I was able to find a ton of real good music from 2008 and I ended up expanding my list of top songs to 60.
BC's Top 10 LP's of 2008
10) Substantial - Sacrifice - The last 2 LP’s on this list were hard to come up with. Substantial’s Sacrafice was a good album, but a little inconsistent. But, overall, well worth the purchase.
9) Guilty Simpson – Ode to the Ghetto - Guilty Simpson has a dope flow and the beats on this album are a little different then other albums, and that makes for a nice LP.
8) The Mighty Underdogs – Droppin’ Science Fiction - I didn’t get into this LP until this year, but I’m glad I gave it another chance.
7) EMC - The Show - It’s not entirely unsuitable, but it’s a real nice collabo from 4 dope MC’s, including one of the greats, Masta Ace.
6) Nicolay & Kay – Time:Line - There are a couple songs that I don’t really dig, but there are some real great songs on here.
5) Shawn Jackson – First of All - I’m looking forward to hearing more from Shawn Jackson. If you haven’t heard of this LP, please check it out.
4) J-Live – Then What Happened? - This is a real solid album from J-Live, as usual.
3) The Roots – Rising Down - Another classic from the great Roots crew.
2) Q-Tip – The Renaissance - I was impressed on how good this album was and I was glad that it lived up to the greatness of Q-Tip.
1) Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold - They just keep getting better and better. This album features great beats from Ant and Slug kicking those deep lyrics.
Honorable Mentions:
Dagha - The Divorce, Jake One - White Van Music, Akrobatik - Absolute Value, EPMD – We Mean Business, The Knux - Remind Me In Three Days…, Heltah Skeltah - D.I.R.T., Reks - Grey Hairs, Black Milk - Tronic, Jedi Mind Tricks - A History of Violence
And, because there were a lot of LP’s that I just didn’t get into (yet), here are the LP’s that I didn’t give a fair shot to: GZA - Pro Tools, Almighty - Original S.I.N., Johnson & Jonson. I fully expect to get back to these in the near future, but the decade ran out before they got their fair shot.
BC's Top 60 Songs of 2008
60) As the Wheel Turns - Nicolay & Kay
59) Wild Wild Horses - Atmosphere
58) Cappuccino - The Knux
57) Listen Up - EPMD - EPMD’s last LP was pretty good, even if they recycled old funk beats. Here’s another funk track.
56) Deathbed Doctrine - Jedi Mind Tricks - A great hardcore track with some cutting and Jus Allah is back.
55) Shaka - Q-Tip - A dope song that ends a dope album.
54) Everything - Murs - Who would have thought a song using a James Blunt sample would be good? But, it is and Blunt has actually grown on me.
53) Laughing At You - The Mighty Underdogs - A cool song that uses laughter as part of the beat.
52) Drinks Up! - Madlib w. Frank-N-Dank
51) The Zone - J-Live w/ Chali 2na - A up tempo party track with the former Jurassic 5 MC, known for his crazy deep voice.
50) Go! - Madlib w/ Guilty Simpson
49) Robbery - Guilty Simpson
48) I’m Coming - Jake One w/ Black Milk and Nottz - I love this beat.
47) Da Beginning of Da End - Heltah Skeltah
46) Losing Out - Black Milk w/ Royce Da 5’9”
45) Blizzard - Nicolay & Kay
44) Butcher Knife Bloodbath - Jedi Mind Tricks - This is another example of what Stoupe can do on a beat. Just a cool beat.
43) Intro: The Formula - 9th Wonder and Buckshot - I didn’t really get into the LP, but I really dig this song.
42) We Fight-We Love - Q-Tip w/ Raphael Saadiq
41) Say Goodnight - Reks - A real nice beat from DJ Premier and some hardcore mic work from Reks.
40) Black Hell Breaks Loose - Akrobatik w/ Therapy and Willie Evans
39) We Alright - EMC
38) Bang! Bang! - The Knux - The Knux showed some real potential on their debut LP.
37) Resurrection of the House Party - Substantial - A party starter.
36) Bac Stabbers - EPMD - This is one of the better songs from the last EPMD effort.
35) Road is My Religion - Murs - Murs’ ode to touring.
34) Yesterday - Atmosphere - A deep song from Slug and Ant (surprise!). Slug thinks he’s just seen someone from his past, but realizes that it can’t be that person.
33) Official - Q-Tip
32) Get ‘Er Done - Jake One w/ DOOM - This is the closest I will ever come to liking Larry the Cable Guy.
31) Criminal - The Roots w/Truck North and Saigon
30) Cliché - Dagha - Dagha spits out a bunch of clichés and puns on a nice track.
29) The American Dream - Guilty Simpson
28) The Grudge - EMC - The fells from EMC speak on some people that wronged them in the past and the grudges they’ve held.
27) Labor Pains - Substantial - I’m a sucker for those “9 to 5 cube jobs suck” songs. I guess it’s because I can relate to that.
26) Devil’s Work - Dagha - When this beat kicks in I just start nodding my head. I could just listen to the first 10-20 seconds on a loop over and over again.
25) Grey Hairs - Reks
24) Git Sum - EMC w/ Sean Price - This was one of the nicer beats on The Show.
23) Feelin’ Jack - Shawn Jackson
22) Get Busy - The Roots w/ Dice Raw and Peedi Pedi - All three MC’s on this track come with heat.
21) Puppets - Atmosphere - This song comes in nice and slow and kicks into a harder track about half way through.
20) Oh Really - Jake One w/ Posdnuos and Slug - It’s a real short track, but it’s nice to hear these 2 MC’s together on the same track.
19) You Out There - J-Live - A real nice song and a nice way for J-Live to end his last LP.
18) Dreamer - Atmosphere - The story of a lady struggling through life and a deadbeat boyfriend/father.
17) Hands in the Air - The Mighty Underdogs - Do you remember Velemints? I just wish this song was longer.
16) Life Is Better - Q-Tip w/ Norah Jones - This is almost a Norah Jones song, but it’s a real nice song. And, Norah Jones seems like a cool lady because she likes Evil Dead. Yes, that is what I base my opinion of Norah Jones on.
15) Not Another Day - Atmosphere - This is a great song from their Sad Clown Bad Spring EP.
14) I Must Love You - Guilty Simpson - And, I love this song.
13) The Understanding - J-Live - Just a great song with a great use of a Jeru the Damaja sample.
12) UFC (remix) - The Mighty Underdogs
11) Painting - Atmosphere
10) The Gunshot - Nicolay & Kay - This is my favorite song from the Nicolay and Kay collaboration.
9) The Wake Up Call - Substantial
8) Fix Ya Face - Shawn Jackson - The best song on a nice album from up-and-comer Shawn Jackson.
7) It Don’t Stop - J-Live - One of those perfect examples of great hip-hop from J-Live.
6) Royal Flush - Big Boi w/ Andre 3000 and Raekwon - A read somewhere that this song contains one of the best uses of a tuba in a song. Just thought I’d share that.
5) MVP - Ludicris - The only song by Luda that I actually like. He always drops some great guest verses on other people’s albums, but his own music is boring and clichéd. It helps that he got a dope Premo beat to rock over.
4) Rising Down - The Roots w/ Mos Def and Styles P - The beat is great and all three MC’s kick some lyrics that make your motor go 'skur'.
