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I know I said no more "best of's" for 2008, but this was too good to pass up. DJ Eclipse and the WYNU Halftime Show best of 2008. Dope ish, check it out.
The Halftime Show Best of 2008 Freestyles and Music
In typical WYDU fashion, we are the last ones to turn off the lights on the year 2008. We like to come fashionable late to the year end parties....and we like to be the last ones to leave. I think this years is even later than last years, and last year was pretty freaking late. That's okay though. This year I brought together some of the greatest minds in the industry. Okay, they were the only ones that would say "yes" to my crazy little plan, but they were all people who's opinions I respected and I got them together to have them give me their favorites of the year. I did this for two reasons. For one, I wanted some cats who thought differently than me. Who wants to read my crazed ass ideas of what's good and what isn't? You do that all year anyway, might as well have at least one day off from my totally hair-brained opinions. Of course I did have some input in this as well, but there was enough people, it was fairly diluted. The second reason I did this was so if some artist got pissed off, I could just say "It wasn't just me, it was 15 other people that thought your music was crap", it's always nice to cover your back. Of course I'm just kidding....or am I?
So after a couple weeks of piecing together the greatest hits, misses and all that in between, I present to you, for the last freaking time, the year 2008 in all its goodness.
The WYDU's 2008 Wrap Up
What The Hell Is It?:
The Best Mixtape 0f 2008
Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing
The wonderful world of mixtapes. Back in my younger days, a mixtape meant previously released (sometimes some exclusives) mixed together by a DJ. The better ones were great ways to hear new tracks and artists. Since then, they've morphed into a way for artists to release a project without having to worry about all the BS that goes along with a proper release. Most often than not, they are filled with a bunch of crap that the artist doesn't want to put on a proper album. I'm learning to accecpt them, because they can have some good materail on them and they usually don't have to worry about clearing samples since a lot of them seem be of the free variety.
This years winner comes from the Washington DC artist, Wale. I'll be the first to admit that I don't get it about Wale. I really don't. Despite that though, Wale's "The Mixtape About Nothing", beat out any other "mixtape" by double the votes. I listened to it a couple times, but it wasn't anything that stuck on me. I'm not sure what it is about him and his music, I just don't understand the hype. That doesn't mean the voters weren't giving him his props:
"I really wanted to hate on Wale: the Mark Ronson co-sign, the Lil' Wayne flow coupled with a Cormega-esque voice, etc. But this mixtape was a masterpiece. I don't know if his major label output will ever rival this and frankly I don't care--the man crafted a cohesive, entertaining and thoughtful statement in the form of a free mixtape. Well done, yo."- Zilla Rocca
Well said, and more than I can say about it. I'm giving it a spin while I'm writing this and it's not bad, but I'm still not blown away by it. So be it. There will be much hype and hoopla for his Interscope and Mark Ronson backed retail album debut. I'm interested to see if you can carry the well executed concepts and tracks to that of a "real" release. We shall see.
Trav's Choice: Poorly Drawn People - Shoot For The Stars, Hit The Ceiling Honorable Mentions (According to the Panel):Royce Da 5'9 - The Bar Exam, Edgar Allen Floe - The Road To Streetwise, Mick Boogie & Terry Urban - Jay-Z & Coldplay: Viva La Hova, Inverse - So Far.
Mini Me Award: The Best EP of 2008
Illogic - One Bar Left
The rise of the EP actually became one of my favorite new trends in the world of promos and blogs. They are short, sweet and to the point. Perfect for a world left with a very short attention span due to the world of iPods, internet and fast food. I actually forgot to send this category out to the first batch of people in the panel. But from the people who were asked this and Illogic's popularity in the "Free Project" category, I went ahead and declared "One Bar Left" the favorite.
Teaming up with another Ohio native in Ill Poetic, Illogic dropped an excellent EP that lets him flex his lyrical muscles and also lets Ill Poetic get his shine on as well. The beats are crisp and pop the woofers in a full sound that leaves the best impression on the listener. Illogic has been around for a good period of time. He probably gets the unfair tag of "backpack" rapper, but despite that, he is truly a classic underground MC, dropping lyric gems that makes the listener reach for the rewind button. The chemistry shown between Po' and Illogic only amps up my expectations for any potential future projects, because this was one EP I wish was a full length album.
Ive always been a fan of Illogic. Lets just say hes nice with it. However I never thought he could release anything that would have production like this. I really liked the beats this one came with oh and did I mention it was free?- Names
Trav's Choice:Has-Lo - Fuck Has Day
Honorable Mentions (According to the Panel): Common Market - Black Patch War, Tanya Morgan - The Bridge, Has-Lo - Fuck Has Day, Has-Lo - Small Metal Objects, Atmosphere - Sad Clown Bad Dub 12
The $20 Bill on the Ground:
The Surprise Album of the Year
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
This goes to the most surprising album. I tend to think of it as liking something you wouldn't particularly like. Some of the voters went more with some newer artists that kind of came out of no where. The meaning is left open to debate. This year we had had example of both, with an old favorite taking it with an album that I think no one was expecting to like, yet it turned out pretty good.
Q-Tip is a long time favorite of many cats. Some people probably hold him at a legendary status, myself included. But Tip hasn't really done much that has been universally liked since his days in A Tribe Called Quest (and even their last album got some hate). The "Amplified" LP was the target of hate and head scratching as Tip came with a flossier image and even though people would be afraid to say it now, but a lot of people didn't care for the Jay Dee beats (I've always liked "Amplified"). There have been several leaks of Tip's more recent material, both in the early forms of "The Renaissance" and another shelved album. Both of those caused no reason for anyone to get excited about the release of "The Renaissance", myself included. While I've struggled to really develop any kind of appreciation for the album, lots of people, including my fellow WYDU founder Polarity, have been give the album their praise. It's slowly been growing on me over the past couple weeks, as I'm starting to see what the others are seeing in it. Tip's improved skills, the eloquent production, the Tribe like vibes, it's something that no one saw coming.
