Black artists release 2020’s best tracks

By Caleb Spencer / Campus Editor

While most of 2020’s chaos has led to large amounts of stress and anxiety, this same chaos worked as a driving force for some great albums from Black artists. Spanning multiple genres, these are some of my favorite albums of the year from Black artists.

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Backxwash – “God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It” (experimental rap)

This release has the feeling of being watched made into music. So much of the album creeps and haunts around corners while Backxwash tries its best to distract you with hellish lyricism.

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Special Interest – “The Passion Of” (industrial rock)

If you find yourself having to DJ for a party of vampires, this would be a good place to start. “The Passion Of” feels like club music from Wesley Snipes’ “Blade” movies, but with even more eyeliner. The pulsing bass and glam-rock vocal delivery are hypnotizing, constantly lulling you into comfort even though danger is clearly present.

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The Muslims – “Gentrified Chicken” (punk rock)

A classic punk sound with some truly revolutionary lyrics to boot, The Muslims hold nothing back for the quick 20-minute runtime on “Gentrified Chicken.” The songs on here want to burn everything down and smile as buildings crumble around them, which is exactly how good punk music should sound.

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R.A.P. Ferreira – “purple moonlight pages” (lo-fi hip hop)

R.A.P.’s pure poetic skill shines bright on “purple moonlight pages,” as each song feels like the deep conversations you wish you had with your friends all those years ago. Each note and line feels gently placed into your ear just for you, and I can’t help but smile when listening.

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Yves Tumor – “Heaven To A Tortured Mind” (alternative rock)

“Heaven To A Tortured Mind” manages to sound like classic alternative rock while being completely unique the entire time. Yves Tumor has never been the most traditional artist, and this shines brightest on their latest album. Featuring one of my favorite guitar solos of the entire year, this release attempts to change what it means to be a rockstar.

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