Billy Joel's "My Life" Re-imagined By The Kickdrums/Machine Gun Kelly

If The Kickdrums aren't on your radar yet, they oughtta be. They're an indie rock group, I guess. Their sound blends with hip hop in a great way though, as the many collaborations with MCs on multiple albums will prove.

I like what the band did here in reworking Billy Joel's hit "My Life". It's interesting. And, while I'm not completely sold on Machine Gun Kelly yet, he holds his own here. Check out both versions below.





Also, if you're really interested you can catch a music video for Billy Joel's "My Life" below. You may notice that the song used at the beginning of the video ("Stiletto" by Joel) was sampled for Kool G. Rap's classic "Road to the Riches".

Union - Analogtronics

I just got finished listening to this album from French production duo Union. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of their beats from this album. I am, however, a big fan of the MC lineup they put together - Kweli, MF Doom, Rapper Big Pooh, Guilty Simpson, Elzhi, etc.

Here's a video to a track from it. "Time Leak" featuring Talib Kweli and Sly Johnson.

Brother Ali To Release Free Album

"Crab Cakes to Shakespeare". Ha. Nice. The great Brother Ali has a free album to offer up on February 13th. It's called The Bite Marked Heart. Here's a video from it. Song produced by Jake One. Happy Valentine's Day to all of us.

2Pac After Death

For some reason, I pulled out 2Pac's Until The End of Time CD today. Shortly after, I remembered why I shouldn't do that. There's so many corny beats and hooks added on to those songs posthumously it's ridiculous.  It really amazes me what those involved put together, especially considering that for the most part they worked with Pac when he was alive (i.e. Johnny "J", QD3). Although, to be fair, those tracks probably weren't his best songs either.

I don't know how many of you heard the bootlegged versions of the actual songs that Pac recorded, which later became much of what you hear on these albums. My older brother ordered the 16-disc collection from some website shortly after Pac's passing...I'm so thankful. Many were unmixed, and the sound quality wasn't great. But, they were 10x better the way they were. The label should've mixed and mastered them and left it at that (especially not editing out Wendy Williams' name while keeping Jay's, Havoc's and P's - dumb shit). If, for some reason they couldn't do that legally, they should have done it anyway and released them for free. Because these posthumous "interpretations" are an embarrassment to his legacy. That is all.

Note: The pic above is a poster I had on my wall growing up. Well, from age 14 or so to 22.

De La Soul - "We Made It (Skit)"

New De La. Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present: First Serve. April 2nd. On Duck Down Records.

Goddamn that label has everyone worth talking about it seems.

Here's a video from one of the skits which serves as a teaser for the album. I know you probably don't like skits. Well, just remember that De La Soul and Prince Paul pretty much invented the skit on their debut album to further a theme and turn an album into something more cinematic. It was a bunch of other rappers that ruined it with their uninspired bullshit in years to come.

Who has two thumbs and can't fucking wait for this album??

De La Soul's Plug 1 & Plug 2 present First Serve -- The album out April 2nd. Watch the 'We Made It Skit' from the animated world of De La Soul's Plug 1 & Plug 2 present First Serve. The video follows our heroes Deen Whitter and Jacob 'Pop Life' Barrow from their early days of laying down demos and mixtapes to hitting the big time, signing to Goon Time Records. 

The Jean Grae Experience

Here is something I've been wanting to post up here for a while. As you can tell from all of the posts about her music, I'm a big fan of Jean Grae. And, I'm not the only one. Jean has a LOT of fans, each one more passionate than the last. And, it's a good thing to see because her music is sooo dope. It sucks to have mainstream nobodies hogging all of the attention because of dollars rather than skill.

I love talking Hip Hop with people on Twitter. You never know when you'll come across someone who appreciates the art the way you do. Aisha Behar is someone I've conversed with a lot, and when I saw some of the photos she took at Hip Hop shows, I knew I had to share them with my circle as well. So, she sent a few my way. Below is a short write up about what it was like for her to be in the audience for a Jean Grae show (a treat I have yet to experience), and some photos she took while there enjoying herself. If you like what you see, you can follow her on Twitter @EeeshISDope. Enjoy.

I mean I really don’t even know where to start. A Jean Grae show is unlike any other show I’ve ever been to. I had the pleasure to catch Jean Grae a few months ago in L.A. at the Airliner when she was touring promoting her ‘Cookies or Comas’ EP. What I liked most was that she makes everyone feel as if we are all friends. In a packed venue, it was still a very intimate show. She even makes sure no one takes pictures during the performance, so that you can actually enjoy the show. 

