I haven’t been in the bloggy blog mood lately, but I’m gonna try and fight thru these doldrums. It helps me to read some other weblogs to get my fire back up [ll]. In this case I didn’t have to look any further than my homie Combat Jack over at the X-spot. CJ dropped a best of 2009 list and naturally he forgot to name some of the seminal joints that made 2009 so fux’n dope. No Cudi? No Mos Def?!?
I should have expected CJ to front on Kid Cudi because that shit is too futuristic for most music heads, but to hold off on Brooklyn’s own Black Dante when he is among the top 5 emcees in the game right now? I just hope Combat Jack isn’t getting payola from the Thornton brothers because if he is he better cash that check quick. The Clipse money ain’t that long after all.
I can’t put a mixtape in the best album list even tho’ mixtapes by Sean Price and Raekwon were better than most of the albums dropped this year. The only problem with mixtapes is that they don’t have to go thru all the politricks that albums have to in order to be released, particularly sample clearance issues. For this reason I can’t let mixtapes exist on the same list as albums.
So here’s the best 2009 albums list you will read anywhere on the internets…
DOOM – ‘Born Like This’
This would be in the top five list of albums even if it dropped 10 years from now. This album kicked down the door for old man rap that allowed Jay-Z and Raekwon to flourish later in the year. Musically and lyrically it was the most retro-futuristic album I listened to in a long time. DOOM reigned supreme in 2009.
‘Gazillion Ear’
‘That’s That’
‘Yessir’ featuring Raekwon
Raekwon – ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Links 2’
Raekwon is one of my favorite artists of all time. What he managed to do with this CD was no small feat. He captured the essence and the energy of the first ‘Cuban Linx’ album but he also managed to make this new music sound current and very 2009 instead of outdated and out of place.
‘House Of Flying Daggers’ featuring Inspectah Deck, Ghostface and Method Man
Mos Def – ‘Ecstatic’
This was a slept on masterpiece. I wish thgat more of the people that LOVED this album would have spoken early and often about it. Mos Def is the most important artist in Hip-Hop right now because of his overall talent and ability to translate that talent into any medium. Mos Def makes Hip-Hop possible for artists like Kanye West, Kid Cudi and Drake. Maybe that’s a reason for some of you to h8 Mos, but at the end of the day he is the rap messiah.
‘Casa Bey’
‘Revelations’
Eminem – ‘Relapse’
Guess who’s bizzack?
Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End Of Days’
I fux with Kid Cudi. He helped KanYe craft a classic with the ‘808s and Heartbreak’ CD and now he released his own near classic album. As soon as I get another video camera I will resume my kid Cudi fanboy video series inspired by the songs from MOTM. You won’t want to miss that.
‘Alive’
‘Enter Galactic’
‘Simple As’
50 Cent – ‘Before I Self Destruct’
I am not going to lie and say that I gave this album its just due when I first listened to it because I didn’t. I’m just not into 50 Cent anymore. The shelf life of the 50 Cent character wore out mad quick for me, but when I listened to this album on the second and third spins I finally got it. I got it musically, and I got it lyrically. The 50 Cent album is Black man therapy for anger management. Instead of going out into the world and punching people in the face you are supposed to listen to this album. And it works too.
SlaughterHouse – ‘Slaughterhouse’
SH was Hip-Hop’s return to highly lyrical boom bap rap. Not too many people got it, and of those who fux with this type of rap even less bought the actual CD. I thought this was a great project for Hip-Hop, but then again I swore up and down that Asher Roth was a great project for summer vacay frat pack rap. I just wish SlaughterHouse had done Asher Roth numbers.
Method Man and Redman – ‘Blackout 2’
More old man rap for the win.
‘4 Minutes 2 Lockdown’ featuring Raekwon and Ghostface
Wale – ‘Attention Deficit’
I liked the Wale album on tracks where he was alone. I think all the guest features on this album would make most listeners ask who the hell is Wale? Is he a rapper, or does he have a talk show where other rappers and singers come to sit on his couch and perform so he can compile that shit onto an album? I believe Wale is better than that, but then again, what the fux do I know?
