One of the Illest Commercials of All Time

Yeah, I said it. Am I late on this? Probably. Whatever. Ill.

Let's Make an Open Source Tracklist for the New Jay Electronica Mixtape

Good news: New Jay Elec mixtape here.

Bad news: The record comes without a tracklist.

Good news: We know some of the song titles.

Bad news: We know them because the mixtape recycles a lot of his loose tracks already in circulation.

So...wanna help me fill in a track list? Gracias. See below, and leave comments with additions and corrections.

1) Intro
2) Exhibit A (Transformations)/Exhibit B (ft. Mos Def)
3)
4)
5) Dealing
6) So What You Sayin'
7)
8) Something to Hold on To
9)
10)
11) Cool, Relax (ft. Naledge)
12) Trolley Stop
13)
14) My World (Nas Tribute)
15) Hard to Get
16) Extra Extra
17)
18) Swagger Jackson's Revenge
19) Just Begun (ft. Reflection Eternal, J. Cole, and Mos Def)
20) Uzi Weighs a Ton
21)
22)
23) Cross My Heart (ft. Billy Stewart)
24) Exhibit C
25)
26) Holiday (ft. Mos Def)
27)

In 2009 There Were Albums of Music

Fresh off the Top 50 Songs, let us assess some records. I would perhaps write some lengthy introduction that touched upon the prevalent trends in hip-hop last year, but I think most of this readership already knows them and has heard every sensible joke there is to be made.

Actually, one thing: I hope that this year's obvious failures (Asher Roth, the commercial viability of Wale, lame and wack interweb sensations like KiD CuDi) might teach rap bloggers to stop blowing so much smoke up so many asses.

Now, to the lists we go...

Eight Best Mixtapes

8) Wyclef Jean, Coming to America
I read and heard almost nothing about this tape (what I did see was funny), which probably means little other than the fact that 1996 was a long time ago. Wyclef remains a perplexing figure: he is a man of immense musical talent who somehow manages to make underwhelming records; he is a man of obvious intelligence who somehow manges to seem like a banal idiot too often. That's all on display here, with the bloated tracklist allowing for the best (smart rhymes, well-constructed 16's) and worst (no one wants some sing-songy feel-goodery) of Wyclef. But when he's good, he's very good. Still. His singing voice isn't for everyone, but I like its everyman quality.

One other note: in the long, glorious history of rap music sampling gangster movie dialogue, including an excerpt from Alpha Dog might be the least gully, lamest choice ever. It's not exactly Scarface, or even Usual Suspects. Come on.

7) Raekwon, Blood on Chef's Apron
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ("Whips & Kicks" reference!), you're all either really into or really tired of Raekwon this year. I get it. He did command a lot of internets attention in 2009, but it was largely deserved. Starting out slowly, taking its time all the way through, and showcasing a rededicated Shallah, Blood was a portend of a Cuban Linx revival that was carried by Raekwon's easy demeanor, relaxed flow, and gripping stories. He also got back to using beats that either best suited his style or were noteworthy unto themselves, not that generic, derivative drivel with which he wasted too much time.

6) Lupe Fiasco, Enemy of the State
Is there anyone who can decimate a beat with tightly built verses, sharp flow, and perspicacity more casually than Lupe? This tape was an exciting demonstration of rapping craft from beginning to end. How often is that the case?

5) Skyzoo, The Power of Words
Are rappers ever described as laconic? Can that be a compliment for an MC? If it can, then we should regard Skyzoo as such. He blends boasts and references in this weird way that says much without using too many words. It's very impressive. There is also a fluidity and grace to his flow which makes it seem like he's caressing the beats, rather than riding them. (That sentence sounds sexual. Sorry about that.)

4) J. Cole, The Warm Up
This tape was dope. Straight dope, er, bangin'. J. Cole is sort of what I'd wish Drake were: a competent, crafty rapper with a serious sense of rhythm and a malleable style that can accommodate a variety of tracks, but without the cutesy oh-so-precious routine and the constant baby-voice singing. Cole was my Newcomer of the Year.

We should also acknowledge that "Get Away" featured the same song which Just Blaze turned into the Sample of the Year via "Exhibit C." Good idea, though, Mr. Cole. We'll remember who thought of it first.



3) Elzhi, The Leftovers
After Ghostface, Elzhi might be my favorite rapper. He spits these precise bars that are always bursting with intensity, even when he's not on an uptempo track. His metaphors, his assonance, his similes, his rhyme schemes. Jesu Christo! Further, no one--no one--raps with greater intensity or clarity than El about the small, innocuous moments that fill life and relationships. He's among the few MCs who truly enables a listener to get lost in time and space as the music and words take over.