The majority of the songs were from ‘Cookies or Comas’, but some of the songs were songs I had never heard, off the upcoming LP ‘Cake or Death’. With any other performer I probably would’ve been a little turned off; due to wanting to hear songs that I knew so I could sing along. However, with Jean songs it only makes me even more impatient to listen to ‘Cake or Death’. Shout out to Mr. Len her DJ he is amazing as well. 

She’s a witty, sarcastic, classy, intellectual, asshole. Who brings with a vodka filled water gun on stage, performed the entire time with a cigarette behind her ear, taught us how to two-step, and actually spent time with fans after the show. What more could you possibly ask for? The Jean Grae Experience is awesome! Enjoy the pictures I captured from this amazing show.

Best Hip Hop of 2011

Happy 'End of 2011' everyone. It's been a long, trying year for me. Things are always better than they could be though. This is a list of the music (released this year) that served as my life's soundtrack.

Because the line between albums, EPs, and mixtapes has been further blurred in Hip Hop, I just put together a list of my top 25 favorite projects of the year, an honorable mention list for other projects I recommend, and a list of some of my favorite songs (which I have conveniently included a link for, if you're interested). I try not to be too negative on here anymore, as it's much more productive to talk about the things I like. But, there are a few disappointments that I felt I had to mention as well.

Try not to take the order too seriously. Good is good. But, please feel free to agree or disagree (if you dare. Ha!). And, do what you can to support the artists you like. See ya in 2012.

Top 25 Projects
The Roots - Undun
Talib Kweli - Gutter Rainbows
9th Wonder - The Wonder Years
Money Making Jam Boys mixtape
Mohammad Dangerfield
Big K.R.I.T. - Return of 4Eva mixtape
Atmosphere - The Family Sign
Pharoahe Monch - W.A.R.
Zion I & The Grouch - Heroes in the Healing of a Nation
Skyzoo - The Great Debater
Jean Grae - Cookies or Comas mixtape
Jermiside - Live & Let Live
Kendrick Lamar - Section 80
eLZhi - Elmatic
Cunninlynguists - Oneirology
Fresh Daily - The Quiet Life
Random Axe
DJ JS-1 - No One Cares
Focus - Music of the Misinterpreted
Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun - Monumental
Hassaan Mackey & Apollo Brown - Daily Bread
Evidence - Cats & Dogs
Phonte - Charity Starts at Home
Tanya Morgan - You & What Army EP
J-Live - S.P.T.A.


Other Notables (25 More Ha!)
Consequence - MOD 2
MC Esoteric - Boston Pharaoh
Fashawn - Higher Learning 2
Malcolm & Martin - Life Doesn't Frighten Me
80 Blocks From Tiffany's mixtape
Edo G. - A Face in the Crowd
Fly Union - TGTC
One Be Lo - Laborhood 1
Outasight - Figure 8 EP
Astronote - Weapon of the Future
The Doppelgangaz - Lone Sharks
Bad Meets Evil
STS - The Illustrious (STS is GOLD)
Casual - The Hierophant
Apathy - Honkey Kong
Rapper Big Pooh - Dirty Pretty Things/Fat Boy Fresh Vol. 1 mixtape
yU - The Earn
A-Plus - Pepper Spray
The Away Team - Scars & Stripes
Torae - For The Record
Strange Fruit Project - A Dreamer's Journey
The Black Keys - El Camino
Self Scientific - Songs of the Blackhearted EP
Murs & Ski Beatz - Love & Rockets Vol. 1
M.O.P & Snowgoons - Sparta 


Disappointments
Saigon - The Greatest Story Never Told - This album got a love, but I think it's bullshit. You'd think after how ever many years it took to get this out he would've come with an undeniable classic. But, I'm denying it. The whole thing sounded thrown together to me, and was overall boring.

Lupe Fiasco - Lasers - Give me a fucking break.

Watch The Throne - No doubt this album was a defining one of 2011. There is some good material on it, but lyrically I think it fell way short of expectations. Plus, "Lift Off" and "Made in America" are two of the worst songs I've heard all year by any artist.

