and anything else that catches his attention. My overlooked rap albums of the year Sometimes—wait, no, all the time—I wonder if we value rap albums the way we should. It increasingly feels like the all-powerful Spotify overlords need to deem an album worthy before it can break past its regional audience and get widespread attention. And aside from mega-popular artists (Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, etc.) and those with devoted niche audiences (Griselda), rappers are shifting their focus to videos and singles. As much as coverage like this column and The Ones is a part of that trend, the experience of a rap album is unmatched, even in a year when paying attention to new music could feel like an afterthought. Here are a few of the albums I couldn’t stop playing.