I couldn’t believe my ears when I first heard Renaissance. I was actually on my way to work when I first bumped this album and when it was time for me to step out of the whip to go work the 9-5 it was really hard. I wanted nothing more than to stay and finish the album. Surprise, surprise.- Names
Trav's Pick: (Tie)Prolyphic & Reanimator - The Ugly Truth & The Knux - Remind Me In Three Days
Honorable Mentions (Panel Votes):P Brothers - The Gas, Prolyphic & Reanimiator - The Ugly Truth, Kanye West - 808 & Heartbreaks, Ludacris - Theater of the Mind
The Video Chick Wearing Long Underwear:
Disappointing Album of 2008
RZA - Digi Snacks
The fact that RZA'sDigi Snacks is the most disappointing album according to our panel, it just goes to show no matter what, any Wu related album from the major players will always have some kind of anticipation to them. Personally, I wasn't expecting much from this in the first place. I have to have some kind of expectations for an album to disappointment me, which I didn't with "Digi Snacks". Obviously, some felt different, and I understand that. From Rayhzel of RYM:
"Not everbody liked the Bobby Digital releases. Me...I liked them. Everbody hated RZA for 8 Diagrams. Me...I liked it and thought RZA did a great job on it. I was expecting some good stuff from Digi Snacks, but I'm still trying to figure out what the fuck that shit was all about. It is by far one of the worst release comming from the Wu ever. I hope RZA drops The Cure in 2009 to restore everbody's faith in him." -Rahyzel
I'm not sure what the future holds for RZA. Obviously the Wu isn't happy with him as they talk about recording the next Wu album without RZA on the beats. "Digi Snacks" appears to be a huge disappointment to even the hardest of hardcore Wu fans. The future will tell.
Trav's Pick:Foreign Exchange - Leave It All Behind
Honorable Mentions (Panel Votes): Common - Universal Mind Contorl, Pete Rock - NY's Finest, Del - The 11th Hour, The Roots - Rising Down, Nas - Untitled, Foreign Exchange - Leave It All Behind
Rip Van Winkle Award The Most Slept On Album of 2008
Tanya Morgan - The Bridge EP
I'm guilty of thinking just because something to me is obviously well known AND well done, then others surely know about it as well. That's the case with Tanya Morgan, I just assume everyone sees them in the same light as me and that they have been checking their music since the Moonlighting album that was one of the best of 2006. I thought their EP, The Bridge, was very well executed and again felt that they were getting their just due. So when when the votes were tallied up and cats said that Tanya Morgan's"The Bridge EP" was the slept on release of the year, I was somewhat shocked. To be fair, this was one of the categories with the tightest voting.
That said, TM is most definitely a group that hip hop heads should be checking for if they sleeping on their work. The nine track EP is just nine cuts of quality hip hop, that showcases the skills of all three MCs, Von Pea, Donwill, and Illyas. All three are talented MCs that use word play, stories and straight up braggadocio rhymes over dominantly mello type beats. The Bridge EP got plenty of spins from me, but I guess others felt that they deserved more recognition. Now, if they continue to improve over the already dope 06's Moonlighting, then I will be screaming for their deserved recognition.
- These cats are bringing grimey soul back. Their music sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom on a $20 mic but it's dope as hell; they have a style all of their own. Mad keen on the full length next year. - Cee
Trav's Pick: Anyone of these releases deserved more praise than they got; Dagha - The Divorce,Shawn Jackson - First of All...., Grip Grand - Brokelore, Has-Lo - Fuck Has Day and Small Metal Objects
Honorable Mentions (according to the panel):J-Zone & Chief Chinchilla - Live @ The Liqua Store, eMC - The Show, Grip Grand - Brokelore, Dagha - The Divorce, Dela - Changes of Atmosphere, Akrobatik - Absolute Value, Shawn Jackson - First of All.....
The Okalahoma Sooners Award The Overrated Album of 2008
Lil Wayne - The Carter III
*SIGH* I really tired to go the whole year without having to mention Lil Wayne or this album, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. In my older age, I've gotten away from judging people for what the listen to. Just because you don't listen to the type of hip hop I listen to, I'm not going to preach and say this is the type of hip hop that is ruining our culture. I just won't do it. I might believe it, or I might not, but I just leave it alone. But here it is, in all it's glory and I'm faced with saying something about the highest selling album of the year.
To be fair, I'm not even close to being able to confidently say this album sucks. I only listened to it two times, and one of those was while I was doing something. I had a preconceived notion about what it would sign like and never really gave it a chance. But do I need to? I'll just say its not my thing and I know it's not my thing. I'm pretty sure 98% of the cats that were part of this poll probably aren't the type that would listen to Wayne either, so I guess it's a given that after Wayne and his album were shoved down the collective mainstreams throats that there would be some backlash, and here it is, in all it's tattooed glory.
- It's not a wack album by any means. Lil' Wayne isn't a trash artist either (though "A Milli" blows vampire excrement). But the same thing that happened to Common with "BE" happened to Wayne on this one--there was an overwhelming urgency to DECLARE this album a classic upon arrival without much objective criticism or hindsight.- Zilla Rocca
Trav's Pick:Nas - Untitled
Honorable Mentions (according to the panel): Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak, Nas - Untitled, Q-Tip - The Renaissance
The Acid Wash Jeans Award The Comeback of the Year for 2008
Heltah Skeltah
How nice was it to see Rock & Ruck aka Sean Price back together and dropping heat again? Despite Rock's legal troubles, he was the Rock of old, with his deep and thick gravel like voice that inspired fear in the hearts of feeble MCs. Sean Price has been dropping quality projects the past couple years, so maybe it wasn't such a stretch to seem him do his thing, but together as a group, it was good to see the two drop a very well rounded album. I told Has-Lo back in August or so there was no way this album would be any good....I guess I need to fess up to him and say he was right.
