Best of 2011
(The Bill Murray EP)
I’ve said it before, that every year is a good year for global hip hop. Thousands of albums are released every year and from those you can always find outstanding music. 2011 was no exception with competition for the top ten spots as fierce as ever.
We polled some of the most knowldgable people about global hip hop for their selections and reviewed those as well as our own large collection of new hip hop albums to come up with what we thought were the best of the year. I will admit to an English language bias since those are the lyrics I understand best, but as you will see three other languages represented in the top 10. (In order I received them this year…)
Sweatshop Union – The Bill Murray EP (Canada) – “Bring Back the Music” says the group from Vancouver on the 2011 release, and boy do they! For over a decade this Canadian hip hop collective has been known for their positive and socially conscious music. They are a Juno nominated group and this album was nominated for a Western Canada Music Award. The beats definitely appeal to the backpacker/underground crowd as does their quirkiness (at times reminding me of Beastie Boys or Dilated People). The Bill Murray metaphor, they told me at SXSW 2011, essentially means controlling your own destiny. These guys certainly do that, consistently performing and also doing solo projects.