Thinking Outside The Boombox: Podcast Newsletter (12/28/17)
/Thinking Outside The Boombox: Podcast Newsletter (12/28/17)
It has been a great year for Thinking Outside the Boombox! In 2017, I gave out awards in the inaugural TOTB Hip-Hop and R&B award show, I dug into three of 50 Cent's historic beefs, Gerald and Brandon were featured as new guests of the podcast, we discussed Chance The Rapper's independence, Lupe Fiasco's lyricism and so much more. I can't wait to see where 2018 takes us!
In the final episode of the year, I discuss the "Top 20 Albums of 2017." Check out the list below and check out the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud.
Song of the Week
Press Play
Things to Check Out:
- Black Thought delivers a FIRE freestyle
- The Roots are too good for Fallon
- Y'all watching this Biggie-Tupac
- Live Tutorial #1
- Live Tutorial #2
- N.E.R.D. x New York Times
- Diddy is living LARGE
- Tyler may have one of the best Tiny Desk concerts of the year
- Shout out to Cardi for this video lol
Recently Released Albums:
- 12/19- Chance The Rapper & Jeremih, Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama Re-Wrapped
- 12/21- Quavo & Travis Scott, Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho
- 12/22- Gucci Mane, El Gato the Human Glacier
- 12/25- Lil Wayne, Dedication 6
Top 20 Albums of 2017

Like my "Top 40" list, this list attempts to represent my favorite albums of 2017*. But, I do try to rank the albums on this list based on my enjoyment of them, their popularity, and especially their merit. Back in July, when we did the "Mid-Year Review" episode, I said that Kendrick and Jay-Z would be standing tall as the top two hip-hop albums of the year. Well, as you can see below, things changed very quickly. Last year saw releases from Chance, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Drake, J. Cole, TWO releases from Frank Ocean, Kanye West, and much more. 2017 did the impossible, in my opinion, and stood toe-to-toe with 2016, delivering music that was just as incredible. Let's see if 2018 can keep the streak going.
- DAMN., Kendrick Lamar
- CTRL, SZA
- 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time, Big K.R.I.T.
- Laila's Wisdom, Rapsody
- 4:44, Jay-Z
- Freudian, Daniel Caesar
- More Life, Drake
- Flower Boy, Tyler, the Creator
- Morning After, dvsn
- SweetSexySavage, Kehlani
- H.E.R., H.E.R.
- Culture, Migos
- All Amerikkkan Bada$$, Joey Bada$$
- Fin, Syd
- I Decided, Big Sean
- The Autobiography, Vic Mensa
- Process, Sampha
- Big Fish Theory, Vince Staples
- Good For You, Aminé
- Wins and Losses, Meek Mill
Honorable Mentions

- At What Cost, GoldLink
- Paranoia: A True Story, Dave East
- Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, Calvin Harris
- Beach House III, Ty Dolla $ign
- Everybody, Logic
*The eligibility period for the list this year ended on November 30th, 2017.
See you next year!
-AO