In their first album together in more than a decade, Heltah Skeltah makes up for lost time with an impressive collection of protypical Boot Camp cuts. The intro bleeds into the slow, piano riff backed "Everything is Heltah Skeltah" with Rock claiming his "gun clear the lane, like Proactive clear Diddy face." Of course, Sean Price is a beast throughout, from "...mistletoe in my back pocket, kiss my ass" to "I'd be Lean Cuisine, you Mushu Pork, Napoleon complex, pa, you too short." The duo is focused and more violent than their previous release, with gun play and verbal jabs throughout. Production is handled by Khrysis, Black Milk, and Evidence and all offer familiar gritty BCC beats.- CH Commish
Some such as Has-Lo & Zilla Rocca thought it was straight up all about Rock
- Sean P is my dude, but Rock straight up owned the entirety of "D.I.R.T." It was like a flashback to "Nocturnal" or something. Duck Down better pump some money into his solo releases 'cause Alcatraz needs some serious shine in '09 and beyond. "You ain't burning trees, Last episode of Wire, you the n*gga Cheese" GODDAMN! - Zilla Rocca
Trav's Pick:Heltah Skeltah
Honorable Mentions (according to the panel): Q-Tip, Jean Grae
Pass The Hot Sauce
The Blandest Album of 20089th Wonder & Buckshot -The Formula
I had been getting a little tired of 9th Wonder's beats the past few years, at least up until his Dream Merchant LP that dropped last year, which I enjoyed thoroughly. This year though, 9th came back with a vengeance in my opinion. I did not enjoy 9th's and Buck's effort back in '06, Chemistry, so I didn't have a lot of expectations for The Formula. I enjoyed the album much more than I thought I would. BUT, I guess the rest of the people didn't. I guess I can see it in someways. I never quite understood the concept of the two coming together, their styles just don't seem to mesh and it almost makes the music anti-climatic. Personally, I have an album that I thought was much more bland than this, but I'm trying to get the taste of many instead of my punk ass opinions.....
- It was definitely mixed and mastered better than anything 9th has done before. And the incorporation of my R&B hooks was admirable. But the concepts didn't grab me, the guests didn't add much, and there was no knockout absolute banger that would keep this in rotation for more than a week or two. - Zilla Rocca
Trav's Pick: Termanology - Politics As Usual
Honorable Mentions:Nas - Untitled, Termanology - Politics As Usual
The Booty Call Showing Up at 3 a.m.
Better Late Than Never Album of 2008
Freddie Foxxx - Crazy Like A Foxxx
Is there anyone that emphasizes hardcore hip hop more than Freddie Foxxx? Forgot all that fake gangster shit that is being spewed on the radio airwaves these days, that shit is straight up garbage. If I want the raw, hardcore rhymes, from a prototypical hardcore rapper, I'll listen to Freddie Foxxx. Freddie came on the scene in the late 80's with his Freddie Foxxx Is Here album, that was released on MCA. This would be during a time that major labels such as MCA had no clue how to market hip hop (and they still don't), and the album ended up flopping something serious (and in hind sight, it wasn't that great of an album). In 1992, Freddie, now with Epic/Flavor Unit, submitted an album to the label, which was titled Crazy Like a Foxxx. At the time, Freddie was coming off a strong appearance on Boogie Down Production's "Sex & Violence" and was a part of the Flavor Unit, lead by Sha-Money and Queen Latifah. The album would ultimately end up being shelved by the label after some lukewarm reviews in The Source. Crazy Like a Foxxx would find itself being leaked on the internet, with rather shitty quality (they were made from the promo copies) versions made their way around the internet as early as '04. That was until this year, when Fat Beats dropped a two disk version of Crazy Like a Foxxx, with disk one being the original commercial album and disk two being the demo version, which was largely produced by the DITC.
Trav's Pick:Siah & Yeshua DaPoed - The Visulaz Anthology
Honorable Mentions:Jean Grae - The Jeanius, Q-Tip - The Renaissance
The Best Things In Life Are Free
Best (Legal) Free Download Album
Murs & 9th Wonder - Sweet Lord
How do y'all go from the Blandest to the best? That's 9th for you, but I think it also speaks of a better chemistry between Murs and 9th. The free album was an increasingly common practice in the hip hop world, but it's surprising that two established artists with already solid fan bases would come at us with a free album, and that of the quality Sweet Lord is, but they did it. There was lots of quality free music released in 2008 and the voters got this up there by a pretty wide margin. Sweet Lord rivals the other two previously released Murs and 9th colabs, as it gives the listeners everything they liked with the two in the first place.
- 9th Wondrah & Murs Sweet Lord, hands down. One of the best albums of the year, I still have Nina Ross on repeat. - HaLo
Trav's Pick:Has-Lo - Fuck Has Day & Small Metal Objects
Honorable Mentions - Illogic - One Bar Left, Royce Da 5'9 - Bar Exam 2, Has-Lo - Fuck Has Day & Small Metal Objects
The Golden MPC/Platinum Fruity Loops/Diamond Turntables Award
The Best Produce/DJ Themed Album of 2008
Jake One - White Van Music
Jake One has long been on my audio radar for quite sometime. Even before his classic beat that was found on De La's "Rock Co.Kane Flow", I've been diggin' this guys beats. So when I heard he was doing his own album, my expectations began to reach the unrealistic proportions. Maybe that's why in some ways I was disappointed, but despite that, it was still filled with great beats and listenable tracks. Jake is one of those cats you can't really put a stamp on his sound and say "this is Jake's sound", that hasn't happened yet and may not happen. Yet, he is an extremely versatile producer and this project shows his great diversity as everyone from Blueprint to Young Buck can be found on the Rhymesayer release, White Van Music. For clarification, when I think of a producer themed album, I'm thinking of a producer who did all the beats on the album, while other cats brought the flavor. That's the reason why I didn't count Black Milk's "Tronic" in this category.