Some Favorite Songs
"25th Hour" - Reks (prod. by DJ Premier)
"AfriKingStyle" - Spec Boogie
"Back to Back" - Fresh Daily
"Beautifully Bad" - Idle Warship
"Black Hand Side" - Pharoahe Monch f/ Styles P. & Phonte
"Chewbacca" - Random Axe f/ Roc Marciano
"Dance Pants" - Recess f/ Donwill
"Daydreams" - Green Street f/ Donwill
"Designer Drugs" - Skyzoo
"Distractions" - Talib Kweli
"Dreamin' - Big K.R.I.T.
"Epic Salutations" - Murs & Ski Beatz
"Fake I.D." - Consequence f. Q-Tip, Large Professor, & Havoc
"Fast Lane" - Edo G. (prod. by DJ Premier)
"For Certain" - Oddisee f/ Diamond District
"I Used to be Vegan" - Zion I & The Grouch
"Kidnap Your Boyfriend" - George Watsky
"Make Some Noise" - Beastie Boys
"I-10" - Murs & Whole Wheat Bread
"One Time" - Rapsody f/ Tab One, Charlie Smarts & Phonte
"Palin/Vick" - MC Esoteric
"Put Some Money On It Remix" - Slaughterhouse f/ The Lox
"R.I.P." - Jean Grae f/ Style P. & Talib Kweli
"Shady 2.0 BET Cypher" - Yelawolf, Slaughterhouse, & Eminem
"The Times" - Apollo Brown f/ Oddisee
"Whatever That's Mine" - Tanya Morgan
"You Don't Like It (So What)" - Jean Grae


Link: Favorite Songs of 2011

Jean Grae is a Jenius...You Idiots!!

Check this out because Jean Grae is fucking awesome. Definitely the best female lyricist I've ever heard, and definitely up in the running with any male MC you could name. She's fucking amazing. If you haven't heard 'Cookies or Comas' you're really missing out on some great Hip Hop this year. 'Cake or Death' (hopefully) coming soon - but, I do not have the attention span of a gnat, so I'm still enjoying the rest of her catalog!

Action Bronson Makes a TV Appearance

What do you all think of Action Bronson? I got into him for a while. That Dr. Lecter album is pretty nice. Haven't felt some of his stuff lately - a joint called "Muslim Wedding" and a feature on MarQ Spekt & Kno's album for a song called "Roadhouse" had me underwhelmed. I tweeted about it, and he found it and retweeted it. I'm not sure why. I guess some people think it's funny to retweet negative comments about themselves - Kweli and 9th Wonder come to mind. And, some others probably hope their "yes men" fans will defend them publicly. I did get one guy respond with "you buggin'!" Yeah, whatever. It's my opinion. But, some people latch on to someone and suddenly feel like they can do no wrong.

Anyway, I like Action Bronson. I wish him success. And, I'm exicted about the project he has coming with one of my favorite producer/DJs as of late, Statik Selektah. And, by the way, I love that more producers are bringing back this producing an entire album (or close to it) thing.

Below is a video from Carson Daly's show (yea, thankfully the Internet exists, right? I literally know one person that watches the show) where Action talks about some shit and freestyles. He used to be a chef too? Nice. Maybe we'll see him make an appearance on Chopped one day and knock out one of those annoying, pompous judges.

Talib Kweli at Occupy Wall Street

This is too dope not to post up here. It's nice to see that our best and most loved and appreciated street poets in this Hip Hop genre are still out there spitting that real shit and representing for the average hard working people of this world.

But, the average people have allowed themselves to be brainwashed. Why? Because they're fucking busy. And, they're stressed. And, they need an escape. Bullshit feels like it grants that escape into a world that's more fucked up than our own. But, it's doesn't. And, it sucks too many of our good people into it, and makes them complacent. That's how those in power control us. And, they have. For too long. We trusted this 'representative democracy' to lead us using our will. But, it has failed us. Special interests with deeper pockets than our own took it over long ago.

But, it looks like people are finally starting to rise up, and stand up, for themselves. It's a beautiful thing. People are sick and tired of being sick and tired. And, the bravery of citizens in other countries has inspired a lot of us here in America. If we keep it up, our elected officials are going to have to start truly answering to us. The true majority.

This right here from Kweli is beautiful...and it almost brings a tear to my eye. Check it out. Occupy Cincinnati is tomorrow. Peace. Love. Share. Change.

New Hip Hop Releases From North Carolina

This week saw the release of several notable albums that are sure to be on the top of a lot of people's 'Best Of' lists at year's end. And, another cool thing is that three of the artists are from North Carolina. That's something when a single state can dominate a week with three highly anticipated releases. Of course, I'm talking about 9th Wonder, Phonte, and J.Cole.

