2009 was a bitter sweet year overall. Mr. Obama was sworn in as the first African-American President of the United States, and Michael Jackson died (damn, that hurts every time). Hip-hop was ok. A lot of the laffy taffy shit finally left the airwaves, but that then opened the door for auto-tune rappers.
Then, Jay-Z kind of killed that vibe with D.O.A. It seems as if a sense of respect for lyrics and artistry have returned in 2009. I can only imagine what 2010 will be like. Here are the albums and mixtapes that I felt did justice to the Hip-Hop game (in some shape or form) this year:
1. Raekwon feat. Ghostface Killah- “Only Built for Cuban Linx II”
2. Jadakiss & Green Lantern-“The Camp Is Here Pt. 2: Kiss My Ass”
3. Mos Def- “Ecstatic”
4. Jay-Z- ““The Blueprint 3″“
5. Ghostface Killah- “The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City”
6. Joell Ortiz- “Road Kill” mixtape
7. Clipse- “Till the Casket Drop”
8. Lil Wayne- “No Ceilings” mixtape
9. M.O.P.- “Foundation”
10. Slaughterhouse- “Slaughterhouse”
Honorable Mentions:
Eminnem “Relapse”
Doom “Born Like This”
Wu-Tang presents “Chamber Music”
Until 2010….
I know the haters are gonna be mad about this one. I don’t really know why anyone expected a 40 year old man to release an album for the streets, but that has pretty much been the big criticism. Critics call this “white collar rap”, but it’s a lyrically eye opening album if you actually listen to the words. For once, Jay is taking a stand against some of the stupidity he once stood for. He tells us why all the things he once thought were cool are no longer cool, and he shares the story of how a poor drug dealer from Brooklyn became a global star. The production of the album puts this above Eminem’s Relapse on my list, and is definitely my favorite album of 2009. It is good music for anyone who cares to be successful in life. If you consider it bragging, well, Jay has a right to brag.
Relapse is not the best album of Eminem’s career, but it beats out his previous two (Encore & The Re-Up), and should be considered as an appetizer to what I anticipate will be the best album of his career in Relapse 2. Eminem sounded like a man only beginning to reach his prime on this album. Ever since he quit drinking and drugs, his flow has gotten quicker and more crisp. You could tell he had some rust to shake off, and a few of these tracks are filler material in his overall catalog, but if you’ve heard The Refill, you already know he’s only getting better. Expect Eminem to hold the top spot on next year’s list, but until then, go get that Refill!
Ricky Ross didn’t receive the greatest review from me when the album initially dropped, but in hindsight, this really is a good album. Lyrically it’s nothing mind blowing, but the replay value, production, guest features, and energy of the album make it one of this year’s best. Add that to the fact that Ross nearly outsold 50 Cent’s album in the first week, and you’ve got an emerging star here. Can Ross keep it up next year? I have a feeling we’ve heard his best work already, but maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised by another one.
Is it possible that being born and raised in Cleveland led to my inclusion of this album on my list? Possibly. The more likely reason though is that Cudi dominated the rookie class of 09 with his music and sales this year. Man On The Moon was the highest selling album of anyone in XXL magazine’s top 10 freshman list, and was one of the best selling rap albums of 2009 in general. It is very artsy and slow paced, but when your mood is down and you need some musical therapy, this album should do the trick. It was an impressive rookie release, and Cudi will likely shine again as it appears his label is already granting him a second album packed with even more star power.
If I went around the streets polling people on their top rap albums of the year, MIMS’ album probably wouldn’t even be on most top 20 lists. With that said, most people also haven’t given this album a chance. MIMS is the type of rapper who always releases fun, shallow, danceable singles which degrade his credibility, but his albums usually tell a different story. Guilt is one of my favorite albums this year because of it’s diversity and creativity. MIMS explores the rock genre just enough to add an alternative feel to the album, and you can tell he really made this one from the heart. This album should not be slept on. It hasn’t left my rotation since it dropped, and if you think I’m crazy, at least give it a listen.
Off of Eminem’s re-release of his latest album Relapse, simply titled ‘Relapse: Refill’ comes two of the seven new tracks. The First is a typical Slim Shady song where he raps with his ‘accent’ and is more or less a song about murder and his darker side, titled ‘Buffalo Bill’. The second track, Elevator, is a more Eminem song with a nice beat, even some singing on the hook (not quite Hailie’s Song) but nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to Eminem. Relapse: Refill due out December 21st! Shouts to TCO
Eminem Covers The Dec/Jan Issue Of Complex Magazine …
Check Out The Full Article Over At Complex