-I want to put "TRONIC" on here but Black Milk raps on it, so I'm going with Jake One. It reminded me of the first "Soul Survivor" in that 80% of the collabos were dynamite and the beats fit the artists like a glove. And what fucks with the bassline on "Trap Door," Blueprint's story on "Scared," and a Freeway/Brother Ali collab? - Zilla Rocca
Trav's Pick:P Brothers - The Gas
Honorable Mentions - Statik Selektah - Stick 2 The Script, The P Brothers - The Gas, Dela - Changes in Atmosphere, DJ KO - Picture This
It's All About The Beats The Best Producer of 2008
Black Milk
Black Milk had one of the best years for any producer in the year 2008. He started the year off by blessing the highly underrated Fat Ray & Black Milk release, he then dropped several mixtapes in anticipation for his album, "Tronic". And oh yeah, there was that little album by Elzhi that had some of Black's best work of the year on. All in all, Black Milk had the type of year that some producers could only dream of. I have the feeling that there is even more in store for Black Milk as he continues to fine tune is game and bring that D-town funk.
-If I have to write down why this guy ruled '08, you shouldn't be checking WYDU. YOU'RE FUCKING FIRED!- Zilla Rocca
Trav's Pick: Black Milk
Honorable Mentions: Blue Sky Black Death, DJ Premier
Nothin' but a drum track and a sample.... The Best Instrumental Album of the Year
Madlib - Beat Konducta Vol. 5: Dil Cosby Suite
I have a few artists that I just never have understood the whole fascination with. MF Doom, Kool Keith (post Ultra) and Madlib. Besides his work with his original group, Loot Pack and the Jaylib release, he just hasn't been my thing. Despite that though, I can't help but to rant and rave how good his two Beat Konducta volumes were this year. Both Volume 5 the Dil Cosby Suite and Volume 6, the Dil Withers Suite were extraordinary pieces of music. That said, Volume 5 seem to be the universal favorite between the two and with good reason. I found myself listening to a lot of instrumental albums this year, just beats, something that was more than your basic four bar loop, actual music. That's exactly what the Dil Cosby Suite is, it's just good music. It's in the vein of my all-time favorite instrumental album by the inspiration for the two volumes, Jay Dee's "Donuts". It's that good. I even bought it on vinyl this year and I usually only by old releases in vinyl. This was a runaway favorite with the voters.
-Madlib put out his usual 4,340 albums this year but this one got the most burn from me. Dude essentially perfected the instrumental album in this decade, and new cats putting them out have his DNA in them. "J's Day Theme #3" is so beautiful and warm. I love this album! - Zilla Rocca
Trav's Pick:Batsauce - The Gypsy Diaries
Honorable Mentions:14KT - The Golden Hour, Metaform - Standing On The Shoulders of Giants, Batsauce - The Gypsy Diaries, Blue Sky Black Death - Late Night Cinema
Hear It On The Radio The Best Mainstream Album of 2008
The Roots - Rising Down
It's good to see good music get the labeled as the best mainstream release. It helps also that The Roots have a strong fan base built and are considered one of the most consistent groups out there, very rarely do they disappoint over a full album. I actually slept on "Rising Down" for a good part of the year. I once considered The Roots one of my favorite groups, but haven't been "wowed" by them since "Things Fall Apart". After all the hype this was getting in December for it's year end showing, I dug it back out and started giving it more listens. While it still doesn't blow me away, it's much better than I originally thought of it. It's a darker release from the band which there is nothing wrong with and they experimented more on more straight up hip hop sounds and for the most part it works well. I have no problem with "Rising Down" being proclaimed best mainstream album of the year, it's a strong album from one of the greatest groups in hip hop history...yeah I said it.
Trav's Pick:The Knux - Remind Me In Three Days
Honorable Mentions:Ludacris - Theater of the Mind, Nas - Untitled, Kanye West - 808 & Heartbreaks, Q-Tip - The Renaissance, Murs - Murs is President
The Plastic Frisbee and/or Drink Coaster Award Worst Album of 2008
First and foremost, let me just say I personally don't agree with this vote at all. As you can see the voters either loved or hated 808's & Heartbreaks. While I don't think I'd consider it a true hip hop album, I could appreciate it for what it was, and that was just music. Of course, I'm not one that listens to the radio a whole hell of a lot. When I do, I tend to stay away from the "Urban" stations, because it's mostly garbage that I don't care for anyway, so my exposure to the whole Autotune phenomenon has been rather limited. But there seems to be a lot of people out there that simply do not like this album. Hence, we are looking at it as the least favorite on WYDU. Just not mine.
It's sad when my own site names a song as the best song of 2008 and I didn't hear it until 2009, when all the voters were voting for "Exhibit A: Transformations". Admittedly, Jay Electronica has been one of those dudes I never understood the hype about. I've heard some unofficial collections of his works and they were nothing mind blowing, then the Star Wars EP or whatever the hell it was titled last year or the year before did nothing to sway my mind either. So I don't check for dude on the regular. I do have to admit that this track is rather nice. I wouldn't call it the best, but I liked it. It's produced by Just Blaze which makes it every stranger that I didn't hear it until the votes started to roll in for this. I'm a self proclaimed Just Blaze fan boy, so my desire to hear a dope Just Blaze beat such as this would have over ruled my desire to ignore Jay Electronica. To be fair, anytime you ask 15-20 people to pick their five favorite songs, you are going to get a wide array of tracks, but there were several that had multiple people mentioning. The year 2008 will go down as the year that Trav was schooled on his own site.
Trav's Pick:The P Brothers - Outta Control
Honorable Mentions (Songs that got more than three votes): Royce Da 5'9 - Shake This, Jay-Z - Brooklyn Go Hard, Wale - The Kramer, Reks - Say Goodnight, Big Boi feat Andre 3000 & Raekwon - Royal Flush, Blue Sky Black Death & Jean Grae - Strikes
And Drum Roll Please...................
