The 50 Best Songs of 2009

50) Cappadonna ft. Lounge Lo and Ghetto Philharmonic, "Somebody Got to Go"
The vocal sample and the horns kind of don't line up with Cap. The rapping is a little discursive and off the tracks. It's a hot mess, which is a Cap special. And yet, I always keep it on.

49) Baby ft. Drake and Bun B, "Mo Milly"
This song captures everything I love about these dudes: Baby's empty posturing, anachronistic rhyming style, and general irrelevance. Drake's nicely packaged punch lines, stylized boasts, and prosaic approach to success. Bun B's guest-spot presence, in its deep-bass-voice and overrated-rhyming glory. Plus, the beat is perfectly nondescript, something that surely came off a keyboard at 2 AM and wound up working.

48) Ron Artest, "Michael, Michael"
Ron Artest would be a good host on Weekend Update or a great guest on 30 Rock. He's always topical and yet very detached from reality. He does normal-person things in insane-person ways. I find it charming.

47) Steve Porter, "Press Hop"
Anyone who makes a song that seamlessly and musically blends the kinds of YouTube clips with which I waste a lot of time gets to be on this list.

46) Sha Stimuli ft. Ne-Yo, "I Miss You"
Sometimes I'm very cheesy. And in those moments, I like songs with sweet Ne-Yo interludes and self-consciously tender raps.

45) The Game ft. Jay Rock, "Follow Me Home"
California tough talk. Sort of generic, but nicely set to an all-time great Marlena Shaw track.

44) Pearl Jam, "Unthought Known"
Backspacer was underwhelming. The reviews said Pearl Jam sounded reenergized and had put together a pleasant combination of hard rock and retro new-wave pop. But really, all they did was make two or three kinds of sounds and then just indistinguishably repeat them for 45 minutes. Plus, the lyrics were a little lame. But this song stood out for being a little deeper and for its dope, swelling arrangements.

43) DJ JS-1 ft. EMC, "I Knew a Girl"
This is how you rap about women when you're being an asshole. "Knew a Girl" is the sort of song that titillated me when I was in middle school and just getting into rap music.

42) Jay Dee, "Coming Back" (Instrumental)
Still calls out for an Elzhi treatment. So soulful.

41) Wyclef Jean ft. Lauryn Hill, "Endless Flight"
This song flew under the radar this year. I think it's very old, but I had never heard it before Wyclef's Coming to America mixtape. Or whatever it was called. I love hearing Lauryn flow.

40) Kidz in the Hall, "We at It Again"
I ride for Kidz in the Hall. But even a devoted fan can hear that Naledge kind of raps the same way over and over, best excelling when he's got some classic horns or strings behind him. This track happens to be one of those beats, so his witty, dense similes and metaphors work out well.

39) DJ JS-1 ft. Torae, Pumpkinhead, and Block McCloud, "Bang da Underground"
From Run-DMC to Lil' Wayne, or Jay-Z's Linkin Park friendship and a live Roots show, there has always been ample evidence that the line delineating rock from hip-hop is something of an artifice. There's been plenty of crossover. Having said that, this year heard a subtle rock invasion of hip-hop. On so many tracks--think Slaughterhouse and Royce da 5'9", for example--rock guitar riffs served as fodder for head-nod hip-hop. It was generally enjoyable, really. And this track was among my favorites from the sub-genre, not least of all because the Redman vocal sample is so strong that it sounds as though Funk Doc is actually on the track.

38) De La Soul, "Forever"
Those clarion voices which have anchored hip-hop for two decades sounded so strong, conveyed so much gravitas over this melancholy cool-down beat.

37) Strong Arm Steady ft. Planet Asia, "Chittlins & Pepsi"
From my contribution to the excellent Metal Lungies year-end beat drop posts: Surely, Madlib’s done nothing groundbreaking here. He’s taken a drum pattern, he’s looped some samples on top of themselves, and he’s added in that good ol’ Madlib filler. But…that’s hip-hop. He’s created a wholly new song out of disparate parts. “Chittlins” has that dusty, worn feeling, like an old couch on which you’re ambivalent about lounging. The cushions are soft but the threads are pilled up and it has the smell of expired fabric. On the one hand, it’s comfortable, and there is the meta reinforcement the comes from knowing that sitting on such a couch is kind of funny in the first place. So you go with it, even though, on the other hand, you probably aren’t doing your hygiene any favors. This beat channels that experience; it’s technically proficient and experientially goofy. And that, too, is sort of hip-hop.

36) Ghostface Killah ft. Fabolous, "Guest House"
Perhaps not vintage Ghostface as we'd like the word "vintage" to mean, but "Guest House" does the job of dropping a listener into a vivid, fully imagined vignette. Who has ever done that better than Starks?