3) Better Than the Best - Murs - For some reason this wasn’t on Murs’ major label debut. This song got my pumped for the Murs release, and although it wasn’t a classic, there were some good songs on there (first half was great, 2nd half was awful). The sample of The Four Tops’ I Can’t Help Myself works and Murs is more than happy to tell you why he‘s the best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDGgYrPCazA
2) Won’t Trade - Q-Tip - Real nice use of some old school R&B samples.
1) You - Atmosphere - I could never have thought in the 90’s that a song about a waitress could be so good.
Honorable Mentions:
Happymess - Atmosphere
Rising Up - The Roots w/ Wale and Chrisette Michele
Everything is Heltah Skeltah
What Up Man - The Cool Kids
Soul Glo - Akrobatik
ILL Vacation - The Mighty Underdogs
Backstage - Shawn Jackson
Lookin’ Fly - Murs - Ill Kill Bill sample.
The One - Reks
The Train - The Knux
Johnny Is Dead - Q-Tip
The Show - EMC w/ Ladybug Mecca
Make It Better - EMC
One To 31 - J-Live
Time: Line - Nicolay & Kay
Grand Theft Auto - Nicolay & Kay
Long Story Short - Black Milk
Actin’ Up - EPMD w/ Tre and Vic D.
Yo - EPMD
Me - Atmosphere
Shoulda Known - Atmosphere
Scared - Jake One w/ Blueprint
Trap Door - Jake One w/ DOOM
Ratrace - Madlib w/ Murs
1/11/2010
BC's Top 10, 60 - 2008
1/07/2010
BC's Top 10, 40 - 2007
I found the list of top LP's to be a easier, as there weren't as many great albums as the previous 2 years, but the number of great songs from '07 was overwhelming.
BC's Top 10 LP's of 2007
10) Mac Lethal - 11:11 - I saw Mac Lethal open for Atmosphere and bought this at his show solely based on the strength of his live performance and I wasn’t disappointed. There are some real good songs on here.
9) Camp Lo - Black Hollywood - I dig this album. I thought the vast majority of this album was solid and there are some great songs on here.
8) C-Rayz Walz and Sharkey - Monster Maker - I remember this getting luke warm reviews when it came out, but I really liked this pairing. It’s a bit different, but C-Rayz always is. Check it out if you haven’t.
7) Atmosphere - Sad Clown Bad Summer/Fall/Winter (3 EP's) - If you put these 3 EP’s together, you have a great 15 track album. Add Sad Clown Bad Spring from 2008 and you have 20 dope songs from the band that never sleeps (who also released a full album for free download, Strictly Leakage, in 2007).
6) Busdriver - RoadKillOvercoat - This album is still in my rotation, not as much as in ‘07, but it has had staying power with me.
5) Lupe Fiasco - The Cool - Lupe’s follow-up isn’t as good as his classic debut album, but it holds it’s own. Hopefully, #3 won’t be his last as he has threatened.
4) El-P - I'll Sleep When Your Dead - This one took me a while to get into and it just snuck up on me. It’s weird and great at the same time.
3) DJ Jazzy Jeff - The Return of the Magnificent - One of those dope producer albums. There are only about 2 tracks that aren’t that great. Other than those songs, this LP is full of great songs.
2) Pharoahe Monch - Desire - It fades a little at the end, but pound for pound, this is one of the best albums of the 2000’s and I can only hope that we don’t have to wait 8 years between every release from Monch.
1) Blu & Exile - Below the Heavens - This is a great pairing that provided a dope album. This LP is solid from beginning to end and I played it (for what seemed to be) non-stop for a months upon months.
BC's Top 40 Songs of 2007
40) Rebirth - One Be Lo - A solid start to One Be Lo’s LP. I liked rebirth, but not as much as sonogram.
39) Road to Riches - Atmosphere (cuts by DJ Plain Ol’ Bill) - An ode to Kool G Rap and DJ Polo.
38) Gutterfly - Lifesavas w/ Camp Lo - A nice funky horn based track featuring Camp Lo.
37) Loss of Niche - C-Rayz Walz and Sharkey w/ Zooks - I love C-Rayz Walz, he’s clever as hell. My favorite line, “That’s why I’m still shining like Shelley Duvall.”
36) One Shine - Panacea - Just a real dope song from a so-so album.
35) For the Future - Marco Polo w/ Critically Acclaimed - Marco Polo ends Port Authority with one of his best beats.
34) Havin’ Thangs - Planet Asia - This is the kind of beat that I wish Asia would spit over more often. He’s a nice MC, but I haven’t really gotten into many of his albums. Anyway, this is a nice track.
33) The World Is (Below the Heavens…) - Blu & Exile - Just another nice track from Blu & Exile’s great album.
32) Come On - DJ Jazzy Jeff w/ Dave Ghetto - Tales from the hood. Dave Ghetto spits about trying to make something out of a bad situation.
31) Mash’s Revenge - Peanut Butter Wolf w/ MF DOOM, Guilty Simpson and J Dilla - I assume this song is at least partially produced by Dilla and the piano loop is ill. DOOM and Guilty Simpson handle the mic duties.
30) Mr. Mistake (Bested by the Whisper Chasm) - Busdriver - The chorus makes this song (who doesn’t feel like this sometimes?): I’ve got people to disappoint, I got mistakes to make. How can you believe that I’m not a waste of space. Oh I’m sorry to disappoint, I seldom save face. But how can I speak your language when I don’t know my own.
29) Valley of Death - Cunninlynguists - I was disappointed with Dirty Acres. I was so excited for this album, but it was just too mellow for me. Maybe I would have preferred this as an instrumental LP. The beats are nice, I just don’t know why this LP was a diappointment, other than it was too slow for me. Anyway, this song is nice.
28) Supa Jean - DJ Jazzy Jeff w/ Jean Grae - This LP is great and this is another top-notch beat from Jeff with some more of those clever Jean Grae verses.
27) Chase the Clouds Away - Evidence - The beat from The Alchemist is, well, happy and Evidence raps about, well, being happy. He helps an old lady cross the street and he even shares his girl with you. How very generous of the man.
26) Keep Off the Lawn - Aesop Rock - Aesop’s None Shall Pass was a nice LP, but the first 2 songs were the best to me. It takes 30-45 seconds before the beat kicks in, but when it does, it is a truly unique experience.
25) Calm Down Baby - Mac Lethal - A dope beat and Mac Lethal telling you his likes, dislikes and other random information. How’s that for some in-depth analysis?
24) Run the Numbers - El-P w/ Aesop Rock - Find those detonators! This LP (get it El-P) is on some space age stuff, so the lyrics are kind of sci-fi tinged.
23) Pain to the Picture - C-Rayz Walz and Sharkey - C-Rayz kicking those crazy rhymes and I like the mixture of C-Rayz and Sharkey.
22) When the Gun Draws - Pharaohe Monch w/ Mr. Porter - Pharaohe’s anti-gun song were he speaks from the point of view of a bullet in the first verse and kicks some more anti-gun rhymes in the second.
21) Desire - Pharaohe Monch w/ Showtime - Even with an R&B hook, this song is dope.
20) Little Weapon - Lupe Fiasco w/ Bishop G and Nikki Jean - Lupe and gang dropping a song about violence among/from young people. Child soldiers in Africa and kids playing violent video games.
