By Daniel Paiz

The Year End Awards title is no more, dear reader, as 2023 is the introduction of a smoother title, the 12th Annual Cypher Seven! 2023’s Seven Best Hip Hop albums and more. 2023 was different than 2022 and previous years in that it felt that Hip-Hop is in a state of flux, more so than normal. The charts reflected that, as popular Hip-Hop rarely hit #1, and the albums that came out seemed to be big for niche fandoms but not huge for listeners across the genre. Independent and lesser-known artists seemed to have better projects, and thankfully got some attention for it.

Perhaps the oversaturation of 2022 led to a more curated and less saturated 2023. Sometimes less is more, and this year had some really good projects that deserved more simmer and less skimming. 2024 might be a mix between simmered 2023 ideals and the constant releases of 2022, only time will tell.

Slight Timeline Changes for which Albums Qualified and Which are up for 2024

Album Grading once again relied on the album release date; however, trying to remember the middle of November cutoff date every year is cumbersome. So this year, albums from November 2022 to November 30th of 2023 were considered for review. In 2024, December 1st, 2023, to November 30th, 2024, will be the new timeline going forward. 

Figuring out the Seven Best Albums of 2023 was again a test in patience. This go-around, album length varied dramatically. Some albums are still following the “we don’t think you have an attention span anymore” formula of around 30 or so minutes for a project, while other albums reverted to a 2000s formula of over an hour of music with around 18 or so tracks.

The former is better for lighthearted fun jams, while the latter is great for exploration and conceptual digging. A sonic spectrum of ideas and beats across the board make up the seven chosen before you. The Honorable Mentions also were in the mix to make the Cypher Seven, but fell short.

In addition to the Seven Best and Honorable Mentions selections, other awards are paused for this year. There’s so much fluctuation in the music game and it is really hard to keep up with who will make noise next, who is underrated, etc. This year, the awards consist of the Seven Best, the Honorable Mention section, and the Capital Steez Award (read that section for more info on the name). For your enjoyment (and ours), the Cypher Seven of 2023 follows below.

OUR SEVEN BEST ALBUMS OF 2022 ARE:

7. El Michels Affair & Black Thought: Glorious Game

Black Thought is one of the best to collaborate with for a Hip-Hop album. The lyrics are always flowing, the tenacious and energetic delivery pulls the listener in, and Thought continues to be your favorite emcee’s favorite emcee. The final track on this project, “Alter Ego” has a section in the first verse that highlights Thought’s prowess:

I perfected imperfection, I’ve dealt with debt collection,

All my demons, I respect ’em, I’m a breathin’ intersection,

On the crux of my redemption, not to mention reinspired,

Lookin’ out for me and mine, since I told my alter ego goodbye

Black Thought on Alter Ego

6. Ab-Soul: Herbert

This project at times has a cinematic feel to it, bordering between short film and episodic reviews of Ab-Soul’s journey. His own journey as well as how he assesses the journey of life is very grounded, personal, but also broad enough that the listener can relate their own anecdotal moments to particular songs. These songs repeatedly remind the listener that everyone has to make decisions in life, and then deal with the outcomes. Growth and accountability are key components for compelling music.

5. Skyzoo & The Other Guys: The Mind of a Saint

This might be the most conceptual album on this list, and the most conceptual project released in 2023. Skyzoo raps through the perspective of a key character from the FX series Snowfall. The NYC emcee does an outstanding job of weaving through the perspective of Franklin Saint; so much so that it almost makes me want to watch the show to see which songs tie into which plot points. There are countless albums about crime and drugs out in 2023, but few reach this level of cleverness and imaginative rhyming that Skyzoo so easily delivers.

4. Atmosphere: So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously

Atmosphere has been making music for decades and yet it always seems folks are missing out. A hefty album at 20 songs, there’s a lot to sift through. This project points out that it takes time to learn about others and to learn how to hear other ideas. However, it’s important to do so. A lifetime has taught Atmosphere what shapes realities. Reflection and time fuel growth, with the possibility of opening hearts and minds. The more it’s understood that infinite perspectives and ideas exist, ideally the more human beings will understand each other.

