R Double S x E.Qualize: Top 10 Projects of 2020 (CERTIFIED)
R Double S meets up with E.Qualize once again to discuss his favourite projects released last year ranging from UK afro-grime to US RnB and Hip Hop. The DJ/entrepreneur has dedicated himself to E.Qualize and DJing, and has had a strong passion for music of black culture throughout his life. All projects mentioned below and those considered dropped within the 2020 year cycle.
10. Pa Salieu - Send Them To Coventry
Pa Salieu is an iconic artist who has had a significant rise in his music career in 2020. He started off the year with the smash hit 'Frontline' which is where I first found out about him. He kicked on from the banger with the two singles 'Betty' and 'Bang Out' four months later and then shut down the lockdown period with his collab single 'My Family' featuring BackRoad Gee. Pa released 'B***K' as an empowering black-inspired song during the time where BLM was at its highest due to the death of George Floyd (all his music earnings went to 'Black Businesses Matter' organisation). Pa recently received the BBC Sound of 2021 for his musical contribution to the UK in 2020 and his highly-anticipated 2021.
STTC contains 13 tracks and 2 interludes with 6 of the tracks including features ranging from the Midlands driller, M1llionz, to the Leicestershire commercial RnB singer, Mahalia. The project truly embodies Pa Salieu as a person and his musical skills in so many areas. King Salieu flows from Afro-Carribean sonics, to hard Trap and Drill music, to soft commercial tracks throughout the mixtape which illustrates his versatility and identity as an British-Gambian artist from Coventry.
In my opinion, you will not hear a better first project from an artist in the UK. The quality of the production, the concept of the project and all the above makes the mixtape complete, cohesive and in general very good. I am looking forward to more music from Pa and I believe he will be a UK frontrunner in the near future with the likes of J Hus, Dave, Stormzy etc.
Project rating: 7.7/10
Best songs on the project:
- Frontline
- Over There
- Energy (feat. Mahalia)
9. Pop Smoke - Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon
Pop Smoke was an artist that I have been following since March 2019, when he released the anthems ‘Welcome To The Party’ and ‘Meet The Woo’ before his first mixtape. Pop Smoke slowly burned on the Rap/Drill scene with the song ‘Dior’ which gained strong traction months after the mixtape release. Woo dropped another mixtape - Meet the Woo 2 - in February, just 12 days before his death where he was shot multiple times in his sleep in a home invasion. After his death, 50 Cent and other influential artists and producers came together to produce his first posthumous album, Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon (SFTSAFTM).
SFTSAFTM has 19 songs on the album which 10 of the tunes containing RnB (Kings Comb & Rowdy Rebel), Trap (Future, Quavo, Roddy Ricch etc), Hip Hop (Tyga), Old School Rap (50 Cent), and Reggaeton (Karol G) feature artists. The versatility of genres within the body of work is incredible, with Pop Smoke tapping into RnB and Reggaeton with strong vocals in the songs ‘The Woo’, ‘Enjoy Yourself’ and ‘Mood Swings’.
From a personal standpoint, this was one of best pieces of work from such a predominantly raw artist, however the raw element was missing as there were not many Drill or hard Trap/Rap tracks which is what I expect and prefer from Woo. Besides that, the album was produced very well and I must give a lot of credit to 50 Cent and everyone else that supported and contributed to the creation of the posthumous album.
Project rating: 7.8/10
Best songs on the project:
- Yea Yea
- For The Night (feat. DaBaby and Lil Baby)
- Something Special
8. Wizkid - Made in Lagos
Dadiyo is considered to be the 'King of Africa' and the most decorated african artist in history. The man with Africa's generational hit, Ojuelegba, was fairly quiet in the music scene over the last two to three years. Wizkid dropped a surprise mixtape in December 2019, 'SoundMan Vol. 1' and a small number of singles within that period, however he came back with a bang with the preparation of Made in Lagos. The King of Africa kicked off the album tease with the amazing collaboration single 'Smile' featuring US RnB artist, H.E.R. He followed the collab track with 'No Stress', a vibey single that topped off the excitement of the global African community plus more.
