Top Album 2022

Top Albums Released in 2022

1. Little Simz - No Thank You

2. Sampa The Great - As Above, So Below

3. FKA Twigs - Caprisongs

4. Katalyst, Adrian Young & Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Jazz Is Dead 13

5. Aṣa - V

6. Robert Glasper - Black Radio III

7. Ibeyi - Spell 31

8. Asake - Mr. Money With The Vibe

9. Danielle Ponder - Some Of Us Are Brave

10. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

11. Rema - Raves & Roses

12. Shane Cooper & MABUTA - Finish The Sun

13. Sudan Archives - Natural Brown Prom Queen

14. Kokoroko - Could We Be More

15. The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention

16. Yaya Bey - Remember Your North Star

17. Pongo - Sakidila

18. Adekunle Gold - Catch Me If You Can

19. Ezra Collective - Where I’m Meant To Be

20. Obongjayar  - Some Nights I Dream of Doors

21. Björk – Fossora

22. Oumou Sangare - Timbuktu

23. The Brother Moves On - $/he Who Feeds You...Owns You

24. Rosalía - Motomami

25. Ogi - Monologues

26. Kojey Radical – Reasons to Smile

27. The Weeknd – Dawn FM

28. Burna Boy - Love Dhlamini

29. Tumi Mogorosi - Group Theory: Black Music

30. Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul – Topical Dancer

31. Thandi Ntuli - Blk Elijah & The Children of Meroë

32. Tank & the Bangas - Red Balloon

33. Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

34. Koffee- Gifted

35. Col3trane - Lush Life

36. JID - The Forever Story

37. Mitski - Laurel Hell

38. Somi - Zenzile; The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba

39. Sunni Colón - JúJú & the Flower Bug

40. Mandisi Dyantyis - Cwaka

41. DOMi & JD Beck - NOT TiGHT

42. Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems

43. Danger Mouse and Black Thought – Cheat Codes

44. Wau Wau Collectif - Marriage

45. Future - I Never Liked You

46. Bonobo – Fragments

47. Steve Lacy – Gemini Rights

48. Joel Lyssarides - Stay Now

49. Maleh - Lerato Laka

50. SZA - SOS

Top Albums 2021

Top Albums Releases in 2021

1. Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant

2. Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Promises

3. Arooj Aftab – Vulture Prince

4. Menahan Street Band - The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band

5. Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be An Introvert

6. Mara TK - Bad Meditation

7. Urban Village - Udondolo

8. The Cavemen - Love and Highlife

9. Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O - Umdali

10. Criatura - Bem Bonda

11. Ballaké Sissoko - Djourou

12. Msaki - Platinumb Heart

13. serpentwithfeet – DEACON

14. Christine Salem - Mersi

15. Flying Lotus - Yasuke

16. Estère - Archetypes

17. Arlo Parks - Collapsed In Sun Beams

18. Sault  - Nine

19. Emma Donovan & The Putbacks - Under These Streets

20. The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You

21. Alfa Mist - Bring Back

22. Ngaiire - 3

23. Man Made Mountain - Average Man

24. Alice Skye - I Feel Better, I Don't Feel Good

25. Valerie June - The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers

26. Indaba Is - Compilation

27. Madlib - Ancient Ancestors

28. Laura Mvula - Pink Noise 

29. Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime

30. Remi - Fried

31. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - This Is A Mindfulness Drill: A Reimagining Of Richard Youngs' Sapphire

