10 Albums You Probably Hate But Are Better Than You Think

Most days, y’all give me grief for being way too hard on your favorite albums and artists. But hey, somebody’s gotta tell y’all the truth.

However, it’s the season of good cheer, so let’s lift the mood a bit. At least for this one post.

Instead of tearing down beloved albums, I’m going to show love to 10 rap and R&B releases that have a pretty bad reputation but I thoroughly enjoy.

This music thing is pretty subjective of course but I think it’s worth giving these 10 albums another shot.

Usher, Looking 4 Myself

MCU fans will feel me on this one. When the WandaVision series dropped earlier this year, fans got their hopes up SO HIGH about what would go down. Mephisto is gonna be the one pulling the strings! Blue Marvel is gonna debut! The Fox X-Men are gonna cross over! And when none of that happened, those fans declared that the show sucked. No, the show didn’t suck, you just set absurdly high expectations. That’s what I feel happened with Usher’s seventh album. Fans loved the single “Climax,” but when we didn’t get an album full of “Climax” tracks – or anything we had heard from him at that point, for that matter – it was declared to be trash. Nah. This is probably his most adventurous album to date, combining several sounds and crafting an overall narrative about self-discovery. It’s actually a bit ahead of its time, considering the direction of modern R&B. Trust me, Usher has way worse albums than this one. I mean, WAY WORSE.

Nas, Nasir

Here’s another one you can chalk up to insanely high expectations. Pair Nas, a legendary MC who has been accused of … less that stellar production with Kanye West, one of the most noted producers and creative minds of his generation, and you’re guaranteed a 5-star classic, right? RIGHT??? Nasir was no classic, often feeling like a rough draft of a better project, but I thoroughly enjoyed most of what we got. The production was better than many Nas efforts by that point, and Nas didn’t shy away from touching on timely themes like social justice and Black life. Of course, that doesn’t defend the unfinished (and obviously rushed) feel of the overall effort. As a Nas album, it’s absolutely near the back of his catalog. But judging it on its own merits, I dig it. It’s far from bad, it just should have been much, much better.

Luke James, Luke James

When Luke James dropped his Whispers in the Dark mixtape in 2013, I would have bet a year’s salary that this guy was leading R&B for the next decade. The project was so dark, yet so soulful and his vocals were out of this world. When he dropped his debut LP though, fans weren’t as impressed. Maybe it was too dark. Maybe the production was too sparse. Maybe they were expecting 2000s-era arrangements instead of a more contemporary feel. However, instead of judging it for what it wasn’t, I appreciated it for what it was, as left-of-center approach to R&B that leaned more “alt” than “traditional” but still worked to move the genre forward. It wasn’t the soulful classic we all expected but it wasn’t a creative failure at all. Different isn’t necessarily bad.

Lil Wayne, Tha Carter 4

I’ve had quite the love/hate relationship with Lil Wayne. In the early 2000s, when he was crowned rap’s Next Big Thing, I scoffed at Mr. Wobbledy Wobbledy being the “best rapper alive.” But by the time Tha Carter II dropped and he went on that incredible mixtape run, I became a fan. And while I contend that his beloved Tha Carter III was good yet vastly overrated, I was surprised at the venom he received for its follow up, which, to my ears, wasn’t bad at all – not far from the level of C3, actually. The hits weren’t as big, the moments weren’t as memorable but track for track Wayne was still pretty sharp. Plus, the interludes were so great I burned them all and made them one long song. C4 is easily one of his better albums overall and MILES ahead of the dreck we’d get in later years.

50 Cent, Animal Ambition

I’m sorry, but with a couple of exceptions most 50 Cent albums are terrible. That includes The Massacre, which dropped during his commercial peak but still stands as one of the most disappointing albums I ever paid cash money for. That’s why it’s weird to me that his rabid fanbase will defend that disaster of a disc but dismiss Animal Ambition, one of his most consistent releases to date. Feeling more like a mixtape than one of his typical bloated LPs, this no frills approach harkens back to his hungry days before the STARZ fame. It didn’t have the hits, it didn’t have the hype – and that’s probably why it doesn’t have the love. But it’s the only 50 album post 2003 that I enjoy.

Jay Z, Magna Carta Holy Grail

AKA the cell phone album. Admittedly, this album seems very gimmicky from jump, as it felt like an excuse to get y’all to buy a bunch of Samsungs. And while it’s quite inconsistent in spots, I think the good mostly outweighs the bad. We don’t talk enough about the chemistry Timbaland and Jay have and it was great to see them reunite here. The pairing produces the album’s best outings. The guests mostly hold their own too, with Wifey Bey, Rick Rawse and Internet punching bag Justin Timberlake all delivering memorable performances. I won’t defend this one too hard – it’s an acquired taste and Jay’s bragging about brunching overseas gets weary – but in a world filled with Kingdom Comes and Dynastys and Blueprint 3s, this ain’t bad at all.

Shyne, Godfather Buried Alive

For those who haven’t been around since Day 1, I’ve been doing this Internet music critic thing for a long time – nearly 15 years. And in that time I’ve had some takes that … haven’t aged very well. One of them was when I proclaimed Shyne Po to be the 2pac of the next generation. That. Didn’t. Happen. But for a short time, Shyne had a ton of buzz and this album, released during this 10-year prison sentence – was set to add to it. Consisting of a bunch of pre-recorded tracks and reworked production, the reviews were mixed but hey, when it hit, this thing HIT. Once you get over the “hey, he sounds like Biggie!” thing, it’s easy to be won over by his wordplay and commanding presence (a lost art for this modern generation of rappers).  Quite frankly, it’s not a bad album, it just didn’t measure up to the mounting hype he enjoyed at the time.

Mariah Carey, E=MC2

I’m often surprised to see Mariah’s many (and I mean MANY) fans online slander this as one of her worst releases. I consider it probably her most underrated. Coming off the stiletto heels of the career-defining Emancipation of Mimi, this one does feel like a bit of a rehash (hence the album title pun, which I think it’s pretty brilliant) but if you’re gonna copy, steal from the best. “Touch My Body,” “I Stay In Love” and “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time” are all top-flight singles and there are more than enough album cuts to keep the set afloat. I understand why most of the albums on this list have a bad reputation but I don’t get the dislike for this one at all. Other than y’all are just crazy.

Ne-Yo, R.E.D.

Remember those dark days when seemingly every high-profile R&B singer decided to swap their soul to become a robotic EDM cyborg? The dreaded RED has since become the face of R&B’s fans’ frustrations in the early 2010s. I get it, it’s not what Ne-Yo’s original fan base wanted to hear – including me – but, objectively speaking, the album wasn’t bad at all. Hindsight has proved that it might not have been the best move – it’s been a decade and he’s still hasn’t regained his 2000s-era R&B cred – but RED had its moments.

SWV, Release Some Tension

Yeah I know, even SWV isn’t a fan of this one. And it’s easy to see why – after two stellar albums, the trio feel like guests at their own party. Lil Kim, Lil Cease, Foxy Brown, E-40, Snoop, Redman, Puff, Missy and Timbo – the tracklist looks like a Def Jam Vendetta character select screen. Despite having to share the spotlight on almost EVERY song, SWV sounds as great as ever, with this set being home to some of their most memorable efforts (as well as some underrated album cuts). Trust me, ladies, y’all did your thing on this one. Be proud of it.

What are you thoughts on these albums? Do you hate ’em or do you see the bright side? Also, which albums do you think are better than their reputation says? Let us know below.