In honor of the woman in which all other women are judged by on WYDU, Salma Hayek, we present to the best album of 2008, WYDU's Salma Hayek Award
The Salma Hayek Award Best Album of 2008
Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold
No, it wasn't just me voting for Slug's and Ant's album, When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold. While there was a fairly large choices selected by people, this won by nine points according to WYDU's top secret scoring system, which isn't huge, but enough to make me not worry. Atmosphere came with a more mature album this time around, not in just lyrical composition, but also in sound. It was a switch up from some of their previous efforts which were continuously labeled "emo" by some of the hip hop heads out there (a label I hate). Despite that, the new album seem to gain praise from heads that normally dismissed the group as emo rock band wannabes. The album is a passionate look at....well, life. Some of it was Slug's life, some of it was a fictional character, but it's what keeping it real is really about.
It's that easy. I was able to catch Slug and Ant live this year in Toronto. It was one of the biggest highlights of my summer 2008. The production on this album is ridiculous. Off the chain, off the wall and off the meter. That's how I rank this one which is why it sits at number one for me. I find it hard to swallow when I read things like “ Atmosphere isn't exactly hip hop”. It kills me every time. Slug pours his soul into every track with uniqueness and brilliance. Ant brings beats to the table in which other producers could only dream of crafting. This is as hip hop as it gets, a real lyricist, a real producer who both stray away from selling out and still keep it real. If that's not hip hop, what is? - Names
I missed a lot of the last releases (whole last quarter of '08) .... which was great, cause that's why I really started to appreciate WLGYLYPTSG. For me is a real masterpiece and one of the best albums of this decade. Like fine wine this lp gets better and better with time and with every listen you get new favorite tracks....- Chris
Trav's Pick: Same....
Honorable Mentions:eMC - The Show, Q-Tip - The Renassiance, The Roots - Rising Down, Blue Sky Black Death - Late Night Cinema
----Random Awards (The Ones Not Shown on the National Telecast)----
Video of the Year
Heltah Skeltah - Everything Is Heltah Skeltah
Runner-Up
The Roots - 75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)
The Funniest/Saddest Fad In Hip Hop in 2008
DIE AUTO TUNE, DIE!!!!
This was an OVERWHELMING response by those voting. Apparently, death by Auto Tune would constitute into cruel and unusual punishment in some areas. And T-Pain wants royalties for artists using Auto Tune....Really? You really want royalties? Go fuckin' talk to Roger Troutman then.....
Auto-tune: Kanye West. Nuff said. (If 808 & Heartbreaks was hip hop it would have taken all the "Worst" Awards) - Rayhzel
Verse of the Year 2008
Elzhi's Verse "Motown 25"
For the life of me, I can't find the lyrics anywhere to jack from another site, and I'm not about to spend a half hour trying to write it all down, but all you have to do is just listen to his first verse....COT DAAAAAAAAAYUM!!!!!! (hits the rewind button) Oh yeah, the cat following him up isn't too shabby either. Royce's verse got a few votes too for best verse as well. Insane lyrics going on on this track.
Best On The Mic The Best MC of 2008
Elzhi
Detroit as a whole as an absolute beast in 2008 and Elzhi was the beast master. Nothing he did was wack, his hunger on the mic was like Jarrett of Subway looking for a ham sandwich. I'm a beat person at heart, but Elzhi made me pay attention to everything he said on "The Preface", and I'm still catching up. He was the king of multi-layers, multi-sayings, and multi-meanings. Truly an incredible display of MCing skill brought on by Elzhi in the year 2008.
Best Region of 2008
Detroit
The music coming out of Detroit in 2008 was simply amazing to me. Of course there is the previously mentioned Elzhi, then you had the producer of the year in Black Milk, Royce is arguably the "king" of Detroit and while he didn't drop a major album, he still dropped the dope Bar Exam 2 and has the hip hop community geeked up for Street Hop. Then you have some of the lesser known, but just as talented cats such as Buff 1 and his whole LabTechs crew, including 14KT who dropped on of the best instrumental joints in "The Golden Hour". You had the incredibly slept on Now On, who had possibly the best album cover on their "Tomorrow Already" album, and in this case, you do want to just the book by it's cover, because it's great music. Then just outside of the D was and sort of starting it all of was One Be Lo and his R.E.B.I.R.T.H LP. It was a great year from the Motown city, and I really hope there is more to come.
The Anticipation Mounts
The Most Anticipated Release of 2009
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2
It has to come out this year, or it falls into the same category as Detox where we really don't give a shit if it does or not. It's like the boy who cried wolf, keep telling us and after awhile we just don't believe or care...
- "I still wanna hear it. Sue me already." - Has-Lo
"It Slices, It Dices, It Smashes and it's available only on SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY" Best Promo For An Album
The"Paint It Gold" Series For the "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold", people either loved them or hated them. Myself, I thought the idea was ingenious, and they were naturals behind the camera.
"...Roxanne Shante is only good for steady fuckin'....." Feud of the Year
uhhhhhh....if this is what hip hop beef has been regulated to, count me out. Ice shouldn't have even wasted his time with this youngster that only sold 10 copies of his album this year. Hope you enjoyed your 15 seconds of fame.
FINALLY!! It comes down to the Top 25 songs of 2008. I'm sick of 2008, that's all I know. And we still have our year end wrap up coming up sometime this week. Until then, comment, argue, debate, agree...do whatever. Probably some weird choices, but what can I say? I have some complicated tastes I guess. Not saying it's better, it's just what it is....
