Explore the best hip-hop concept albums of 2010 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.
Kno is a rapper and producer best known for his work as part of the group CunninLynguists which has been responsible for some of the most phenomenal hip-hop concept albums to date. Kno brings that along with him on his solo album Death Is Silent where Kno takes a musical journey into the exploration of life & death. The titular song kicks off the album and explains how death actually is. It gives the meaning of how it feels like when someone is dead. Many other aspects surrounding death are explored, like the grief and loneliness of survivors. Suicidal ideation and the death of childhood and your inner child also add to the overall theme of death.
Cape Verde is based on a day spent in front of the television. Various shows are sampled throughout the album, morning shows, game shows, and news shows, like Bill O’Reilly’s infamous “we’ll do it live” meltdown on the song No Spin Zone. Perfect Strangers, Unsolved Mysteries. In fact, a lot of the song titles themselves reference the shows.
In After School Special, A-1 fakes being sick so that he can stay home from school and watch TV all day. He remixes the theme songs from classic shows like Pokémon, All That!, Power Rangers, Reading Rainbow and Goosebumps as he spends his day at home watching his favorite television shows.
Dinner And A Movie kicks off The Coathanga Strangla Trilogy by Brotha Lynch Hung is about The Hang, a normal, everyday man who transforms into a serial killer at night and murders rappers. It begins in an interrogation room, where Kevin Mann is interrogated by two cops about four murders he is suspected of committing. After a bit of arguing with cops, The Coathanga Strangla agrees to tell them what happened. The whole album is one big flashback and only last skit tells you about what happened to him after the interrogation. The skits throughout the album tell of how the local police department is desperately trying to put a stop to the murders.
Nineteen Ninety Now features vintage Buckwild beats from the mid-‘90s. “Essentially, this is a concept album that’s a first of its kind. I wanted to be able to resurrect a 90’s sound that once was and combine it with 2010 rhymes. I consider this album to be monumental because it could literally not only change the game, but change the way people feel.” “Dudes complain about the game but they ain’t doing anything. Nobody has done this concept before us. I wouldn’t be surprised if this creates a demand for other MC’s and producers who were around in the 90’s to get together and dig through shoeboxes of floppy disks to feed the fans more of the lost sound they still crave for and I’m all for it.” “It’s actually refreshing to hear authentic beats produced in the 90’s finally unveiled. It reminds you of all the dope production methods and sounds that are no longer used today. Nineteen Ninety Now takes you right back to that feeling–even if it’s just for one album.”
FlyLo conceived Cosmogramma as a “map of the universe” and a “space opera”, fusing 20th- and 21st- century music. It was inspired by lucid dreaming, out-of-body experiences and daydreams, as well as psychoactive drugs like mescaline and DMT
On My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, a creature(human/bird) from another planet comes to Earth and stumbles upon Kanye. He cares for her and falls in love with her. She sees the horrors humans have and decides to leave the planet.
A sequel to his previous album, in Man on the Moon II Kid Cudi plunges into a world of bravado and after-parties, with their endless supply of drugs and women amidst his newfound fame while dealing with family issues. In the end, he paid the price for all of his antagonizing actions, but became a better person because of it. “Experience = Wisdom, this is the theme of the album” – Cudi.
In MAYA, the album’s tracks center on the theme of information politics and about who controls the internet. Maya is also a fundamental concept in Hindu philosophy, Maya originally denoted the magic power with which a god can make human beings believe in what turns out to be an illusion. “Maya is a confusing concept. It’s an illusion. It’s about exactly what I said it was about: truth and lies. – M.I.A.
Night Train is an ode to San Francisco and the life and times of someone living in the city. It’s a love letter to San Francisco, but not the innocent, puppy-love kind where the subject can do no wrong. No, it’s a real love, an adult love, the kind that sometimes hurts and always leaves scars. A letter to someone who you’ve seen at their best and worst. Someone who’s fucked you over, but who you can’t imagine life without. The locomotive is an apparent metaphor for life’s relentless forward trajectory, a ride people of all types share
Producer Apollo Brown composes a smokey, rust riddled trip through the soul of Detroit. While their main conceit is that the industry is comprised of toxic terrorists pumping fumes of death into the mindspace of mainstream listeners, “The concept of the album was to warn audiences that hip hop music is being used against the people like poison. Positive, thought-provoking music can act as a ‘gas mask’ to help filter out the nonsense.”
The One Man Band Broke Up is based around the ever-revisited topic of the rise and fall of a musician, in this case one named Julius and The Bearded Savior, The One Man Band Broke Up is as much about Ceschi‘s own fear of failure as it is about personal experiences in a dog eat dog music industry.
Death of a Pop Star is about the death of the music industry. The title was decided during a conversation between both artists about the troubled state of the music industry, with 9th holding the view that contemporary artists could not attain the same iconic heights as those of an earlier era. “We were just talking about the death of contemporary music,” Banner recounted.”How have we continued to let music go in the direction that it is? It’s almost impossible for there to be another Michael Jackson or Usher or Chris Brown. And 9th said ‘Damn! That’s what we should call it. Death of a Pop Star.” Although the title’s significance can simply be interpreted as the death of being a pop star, the Mississippian insisted that it was chosen to spark a discussion among listeners about not only the album but also the death of contemporary black music. Both artists felt that music in general has been depreciated by the emphasis on style to the detriment of substance.
Saturday Night is the sequel to Friday Night, and picks up the story of tragic figures Dave and Umar several years after the violent wreck that would change the course of their lives and ultimately make them marked men. With each other as their only allies, Dave & Umar embark on a strange journey to clear their names
Hell Razah released an album called “The Renaissance Child”. The word Renaissance means “rebirth”. The rebirth of Hell Razah was Heaven Razah. Then Heaven Razah transforms into an angel, and the angel’s name is El Raziel, which means “the messenger of God”. That defines the music.
