2010 RAP-UP!!!

Yooooooo!  Ok...I gotta say - I’m curious to see what 2011 has in store because 2010 was an AWESOME year for music, hip-hop specifically.  This was the first year in a long time where there were several releases, all of which were of outstanding quality.  It feels good to know that even though there is still a certain "type" of song dominating the mainstream, it hasn't effected the artist’s approach with taking their time and making quality material.   2010 is also a great representation of how far hip-hop has come, since the beginning.  One could argue that it is highly over-saturated now, but it is that same over-saturation that has brought about so many sub genres within this genre alone - there is truly something for everyone, if you search hard enough.  This is completely different, even if we're just talking 10 years ago.  There are so many options now.  It is also this over-saturation that has forced artists to make better music because record sales have dwindled - Gold is the new Platinum.  Honestly, I think 2010 is the first of many great years to come.  With no further ado, here are the year’s best and worst.  


I figured I’d get the worst outta the way...

WORST, OVERRATED AND DISAPPOINTING ALBUMS

TI - No Mercy - Perhaps going to prison again put a monkey-wrench in Tip's plans for King Uncaged.  Nonetheless, one should not base their opinion of TI off of No Mercy alone.  While No Mercy does have some outstanding moments, they are far overshadowed by the many features and lackluster songs throughout.  It was painfully obvious this album was not only rushed, but there was no serious thought put behind it, not even in the tracklisting.  As a loyal TI fan, I felt misled.  I was had.  I'd been took.  Hood winked.  Bamboozled.  Led astray.   Run a muck.  Hopefully he can deliver a quality album when he finishes his bid.  Hold ya head, Tip. 


Ludacris - Battle of the Sexes - Big ol' wah wah.   Although  “How Low” and “My Chick Bad” proved that Luda has some staying-power in the game, he’s yet to make that solid and cohesive album.  One could argue Back For the First Time and Chicken & Beer - but c’mon son - Luda is ten years deep into the game with no classic album under his belt.  


Ice Cube - I Am The West - Some people didn’t even know this album dropped.  I know it’s tough to follow up stellar albums like Laugh Now, Cry Later and Raw Footage, but I Am The West did not represent the West well.............at all.   


DJ Khalid - Victory - There’s not too much to say about this album that hasn’t already been said about Afghanistan.  While “All I Do Is Win” saved this album as far as sales go, there was honestly only one other song that could’ve made this album worth getting and that was the title track featuring Nas and John Legend.  But even then, that’s two (and a possible) out of twelve songs.  That’s a “one-hot-track, every-six-song” average and that’s so LAAAAAAAAAAAAME.    


Young Money - We Are Young Money - Has there ever been a successful compilation album?  I could be mistaken, but I’d say no.  Jay-Z’s Dynasty album could be the closest, but even that had more than its fair share of hiccups.  We Are Young Money is no different.  Honestly, this album came and went.  “Every Girl” and  “Bedrock” went hard and “Roger That” was one of the dopest beats this year, but that’s where it stops.  

VERSE OF THE YEAR

1. Royce Da 5'9 - "Remember the Titans" - For anybody that ever doubted Royce Da 5’9” as one of the game’s top lyricists:  this oughta shut you up, at least for the time being.  Loyal Royce fans know that this track-slaying was nothing out of the ordinary for him, but this was important in that he stood out amongst industry heavyweights like Fabolous and Lloyd Banks.  When you heard this song, there was no doubt in your mind who stood out.  





2. Nas - "Victory" 


3. Nicki Minaj - "Monster"  


4. Joell Ortiz - "Battle Cry" 


5. J. Cole - "Shade 45 Freestyle" from Jermaine is Here mixtape

Honorable Mentions - 

Joe Budden "Unthinkable Freestyle" 

Royce Da 5'9" - "Deadly Medley" 

Jay Electronica - "Ghost of Christopher Wallace"

FAVORITE PERSONAL SONGS  

These songs weren't necessarily singles, just some of my favorites released that I had on rotation.   