9th Wonder's project The Wonder Years was probably the most impressive to me.  It definitely had 9th's signature production sound. But, it also had range. It had depth. He tried new things, and really built on what he has done in the past to make the most cohesive project I've heard all year. 9th hosted an impressive array of talented MCs and singers, and did a really good job of strategically sprinkling in his Jamla artists throughout. What really put The Wonder Years over the top for me was 9th's work with Terrace Martin, whose jazz sax added the perfect element to 9th's musical backdrops. On the negative side, I still have to say that I don't get Mac Miller's appeal. He shows up here spitting rhymes that I find boring and forgettable.The good news is that even though this track didn't hold up lyrically, the beat and vocal arrangement still make it bearable.

Phonte's Charity Starts at Home is another great album from one of my favorite MCs of the last ten years. His flows are dope, his rhymes relevant and relateable, and the beats are always hittin' whether they come from 9th, Khrysis, Nicolay, or anyone else. Te has an ability to understand how words relate to each other which few can match. My complaint with this one? "New Tiggalo, New Tiggalo, New Tiggalo, New Tiggalo". That little saying was humorous the first time or two, but got extremely old after hearing it on every track. It even wound up coming off as a little pretentious in my mind.

The collaborations between Phonte & 9th Wonder on this and The Wonder Years just make it that much clearer to me that Little Brother needs to continue existing as a unit even though the members also pursue music individually. I felt Pooh was missed on these projects and it would have been nice to have them all on at least one track between the 2 albums.

 
I was also anticipating the debut album from Jay-Z's NC investment,  J. Cole, especially since his verse over Kanye West's "Devil in a New Dress" ("Villematic") last year (or, was it earlier this year?). Cole seemed to get off to a slow start on Cole World to me, new tracks that were just ok and didn't really stick out to me were placed in between more well-known songs from previously released mixtapes.I like Cole because he spits like a young guy, but still has a depth to his content that makes him interesting. I didn't see this throughout like I did, on say Fashawn's debut. The deeper layer seemed to not appear until the later part of the album. "God's Gift" and "Breakdown" were solid, but was it weird for anyone but me that he referenced old Bone songs on two songs back to back like he did on these two? Was it weird for anyone else that he sang Paula Abdul lyrics on the next track "Work Out"? All of these things just made the album less than impressive to me. Not to say there isn't good stuff to be found here. I just hope it gets better the next time around.    

Talib Kweli - How You Love Me

MCs have to hear Talib Kweli and think to themselves that they need to step it up. Kweli is pushing forward on amazing levels, trying different things and taking chances with his music while still keeping the raw rhyme style and progressive lyrics he's known for in tact.

Kweli is an MC I'm proud to support. Which I do. But, he is performing at a FREE outdoor show in the heart of Downtown Cincinnati at the end of the month. Can. Not. Wait. I saw him once in Indianapolis years ago. Right after Quality dropped. It was a good show then, so I'm sure it's even better now. I heard he and Mos were performing Black Star start to finish at Rock The Bells this year. Lucky fucking West Coasters. What's up with a new Black Star album, by the way? Entirely produced by Hi-Tek and 88 Keys? Anyone?? How about it?

Here goes a good video for a song called "How You Love Me" off Talib's latest. Purchase Gutter Rainbows if you haven't yet.

Hip Hop To Dance To

I know I'll get varying opinions on this stuff. But, here's some dance shit for you. The visuals are cool for each. Tell me what you think of the content.

Talib Kweli's Idle Warship gets Jean Grae on this DJ Khalil produced track that will probably appear on the Warship's album. The material I've heard from them so far I've mostly enjoyed. Most of the music is fast-paced, danceable stuff. Talib brings the good rhymes. So, it's Dance Hip Hop that isn't lyrically embarrassing.

Those of you that go to clubs and whatnot, let me know if this group ever gets any play.




Now, I'm pretty sure Theophilus London is going to get played in the clubs. His album/mixtape/whatever I Want You showed his unique style blending Hip Hop, House, Funk, etc. to make his own sound. It's way different, and isn't the pure Hip Hop you may be craving, but I thought it was interesting and gave it several spins over a period of months. The buzz around him has been pretty big, and his sound could be welcomed by the mainstream audience. So, I'm predicting big success for him. Can't say this one is my favorite of his, but the video is funny.

