Lots of local albums have dropped this year - perhaps more than any other year I can remember. It's obvious some people are really getting on their craft. One of the artists having a particularly productive year is Todd Sykes, one half of CityHall. Sykes is the full-time producer of all CityHall tracks and he also shares 50 percent of the rhymes. He also has a tendency to sing a lot of the hooks on the project, so if ya like CityHall, ya like Todd Sykes, whether ya know it or not. Def' take some time to download Sykes's newest solo album, Background Music, available on CityHall's Bandcamp page.

Background Music is Sykes's second solo release this year, and is the perfect name to describe his artistic style. Everything from his production to his rhymes is smooth - so smooth and low-key, in fact, that his work could be described as background music. Sykes is a chill dude and he makes music to match that vibe. This vibe is captured perfectly in his new video for "The Crowd," which was shot in Seattle and directed by Michael Pierce. The video is a soft-around-the-edges ode to Sykes's style. Everything about the video is mellow, from the song to the shots of CityHall on the waterfront.

Next, we have a local boy who we need to be proud of, recognize and support. His name is Lebowski. Lebowski is a young Hilltop MC who can rap so fast and sharp that it caught the attention of none other than the current king of national fast, sharp rapping, Tech N9ne. Tech N9ne put young Lebowski under his wing and, in turn, Lebowski has had verses on Tech N9ne's last two albums. Lebowski now spends lots of time travelling and making music with the Strange Music family. YouTube Lebowski and Tech N9ne to see a Tacoma artist at the top of the game. Tech N9ne is arguably the most popular national independent artist around, so there really is no telling how high Lebowski's star could rise.