2) Slum Village, Villa Manifesto EP
Read me now, believe me later: if the full-length Villa Manifesto that drops in 2010 is functionally a longer version of the EP, we'll have our record of the year. SV is so underrated that it doesn't even show up in the "Others Receiving Votes" category. These dudes just spit. And they do it over a refined Detroit sound that encompasses all moods, combines a soulful spirit with modern musical inquiry, and keeps your head moving up and down for hours.

1) Sean Price, Kimbo Price (A Prelude to Mic Tyson)
In the nicest way possible, let me write this about Sean Price: listening to one of his records is like nervously standing on a subway platform ever vigilant in response to the menacing dude rocking the over-sized Carhart jacket, baggy jeans, Beef-and-Broccoli Timbs, fitted Yankees cap, and Scarface shirt. It is fantastic.

** No Drake here because So Far Gone really dropped in 2008, I believe. And because I am tired of that dude. And because I only like "Best I Ever Had," "November 18th," "Ignant Shit," and "Let's Call It Off." And because "Let's Call It Off" is only good because the original Peter Bjorn and John is dope.

** No Gucci Mane or Juiceman or whatever other fuckery they put on my radio because it's, well, bullshit.


Five Albums That Challenged Personal Critical Conventions

5) Camp Lo, Another Heist
I tend to love Camp Lo, but there was something missing here. It didn't pop. I thought the rhymes carried more energy than the production, and that was so uncharacteristic.

4) Torae, Double Barrel
You know the albums which come out and you know you want to listen to them but you regularly find reasons to bump something else? I think Double Barrel is one of them. In the abstract, Torae is likable because he rhymes with some street fury, he can string together verses, and he picks his words well. He's an obvious talent. However, I don't think he's talented or quirky enough, because his music tends to come off as a tad too generic. He's easily at the top of the list of rappers whose music I want to like more than I do. "Hold Up," with Masta Ace and Sean Price, was pretty ill.

3) Skyzoo, The Salvation
If you stitch together my Power of Words praise with the regrettable underwhelmed feeling I got from Double Barrel, you'd have The Salvation. Why wasn't it better?

2) Cam'ron, Crime Pays
*DMX VOICE, with a little Spirit of Truth mixed in*

Let us pray...

Dear Lord, we come before you as hip-hop supplicants, genuflecting as we look up toward your greatness and asking that you wield your awesome power to bring back the good Cam'ron.

Since Purple Haze, Mr. Giles has been going down a wayward path. Like a drifter, he has wandered alone, walking down the only path he's ever known. Wait, check that--those are Whitesnake lyrics. Sorry. What I meant was that Cam has traveled along some ill-begotten path which has led him to isolation, absenteeism, and, worst of all, skill erosion. Gone is that muscular Heatmakerz soul and that catchy Kanye pop. Missing is the sharp sense of humor and arcane, audacious rhyme construction. Instead, we, the fans who adore his work due to some combination of earnest appreciation and sarcastic humor, have been subjected to second-rate music and dime-store rhyming that is lazy. Cam is too often but a shell of his former self.

On Crime Pays, whatever promising signs of reform and restoration could be mined were so commonly entangled among more of the same musical malaise that the album was crushing for being so pedestrian.

Please, Lord, we beseech you: bring back the hymen grinder who gets computers 'putin, maintains a pet cemetery, spits that pimp talk, and has the laffy taffy Range. And maybe chipmunk that shit.

Amen.

1) Jay-Z, Blueprint 3
I hated this album at first. It has three and a half songs I like. My attitude was poisoned before it even dropped due to the fetid, tired "D.O.A." debacle. And yet, he does sound a little more mature without being an ass. And it's Jay, so he's never going to be absolutely horrible, so long as we're not discussing Kingdom Come.


Three Wu-Tang Records I Wanted to Like More

3) U-God, Dopium
As good an opening three songs as you could have heard this past year. And then the wheels fall off--grating beats, boring rhymes, useless remixes.

2) Cappadonna, Slang Prostitution
Another album with a fair share of joints mixed in among some truly terrible ideas. Speaking of the Spirit of Truth, Cappadonna is sort of like that guy--he thinks he comes in the name of the lord, he is obviously fueled by hallucination, and his ear for music is matched only by the insane manner through which he pursues his ideas. No one's ad libs and throwaway lines are funnier for the wrong reasons, either.

1) Ghostface Killah, Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City
Ghost could rap to the 1812 Overture and he'd make it interesting. Unfortunately, this album's failings were the parts when he wasn't spitting. The singing was a distraction. Quite simply, the notion of a contemporary R&B record with the Starks treatment is far less appealing and enjoyable than a record of old soul records reappropriated by Ghost, which is what I originally had hoped would be the finished product.