25. Kurious feat Max B - From Up Under (From: Single from Amalgam Digital)
Let the hate begin. When I posted up the latest Kurious joint, "From Up Under" last summer, a lot of y'all didn't like it and got a little pissy with me when I said I did. So be it. I still stand by my opinion of the track, obviously. Most of the people not down with it were expressing their displeasure with Max B on the hook. While not to hate on anyone hating on someone (make sense?), I really think it's the Dipset thing blinding people. To be truthfully honest, I don't listen to much Dipset, so I honestly wasn't really sure who Max B was. I still haven't ever heard one of his songs. That aside, I think the sung chorus is a nice touch to the otherwise classic Kurious sound. Jorge does his thing on the mic, in typical Kurious fashion, with his effortless flow on the rhymes. Dame Grease, I thought did a nice job of creating a Kurious-like track. To me, it's like classic Kurious, and I'll keep jamming this track until the LP drops, hopefully this year.
24. Common - Gladitor (From: "Universal Mind Control")
Wow, how the mighty have fallen. At one time, I was a pretty big Common fan. But I could really care less about Common in his current state. I listened to "Be" a total of five times, "Finding Forever" even less. I think I have three listens on the "Universal Mind Control", but Common can still produce the banging song or two. I guess "Gladitor" is the banging jam from UMC. This is the reason I liked Common in the first place. Dude is a beast on the mic when he still wants to and the beat is....yikes. I love bangin' drums, and this has them. It's just classic Common, it's just too bad that this is the only classic Common jam on the album.
23. U-N-I - Yesterday (From: dubFrequency’s "Creme de la Creme: The Mixtape")
Up until this year...nah, scratch that.....up until the past three months or so, I didn't know much about U-N-I nor did I pay attention to them. My man DJ Low Key out of Denver told me they were working with Ro Blvd and slipped me a track. Now, I was already hipped to Ro Blvd, who is dope in his own right, but I was pretty impressed with the mic skills shown by U-N-I. I tracked down their "Fried Chicken & Watermelon" mixtape that was dropped earlier in the year, which was good. Then my man Citizen played"Yesterday" from U-N-I on the GOD Hour earlier this year and I thought the song was freaking amazing. I'm usually a beat person, and this song would have had a strong showing just on the dreamy beat itself, but it's their catchy lyrics that really put this one over the top. I'm not saying they are the greatest lyricists of all times, but they have a bunch of memorable lines, lines that posses feeling and emotion, and are just down right memorable.
22. Elzhi feat Phat Kat - Yeah (From: "The Preface")
I've been well aware of Phat Kat since the early part of this decade. While he has dropped some good tracks and I would say that generally I like the dude, he wasn't anything that I would have went out of my way to listen to. His album, "Carte Blanche" was good, but nothing I played a whole lot. But on the Elzhi track, "Yeah", Kat comes with vengeance! It's not that he is the lyrical dude ever, but the presence an attitude he brings on "Yeah" is in the same vein why cats liked Busta or ODB back in the day. He's just NASTY! Of course Elzhi just does his thing. The beat is a simple loop, but that sax sample goes a long way.
21. The Roots feat Mos Def & Styles P - Rising Down(From: "Rising Down")
I never thought I'd have another track that had anything to do with Mos Def in my top 25 ever again, but I guess I was wrong. Then toss on Styles P and if this has the makings of the surprise track of the year. Of course it helps that it's a Roots track, who although I've fell somewhat out of love with (pause), I still consider them talented enough to drop some banging tracks, like "Rising Down". Of course, it's the wicked bassline and stark production that really lets all three MCs run like a beast over the track. Good shit, and good to see Mos dropping decent rhymes over good tracks.
20. Poorly Drawn People feat Storm Davis, Ams Uno, and Prolyphic - Fat Back Burners (From: "Shoot For the Stars, Hit The Ceiling")
WYDU's favorite MC that is named after a 80's Major League pitcher is back at it again. Along with his boys, Reason, Dox, and Sterbyrock, he brought along friends in the form of Ams Uno and Prolyphic. I guess that even though I had a lot of mellow jams early on in the countdown, it's the adrenaline pumping jams that got the high marks, and "Fat Back Burners" is no exception. A fuzzy, thick bassline give the track a backbone, then they utilize one of my favorite instruments (only if done right), the electric guitar and a crazy horn loop over the the chorus and you have some shit that makes you want to jump up on the bar in a drunken haze and imagine you are Run of Run DMC, kickin' lyrics to the masses.
19. Zilla Rocca feat Nex Millen - Flow GodZilla (From: the free mixtape "Bring Me The Head of Zilla Rocca")
Well shit, I was just talking about the rock electric guitar being a favorite aspect of a hip hop song, but ONLY if it's done right. Well, this dude from...is it Philly?....I don't remember, but I think it's Philly, Zilla Rocca dropped this AMAZING track, "Flow GodZilla". This is that meth music that gets you amped as a muthafucka! The inside story from Zilla himself is that his fellow Clean Guns partner and another cat were playing Guitar Hero and called up Zilla to tell him he HAD to sample a song from Blue Oyster Cult (name escapes me) that was found on the game. Hence, "Flow GodZilla" was born. This track has a lot of swagger (is that cool to say still?) and is just plan nastier than a Gaylord Perry spitball.
18. Black Milk - Hold It Down (From: "Tronic")
Probably not a lot of people are going to pick "Hold It Down" as their favorite track from Black Milk's "Tronic", but it's the one that had my hitting the "rewind" button. The beat is a bouncy track that utilizes a nice synth line and despite what it may sound like, it utilizes a sample as well. It's just a dope beat that really gets that old fashioned head nod going. A dope beat from one of the best producers of the year.
17. Pacewon & Mr. Green - Children Sing (From: "The Only Color is Green")
I wasn't sure what to think of this track at first. A kid choir? Over a hip hop track? But the shit works. I've already mentioned how much I like Pace as an MC, and the position of "The Only Color That Matters is Green" on my personal favorite albums list, you know I'm down with that. Mr. Green turns something that could be rather annoying and with the talent to add the right touches to it, makes it a hadcore track with some gospel overtones to it. Then Pacewon does what Pacewon does, and that's drop memorable lyrics and just making this a near classic track.
