They all signaled something of a paradigm shift this year away from the proper, label-readied hip-hop album. Odd Future fizzled, Shabazz Palaces reminded us of how much we missed the innovative sparks of the ‘90s and Drake, the Weeknd and Frank Ocean plunged the R&B depths for signs of rhythmic life. And it contains almost no words.Ģ011 wasn’t exactly a banner year for hip-hop, the biggest release in the genre from Kanye West and Jay-Z unloaded as an overwrought mess. The New Jerseyan stormed onto the hip-hop scene in 2009 after he laid down the track for Lil B’s oh-so-humbly-entitled “I’m God.” This year, he released two records as Clams, an “Instrumental Mixtape” and the “Rainforest EP.” Both are stellar, but the mixtape is particularly intriguing, groovy and grabbing. On the opening track of A$AP Rocky’s debut mixtape, he opens by rapping, “How real is this? / I know y’all niggas be feelin’ this.” The song, “Palace,” was produced by Clams Casino and if Rocky was assigning a level of excitement to the beat on the tune, he would be dead on.Ĭlams Casino was born Mike Volpe and is a 23-year-old physical therapy student in addition to being one of the most exciting hip-hop producers on the planet. It’s sort of what is minimally expected of those who offer criticisms. I, unlike Chuck, actually listened to the music a few times before I formed the following opinion.

Here’s why I think Clams Casino made the best record of 2011. So, instead of giving a dude who thinks he has the only original opinions in the history of the world on “Saved by the Bell” more time than he merits, I move on. Hey, Chuck: It turns out plenty of people had heard of Merrill Garbus before this year.

(Chuck Klosterman did just that this week in an asinine column where he admits that he “barely listened” to the record before he clumsily begins to attack it and prognosticate upon the inevitable demise of her critical adoration. And even though I didn’t find it to be the very best, I’m not about to disparage the Dean of American Rock Polls, which was founded by the Dean of American Rock Critics (Robert Christgau). If you’d read my Top 10 on Reverb (or my P & J ballot), you’d know I think it a great album, too.

The Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop poll came out last week, crowning Tune-Yards’ “whokill” as the Album of the Year. Tuesday, November 14th 2023 Home Page Close Menu

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