Kweku Collins made quite the name for himself in 2015. After releasing the EP World's View back in January (listen to the song "One"), he reached out to Closed Sessions. Months later, he found himself as the newest member to the independent label. A summertime announcement, the year was only half over and the 19-year-old singer/rapper/producer still had more plans.

He moved from his bedroom recording setup in Evanston to Soundscape Studios where he crafted a new EP, Say it Here, While it's Safe, seven songs about love, heartbreak, innocent/refreshing positivity, youthful energy, and surprising wisdom. Plus, it samples Ratatat. More Stephen Marley than Chicago hip-hop, the young talent will evolve into something serious in no time. This fine EP is one hell of a warning. 

- Ben Niespodziany

A West Coast runaway left Max Wonders with one of our favorite albums from a Chicago artist all year. Entitled You Will Never Find, the project plays like one of those John Hughes coming of age movies, capturing that magical period of time before entering the real world. Producer Sowle crafts a sonic setting resembling a drug-fueled carnival - a place where exuberant youth meets a playfully altered reality. While the vibe throughout is primarily elated, a haze of sadness creeps into the picture from to time. Lines like “X-A-N-A-X why you keep taking all my friends” and “I heard hundreds died in the 100s” root real life problems of the youth remind listeners life is in fact fleeting. With the exception of a lone feature from fellow These Days favorite Trapo, Wonders takes the reigns and sees his vision through solely on YWNF. An impressive effort all around, press play for an temporary escape. 

- Eric Montanez

Coming in at number eight is Lil Bibby's Free Crack 3, continuing the franchise that brought Bibby into the national light. In two short years, Bibby has won over many by favoring that drill style production, but like his good friend G Herbo, Lil Bibby offers lyrical content that is not synonymous with the drill movement. Offering a more complex listening experience than many of his peers is something I have personally grown to expect and appreciate from this rising star. Three mixtapes deep and still awaiting the release of his proper album, Bibby has approached his latest contribution to his catalog as if it were an album. Enlisting feature verses from Chicago favorites R. Kelly and Common among others and even hopping on a song with Mr. 2015 aka Future, Bibby has pulled out all the stops for the final chapter in the Free Crack trilogy. The late 2015 release has kept the buzz moving in the right direction for this former XXL freshman leading into a potentially pivotal year in Lil Bibby's young career. 

- Brent Butcher

Having dropped 362 days ago, it's understandable if you feel as though Leather Corduroys debut project was a 2014 nominee. Having led the year off with its New Year's Day release, SEASON set the groundwork for all the things that Joey Purp and KAMI can do both individually and as one of the most exciting duos out right now. Reminiscent somewhat of a project like Brian Fresco's Mafioso, this one comes more tightly-wound, thought out and far-reaching than anything we had seen from the pair to date and ended a long drought for both that was long-awaited. Flipping through the project, it's kind of surprising how many memorable tracks it provides. From the kick-back vibes of "Rocket Man" and "Marijuana Smoker" to the club-hopping eccentricity of songs like "In Da Club" and "Mexican Coke", these two artists prove they can flex across the spectrum of what 'rap' can mean. While it was somewhat panned by some critics for their unwillingness to fit into a single lane, it was an aspect of the project that was actually exciting for those of us who had followed both halves for a minute and had been waiting to see it all in action. 

That we're still writing about this far from its release is indicative of Season's staying power. Flip it on and tell me I'm wrong. 

- Jake Krez

Man, what can you really say about Hurt Everybody that we haven't said already?  The three-piece genre-bending hip-hop collective from around Chicago established itself as a force in the summer of 2014 with their debut Hurt Everybody EP and proved the growth and evolution of that calendar's passing with the release of their talented follow-up, 2K47. A year can be a  journey and here we get the same music we loved on their debut, albeit more carefully packaged with smoother angles and more digestible throughout. Whereas their first project was a collection of released singles, this comes with a more understood point of view that is pervasive throughout. 

It seems as though each part of the group has truly grown into their own, able to operate solo or as part of the Voltron that is HE. Tracks like "Stay Awake" with Mick Jenkins and Twista are radio-ready hits that might just be a glimpse into what we'll be hearing in much bigger spaces sometime soon. "Sandstorm" is a beautiful segue that puts Carl front and center on his own before floating back to the group dynamic, which is highlighted on the aptly titled, "2K47" where confidence is key ("Fuck you, I'm amazing").

It's obvious at this time that these three have something special and 2K47 and the visuals and live performances that came along with it created a sense of excitement that is palpable moving into 2016.

-  Jake Krez

While we didn't get a fully proper follow-up to Mick Jenkins' 2014 masterpiece, The Water(s), we did get this short-release EP from the baritone-voiced poet that came packaged well enough to keep us held over until next year. Focusing on some new aesthetics and ideas, Wave[s] is a decidedly upbeat project that feels like an exercise in keeping fans up to date more than anything, a breath of fresh air after the heavy lifting of the previous release.