1. Kanye West - "Lost In The World" 


2. Rick Ross - "Tears of Joy"





3. Lupe Fiasco - "The Show Must Go On"


4. John Legend and The Roots - "Little Ghetto Boy"


5. Nas & Damien Marley - "Africa Must Wake Up"

Honorable Mentions - 

Kanye West - "Joy" 

Curren$y - "Audio Dope" (and "Example")

Reflection Eternal feat. Jay Electronica, J. Cole and Mos Def - "Just Begun"

J. Cole - "Autograph"

Lloyd Banks - "Take Em To War"
David Banner and 9th Wonder - "Be With You"

FAVORITE PERSONAL NON-RAP SONGS 

Non rap songs that I bumped all year. 

1. 30 Seconds to Mars - "Kings and Queens"


2. Travie McCoy - "I Need You"


3. The Black Keys - "Tighten Up"


4. Lyfe Jennings - "Statistics" 


5. Janelle Monae - "Cold War" 

Honorable Mentions - 

B.o.B. - "Lovelier Than You" 
Paramore - "Brick By Boring Brick" (late 2009)
John Mayer - "Assassin" 

Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West - "Erase Me" 

R. Kelly - "When A Woman Loves" 

Kings of Leon - "The Face" 

NON-RAP ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

(Alternative, R&B or Hip Hop Influenced)

 1. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid 

2. Cee-Lo - The Lady Killer 

3. The Black Keys - Brothers

4. Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown

5. Elton John and Leon Russell - The Union

Honorable Mentions - 
Travie McCoy - Lazarus 

Bruno Mars - Doo Wops and Hooligans 

Robert Plant - Band of Joy

MIXTAPES OF THE YEAR

 1. J. Cole - Friday Night Lights 

2. Joe Budden - Mood Muzik 4

3. Wiz Khalifa - Kush and Orange Juice

4. Fabolous - There Is No Competition 2

5. Big KRIT - K.R.I.T. Wuz Here 

Honorable Mentions - 

Maino - The Art of War 

Wale - More About Nothing 

Yelawolf - Trunk Muzik 

SINGLES OF THE YEAR

1. B.o.B. feat. Bruno Mars - "Nothin On You"


2. Rick Ross - "BMF"


3. Eminem - "Love the Way You Lie"


4. Kanye West - "Power"


5. Wiz Khalifa - "Black and Yellow" 

Honorable Mentions - 

The Roots - "How I Got Over"

DJ Khalid - "All I Do Is Win" 

Ludacris - "How Low"
Joe Budden - "Follow My Lead"
Big Boi - "Shutterbug"

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - If anything, Kanye should definitely go down as having one of the best comebacks we’ve ever seen.  Just a year ago he was the world’s most hated celebrity.  This year, he once again raised the bar not only for himself, but for music in general.  Production-wise, this album is flawless.  Seamlessly incorporating many of the elements from his previous albums - live orchestration, autotune, soul samples, heavy synthesizers, and unorthodox drum patterns, song structures and arrangements, Kanye was able to create something new, different and exciting.  The other phenomenon about this album is that there were no traditional radio singles.  None.  Perhaps “All of the Lights”, but not really.  And for those who follow Kanye’s career as a lyricist, few would argue the fact that he’s come a long way since College Dropout.  Perhaps his genius “Good Friday’s” marketing strategy ruined the surprise element of the album’s release, but there is no doubt that he made an instant classic that can and will be played and studied for years to come.  Kanye takes the #1 spot for many reasons, but for me - I find it remarkable that even with three (arguable) classics under his belt, he hasn’t lost a step.  Making one classic album is difficult, ask Ludacris. But try making a second.  Then a third.  Then a fourth.  Not to say that it’s impossible, but you have to be of some extraordinary talent to maintain that level of creativity on a consistent basis.  Thank you Kanye, for once again for taking creativity a step further and showing us how to make G.O.O.D. Music.  Standout songs - “Dark Fantasy”, “All of the Lights”, “Devil in a New Dress”,  “Hell of a Life”, “Lost in the World”  


