Best Music 2013: Our 10 Favorite EPs/Mixtapes Of The Year
Jhene Aiko – Sail Out EP
Jhene Aiko has long been the best-kept secret in R&B. Her subtle, jazz-tinged vocals featured on hits by Big Sean and Drake in 2013 but she finally showcased the full extent of her daunting talent on the much-praised debut EP Sail Out. The Def Jam diva’s incisive lyrics offer a fresh perspective on staple R&B themes like heartbreak, weed and cheating. “Please don’t take this personal but you ain’t shit and you weren’t special until I made you so,” she hisses over sparse beats on “The Worst.” That’s restrained in comparison to the exasperated, vulnerable smackdown she gives her man on “Comfort Inn Ending (Freestyle).” 2014 is Jhene’s for the taking. — MIKE WASS
Say Lou Lou – Better In The Dark EP