Each month, tons of new music from many taste-spanning genres is released into a fast-consuming, unforgiving market; it can be tough to get a handle on what’s new before it’s on to the next. In an attempt to highlight the standout releases, at the end of each month, AUX staff re-cap the month in Punk, Metal, Indie/Pop/Rock, Hip Hop, Electronic, and Pop with the top five releases in each. Consider it your cheat sheet for year-end lists.

Top 5 Hip-Hop Releases: October

 

Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city

Are there ever any fair expectations? Last year, Kendrick Lamar, who had already proved he was an incredibly awesome rapper, dropped a digital album out of nowhere. It was supposed to be a little thing to build up some buzz while holding over his humble, yet loyal, fanbase while his management/label sorted out how this whole Aftermath situation was going to work. Section.80 ended up being a monster of an album featuring a ripened Kendrick weaving a series of austere ghetto tales linked together under a brilliant theme about his generation. So, if that’s what he does in advance of his major label debut, how would he top that? Would he be able to satisfy the starving and skeptical masses of hip-hop followers, fans, and critics who have been let down time and time again by artists that have been prematurely crowned and somehow deliver a masterpiece against all odds? Yes, he has done just that. (Aftermath/Interscope)

The Man With The Iron Fists: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
	Bong bong. (Soul Temple)

DJ Drama – Quality Street Music

Similar to his peer and fellow yell-all-over-the-track dude DJ Khaled, after dropping a dud compilation album last year, Drama has mobilized a varying group of acts to help him curate a gratifying project. He’s outdone himself here, swinging some guests he should be very proud of, including Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, Miguel, Childish Gambino, and Tyler, the Creator to name a few. The thing is, these guys don’t just show up for a paycheque, they’re some solid bangers on here and everybody does their part to make the project what it is (except for Birdman, he’s still garbage). Unfortunately, there’s been no big hit from this compilation yet and that might cause it to fade into obscurity. Figures. (E1)

Meek Mill – Dreams & Nightmares

From conscious Roots frontman Black Thought to 00s-era Roc-A-Fella goons Beanie Sigel and Freeway, Philadelphia has forged some of the most intense rap acts; Meek Mill is the most recent member of that club. This guy embodies the phrase “going in”. He snaps on the very first song of his debut with an impassioned title-track intro that sets the stage for the rest of the record. It’s a bit of a misstep for the Maybach Music Group that they didn’t get this pumping record out on its originally scheduled release; it could have killed it this summer. (Maybach Music Group/Warner Bros.)

Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream

When Miguel hit the scene in mid-2010, with his “All I Want Is You” that resurrected the contemporary mid-90s soul feel of Davina’s beautiful hit “So Good”, it suggested a possible R&B revival. Coming into this decade the genre has lost its relevance in the “real” music conversation as hired songwriting and production teams are brought in to construct albums that suffer from the inorganic methods they were created with. Miguel is part of new wave of R&B artists that are here to actually make music. He clearly helms his beautiful new record using the talents of established co-writers (Alicia Keys) and co-producers (Salaam Remi, Jerry Wonda) to compliment his own. He achieves his own vision as opposed to picking a bunch of demos. No one else could have manufactured the charisma Miguel displays on Kaleidoscope Dream. (RCA)