19) Second Chapter - Blue Scholars - I don’t know exactly how to explain this beat, which you can probably tell if you’ve read my lists, but it’s a phenomenal beat.
18) Take Me Home - Brother Ali - This is my favorite track from Ali’s The Undisputed Truth. Ant’s beat is a head nodder and Ali holds it down.
17) Body Baby - Pharaohe Monch - Man, Pharaohe’s LP had some bangers. Here’s another one.
16) Marquee - Marco Polo w/ O.C. - I love this beat and O.C. brings some fire.
15) Small Town U.S.A. - Foul Mouth Jerk w/ Masta Ace - Ace and FMJ speak about the dopeness of small towns and how they can get down as much as the city (plus a little shout out to Minnesota). A real nice song, but I have to admit that I haven’t heard anything else from Foul Mouth Jerk, but based on him putting MA on a track, I should support it. Let me know if it’s any good, if you’ve heard it.
14) Tasmanian Pain Coaster - El-P - It’s a slow build to a wonderfully odd and brilliant song.
13) So(ul) Amazin’ (Steel Blazin’) - Blu & Exile - A real soulful beat featuring a M.O.P. sample, which is always a good idea.
12) Don’t Forget - Atmosphere - This beat is just great. Another dope piano loop and Slug speaks on some real life experiences from his youth.
11) Mr. Slow Flow/Mr. Slow Flow (remix) - Evidence - The hook enhances the greatness of the song. The remix featurs Mr. (original) Slow Flow himself, PMD, with Rakaa, and, well… Mr. Slow Flow, Evidence.
10) Opening Salvo - Blue Scholars - Another great beat, this one features a dope cello (bass?) and some great rhymes by Geologic.
9) Pushahoe - Camp Lo - I love this beat, it’s an old-school nod to Run DMC’s Peter Piper.
8) The Definition - DJ Jazzy Jeff w/ Kel Spencer - The piano laced scratch beat on this track is straight dope and Kel Spencer in niiiiice. He’s definitely an up-and-comer that I am looking forward to hearing more from.
7) Push - Pharaohe Monch w/ Showtime, Mela Machinko and Tower of Power - I had a hard time picking the best song from Desire and for now, it’s Push. It’s a funky, soulful beat.
6) The Troglodyte Wins - Busdriver - Mostly random lyrics from what I can tell, but with an obvious George W. Bush dis.
5) Practice - DJ Jazzy Jeff w/ J-Live - Probably the best beat on Return and the Allen Iverson sample is just classic. J-Live lets you know that his a better MC then you… and, chances are, he is. There aren’t too many better in my eyes.
4) Nostalgia - Marco Polo w/ Masta Ace - Marco’s beat and Ace’s lyrics create a classic joint. Extra points for the scratch heavy hook. Video (w/ cameos):
3) Show Me the Good Life - Blu & Exile w/ Aloe Blacc and Joseph - Blu talks about the pressure of providing for a child when he can hardly provide for himself. Aloe Blacc provides another solid verse as well. Exile’s beat is a damn good one.
2) Superstar - Lupe Fiasco w/ Matthew Santos - Verse 3 is just one of the best verses I’ve ever heard, The cadence and flow are just on point.
1) Sunshine - Atmosphere - A song about waking up hung over, but it’s so damn nice out, Slug just had to grab that 10 speed and get out there and enjoy Minneapolis.
Honorable Mentions:
Peyote - Atmosphere
Truth Is - Brother Ali
Between Earth and Sky - Panacea - Mmmm… DROP! Any song that samples Ad-Rock’s patented Mmmm… Drop, can’t be all bad. I also dig the very whistle friendly beat.
NC to CA - Evidence w/ Defari, Joe Scudda and Big Pooh
Things You Do - Evidence
They All Get Mad at You - Atmosphere
The Old Style - Atmosphere (cuts by DJ Plain Ol’ Bill) - An old-school track from Strictly Leakage.
Crewed Up - Atmosphere w/ Stage One, St. Paul Slim, Muja Messiah, YZ, Brother Ali, Toki Wright and Blueprint
Hold It Down - DJ Jazzy Jeff w/ Method Man
Smash - Polyrhythm Addicts - One of those nice DJ Spinna beats and Shaabam, Complex and the gal that took over for Apani kick some battle type rhymes.
Up All Night - El-P
The Overly Dramatic Truth - El-P
Paper Planes - M.I.A. - I debated this and decided to leave it off, but you have to admit, it’s a great song.
Jumping Off at the Jump Off - C-Rayz Walz and Sharkey
The Clinic - Lords of the Underground - I liked this album, and I was a huge LOTUG fan back in the day (don‘t think too much since the debut has been that great), so I think that means something. This beat is dope.
I Love Hip Hop - Lords of the Underground
Hip-Hop Lives - KRS-One and Marley Marl
Fish Fillet - Sa-Ra w/ Pharoahe Monch - Childish lyrics, but a funky song.
Double Up - Lifesavas
Let’s Go - Pharaohe Monch w/ Mela Machinko
Chedda - Big City - A head nodding part beat and a mix of braggadocio and battle rhymes.
Posse From the Bronx - Camp Lo
My World Is… - Blu & Exile
Blu Colla Workers - Blu & Exile
Dump the Clip - Army of the Pharoahs - The beat isn’t as great as I once thought it was. I think the sample makes the song (in whatever language it‘s in), along with Celph Titled.
Jihad! - Mac Lethal - Mac Lethal hates Boulevard beer, Applebees and other corporate sell outs. All hail George Carlin!
Pound That Beer - Mac Lethal - Here’s that beer drinking anthem you’ve been looking for. The LP version can’t quite match the energy of the live version, but it comes pretty close.
Make-Out Bandit - Mac Lethal
The Coolest - Lupe Fiasco
Church - Sean P w/ Rock and Loudmouf Choir
1/02/2010
BC's Top 10, 40 - 2005
Looking back, this was a real good year. I especially had a real hard time narrowing down my top songs to 20, so I went ahead and expanded my songs to 40 (for the price of 20!), and any of the LP’s in my top 5 could easily be #1. I only had about 14 LP’s that I considered for my top 10, but there were a lot of albums that had some really good songs, but just weren’t good enough to make the top 10 LP's.
I would also like to complain about the auto-spell check function of Microsoft Word that changes Tonedeff to Tone-deaf, Del the Fukee Homosapien to Del the Funkee Homespun and plenty of other annoying crap. So, if you see any weird spellings, that aren’t just a result of your normal hip-hop spelling, please ignore them. Just a rant.
BC's Top 10 LP's of 2005
10) Edan - Beauty and the Beat - There might not be a lot of stand-out songs, but listening to it as a whole really makes for a great listen and a solid LP.
9) Dangerdoom - The Mouse and the Mask - I dig this LP and I love all that Adult Swim stuff (well, a lot of it). Dangermouse is a crazy-dope producer and DOOM is one of the greats out there right now (just not live).
8) Fatlip - The Loneliest Punk - I was pleasantly surprised by Lip’s debut solo LP. It starts to trail off a bit at the end, but the first 75% of the LP is nice. I’d add “What’s Up Fatlip?” to my songs, but it came out back in 1999, but it’s the best song on the LP.
7) Busdriver - Fear of a Black Tangent - Busdriver might not be some people’s speed, but I really like him and his odd, interesting albums. I listened to this straight through numerous times with a large amount of enjoyment.