In With The New: Dom Kennedy's Latest

There's a lot of young new artists in hip hop lately. It feels like more than ever, probably because of the ease with which anyone that wants to record and post their music can. The ones that don't get lost in the pile are the ones that use new media as their most valuable tool to be successful, and use it to their advantage while working their ass off to promote their shit.

Music-wise, some are much more talented than others. And, it takes a lot of effort to sift through it all. Thankfully, blogs do a lot of the work for you (me), and make it easier to lock onto what you're looking for.

One newer/up-and-coming MC I've partially found appealing is Dom Kennedy. He kind of hit or miss for me from the material I've heard thus far. His new album, mixtape or whatever, II: From The Westside With Love is no exception. There are some weak points. At least half for me, it seemed. I don't think Dom is the best on the mic, but he has a good flow and brings a personality to his music, and really hits the mark sometimes. I think he's aware of his shortcomings though, evidenced by the line "I got the most game, never said I had the best flows", which somehow makes it more acceptable as a listener. Hopefully, acknowledgement of his flaws does not mean acceptance to him, and Dom continually strives to improve his skills.

He's being himself, and has some talent for making enjoyable songs, so I wouldn't mind seeing him generate a wider audience and represent west coast music in the mainstream. The songs that work on this album really work and are perfect for hanging out in this hot ass summer heat. See what I mean on songs like "Ice Cream Truck", "New Jeeps" and "2MPH". The 3 of these actually happen to appear consecutively on the project and feature other talent that definitely shine on their own like Asher Roth (I said it, and I stand by it on this verse) and Big K.R.I.T.

I'd say go ahead and pick this one up for some good summer time west coast hip hop. Now, I'm about to check out a peer of Dom's who just released some new material...Kendrick Lamar's Section 80.

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Females Can't Spit?

In a recent excerpt from what I'm assuming was a wack interview (judging by Vlad's inability to move a conversation in any direction at all) Sean Price said he doesn't fuck with ANY female rappers. He later acknowledged Rah Digga and the legendary MC Lyte.

It would've been nice to hear why, but, again Vlad is a shit interviewer. P basically just said none of them interest him. Fair enough. One man's opinion.

I, for one, feel females have something important to offer hip hop fans. And, not only female fans. The problem is that the females that make it into the mainstream are usually affiliated with, and overshadowed by, an all male crew. And, the ones that seem to make it into the conversation for some reason, are offering nothing more than predictable gimmicks and shallow punchlines. There's no replay value, and no staying power.

But, I'm seeing positive changes. Save for a few still sticking to the same tired script of weak rhymes filled with sex speak to try to cash in on minds as shallow as their's, there are quite a few women in hip hop today that can truly spit.

Not only do their rhymes bring a wittiness and overall depth that rivals some of their male counterparts (and dwarfs the majority that probably think of themselves as peers), they are making conceptually good songs that explore our world from another perspective. And, that is something that should be of value to both sexes. Today, I can list more females with serious skill putting out music at the same time then I think I ever could before. And, they are making it cool for women to be smart. I appreciate that.

Which female MC(s) do you think could have the gender dropped from their title and just be called an MC?

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That's Why I Got Gang Related

Things come to my mind randomly. That seems to be the only way I remember most things from my past. Maybe it's that way with most people. I'm not sure. I do know that my wife has a much better memory when it comes to her childhood than me. She remembers entire events. Me? I just recall a snippet here, a snippet there. I'm kinda jealous of that actually. I'd like to remember more.

Anyway, back to Hip Hop. Tonight I was thinking back to the first time I heard 2Pac's R U Still Down? discs for whatever reason. As I remember, without ruining the memory by bothering to check facts, it was released not too long after he died. Maybe a year or so. I was on a trip with my dad and siblings and we were coming back from a minor league baseball game. An evening game. I went to a lot of those when I was a kid. It was pitch black on the road, and I was in the back seat with my older brother. We were in our teens. I was tired of whatever CDs I had brought, so I asked to go through my brother's case. Remember when you had to travel with a portable CD case and a bunch of CDs? Shit, you remember doing that with tapes and a Walkman?

