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Callie Craig
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Album: Malibu
Artist: Anderson .Paak
Label: Steel Wool Records
Released: January 15
Anderson Paak truly outdid himself with Malibu, a feat that I thought was near impossible.
This impressive 16 track record includes features from artists like ScHoolBoyQ and BJ the Chicago kid, but .Paak is undoubtedly the star of the show.
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Album: 22, A Million
Artist: Bon Iver
Label: Jagjaguwar
Released: September 20
First premiering at Wisconsin’s Eaux Claire’s Festival, Bon Iver left the audience in awe, inspired, and many in tears.
This clever album stems from its first track, ‘22 (Over Soon),’ and slowly builds on its own beats.
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Album: Leave Me Alone
Artist: Hinds
Label: Mom + Pop
Released: January 8
Hinds’ popularity exploded exponentially with the release of their album, Leave Me Alone, and not without good reason. The album begs you to buy tickets to their nearest gig and rock out until your voice is gone.
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Album: Coloring Book
Artist: Chance the Rapper
Label: Independent
Released: May 13
It’s hard as a Chicago native not be bias towards Chance the Rapper, but I truly believe this mixtape deserves its place here.
Every song cleverly mixes Chance’s signature style without sounding the same. Each track flows to the next, but can more than hold its own.
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Album: Telefone
Artist: Noname
Label: Independent
Released: July 31
Fatimah Warner, better known as Noname, premiered her debut album Telefone this July. The rapper leaves you stunned, with every line more clever and thought-provoking than the last.
This album’s warm, easy-listening beats give you a chance to really hear what she is saying- and it is definitely worth the listen.
I like it very much