Top Hip-Hop Artists of 2011

Ft. Danny Brown, Blu & more...

Blu continues to be the quintessential artist -- mysterious, devoted, and somewhat misunderstood. While staying mostly out of the public eye, the L.A.-based MC put out quite a few projects in 2011, from the electro’d-out NoYork!, the mellow, lo-fi Jesus, the compilation Open, and he just capped off the year by quietly Bandcamp-ing give me my flowers while I can still smell them, his long-awaited second album with Exile. Prolific.

What puts Blu on this particular list instead of another accomplished, talented L.A. rapper -- like say, a Kendrick Lamar or Tyler, The Creator -- are the intangibles. As refreshing, talented and “new” as some of these other faces may seem, for all intents and purposes they are new game pieces on an old board. They attempt to seem larger than themselves, by design or subconsciously, and end up reminding you that you're watching an entertainer, even when it’s a very good one.

Blu seems to have a different set of values. Sometimes that comes at the cost of his audience -- some of his recent shows and the sound quality of his 2011 output has been quite polarizing -- or even at the cost of himself. In any case, the art is always held in the highest priority. Blu’s legacy will be inspected and debated much longer than some of his more successful contemporaries. I’m glad he’s around, and you should be too.

I first heard Quelle’s Blue Mondays project years ago through the good homie House Shoes, and I was instantly blown away by the talent and ability of Quelle, in particular his originality. I can remember having a conversation with Shoes about how Quelle did not quite sound like anyone in particular. He raps, produces, sings, and does impromptu stand-up comedy all quite well. He allows his vulnerability to live in his music, but doesn’t go all Drake and over do it to the point where his MC bars sound contrived. Luckily 2011 was the year he finally stopped being a secret and made his presence known. His work with his brother Mosel as Crown Nation, his beats for Danny Brown, and most recently his first official solo album Shotgun and Sleek Rifle serve as a great introductions to Quelle’s range. Heads have taken notice; he is currently working with Roc Marciano, Action Bronson, and a few other respected names in rap. Stay tuned.

If you’ve frequented Indie Shuffle in 2011, you have no doubt noticed the ubiquitous, mysterious Knxwledge and his beats. With no less than 12 independent releases this year through his Bandcamp alone, Knxwledge proves he should be taken seriously.

Though still fairly young, Knxwledge has spent the better part of the last five years chipping away at his style. Clearly influenced by Dilla and Madlib, Knxwledge fits in that continuum quite well. His compositions often focus on a feeling rather than technique; they seem to compliment a mood instead of dominating the environment. Jazz-influenced in both timing and spirit, Knxwledge is a fresh take on what is now an old tradition. Expect great things from this young powerhouse in the next year.

If you had an Internet connection this year and listened to rap, there is no way you could have missed at least a mention of this Detroit titan. After putting his all into his music for more than five years, it took Danny Brown getting a weird haircut, performing at hipster parties, and XXX for Danny Brown to find his niche.

While some of us have been watching from the side lines since his days of killing Dilla beats on mixtapes, Danny struggled to find an audience among fickle hardcore rap heads. Rather than eschewing his quirkiness, Danny embraced it. Now XXL plays catch up while Pitchfork, The Fader and Rolling Stone are all about young Daniel. For good reason, too -- he might be the best rapping buzzed-about rapper right now, if that makes any sense. He possesses the innate talent purists always privilege, the drug-infused eccentricity the young collegiate crowds gravitate towards, and (this is the doozy) the focus and urgency that only being 30, from Detroit, and marginally successful will give you. Expect more unexpectedness from Danny in 2012.

I actually meant for this spot to be dedicated to the entirety of youth in hip hop. It might sound a bit surreal, but rap music is pretty near 40 years old now, depending on which culture-capturing documentarian you ask. Like anything that ages, there are visible divisions between generations.

While you (and me) complain about how far off hip hop is from its roots, how it used to be a culture and now it’s an industry, how the music lacks creativity, there are legions of youth keeping the spirit alive. Rap hasn’t been immune to the effects of time and age; for the most part the old guard is very weary of embracing its young. For some reason the rebellious children of the 60s and 70s seem surprised that their children are creating their own aesthetics and interpretations of the same rebellious spirit.

One of the best things about 2011 is that hip hop has been seeing the next generation take shape. From Main Attrakionz, Lil B, Zeroh, and Odd Future to Lex Luger, Clams Casino, A$AP Rocky, Knxwledge, and Fat Trel, the youth have a firm grasp on what hip hop is and don’t seem burdened by the need to be a walking, rapping embodiment of the entire culture (or industry, depending on your perspective). Often they succeed where older veterans fail, capturing that spark, that intangible, magnetic quality that classic rap has without being contrived and over-thought.

Get over the skinny jeans -- you don’t have to wear them, but DON’T KNOCK THE YOUTH.