The Churn
Butter.ATL’s Top Albums of the Year
Butter ATLDecember 22, 2021
2021 may have had pandemic lows, but in terms of music coming out of Atlanta, it was filled with highs.
Everyone’s favorite artists were dropping EPs, mixtapes, and singles all year long, and as COVID-19 vaccines rolled out, live performances made a triumphant return, too. With everything from viral TikTok songs (word to Big Draco), to ass-shaking solo debuts that made us say “lord have mercy,” and jaw-dropping music videos that upped the bar, Atlanta artists had an undeniable influence in the music industry, as they do every year.
The year also fully put collaborations back on the map, with feature-filled tracks dominating radio waves and streaming services alike. You had 21 Savage holding his own on a J. Cole track, then giving an iconic verse on Nardo Wick’s hot “Who Want Smoke??” Trapper of the Year Lil Baby stealing the show on songs with Kanye West and the Weeknd, Drake, and J. Cole; and Latto slid over tracks with Chris Brown and Young Thug, and Flo Milli and Rich The Kid, just before dropping her own dope homage to ATL’s Soufside. It’s safe to say the newer generation of ATL rapstars are making hip-hop comrades across the board, and proving themselves as the competition for years to come.
With all the exciting music moments we had over the past year, there were still some projects where ATLiens truly took it to the next level. You ever fallen in love with an album that you can listen to from start to finish without skipping any tracks, and without putting it on shuffle? Those are the kinds of EPs, albums, and musical projects we keep our eyes peeled for. And below is Butter.ATL’s certified best albums of the year, including some words from Butter’s staff on why each project deserves the top spot.
And after you read our list of award-worthy no-skips albums, keep scrolling to see our list of honorable mentions, too.
Summer Walker — Still Over It
Summer Walker may be known for being shy and reserved, but on her sophomore album Still Over It, she didn’t hold back at all. The album opens with the track Bitter airing out some baby mama, followed by some A1 advice from Cardi B (“Don’t let them feel like they have a one-up by destroying your moment… say it in a beautiful way in your music.”), and keeps that same energy the whole time. Not only does her smooth voice pack a soulful punch, with lyrics that don’t hold back at all, the album was also largely produced by London on da Track — ATL producer and father of Summer’s child who the songs were partially about.
“Summer might be the hardest R&B singer in the game… She says it like it is, says names, and shares her experiences. Imagine how hard it is to have half your project produced by the person you’re airing out?” – Chaz
“If we’re talking about turning lemons into a lemon martini, this is it. She put out an album finessing so many bad decisions and making it into a soulful musical experience. I mean, the opening lines to 4th Baby Mama are ‘your mama should have beat your ass.’ Her vocals are never going to fail, her songwriting is strong, and the fact that she brought Ciara’s Prayer to the album is amazing.” – Kescheler
Standouts:
- No Love (with SZA)
- Bitter
- Ciara’s Prayer
Young Thug — Punk
We expect a lot from Young Thug at this point, and Punk was an experimental, melodic album that proved he’s always going to surpass those expectations. With a star-studded roster of collabs featuring everyone from Gunna, J. Cole, and Doja Cat, and masterful standouts with late rappers Mac Miller and Juice Wrld, Thugger took risks with confidence, and it paid off. On Stressed (feat. J. Cole and T-Shyne) Young Thug sounds like he has anxieties he needs to get off his chest, and by the time the album gets to Hate The Game, he’s in his bag, talking big shit.
“Punk represents a lot of growth musically, lyrically, and for his content overall. From Danny Glover (2 Bitches) to Punk is huge growth and development as an artist. Some time has passed, I wasn’t a fan back then, and now that he’s grown and developed as an artist it’s a lot more depth to his music now.” – Mike Nice
“I think this album shows his range. There’s so much fun in his music, but then with Punk, an album that isn’t for everybody, and it showed us that he can do a lot more experimental stuff and still make it good. The features from JuiceWLRD and Mac Miller made it dope to celebrate legends who passed.” – Chaz
Standouts:
- Peepin Out The Window (with Future & Bslime)
- Stressed (with J. Cole & T-Shyne)
Lil Nas X — Montero
It was impossible to miss Lil Nas X in 2021, from televised performances and viral TikToks, to earning the title of a professional troll in the face of hate. If you thought the rapper and professional troll was all gimmick and no substance, MONTERO came out just in time to prove the haters wrong. X hit new heights with his debut album Montero by dipping his toes into almost every genre and still managing to create an overall cohesive project. Tracks like the lead single Montero (Call Me By Your Name) have addicting replay value, while songs like TALES OF DOMINICA and DEAD RIGHT NOW get personal, hitting on smoothing, melodic notes. It looks like Montero is here to stay for a while, so if you’re still hating, it might be time to get on the winning team.
