Tyler, the Creator busting his controversial rhymes.

Looking at the best-selling acts of the last few years, you might say that rap never went anywhere, but although rap has been around for decades, it was turning into a genre that lacked any kind of creativity, whether it be lyrically or in production. This last year a new breed of rap entered the ears of the masses thanks to the new free Internet mix-tape scene, giving all kinds of different rappers a way to get their music heard.

Last year really marked when people started to innovate in a genre that was becoming increasingly stale.

Lyrically, what 2011 brought to the world of rap was individuality. Last year’s new breed of rappers were saying things that were pretty much unheard of and the delivery of the lyrics was equally as original.

Bands like Odd Future made their mark. They started to gain popularity in 2010, but really exploded in 2011. The group, whose full name is Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, is led by the eccentric and hyperactive Tyler, the Creator. These controversial rappers’ lyrics seem to be all about shock value, but they also reveal deeper parts of the psyches of all the members themselves. Odd Future is the rap collective everyone has their eyes on, especially Tyler with his MTV VMA win in 2011.

But while Odd Future made the most noise, the best rap album of the year was Kendrick Lamar’s Section 80. It easily proved Lamar to be one of the most interesting rappers active right now. What Lamar does is not necessarily new. He has a quick and somewhat monotone delivery, yet his lines pack much more meaning and are far more significant than any other rapper’s.

There are many rappers who deserve to be noted from last year: Danny Brown, A$AP Rocky, Vince Staples, Childish Gambino and Das Racist.

The production behind most mainstream rap has always been pretty simple: a generic boom-clap. This changed in 2011. Background production became a reason to listen to some rappers. This is most notable with A$AP Rocky, who as a rapper isn’t anything extraordinary, although his mellow distorted vocals about getting high on cough syrup do have a certain appeal. It is really his production that pushes him to the next level with various underground producers providing beats that feel like melting while in space.

This last year in rap feels like producers discovered how to use synthesizers and distortion in interesting and creative ways.

The artists I have mentioned so far have all hit a pretty wide audience. Since these artists would typically be underground, their popularity has opened up a whole new side of original rap in that underground scene.

Two bands come to the forefront. The first one is Death Grips, a group described as angry hobo rap on the music blog The Needle Drop. The emotion and passion that is displayed in their songs makes Odd Future’s music sound like a children’s choir. These guys are able to elicit a reaction that I thought only punk and metal were capable of: one of pure anger that can only be fixed with some heavy moshing.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Shabazz Palaces. These guys are art rap. They are very laid back with production that sounds like a stripped-down Animal Collective. Lyrically, they are abstract and daringly dense.

If 2011 was any kind of sign of how the world of rap is progressing, there are many reasons to look forward to what 2012 will bring. Give these artists a look even if you are not typically into rap. They are unlike anything you have ever heard.

—
Photo: Supplied