Songs of the Year

Two quick notes about what follows: 1) The actual order of the final list is loose, as it's fairly difficult to definitively measure songs relative to each other. Sure, #1 is better than #50, but is there really such a difference between 35 and 25? I'd say most likely not. 2) This was a year when so-called "real talk"--a repudiation of so many mindless hip-hop conventions--seemed to become more abundant and more resonant, the latter a reflection of my own growing dissatisfaction. I'd say that this value judgment strongly informs my taste, and that likely creates the appearance of hypocrisy when a song devoid of lyrical merit or a track that's highly rated "just because" is listed ahead of someone's calculate diatribe or righteous battle cry. However, this perceived inconsistency is only a problem if you are forcing me, and all of us, into narrow fields of classification. If not, then just recognize that a given song can be a favorite for any number of reasons. The hip-hop canon runs from Public Enemy to 2 Live Crew for a reason.

Enjoy...

The Skit of the Year
- Runner Up: Ghostface Killah, "Bad Mouth Kid"

- Winner: DangerDoom, "Skit 1." Or, to be more descriptive: Master Shake on the "wheels of steel."


The Sixteen Worst Songs of the Year
16) Beyonce ft. Slim Thug, "Check Up on It" (Remix)
That vacillating electronic noise drove me crazy, and Slim Thug sounded horrible on it.

15) Busta Rhymes ft. Missy Elliott, "How We Do It Over Here"
You know that racing-horn noise that radio DJs will drop over reggae songs? It was unfortunate that it became the looped backbone of an entire song, especially something as awkward and boring as this.

14) Field Mob, "Baby Bend Over"
The heartwarming tale of the neighborhood stripper set to a melody that sounds like something that was discarded from a role-playing video game. Craptastic.

13) Ice Cube, "Stop Snitchin'"
Cube momentarily forgot that it wasn't 1990 anymore and tried to front like he still gets gully. It didn't really work, not least of all because the boring couplets and cheesy chorus diminished a god-body MC.

12) T.I. ft. Young Buck and Young Dro, "Undertaker"
You know how the popular thinking about the workways of southern rappers dictates that these guys know how to make money because their innate marketing abilities enable them to move units, even if it's out the trunk? Well fuck that--the real key is how cheap it is to give them studio time. They save labels a lot of money by rapping over whatever crappy keyboard riffs they can come up with in about 30 seconds.

11) Mobb Deep ft. Young Buck, "Give It to Me"
The years-long re-branding of Mobb Deep has been an embarrassing and belittling process, for them and their fans. This track--some kind of hackneyed iteration of lust set to some kind of bastardized "exotic" beat that not even Truth Hurts would fuck with--is among the low moments. It was stolen from the 50 Cent play book and executed so poorly that it hurts to even hear it.

10) Gnarls Barkley, "Transformer"
Cee-Lo already walks a fine line, what with that high-pitched singing of his. When he sounds like he's whining, it can be a catastrophe. It's made even worse when the background music is this high-pitched, screechy mess.

9) Gucci Mane, "745"
There are some rappers that you can't help but feel bad for, and Gucci Mane is one of them. Think about how awful it must be to be so terrible at something that you love and have made into your career? Were his rhymes at all sophisticated, and were he ever rhyming about anything interesting, you could perhaps forgive the generic beats. But by failing to meet either of the first two conditions, Gucci Mane basically just strikes out. In his defense, he seems to hate Young Jeezy more than anyone else, and that's something I can get behind.

8) Paris Hilton ft. Jadakiss, "Fighting Over Me"
If there were a fraternity house in which all the rappers lived, Jadakiss would have the worst room and be hazed until he died for attaching his name to this abomination. He needs to get on as many posse-cut remixes as possibly in 2007 to atone for this and flood our memories with happier thoughts.

