The Odd Side’s 10 Best Albums Of 2015

Welcome to The Odd Side, a column that explores the effects of Hip Hop’s transformation through new sounds.

2015 was such a good year in music. With many artists who’ve either planned to release their project or just dropped when they felt like it, we were blessed with a plethora of projects that prospered through unique production, a new approach to sound, or even progression from a prior album. This is why The Odd Side exists, to show where the sound Hip Hop (and music in general) is going . So to celebrate the new year, these 10 albums are best because they all succeeded in being both progressive musically and just really good to hear.

Although ASAP Yams passed away long before At.Long.Last.A$AP released, there’s a good chance that the ASAP Worldwide Co-founder is smiling from the other side. A$AP Rocky’s second major-label project succeeds off of his unique blend of southern rap flair and New York hip hop bars, added with a new psychological addition to his production this time around. A.L.L.A. shows just how deep and dark Rocky can get with his music, using new sounds and dark times to tell the illustrate the struggles that come with his steady rise to become an A-list rap star.

When Goldlink first announced his newest project during his Washington, DC performance in July, we were excited to see where the star would take his sound. When the DMV rapper’s album And After That, We Didn’t Talk dropped in November, it did more than meet expectations. This album solidified the Goldlink’s futuristic twists to hip-hop and R&B beats, while also showing progress in the way he projects it by adding more of a vocal element to a plethora of his songs. With the help of radio show/record label Soulection backing the Link’s project,  And After That, We Didn’t Talk is a step in the right direction for this up-and-coming artist.

The Game Vehemently Questions Bill Cosby Case

The Game often vents on social media but a recent post around the Bill Cosby alleged sexual assault of several women has the LA rapper upset.

Other rappers like Waka Flocka have questioned the maneuvering around the one-time “America’s Dad,” but the recent accusations have caused his name to be sullied in the media.

Here is what The Game said on his Instagram page.

I think it’s crazy that Bill Cosby has a mugshot for alleged assaults 11 years ago with no physical evidence or proof besides these womens accounts of what he did to them an entire decade later…. But Darren Wilson, who killed Mike Brown on camera, is FREE. George Zimmerman, who killed Trayvon Martin, is FREE. Timothy Loehman, who killed Tamir Rice seconds after arriving on the scene.. on camera, is FREE. Officers who shot Keith Childress 19 times for holding a cellphone they thought was a gun, are FREE. Officers who arrested Sandra Bland & detained her until her mysterious death, are FREE. All of the officers who shot 50 rounds into Sean Bell’s car, on his wedding day, killing him, are FREE ! I could go on all day, but you get the point… & again, y’all put Dr. Huxtable in jail off of word of mouth. I’m not here to say these women are liars or not because RAPE is a huge deal & I don’t wish that on any woman of any color… But whether or not he actually did anything, we won’t know because of the lack of evidence or proof & the duration from the point of the alleged assault to now…. Why did it take these women over 10 years to bring this to the light ? & while we out here laughing & making memes of a 70+ year old man who practically raised us all on tv as children….in other news…. The people we pay taxes to keep employed are still taking the lives of men, women & even children, ON VIDEO, are out here enjoying the New Year FREE & I don’t see no memes of that shit…. & who am I except a man with an opinion……. So I’m not here to ask anyone to do anything other than pay attention & govern yourself accordingly – The Game

Saudi backs Syria peace talks despite tensions with Iran

The Saudi foreign minister has said escalating tensions between Riyadh and Tehran would not affect Syrian peace talks. The statement comes as Kuwait recalled its ambassador from Iran in support of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday that Riyadh would not allow a diplomatic row with Iran from preventing a "political solution" for the conflict in Syria.

"The recent tensions that impacted the region negatively will not affect…the operations that the United Nations carries out alongside the international community to achieve a political solution in Geneva soon," al-Jubeir said in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Saudi Arabia, along with several other Arab nations, implemented measures against Iran after Riyadh's embassy was torched by protesters demonstrating against the kingdom's execution of Shiite cleric and Saudi critic Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

The latest country to follow suit was Kuwait, which recalled its ambassador from Iran on Tuesday, although it was unclear whether the move was indefinite or solely for consultations.
Saudi-ally Bahrain on Tuesday also suspended air links to and from Iran after it severed diplomatic relations with Shiite-majority Iran.

Cinema chains drop The Hateful Eight after screening row

Three leading UK cinema chains will not show Quentin Tarantino's new movie The Hateful Eight after a dispute with the film's distributor.
Cineworld, its subsidiary Picturehouse and Curzon, which own some 135 cinemas between them, will not screen the film.
Odeon and Vue - the two other biggest chains - will be showing it.

The western, which stars Kurt Russell, Samuel L Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh, has had glowing reviews and been nominated for three Golden Globes.

Its distributor, Entertainment Film, said Cineworld and Curzon had decided not to show it because they objected to a deal with Odeon to have the exclusive rights for London's West End.

The Odeon Leicester Square will show the film in a "70mm Ultra Panavision presentation" - a format not used for almost 50 years.

A statement from Entertainment Film said: "Due to the special facilities required for the unique 70mm Ultra Panavision presentation we needed the largest theatre and screen possible in the West End and the Odeon Leicester Square was the natural choice.

"The technical elements and costs involved with this special presentation meant that this would need to be the exclusive West End venue."

Cineworld objected to the fact it could not be shown at one of its West End venues, according to Entertainment Film.

"Cineworld had every opportunity to book the film in their other cinemas across the country on the same basis as other exhibitors and declined to do so," the statement added.
"This is despite the fact that there is no dispute over the financial terms for this release."

I slept with my pads on

More from South Africa's Temba Bavuma, who made 102 not out, on being padded up for 70 overs: "That was tough. I slept for some of those hours.

"Pressure is always there. As a young guy there is always pressure. I just tried to keep calm and use my opportunity. I want to make a mark on international level."

On the sledging from England's bowlers: "It was words of encouragement, if I could put in politely. It was almost like being back at school cricket with guys going hard at me for being small. But it enabled me to knuckle down and concentrate a bit harder."