This decade has seen albums that can impact a person’s life, and my closest friends and I are composing our lists of 10 of these albums. Through the next few weeks, I will break them down.

10. NF-‘Therapy Session’ (2016)

This album came out at a crucial time of my life. I was a sophomore at my junior college, and I first started going to church. NF was the hottest Christian rapper, and Therapy Session showed his emotional side mixed with hype songs.

“All I Do” is the hype song of the album. I related to “How Could You Leave Us” and “I Just Wanna Kno” because of my personal upbringing. NF put his heart out in those songs and showed his emotions toward his mother being a drug addict and his vulnerability dealing with that.

9. The Devil Wears Prada-‘Dead Throne’ (2011)

I know metalcore/screaming is not a very popular genre right now, but for me this album is the peak between hype and emotion. “Dead Throne” is an album that has songs such as “Constance,” “My Questions” and “Born To Lose” that show the emotions of personal problems in people today.

“Born To Lose” is a song that explains the feelings of an underdog who doesn’t see the light out to the end of his or her life. A song like “Mammoth” shows that there is life, light and that life is full-circle.

This album has been with me since the time I was a freshman in high school to my senior year at Eastern. This album set me up in terms of motivation and life lessons, and it was the first metalcore album I fell in love with from back to front.

8. Drake-‘Take Care’ (2011)

This is by far my favorite album ever produced by Drake. I cannot think of another album made by Drake that has songs I still listen to and learn life from.

Whether it is “Headlines,” “The Motto,” “Crew Love” or “HYFR,” this album has songs that are relevant to American culture.

For “HYFR” and “Headlines,” Drake shows his views and how he feels about life issues. He shows that he’s famous, successful, has no worries and that he’s celebrating every night. The success, in a way, has changed him. Fame and fortune is what most people want, but those people don’t see the fine print like Drake did.

Next week, I will write about seven through five on my list.

Blake Faith is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or at bmfaith@eiu.edu.