16. All Natural - The All(From: "Elements (Fire)")
You can probably see a trend happening here. "The All" from All Natural, is another uptempo track that has a lot of energy behind it. A tight organ/synth (?) sample and an ill bassline make this track one of those that just makes you want to punch a hole in a wall. To me, hip hop should be uptempo and have a lot of energy. Look at the original tracks in the park back in the late 70's. It was feel good music, it made you want to get off the wall, get out of your seat. I'm not saying "The All" makes you want to dance, but you won't be sitting down when you hear it.
15. Jake One feat Busta Rhymes & Bishop Lamont - Kissin The Curb (From: "White Van Music")
I like Jake One's skills behind the boards. I really do. I was probably as excited about White Van Music as anyone was. But in the end I was somewhat disappointed with it. I still liked it, but it was kind of a disappointment. Maybe it was the large expectations I had for the album, but it just wasn't what I was hoping. The beats just weren't up to par for most of the stuff I heard from Jake. "Kissin' The Curb" though, this joint had everything I expected from Jake. To me, "Rock CoKane Flow" on the "Stakes Is High" album from De La is the best Jake One beat ever, and this beat rivals that. It's like that beats second cousin. More fuzzy guitar riffs rip through it as Bishop Lamont, and MC that I generally tried to ignore throughout the year does his thing over it. Busta is Busta and brings energy to the already energy packed track, and does it without insulting any race or religous beliefs.
14. Fat Joe - That White (From: "Elephant In The Room")
I do not like Fat Joe. Never have. I've never bought any of his albums, nor do I plan to. He is like the Baltimore Ravens of the rap world for me (I hate the Ravens, almost more than I hate the Cowboys). But every once in a while, Fat Joe drops a bangin' track. It helps that he got one of Primo's best beats of the year, or the last five years, to make the track for him. Forget what those cats that say Primo has fallen off this year say, "That White" is up there with any track that Primo has ever done. The subject matter does nothing for me, but the beat proves that doesn't matter and Fat Joe doesn't make me want to hit the "skip" button, so it's all good.
13. DJ KO feat Phonte, Wordsworth, K-Hill, and Masta Ace - Ladder of Success (From: "Pictures This")
Earlier in the year, I had this credited to Pete Rock (that's what it said when I found the track). In actuality, "Ladder of Success" is produced by up-and-coming producer Analogic. Analogic should be mentioned up there with other up-n-comers such as M-Phazes, he's really that good. I know a lot of cats will say the beat is a 9th Wonder rip-off, but it's got that...ummm....anagelic flavor to it. You can't argue with the line-up, Phonte, Words, Ace and K-Hill (bonus points if you can tell me what group K-Hill is in, especially if you've been pumping this track up).
12. Amad Jamal - Postal(From: Single)
Amad Jamal made some noise with a couple 12 inch releases back around 2001. I was a big fan of both of the singles he released, but much to my disappointment, he never dropped anything after that. Until now. Amad Jamal is back, this time backed by his band, The Solutions (what up Kurt!) and he has missed a step since 2001. My attraction to his track "Postal", has to do a lot with my own crappy job and my feelings toward it. It's kinda the "Office Space" of the rap world. Not saying it's driven by humor, but anyone that has had to put up with a shitty job can relate to this. It's deeper than just that of course, but regardless of what color you may be, you can get down. The beat is somewhat simple, but is dope in its own right. A simple drum track, hand claps and a wicked vocal sample hooks it up just right. Throw in an organ sample over the chorus and you got a joint that is making me tingle with anticipation for the full-length album that I was told should be dropping this year. Can't wait.
11. eMC - Leak It Out (From: "The Show")
I liked the eMC album, a lot. But it seemed it was lacking on big time jams, except"What It Stand For", which showed up on last years year end list. Their lead off track "Leak It Out", was pure fire as well in my book. I know a lot of y'all expected more from the album, but again, the concept of a whole album won out over individual track. It's a simple beat, but it's still nice. And all four members did their thing for a pure hip hop track.
10. Praverb - The King (From: leaked track)
Ever since my man Praverb dropped "The King", I've always said the only thing wrong with the track was it wasn't long enough. This track is pure hip hop. It uses a familiar sample (a classic in my book), and just crushes it. It's not often you have a dope cuts, a classic sample and an MC that can still take it out of the park. Praverb is one of those cats that y'all need to be on the lookout for as he drops some serious heat rocks over the dope beat by Teddy Roxpin out of Massachusetts. Simply a classic hip hop track.
9. Castor Pollux - 1979(From: "Guts & Garbage: A Collection of Shit")
I've mentioned Castor Pollux a couple times now. Admittedly, he is somewhat of a "newcomer". I don't know his history, so I'm not sure how long he has really been around, but he's new to me. I was really happy with both the album he did with Technicali Sounds Ariano, as well as the little project, "Guts & Garbage: A Collection of Shit". The track, "1979", has a strong beat that embeds itself into your conscious. I've had this beat playing over and over in my head quite often this past year. The sample combines strings and an ill vocal sample along with other cool little aspects to give it that "triumphant". Lyrically, he sounds exactly like somebody, problem is, I can't place it. He has grown on me as far as his MC skills go, his tone and energy match the tracks background well. This is one cat I will be on the lookout for in the future.
8. Shawn Jackson - Fix Ya Face(From: "First of All....")
Shawn Jackson's"First of All..." was a victim of me liking the overall album more than the individual tracks, hence we only have two tracks on the list. However, it was"Fix Ya Face" that had me reaching for the "rewind" button (or the "back" button on the iPod, or whatever they call it). The beat is a great beat, with it's subtle keys and smooth synth sounds, but it's really Shawn Jack's MC skills and excellent hook that sucked me into the track. Shawn Jackson is an excellent MC, one that demands the listener, especially one like myself who is so into beats usually. He delivers some strong lines, ones that actually make me memorize them, which happens oh so little anymore.
