Explore the best hip-hop concept albums of 2016 featuring standout releases with unique themes and narratives. Covering everything from personal stories and fictional worlds to cultural commentary and deeper explorations of society, these are the albums that stood out among the year's conceptual releases.
On Honor Killed The Samurai, Ka wants to live life like a samurai, following their beliefs of being humble, helping others and valuing knowledge more than money. But real life keeps getting in his way as he is always forced to act shallow, ignore knowledge for money, kill people, sell drugs, etc, and even though he regrets all of these things, he has no other choice. As a samurai, to break any of the rules is to lose your honor. But in todays world the ways of the samurai will get you nowhere. Hence the title Honor Killed the Samurai. The Brownsville native carefully intertwines tales of samurai lore with grim street chronicles, revealing parallels between ancient honor codes and the unwritten laws of the block.
The Falling Season is a deeply personal concept album that chronicles his journey through high school in Brooklyn. With vivid storytelling and rich production, it captures the trials, triumphs, and transformative moments of adolescence. Skits and tracks paint a nostalgic picture of youthful ambition, peer pressure, and self-discovery. Seamlessly blending introspection with sharp lyricism, Masta Ace crafts an album that’s as much about personal growth as it is about the universal struggles of coming of age and serves as a prequel to Disposable Arts (2001) and A Long Hot Summer (2004), focusing on the pivotal decisions shaping his future.
The Impossible Kid follows a loose narrative, one of personal experience and growth. While creating the album, Aesop Rock spent a year in his friend’s barn, escaping his troubles and lingering depression. He sold all his possessions, bringing only his music equipment, a bag of clothes, and his cat. “I refer to myself as “The Impossible Kid” and I liked how it sounded and the meanings I could pull out of it. In some ways it’s about my endless and often impossible quest to just feel OK—with myself, with the world, with my place, with my life, my relationships, my art, my impact, if any. It’s the impossible quest for happiness and satisfaction. I kind of also think it can refer to generally being stubborn, someone who won’t budge within the creative process.” – Aes.
Splendor & Misery is an Afrofuturist, dystopian concept album that follows the sole survivor of a slave uprising on an interstellar cargo ship, and the onboard computer that falls in love with him. Thinking he is alone and lost in space, the character discovers music in the ship’s shuddering hull and chirping instrument panels. William and Jonathan’s tracks draw an imaginary sonic map of the ship’s decks, hallways, and quarters, while Daveed’s lyrics ride the rhythms produced by its engines and machinery. In a reversal of H.P. Lovecraft’s concept of cosmic insignificance, the character finds relief in learning that humanity is of no consequence to the vast, uncaring universe. It turns out, pulling the rug out from under anthropocentrism is only horrifying to those who thought they were the center of everything to begin with. Ultimately, the character decides to pilot his ship into the unknown—and possibly into oblivion—instead of continuing on to worlds whose systems of governance and economy have violently oppressed him.
Atrocity Exhibition focuses on mainly one thing. Depression. A lot of other issues spiral from that like addiction to drugs and alcohol. Danny Brown powerfully confesses to emotional struggle-while trying not to glorify it.
Tempting to think that here, in early 2016 we, the Americans, are on the brink of something. Our first black president leaves office with neither a whimper nor a bang, as an orange-haired demagogue is railing away on our televisions. Marijuana is halfway legal, the U.S. Embassy in Havana is open and the police can’t stop killing black people. New York is the safest city in the country, Brooklyn is the most expensive and homelessness is through the roof. Antonin Scalia is dead. So is Amiri Baraka. A mass shooting probably just happened. Racial tensions are “higher than ever.” Oil is taking a beating. The Iraq War is lost, the Afghan War will never end and football players are retiring early, spooked. But that might just be vanity. Perhaps this is where America has always been, teetering above the abyss. The latest album from Backwoodz Studioz is no different. The label is excited to announce the April 15th, 2016 release of Save Yourself, the much-anticipated debut solo album from ELUCID. “At its core, Save Yourself is about rebirth-of both self and community. An examination. An assessment. A shedding. I was working through personal issues that spilled over into the music. Events regarding police brutality and shootings of unarmed black folk dominated news headlines in a way that I’ve never seen in my lifetime. Liberation was on my mind. I reaffirmed myself in the idea that I couldn’t truly be free until we were all free.”