3. Aesop Rock: Integrated Tech Solutions

There’s a lot to ponder and mull over on this album. 18 tracks are there for your puzzlement, your ears, and for your pleasure. Like Rock’s 2020 album, this one feels like a nearly mythical creature when compared to what’s in the world of Hip-Hop right now. Getting a listener to press play over and over again isn’t an easy feat, and yet Aesop Rock has figured out how to do that while making interesting music. There’s wit, there’s humor, and there’s a whole lot of building lines together that make for some intrepid images.

2. Stro Elliot: La Villa

This project has a wide-ranging spectrum of feels and sounds. There are tunes here for nearly every part of the day and said jams reach a range of different emotions. No tune is too overpowering, and no sounds heard are underdeveloped. Each track sounds purposeful but in a daily life sort of way. This project is one that listeners will replay several times without thinking twice about it. That’s not to say this is background music, but rather attention-grabbing in a way that the listener chooses. Stro Elliot is a musical conductor to your life track for the day.

1. Killer Mike: Michael

This album is a compilation of different experiences and stories that Killer Mike has witnessed throughout his life. There are highs, lows, and lessons learned as well. It appears these events shaped Mike, and provided him reminders to continue on. There is also a theme of making sure to not get sidetracked, so that you keep moving forward.

That can be tough due to certain barriers and challenges, but doing so will lead you to similar ends that Mike has had so far. This is a vulnerable album, and the openness and reflection is something to learn from for artists across genres. This tape has been put together sincerely, honestly, and openly by Mike. The journey continues, so be sure to learn from what’s shaped you so far.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Black Milk – Everybody Good?
• Little Simz – No Thank You
• Oddisee – To What End

BEST SOUNDTRACK OR HIP-HOP ADJACENT ALBUMS OF 2023:

• Dreamville – Creed III: The Soundtrack
• Metro Boomin – Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse
• Gorillaz – Cracker Island
• SZA – SOS
• Flume – Arrived Anxious, Left Bored

Vulnerability and an openness to share were some major foci of albums this year. That, and existential exploration, and a dread of the world and society around us, were all major themes in the albums checked out above. 2023 felt like another year of exploration and curiosity pursued, which often results in some very good music. There were also plenty of tapes that were surface level and made for jamming to and whatnot, and that’s fine; everybody has their own preferences.  

This year’s race was not as close as 2022. It was a very tight race in terms of who would fill out the remaining six spots, but there were few albums that were within shouting distance of Killer Mike’s album. What was fairly surprising was the Stro Elliot made the Cypher Seven; this is perhaps the second or third time that an instrumental album has made the overall listing, including both Cypher Seven and Honorable Mention. Speaking of the Honorable Mentions, it seemed that all were going to make the Cypher Seven, until the end. Thankfully, all of the projects listed will give you something to jam if you’re searching for something out of the ordinary.

THE CAPITAL STEEZ AWARD (OR THE ARTIST WE WISHED WE KNEW MORE ABOUT AWARD):

SZA

[Capital Steez was a member of Pro Era and had a number of unique mixtapes. Steez’s life sadly ended years ago, and this award is given to artists who are offering something dope and unique to the masses.]

This award normally goes out to newer, under the radar types that are not getting their just dues. SZA is certainly getting all of the praise and recognition she deserves. The reason why SZA is this year’s recipient of the Capital Steez Award is that while I’ve known of her work for some time now, I hadn’t really checked for it prior to SOS. Sure, I had heard ctrl and features on other artist’s projects (the Black Panther soundtrack was the most SZA I heard at once prior to digging into her catalogue). There are some artists that have work which resonates with all kinds of listeners, and those types should be checked out and listened to. Thankfully, SZA is being listened to and will likely continue to grab ears with each new work she creates.

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That concludes the 12th Annual Cypher Seven: 2023’s Seven Best Hip-Hop albums and more. I would just like to thank everyone for reading this article, and for checking out previous work on Cypher Sessions. Whether you’ve been here since 2012 or just started reading it is truly appreciated.

There’s no dream team putting all of this together. Instead, the author of this article is the one tweaking and reworking. Writing and editing takes time. Every time somebody reads something and shares their thoughts, it’s an honor for this writer. If you enjoy these artists, check out their work, and if you enjoy these words, please share them, comment, talk about them, get them to people you know.

Here’s to 2023 ending well for everyone, and for 2024 to be something each of us can be proud of through improvement, day by day. Take care and keep reading.