Best of the Month is decided by a number of different variables; voter counts from preceding posts, reader reaction ratings, gut feelings, and lots and lots of heated discussions.
Album of the Month
Rapsody’s first album with Jay-Z’s label, Roc Nation, was a doozy and maybe the biggest surprise of the year. We always knew she could rap but the jury was still out on her ability to craft a long-lasting project. With Laila’s Wisdom she emphatically quieted any doubts we had about her music making abilities with a cohesive, fully realized project full of incredible ‘life music’ set to an incredibly produced jazzy, funky, soulful soundtrack that makes it hard not to imagine that’s she’s picked up quite a few tricks from her Kendrick TPAB sessions. With this one she showed that she’s not just one of the best female MCs out there but that she’s one of the best MCs out there period.
Runner-ups
Trailer of the Month
Netflix may be blowing through mountains of cash but man if they aren’t putting out some of the most interesting content out there of any platform, then I don’t know who is. Mudbound looks to be another wholly original, incredibly ambitious undertaking that’s set in an unique time and place in America that sets the backdrop for what looks like an engrossing story about two men from different sides of the tracks trying to navigate their post war lives. There’s a great cast and the trailer does a great job of building the tension without giving too much away. It truly looks haunting, and we can’t wait to check this one out.
Runner-ups
Video of the Month
Beck only seems to only be getting better and better with age and if his latest single, “Up All Night,” is any indication of what to expect from his fast approaching album Colors, then we’re all for it. The song is highly infectious and although we’re now in October has a very summertime feel to it. Accompanying that single is a strikingly creative and imaginative video that sees a teenage girl literally turn into a ‘Knight in Shining Armor’ to save her friend from a night of partying gone way too far. Besides it being genuinely refreshing to see the roles of who’s saving who reversed, the amount of visual flair they were able to cram into a 4 and a half minute format is impressive, and the insanity really captures the vibe of the song as a whole. We can’t wait for the full project, now mere days away.
Runner-ups