2. Rick Ross - Teflon Don - Call him what you want, but Rick Ross knows how to make an album.  Honestly, I thought he hit his creative peak with Deeper Than Rap - and so it is with this review that I’d like to eat my words.  Rick Ross made a certified classic with Teflon Don.  Musically, he’s always had a sophisticated approach to his production, especially with the Justice League-laced “Maybach Music” series.   While Deeper Than Rap was a solid project in its own right, Teflon Don is his monumental album where everything came together perfectly: production/arrangement, lyrics, and style.  You can hear a certain confidence in his voice that was missing on his previous three albums.  If there is one thing we all can learn from Rick Ross, it’s that it pays to know a thing or two about music.  Good music will always prevail.  Even when your street credibility is on the line because people are labeling you the worst name you can be called as a gangsta rapper - “The Police”.  He also made one of my favorite songs this year with “Tears of Joy”, featuring Cee-Lo.  BAWSE!!! Standout songs - “BMF”, “Free Mason”, “Tears of Joy”, “MC Hammer”


3. The Roots - How I Got Over - It was tough putting The Roots at #3.  I went back and forth with this one all year.  In my opinion, this is The Roots’ best work since Game Theory - and honestly, I think this blows Game Theory out the water.  It could be the consistency in production that most Roots albums lack.  It could be the content, intelligence and overall delivery of Black Thought.  It could be the overall feel of the album and how appropriate it is to the current times. Whatever it is, The Roots nailed it on this one.  My only wish was that it was promoted better, because it should’ve been a top-selling album.  More people need to hear this project - especially those who cry that real music is dead.  Standout songs - “Now or Never”, “How I Got Over”, “The Day”, “Doin It Again”, “The Fire” 


4. Nas & Damien Marley - Distant Relatives - I can’t lie, this album had to grow on me.  Perhaps it was because I was turned off to the African theme about it - not because I don't wanna hear about Africa,  but because I didn’t wanna to get preached to.  If it's about Africa, trust me, I’ve heard it and seen it before.  I get it, we know that everything and everyone comes from Africa and that it is the motherland.  My question was - how are you going to present this in a way we’ve never seen?  It was just “ok” when I first listened through it, but I found myself always going back to throughout the year.  The beauty of Distant Relatives is that it incorporates many of the same universal themes that made Bob Marley such a historic icon:  Peace, love, friendship, betrayal, leadership, unity, religion, grief, motivation vs. despair.  This album isn’t simply about Africa, at least not entirely.  This album is more about bringing different cultures together and accepting each other for our differences.  Africa just serves as the common denominator between everyone.  Standout songs - “Strong Will Continue”, “Leaders”, “Count Your Blessings”, “Africa Must Wake Up”, “My Generation”

5. B.o.B. - The Adventures of Bobby Ray - Many argue that this isn’t a hip-hop album, but I’ve been listening to B.o.B. since “Cloud 9” and “Haterz” so he’ll always be a rapper in my eyes.  The Adventures of Bobby Ray is a breath of fresh air: fun, eclectic, different, youthful, lyrical, thought provoking and most of all - universal.  The Adventures of Bobby Ray is one of the most innovative (and slept-on: creatively not commercially) albums we’ve heard for many reasons, but one in particular: it is the first true alternative hip-hop album.  B.o.B. was able to incorporate rock and alternative music in a way that has been tried by others in the past, but never perfected.  It doesn’t hurt that he has a decent singing voice and plays the guitar.  There is an energy behind this project that is missing in most hip-hop projects released.  An energy reminiscent of The Pharcyde.  I enjoyed the fact that B.o.B was able to have fun and show that it is ok to be a nice guy.  Furthermore, he was finally able do away with the Andre 3000 comparisons and establish his own lane with this album.  Standout songs - “Airplanes”, “Past My Shades”, “Ghost in the Machine”, “Fame”, “Lovelier Than You”

Honorable Mentions - 

Curren$y - Pilot Talk, 

Drake - Thank Me Later 

Bun B - Trill OG

Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot

See ya in 2011!