Three Records I Want to Mention Without Conferring Distinction

3) J. Rawls and John Robinson, The 1960's Jazz Revolution Again
This was such a pleasant anachronism: a true jazz-rap record that sounded proud to be so far removed from the mainstream and so firmly focused on a rear-view-mirror environment in which an audience would put up with generic rhymes set to a slow, smooth jazz ensemble. It's like Jazzmatazz, Vol. Exponential.

2) Slim Thug, Boss of All Bosses
Let's dwell on anachronism for a moment longer: in 2009, this motherfucker made a nine-minute civic pride anthem about Houston and its local hip-hop scene. And he invited all of his now irrelevant friends to help him relive 2004. It was cute, really. Mike Jones! Mike Jones!

Also, what a weird record. Slim Thug's voice is great, and it's totally wasted on his simple rhymes. The beats are pretty good, and they're totally wasted on such a limited rapper. I sort of loved hating on this album, and I sort of hated that it wasn't better.

1) Young Money, We Are Young Money
Um, if this is Young Money, let's hope it gets spent quickly. Lil' Wayne sounds like he invented rap music when placed alongside so many talentless clowns. And there are so many--who is even in Young Money? Is it open membership? Were they taking walk-ins from off the street?

"Bedrock" might be the worst song of the year that didn't include Gucci Mane or OJ Da Juiceman's ugly grill. Even without those criteria, "Bedrock" might still have lost 2009.


Seventeen Best Records of the Year

17) DJ Spinna, Sonic Smash
Just simple, professional rap music. Got the job done.

16) M.O.P., Foundation
You know who had a good year? Statik Selektah, and one of his overlooked gems was "Crazy," a perfect M.O.P. track that channeled their energy and gave them a brooding, dark sound which was nicely juxtaposed against the usual blaring noises. Foundation created a mood and sustained it, blending those aggressive flows with standout scratching and generally strong production.

15) Trife, Better Late Than Never
Isn't it sort of weird that the second-best Wu-Tang record of the year was made by Trife? Or, isn't it sort of weird that the best Cormega record of the year wasn't made by Cormega? Trife kind of blended styles (consider "Live Nigga Night Out" and "We Get It In") to put together what I'd call a true New York street album. Lots of simple, sample-driven beats to complement his steady torrent of tough talk.

14) Rick Ross, Deeper Than Rap
An incredible production showcase. Seriously. There are six or seven legitimately dope beats that almost any rapper would be fortunate to count among his songs. My favorite were "Mafia Music," "In Cold Blood," and "Valley of Death." It also is a pretty well sequenced album, with the opening few serving as near cinema and the closing three songs comprising a rousing denouement. Now if only Ricky could rap better.

13) Brother Ali, US
If you make a big deal about preferring rappers who say something, who stand for something, and who are unafraid to sound intelligent, this was the best record of the year. It would be a lot higher on my list were the beats more uniform. Instead, though, too many songs succeeded in spite of backing that was bland or worse.

12) Mos Def, The Ecstatic
Bright moments always come back vivid. And so it is that Mos can never escape the afterglow of Black on Both Sides, a standard and an aesthetic to which I still compare everything he makes. Measuring him against glory born in a different era is a recipe for disappointment, which I will attest as vociferously as any Mos fan. The Ecstatic is not BoBS. On its own merits, it is a thoughtful and engaging record with grown-man rhymes and musical exploration that is admirable. Sometimes the newness and the experimentation gets boring, but songs like "Casa Bey" and "Life in Marvelous Times" are truly dope.

11) Amadou & Mariam, Welcome to Mali
From out of nowhere, this record took up permanent residence on my iPod. The world-music melodies and harmonies are distinct (relative to what I usually hear), and the songs are really nicely executed.

10) Finale, A Pipe Dream and a Promise
Finale is a top-tier technician with second-tier beats and third-tier artistry. His verses are dense and exact, his voice is strong and bludgeoning. The music is serviceable, but stylistically, the production is either too distorted or too muted. And the record does not benefit from enough variety or color to really leap out of the speakers. Still, though, that rapping.

9) Jay Dee, Jay Stay Paid
If it's a Yancey record, there are going to be at least a few bangers. This didn't disappoint, what with "Coming Back," "Lazer Gunne Funke" (that's like "funk," not Tobias Funke), and "Glamour Sho75," among others. Further, Dilla's preeminence as a beatsmith might obscure that Jay Stay Paid features very satisfying performances from Blu, Black Thought, M.O.P., and MF Doom. To its detriment, though, even as an odd mixture of real songs and beat excerpts, this album is too long, containing too much filler. Might be time to let the man truly rest in peace.