7) R. Kelly ft. Fabo, "Gorilla"
At some point, the sparsely orchestrated, percussion-heavy R&B song became an industry standard, and this is among the worst of them. They can often have a "guest" rap spot, as this one does. And this one is a completely generic, phoned-in effort. For all I know, R. Kelly didn't even record this song--it might just be a series of deftly edited clips from older a cappellas.

6) Yung Joc, "I Know You See It"
Do idiot rappers think that they need to record their albums in order, working on the intro, then on the first song, and so forth until they reach the "hidden" bonus song that will be advertised on the packaging? I ask because "It's Goin' Down" is the second song on Yung Joc's record, and no fewer than two more, like this one, blatantly attempt to re-create it, sort of like someone liked it and told him to keep making 'em like that. This song is a disaster.

5) Rick Ross ft. Akon, "Cross That Line"
Akon, with that grating voice and bizarre niche as a soulful ex-con, was a horrible idea. So, too, was the neck-bearded wannabe drug kingpin who can't rhyme. Combining them simply magnified the errors.

4) Cam'ron ft. Hell Rell, "He Tried to Play Me"
See here and here. This song may actually be the worst idea in the history of rap music. No joke. And though I don't usually like using this word, this song is undeniably the gayest one made in 2006.

3) Lil' Wayne, "Get 'Em"
Again, this is the man that people lose their shit over? It seems that most of his rhymes, like those on this song, are a loosely organized collection of repetition-driven couplets or not-that-impressive punch lines that necessitate him playing with his voice since the content is generally boring. Oh, and his production tends to suck.

2) Lakey the Kid, "No Homo"
See here. And shouts to Robbie for making us aware of this ignorance.

1) Young Jeezy, "Hypnotize"
Whining, groaning, synthetic noise, and drugs--you are immersed in the Young Jeezy experience!


Seven of the Most Blatantly Derivative Songs of the Year
7) JR Writer, "Get 'Em" (Minimalism)
6) The Game, "Lookin' at You" (West Coast, circa 1992)
5) Mary J. Blige, "Be Without You" (Generic female R&B)
4) Jim Jones, "Cook It" (Busta Rhymes, "Touch It")
3) Jagged Edge and Fabolous, "I Really Wanna Know You" (Jodeci, "Come and Talk to Me")
2) Fergie, "Fergalicious" (JJ Fad, "Supersonic")
1) Beyonce ft. Jay-Z, "Deja Vu" (Beyonce ft. Jay-Z, "Crazy in Love")


Six Notable 80s Samples
6) Murs, "Dark-Skinned White Girls" (Spandau Ballet, "True")
5) Rick Ross, "Push It" (Paul Engemann, "Scarface (Push It to the Limit)")
4) Cam'ron, "Weekend" (S.O.S. Band, "Weekend Girl")
3) Jay-Z, "Kingdom Come" (Rick James, "Super Freak")
2) Big Sty, "Cry for Us" (Heart, "Alone")
1) Diddy, "Testimonial" (Tears for Fears, "Head Over Heals")


Joe Scudda Memorial Least Valuable Rapper Award
Shawn Wigs


Ten Beats We'd Like to Have Back for Someone Else to Use
- Cam'ron ft. Juelz Santana, "Byrd Gang Gold"
- Panacea, "Ecosphere"
- T.I., "I'm Talkin' to You"
- Consequence ft. Mike Jones, "Been Robbed"
- Mobb Deep, "Pearly Gates"
- Soul Position, "I'm Free"
- Pharrell, "Show You How to Hustle"
- Big Noyd, "You Already Know"
- Diddy, "Everything I Love"
- Busta Rhymes ft. T.I., "Cannon"


The "I Can't Believe She Wore That Too; What a Slut!" Award
Who liked Lou Rawls' "You Made Me So Very Happy" more, Diddy ("I Am") or Kanye West ft. Consequence and John Legend ("Grammy Family")?


Most Overrated Song of the Year
Clipse ft. Pharrell, "Mr. Me Too." Maybe I am just not the target audience for "skateboard rap," but I don't get why this song was considered exciting or good. Pharrell's "rapping" is a tired routine, the Clipse are their usual quipping-to-get-nowhere selves, and the beat is just sort of boring. It sounds like lounge music, doesn't it?