Emanon is the name behind collaboration between Exile and Aloe Blacc, and they use Dystopia to point out and highlight all the twisted and messed up things in the world right now that in fact make it a dytopian nightmare…. just one we’ve become complacent to. Blacc tries to warn us of the damage before it’s too late. “Been tryna let y’all know it’s only one world we live in. But all I could do is just let you know through these lessons”
The most ambitious element KoJazz‘s sprawling JazZ Daniels EP was its attempt to trace the pervasive ills of his drinking habits and cleverly providing drunken tales throughout hypnotic production. The conceptual idea was spawned by Token Photo and Jazz’ liquor of choice. KoJazz raps about the highs and lows of alcohol consumption.
Haitian Body Odor is about being born Haitian after a nation run by a corrupt, power-hungry totalitarian. The skits on the album complement this concept very well.
Hella Personal Film Festival is essentially a slate of cinematic songs curated by MC Open Mike Eagle and producer Paul White, written and recorded while touring Europe. And what better way to promote a film festival of an album than with a mini-documentary capturing the making of said album? Hella Personal Film Festival listens almost conceptually, with every track being a movie script to some aspect of Open Mike Eagle’s life.
The Narrative tells the story of the metaphorical character James Portier who symbolically represents the plight of the African Americans in the American experience. It’s a journey that involves spiritual insights, social commentary and personal reflections. To help place the narrative in its historical context, a specific year is included in the song titles, which reveals a milestone in Mr. Portier’s life.
The Easy Truth is 15-track concept album where Skyzoo raps about chasing dreams, addictions – as well as chasing the truth. Recorded and produced in Detroit, The Easy Truth, is the perfect distillation of hip-hop influences. Every moment on the album is a loaded question, a perspective positing a notion of truth, the convergence of grit and symphony with great production by Apollo Brown.
Nox is Latin for “good night,” and speaks to a thematic string that is running through the material. “The concept around the Nox project is basically being the light in the dark, going from darkness to light,” he says. “Everyone in the world, we all have our bad days and our good days. We all go through different things but I feel like this project definitely can appeal to a wide spectrum of people, from old to young.” “My main goal with it is to enlighten people,” he says, before adding, “and to share good music.” A.Y.E. is eager to debut his new sophomore album NOX, a moving, conceptual piece that explores the theme of being trapped in the dark and trying to find the light. A.Y.E. dives deep and takes you through his childhood challenges, his battle between life and death, losing his best friend, and somehow still managing to find the light in the dark.
Mars is a space-themed sci-fi album inspired journey where Aceyalone plays with themes of space travel, alien worlds, and futuristic storytelling. It’s imaginative and atmospheric, blending Afrofuturism, boom-bap, and experimental production from Slippers. The album centers around leaving Earth emotionally, spiritually, and physically, for a higher state of being or a distant world.
On Handshakes With Snakes, the Demigodz frontman brings you full circle via industry rule number 4080. Listeners of this record will become cautious of who they shake hands with. Production duties are handled entirely by Apathy himself, captivating fans on a ride fully orchestrated in his own creative vision while bringing along a handful of carefully selected guest emcees. Having experienced firsthand what it’s like to start independently from the dirt, then be entrenched in a major label contract during the peak of hip hop’s commercial success, to touring alongside RIAA certified diamond-selling mega rockstars – Apathy’s knowledge and wittiness on the subject spills out to be pure audio gold. This project represents those of us not willing to compromise our artistry for fame and money. Can we shake on that?
The album title, Cut the Body Loose, is based on an aspect of a traditional New Orleans jazz funeral in which “the music guides grievers from heavy, insurmountable suffering to a full-on raucous celebration in the streets.” Meanwhile, the album hopes to guide listeners in the same direction.
The short EP Vigilante Genesis follows an elaborate narrative of a vigilante fighting criminals in the hood. The vigilante, portrayed by Blueprint, wears a gas mask as a disguise. After saving a woman from being assaulted by two men, he tracks them down after they mistakenly kill two innocent men in his place. This project is also a collab since Aesop Rock handles all the production for every track.
Hamilton, Charles is a continuation of Hamilton’s concept EP The Black Box that revolves around taking a plane trip around Hamilton’s mind & his songs are part of the recordings on the Flight recorder. This continues the story when two men later discover the proverbial Black Box after the plane wrecks.
And the Anonymous Nobody is about how the group has gone nowhere and is here to stay; millennials don’t know who they are. After numerous licensing disputes, their image and sound have slowly disappeared from consciousness, as in our digital age, from iTunes to Spotify to their very own website, De La Soul in digital form is nowhere to be found. To millennials, they are nobodies.