35) Sean Price, "Figure Four"
Picking a favorite Sean Price track is almost impossible because his flow, his jokes, his imagery, and his gulliness are consistent across nearly every track. To love Sean P is to love his oeuvre, not a particular song or album. You might have those favorites, but ultimately it's about the Sean Price experience. "Figure Four" stood out for me because it seemed like a particularly potent distillation of the man's method.

34) U-God ft. Ghostface Killah and Scotty Wotty, "Train Trussle"
Lost amid the year-end list making is that U-God's Dopium was actually pretty solid. "Trussle" announced the record's likely quality when it dropped, dripping with tension and a bleak tempo that sounded like a perfect template for a severe Wu-Tang cut. U-God also does his thing, and I don't mean that as a platitude. His thing has always been quasi-nonsensical verses, Wu-lite imagery, and an insanely deep voice. No matter how easily ridiculed, it has its place and purposes.

33) G-Side ft. 6 Tre Gangsta and AC, "Feel The"
G-Side reprise the Far East sample (I think it's from a Karate Kid, no?) that won them my skit of the year designation last year, and then they just kill this shit. The fusion of the track, the lingo, the rapping, and the mood is infectious.

32) The Red Giants ft. Ilyas and Donwill, "Nati Niggaz"
I've written this before, but who knew that the G-Funk Era was alive and well in Cincinnati?

31) Ne-Yo, "To Be Continued"
I have to admit to being something of a Ne-Yo fan, and not just because my sister discovered him. His music gets boring over the course of an album, but his writing is prolific, his hooks are catchy, and he makes standout individual songs that run far away from the trite conventions of his genre. Instead, his lyrics and his settings reflect a more normal, realistic approach to relationships, and his music is exceedingly inviting.

30) MF Doom, "Gazzillion Ear"
As the Dilla catalogue gets worn the fuck out, there are beats which emerge from the vaults that don't always sound right. Or that make you roll your eyes a little and complain that Mr. Yancey was sometimes a little too invested in electronic, sterile noise. And then MF Doom comes along and reinvigorates those sounds with his sick flow, masterful manipulation of mood, and impeccable sensitivity to the listener's experience. It also helps that nearly every rhyme he spits demands an elevated level of attention that commits you to songs more readily than normal. Other artists have to work harder for such rapt dedication.

29) Method Man & Redman ft. Bun B, "City Lights"
This beat is a monster, courtesy of its hard edges, winding synth, and the vocal sample. That's the nicest thing I'll ever write about Pimp C. Oh, and a focused Method Man still sons most rappers.

28) Finale, "Heat"
Some rappers are a little too technical and rap a little too densely for their own good. Finale is one of them. But still, game recognize game.

27) The Dream, "I'm Not OK"
Like Ne Yo, The Dream's hustle, alone, also garners some respect. On top of that, this sounded like an ideal song for a teen-angst movie, and I sometimes love those. So this stayed with me. Hot track. Should have been on Dream's album.

26) Drake ft. Phonte and Elzhi, "Think Good Thoughts"
Fair or not, this song lost some points because I kept waiting for the JJ Fad "super" exclamation to come in, as that's what Doom did. But fiiiiiine. Anyway, how can you front on an Elzhi and Phonte reunion. Don't make me remind you how dope "Hiding Places" was. Drake is OK on this. After a little, his routine gets old.

25) Wale, "Penthouse Freestyle"
"Penthouse" may not be the twenty-fifth best song of the year, but it certainly is interesting. After the Mixtape About Nothing, Wale was a rapper I wanted to like. His tape was witty and playful. His sound was steeped in hip-hop but also not quite the same old. He could talk about meaningful things in a fashion that didn't come off as preachy or self-important. Then everything got screwed up. His Twitter account portrayed an obnoxious dude who isn't as smart as he thinks. The internets helped him blow up a little, and he got an attitude. His music suffered, with phoned-in verses and lame-ass production too common. Wale transformed from an outsider who inspired excitement into just another aspirant seeking to play an establishment game in the clothes of a newjack. "Penthouse" is this full Wale--disappointingly trite, yet imbued with enough unique elements to still capture one's curiosity.

24) Cam'ron, "Cookin' Up"
This song ages poorly, because upon its debut, "Cookin' Up" appeared as a portend of reinvigorated Cam, one who'd used his time on artistic Elba to reconnect with that Purple Haze-style magic. Then Crime Pays just sort of was--it was neither good nor bad, it just was--and "Cookin' Up" instead sounded like a perverse gift that only reminds people that the great Cam has forever left the building. Still, it's nice to spend time with the scattered and crafty Cam, the man spitting his inside jokes, prosaic references, and quirky punch lines. This track also produced the wonderful Andre Miller diss.