Song You Most Hated Having Stuck in Your Head
Shawnna, "Gettin' Some"


Top Fifty Songs of 2006
50) Dave Chappelle, "I Wrote This Song a Long Time Ago"

Isn't it sort of sad that a guy from Ohio made one of the best "West Coast" songs of the year?

49) Mobb Deep, "Put 'Em in Their Place"
I feel more than a little guilty including a song on which the verses barely rhyme, but the beat is terribly infectious. And hearing them say "Curtis 'Billion-Dollar Budget' Jackson" is funny in a tragic kind of way. Consider this a production acknowledgment.

48) De La Soul, "Voodoo Circus"
There are few hip-hop sounds as relaxing and welcomed as De La screwing around over a fairly mellow soundscape. As usual, Posdnuos comes with that real talk on the second verse.

47) The Game ft. Nas, "Why You Hate the Game"
I was immediately reminded of Kanye's wannabe Earth, Wind, and Fire joint "We Major" when I first realized that I liked this track. I think it's one of those polarizing efforts that people either warmly receive or quickly reject. The swelling sound and vocals work for me; Nas's flow works for me; and the inadvertent character study that we get from Game works for me.

46) 9th Wonder ft. Mos Def, Jean Grae, and Memphis Bleek, "Crooklyn Dodgers III"
Having heard True Magic, people should relish this track as one of the few instances these days when Mos Def dispenses with the boring artistic exploration and gets back to rapping, something at which he's actually good.

45) Outkast ft. Sleepy Brown and Scar, "The Train"
Big Boi's stroll down memory lane, though notably without any input from Andre, is oddly reassuring. And the horn riffs certainly don't hurt.

44) BHI, "Do It, Do It (Poole Palace)"
The club record of the year. I couldn't help but want to dance to this track.

43) Papoose, "Double Crosser"
The David Ruffin sample is gorgeous (and please pardon me if using that word makes me sound like some pretentious prick), and it lends Papoose's street talk a certain mournful maturity that a number of his rhymes have suggested in the past.

42) Busta Rhymes ft. KRS-One, "New York Shit" (Marley Marl Remix)
If Busta's rhyming were any good on this track, it would likely place higher, because Marley Marl killed this, and it worked perfectly with KRS's vocals. He overwhelms this like a vortex of bravado and old-school pride.

41) Big Noyd, "Number 1"
Noyd's accelerated assemblage of common street images and ideas sounds like one of those verses that dudes concoct ahead of time when scheduled to "freestyle," the assonance and references tightly packed to create the appearance of sublime skill. That all sounds right over this somewhat frantic horn loop.

40) Black Milk ft. Mr. Porter, "Keep It Live"
Eminem and Bronze Nazareth's aside, the Detroit sound has become the Jay Dee sound--nearly all production from that city these days seems as though it were put together following a Dilla style manual. Black Milk, Young RJ--they're not Jay Dee, but you can hear him in their beats. This track seems to exemplify the movement, and Black Milk might be one to watch next year following some strong mixtapes.

39) UNK ft. Outkast, "Walk It Out" (Remix)
I couldn't give a fuck about UNK, and the beat for "Walk It Out" is passable. But Andre's verse just rings true, a dope reality check in an era of assembly-line hip-hop. And that it came on such a generic "Southern" song is a perfect juxtaposition.

38) Jay-Z, "The Prelude"
Were Kingdom Come filled with more of these stories matched with well-suited beats, it would have been much better.

37) Papoose ft. Ghostface Killah, "In the Bushes"
Papoose's energy seems misdirected when he tries to sound menacing, and so much of his rhyming is just about showing off, rendering much of his catalogue mostly generic. However, this beat was among the notable that harnessed his intensity and brought it to bear as an asset on the mic. Also gotta love that someone took these seemingly innocuous Ghostface rhymes from "Fast Cars" and made them a catchy hook.