32. James Blake – Friends That Break Your Heart

33. Adrian Younge - The American Negro

34. Balimaya Project - Wolo So

35. Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales

36. Anthony Joseph - The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives

37. Jordan Rakei – What We Call Life

38. Ancient Astronauts - Zik Zak

39. Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth

40. Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee

41. KMRU - Logue

42. Children of Zeus - Balance

43. Low - Hey What

44. NAO – And Then Life Was Beautiful

45. Sons Of Kemet - Black to the Future

46. L’Rain - Fatigue

47. Liz Stringer - First Time Really Feeling

48. Angelique Kidjo - Mother Nature

49. Blk Jks - Abantu/Before Humans

50. The Brother Moves On - Tolika Mtoliki

Top Albums 2020

Top Albums Releases in 2020

1. SAULT - UNTITLED (Black Is) & UNTITLED (Rise)

2. Dinner Party - Dinner Party / Dinner Party: Desert

3. Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas

4. Emma Donovan & the Putbacks - The Crossing

5. Zoë Modiga - INGANEKWANE

6. Khruangbin - Mordechai

7. Moses Sumney - Grae

8. Sibusile Xaba - Ngiwu Shwabada

9. Spaza! – Uprise

10. Bab L'Bluz - Nayda!

11. Siti Muharam - Siti of Unguja (Romance Revolution On Zanzibar)

12. Protoje - In Search Of Lost Time

13. Thundercat - It Is What It Is

14. Tio – Sorousin

15. Shabaka and the Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History

16. Asher Gamedze - Dialectic Soul

17. Nduduzo Makhathini - Modes Of Communication

18. Ziggy Ramo - Black Thoughts

19. dumama + kechou - Buffering Juju

20. Kamaal Williams - Wu Hen

21. Oddisee - Odd Cure

22. Tamikrest - Tamotaït

23. Nubya Garcia – Source

24. Mulatu Astatke & The Black Jesus Experience - To Know Without Knowing

25. Oumou Sangare – Acoustic

26. Obongjayar - Which Way Is Forward?

27. Tiana Major9 - Back At Sixes And Sevens

28. Les Amazones d'Afrique - Amazones Power

29. Ambrose Akinmusire - on the tender spot of every calloused moment

30. Zara McFarlane - Songs of An Unknown Tongue

31. J Hus - Big Conspiracy

32. Rina Sawayama – SAWAYAMA

33. Seba Kaaptsaad – Konke

34. Lous and The Yakuza - Gore

35. Bantu - Everybody Get Agenda

36. KeiyaA - A Forever, Ya Girl

37. Moses Boyd - Dark Matter

38. Jojo Abot – Meditations of Resistance and Existence

39. Ndabo Zulu & Umgidi Ensemble - Queen Nandi: The African Symphony

40. Yussef Dayes & Tom Misch - What Kinda Music

41. J.S. Ondara - Folk 'n' Roll Vol. 1 - Tales Of Isolation

42. Little Dragon - New Me, Same Us

43. Bai Kamara Jr – Salone

44. Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony

45. Naretha Williams - Black Mass

46. Buju Banton - Upside Down 2020

47. Langa Mavuso – Langa

48. Songhoy Blues - Optimisme

49. Bongeziwe Mabandla – Iimini

50. Various Artists - Blue Note Re:imagined

Single/EP Release Only

1. Urban Village – Ubaba (EP)

2. Remi – Elevate + Get It Right (EP)

3. Filah Lah Lah - Filahsofy (EP)

4. Nandele - Final Fantasy (EP)

5. Alysha Joy – Light It Again (EP)

Top Albums 2019

Top Albums of 2019

1. Sampa the Great – The Return

2. Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka

3. The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow

4. Burna Boy – African Giant

5. Kokoroko – S/T

6. Blick Bassy – 1958

7. Fatoumata Diawara – Fenfo

8. Sudan Archives – Athena

9. James Blake – Assume Form

10. FKA Twigs – Magdalene

11. Ezra Collective – You Can't Steal My Joy

12. Fat Freddy’s Drop – Special Edition Part 1

13. Kokoko! – Fongola 

14. Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange - s/t 

15. Rapsody – Eve

16. Brittany Howard – Jaime

17. Jordan Rakei - Origin

18. Kel Assouf - Black Tenere

19. Sunny Side Up – Compilation

20. Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo

