Following are the list of best albums of 2011 both hip hop and R & B. Following material has been taken from theboombox.com
10. 'Black Up,' Shabazz PalacesOne of the best hip-hop albums of 2011 comes from one of the most unlikely corners of America: Seattle. Although this technically West Coast duo released their debut this year, they're not new to the scene. Ishmael Butlerspitting on the mic might sound familiar to those who were fans of '90s jazz-rap trioDigable Planets, where he rapped under the alias Butterfly. Butler builds on the mellow syncopated influences of Digable Planets with his new group; high-hat cymbals crash alongside typewriter-staccato beats that skew this effort toward refreshing experimentalism, which leaves you wanting to spark up without any real literal hints.
Amazon.comStrange Music co-founder Tech N9ne hit a grand slam with his skit-heavy and star-studded 12th studio album. The album brought new attention
to the veteran indie rapper, including a BET cypher and props from Lil Wayne, who also raps on the album. Known for his often-disturbing lyrical imagery, which coined him the title "King of Darkness," 'All 6's and 7's' -- as Tech N9ne puts -- sheds "some light with the dark," thanks to tracks like 'I Love Music' and the upbeat, Busta Rhymes-featured 'Worldwide Choppers.' But TechN9ne still stuck to his old tricks on tracks like 'Pornographic,' a XXX-detailed song about making a porno; and the masochistic, B.o.B-produced 'Am I Psycho?' Appreciation for the rapper was dutifully noted when the album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, Tech's highest chart debut ever.
Amazon.comThe biggest collaboration of 2011, hands down. This soul-saturated joint EP-turned-LP all started with a simple tweet from West a year ago, and then spun into a high-tech covert operation. To dodge Internet hackers and prevent premature leaks of the hyped 12-track album, Jigga and his rap kin took to chic hotel rooms with only a couple of engineers having access to the recorded files via fingerprints. The tight security was a success with fans going 'H.A.M.' for the album and it subsequently broke iTunes' one-week sales record when more than 290,000 downloads were sold in its first week. But its downfall is that it doesn't offer anything new in the "taking chances" category, apart from the two rapping together on a dozen consecutive tracks like 'Otis' and 'N----s in Paris.'
Amazon.comMarsha Ambrosius isn't new to the R&B scene, having spent a decade as one-half of British duo Floetry. Her ties to the hip-hop community are deep with her voice filling the background on tracks by Nas, the Game and more. Now 34, Ambrosius finally decided to go it alone this year and took listeners on a "romantic journey" with her soul-drenched solo debut, 'Late Nights & Early Mornings.' Her robust voice ricochets between weep-heavy and empowering on tracks like 'Tears' and the Just Blaze-produced 'Far Away,' which fared well on the charts. Her own penmanship is her strength though, especially on tunes like 'Hope She Cheats On You (With a Basketball Player)' and 'The Break Up Song.'
Amazon.comJay-Z's Roc Nation protégé came out punching on his hotly anticipated debut -- just play 'Dollar and a Dream III' and you'll see what we mean. Two years in the making, with huge media blitz fueling the hype created by J. Cole's preceding mixtapes -- 'The Come Up,' 'The Warm Up' and last year's spectacular freebie 'Friday Night Lights' -- the 26-year-old North Carolina native delivered under pressure and debuted atop both the Billboard 200 and Hip-Hop/R&B charts. To add to his credit, Cole produced a majority of his studio debut, earning him the "self-made" merit. His LP has all the makings of a solid album -- big name, but not too many guest stars -- Jay-Z, Trey Songz, Drake, Missy Elliott -- eclectic beats and lyrical wordplay. "I wish somebody made guidelines/ On how to get up off the sidelines," the young gun raps, simultaneously proving he's for the job.
Amazon.comBeyonce's '4' got off to a rocky start with the release of the post-apocolyptic anthem 'Run the World (Girls),' which entered the charts at No. 23 and then fell to No. 76. Double digits aren't exactly what you'd expect to see in Queen B's court, and the diva struck back, feverishly releasing follow-up singles and their accompanying videos like 'Love on Top,' 'Countdown' and 'Party.' While '4' doesn't have the same chart adrenaline as its predecessor 'I Am ... Sasha Fierce,' it's heavy with sleeper singles, namely 'End of Time' and 'I Miss You,' eclectic songs that when looking back 20 years from now, will undoubtedly make her 'Best of' compilations.
Amazon.comWhen it comes to Breezy's fourth studio album -- released on the heels of his not-so favorable 'Graffiti' -- it's all in the YouTube numbers. His video for 'Look at Me Now' featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes has generated 129 million views since premiering in March -- that's more than the lead singles for Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' and Weezy's own '6 Foot 7 Foot' videos combined. Along with the visual eye candy, tracks like the poppy 'Yeah 3x,' sultry 'Deuces' and the Justin Bieber duet 'Next 2 You' are proof enough that Brown can not only transform ya but also his own image.
Amazon.comDJ Quik's first album in six years lives up to its opening line: "You're gonna like this." The Compton, Calif. rapper's laid-back grooves and simple-yet-smart delivery recall early '90s West Coast gangsta rap and the g-funk movement his name is synonymous with, especially on 'Nobody,' 'Do Today' and 'Luv of My Life.' While many gangsta rappers these days are quick to jump in with limitless profanity, Quik's album is still bold without having to go down that road too much. The end result is the West Coast producer-MC coming off as raw and redefining "self-made," having produced and written the entire effort; and his "old school" approach comes off more relevant than most of the new beats and rhymes released in 2011.
Amazon.comFollowing a four-year hiatus, Jill Scott returns with sass on her fourth studio album. It's hard not to move on upbeat and funky tracks like 'So In Love,' which breaks halfway through with a shimmery, modern day disco swagger. Doug E. Fresh lends his trademark beatbox on the stripped down 'All Cried Out Redux' that's interrupted vaudeville bounce, and the nine-minute 'Le BOOM Vent Suite.' Scott proves she's not afraid of anything on 'The Light of the Sun.' She slows things down on the second half of the LP, but still adds some jazz on 'Quick' and gives a big exhale on her poetry jam 'Womanifesto.' From the sound of things, the self-professed "queen of throne" -- see 'Shame' lyrics -- is celebrating her re-established self-worth following another failed relationship and having a lot of fun as she does it. And the fun sure rubs off.
Amazon.comBravo, Drake. The Toronto native's second album is better than his first. Picking up where 'Thank Me Later' left off, the rhymer smooths things out vocally on his sophomore effort, ditching rap for the title track, 'We'll Be Fine,' 'Make Me Proud' and a few others. No overproduction here either -- 'Lord Knows' might be the exception -- with most tracks favoring mellow, drowned-out beats than anything anthemic. The overall effect is a beautiful rap&B record that can be played continuously, and is so different from anything else in both genres. As a result, 'Take Care' almost sounds like an indie effort. It seems hanging out with fellow Toronto soft singer The Weeknd, who shows up on 'Crew Love,' has paid off for Drizzy. And the rest of the guest features -- the return of Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne, along with Rihanna, Birdman, Rick Ross and Andre 3000 -- aren't too shabby either.
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