36) Skyzoo, "A Day in the Life"
Sky is my pick for Rookie of the Year. He just has a natural flow--the rapping sounds easy. He also demonstrates an amusing versatility, telling stories, dropping punch lines, playing with his words. This song seems to capture his essence.

35) Nas ft. The Game, "Hustlers"
Best Dre beat of the year--seductive strings, subtle energy, full sound. This just knocks, and it was a dramatic score that I happily found stuck in my head. It's also a great platform for Nas's impromptu history and boasting session. Game? He just does his usual thing. Whatever.

34) Masta Killa ft. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, "It's What It Is"
I was initially blown away by this track, although my enthusiasm subsided over time. Still love the horns, although it becomes a little repetitive for whatever reason. Raekwon's international criminality plays well (Alfa Romeos and Sicily yayo).

33) Little Brother ft. Legacy and Chaundon, "Boondock Saints"
Another shining example of frustration-fueled real talk that popped up all over the place in 2006. Phonte's verse on this track stands out:

Right
Back to business off a six-week tour
And I ain't never seen drama like this before
Gotta lotta shit to get off my chest, some wild shit to address
So I told Khysis press record
I'ma put it on wax and give you the raw facts
And truth about life and the things I'm dealin' wit'
Black folks saying that I'm too intelligent
And white folks saying I'm a little too niggerish
It got me in a strange predicament
I wish BET and MTV would judge more wisely
But I don't know what's worse
The fact that they ain't playing our shit
Or the fact that it don't even surprise me
Because I ain't shuckin'
And 'cuz I ain't jivin'
Some of these crackers won't stand beside me
And cuz I ain't killin'
And don't support pimpin'
Some of these n***as wanna call me a Cosby
Well, I'll be that dude
I'll scratch that itch
I'll play that role
Call me Heathcliff bitch!
If this ain't what you want then fine
But somehow someway we gotta draw that line
And it goes without mentioning
I thought about censoring this verse so my label and managers stay cool
But as of this recording, we ain't even out-sold The Listening
So really what the fuck I got to lose?
Bitch it's Phon-tiggah
Low, the show rippah
Hold cuz my hos would change week to week
But now my flows be changing from beat to beat
Tell my n***a Jim Bones we gotta beat the street
Cuz I know that they need us
It's gotta be more to this generation than drinkin' and smoking all they weed up
This my confession with the Embassy
You fucking imbeciles can put your rosary beads up

32) Hi-Tek ft. Jay Dee, Nas, Common, Busta Rhymes, and Marsha, "Music for Life"
Such a melancholy beat.

31) The Game ft. Kanye West, "Wouldn't Get Far"
This is Kanye's best production of the year, something that stands out for a few reasons: 1) I don't think it's a coincidence that he conjured this for a playful track on which he got to do what he does best, talk shit; 2) It wasn't a good year for his beats.

Kanye and Game are pretty funny on this. Also funny was talking about this song with the Resource and effortlessly calling to mind every possible video chick. I think I need to get out more...

30) Rhymefest, "Dynomite (Going Postal)"
A blaring Just Blaze beat and a playful Rhymefest--the one who drops punch lines, boasts, and tears his way through just about anything--was a surprising, exciting combination.

29) Da Backwudz ft. Killer Mike, "Getting 2 It"
All three dudes just rip this brooding, mischievous beat, and the chant that comprises the chorus gets your head bobbing. Da Backwudz have displayed a nebulous personality that sets them apart from many other generic Georgia rappers.

28) Bronze Nazareth, "Good Morning (A Nice Hell)"
David McCallum's "The Edge" gets taken for a menacing walk, and Bronze Nazareth flows better than his detractors might admit.

27) Nas, "Where Y'all At"
Among the highlights of the year was hearing a focused, deliberate Nas own this murky, subdued production. The wordplay, the references, the images--Nas demonstrated why he remains an MC with few peers (even if he reliably picks out some shitty beats for his records).