23) Jadakiss, "Magic City"
Rappers need to stop making quality songs that later fail to appear on the albums for which said songs originally helped to build excitement. "Magic City" is a prime example. The singing on the hook is initially grating, but taken with the tinny, disposable beat, it ends up serving as an unintentionally ironic element that enhances such a pleasantly whimsical song. This tempo is what's up.

22) Raekwon ft. The Game, "Flashback Memories"
All about that stylized, woozy synthesizer. Particularly suits these two men, as Rae is a master of making everything sound halcyon and Game peddles remembrances.

21) Focus ft. Big Pooh, Sha Stimuli, and Kurupt, "Homage to Pete Rock"
The Focus homages to Peter, Premier, and Dilla were all pretty dope. The Pete Rock joint stood out because the fidelity to the PR sound was impressive. And, Peter is an SB favorite.

20) Freeway, "For the Money"
For an MC whose earliest hip-hop endeavors were marked by the emotion he both put forth and instilled in others, a mellower flow--steady and tight but without so many swings or flourishes--commands greater meaning precisely because of what it lacks. "For the Money" has an air of desperation and doom precisely because Freeway is not so colorful, for a change.

19) Sean Price ft. St. Maffew, "Weed & Hoes"
Folks may remember this Sean Price, unafraid of seeming silly as he explores the extent of his wordplay, from the Babu track on which he went toe to two with Doom and from his guest spot on the Kidz in the Hall track "The Pledge." It's a nice countervailing force to set occasionally against the usual gutter speak.

18) Jay Dee ft. Blu, "Smoke"
What a fantastic marriage of vocal tone, musical mood, and lyrical content. It's all so spacey.

17) Rick Ross, "Mafia Music"
Also from Metal Lungies: A song for doing work. Am I wrong? That opening piano note strikes, the strings and organ start to build, then the Lamont Dozier sample hits and it’s on. This beat is straight cinema, and it’s unfortunate that Ricky’s video did it such a disservice. Real mafia music–like this track–demands a tinted-window whip riding through the night, on some Michael Mann cinema-verite shit. Or maybe I just think this song could have found a home in Heat. It isn’t about handicam shots of a fat guy eating himself to death. Regardless, the steady, engrossing track plays out with malevolent intentions. This is not a track that you take lightly. You throw it on with a sense of purpose. “Mafia Music” also stands as a welcomed divergence from the cheap, electronic sounds and frenetic drum programs which tend to characterize Miami’s prominent hip-hop. Rather, the Inkredibles tapped into the sort of dark, bleak, angry mood that appears to fester in parts of Virginia (see: the Clipse). It’s a legitimately gripping soundscape, and it has stayed in heavy rotation as a result.

16) Mos Def ft. Slick Rick, "Auditorium"
This is grown-man b-i. For all the claims Jay makes about being a mature rapper, no one pulled off evolved rap for the aging--smarter, sensible, more expansive--better than Mos and Rick. (Props to HuRa for sparking that conversation.)

15) Slaughterhouse, "Sound Off"
See here. When I first heard the Stylistics's "It's Too Late" flipped in a hip-hop context, the result was Ed O.G.'s "Just Call My Name." Ed O.G. made a proud, meandering track that was content to ride the escalating horn sample and little else. It was a great record, with the horns given room to breathe alongside Ed's booming vocals. Then I heard the same horns this year, their free-range accommodation replaced with a claustrophobic hi-hat, intermittent snares, and an endless, subtle electronic ribbet. The beat was the same and yet totally new. Rather than relying on the horns to defiantly ring out on their own terms, "Sound Off" recasts what it borrows from the Stylistics as a counterweight to the strength of the Slaugterhouse vocals and the energy of the piped-in noise. No longer do the horns soar, taking the track higher. Instead, they pull it back up to level, lest it furiously bore into the surface, compelled by the energy of its many other elements.

14) G-Side ft. Kristmas, "Rising Sun"
Elitist rap nostalgists like me could have easily overlooked a song that initially seems like more cluttered, vainglorious southern dope boy shit. And yet, G-Side consistently defies expectations by rapping with far greater substance and realism while also developing a sound that is simultaneously derivative and unique.

13) BK-One ft. Black Thought, "Philly Boy"
Sometimes, sad sounds great. As it does here. Tariq's vocals mix with the lonely guitar melody to create the sonic equivalent of a black-and-white photograph that shows its subject's age but also celebrates the experience therein. And I am not just writing that because dude name checks some photographers.

12) Slum Village, "Money Right"
I see we've arrived at the Slum Village portion of the list, during which I have to do everything within my power to not author a 3,000-word diatribe about the group's general excellence and sad relative anonymity. "Money Right" benefits from Madlib's haunting vocal loops and work-to-do tempo that pushes it forward. However, it really benefits from the discomfitting vitality of Baatin's spitting, as the misfortune of his death this year is only amplified.

