Dive into the best of 2023 with Masego, Don Toliver, Victoria Monet, Baby Keem, Metro Boomin, and more. These artists define the year's sound in our exclusive rankings.

All things considered, Big Sean probably couldn’t have made this version of Detroit 2 three years ago. Patience is a virtue, and I’m willing to wager he learned that one from the city he calls home.

If you’ve read my past musings, you probably have a pretty good understanding of my taste, and this list is sure to follow suit. As a quick disclaimer, please do not mistake this list of my personal preferences as a ranking of the best, whatever that means. I haven’t watched that many movies, but I’ve watched just enough to build out a list of films I’ve repeatedly returned to last decade as my clear-cut favorites. Here we go:

Triumphant yet grateful, Nip allowed a brief, rare moment to enjoy the fruits of his labor, decking his grandma out in a Puma sweatsuit and bringing her aboard his private jet to enjoy a glass of champagne as visual representation of the generational change he’s providing, even after death. I hate it that Nipsey Hussle died so young. I hate that he died at his happiest even more.

Keep the Change will inspire you to transform your dreams into reality. Considering the price of music streaming, this project is a true bargain. You normally don’t get this type of game in a place like Detroit without losing a lot of money — or worse.

Long story short: pulling together my five favorite music projects of 2018 was a struggle. Hopefully you’re able to find something new.

The Playa Haters’ Ball is easily one of the best in show history. I cannot understand how fans of Chappelle fail to discuss this sketch when talking about its most memorable moments. The skit’s humor is rooted in how natural it all feels, the chemistry between these friends and just naturally funny people fueling the bulk of it.

On Back to Cool, Willie Mac Jr. tutors listeners in the art of maintaining individual thought on the way to achieving life’s complex goals, skillfully satisfying the desire we all have to remain unique while showing the benefits of leadership and collaboration. Luckily, class isn’t quite full yet, so grab a seat and learn something.

With vivid detail, enthusiastic candor, and — frankly — better philosophical fluidity than most of today’s elected officials, their bars provide a genuinely sound logic for everybody: for teenagers seeking their purpose, students struggling with academia, politicians trying to make the world a better place, and parents simply hoping to connect with their children.

This is “know yourself; know your worth” years before Aubrey said it, “if you don’t want me, then don’t talk to me” without any of Fantasia’s heartbreak. Beyoncé doesn’t need you. Don’t you ever for a second get to thin... wait, that’s an entirely different song. Regardless, you get the point.

Ironically — or maybe not — their beef came at the apex of each rappers’ career: Paper Trail is T.I.’s last #1 album on the Billboard Hot 100, and Shawty Lo never saw that kind of mainstream attention on his music again. I might’ve found Tip’s responses petty, but he probably saw a guy he knew and respected and, most importantly, wanted his spot; this guy from down the block might’ve never held T.I.’s universal appeal, but he could threaten his neighborhood status, and that was enough to merit comebacks that were, frankly, mean.

You want to see the exact moment Lil Wayne becomes a supernova? Here it is, right here.

Now into my mid-20s, it’s clear The Boondocks might always remain culturally and socially relevant, or at least until I’m older. Disagree? "The Trial of Robert Kelly" is the second episode the show ever produced; 12 years later, R. Kelly is still free and was recently accused of holding teenage girls captive in an Atlanta compound. Still relevant.

I often struggle with picking a definitive list of my favorite movies, but on today, here’s the shortlist: Silence of the Lambs, The Godfather, and Coming to America. I could easily write an argument for the greatness of Silence of the Lambs or The Godfather, but the clear underdog in my top-three is Coming to America. This is completely unfair, however, and thus why I want to discuss why Coming to America is an undeniable masterpiece that doesn’t get nearly enough credit.

Migos aren’t clones of anyone. They are three unique and versatile personalities capable both of producing cohesive projects and impressive individual efforts. And their differences — however minor they appear to be — are likely the key to their brilliance as a collective.

