Baller Alert’s Year In Review: Top 10 Albums Of 2017

Blogged by: @worldwidekeege

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Leaving a legacy in the music game is important, and this year in music was one for the books.  Children that can barely walk produced entire albums, artists released pure rawness in poetry, and even some record-breaking newcomers gained way and left fans tantalized.

Of all the great pieces of work that were released this year, Baller Alert has compiled a list of 2017’s top 10 albums from some of the hottest names in the industry including SZA, Chris Brown, Drake, and of course K-dot and MORE. Check them out below. Top 10 Albums of 2017

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10.  Chris Brown “HeartBreak On A Full Moon”

Release date: October 31, 2017

Besides the fact that there is over an hour and a half of pure C.B. singing his heart out about lust, love, and liquor, “HeartBreak On A Full Moon” was a very intricate and complex piece.  A lot of critics didn’t like the album because they said that it is just the same old Chris Brown songs over and over again.  Though I agree with this statement, when you think about it… who else is making music like Chris Brown?  Trey Songz….Omarion… Mario… Ray J?  All of your heartthrob R&B classics with enticing sex appeal have fallen off the musical grid, and there is only one to fill the void! He left the world without his music for 2 years while he perfected these 45 songs for the fans that love his art.  He meticulously crafted these songs for the real love-making music lovers of the millennial generation.  For that, I think he deserves to be the 10th best album of 2017.

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9. DJ Khaled “Grateful”

Release date: June 23, 2017

Khaled has been in the game for a very long time.  He released his 10th studio album, “Grateful” with star-studded features from Rihanna to Tiller, Bieber to Chance, Quavo to Drake and more! The best part about this album was the way Khaled allowed his son, Asahd, to executive produce the project.  On Jimmy Kimmel, Khaled mentioned that he chose hit singles by a laugh, cry, or even throw up from his little baby wonder.  When he produced the smash single with Beyonce and Jay-Z, “Shining,” Asahd threw up on him, and he knew it was a hit! The rest is history.

8.  21 Savage “ISSA”

Release date: July 7, 2017

21, 21, 21, 21.  Can you believe this whole time the ATL rapper has just been releasing mixtapes?  There has never been an official 21 Savage album.  His street savage paid off for him for a very long time, but of course, he had to release a studio album after signing his hefty deal with Epic. Thus, “ISSA” was born.  His hit single from the album, “Bank Account”, will bring the crowd out in any club from South Florida to California. 21 Savage could have pulled more singles from his debut album, after all, look at all the singles he has just produced on mixtapes. Overall, the lyrical flow of the album was okay but wasn’t as impressive as other 21 Savage releases.  It did get certified gold and made it to #2 on the Top Billboard 200, other than that, I don’t think it would’ve made top 10 for the year.

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7.  Future “FUTURE”

Release date: February 17, 2017

With the release of Mr. Hendrixx’s 2 albums, and him having to legally split the proceeds with previous label owner, Rocko, I feel like he didn’t utilize all his creativity and lyrical capability. Though he was just doing this album for the legalities sake and wasn’t showing much effort, it still managed to top the charts. With singles like “Draco”, “Mask Off” and “Groovy”, the album was still a club banger. Overall, it was a good job for Future, but everyone knows a Future album should be higher than #7 on the top 10 list, I just can’t see me giving him a higher ranking for this one though.

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6. Big Sean “I Decided”

Release date: February 3, 2017

Making the top ten albums of 2017, it’s a no-brainer that the Big Sean made the cut! With his 4th studio album, “I Decided”, the Detroit native gave his fans pieces of his journey that helped him become the star that he is. “I Decided” went #1 on U.S., Canadian, and Australian charts. The album was executively produced by Yeezy himself in collaboration with Big Sean.  I feel like you can see some of the same styles that Kanye uses. The tone of the album added a relatable emotional roller coaster for fans to join Big Sean on, for that, he deserves Album #6.

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5.  Migos “Culture”

Release date: January 27, 2017

Originally titled “No Label 3”, the Migos second studio album underwent a name change after a dispute between the trio and the label, 300.  With a mixture of trap sounds and 808’s, “Culture” debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200.  As usual, the three held their weight on the album but they also had star studded features from DJ Khaled, Gucci Mane, and for their hit single, Lil Uzi Vert who appeared on “Bad And Boujie”. Migos contributed to the culture in a major way through their use of visuals and fashion, their use of jargon such as “Dab”, and so much more.  Having an album to commemorate all that they have changed the game with was a no-brainer, and their spot on the top 10 albums of 2017 was well deserved.

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4.  Drake “More Life”

Release date: March 18, 2017

Though this album isn’t just Drake, his greatness spilled over onto all of the tracks. He started the year dropping single after hit single including “Free Smoke” and “Passion Fruit” to crank the internet up.  When “More Life” dropped, it broke streaming records on Apple Music and Spotify. The album was played more than 61 million times in one day. With a tracklist featuring Quavo, Young Thug, 2 Chainz, Kanye West, and more, there is no way that this cannot become your favorite playlist after the first listen. Something I pride Drake on being able to do, all the way back to the “So Far Gone” days, is being able to create a melodic transformation throughout an album.  He brings you in lit to get you excited for the album, then he takes you into your thoughts and feelings, then he turns those thoughts and feelings into rage of success, and simmers you back down to understanding the timeliness of your success, to bring you to a place of calming peace at the end of the album that leaves you feeling accomplished.  Who wouldn’t want to feel like that after listening to their favorite album? Hence, why “More Life” is in our top 5 albums of 2017.

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3.  SZA “Ctrl”

Release date: June 9, 2017

With her first debut album, she tore up the industry with vibes of sensuality, powerful prestige, and enticing real-life stories that brought everyone to the reality of millennial love lives. Her single turned the hidden side chicks into the experienced and boastful part-time sideline females.  SZA stepped from behind the curtain this year in the music game.  She is usually writing for other well-known artists that we love but has allowed us to come into her heart as she makes that step to the next level in her life. “CTRL” was definitely one of the top albums of the year, not because she sold a bunch of albums, but because she changed the world.  She simply came into an industry where everyone judges you for the things you hide in shame, not the factors that are revealed in amazement.  She took advantage of that and showed her fans that superstars are real people just like they are.  She wasn’t afraid of how people would take it, and it worked for her.  Not only was her album certified gold, she is also nominated for best new artist at the upcoming Grammy’s and singles from the project are also nominated for 4 additional awards.

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2.  Jay- Z “4:44”

Release date: June 30, 2017

Jay-Z turned heads with the release of his album, “4:44”, which was said to be a response to Queen Bey’s “Lemonade”.  He released it to only Sprint and Tidal exclusively, but it still received critically acclaimed praise. It was a great body of work, not just because of the samples from Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone, but because of his personal and emotional content.  There aren’t a lot of rappers in the game at his level that would allow this transparency for themselves.

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1. Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”

Release date: April 14, 2017

Kendrick, K-dot, Kung Fu Kenny, or whatever your favorite name for him is, we know you agree that his 4th studio album release “DAMN” was the #1 album of 2017.  The Compton bred lyricist almost broke the internet with his controversial music video for the first released single from the album, “Humble”, and from there the rest is history.  Most people in the urban community had started to sleep on K-dot because he hadn’t released a major hip-hop record in a while, but when he released “DAMN”, we understood why he took a hiatus. The miraculous project sold over 350,000 copies in the first week, won Album of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards, and is nominated for Album of the Year at the 60th annual Grammy’s. With chart-topping numbers in Canada and the UK, as well as the U.S., it was a no-brainer about who to give the #1 album of 2017 to.