It’s that time of year once again. The Itch FM DJs have voted on their favourite records of the year 2017.
More info beneath the chart below…
ITCH FM RECORDS OF THE YEAR 2017
1. Rapsody – Laila’s Wisdom
2. Children of Zeus – The Story So Far EP
3. Kendrick Lamar – Damn
4. Melanin 9 – Old Pictures
5. Joey Bada$$ – All American Bada$$
6. Ill Camille – Heirloom
7. Da Flyy Hooligan – S.C.U.M.
8. Apollo Brown & Planet Asia – Anchovies
9. Jonwayne – Rap Album Two
10. Quelle Chris – Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often
11. Oddisee – The Iceberg
12. Roc Marciano – Rosebudd’s Revenge
13. Sean Price – Imperius Rex
14. Apathy & OC – Perestroika
15. Leaf Dog – Dyslexic Disciple
16. Jones Brothers – Roughs With The Smooth
17. Verb T & Pitch 92 – Good Evening
18. Jay Z – 4:44
19. Wu-Tang Clan – The Saga Continues
20. Skyzoo – Peddler Themes
21. Statik Selektah – 8
22. Hex One – Words Worth A Thousand Pictures
23. Your Old Droog – PACKS
24. Tesla’s Ghost – Stretch Lincolns
25. Loyle Carner – Yesterday’s Gone
26. Micall Parknsun – Practicing Tag Team Moves
27. Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
28. Eric Lau – Examples
29. Da Flyy Hooligan – FYLPM
30. Jehst – Billy Green Is Dead
31. Strange U – #LP4080
32. The PLAYlist. Chasing Goosebumps
33. Ivan Ave – Every Eye
34. Damu The Fudgemunk – Vignettes
35. Open Mike Eagle – Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
36. The 4orce – Setting Standards
37. Teknical Development.IS – The 8 Vol. 3
38. Don Leisure – Shaboo
39. Milo – Who Told You To Think
40. O.C. – Same Moon Same Sun
41. Confucius MC & Mr Brown – The Artform
42. Brother Ali – All This Beauty In This Whole Life
43. DJ Koss – Born To Live
44. J Hus – Common Sense
45. The Last Skeptik – This Is Where It Gets Good
46. SmooVth & Giallo Point – Medellin
47. Armand Hammer – Rome
48. Agallah Don Bishop – Agnum Opus
49. Ded Tebiase – Land Speed
50. Omniverses – Look Further
51. Dave East – Paranoia
52. DJ Obsolete – Reminiscence
53. Fred Fades – Warmth
54. MC Eiht – Which Way Iz West
55. Wretch 32 – Fr3e32
56. Bastien Keb – 22.02.85
57 .Starvin B – Digital Jungle
58. Ecid – How To Fake Your Own Death
59. Too Many Ts – South City
60. Raekwon – The Wild
61. Joyner Lucas – 508-507-2289
62. Lord Lhus – Essentials
63. The God Fahim – The Tragedy Of Shogunn
64. Cyhi The Prynce – No Dope On Sundays
65. Dave – Game Over
66. Rag N Bone Man – Human
67. SicknessMP – Deep Insomnia
68. Killah Priest & 4th Disciple – Don’t Sit On The Speakers (Vol.1)
69. Kuartz – Shurikens
70. Showbiz & AG – Take It Back
71. IAMDDB – Hood Rich, Vol.3
72. Darkhouse Family – The Offering
73. Denzel Curry – 13
74. Remulak – Earth
75. Dr Quandary – Jukebox Buddah
76. Daniel Son – Remo Gaggi
77. Substantial – The Past Is Always Present In The Future
78. The Winners – Dreamteam Vol.1
79. Devaloop – From The Bits To The Cosmos
80. ChanHays – Here
81. Jam Baxter – Mansion 38
82. Talib Kweli – Radio Silence
83. Mach Hommy & Knxwledge – The Spook
84. Marlon Craft – The Tunnel’s End
85. PhybaOptikz & Giallo Point – Voynich Manuscript
86. Homeboy Sandman – Veins
87. Westside Gunn & MF DOOM – WestsideDOOM
88. Ravage – Accusations Of Treachery
89. Sean Rosati – Bobby Womack’s Dreams
90. Ol’ Burger Beats – Mind Games
91. Sensei N Chillow – We Bring It Live
92. Uncommon NASA – Written At Night
93. Da Villins & DJ Skizz – Cashmere Dice
94. Trauma 74 – God Given Image
95. Kota The Friend – Paloma Beach
96. Nocando – Severed
97. Alfa Mist – Antiphon
98. Jay Worthy – Fantasy Island
99. 21 Savage – Issa
100. Run The Jewels – RTJ3
101. Skepta – Vicious EP
102. Blu & Exile – In The Beginning: Before The Heavens
103. Loaf Muzik – Knowledge Born