21. Samthing Soweto – Isphithiphithi 

22. Tinariwen - Amadjar

23. The Comet Is Coming – Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery 

24. Mdou Moctar - Ilana (The Creator)

25. Jamilla Woods – Legacy! Legacy!

26. Nandele – Likumbi

27. Juls – Colour

28. Common – Let Love

29. 30/70 – Fluid Motion

30. Pat Thomas & the Kwashibu Area Band – Obiaa! 

31. Robert Glasper – Fuck Yo Feelings

32. Mahalia – Love and Compromise

33. Louis Baker – Open

34. Lee Fields & The Expressions – It Rains Love 

35. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba – Miri 

36. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen 

37. Spaza – s/t 

38. Yugen Blakrok – Anima Mysterium

39. Sinkane – Dépaysé

40. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry – Heavy Rain

41. Laneous – Monstera Deliciosa

42. Muzi – Zeno

43. Africa Express – Egoli

44. Ibibio Sound Machine – Doko Mien

45. Kwesi Arthur – Live From Nkrumah Krom Vol II: Home Run

46. Mayra Andrade – Manga

47. Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa – Piano Hub

48. Little Simz – Grey Area 

49. Goldlink – Diaspora

50. Ifriqiyya Electrique – Laylet El Booree

Single/EP Release Only

1. Koffee – Rapture (EP)

2. Mojo Juju & Joelistics – Ghost Town (EP)

3. Fokn Bois - Afrobeats Lol (EP)

4. Jojo Abot – Power to the God Within (EP)

5. Tshegue – Telema (EP)

6. Remi – Brain (Single)

7. Zoe Modiga – Lengoma (Single)

8. Urban Village – Sakhiszwe (Single)

9. Sho Madjozi – John Cena (Single)

10. Msaki - Pearls to Swine ft. Tresor (Single)
11. Sampa the Great & Chronix - Black is Beautiful (Single)

Top Albums in 2018

Top albums released in 2018

1. Nakhane – You Will Not Die

2. Baloji – 137 Avenue Kaniama

3. Mojo Juju – Native Tongue

4. Blinky Bill – Everyone's Just Winging It and Other Fly Tales

5. The Internet – Hive Mind

6. Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

7. Meshell Ndegeocello – Ventriloquism 

8. Sudan Archives – Sink 

9. Leon Bridges – Good Thing

10. Mabuta – Welcome to this World

11. Mark Pritchard – The Four Worlds 

12. Estère – My Design, On Others' Lives

13. Emily Wurramara – Milyakburra

14. The Putbacks – The Putbacks 

15. Neneh Cherry – Broken Politics

16. Nina Simone & Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Eunice Waymon 

17. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex & Food

18. Sons of Kemet – Your Queen Is A Reptile 

19. Allysha Joy – Acadie Raw

20. Kamasi Washington – Heaven & Earth

21. The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra – Naming & Blaming

22. Ebo Taylor – Yen Ara

23. Anderson. Paak – Oxnard 

24. Kamal Williams – The Return

25. Cat Power – Wanderer 

26. Thabang Tabane – Matjale 

27. Prince – Piano & A Microphone

28. Orquesta Akokán – Orquesta Akokán

29. Okonkolo – Cantos

30. Thundercat – Drank

31. Georgia Ann Muldrow – Overload

32. Noname – Room 25

33. Okzharp & Manthe Ribane – Closer Apart

34. AMMAR 808 – Maghreb United 

35. Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar

36. Tégui – Eleven

37. Kali Uchis – Isolation

38. Archie Roach – Dancing In the Spirit

39. Seun Kuti & Fela's Egypt 80 – Black Times

40. The Harpoons – Amaro

41. Low – Double Negative

42. Jean Grae & Quelle Chris – Everything’s Fine

43. Mick Jenkins – Pieces of A Man

44. Raiza Biza x Remi ft. Black Milk – Runner 

45. Nao – Saturn

46. Children of Zeus – Travel Light

47. Ross From Friends – Family Portrait

48. Ned Collette – Old Chestnut

49. Tune Yards – I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life

50. Dope Saint Jude – Resilient

Single/EP Release Only

1. Remi – My People (Single)

2. Kaiit – Natural Woman (Single)

3. Chaka Khan ft. Major Lazer & Switch – Like Sugar (Single)

4. Nonku Phiri – Sîfó (Single)

5. Sampa the Great – Energy (Single)

6. Stromae – Défiler (Single)