6) Blueprint - 1988 - Was 1988 the height of hip-hop greatness? I don’t know, but this album from Blueprint is straight dope. Go ahead and buy this if you don’t already have it.
5) Tonedeff - Archetype - I love this album. I think there is one song on here that I don’t like and I can’t wait to get the next Tondeff album.
4) Asamov - And Now... - This one took me a while to get into, and I actually remember posting on www.mastaace.com with Travis about this one. He was digging it, but I hadn’t gotten into it, but gave it another chance and just loved it.
3) CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange - They came a little more mellow on this album, but it’s a good one. Kno continues to grow as a producer and Deacon, and now Natti, are well above average MC’s.
2) J-Live - The Hear After - Another solid album all the way through from J-Live. I just can’t get enough of Mr. J-Live and you get another classic from The Hear After.
1) Atmoshpere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having - This is the first Atmosphere LP that I really just couldn’t get enough of. I liked Atmosphere before this, but wouldn’t call them one of my favorites really, but it was always nice to be able to get some of these local folks here in the Twin Cities to go to a hip-hop show. Everyone wants to claim to be down with big local acts. Anyway, this is their first unskipable album and more than worth the 15 bucks or so it’ll cost you.
BC's Top 40 Songs of 2005
40) Grand Ol’ Party Crash - Cage - A nice anti-Bush song with Jello Biafra (from Dead Kennedys) playing the part of W.
39) Party Hard - The Perceptionists w/ Guru - The Perceptionists LP was pretty solid and I don’t know if this was the best track on the LP, but it’s a good one and Guru is on it, so you can’t go too wrong.
38) Remember the Name - Fort Minor w/ Ryu and Tak - You have to admit this track is catchy and perfect for all those basketball or baseball ads it was featured in.
37) All in Together - GZA and Muggs - My favorite song from the collaboration from the Wu-Tang and Cypress Hill members. This is an LP that I think I need to back to.
36) Employees of the Year - Felt 2 (Slug and Murs) - A nice song from the second Felt LP. You have to like a song where the first verse starts with an interpolation of one of EPMD's greatest songs, So Wat' Cha Sayin'.
35) The Mask - Dangerdoom w/ Ghostface Killah - Hopefully, that DOOM/Ghostface album will come out eventually. It’s an interesting pairing of MC’s and this song gives a little taste of what may come out.
34) Let It Out - Ugly Duckling - Another fun song from UD. Play this one at a party and people will start head nodding from the horn laced beat.
33) Supa Dynamite - Asamov w/ Mr. Lif - This could be higher on the list, but it sits here for now. A real great song from Asamov’s album.
32) Smart Went Crazy - Atmosphere - Atmosphere had some uncharacteristically hard tracks on YCIHMFWH and this is one of them. The beat is a little rugged and Slug, being the versatile MC that he is, kicks a bit of a harder flow than usual.
31) World of Vibrations - Blackalicious - This song kicks off The Craft and is a catcht little diddy, if I can come off sounding like a jackass.
30) Old School - Dangerdoom w/ Talib Kweli - Talib kicks a verse about watching Saturday morning cartoons and being old school and DOOM kicks a verse about his childhood. The beat from Dangermouse creates a great horn induced funky track for them to spit over.
29) Befriend the Friendless Friendster - Busdriver - A speedy beat that has Busdriver kicking his usual unique and speedy flow. “Because you’re an undersexed lady cop.” is one of my favorite lines.
28) Side to Side - Blackalicious w/ Pigeon John and Lateef - Gift of Gab, Lateef and Pigeon John all go to a club and kicks rhymes about their different experiences at said club.
27) Poems 4 Post Modern Decay - Zion I w/ Aesop Rock - I just think Aesop Rock is the rap equivalent of what they call a change of pace back in the NFL (him and Ab Rude). When you add him to a song, he adds a little something different to the other MC(s) on the track.
26) Make Music - Emanon - One of the 3-4 real good songs from The Waiting Room. The beat is real nice and features some vocalization as part of the beat, which I always dig.
25) Birdz - Fly the Coup - Buckshot & 9th Wonder w/ Phonte - A real nice song from the Buckshot/9th Wonder LP.
24) Count Your Blessings - Emanon - Another crazy vocalized beat and Aloe Blacc does his thing, like he always does.
23) Sleepwalking - One.Be.Lo w/ Ka Di - A great song from a great LP. The singer on this track actually adds a lot to the song.
22) Lefty’s Lament - Busdriver - Busdriver kicks some lyrics about race and perception over a dope, mellow beat.
21) Lo-Fi Funk - Blueprint w/ Aesop Rock - A crazy beat with Aesop Rock handling the duties of the chorus. Blueprint does his thing.
20) Hourglass - Cunninlynguists - Again, I have never studied music, so I’m not sure, but I think the beat might feature an organ. Whether it does of not, it’s a dope beat and a real nice song.
19) Help Me Sing - Asamov - Just a great beat and a great song. A bit of a song about the fans.
18) Can’t Hold On - MED - A great back in the day song with a great Madlib beat. MED raps about his younger days and Kool Ade stains on his shirt. Dope track. A live version:
17) Writer’s Block - Fatlip - Fatlip talking about writer’s block, which might explain why it took so long for his solo debut to be released.
16) Pseudo - Emanon - When I first heard this I went nuts, and I thought they sampled the score from The Frighteners. Turns out it just kind of sounds like something from that score. Anyway, it’s a real nice track with a great beat. The LP had a few real good songs, but the mediocre songs out number the great ones, like Pseudo.
15) Aaw Yeah - J-Live - J-Live being his normal dope self. He just cranks out quality hip-hop on a regular basis with tight beats and lyrics.
14) What U Hear - Zion I w/ Del the Funkee Homosapien - The way the beat switches up when Del kicks hie 2nd verse is just crazy.
13) Porcelain - Tonedeff - A great introspective song from Tonedeff.
12) Brooklyn Public, Pt. 1 - J-Live - J-Live speaking from his experience as a teacher about fictional students in an under-funded inner-city public school.
11) The UNDERground - One.Be.Lo - This song starts off s.o.n.o.g.r.a.m. on a strong note.
10) The Arrival - Atmosphere - This song just comes hard and I love the line “ I’m just a man that loved rap!” It was anice track to be featured on Fight Night 3 (I think it was 3).
9) Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz w/ Dave (De La Soul) aka Trugoy - Again, I love the Gorillaz and this is one of the hip-hop infused tracks from their second LP. A great song.
8) Where’s Your Girlfriend At? - Blueprint - It’s 10pm, do you know where your girlfriend is at? Blueprint probably does. A throwback song with a sense of humor involving Blueprint entertaining your lady. You have to love an MC that can be both self-deprecating and cocky at the same time. “As long as 2 five’s still add up to ten, then I got options every Friday night., and a team of mediocre broads grabbing my tip.”
7) Git Loose - Asamov w/ Akrobatik - An old-school throwback track featuring Akrobatik. Another well produced Asamov song, Beatrice!
6) Children - Tonedeff - A song about how things can change from a young person to an adult. I dig the singer that is also featured on the song. “One day you’ll look back at your life and wonder, like, what the fuck was I thinking?” That sums it up.