26) Pearl Jam, "Gone"
Though Pearl Jam was a good album--arguably the best PJ effort since the underrated No Code--only one song really stood out, and that was "Gone," which showcased the group's talent for arrangement.

25) Ghostface Killah ft. Redman and Shawn Wigs, "Greedy Bitches"
How can you resist Ghost complaining about the Oreos and Red making a cameo to crack jokes?

24) King Reign ft. Saukrates, "Guilty"
Minimalism may be something of a sonic cliche at this point, but this beat was a refined endeavor into the trite. Just a crazy joint. And let's dap up Ian for getting this one right before anyone else.

23) Cam'ron, "Y'all Can't Live His Life"
Hate on this track's inclusion at your own peril. I defy you to name a funnier song. Even better is that the comedy is entirely unintentional. And don't forget: Cam's allowed to pop shit because he's surrounded by moneeeey. Hoffa!

22) Jay Dee, "Time - The Donut of the Heart"
This beat was ridiculous (in a great way) before Jay Dee passed away. After that, it became a fitting tribute to the man, both for its technical excellence and for the somber tone it sets. Just ask the Roots.

21) Count Bass D, "No Comp"
Sticking with the production focus of "Time," "No Comp" is on here because of the layered sampling and ornate melody.

20) Soul Position, "The Cool Thing to Do"
More real talk, not about hip-hop but life. The hallmarks of Blueprint's style--the wry humor, the matter-of-fact insight--were on full display.

19) Lupe Fiasco, "Intro" (From the leaked version of Food & Liquor)
The serious and engaging beat is one thing, but just behold Lupe's intelligent verbal dexterity. This was a thrilling way to start a debut album--an immediate declaration that Lupe had arrived. Only, this never actually happened, as it didn't make the retail version of Food & Liquor. Not since the original intro from Slum Village's Detroit Deli has an excised song so starkly detracted from a record's quality.

18) AZ, "Make Me"
These mid-tempo, soulful tracks are AZ's element, allowing him to get into the zone and just flow, talking about street life in a raspy fashion that is admirably devoid of empty bravado. He just projects a certain availability that his peers commonly don't.

17) The Coup, "Ass-Breath Killers"
Listening to a Coup record can be an odd affair, as cognitive dissonance might set in. The beats are the sort that might make you dance and party while the rhyming is this focused, political commentary that you need to play over and over to make sure that you don't miss anything. "Ass-Breath Killers" was a perfect encapsulation of this phenomenon, with a funky beat reminiscent of something Parliament might have come up with and a withering indictment of acquiescence set within a historical context of colonialism.

16) Jay Dee ft. Guilty Simpson, "Baby"
For all the misguided thought that Jay Dee was a treasure just for the backpack or "conscience" set, he, like Slum Village, could commonly be found rhyming about women, sex, and everything else that regular people--regardless of classification--tend to think about. He wasn't using the dead prez rhyme book. And that was evident on "Baby," as Dilla was this personable fellow having a good time alongside Guilty Simpson.

15) Green Lantern ft. Saigon, dead prez, and Immortal Technique, "Impeach the President"
Wow. REAL TALK. What a wonderful, perceptive critique of the Bush Administration. This was political rap at its best, and it was a repudiation of Bush far more memorable than anything we've heard from the Democrats. "Some bitch give him a blow job so we can impeach him." So perfect.

14) Ghostface Killah, "Big Girl"
Turn on the red light. "Big Girl" was another of the now-famous Tony Starks soul sessions, and on this one, a more introspective and compassionate Ghost flipped the drug talk on its head. As I've written before, there is an intimacy to Ghostface's rhyming that no other MC is able to create, and even on something that, on its surface, is somewhat unwieldy and unrelatable, he successfully draws in his audience.

13) Masta Killa ft. U-God, RZA, and Method Man, "Iron God Chamber"
Do you like the Wu-Tang Clan? If so, then this track is for you. End of discussion.