I flipped through and came to a favorite of both of our's since we both first heard/saw his solo record "Trapped" in '91. 2Pac. I hadn't heard it yet because he was hogging it! I put the disc in, and even though it was assembled by others with unreleased material in whatever order they thought fitting, I was taken through an experience. By the time my favorite track on the 2-disc set, "Nothing 2 Lose" came on, I was in a zone. I still remember hearing that opening for the first time; the Ice Cube sample on the hook. Pac started his verse the same time the beat dropped. "The only way to change me is maybe blow my brains out..." Wow. What a way to start a song! 2Pac really had that gift though. He knew how to grab listeners' attention and captivate them. You didn't wanna miss a single word. That was his talent. The ride home flew by for me. I didn't even realize where I was because I was hanging on every word.

That's why I get a little bothered when people today downplay his relevance. True, he was not the most gifted lyricist on the mic as far as wordplay and punchlines. His approach was more direct. It was about the poetry, the flow, and the meaning of what he was saying. He had a real purpose behind what he was saying. You could tell with a lot of his songs that he wanted to use them to reach people. And, he did. I can honestly say that he was truly the voice of a generation. A generation of many. My brother and I did not live a similar life at all to that of 2Pac. But, still he reached me. Still, I related to him. To what he was saying. His message. I can only imagine what those experiencing a similar life to his had felt. But, I think even that was his intention. I think he wanted outsiders to understand people in his position. I think he wanted to inspire those he was speaking to and educate those in a different position.

And, he influenced Hip Hop so much. You can still hear echoes of him in today's Hip Hop from any region. And, my guess is you always will. So, take this post as a reminder to you of just how important 2Pac is to the history of our culture. Pull out some of his stuff this weekend and reminisce.

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Pre-Order Atmosphere's The Family Sign

Atmosphere's new album, The Family Sign is available for pre-order now through March 6th w/ a special 10% discount - have you ordered your copy yet? It comes autographed and contains a bonus mix.

I don't have a crazy amount of money right now, and my funds are spread pretty thin. But, Atmosphere is a group I try to support when they drop something new - especially since they are so good to their fans by offering up quality, free music every year. I actually bought their last album twice because I left my CD case on the roof of my car and drove off w/ that disc in it a week or so after it came out! I can't fucking wait to hear this new album.

If you're interested in the deal going on right now, head to www.fifthelementonline.com I'm not a spokesman, just a client. Support dope Hip Hop. That is all.

DJ Premier Discusses Classic Records

I came across this over the weekend and spent over an hour reading through it and listening to some of the tracks and watching the videos. Premier offered Complex magazine a look behind some of his best work - some really well known, others a little more obscure. He gave background as to how the collaboration came about, the construction of the track, problems with labels and execs, and who may have passed on the beat first.

In my mind, Premier's signature sound is synonomous with Hip Hop. If someone asked me what Hip Hop sounds like, I think I'd go for a Premier record first. Before even thinking of an MC, I would probably think of Premier. And, I know I'm not alone on this. This is why so much buzz can surround an album if word gets out that Prem "might" have a track on it. Whenever a MC throws up a tracklist to their upcoming album, heads are looking and hoping for a Premier production.

He has countless classics in his catalog, and this interview gives a much needed look at a handful of them. Link to the article is below. Also make sure you listen to his latest compilation Get Used To Us.

http://www.complex.com/music/2011/02/dj-premier-tells-all-stories-behind-classic-records/

Best of 2010

Ok, so I'm not too far behind with this post. The Best in Hip Hop of 2010. It's been a good year, though maybe not as good as the last two. I've seen a few lists so far from some other sites/people. We have a few in common, but mostly I don't know what the hell they were thinking. Everyone has their own taste though, I guess. Anyway, here are some of my favorites of the past year. Mostly in no particular order, though my top choice is listed at number one.

I chose Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as the best of 2010 for a few reasons. I actually liked it more than I wanted to. Kanye is among the top names in Hip Hop, and has achieved tremendous mainstream success. So, plenty of non Hip Hop sites will list this in their year-end lists as well, and it kinda makes me not want to include it. But, it actually deserves to be there. And, it deserves to be at the top of the list. Kanye's musical vision is amazing. He's constantly bringing in new sounds, and this album has him humbling himself by collaborating with a lot of other great producers. The rhymes and concepts/themes are strong throughout, and the replay value is higher than anything else I've heard this year. It is undoubtedly a classic.