‘Triumph’
‘Prescription’
Jay-Z – ‘Blueprint 18’
I absolutely h8’d the idea of naming this album ‘Blueprint’. It’s lazy. But so is Jay-Z. This album at least gave us lazer beam rap. I predict this genre will be uber-popular in the next decade as the Jay-Z acolytes start to propagate and record their own rap songs.
‘Ghetto Techno’
Needs Moar Queensbridge.
Common is so fucking insufferable on the mic in all ways I can’t fux with Kid Cudi, tho’ I otherwise admire (if not actively enjoy) his futurism. Too bad he didn’t get, say, Ving Rhames instead.
I understand the business of (s)Laughterhouse– all those dudes need something– and maybe if I’d not wasted hours of my past life listening to ‘supergroup’ dogshit (even Army of the Pharoahs when I was checking on Chief Kamachi, the Philly poor man’s Killah Priest) I’d tolerate it but wow… ALL those words, so little… anything?
I still hold out hope Joell can bear down and craft a great ALBUM instead of turning into the (thankfully unjailed) Ras Kass of Williamsburg but I ain’t betting even a Graham Ave cannoli it’ll happen.
***
1. Raekwon OB4CL2
2. Eminem “Relapse”
3. Mos Def “The Ecstatic”
4. Buckshot & KRS-One “Survival Skills”
5. U-God “Dopium”
6. Cam’Ron “Crime Pays”
7. Ghostface “Wizard Of Poetry”
8. 50 BISD
9. Doom “Born Like This”
10. Blaq Poet “Blaqprint”
Honorable Mention: Wu Tang “Chamber Music,” MOP (can someone erase fucking Termanology from my copy?), Blackout 2 (Mef needs more content)
Mixtapes: “Kimbo Price” and General Steele, “Welcome to Bucktown”
Still ain’t listened to but should: Cormega
I’m sorry DP, I usually agree with you but there are a bunch of albums better than both 50’s and Wale’s:
Brother Ali – Us
Meth & Red – Blackout! 2
Dilla – Jay Stay Paid
Wu-Tang – Chamber Music
UGK 4 Life
Skyzoo – The Salvation
Blame One – Days Chasing Days
etc..
Oh, and “Ghetto Techno” isn’t on BP3.. Praise be to Allah.
That DOOM album was on point. Yessir is just an ill track and Cellz had me stopping to re-listen to it the first time I heard it. Slaughterhouse’s ‘Microphone’ is def a standout. CHeers
The 50 Cent album is Black man therapy for anger management. Instead of going out into the world and punching people in the face you are supposed to listen to this album. And it works too.
^
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You not feelin the Thornton brothers’ music dP?
No street hop?
I’m listed out…
But Only Built…2, BISD, & Born Like This are in heavy rotation as of yesterday.
^oh, & Blackout!2
WSW,
You always rep hardbody for Duckdown projects. Respect.
Dom C,
True dat Ghetto techno ain’t on Bp3, but ZI feel like that track sums up the direction of Bp3 and the Lazer Rap movement in general.
Smear,
I don’t feel like the Clipse made a joint to crack the top 10, albeit I haven’t spun the whole disk, but the tracks I’ve heard except for two(2) have been meh. I’ll admit that the Neptunes did a better job giving Clipse a sound that wasn’t all cartoonish but I’m not a super Clipse fan. Am I missing something special? Send me a link to the album.
Grand$,
How in the hell can you be “listed out”?!? This is Hip-Hop after all and lists are one of the 10 elements of Hip-Hop, along with graffiti, breakdancing, deejaying, rocking fat laces, Ernie Paniccioli, ghostwriting rhymes, slapping up hos, wearing saggy pants and eating chicken fingers.