7. Spirits Indigenous – Gogo Sang (Single)

8. DRMNGNOW – Australia Does Not Exist (Single)

9. Soulful Ghosts – Soulful Ghosts (EP)

10. Mark Exodus – 7 Dias Solteiro (EP) 

Top albums in 2017

Top Albums released in 2017

1. Oddisee – The Iceberg
2. Sampa the Great – Birds and BEE9
3. Bongeziwe Mabandla – Mangaliso 
4. Kardajala Kirridarra – Bardakurru Ngurra
5. Chronixx  – Chronology   
6. Les Amazones d'Afrique – Republique Amazone
7. Makadem & Behr – Nyako
8. Moses Sumney – Afromanticism
9. SZA – Ctrl
10. Mista Savona presents Havana Meets Kingston
11. Jordan Rakei – Wallflower 
12. Oumou Sangaré – Mogoya 
13. Estère – My Design Pt1  
14. Sibusile Xaba – Open Letter To Adoniah 
15. Samthing Soweto – Valamehlo: A Lullaby For Grown Up
16. Odunsi (The Engine) – Desire
17. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley – Stony Hill
18. Thundercat – Drunk
19. Ondatrópica – Baile Bucanero
20. Samthing Soweto – Akanamali 
21. Benjamin Clementine – I Tell A Fly
22. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN 
23. Quantic & Nidia Góngora – Curao
24. Tinariwen – Elwan 
25. Tony Allen – The Source
26. Sudan Archives – s/t
27. Ibeyi – Ash 
28. Odunsi (The Engine) & Nonso Amadi – War 
29. Nai Palm – Needle Paw
30. The Black Seeds – Fabric
31. Amadou & Mariam – La Confusion
32. Juls – Leap Of Faith
33. Mount Kimbie – Love What Survives
34. Tune Recreation Committee – Voices Of Our Vision
35. Bonono – Migration 
36. Jojo Abot – NGIWUNKULUNKULU
37. Kelela – Take Me Apart
38. Sampha – Process 
39. Cold Specks – Fool’s Gold
40. Kamasi Washington – Harmony Of Difference
41. Ifriqiyya Electrique – Rûwâhîne
42. Johnny Cradle – s/t
43. Louis Baker – Addict 
44. Mali Music – The Transition of Mali
45. Kajama – Polarity Prism
46. Maia & the Big Sky – s/t
47. New Venusians – s/t 
48. The XX – I See You
49. 30/70 – Elevate
50. Thomas Oliver – Floating In The Darkness

Top albums in 2016

Top Albums released in 2016

1-10
1.    Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate
2.    Ngaiire – Blastoma
3.    Blitz the Ambassador – Diasporadical
4.    Kingfisha – Offered It Up
5.    AB Original – Reclaim Australia
6.    Anderson .Paak – Malibu
7.    Jojo Abot – Fyfya Wot
8.    Alsarah & the Nubatones – Manara
9.    Gawurra – Ratja Yaliyali
10.    Solange – A Seat At The Table

11-20
11.    Blinky Bill – We Cut Keys While You Wait
12.    No Zu – Afterlife
13.    Bad Bad Not Good – IV  
14.    Rhianna – ANTI
15.    Mikael Seifu - ዘላለም  / Zelalem
16.    A Tribe Called Quest – We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
17.    Jordan Rakei – Cloak
18.    Mick Jenkins – The Healing Component
19.    Beyonce – Lemonade
20.    Baloji – 64 Bits & Malachite

21-30
21.    Tall Black Guy – Let’s Take A Trip
22.    Shabaka Hutchings & the Ancestors – Wisdom of Elders
23.    Emily Wurramara – Black Smoke
24.    Bixiga 70 – III
25.    Kaytranada – 99%
26.    Amanar – Tumastin
27.    Ta-ku & Wafia - (m)edian
28.    Mark Pritchard – Under the Sun
29.    Noura Mint Seymali – Arbina
30.    Archie Roach – Let Love In

31-40
31.    REMi – Divas & Demons
32.    Aziza Brahim – Abbar el Hamada
33.    Rokia Traore – Ne So
34.    ANOHNI – Hopelessness
35.    Massive Attack  - Ritual Spirit
36.    Bombino – Azel
37.    Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
38.    Ghorwane – Kukavata
39.    Ross McHenry – Child Of Somebody
40.    Miles Davis & Robert Glasper – Everything's Beautiful

41-50
41.    The Comet is Coming – Channel the Spirits
42.    JP – Submarine Dreams
43.    Afro-Haitian Experimental Orchestra – s/t
44.    Deltino Guerreiro – Eparaka
45.    Frank Ocean – Blonde
46.    Laura Mvula – The Dreaming Room
47.    Oddisee – Alwasta
48.    The Kondi Band - Belle Wahallah
49.    De La Soul – And The Anonymous Nobody
50.    Dion Monti – Wonderer