5) Making Planets - Edan w/ Mr. Lif - Edan starts the song nice and slow and he kicks his verse, but the song slows down even more and you can just sense that something dope is coming right before Lif comes in. I’ve found myself telling people to just wait… wait… wait, then the beat switches up and Lif kicks his verse. It’s a real dope song.
4) Give It Up - R.A. the Rugged Man and J-Live (from Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture) - I love the pairing of R.A. and J-Live. The beat is solid and you have 2 top-notch MC’s at the top of their game.
3) Play Hard - Masta Ace (from Sloppy Seconds 2) - Ace and some fellas hit the club and Ace speaks on it over a catchy beat featuring a lot of “oh’s”.
2) Get Fly - Atmosphere - The beat is phenomenal and is piano heavy with a choir feel. It’s a pure head nod song.
1) Hellfire - Cunninlynguists - I looked this up when the song came out, and the song sampled is from someone called Aurthur Brown. To me, it sounded like a song from The Doors, and that’s what others have said as well. Anyway, I remember hearing this song before the LP came out and it got me pumped. The beat is chopped nicely and it’s just a straight forward dope rap song.
Pack Up (remix) - Lyrics Born w/ KRS-One and Evidence
Rocketship - One.Be.Lo
Life Vegas - Felt 2 (Slug and Murs)
Avantcore - Busdriver
Since When - Cunninlynguists
Serious - MED - Oh No produced track
Archetype - Tonedeff
That Night - Atmosphere - A song about the tragic murder of an Atmosphere fan in Albuquerque after an Atmosphere show.
Dirty Harry - Gorillaz w/ Bootie Brown
Big Girls Need Love Too - Blueprint
Zodiaccupuncture - Aesop Rock
After - J-Live
Vats of Urine - Dangerdoom
Ride Off in the Sunset - Haiku d’Etat w/ Zumbi and Deuce Eclipse from Calicomm 2004
Benzie Box - Dangerdoom w/ Cee-Lo
Fat Leezy - Fatlip
Fly That Knot - Talib Kweli
Bonus track: About 6 minutes into Liberated (track 13) of Blueprint’s 1988 is a bonus track (although it’s hidden within a song, there’s about 1 minute of nothing and a new song kicks in). The beat is ill and if you haven’t heard it, check it out.
12/25/2009
BC's Top 10, 20 - 2002
BC's Top 10 LP's of 2002
I have to say that 2002 was like 2001 in retrospect. I didn't find a whole lot that I was psyched to include on this list as far as LP's were concerned. My top songs are heavy on songs that aren't included on a top 10 LP from my list. I guess that's indicative of what the year was like.
10) The Demigodz - The Godz Must Be Crazy - I liked this EP from the Earplug series, although it is pound for pound filled with the most homophobic lyrics this side of an Eminem LP. The beats are all solid.
9) Atmosphere - God Loves Ugly - Atmosphere keeps getting better and better to me. their last 2 are their best and i really didn't think this one was that great until I went back and listened to it. Based on what I listened to in '02, it makes the top 10, but if I keep listening, it could move up (if I were forced to make another list by future BC).
8) Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers - When they made good songs, man, they made good songs. But, this LP, like the rest of theirs, just had too many adequate songs to make it a top 5 LP.
7) Mr. Lif - I Phantom - This is a pretty good effort from Lif. I can listen to it all the way through, but there are a few songs that just don't demand too much attention. Overall, though, it's worth it.
6) Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow - This LP is like all of their albums, a bit inconsistent. When they make good hip-hop songs, they are right up there with the best, but they always have a few songs that I just don't like.
5) Camp Lo - Let's Do It Again - I really like this album from start to finish, with the exception of 1 really, really bad song (8 Moons Ago).
4) MF Grimm - The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera - I still really like this album and it took me a little while to get into, but when I did, I was playing it on a daily basis for a good month or two.
3) Emanon - Anon & On - This is another EP from the Earplug series. There are a couple amazing songs on here and this is high on the list because I ran those into the ground.
2) The Roots - Phrenology - I like this LP a lot, but i didn't think it would be this high up. But, after looking at what I had in '02, I had to make this high on my list.
1) J- Live - All of the Above - This LP is solid all the way through, like most of J-Live's albums. This guy is one of my all-time favorites now and this album was the one that really got me into J-Live.
BC's Top 20 Songs of 2002
20) Multiply - Xzibit w/ Nate Dogg - A nice commercial song for the masses. The beat is funky and Nate Dogg does his Nate Dogg thang. To me, X to the Z's music just wasn't as good when he had Dr. Dre and other's doing the producing and not the Liks.
19) The CIA is Trying to Kill Me - Non-Phixion - The CIA is trying to kill some paranoid dudes, aka Non-Phixion. This beat is a nice one.
18) Ultimate - Large Professor - I dig this beat and listened to it a lot back in 2002.
17) Whodafuckareyou?!? - C-Rayz Walz - The first time I heard this song, and C-Rayz, I couldn't stand him (that sounds dumb like Outkast breaking up), but then something happened. His flow just grew on me and he became an MC that I always look for.
16) Together - MF Grimm - The beat features a nice piano loop. The lyrics are about snitches basically, and there are some violent lyrics and the chorus gets a little more violent as it progresses.
15) Captivate/Deactivate - The Demigodz - This beat is sick and you just have a couple MC's bragging on the mic. I just dig this song.
14) Modern Man's Hustle - Atmosphere - I think the best track off of God Loves Ugly. Live performance:
13) A Glimpse at the Struggle - Mr. Lif - Mr. Lif as a man that needs some money and robs a store. The last 30 seconds is Fakts-One cutting Cannibal Ox, "Imma live life after this one crime."
12) Rolling With Heat - The Roots w/ Talib Kweli - Mostly some raw drums from Questo on the beat and Kweli and Black Thought wreck the mic on some hardcore.
11) Celly - Extended Famm - This is a track that is destined to be crazy outdated someday, and kind of is now. But, it's a funny song about bad cell service and misunderstandings over a dope track.
10) Bad Babysitter - Princess Superstar - I was curious about Princess Superstar and checked out the LP this song is on. This is a funny song with a horn heavy beat. If Lady Gaga needs an emcee to kick a verse, she should pick the Princess. Whatever, I like this song.
9) It's Going Down - Blackalicious w/ Lateef - The beat is hot and Lateef and Gab work off each other well. Even the R&B chorus is nice.
8) Let's Do It Again - Camp Lo - I feel like this track fits in where they left off on Uptown Saturday Night. If you threw this on there, you wouldn't have any idea that it wasn't part of their classic debut.
7) High Fidelity - Jurassic 5 - I just love this beat. Jurassic 5 doing what they do best, kicking old-school rhymes.
6) One For the Griot - J-Live - J-Live kicks 3 similar verses with varying outcomes from a one night stand.
5) React - Erick Sermon w/ Redman - I had high hopes when I heard this song. I never really got into the LP, but this song is a good one.
4) Life and Death - MF Grimm - Grimm possibly getting a bit personal about good and evil. Life and Death are women in his life that he goes back and forth with, along with his girl Coma. He talks about Life wanting him to do the right things, but Death is crazy fun to hang out with and just seems to be more fun for whatever reason. I don't know, it's deeper than I am. Can't vouch for the image, but you can listen to the song:
3) Listen - Yaggfu Front w/ Esau the Anti Emcee- I loved Yaggfu's debut in high school and it took years upon years for anything else to be released. This comes from their The Secret Tapes that has mostly older unreleased material and this dope track. The beat is sick and the guest MC, Esau, drops a crazy ass verse about the music industry that includes the line, "That's why Atmosphere ain't selling shit, but Ludacris is." And, that's from 2002. Future Shock from this release is another more than worthy listen.