104. Rift Valley – Rift Valley
105. Veks – Consolation
106. KinKai – Mellow Mermaids and Malibu
107. Saga & Thelonious Martin – Molotov
108. Crate Divizion – Parisian Connections: Chateau Clan
109. Gatecrasherz – Uninvited
110. The Alchemist & Budgie – The Good Book, Vol.2
112. Justo – Black Ops
113. Injury Reserve – Drive It Like It’s Stolen
114. Antilly and Phoniks – It’s Nice Outside
115. Heavy Links – Step Up To Get Ya Rep Up
116. Jiddena – The Chief
117. Ill Move Sporadic & Big Toast – You Are Not Special
118. Omar – Love In Beats
119. Chris Read & Pugs Atomz – Colo(U)rs Of The World
120. Astro Mega – Black Boy Science
121. LNYCHPIN – LNYCHPIN
122. Avelino – No Avelino
123. The God Fahim ft. Leaf Dog – PAIDINBULL
124. Crimeapple – Perfect
125. DJ Rhettmatic – Rhett Got Beats
126. RSXGLD – RSXGLD
127. Madchild & Evidence – The Darkest Hour
128. Career Crooks – Good Luck With That
129. Tyler, The Creator – Flower Boy
130. Princess Nokia – 1992 Deluxe
131. Amp Fiddler – Amp Dog Knights
132. Illa J – Home
133. J Dilla – Motor City
134. Theory Hazit – I See What You Did There
135. Es Nine – Watch The Pendulum Swing
136. Otis Junior & Dr Dundiff – Hemispheres
137. Onry Ozzbornis – C V P ii D
138. Prophets Of Rage – Prophets Of Rage
139. ScienZe – Kind Of Dessert
140. Lay Full Stop – The Blue Compilation
141. Local-Mu12 – Everyday People
142. EllMatic – Face The Blank Page
143. The Outerclass – Post Real
144. Sampa The Great – Birds And The BEE9
145. Action Bronson – Blue Chips 7000
146. FRSHRZ – FRSHRZ EP
147. Vic Mensa – The Autobiography
148. Glad2Mecha – The Jazzo Street Sessions Vol. 2
149. Duncecap – Rapping Is For Idiots
150. Big Twins & DJ Skizz – Billy Ocean
ITCH FM RECORDS OF THE YEAR 2017
So here’s the science bit. Each DJ named their Top 20 records of the year; Hip Hop albums, EPs and mixtapes (as well as a little Soul, Grime and Beats). The points for how highly DJs individually placed each record, and how many times they were mentioned, were all totted up, bringing us this Top 150.
All opinions are subjective, we know dis, however whichever way you look at it, there’s no way anyone can disagree when we say this was a great year for Hip Hop music. When it comes to the bottom half of this chart, the points were all very very close.. largely equal in clusters – damn near every DJ had a bunch of albums they loved in their own top 20s that no-one else listed, and there were even more titles bubbling under (including some massive ones) that don’t quite make it here… There’s a whole lot of music from this year to discover out there, for sure.
But there was very little argument over the albums featured in the Top 30. Sweeping styles, status and continents, it encapsulates the sound of Hip Hop today. In the Top Ten, London’s M9 joins Da Fly Hooligan, along with Jozif Badmon from Brooklyn, Quelle Chris from Detroit, and a strong showing for California, with Planet Asia, Ill Camille, Jonwayne and K-Dot. As for the Top three, Kung Fu Kenny was pipped on points by MCR’s dopest Hip Hop Soul exports, Children of Zeus, aka Konny Kon (Broke N English) and Tyler Daley (Hoodman). And akin to Man City in terms of points, this year was indisputably ladies first – following a high placing for her EP in last year’s Itch FM chart, Rapsody received the most mentions and highest ranking from our DJs by a long, long way, taking our top spot for the year.
Enough analysis. Dis/Cuss amongst yourselves.
Each DJs individual Top 20 contributed to this will be on the socials shortly.
In the meantime, you could do a lot worse than checking out these here records above. Dive in…
And here’s to more good music in 2018.
Peace,
Itch FM, Dec 2017.