The Intro to Detroit rapper Elzhi’s long-awaited album Lead Poison, “Medicine Man,” is an effective outline of the concept of the album and the album’s artwork. In the intro, Elzhi is struggling to write about his encounter with the Medicine Man. However, his writer’s block is cured by the Medicine Man, who is a catalyst for the creation of the album and the transformation of Elzhi’s mental state. In an interview with Andreas Hale of 2DOPEBOYZ, Elzhi elaborates on the meaning of the song and the writing process behind it. “I wanted Medicine Man to be the intro because it’s pretty much what the album is about,” said Elzhi. “It’s about finding your outlet, and my outlet is writing. The start of it was me trying to find the right words. Trying to get some things off my chest. Trying to get what was poisonous inside of me out of me… While I was writing it I wanted to walk this fine line—I didn’t want it to be too depressing. I wanted to be playful with things I was going through. There are a lot of songs on the cutting room floor that I feel are just too dark. So, I had to find that right balance, and I feel I found that balance with the album.”
No one knows how long this place has been here. Some of its inhabitants are new arrivals; some have been here for years, and to a select few, this place is all they’ve ever known. You are about to enter a world of deception, desperation, and depravity. Where danger lurks around every corner. Don’t be fooled by the sky, because here, everyone has a motive. Close your eyes and think Happy Thoughts.
American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story takes place while Kevin is in high school. He’s a gay rapper and it’s a concept album about his relationship with a white boy (whose parents hate him more for his race than for the fact he’s gay).
On Knew School, there’s an overlying schoolyard theme that surrounds the duo’s journey along the west coast. Their journey starts in a Seattle, Washington high-school and continues at their current residence within the arts district of Los Angeles, California.
Good vs. Evil is a world where the victims of police brutality, government corruption and class discrimination fought back; but not through silent protest-but through violent protest. “Dear Officer (Shoot Back),” the first song from the album to be released, doubles as an open letter to crooked cops and an exhortation for the common people to rise up against people and systems who abuse their power.
The Life & Death of Scenery is told by “The Narrator” (played by The Daily Show’s Wyatt Cenac). These Big Brother missives capture a world where the, “books are all burned, the vinyl has been melted, and the remaining art catapulted over the city walls.” The mere act of whistling is cause for the guillotine. It’s the rap analogue to Fahrenheit 451, 1984, or Brave New World, where the Soma is uncomfortably soothing and the sunshine eerily abundant. L’Orange & Mr. Lif, The Life and Death of Scenery, conceives a chimerical “lighthearted dystopia” just far enough from modernity to breathe easily, but close enough to make you consider relocating to that cave in the forest. In this collaboration with the eccentric North Carolina producer, L’Orange, Lif imagines an adjacent future called the “last society,” where culture has been obliterated, and physical survival has taken precedence over art. The former Def Jux legend inhabits the role of The Scribe, frantically showing the post-apocalyptic survivors the power of what’s been lost. It attacks those who value disposable art over the timeless; it articulates the necessity of preserving culture; it lampoons the absurdity of attempting to destroy one of the most immutable qualities in mankind.
E36: Techno Violet is partly named for the high-octane BMW E36 model — a beautiful design to come from the late ’90s, is also inspired by “Drive,” the 2011 noir thriller starring Ryan Gosling, and the production on Techno Violet mirrors the film’s original score with a synth-heavy, late-night ambiance that runs through the whole project. Although there’s technically only five tracks, Techno Violet has the runtime of a feature film, as four of the five chapters — each delivered in a different “gear” — last over 10 minutes.
Stillness in Wonderland is a sequel to the story of her debut album, A Curious Tale Of Trials + Persons. Little Simz follows the proverbial White Rabbit and falls into the rabbit hole that leads to the events of this album, which are heavily inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
Don’t Look Down tells the tale of a man who murders someone in order to protect his girlfriend and the resulting PTSD that haunts him. After falling into his own despair, he eventually finds solace through religion and self-motivation.
The Odd Tape is an instrumental concept album that revolves around the rhythms of the artist’s daily life. It starts in the morning with “Alarmed” and takes us through his entire day until he’s back in bed asleep.
Seventy Nine by Planet Asia and DJ Concept is all about Gold, (gold’s atomic number is 79, one of the highest numbers for any material found in the known universe). The gold framework is told throughout ‘Seventy Nine,’ which is that of a classic ‘79 Seville that narrates their journey. Each track crackles and fades into the next like you’re moving the radio dial, which allows for the smooth transitions within the album.