Made in Lagos is a 14-track album with 8 songs being collaborations with well-renowned artists such as Nigerian upcoming singer, Tems; UK Grime rapper, Skepta; and Jamaican singer and the youngest son of the late Bob Marley, Damian Marley. The album has such a cultured and therapeutic feeling with the likes of True Love, Essence and Roma, but there are a number of songs that everyone around the whole can connect with. Made in Lagos has a key factor in each and every track that makes the project cohesive and a strong representation of Afro-influenced music, Soulful sonics and instruments.
Ayo is an album for the generations, however this is definitely my favourite album as of recent times. This project has touched many souls in many ways and it is a strong reply to all the critics that thought Starboy lost his shine and crown of Africa to the likes of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Olamide etc. I expect nothing but this level of good music from Dadiyo from now on and I am sure that he will deliver.
Project rating: 8.0/10
Best songs on the project:
- Essence (feat. Tems)
- True Love (feat. Tay Iwar)
- Ginger (feat. Burna Boy)
7. Aminé - Limbo
I consider Aminé as one of the most underrated rappers in the United States. His latest mixtape, ONEPOINTFIVE, was one that grew on me immensely and was one of my favourite projects in 2018, a great year of music. Before then, his classic first studio album - Good For You - propelled his commercial career with the likes of Caroline, Wedding Crashers, Spice Girl and Heebiejeebies. Between ONEPOINTFIVE and Limbo, Mr. Woodlawn released only one recognisable single - Places + Faces - but also a Grammy-nominated collaboration, My High, with Disclosure and slowthai.
Aminé's Limbo has 14 songs and 5 of them had RnB (Summer Walker), Old School (Charlie Wilson), Rap (JID) and Trap (Young Thug) feature artists. Limbo takes you on a journey through the eyes of Aminé. He talks about his feelings on the death of Kobe Bryant and his influence on his own life. That continues on to rap about his relationship with his mother and his understanding of reality of being a successful rapper in a time where black people are publicly at their most vulnerable.
All in all, the production and structure of Limbo has a strong vinyl feel which is an amazing compliment to give an album. I believe Limbo was the best rap project to come out of the States in 2020 and that is why it is part of my top 10. It was a disappointing year for music last year when it comes to US hip hop and rap, but Aminé and his illustrious album was the shining light.
Project rating: 8.2/10
Best songs on the project:
- Woodlawn
- Roots (feat. JID and Charlie Wilson)
- Easy (feat. Summer Walker)
6. Brent Faiyaz - F**k the World
From one male RnB singer to another, Brent Faiyaz has had a slow-burning come up to the commercial scene but his artistry talent has been there since he started making music. His first fully-fleshed project, Sonder Son released in 2017, brought a lot of traction and attention to his name with songs like Talk 2 U, Home, and Gang Over Luv. Brent went quiet after that debut project, only releasing one EP in the space of 3 years, but came back with a bang this year.
His February-birthed sophomore album has 10 songs with no features and 2 songs released as a tease prior to the drop of the album (one dropped at the end of 2019). Most songs on the body of work are heart-felt RnB tunes with a few harder TrapnB records. RnB and TrapnB are 2 complementary genres that are killing it now with the quality of production and artistry and all songs on this album supports that.
Even though this album is generally one sound, it is done so well that it had to be in my top 5 so far. Like the others, it is an easy listen throughout and all 10 songs can be played in a chill bar or whilst spending quality time with a significant other.
Project rating: 8.3/10
Best songs on the project:
- Been Away
- F**k the World (Summer in London)
- Lost Kids Get Money
5. Headie One - EDNA
EDNA (album named after his late mother) contains 20 songs and 60% of the track feature artists from the UK, US and Canada. Almost every song taps into a different genre which illustrates Headie's versatility and skills as a creative, however each song has a message linked to his relationship with his mother and family in the past and how that affects him in life today. In addition, his Drill flow remains A1 and every song is a vibe in its own way.
