition, I saw Adi Oasis and clocked that her album “Lotus Glow” in March. I thought “sure, why not?” (because that’s how you discover boys & girls!)
And I would say the rest is history but whilst I really loved spinning the album, I circled her for the Festival.
I took photos if you’d like to see a months-pregnant bass player figuratively step on my neck but just know that her show was such a vibe.
NOW, the rest is history. And it is my favourite album for 2023.
This is the rare album where the highs are in space and the bass-line (pun intended) is freaking superb music. The Funk elements of this album are so damn filthy, her vocals are so high and expressive but honestly it is just something about women playing bass! Her and Laura Lee, just something about them!
The French-Caribbean talent weaves sexy basslines with just as sexy lyrics, (see “Multiply”) the features — whilst great — (big ups Jamila Woods & Aaron Taylor) they’re merely footnotes to a towering Adi Oasis who takes up so much airspace it’s frankly impressive how much of an impression she has left on me over this year. I simply can’t get enough of how slow & indulgent this body of work is.
For me, it was love at first listen…
Favourite Tracks — Get it Got it, Marigold & FourSixty
Honourable Mentions
Oddisee — To What End
Reuben Vincent — Love Is War
Liv.e — Girl in the Half Pearl
Nappy Nina — Mourning Due
Braxton Cook — Who Are You When No One Is Watching?
Neak — Die Wurzel
Masego — Masego
NappyHigh & Memnoc — 93Gold
Kota The Friend & Statik Selektah — To See A Sunset
Dizzy Wright — Live at Daddy Macs
Che Lingo — Coming Up For Air
Shame Gang — Better Late Than Never
Vic Spencer — If George Bush Was Cool
Planet Giza — Ready When You Are
Dinner Party — Enigmatic Society
El Michels Affair & Black Thought — Glorious Game
Total Refreshment Centre — Transmissions From Total Refreshment Centre
Alfa Mist — Variables
Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Lonnie Liston Smith — Lonnie Liston Smith JID017
Nines — Crop Circle 2
Kid Abstrakt & Leo Low Pass — Still Dreaming
Madison McFerrin — I Hope You Can Forgive Me
K.A.A.N & D-Ace — Ignorance Is Bliss
Green Kanine — Two
Hannah Jadagu — Aperture
Maeta — When I Hear Your Name
Speech Debelle — Sunday Dinner On a Monday
Meshell Ndegeocello — The Omnichord Real Book
Adrian Younge & Tony Allen — Tony Allen JID018
Melonyx — Soul Glow
P Money — Money Over Everyone 4
rum.gold — U Street Anthology
Nas — Magic 2
J Hus — Beautiful and Brutal Yard
Verbz, Nelson Dialect & Mr Slipz — Sight Beyond Sight
CHIKA — SAMSON: THE ALBUM
Marla Brown — Remedy
Jastin Martin — Miss Me Yet?
K.A.A.N & MIKE SUMMERS — The Death Of A Rapper
Noname — Sundial
Jungle — Volcano
REASON — Porches
Mick Jenkins — The Patience
C.S. Armstrong — COME AS YOU ARE
NappyHigh — MENACE
Digga D — Back To Square One
The Good People — A Good Year
Jaime Branch — Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
Cleo Sol — Heaven
OTG — MAN OF A FEW
Ian Kelly & Drew Banga — Soulful of it
Jaszy Shavers — Voyage To Surrender
SANITY — Bruises To Blossoms
Nick Grant — SUNDAY DINNER
Kamaal Williams — Stings
Nines — Crop Circle 3
P Money & Whiney — Streets, Love & Other Stuff
Sola — Warped Soul
CARRTOONS — Saturday Night
Shay Lia — FACETS
Terrace Martin & Alex Isley — I Left My Heart In Ladera
Vic Spencer & August Fanon — Psychological Cheat Sheet 4
Dirty Needles — Happy Accident
Resavoir — Resavoir
Arlissa — The OPEN-HEARTED
TOBi — PANIC
Devon Gilfillian — Love You Anyway
Protoje & Zion I Kings — In Search Of Zion
Black Pumas — Chronicles of a Diamond
Summer-Pearl — outmysystem
Danny Brown — Quaranta
Sirens Of Lesbos — Peace
Emeli Sandé — How Were We To Know
Astrocolor — Moonlighting — AstroJazz Vol. 1
Tapioca — Samba em Kigali
The Circling Sun — Spirits
Butcher Brown - Solar Music