DP,
I’m just listed out. Too many good albums, too many thoughts…sobriety is a tiring thing sometimes. Takes the “uumph” outta that ass. [||].
& you forgot “beatboxing in the shower” & “using rubbing alcohol instead of after-shave”
The growl at the start of BISD just starts the day right, especially if driving.
Re: Duckdown, I guess I’d give Torae + Marco Polo an honorable mention, tho’ I am worried about Torae like I am with Joell: ** NOBODY CARES ** about “real” hip-hop as a lyrical dialectic. Real is working overnights at a 24 hour Pathmark, etc. For the most part, Torae does his thing but there’s one song at the end of that record that’s just awful.
I’ve been trying to give Skyzoo a chance but I dunno… too much Jay inflection, not enough musical variety, tho’ he’s certainly a thoughtful dude with the pen. Any insights, Dom?
U-God “Train Tussle” for ya’ll who missed it–
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yRX6p1oKbg
WSW,
You reflect my thoughts on Skyzoo exactly. He is a good dude too, as well as Torae, but I don’t have enough space on my plate for them right now.
Fashawn’s Boy Meets World, Exile’s Radio and Tanya Morgan’s Brooklynati were all slept on. I think Ghost’s album was unfairly maligned by some. It is a shame that some mixtapes from artists were better than their albums. I really felt Back To The Feature was better than Attention Defficit.
And ohh shit, Camp Lo’s Another Heist? Did anyone bump that? The leaks were dope and my boy said it was good as well. Lastly, I think the Soul Of Mischief’s album was dope as well.
@Victor
Yeah, I heard half of ‘Montezuma’s Revenge’. I liked it, but I’ve been a HieroHead[||] since Ice Cube let the world know that Del tha Funkee Homosapien was his cousin, like ’92. So, I’m prA’li biased. I can see why a lot of people didn’t fux with it, though.
best song of 09 the ODB tribute from ob4cl2 ason jones is a timeless song
I love that you love Cudi as much as I do DP…makes me feel a lil less alone in my craziness. Cudi, OB4CLII and Ecstatic were the only CDS on your list i bought last year. I would’ve bought Wale but I couldn’t find it anywhere other than itunes. My brother got if for me for xmas though and as much as I love Wale I’m not really feeling Attention Deficit. Your point about guest features is spot on. My favorite mixtape of 09 was Blu – Her Fav Colour. It’s short but I enjoy trying to figure out all the film references.
I agree w/Bignat too. I love that Raekwon has an entire song about how much he loved ODB and never felt the need to say no homo.
dang, I say love a lot. lol. oh well.
@ Grands
True, i think it was very heavily slept on!
Personally im not much of a cudi fan, his lyrical deficiencies are a bit much for me.
I liked 50’s joint very much. Just was disappointed that he REFUSES to grow beyond his lame. Terminator rap is so 2002.
@ Victor
How are those Brooklynati & Camp Lo spinnas? Worthy?
super c/s on that Ason Jones(II jic).
As for BISD, I made my own version:
1.The Invitation
2. Crime Wave
3. Shut Your Bloodclot Mouth
4. Redrum Murder
5. Strong Enough(fave)
6. I’ll Do Anything
7. Psycho f/Eminem
8. Flight 187
9. I Line N*ggas
10. Death To My Enemies
11. Gangstas Delight
12. Respect It Or Check It
13. I Gotta Win
14. They Burn Me
Sounds WAAAAAAYYYYY better. Top 5 album IMO the way I did it.
Dude. I can not get around ‘Psycho’. That fucking song is just not my cup of coffee. I tried to like it, & maybe it’s Em’s fault, but No Dice.
^^^& in case somebody’s thinking, “Why, Grands?”, let me say I have no idea. It’s like when you can’t tell if it’s your balls itching, or your inner thigh, so you scratch both & then try to ignore it. [||].
^ HA!
Just like one can notice I left “So Disrespectful” off of the list. 50 is the last person on the planet who needs to make a diss record.