2) The Seed - The Roots w/ Cody Chestnut - I love this song. Watch/listen:
1) Blind Love - Emanon - This is a song you need to hear if you haven't. Exile produces a crazy beat and Aloe Blacc speaks on trying to get girls. His friends tell him that "...she look good but she ain't all that, her behind is fat, but her mind is wack." You don't hear about a girl's mind all that much in hip-hop.
A couple honorable mentions because I had some extra songs that almost made the cut:
Frontline - El da Sensai w/ Pharoahe Monch, Prince Po, Mike Zoot and F.T.
The Lyricist - J-Live
How U Walkin' - Camp Lo - A crazy tribalish beat and some masochistic lyrics, but a great song.
Home of the Brave - Mr. Lif - Can't say that I always agree with the man's politics, and I'm a liberal ass dude (I'm not the conspiracy theorist that I once was as a teen). This is a scathing track about the Bush administration and 9/11 from Lif's Emergency Rations EP.
10/06/2009
WYDU Presents The Guest of Honor: Slug & Masta Ace
By now, you've met two or the three new people we have here on WYDU. Owen (O-Snap) is helping with some behind the scenes things and tossing up some posts. He posted the PDA post on Friday along with the Souls of Mischief post. Then my man BC, who I've been cool with for awhile now and is part of the MA.com fam (masta ace) that is basically the main reason for the exsistence of this blog to begin with. BC is an old school head that is sure to bring back some of that old school loving which we always need more of. You'll meet Sean here this week hopefully. They are the dudes helping me while I try to scale back a bit more and enjoy life, while also trying to move the blog forward some more. So drop a line and welcome them aboard if you have the chance....
I stayed home last week sick with the flu (yes, it was the swine flu, at least I don't have to worry about it again), and got a little bored. When I get bored, I do a few things; of course there is Madden, but I can only play so long. I can write, which I did some of, mostly some interview questions and transcribing a couple that I've been meaning to do for waaaaay too long. I also tagged some mp3s and keep plugging away on the seemingly never ending task of cataloging my music collection. But after all that, I still make "mixtapes", or I guess they would be classified as "playlists" these days, since it'll probably never see a tape or a CD for that matter, but it'll be on the iPod.
What did I come up with you ask? Actually, I started this little project strictly for myself and my personal enjoyment with no intention of ever putting it up on WYDU. I also started the original one earlier in the year, when one of my favorite artists, Slug of Atmosphere, was starting to pop up as a guest artist on several projects this year. I hadn't added any tracks to the five or six I had in there already and decided I needed to catch up with his recent guest appearances. But before I had the chance to do that, I started throwing some Masta Ace guest shots in a folder as well. We all know that I'm a virtual Ace "stan", and he has been popping up on several projects the past couple years. I started tossing tracks in folder and decided I'd go back to the year 2007 and realized Ace has had his share of guest appearances the past couple years. Once I got all the tracks that I could recall and find, I had a rather nice collection of Ace tracks. I then did the same for Slug, from the year 2007 until present. Being the sharing guy that I am, I thought if I liked this and wanted this kind of thing, surely two or three of you out there would enjoy this as well. And "BOOM", here we are.
WYDU Presents Masta Ace: The Guest of Honor (2007-2009)
01 Marco Polo - Nostaligia ft. Masta Ace
From: Marco Polo - Port Authority (2007)
02 Bekay - Brooklyn Bridge ft. Masta Ace
From: Bekay - Hunger Pains (2009)
03 Marco Polo and Torae - Hold Up ft. Masta Ace and Sean Price
From: Marco Polo & Toroe - Double Barrell (2009)
04 Wu Tang Clan - Kill Too Hard ft. Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Ace
From: Wu-Tang Clan - Chamber Music (2009)
05 Wildchild - The League ft. Special Ed, Masta Ace, Percee P, MC Lyte
From: Wildchild - Jack of All Trades (2007)
06 DJ KO - Ladder of Success ft. Masta Ace, Phonte and Wordsworth
From: DJ K.O. - Picture This... (2008)
07 Rise and The Avid Record Collector - WRA Cypher ft. Wordsworth & Masta Ace
From: Rise & The Avid Record Collector - Risen (2009)
08 Iller Than Theirs - The Same ft. Masta Ace
From: Iller Than Theirs - Iller Than Theirs (2007)
09 The Problemaddicts - Hurting ft. Masta Ace
From: The Problemaddicts - The First Step (2007) & The Guest List (2009)
10 Masta Ace - The Start of Things ft. Minus
From: Masta Ace - Hits U Missed Vol. 5 (2008)*
11 Scribbling Idiots - Told You So ft. Masta Ace
From: The Scribbling Idiots - The Have Nots (2007)
12 Nefew - Admit It ft. Wordsworth and Masta Ace
From: Nefew - Off The Cuff (2007)
13 Tommy Tee - What Is It ft. Masta Ace
From: Tommy Tee - No Studio No Time: The Wait (2007)
14 Masta Ace - Twos And Threes
From: The Sound Chronicles Vol 1 (2007)
15 Copperpot - Art of Rap ft. Masta Ace and Edo G
From: Copperpot - WYLA? (2007)
16 MC Esoteric - Aces Take ft. Masta Ace
From: MC Esoteric - Saving Seamus Ryan (2009)
17 The Funkoars - This Is How ft. Masta Ace
From: The Funkoars - The Hangover (2008)
18 DJ JS-1 - I Knew A Girl ft. Masta Ace, Punchline, Wordsworth, Strick
From: DJ JS-1 - No Sellout (2009)
19 Dragon Fli Empire - Rise ft. Masta Ace
From: Dragon Fli Empire - Redefine (2008)
20 Master Ace - Revolutions Bout To Start
From: Top Shelf 8/8/88 (2007)
21 Wildchild - The League Remix ft. Special Ed, Masta Ace, Percee P, MC Lyte
From: Wildchild - Jack of All Trades (2007)
*Not sure of the original source
01 Domingo - Fuck You Mean ft. PackFM, Slug, & Brother Ali
From: Domingo - The Underrated (2007)
02 The Grouch & Eligh - Boom ft. Slug
From: The Grouch & Eligh - Say G&E (2009)
03 Luckyiam.PSC - Borrowedtime ft. Slug and Aesop Rock
From: Luckyiam.PSC - Most Likely To Succeed (2007)
04 CunninLynguists - Don't Leave ft. Slug
From: Cunninlynguists - Strange Journey Vol. 1 (2009)
05 C Rayz Walz - In Your Soul ft. Slug, Samuel & Sum In 16
From: C Ryaz Walz - Who The F%@* Are You? (2009)
06 KRS-One and Buckshot - We Made It ft. Slug
From: Krs-One & Buckshot - Survival Skills (2009)
07 Jake One - Oh Really ft. Posdnuos and Slug
From: Jake One - White Van Music (2008)
08 Evidence - Line Of Scrimmage ft. Slug
From: Evidence - The Weatherman LP (2007)
09 BK-One - Blood Drive ft. Slug
From: BK-One - Radio Do Canibal (2009)
10 Aesop Fables - Moving at the Speed of Life ft. Slug
From: Aesop Fables - Living The Dream While Awake (2009)
11 Eligh & Jo Wilkinson - Safe ft. Slug & Pigeon John
From: Eligh & Jo Wilkinson - On Sacred Ground (2009)
12 Brother Ali - The Believers ft. Slug
From: Brother Ali - The Truth Is Here EP (2009)
13 Z-Trip - On My Side ft. Lateef and Slug
From: Z-Trip - All Pro (2007)
14 Hangar 18 - Dance With Me ft. Slug
From: Hangar 18 - Sweep The Leg (2007)
15 Themselves - The Medicine ft. Slug
From: Themselves - TheFREEhoudini (2009)
16 MF Doom - Supervillainz ft. Slug, Kurious, and Mobionix
From: MF DOOM - Born Like This (2009)
17 Grayskul - The Office ft. Slug and Aseop Rock
From: GraySkul - Bloody Radio (2007)
18 BK-One - Gititit ft. Slug and Brother Ali
From: BK-One - Radio Do Canibal (2009)
19 Mac Lethal - H Overtkill ft. Slug
From: ????
