1977

Having already earned street cred during her stint with the Latin rap collective Makiza, Ana Tijoux digs deep into her psyche on this breakthrough 2010 album, her second release as a solo artist. The Paris-reared daughter of Chilean exiles who escaped the Pinochet dictatorship, Tijoux explores themes of loss, loyalty, injustice, and identity here. The occasional French raps (“Oulala”) give the album a worldly sophistication, while the sparse, jazzy production throughout is a nod to ’90s-era New York hip-hop.