If you take a trip through One's discography in the last two years, you will see the experimental side (GANG), the raw side (The One Two) and the best side (Music x Road) of Headie One. EDNA is a combination of all sides in a harmonic way which is why it makes my top 5 projects of the year.
Project rating: 8.4/10
Best songs on the project:
- Princess Cuts (feat. Young T & Bugsey)
- Psalms 35
- Only You Freestyle (feat. Drake)
4. Kiana Ledé - KIKI
Based on my selections, the first half of 2020 goes to RnB and this win is continued with Kiana Ledé’s sophomore album, KIKI. Kiana is one of the latest artists from the new generation of talented female RnB singers bursting strongly into the scene with the likes of Ella Mai, Snoh Aalegra, H.E.R, Mahalia, Chloe x Halle etc. KIKI’s commercial career kicked off heavily with her hit song, EX, from their debut album, Selfless. From that album onwards, she has been on the up ever since and 2 years after Selfless, she drops an incredible self-titled album.
KIKI has 17 tracks on the project with 2 being skits/interludes and 6 other tracks being collaborations with other RnB, TrapnB and Trap artists. Even though the album is a pure RnB album with not much diversity, the production and musical quality of each song is great with various RnB vibes to compliment the tracks. In addition, my favourite part of the album is that on Spotify, there are short stories for each song which explains the meaning of the song and what at point she was in her life when she made it. That adds such a strong element of understanding and interconnection with Kiana herself through her music which I drew close to.
Like most of the aforementioned albums, it is a no-skip body of work with many amazing feature artists providing the tracks with some of their best verses. A bit more diversity to the album would enhance it but as a straight RnB album, it is definitely the best of 2020 in my opinion.
Project rating: 8.5/10
Best songs on the project:
- Cancelled.
- Mad At Me.
- Forfeit. (feat. Lucky Daye)
3. Nines - Crabs in A Bucket
Nines is a legendary UK rapper who has been able to remain relevant and consistent in different generations of UK Rap. His discography began in 2012 with his first mixtape 'From Chruch Road to Hollywood' and continues on a consistent basis, releasing a project every year including his first studio album 'One Foot Out' in 2017. In 2018, Nines blessed us with the generational sophomore album 'Crop Circle' which was complimented with 2 movie productions on his life and creative music visuals. Crop Circle won a MOBO and GRM award for Best Album, and a MOBO award for best video of the year in 2018. After that huge year, Nines ghosted in the scene in preparation for his third album which was definitely worth the wait.
Crabs in A Bucket consists of 6 solo tracks and 11 collaboration tracks. Nina added regular album contributors like Tiggs da Author, Fundz and Skrapz, but he also added new collaborating artists like the previously mentioned Headie One, Roy Woods and Louis Rei. Crabs in a Bucket is a rap album but Nines was comfortable and good enough to touch different sounds i.e. Afro-grime with NSG and Drill with Frosty and Clavish. Nina came with incredible song production and his well-renowned punch lines and flow throughout the album which is all Nines needs to make a top 3 album of the year.
All of Nines' albums have had a huge impact on the UK and this is another added to the collection of great projects from someone who says "I ain't a rapper, I am a drug dealer than raps". There is not a track I would skip when listening to the album and the beats and change of genres come in at perfect times.
Project rating: 8.8/10
Best songs on the project:
- NIC (feat. Tiggs da Author)
- Stalker Interlude (feat. Cherrie)
- Airplane Mode (feat. NSG)
2. J Hus - Big Conspiracy
Bouff Daddy has had an incredible 6 years in the UK Afro-grime music scene, being one of the main faces of the genre and now UK commercial music. Those 6 years starred with his breakthrough song, Dem Boy Paigon, with the anthem going nationwide. Hus followed that up with his first mixtape and the track, Lean and Bop, that got the UK and other European countries doing the dance. J Hus did not lose momentum from then on as he produced bangers i.e. Friendly, Did You See, Bouff Daddy, Fisherman, Clartin etc from the smash debut album, Common Sense. After 8 months of jail for being caught in possession of a knife, his first night free led to him being brought out in the O2 to his inspirational song, Spirit, by Drake. After that memorable night, Hus went very quiet musically for a period of time in order to focus on self-development and that development showed significantly in his sophomore album.