Top Albums for 2015

1-10

Trinity Roots - Citizen
Petite Noir - La Vie Et Belle (Life Is Beautiful)
Kamasi Washington - The Epic
Ibeyi - s/t
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
Miso - s/t
Fat Freddy’s Drop - Bays
Leon Bridges - Coming Home
Protoje - Ancient Future
Sampa the Great - Sampa The Great Mixtape

11-20

Thundercat - The Beyond / Where The Giants Roam
Inna Modja - Motel Bamako
Mbongwana Star - From Kinshasa
Oddisee - The Good Fight
Ethiopiyawi Records - Letu Sinega & In My Sleep
Hiatus Kaiyote - Choose Your Weapon
The Internet - Ego Death
Black Coffee - Pieces of Me
Lianne La Havas - Blood
Tony Allen - Film Of Life

21-30

Dexter Story - Wondem
Nandele - Argolas Deliciosas
Songhoy Blues - Music in Experience
The Very Best - Makes A King
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
Jess Ribeiro - Kill It Yourself
Marlon Williams - s/t
Kae Sun - Oceans Apart
Quarter Street - s/t
Benjamin Clementine - At Least For Now

31-40

Floating Points - Elaenia
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Colour
Fantasma - Free Love
Owiny Sigoma Band - Nyanza
Jamie XX - In Colour
Bjork - Vulnicura
Bad Bad Not Good & Ghostface Killah - Sour Soul
Beat Spacek - Modern Streets
Young Fathers - White Men Are Black Men Too
Seinabo Sey - Pretend
Samba Toure - Gandadiko

41-50

Dereck Gripper - One Night on Earth: Music from the Strings of Mali
Boddhi Satva - Transition
Sauti Sol - Live & Die in Afrika
Hau - No End Theory
Fatoumata Diawara & Roberto Fonseca - At Home
The Raah Project - Take Me Elsewhere
Raised By Eagles - Diamonds In The Bloodstream
Sergio Perrere, Zal Sissokho & Marcus Viana - Famale
Chimurenga Renaissance - Kudada Nekuva Munha Mutema
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Love

Top Albums for 2014

Top Albums of 2014

1-10
Various Artists - Ten Cities Compilation
Chronixx - Dread & Terrible
Emma Donovan & The PutBacks - Dawn
Jordan Rakei - Groove Curse
Nick Hakim - Where Will We Go Pt. 1 & 2
Radical Son - Cause N' Affect
Okmalumkoolkat - Holy Oxygen
Remi - Raw X Infinity
Briggs - Sheplife
Alsarah & The Nubatones -Slit

11-20
Estère- s/t
Petite Noir - The King of Anxiety
Ibibio Sound Machine - s/t
Chico Antonio - Memorias
Electric Wire Hustle - Love Can Prevail
Blitz the Ambassador - Afropolitan Dreams
Ana Tijoux - Vengo
Black Motion - s/t
Samthing Soweto - Ebsuku
Quantic - Magnetica

21-30
Benjamin Booker - s/t
Latinaotearoa - In Latinoamerica
Mikael Seifu - Yarada Lij
Tjintu Desert Band - Tjamuku Ngurra
Jupiter Okwess & the International - Hotel Universe
Sorceress - Dose
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 - A Long Way To The Beginning
Frank Yamma - Uncle
Cold Specks - Neuroplasticity
Chico Man - Magical Thinking

31-40
Toumami & Sidiki - s/t
Curtis Harding - Soul Power
Archer - Old Time Song Man
Dirt Music - Lion City
Flying Lotus - You're Dead
D'Angelo & the Vanguard - Black Messiah
Blue King Brown - Born Free
FKA Twigs - LP1
Mau Power - The Show Will Go On
Black Cab - Games of XXO Olympiad

41-50
The Harpoons - Falling For You
Omar Souleyman - Wenu Wenu
Shaolin Afronauts - Follow The Path
Sinkane - Mean Love
The Bombay Royale - The Island of Dr. Electrico
Sola Rosa - Magnetics
Black Jesus Experience - Migration
Yarah Bravo - Love Is Movement
Batida - Dois
True Vibenation - On