Def By Stereo opens with the introduction: “They took a lone gunman from New York and connected him with three of California’s most dangerous men. Now, four of the baddest motherfuckers on the planet are all in one place, at one time, with one mission. No one’s prepared for Def By Stereo.” It’s an action-fueled album co-starring Duck Down Records sharp shooter Ruste Juxx and LA’s rhyme slinger Pawz One. The scenery through sound laid by the Beat Bruisers provides the perfect backdrop for Ruste Juxx, Pawz One, and Harsh Ramirez. “Def By Stereo” plays like a cult classic B movie that hardcore fans will keep on repeat. Both an ode to the punch you in the face era of hip hop and a cut of something new, “Def By Stereo” has no stuntmen, no safety and no shortage of action.
Season Two picks up right where their debut ended, splashing fresh paint on the canvas and heating things up through raw lyricism and organic production. 12 new episodes full of blood, mystery, and mayhem. Building on the “cleaning up blood and guts” metaphor, the album tracks the duo’s escapades cleaning up mob messes and navigating dark, gritty, and surreal tales of street survival. The concept was heavily inspired by the TV show Spotless, which follows a crime-scene cleaner entangled with organized crime.
Contraband Mixtape is a collection of 12 songs with its unifying themes of raw emotion, plagued by social ills, haunted by love gone, and 2 timely interludes, it is able to cover a range of topics without losing continuity or the listener’s ear. From the first single “ Hand Ova Fist” a pounding track (borrowed from Brenk Sinatra’s “Tryin”) with a lyrical tale about being on the run from the police, to “DREAMS” (prod. by DJ D Sharp) dub reggae infused anthem of achieving one’s aspirations against all odds. While “All These Guns” (prod. by Woodstock) features guest appearances by Stic.man (DeadPrez), Bicasso (Living Legends) and Do D.A.T. is a powerful Gil Scott-Heron inspired track about police brutality, and the struggles that confront the Black community. Contraband Mixtape journeys further to celebrate a new day on one track, to asking provocative questions on the next. Its ultimate strength, however, is its ability to be relevant to current events, and remain entertaining all at once.
South Carolina producer Stu Enscoe draws upon the sonic motif to develop a high fidelity interpretation of 1970s era heist scenes. “This EP was made with the idea of a 1970’s heist movie in mind,” Enscoe says, “so all of these beats remind me of various scenes and parts of movies of that sort.”
The album focuses mostly on West Coast gang culture and how the year 1992 was pivotal in making Game the man and rapper he is today. The title is a reference to the 1992 L.A. riots, and commemorates a pivotal year for Game. It was the year he became a gang member.
Polymer is a concept album about self-hatred and introspection comprised of four concept EPs. Polymer is about the Jungian shadow, and the different ways it has seeped into Tonedeff’s life. The four EPs themselves are about porn and sex addiction, panic attacks and time anxiety, narcissism, and self-destruction.
Prima Donna is a concept album that centers around a rapper who begins the album committing suicide and concludes with him rising to fame, a story told from the end to the beginning.
The album opens with The Vegetable returning to earth to help guerrillas/bandidos in the jungle fight against injustice, brutal exploitation, and violations of their human rights.
Serengeti teams up with Yoni Wolf for this album that tells the story of a pair of star-crossed lovers named Maddy and Davy. After Davy got Maddy pregnant, he proposed. The ceremony was a lovely, traditional affair. Shortly thereafter, Davy’s band took off and he rode the wave of garage rock revival. But alas, soon their music went out of vogue, and the tastemakers left them for dead. No blog would touch them with a ten-word post, but Davy never gave up. Music was the only life he knew, the only way he could pay the bills and process the pain. So he took any gig he could get, canvassing the road, hoping to ignite his career at sparsely attended shows from Hoboken to Hamburg, Germany. Times were tough. Davy barely had any income to send home to Maddy and their now two children. With her husband on the road, she was forced to take a job as a cocktail waitress. Slightly debased, and getting hit on all the time, she eventually took solace in the arms of Davy’s old high school best friend/ex-bandmate. The sentiment distills the slow decay of the album. It’s a high-concept examination of lives crumbling. The despair of a lovable underdog who chased his dreams so relentlessly that he lost those he loved the most. He misses his kids, but still lives a debauched life away.