Hezekiah creates a wild, no limits, I don’t give a f**k concept album. I guess the concept is double standards. A concept album in its own right in which a doctor endeavors to guide his female patient through a “mind-fucking” process that will shed her inhibitions and make her more open-minded.
Thematically, Annihilation of the Evil Machine targets the manipulative forces corrupting H-Town’s Third Ward including the Houston Police Department, Fox News channel, the White House, and local radio station 97.9 FM. Although this plot generates visions of 29 Ill Bill-esque conspiracy theory cuts, AOTEM demonstrates far more versatility. Like pages torn from a science fiction novel, K-Rino finds himself as the chosen one, bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders, only to later find himself facing off in a duel with a fellow wizard
The idea on Distant Relatives ― Junior Gong and Nas are one in the same ― much about themselves and everything about their art can be traced back to their roots in Africa. Hence, the Mother Continent features heavily on the album
Traveling Man is an instrumental producer album by Oddisee who makes a song for every one of the twenty-four cities that he visits while traveling and tries to mimic or capture each city’s respective “sound.” As a musician, life is often lived on the road. Each city leaves its imprint on the artist as they develop their craft. Touring, recording, and keeping up with friends and family took Oddisee beyond his hometown of Washington DC to Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. From cities like East Africa’s Khartoum in Sudan, to cosmopolitan jaunts like Paris & Tokyo. The influence of these travels can be heard on every one of the 24 tracks included on “Traveling Man”. Each track was produced while Oddisee stayed in the city it was titled after. The result is a 24 city sonic tour of the world. Listen as Oddisee guides you through his instrumental journey around the globe. Visit the lonely winter streets of Detroit, festive San Francisco, hypnotic Khartoum – or let your swagger loose with the theme music of Chicago or the bounce of South Central. Oddisee sees the world, so that you can hear it.
Mark It Zero is inspired by the film The Big Lebowski. Unjust uses the soundtrack as his base with all the beats sampled from the score, while Opio took to the dialogue and created subject matter that is loosely based around their own “Dude-like” adventures. The concept of the album comes from a trip taken by Opio and Unjust to a screening of The Big Lebowski at the historic Red Vic Theatre on fabled Haight Street in San Francisco on 4.20 of last year. It was there at the Red Vic Theatre that the two men, even though they were in a confined movie theatre, thought “Fuck it, man” and fired up a joint of medical Cali Kush, prompting scores of other patrons to do the same in the theatre. As Opio & Unjust (who are both big fans of the cult classic) got deeper into the film, they came up with the idea of the tribute. With every scene and nuiance of the movie speaking to them creatively – Unjust was particularly intrigued with the soundtrack, prompting him to use that as his base with all the beats sampled from the score. And always a master with the pen, Opio took to the dialogue and created subject matter that is loosely based around their own “dude-like” adventures. The end result is a piece of work that proves not only as a stand-alone Hip Hop Album, but also a complementary piece to the classic film.
I F*cking Hate Rappers starts with Pack at a support group for people who hate Rappers. The album is a great dissection of what is bullshit about both rap music and contemporary hip hop culture. PackFM has had enough with the music being pushed nowadays. Pack spits about Hip Hop and how it has lost its cultural significance.
12 Step Program is a conceptual, introspective journey that mirrors the emotional and psychological phases of the classic recovery model. Panacea used the overarching “12 Step” concept to explore themes of overcoming personal demons, addiction, and the struggles of inner-city life.
The Defamation of Strickland Banks by Plan B is about a soul singer who rejects on obsessive fan who then falsely accuses him of rape. The subsequent trial results in his being sent to prison, and much of the rest of the album is about his experience inside. It’s much more soul-focused with a smattering of rap peppered in. The album’s opening track, “Love Goes Down” is a love song sung by Banks about his girlfriend while “Writing’s on the Wall” details the new difficulties in their relationship. “Stay Too Long” follows him and his entourage as they celebrate the success of his concert with a night out which culminates in him having a one-night stand with a woman. In “She Said”, it is learned that this woman is obsessed with his music and believes herself to be in love with him. He rejects her so she alleges that he raped her and the subsequent trial results in his incarceration. In “Welcome to Hell” he is sent to prison, and much of the rest of the album is about his experience inside. Throughout the course of the songs “Hard Times” and “The Recluse”, Strickland gets more isolated and insecure throughout as he struggles to cope with prison life. This results in his abuse at the hands of other prisoners, resulting in him purchasing a shiv on the prison black market throughout the course of “Traded in My Cigarettes”. In “Prayin'” he is confronted by another prisoner who attacks him. With the help of another inmate Strickland kills the attacker in self-defence, with the other inmate taking the blame, and is burdened with this guilt during “Darkest Place”. The next two tracks, “Free” and “I Know a Song” detail initially his anger, then his acceptance of his life inside prison. In the last track, “What You Gonna Do”, Strickland is in court again as new evidence has been brought up on his case while he waits anxiously to hear the verdict. The album finishes with the listener not sure of whether he is sent back to prison or released, leaving it open to interpretation.
By Hook Or By Crook by The Trillionaire$ Is a unique concept album, far different from the normal rap records being released today. It is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the greed and ruthlessness of modern society. It celebrates and at the same time makes a statement about mans insatiable hunger for “the good things in life”. The Trillionaire$ are the brainchild of Metty The Dertmerchant , a combo consisting of himself and fellow Canadian M.C. Evil Ebenezer.
A follow-up to his previous Seinfeld-themed mixtape, More About Nothing delivers more Seinfeld-inspired songs and clips sampled directly from the popular 90’s sitcom.