No guests this year — just me. (Here’s your chance to tiptoe out the back door.) Per the title, this year’s piece will be far less “scientific” than the first two. I’m way too behind on music to pretend like I’m some sort of expert this year, so consider this a list of my personal favorites. I mean, I think I know a little bit about song construction and stuff, so I’d hope nobody sees this and finds me completely insane for some of these choices. As always, I take this project as seriously as I (think I) should, and I’d love to get your feedback on my picks and even see your “best songs” lists, as well.

Netflix was kind enough to give us 90 minutes of their reunion. I need that unreleased footage though, and sooner-than-later.

Love Jones debuted in theaters on March 14, 1997, in the midst of what I’d argue is a peak in Black cinema. Although this renaissance arguably begins as far back as the late-1980s, the Black romance films of the mid-1990s introduce this extremely wild concept of young, successful, upwardly-mobile African-Americans having the same love issues as, you know, everybody else.

I do believe Sean was always cognizant of the lack of respect he’d be given in comparison with his contemporaries, but it’s clear now that he doesn’t care. He beat the odds: he’s made it to his fourth album while a ton of his peers have been one-and-done, if they even get that far.

Last year’s Highly Scientific Ranking of the Year’s Best Songs featured me and me alone. This time, I’ve asked some writer friends to join the fun. Among these friends are academics and professional writers and folks tied into the industry, but most importantly, they are very good people with musical tastes I’ve always respected. I can’t thank them enough for their help with this article, and I’m grateful that folks – friends or not – want their writing on my little startup website.

Since releasing Here I Stand, an distinctly mature album for a then-29-year-old, Usher has seemingly chosen to age backwards. Up until Hard II Love, each attempt felt clunky and, even worse, contrived.

Food & Liquor quickly became the soundtrack of my freshman year of high school. I’m terrible at rapping, but I’ve always fancied myself a poet; I love crafting the perfect sentence, and it was clear this not-tough nerd from Chicago loved words just as much – if not more – than this not-tough nerd from the westside of Detroit.

Once upon a time, my four favorite people on this earth were Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, my dad, and Whitney Houston, in that order. And just like I thought folks had to choose between 'Pac and Big or Bow Wow and Lil Romeo, I figured I couldn't like both Mike and Prince.

Oddly enough, I wasn't very pressed to hear Kendrick Lamar's project, and I didn't have very high expectations for Collegrove, either.

Nope. The only one I absolutely needed to hear is the one you've probably never heard about.

My top-ten and top-five are pretty solid for the most part, but my favorite rap group has been a lot harder to pin down. My boyfriend has expressed that I can love both equally and no one is forcing me to choose but let’s be honest... that’s impossible. I love them both too much to not have a clear decision, but declaring one over the other seems just as unfair. It’s like having two boyfriends, they both satisfy you fully but in different ways, and you NEED both to be fulfilled but inside you still know you need to be faithful to only one (I would imagine, anyway). To break this down this down further I won’t compare the two groups and I won’t go in depth with each album (even though I could). I will, however, express what they mean me to in order to convey this, if only for my own understanding.

ANTi is Rihanna’s eighth studio release, and she came back to let us know that reinvention is still her strong suit, and her growth is only beginning. As a listener I find it difficult, if not impossible not to incorporate every song into my overall opinion of an album, so we’ll be taking this ride track-by-track.

I haven't seen enough (read: any) Sisqó profiles, and I say that without a hint of sarcasm. It's been a peculiar yet somehow satisfying career to watch.

I’ve been making year-end playlists for a few years now. It’s a really fun exercise. Every now and again, you’ll see a song that you downloaded in January and can’t believe that song came out in the same calendar year as a song that came out 2 weeks ago. My only general qualification for this project is that the song be on an album that came out in 2015. I picked 100 songs to start, cut that down to 40, and finished with 17 — 7 honorable mentions, and a top-10 I painstakingly ranked. Really, painstakingly. It hurt me to cut some of the songs. But, tough decisions had to be made and whatnot. So, without further ado, the honorable mentions, in no particular order:

When did Late Registration become this underrated?