11) Lee Bannon ft. Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli, and Donny Goines, "Volume" (O.G. Version)
I can't write about this song any better than I did here. What a perfect little composition. Real hip-hop, right here.

10) Jay-Z ft. Young Jeezy, "Real as It Gets"
Listening to Jay and Jeezy trade stylized, flossy verses about slangin' and success was a legitimately fun moment. Jeezy, in particular, sounds great on this track, coming on the tracks memorably, staying for just enough time, and doing what he's paid to do. Score another hit for the Inkredibles, too.

9) Tanya Morgan ft. Blu, "Morgan Blu"
A quintessential summer track that came out just in time for the warm weather. Light, pleasant, easy to have on.

8) Reflection Eternal ft. Mos Def, Jay Electronica, and J. Cole, "Just Begun"
How nice it is to hear four rappers hop on a soulful track and just do their thing.

7) Wu-Tang Clan ft. Raekwon, Sean Price, and Cormega, "Radiant Jewels"
Over a sparse bassline broken up only by a jagged strings arrangement, we hear Raekwon hold forth about criminal conspiracy; Cormega reminisce about QB drug dealing and New York ascendancy; Sean Price lace a characteristically menacing, dry verse that is boastful and brash. No song was as intense or satisfying.

6) Royce da 5'9" ft. Busta Rhymes, "Dinner Time"
This is the verbal and vocal fury you might expect from such a pairing. Listening to Busta beg Royce for a chance to be unleashed is a delight, as Trevor sets aside the usual posturing and reaches back to the "Wildin' wit' Us" era to just slay an already brooding beat.

5) The Roots, "How I Got Over"
Since Game Theory, the Roots have been overtly intent on making "meaningful" music. Some of it is a product of well-placed intention, some of it is the consequence, good and bad, of aging, and some of it is self-consciousness that can run amuck at times. Here, it didn't matter, as the substantive good and bad was subsumed into such a pleasing and engaging composition. The fluid melody, the steady drums, and the strained but welcomed chorus are fantastic.

4) The Clipse ft. Cam'ron, "Popular Demand (Popeyes)"
The sound of a million bloggers getting erections.

3) Raekwon ft. Jadakiss and Styles P, "Broken Safety"
Everyone has a favorite track from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...II, and for good reason. It's a great record. Oddly, this was mine, despite an ample supply of Wu collabos that were oh so satisfying. "Safety" taps into the raw emotion and grit that is now romanticized as a critical element of the New York hip-hop on which people of my age and ilk grew up. It just sounds so right, and it could have only been better had Nas hopped on.

2) Slum Village, "Dope Man"
The sun will set on the first decade of the Twenty-First Century without having shone brightly enough on an unlikely hip-hop truth: Detroit won these last ten years. Since 2000, there was a lot of regional and stylistic ascendancy--Houston had a moment; Atlanta and New Orleans moved forward; Chicago gave us Kanye and Common; Jay, and 50, and the Dips transformed New York into whatever lesser region it has now become. These were all celebrated hip-hip movements, and each could boast its share of financial success and artistic impact. Fittingly, Detroit just did its thing, much less heralded, much less profitable, but arguably far more vibrant.

When Slum Village's Fantastic, Vol. 2 dropped in 2000, an unlikely era dawned. Over the next ten years, Jay Dilla, Black Milk, Young RJ, and a host of other producers would refine a dirty sound that was superficially imperfect and technically precise. Far from the grandiose and overwrought Eminem style--one which really hails from California more than Detroit--those with a true Detroit focus put together a canon loaded with easy grooves, inventive samples, subtle filler, and a healthy amount of electronic noise. Slum, Elzhi, Royce da 5'9", and Dilla, himself, steadily put out important records that developed the D's sonic shibboleth while also influencing music elsewhere. In 2010, Detroit hip-hip should stand out. You know a Detroit record when you hear one, and usually it's something pretty powerful.

"Dope Man" stands on these shoulders. Admittedly. It's a great beat, but it's made even better because the continuous groove that vacillates in emotional tenor and incorporates powerful down beats, echoing synths, and even a bubbling drum kit is so very much Detroit. Young RJ has authored another step in evolution.

Divorced from context, the beat remains strong. As noted, it's melange of sounds makes it interesting but not busy, and the control exerted over these disparate elements is impressive. "Dope Man" is powerful music, not only for its pounding percussion, but for its ability to convey emotion through tempo changes and its melodic hardening and softening. To use an imperfect metaphor, the beat is almost like a T-1000, this metallic composition that seamlessly flows from shape to shape, always itself but also able to assimilate.

1) Jay Electronica, "Exhibit C"
As though there would be any question? The tight verses, the engrossing narrative, the incredible Just Blaze sampling. What a monster of a track. Jay Electronica should own 2010. That would be fun.