4/13/2009
5x5 Day One: Someone Has a Case of the Mondays
It's Monday morning, which means a lot of you are dreading another work week. I know I am. Hip hop artists apparently also dread the office job and work weeks. Here are my top five favorite "work sucks" related hip hop songs.
Somebody has a case of the Mondays....
1.Amad Jamal - Goin' Postal (From the upcoming album Barely Hanging on: The Chronicles of a Nigga Like Rodney King)
Sure it's a new track, but it captures the pure despair of working in an office and maybe with even more of a flair than I can relate to as it brings in office politics and race relations into the whole thing as well. Big ups to my man Kurt Fagan, who is part of Amad's band, The Solution and in the video.
2. Louis Logic - Postal (Remix) (From 2003's Sin-A-Matic)
May be the original "Work Sucks" track. Lou was always good at turning stories and making interesting songs out of his tales. This is the version that appeared first on his "Listen To My Demo" collection, then made another appearance on his excellent Sin-A-Matic album.
3. Tribal Jam - 925 (From the KGB 12 inch release from 1994)
I stumbled across this joint last year after reading Ed Catto's review on another website. It quickly became one of my favorites, with it's jazzy flavor on the beats. I'm a lover of beats, but they also come correct with the lyrics as well as they detail the hell that us office drones have to experience working the "9 To 5". Also nice little scratched in choruses from well known lines add more recognition to the track.
4. De La Soul - Bitties In The BK Lounge (From "De La Soul Is Dead")
I've never had the unfortunate experience of working in a fast food joint, but I've worked my share of food service type jobs (read: waiting tables) so I can relate in some strange way. Working with the public is faaaaar worse than any office job that I've ever had. De La captures the essence of being on both ends of the stick when it comes to the fast food joints. And damn, there are some hotties in some of those places.....
5. Atmosphere - Cashier In a Convenience Store (From Sad Clown Bad Dub 7)
Another job I've never had to do, thankfully. As I said, working with the public is a shameless and thankless job and I hope I never have to do it, cause lets face, we suck. Sean aka Slug covers it quite well, so well that I NEVER want to do it.
Honorable Mentions
Biz Markie & Canibus - Shove This Jay-Oh-Bee
Cunninlynguists - Falling Down (simply for the second and third verses from Kno)
Atmosphere - 66th Street
And if your woman is free loading off your ass, play her this
Little Bastards - Bitch, Get A Job
7/17/2008
Half Way Done: The Midway Report - Top 20 Albums Part 2 (1-10)
It took me awhile to get the second part of this. It was originally scheduled to go up over the weekend, but no dice. Then the last two weeks I planned on getting up, but MLB All-Star festivities on TV put a damper on that, including the five plus hour All-Star game last night. Oh well, you should be out enjoying the summer weather instead of reading this damn blog anyway. Speaking of which, I'm off to my old stomping grounds of Denver, Colorado this weekend (Fri-Mon), so I doubt you'll see much of me this weekend and if you do, it'll probably be in a drunken state. I love summer.
Back to the list, in case you missed 11-20, this is what you missed
11 Raashan Ahmad – The Push
12 Kids In The Hall – The In Crowd
13 Ill Poetic – Joe Budden Meets Portishead Mood Musik
14 Jean Grae – The Jeanius
15 One Be Lo – The R.E.B.I.R.T.H
16 Akrobatik – Absolute Value
17 All Natural – Elements
18 Substantial – Sacrifice
19 Weapon X – Portrait Of a Starvin Artist
20 The Camp – The Campaign
As I've said before, this were MY personal favorites of the first half of the year, so while you are more than welcome to drop your input, arguing with me much is probably going to be futile, since it's my opinion we are talking about here. No, there is no Immortal Technique, which wasn't horrible, but I didn't listen to it until after July 1st, no Nas, which again, I don't think I listened to until after July 1st, but I doubt that it would make the list if I had. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Nas has no concept of what a good beat is even if it bit him on the ass. All these albums are albums I can listen to from front to back and the top seven especially are complete albums that are solid in all areas. You may agree with me on these, you may not. You may find something you haven't heard yet, and truly, that is the reason I'm doing this, hopefully to turn you all on to something you might have missed. Here we go, the top 10.....
Top 20 Albums for the First Half of 2008: 1-10
10. Archetype - Unfolding 
Sounds Like: It's kind of difficult to put a "sound" on this duo, coming out of Kansas, they sound like Atmosphere crossed with some Living Legends. Or not....
Summary: This might be cheating in some sense. For those of you that haven't been around WYDU for any length of time, Archetype's U.S. label submitted their Bleed For Them, album for review purposes last year and I simply fell in love with that album. Not a knock on anyone who sent me music, but Bleed For Them is my favorite music I've ever recieved for review purposes. It was a great album with melodic beats provided by Nezbeat and strong lyrics from iD. Unfolding is basically Bleed For Them, packaged for overseas, most notably Japan. It is armed with seven new songs (so half the album is new), four of which are as equally dope or more so than anything found on Bleed For Them. Only reason this probably isn't higher is that half of the album has been getting play since September of last year, not bad for a couple kids from Kansas.
Favorite Tracks: (Of the new tracks) "Blocked Up", "Unfolding", "Live It Up"
9. Guilty Simpson - Ode To The Ghetto 
Sounds Like: That slowly defining Detroit sound, commonly attributed to J-Dilla and passed on to Black Milk. Lyrically and vocally, Guilty reminds me of Beanie Seigel.
Summary: At first I was rather disappointed with this album. Not in the way I'm disappointed with the new Nas album, but in a way I expected a near classic from Guilty Simpson after the Stray Bullets mixtape and the success of Detroit artists of late. While I didn't dislike it, I guess I expected more. Over the past few months though, this album has steadily grown on me, including a drunken birthday weekend, in which we cruised around in my man's Mustang from place to place, blasting my newly purchased Ode To The Ghetto CD. I love the sound of this album, sparse, hard as fuck beats and ruff-n-rugged rhymes from Guilty. Shit, I even dig the Madlib tracks, and I'm not a big Madlib fan. I think I have to say Detroit is my favorite locale for music as of late.
