Kendrick Lamar, Future and Playboi Carti are among a number of artists that Spotify has deemed to have “classic albums.”
The streaming platform took to its social media pages on Thursday (February 15) to list 30 specific hip-hop and R&B albums from the streaming era, dating back to 2015 to the present day.
The list includes Kendrick's films To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN. Future's DS2 and Carti's Die Lit, along with JAY-Z's 4:44, Travis Scott's Astroworld, Nipsey Hussle's Victory Lap, Migos' Culture, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib's Bandana.
Lil Uzi Vert albums (Lil Uzi Vert vs. the world), XXXTENTACION (17), Tyler, The Creator (Flower Boy, Call Me If You Get Lost), Roddy Ricch (Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial) and Saba (Care For Me) also made the cut.
In R&B, Beyoncé Lemonade And RenaissanceFrank Ocean blondRihanna opposite,SZA ControlAnderson .Paak MalibuSolange A seat at the table And Summer Walker Skip They were among those to be sealed.
Check out the full list below.
In a video accompanying the list, Spotify explained that decision lies behind the selections.
“What is a classic? Is it an album that has stood the test of time?” said Carl Cherry, the label's creative director and head of urban music. “In an age of instant reactions and endless plays, one thing is clear: a classic causes a shift in you. It makes you dress different, dance different, and think different.
“A voice speaking into the universe. New in that moment, and then lasting, forever. Classic changes you, it changes the culture. You'll know it when you hear it. It's unsurpassable, inexhaustible, extraordinary.”
The list is part of a broader catalog programming initiative called Spotify Classics, which is being highlighted as a hub on the streaming platform.
“As editors, most of our work requires us to evaluate music at the song level, so in the first iteration of Spotify Classics, we thought it was important to celebrate albums as a body of work,” Sherri said. diverse.
“Historically, media outlets would publish lists like Classic Hip Hop and R&B Albums in the streaming era, but as a pioneer in streaming, we thought we were in a unique position to tell this story.”
“I don't think classical streaming is any different from classic albums from previous eras,” he added. “This show is 100 percent editorial. We took into account factors such as quality, impact, impact and replay value, among others, when making our selections.
“We expect to spark conversation among passionate music fans. Whether you're excited to see your favorite album recognized or you're angry that your favorite album is missing, we welcome all opinions.
JAY-Z calls his 'most important' album: 'It all came together on this.' [One]'
Despite several major artists making the cut, fans took to social media to voice their disapproval of several omissions, including from albums by Kanye West, Drake, Nas, Nas and Lil Wayne.
“No Kanye, no Nas, no Lil Wayne, I'm disappointed in the way they treat black artists,” one person commented on Spotify's Instagram post.
Another said: “Why pretend like Kanye doesn’t exist if he’s one of the most listened to artists on the platform?”
“Where's 'At Long Last A$AP????'” read another comment referencing A$AP Rocky's 2015 album.
