1. Toro Y Moi Anything in Return Deliciously distinct deep house… 2. Tall Black Guy 8 Miles To MoenartTall Black Guy’s dance/R&B/ hip-hop hybrid offers another sonic trail into Detroit’s complicated relationship between urban malaise and urban beauty. 3. Janelle Monae The Electric Lady A happy funk party with roots in R&B’s classic past and a mindful eye towards the future of Black pop. The best Prince has sounded in years. 4. The White Mandingos The Ghetto Is Tryna Kill MeMurs becomes Tyrone White, a Harlem resident who rants about the structural problems (racism) in society that makes it hard for a Black man to have a peaceful coexistence of punk and hip-hop in his life. 5. Steve Arrington & Dam Funk- Higher A Dayton legend meets West Coast torch bearer to make a modern funk album 6. The Internet Feel Good Syd The Kyd and Matt Martians expand on their progressive R&B ideas creating another funky sensual playlist that has more live instrumentation than Purple Naked Ladies. 7. The Abstract & The Dragon Two legends in a mixtape history lesson plus new material 8. Omar The Man England’s foremost soul auteur comes back 9. Oddisee Tangible Dream The mixtape companion to The Beauty In All consisting of Oddisee’s common man worry lyricism and charming production. 10. Childish Gambino Because The Internet One of the most creative millenial rappers 11. Hiatus Kaiyote Tawk Tomahawk The band originally released Tawk Tomahawk independently in 2011 but it did not receive real notice until 2013. The Australian soul mavericks managed to grab the boom-bap, essential ‘60’s and ‘70’s soul and smooth jazz to articulate a luxuriant R&B cosmos they call future soul. 12. 7 Days Of Funk Dam Funk and Snoopzilla’s smooth new G-Funk classic 13. Sandra St. Victor Oya’s Daughter The return of the Mack Diva in all her spiritual and socio-political awareness produced and arranged by Mark De Clive-Lowe 14. Valerie June Pushin’ Against A Stone Official debut album of June’s 21st century country blues mojo Related posts: Les Paul Passes Away at 94 In 2011 We Said Goodbye Best Of 2014 We Are Family Foundation 2015 Celebration Gala (Photos) 2014-01-03