^^”ya homies shoot dogs (doors?), my homies shoot people…”
That shit had me rolling the first time I heard it!
Yo Syk they are defo worth spins. Brooklynati wont knock you in your face with standouts but it has like no poor tracks and features a stellar feature from Blu. One of my fav lp’s from last year no doubt.
I’ve only been bumpin Camp Lo’s a couple days but it is a good throwback. If your a fan, defo worth checkin out.
Good looking out Vic. I’ma give a listen. The Camp have always been on my radar.
nhjic
That Raekwon joint was way bulky man. What happened to “kids that rich”? That PR shit shouldve been on that record and chef murdered it
cosign for the most part…..especially Clipse…i was excited about i initially but it has way too much technicolor (no dreamcoat) for me….
..but son, why has no one this year, save for Aussie Rob, spoke of the magnificence that was ‘Born N Raised’!!?? Cormega made the album Nas was supposed to make.
HOW CORMEGA GET 2 PRIMO BANGAS BUT NEITHER JAY NOR NASIR CAN GET 1?……
….My top Whatever (in an everchanging order)
DOOM
MegaMontana
Mos
MummRa Hov
MOP
QTip
Raekwon
Ross
50
Camron
Fab
Ghost (it grew on me)
Cudi (” ” “)
Slaughterhouse
Damn…. it was a ligtweight amazing year fr Hip Hop…
…and surprisingly (or not) the Old Guy Rap contingent kinda ran circles around the yungins, project-wise…
ok im done..
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…
..
…….
….Mega! -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l95Rsg5cbX4
jay z really tried a techno hiphop please hang it up like jordan playing for the wizards sorry dc.
ghetto techno was never on BP3 and how u call jay z lazy fool had one of da best records out in 09. Raekwons OB4CL2 was da best album dis year.
I’d like a CuDi lp without his vocals for Christmas 2010. I sorta dig his instros. Sucky vocalist (ie. rapper), however.
don’t sleep on Fashawn 2009 Boy Meets World. Album of the year.
If you ignore because Fashawn is merely 21, pls note
1 Nas was 21 when Illmatic dropped (not saying Fashawn is on Nas’ level, just saying)
2 You are equally as ageist as those who refuse to listen to 40+ rappers just because of age, like KRS or Joe Camel
Top 2009 HH Albums
4.5/5 classic
1 Fashawn (CA) “Boy Meets World”
4.0/5 excellent
2 Funky DL (UK) “The Interview”
3.5/5 very good
3 Funky DL (UK) “J Dilla Dedication To The Fairer Sex”
4 Black Noise (OH) “The Black Noise LP”
5 Nicolay (Netherlands) “City Lights Vol 2 Shibuya”
6 Delinquent Habits (CA) “The Common Man
7 Torae & Marco Polo (NY) “Double Barrel”
3.0/5 good
8 Elevated Ruffians (CA) “The Magnificent Soul LP”
9 Cunninlynguists (KY) “Strange Journey Vol 2”
10 Cunninlynguists (KY) “Strange Journey Vol 1”
11 Q-Tip (NY) “Kamaal The Abstract”
12 Termanology (MA) “If Heaven Was A Mile Way (A Tribute To J Dilla)
2.5/5 decent albums that got 1 spin & got deleted/weren’t worth keeping: Brother Ali, Eminem, Finale, Jay-Z, KRS-One & Buckshot, Mos Def, POS, Raekwon, Rakim, Termanology “Time Machine”, Toki Wright, yU
Thanks to Dart’s crew bloggerhouse.net, & rateyourmusic.com. Without these 2 great free resources for discovering slept-on good albums, I’d prolly be 1 of the insufferable “hip hop sucks now” cryers.
Check the geographical diversity. A person that only listens to 1 region, like east coast, these days is prolly gonna be 1 of the cryers.
EGC,
I’m not paying your list any mind since you don’t use the word ‘prA’li’
my bad