12) MC Travel, "This Is a Breakup Song"
Haunting and personal, MC Travel's signature track was incredibly resonant both for its sonic makeup and for its personal disclosures. This was wonderfully honest music.

11) Q-Tip ft. Andre 3000, "That's Sexy"
There are three cherished rappers who probably sing or experiment a little too much for their audiences' liking: Mos Def, Andre Benjamin, and Q-Tip. On this track, two of them were able to satisfy their creative impulses while still making exciting music. The varied vocals, the party-like tempo and guitar, Q-Tip's everyday narratives--a really strong effort that screamed "Saturday night."

10) Lupe Fiasco, "Failure"
The lazy, slightly off-kilter beat combined with Lupe's stream-of-consciousness word play produced one of the most memorable songs of the year, a unique presentation of Lupe who, himself, is rather eclectic. Another Lupe track that inexplicably didn't make it onto his record, though.

9) Clipse ft. Pharrell, "Hello New World"
The Clipse are EP rappers--I don't need 12 tracks of their bleak, ambivalent Virginia Beach drug trafficking. Four or five songs would do. And, if nothing else, it would only enhance their standing, because when they put their admittedly smarter-than-your-average-coke-rapper skills over such fresh and captivating beats, the results are great. Witness "Grindin'" and "Hello New World." The woozy synth chords and punchy drums were a unique sound that should have defined the Clipse, not been a notable outlier amidst a bunch of other stuff that was off the mark. (And that, by the way, is Pharrell's fault, I think.)

8) Killer Mike, "That's Life"
This, to me, was one of the most honest and angry songs of the year. Aside from the technical proficiency of the rhyme constructions, "That's Life" stands out because of Killer Mike's earnest examination of black leadership. I don't think that you need to agree with everything he says, but you must give Killer Mike credit for engaging in an honest discussion.

7) Ne-Yo, "Sexy Love"
This was the catchiest song of the year. I'm sorry. Hate on Ne-Yo as you will--I didn't even hear his album and couldn't stand "So Sick"--but this song was just solid.

6) Ludacris, "War with God"
Like hearing Nas focused, hearing Luda set aside his desire to solely make jokes and instead write such an intense and serious song was among the highlights of the year. Regardless of for whom it was that he was gunning, "War with God" was a rousing response to a hip-hop community that values vapidity and is easily swayed by the meaningless assertions of untalented newjacks.

5) T.I., "What You Know"
This track was all about the soaring synthesizers and the elevation of T.I.'s microphone persona.

4) Murs, "Yesterday"
The frustrations of everyday life take center stage as Murs escorts us through a bunch of resonant real-world scenarios. And 9th Wonder kills this toned-down beat, infusing the track with character without obscuring the lyrics or overwhelming the rhymes.

3) The Roots, "Game Theory"
So let's immediately just say this: Malik B's energy and flow on this track are insane, all the more notable given his prolonged absence. Maybe that's unfair--the simple fact that we got to hear Malik B might have given this track the appearance of particular superiority--but it is what it is. "Game Theory" also succeeds because Black Thought efficiently makes his way through dense verses that invite multiple listens and the production--an odd amalgam of samples and instrumentation--is unlike most other hip-hop.

2) Little Brother ft. Skyzoo and Chaundon, "Speed Racin'"
Just about the most unbeatable combination in hip-hop is Justus League insight over blended 9th Wonder samples. What are you looking for--punch lines? Inventive rhymes? Refreshing industry critique? Jokes just for the sake of humor? Melody? A beat that stays fresh? One that complements the MCs? That shit is all here. As is Chaundon's line of the year:

This is that crack
This is that coke
Said a few drug references
Now they say I'm dope

As DJ Drama says at the end: "Ill."

1) Ghostface Killah, "Shakey Dog"
Hip-hop storytelling at its most vivid, the rhymes strengthened by a dramatic reworking of the Dells' "I Can See a Rainbow" that makes Starks sound manic, his story urgent. An incredible way to start an incredible album.