7. Baje One - Mission Statement (From: the free EP, "Weightless")
Every so often, an MC will drop a verse that you can relate to soooo much, that the song is an instant classic. You just rewind the verse over and over. It's like if you had the gift that some of these cats have, you'd would have wrote the verse just like that. It speaks to you in a way that very few people can. It's like someone pried your dome open and ripped out your thoughts and put them in your own words. That's what I felt like when I heard the first verse for Baje One's "Mission Statement":
From the start from the jump from the get go grabbed the micphone, swore I'd never let go when I was sixteen, woulda gotten a tattoo like this is not a stage, not just going to pass through In the middle of the rottenest apple Kings of hip hop sat on top of the castle dayum I was barely a rapper then came with good intentions on the train with a pad and pen and that kid, I don't know where he went to and truth, I can't remember half the shit he went through I see the pictures and all that I think is its not me I ran from that person, buck naked and scott free (?) He and I, we don't share the same vision the same spectrum, the same prism He was black and white friction and non fiction I understand now life is contradiction Like life is wonderful, but life will punish you though life is beautiful, sometimes there is funerals......
I think Baje One, who is one half of one of my favorite groups in Junk Science, tackled the confusion a lot of us "older" hip hop heads are confronted with when dealing with the current state of hip hop. I love hip hop still, but sometimes I wonder what happened to the hip hop I loved as a kid. I know, I know....you are thinking "you old fuckin' coot, get over it!" and maybe us thirtysomethings should, but I miss those days of running to the record store on Tuesday's just to see what new releases came out. For that simple reason, this song will be one of the most important of my later years in hip hop.
6. Tha Connection - Take It Higher (Revamped) (From: "Trapeze")
Tha Connection comes with more what I like to call "mood music", music that invokes a certain mood or visuals when you listen to the song. That's exactly what "Take It Higher" does for me when I listen to it. The soft jazzy feel that is emitted from the sax sample just hooks the listener. Then as the light keys and mellow bassline come winding their way through the headphones, you literally look for the nearest "green cigarette" and just get scooped away in the intoxicating vibes of "Take It Higher". Hus and Smoo Vth both do their part to add to the overall audio/visual, with their rhymes, both of which bring that laid back, cool out vibe to the mic, just really making this track one that I could play over and over.
5. The Grouch - Artsy (From: "Show You The World")
First off, I've never been the biggest Living Legends fan. Not that I disliked them, it just wasn't usually my thing. That means I don't make a habit of checking out Grouch's solo work much either. After more than a few people telling me I needed to hear his "Show You The World", I picked it up and actually enjoyed the album. The track that stuck out to me though was "Artsy". Maybe it's just because I've dealt with the fake granola kids and the such through out my life. Again, I guess it's being able to relate to the subject matter that grabs me.
4. Has-Lo - The Quiet Things (From: The free EP "Small Metal Objects")
It's that fuckin' Has-Lo again. I can't escape this cat. I try, but I can't. Has drops a song that some might claim is emo-ish in nature, but fuck that label. True, it makes me want to slit my wrists when I hear it, but "The Quiet Things" gathers up every memory of having my heart ripped out of my chest and shown to me by a "loved" female. It's like that bottle of Henny, Scotch, Tanquaray, or any poison of choice that you have set aside for those "fuck the world" days. I hope I never need it, but I know this joint will be there for me if I ever experience the dreaded break-up. You can feel that pain in Has' lyrics, you can tell this cat has been through it before and he expresses it well, as the feeling of lost love illuminates the somber track. Has rides the fine line of hatred and sadness, making this track incredibly powerful and one that will sit in my dark corner in case I ever need it.
3. Ludacris - MVP (From: "Theater of the Mind")
Never in my life did I think I would have a Ludacris joint in my top three favorite tracks of the year. And if I did, I would have said it was going to be one incredibly shitty year. Well, like that one night stand telling you she's knocked up and it's your kid, SURPRISE!!! But then again, I never thought I'd hear Luda spitting over a BANGIN Primo track. Again, I've never disliked Luda, he's had some club type bangers that I could get with, but I'd never consider them the best songs I heard from that particular year. Luda is an accomplished MC, he always has been. He does all the things on "MVP" that makes him a colorful MC, lots of energy, memorable lines and charisma. But then you throw an incredible Primo beat behind him, and you have a classic.
2. 1773 - Sounds Of Life(From: "Constant Motion")
Feel good vibe? Check. Dope string sample? Check. Head nodder? Check. Dope hook? Again, check. 1773, a group out of Chi-Town drops a feel good jam that any cat that claims music is a huge part of their life can relate to. "Sounds of Life" is simply a ode to the wonders of the power of music in general. It's something that any of us that walks around with headphones over their ears for half the day or more can relate to. The power of music can be a big thing, and this track captures that in all it's essence.
1. P Brothers feat Roc Marciano - Outta Control (From: "The Gas")
Drum roll please.......And my favorite joint of the 2008 year.....The P Brothers and Roc Marciano's "Outta Control". Yup, after talking about feelings, moods, inspirations, I go to a track that just captures hip hop in all it's glory. And it feels good to have a traditional New York City MC at the top of the list as well in The UN's Roc Marciano. To be fair, the UK bred P Brothers do New York hip hop better than....well, better than a lot of New York artists. They employ a bassline that is just killer. I haven't heard it on a strong house system or car system, but it makes the fillings in my teeth rattle with my Bose headphones on. The drums are hard and crisp, it's just a great hip hop track that reminds me of why I fell in love with the music in the first place.
I know I said no more "best of's" for 2008, but this was too good to pass up. DJ Eclipse and the WYNU Halftime Show best of 2008. Dope ish, check it out.