Here, we find Mick unpacking his relationships and more gentle thoughts and feelings and it comes across well throughout in a fun way that stretches the power of what he's able to discuss in his rhymes. Clocking in at only eight songs, we certainly could use a few more. With that said, he packs out the offering well, leaving little breathing room or space for anything to have been placed differently. Teaming up with familiar faces in Saba, The Mind, Sean Deaux, and THEMpeople, one of Chicago's most powerful voices sounds comfortably happy on this one. 

If you haven't gotten into this one already, shame on you. Watch yourself, though: being such a small release allows this one to play through several times before you notice you've listened to "Piano" thirty times on your iTunes. For more on this one, check out our "Our Take".

- Jake Krez

In a city where cops continue to slaughter the citizens they've sworn to protect, politicians refuse to accept responsibilty and violence is still a prevailing issue; a voice like G Herbo's is what Chicago needed to raise awareness on its failures but also find hope in these times of turmoil. Ballin Like I´m Kobe is a first hand account of a young artist from the east side trying to come to terms with the deaths of his loved ones (the project is named after one of his fallen friends, Jacobi) and living on the verge of paranoia everyday. BLIK is what Rahm should´ve actually been scared of when he was trying to stop the film Chiraq, and its potential national debate, from happening this Summer. Unlike Spike Lee´s dud, Herbo´s project is not a generalized and out-dated take on gang life, but rather an extremely well delivered account of what it is like to live in a marginalized neighborhood where kids, who also happen to be almost exclusively minorities, are dying either by crooked cops or over blocks in a war few want to continue and even less know how to stop. 

Yet what truly carries this 'tape is Herbo's youthful bravado and his ability to contrast all the negativity in his surroundings with faith, family and a resilient spirit. This gives the listener a more complete picture of who he is as a human, while providing those in similar situations solace in having someone to relate to and those who are not, a way to understand better what our fellow neighbors are going through.

- Pedro Gonzalez

Every year for the last few years, we’ve seen a Chicago artist propel themselves to the next level behind the strength of a defining debut project. In 2015, it was Towkio’s .Wav Theory. Released in late April to plenty of fanfare and media coverage, the offering earned him national touring opportunities, caught the attention of music guru Rick Rubin, and has produced SoundCloud’s most played tracks by an independent artist all year. The aforementioned track being his Eryn Allen Kane and Chance The Rapper-assisted “Heaven Only Knows” which is approaching 23,000,000 plays on the streaming platform. Additional features from Towkio’s star-studded circle of friends and a cast of fantastic producers (Kaytranada and Lido to name a few) keep things interesting from start to finish. With .Wav Theory beginning the narrative, we expect Towkio’s journey from here to be an exciting one to watch as he pushes his message to the masses.

- Eric Montanez

My personal favorite Chicago project of 2015, Ravyn Lenae's debut Moon Shoes is undeniably good. It's one of those projects that every person (old and young) enjoys once they listen, it's just a matter of whether or not he/she is familiar. 

Recorded at only 16 years old, Moon Shoes is Lenae's autobiographical audio book. From lunchroom problems to daydreaming lovers to rainfall troubles, all of it is part of a new and vibrant world. Executive produced by Monte Booker (while he was only 19), who produced six of the eight tracks, the instrumentation behind Moon Shoes is pristine. Complex and dense yet simple and easy to move to, all of the tracks fulfill a new sound previously nonexistent in the Windy City.

While I may not be able to pinpoint this style of music (future soul? dream blues?), Lenae and Booker (and partner-in-crime Smino) have a method that's working. Even Appleby stops by for a rare guest verse. 

- Ben Niespodziany

With Chance The Rapper technically taking the year off from releasing a solo album, Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment picked up the slack with Surf, the album we've placed atop our favorite projects of 2015. It probably doesn't come as a surprise to most, but there are very good reasons for holding this album in such high regard. For one, Surf focuses on the live instrumentation that has become so important in the music that this team makes. Stretching the boundary's of any one particular genre, Surf's sonic attributes steal the show. This album could feature absolutely no vocals and it would still probably be my favorite of the year. We don't have to worry about that though because this record has countless guest features. From Erykah Badu to Quavo (of the Migos), Surf called in favors from the music industry's leading voices and everyone was perfectly fine with releasing the album for free on iTunes, something that had never been done before. Surf wasn't at all what I expected when it dropped, but it's one of the few albums today that I enjoy listening to all the way through. It's a journey you definitely have to take for yourself if you haven't already.

- Brent Butcher

Ric Wilson

The Sun Was Out

Beach Jesus

Two Weeks Vacation

Sicko Mobb

Super Saiyan Vol. 2

Eryn Allen Kane

Aviary: Act I

Smino

Blk Juptr

The O'My's

Keeping The Faith