The project is a 14-track album with 5 collaborations, which includes 2 tracks from icee tgm (his sister). Big Conspiracy has a strong mix of different genres ranging from RnB to Rap, Afrobeats, Grime, Drill and more. Despite such high musical diversity, the album flows perfectly and the quality of each song is at a great standard production- and vocals-wise. This high-quality album was formed due to the unbelievable relationship and understanding J Hus and Jae5 (UK producer) have with each other which reflects strongly in the music progression throughout Bouff Daddy’s career.
All in all, the album is incredible and is up there with the best UK albums. There is not much more to say about the album as improvements cannot be advised. I would advise everyone to listen and appreciate how far this man has come from being in prison for 8 months, to making arguably the best album of 2020.
Project rating: 9.0/10
Best songs on the project:
- Cucumber
- Triumph
- Deeper Than Rap
1. dvsn - A Muse In Her Feelings
The duo of dvsn have been killing the RnB scene before they signed with OVO Records. Their debut studio album, Sept. 5tth, was a real kickstarter to their commercial career with smash songs such as “Hallucinations”, “Too Deep”, and “In + Out”. They went quiet for some time before dropping their sophomore album - Morning After - where there was not one single bad song and the project was an absolute vibe the whole way through. Quality-wise, they decided to step it up even more with their latest body of work. Before the latest project, 2 singles were released a few months before, “A Muse” and “In Her Feelings” which the title of those songs together makes the title of the album.
The body of work has 16 tracks and each track has a very different style to the other. Regardless of that, the album flows extremely well with the duo tapping into Reggae vibes adding the likes of Popcaan (a Dancehall member of OVO Records) and Buju Banton (Dancehall/Bashment legend). There is a potential marriage song on the project with “For Us” that I can see being used in the years to come. Going from the feature artists, to the production, to the song order/selection, to the genres, the album was - like the tile of one of the tracks - flawless.
I feel that there is no album out now or will be released this year that can compare to this body of work and I can confidently say that it will take something special to better this album in 2020. dvsn have been building something exceptional over the last few years and I always look forward to another single or project from them.
Project rating: 9.2/10
Best songs on the project:
- Dangerous City (feat. Ty Dolla $ign and Buju Banton)
- 'Flawless' Do It Well Pt. 3 (feat. Summer Walker)
- For Us
Conclusion
All in all, the music of 2020 represents how 2020 went as a year, a bad year of music in comparison to prior years but many incredible moments and projects throughout the period. RnB and UK are the genre and geographic area that bossed this top 10 respectively. With anticipated projects from top artists i.e. Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Dave, AJ Tracey, Summer Walker, Ella Mai and many more, let's hope that 2021 will be a better year of music. I would like to hear your opinions of my list and your suggestions and shouts in the comments area.
Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.
Honourable Mentions
- M Huncho - Hunchollini the 1st
- Russ - SHAKE THE SNOW GLOBE
- A Boogie Wit A Hoodie - Artist 2.0
- Lil Baby - My Turn
- Gunna - Wunna
- Jhené Aiko - Chilombo
- The Weekend - After Hours
- Skepta x Chip x Young Adz - Insomnia
- Nafe Smallz - The Goat World
- Polo G - The Goat
- Kehlani - It Was Good Until It Wasn't
- Yxng Bane - Quarantime
- NSG - Roots
- Future - High Off Life
- Jarreau Vandal - Suburb Superhero: The Villian Within
- M Huncho x Nafe Smallz - Da New Age
- Potter Payper - Training Day 3
- Youngs Teflon - Call of Duty 3
- Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon III: The Chosen
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