“I don’t usually like rap that leans more towards the pop-rap direction, but X surpassed all my expectations for this album. I listened to it because I wanted to support pretty much the only mainstream out gay rapper, which makes the album a gamechanger. It is very layered and personal in some areas, relatable and braggadocious in others, and pure fun elsewhere. The production is especially astounding, and songs like DEAD RIGHT NOW show he can get deep when he wants to without losing his musical flare.” – Dev
“MONTERO surprised me. I wasn’t really on the Old Town Road wave, and honestly the only reason I listened to Montero is because I kept seeing it on my timeline. Then a friend told me, “they got Tina Snow on Montero!” I listened to the album and didn’t skip anything. I listened to every single song on that album. Even though each song was so different, the entire project was sonically cohesive and went through the whole range of emotions. People try to take his hype from him, but he delivered musically.” – Kescheler
“I fuck with the unapologetic nature of it – the “fuck you” of it all…” – Mike Nice
Standouts:
- DEAD RIGHT NOW
- INDUSTRY BABY (Feat. Jack Harlow)
- DOLLA SIGN SLIME (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)
Baby Tate – After The Rain (Deluxe)
Baby Tate dropped the “Yung” from her name last year, then dropped the deluxe edition of her infectious After The Rain EP this year, where she’s rapping and sangin’ like she has something to prove. Tracks like Baecation effortlessly blend together top notch lyricism with R&B vibes, while the viral sensation I Am features Baby Tate alongside Flo Milli talking big shit. From start to finish, the 13 track EP (which back in my day was just called an album) takes listeners through a relatable journey of a heartbroken individual remembering that they are, in fact, that bitch.
“This project got me through some things. Baby Tate put her whole heart into this one, with a social media rollout that was just as exciting as the music. I could relate to and feel every song, from when she sings “boss bitch bounce back, never gonna see me down” to the super emotional track she gives us with 6lack. She knows she doesn’t want to choose between rapping and singing, and I don’t want her to either.” – Dev
Standouts:
- Baecation
- Focused
- I Am (Feat. Flo Milli)
Big Boi & Sleepy Brown: Big Sleepover
At this point we never expect Big Boi to disappoint us, and with him rapping alongside fellow Dungeon Family alumn Sleepy Brown’s singing, he proves that Old Atlanta is still the blueprint that the new crop of ATL rappers learned from. On the title track Big Boi raps “Niggas sleeping but I’m wide awake,” and shortly after Sleepy Brown declares, “we have nothing else to prove, we stay on point whatever we do.” With standout features that feel like a Dungeon Family reunion, the project’s main strength is the undeniable chemistry between Big Boi and Sleepy Brown, and between the two of them and all the features. Big Boi’s timeless lyricism atop brassy, heavy beats is the anchor holding the entire album down. Most importantly, the ATL veterans aren’t trying to “keep up” with what the new kids are doing, nor are the stuck in the past trying to recreate nostalgia feelings for listeners; instead, they’re doing their own thing, vibing with old friends in their own signature sound, and we love it.
“As the least-young person on the staff, I’m probably the one who fux with this album the most because aside from Brandon I’ve been listening to Big Boi the longest. With so much sameness in today’s hip-hop sound, it’s seriously a blessing that we’ve got folks like Big Boi still making good, commercially viable music that represents ATL so completely. There are also some super-ATL shout outs from Killer Mike on his multiple appearances (“Paul Howard might indict…”), which add to the hyper-local appeal. This is OG-Dope-Boy-Turned-Legit Atlanta music, and it’s still wild enough that I can’t let my kid daughter listen to every song but we can let most of it ride in the house.” –– Mike Jordan
Standouts:
- Lower Case (no cap) (feat. Killer Mike)
- Can’t Sleep
- Do Ya Best (feat. Scotty ATL)
Honorable Mentions:
Zack Fox – shut the fuck up talking to me
Chloe x Halle – Ungodly Hour (Chrome Edition)
Young Thug & Gunna – Slime Language 2
SahBabii – Do It For Demon
Soulja Boy – Big Draco 2
Young Nudy – Rich Shooter
Ocean Kelly – Black Pamela
BkTheRula – LOVE BLACK
Isaiah Rashad – The House Is Burning
Silk Sonic – An Evening with Silk Sonic
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Baby Keem – Melodic Blue
The Voice – Young Durk
Nicki Minaj – Beam Me Up Scotty re-release
Cakes da Killa – Muvaland Vol. 2
Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales
PinkPantheress – To Hell With It
Spice – 10
DMX – Exodus