8) Slaughterhouse, Slaughterhouse
On balance, it was a pretty strong year for serious rapping. There were plenty of records that stood out for the vocal performance of their respective authors. Among them, this likely loomed largest, both because of the supreme rhyming and because of the posse-cut nature. Slaughterhouse songs sounds as though the MCs have decided to team up against the music.

7) MF Doom, Born Like This
I tend to like my Doom music a little more melodic, but in some ways, Doom is always Doom. That was true once again on Born Like This.

6) Method Man & Redman, Blackout 2!
Wasn't it sad in the middle of last decade when seemingly every Method Man or Redman appearance brought with it the crummy realization that each sounded old and played out? Meth broke out of that funk in recent years, but for a while, he, in particular, seemed ready to fall off a cliff. Blackout 2! was partially so enjoyable because it was reassuring to hear two stalwarts of adolescence again rhyming like the dudes with whom I grew up. The record also knocks. Heavy-bass beats and more playful pop-friendly tracks tend to do that, especially when they can claim an obvious sonic lineage which connects to the heady days at Def Jam.

5) Tanya Morgan, Brooklynati
Here's an admittedly imperfect simile: the best Native Tongues music was distinguished, in part, by obvious group chemistry, the palpable sense that the MCs were enjoying themselves, and an appreciable positive vibe. Even serious or darker songs did not take away from the listener's meta experience of recognizing how much fun it was to listen. Tanya Morgan is like that. It's refreshing.

4) G-Side, Huntsville International
I reviewed this record not so long ago. It is very good. An excerpt:

Huntsville is not different for the sake of being so, but it also is certainly on its own. Musical regionalism is increasingly a fiction as rap music travels across artificial barriers relatively easily. There are countless examples which make this case. And yet, stereotypes can make conversation easy, and it's hard to deny that there are still specific rap modalities that immediately cry out for characterization as "southern." Huntsville again plays with these conventions, fusing active drum kits and keyboard synth arrangements with Billy Joel samples. Or bubbling club rhythms with slower, Autotuned vocal filler and effete pop choruses. Or soul samples with syncopated bongo drums and heavy doses of southern vernacular. Or famous jazz piano riffs with Project Pat vocal samples and record scratches. More than anything else, G-Side has again crafted a product that invites curiosity and rewards repeated listens.

3) DJ JS-1, Ground Original, Vol. 2: No Sell Out
Studio mixtapes made by DJs are rarely very good. They tend to feature an awkward mixture of production and an underwhelming collection of phoned-in verses. Ground Original was not another entry in this ugly catalogue. Instead, it was a spirited throwback, of sorts, largely drawing upon rap veterans to stitch together a lively, hard-edged melange of boom-bap rap. Notably, it also fused a traditional schematic--two turntables and a microphone, in effect--with the timely flair of rock samples, a sound which was surprisingly everywhere in 2009.

2) BK-One, Radio Do Canibal
Another exemplary compilation record helmed by a DJ. Purposely eschewing well-worn sonic elements, Radio Do Canibal asked a cadre of internets and underground champions (Rae, Black Thought, Murs, Phonte, Slug, Brother Ali, etc.) to rhyme over a soundscape that drew heavily from Brazilian music. The result was an intriguing, different, exceedingly proficient record that could be effortlessly kept on for hours.

1) Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II
As I've written: OB4CLII has been so thoroughly covered on the interwebs that this context-less, criminally late endorsement is functionally worthless. But that's whatever, partially because not enough good things can be written about this album.

And that's really what it is--an album. A piece of art crafted over time, produced with tremendous care, and purposely held together by narrative tropes and musical aesthetics that are cohesive. Rae put together a true modern classic: a record that is not only an homage to the way that rap records used to sound, but also a peer that can stand among them. When I first got OB4CLII, I turned the lights off in my apartment and just sat in a chair carefully listening. Then I did it a second time, because it was so engrossing. I can only count a handful of rap records from the last decade which demand that sort of treatment.

Of course, hip-hop nostalgia, like denigrating nostalgic hip-hop fans, is so played out that it's come back and departed again. But the self-conscious ramblings and collective introspection enabled by the internets, no matter which direction pulls them at a given time, will never escape the enduring truth that hip-hop used to be much better than it is today. Ten years ago, fifteen years ago, twenty years ago, rap music was better. It sounded fresher. It was insulated from the market effects that inevitably dumb down and dilute seemingly everything. It was treated less as a vehicle for riches and more as a forum for expression. The lyrics were generally more engaging, the production was more head-nod and less club zeitgeist. It was a higher-quality product. The new Rae is of that spirit, and it was pleasantly disarming to hear something so pure.

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.