Favorite Tracks: "Pigs", "I Must Love You", "My Moment"
8. Little Brother - And Justus For All
Sounds Like: If you don't know who Little Brother is, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog. Add traditional North sounds (Native Tongue) crossed with the swagger of the South.
Summary: Yes, this dropped last year as well, but this version of And Justus For All is the trimmed down version with a handful of new songs. I was pretty vocal with my dislike of The Get Back, last year, mainly because I consider LB one of my favorite groups. It's true that they seem to make better mixtapes than albums (the two Chitlin' Circuits shit on anything in their catalog not named The Listening) and this is an example of that. I enjoy this album more than anything found on The Get Back, LB is that shit, fuck what anyone else might think. Plus, I've used Phonte's opening line on "Life Of The Party", so much I should be giving him royalties (of course I change it to blogger, which makes it even worse....haha "Girl, whatcha mean you don't recognize me? I'm only the biggest blogger star in your apartment complex...")
Favorite Tracks: "Life Of The Party (Remix)", "Cross That Line (Remix)", "Stylin"
7. Shawn Jackson - First Of All....
Sounds Like: Reminds me of a Murs of sorts...strong lyrical MC
Summary: One of the surprising "out of nowhere" albums, Shawn Jackson's First Of All did catch some fire among the bloggers, such as my cohorts Eric of When They Reminisce and the one who first start pushing his music, Dart Adams of Poisonous Paragraphs. This album is a pure, solid and cohesive project that comes with thirteen quality tracks. Everything on this album is up to par, the lyrics, the hooks, the beats, they are all combine to make a great album that will undoubtedly gain more momentum and could very well be this year's Below The Heavens. If you haven't heard this album yet, you need it in your life...
Favorite Tracks: "Fix Ya Face", "Feelin' Jack", "Gold Medal Kids"
6. Pacewon & Mr. Green - The Only Color That Matters is Green 
Sounds Like: Back in the day hardcore east coast hip hop....
Summary: I'll probably always be biased toward the artists that I grew up on when they drop a quality album. That's the case with Pacewon and his new producer, Mr. Green. I was a hardcore Outsidaz fan from back in the day and have always picked up anything with Pacewon's name on it. "The Only Color That Matters...", is one of those albums that I probably favor more due to Pace's "back in the day" ties, but don't let that fool you. Mr. Green brings a sound that....it's hard to put my finger on, but it's a sound that I've always liked. That's saying, it's nothing ground breaking, nothing that hasn't been heard before, he just takes a sound and does it to the best of his ability. A rugged sound with lots of strings and dusty drums combine to offer the PERFECT backdrop for Pace to drop his raw, yet smooth, rhymes. Trying to find this album on CD is kind of a bitch, but you can order one from Mr. Green's myspace page
Favorite Tracks: "Hip Hop", "Four Quarters", "Children Sing"
5. Dagha - The Divorce 
Sounds Like: A lot like his label mate, Dooley O....
Summary: In what could very well go down as the most creative album of the year, Dagha dropped The Divorce, in which is about what it sounds like, a shitty divorce. Now, I've never been through a divorce, but any man who has been through a break-up after a long term relationship can relate as well. Dagha raps for a whole album about, what I'm assuming, his divorce. Without sounding whiny or turning it into a long bitch session, Dagha brings a cohesive album that flows together quite nicely. The beats are on point and the story telling style of Dagha makes this album a fav of mine this year (obviously).
Favorite Tracks: "Scat", "My Luck", "Devil's Work"
4. Grip Grand - Brokelore
Sounds Like: quality underground/backpacker (I hate that term), maybe Grouch? I'm not sure I have a good comparison.
Summary: I absolutely LOVE Grip Grand's Brokelore album. I could listen to this album every day for the rest of the year and be okay with that. I wasn't familiar Grip Grand until about April, when in the same day, two people who's opinions I value and also know my tastes said I had to check out the album. Eric from WTR and my homie Scholar from Souled On both told me I needed to check this album out. I've been bumping it since then. There is only one track that I don't care for ("Handle That"), the rest are all great tracks. The beauty of the album is there is a lot of variety in the terms of subject matter and sounds, yet it still comes in as a cohesive album. Grip has everything from straight up braggadocio hip hop, to dissing himself, he talks on the social ills, to braggin' about "Poppin' Pockets". He has two classic guest apperances in the form of Percee P and A.G., but he is more than capable of handling the rest of the album on his own. I can't brag about this album enough. If you are someone that has similar tastes as me in the past, then this album is a must.
Favorite Tracks: It's hard to pick three, but right now, I'd say "But Anyway", "Love/Drama", "Remember The Time".
3. Atmosphere - When Live Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold
Sounds Like: Lil Wayne meets Master P
Summary: After putting on one of the most interesting promotional pre-album release events ever seen, Slug and Ant delivered on the goods, with When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold, which might be the best since Lucy Ford, if not of all their catalog. It's a different sound for them, in some ways, Ant has returned back to his earlier sound. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like or not, but after hearing the project as a whole, I've grown to really get down with this album. It's a more mature Atmosphere, as Sean delivers a loosely themed album, talking about the common man's struggle. I can see this dropping a few slots as the replay value isn't as strong as some of the albums behind it, but still, this is a great album for established Atmosphere fans and I've already heard of heads who weren't fans of them before this get on board.
Favorite Tracks: "Puppets", "You", "Me"
2. Nicolay & Kay - Time Line
Sounds Like: Nicolay has his own sound for sure....as a whole, this album is similar in feel to the Phonte and Nicolay Connected project.
Summary: Nic & Kay hooked up to drop an early gem on us back in February. I've been playing Time Line since then. I know Kay got some knocks on not being the best MC, but truthfully, I've never had a problem with his MC skills. The beats on this album or amazing, as Nic comes with an interesting sound that matches the albums theme perfectly. The album starts with "birth", goes through a life cycle, with the music fitting each theme, and goes to the death. It's one of those albums that should be listened to as a whole, but nothing wrong with spending a solid 45 minutes with quality hip hop.
Favorite Tracks: "Tight Eyes", "Blizzard", "I've Seen Rivers"
1. eMC - The Show
Sounds Like: Good Hip Hop Music
Summary: Did you really think I'd have anything but The Show? Yes, I'm a border line Ace stan, but that doesn't mean that this doesn't deserve the number one slot. Words, Punch, Strick also show up with Ace to deliver an album that is a well constructed concept album (what did you expect from Ace?. The came with some great beats and work their magic lyrically, as they take you through a day of eMC starting with getting picked up in the airport to the after party. Yes, it could have been cut down by about 15 minutes, yes, a couple beats were lacking and yes, a couple hooks could have been better, but they still bring the heat, that you can ignore that.
Favorite Tracks: "Winds Of Change", "Leak It Out", "We Alright"
Honorable Mentions: Albums that were on my radar, and are worth checking out, but didn't quite make the list...
Presto - State of the Art
Astonish – From Now Until Forever
The Roots – Rising Down
Prolyphic & Reanimator – The Ugly Truth
Yameen – Never Knows Best
J-Live – Then What Happened
Foul Mouth Jerk – Street Light music
Lazerus Jackson – Filthy
Prodigy – HNIC 2
Praverb – Center Of Attention
Tha 4rce – Mind The Gap Anthems
Silent Knight - Restoration
Braile – The IV
Craig G – Operation Take Hip Hop Back Trav Williams – The Trickle Down