Top Albums of 2010

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
The Roots - How I Got Over
Reflection Eternal - Revolutions Per Minute
Fresh Breath Committee - CPR
Consequence - Movies on Demand
Little Brother - Leftback
Murs & 9th Wonder - Fornever
Donwill Presents Don Cusack in High Fidelity
Nas & Damian Markey - Distant Relatives
Homeboy Sandman - The Good Sun
PackFM - I F*cking Hate Rappers
Black Milk - Album of the Year
Dres - From the Black Pool of Genius
Skyzoo & Illmind - Live from the Tapedeck
Main Flow - Return of the Castle
Joe Budden - Mood Muzik 4
Von Pea - Pea's Gotta have It
Currensy - Pilot Talk 1 & 2
Celph Titled & Buckwild - Nineteen Naughty Now
Ghostface - Apollo Kids
7L & Esoteric - 1212
Atmosphere - To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy
Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

Some favorite songs of 2010

This is in no way an exhaustive list, but rather some of the songs that found their way into my headphones many times over. I'm going to try to put together a more complete list for this category in 2011. As a bonus though, I am including a link with these tracks all together below in case you wanna check them out for yourself.

"Taxi" - Ski Beatz, Mos Def, Whosane
"Let's Take a Second" - Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx feat. Black Moon
"New York is Killing Me" - Gil Scott-Heron and Nas
"Just Begun" - Reflection Eternal feat. Mos Def, Jay Electronica, J. Cole
"The BBQ" (Original & Rmx) - Eternia & Moss
"Almost Time" - Yu (Diamod District)
"Deadly Melody" - Black Milk, Royce, elhZhi
"2000 Beyond" - Slum Village
"Ballad of the Black Gold" - Reflection Eternal
"Role Reversal" - Joe Budden
"Battle Cry" - Joell Ortiz
"Faded" - Von Pea w/ The Lessondary
"Chain Heavy" - Kanye, Kweli, Cons, Q-tip
"I'm Gone" - Fat Joe
"The Fire" - The Roots
"Breakin' Dawn Boys" - Brother Ali, Fashawn, & BK One
"Styles Ain't Raw" - Celph Titled, Buckwild, Apathy, Chino XL
"The Way That I rhyme" - J-Live ft. Boog Brown
"Frisbees" - Skyzoo & Illmind
"So Appalled" - Kanye West Ft. Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz, Cyhi Prince, Pusha T, & RZA

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BQHDDZXA

Biggest Disappointments of 2010

Inspektah Deck - Manifesto
Method Man, Ghostface, & Raekwon - Wu-Massacre
Ski Beatz - 24 Hour Karate School
Ice Cube - I Am The West

That's all I have for now. Let's see what 2011 brings. I am starting my list now...

25 Favorite Hip Hop Songs

I was putting together a list of 25 of something else Hip Hop related for a friend the other day, and just decided to think for a little while about what 25 of my favorite Hip Hop songs were.

This isn't an exhaustive list - obviously there are countless great songs that strike a special chord inside me. This isn't my TOP 25 either, just 25 of my favorites in no particular order. Songs that come to mind without too much thought. Songs I grew up listening to. Songs that have countless replay value for me. Songs I would sit in the car in the driveway and listen to if they came on. If I kept thinking I could come up with 25 more in no time.

Take a look at the list. Comment. List some of your own favorites.

1. Big Daddy Kane – "Ain’t No Half Steppin’" (probably my favorite Hip Hop song of all time)
2. A Tribe Called Quest – "Check The Rhime"
3. Jay-Z – "Feelin’ It"
4. Heavy D. w/ many others– "Don’t Curse" (My favorite posse cut)
5. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – "T.R.O.Y."
6. Run DMC – "Rock Box"
7. De La Soul – "Eye Know"
8. DJ Quik – "Tonite"
9. Nas – "Halftime"
10. Gangstarr – "You Know My Steez"
11. Scarface – "I Seen a Man Die"
12. 2Pac – "Pain"
13. Naughty By Nature – "Uptown Anthem"
14. Biggie – "I Got a Story To Tell"
15. BDP – "Love’s Gonna Getcha"
16. Souls of Mischief – "93’ Til’ Infinity"
17. EPMD – "Get the Bozack"
18. Organized Konfusion – "Fudge Pudge"
19. The Roots – "What They Do"
20. Kool Moe Dee – "I Go To Work"
21. Raekwon – "Incarcerated Scarfaces"
22. Atmosphere – "Sunshine"
23. Talib Kweli – "Get By"
24. Black Star w/ Common – "Respiration"
25. Goodie Mob – "Cell Therapy"