Top 25 Hip-Hop Tracks of 2010

1. Joell Ortiz - Project Boy
This DJ Premier produced monster also got one of the better videos, too. But honestly, I'm a sucka for black-n-white vids...

2. The Jacka & Ampichino - Devil's Reject (f/Rydah J. Klyde)
Outside of the Bay, Jacka is seriously slept on. It doesn't help that he comes out with 10 mixtapes a year that got a lotta filler on there, but when he's got a gem, it's somethin.

3. Young Gully - 93 Freestyle (f/Pep Love, Hongry)
Another Bay cat who's slept on, he's been getting some attention this year over his Definition Of Gas and Oscar Grant tribute mixtapes. Him and Hongry absolutely destroy this old Souls of Mischief beat.

4. Curren$y - Airborne Aquarium
I never paid attention to Curren$y cuz I knew that he used to be on No Limit and Ca$h Money back in the day, but his two albums this year (Pilot Talk 1 & 2) and almost exclusive production from Ski Beatz has forced me to appreciate.

5. Celph Titled & Buckwild - Eraserheads (f/Vinnie Paz)
Buckwild gave Celph Titled a whole album of beats he made from the mid-90s. Even though Celph is a pretty average MC, the production is childproof. You could through a 7th tier Wu-affiliate from Lithuania and it would knock. Let's hope folks like DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Da Beatminerz, etc. do the same with their vaults...

6. Scarface - Lyrical Assualt (f/Malice, Mr. Low Key)
Facemob can never go wrong. Anything he's had a hand in (aka not those Rap-A-Lot ripoff compilations) is guaranteed to be decent. This is off his Dopeman mixtape.

7. Termanology & Statik Selektah - The Lottery
Don't know how this didn't make their 1982 album, as this is better than every track on that.

8. The Jacka & Lee Majors - Can't Get Enough
This is off one Jacka's 10 mixtapes from 2010.

9. Black Milk - Keep Going
A lot of people have been hating on the live instrumentation featured on Black's new album, but fuck them. Hip-hop is 30+ years old, we ain't gotta keep doin' loops and samples.

10. dead prez - Malcolm, Garvey, Huey (f/Divine)
Hearing DJ Drama scream 'Free Mumia' is probably one of the biggest bizarro moments of 2010. How did this happen? Well, dead prez did a Gangsta Grillz tape with em! Good stuff.

11. Drake - The Resistance
I know you can lose your hip-hop cred over openly liking Drake's stuff, but that's some bullshit. I don't always wanna listen to 'drill a hollow tip in a niggas head' shit. We need a break once in a while. Yeah, he's soft as hell, shit, I even kinda agree he's a label manufactured imposter, but there's been worse in the game that get acceptance. Rick Ross was a fuckin prison guard for chrissakes...

12. Smiff-n-Wessun - Follow Me
Off of Statik Selektah's 100 Proof album.

13. Ruste Juxx & Marco Polo - Pre-eXXecution 10
Real short track that was put out in the lead up to their eXXecution album, this track smashes buildings down.

14. Reks - Pray For You (The Homicide Note)
Any song that disses Obama, ringtone rap and Solaar is worth my time. Reks ain't got no self-censorship guy in his head at all. I can dig that.

15. The Left - Reporting Live (f/Guilty Simpson)
Guilty Simpsons album with Madlib was probably the biggest disapointment of the year. I'm really into Detroit hip-hop and I had high hopes for it. Fortunatly, The Left came through and dropped one of the best albums of the year. This is the best track off Gas Mask.

16. Andre Nickatina - 1 Flight (f/Lawrence W)
Most likely one of the more cheesy, but disturbing, videos I've seen in recent memory.

17. Kanye West - Devil In a New Dress (f/Rick Ross)
After 808 & Heartbreaks, Kanye really needed to redeem himself. Well, that's just what he did. He even made Rick Ross tolerable to me.

18. Joell Ortiz - Battle Cry (f/Just Blaze)
All bars, no hooks. Joell sounds like he could go another 10 minutes on this.

19. Young Gully - Heaven & Hell (f/Young D)
Gully put out a whole mixtape called The Grant Station Project, which is centered around police brutality in the Bay and specifically the Oscar Grant murder.

20. Apollo Brown - Beauty of a Day (f/The Regiment)
Detroit producer Apollo Brown had 2 excellent projects this year: The Left's album and Reset, which is all remixed tracks.

21. Big K.R.I.T. - They Got Us
K.R.I.T. made a lotta noise in circles that aren't known to have good taste in hip-hop (hipsters, Rolling Stone), but this time they're right.

22. DJ Muggs vs Ill Bill - Illuminati 666
Loony conspiracy theories over Muggs beats, what's not to like?

23. Kno - I Wish I Was Dead (f/Tonedeff)
Depressing emo-rap that sometimes make me wanna smack Kno and say get over it....but it's still amazing.

24. El Da Sensei & The Returners - Nu World

25. E-40 - I Get Down (f/B-Legit)

2010 Best Hip-Hop Albums (#14-1)

14. Freeway & Jake One - Stimulus Package





13. The Pack - Wolfpack Party





12. Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx - The eXXecution





11. Young Gully - The Grant Station Project





10. Curren$y - Pilot Talk 2





9. Termanoloy & Statik Selektah - 1982





8. Celph Titled & Buckwild - Nineteen Ninety Now





7. dead prez - Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz





6. Drake - Thank Me Later





5. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty





4. Statik Selektah - 100 Proof





3. The Left - Gas Mask





2. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy





1. Black Milk - Album Of the Year

2010 Best Hip-Hop Albums (#25-15) and Honorable Mentions

No time to compile a collection of individual songs to make up a best of collection. Nor do I have the time to drop links to these albums, but this should point you in the right direction. I'm posting my Top 25 albums plus some honorable mentions. Here we go....

Honorable Mention #5
El da Sensei & The Returners - Nu World





Honorable Mention #4
Roc Marciano - Marcberg






Honorable Mention #3
Andre Nickatina - Khan! The Me Generation






Honorable Mention #2
Stat Quo - Statlanta







Honarable Mention #1
The Jacka & Laroo - Neva Be the Same 20 Bricks: Season One

25. Ski Beatz - 24 Hour Karate School

24. E-40 - Revenue Retrievin: Day Shift/Night Shift






23. Joell Ortiz - Free Agent






22. PackFM - I F*cking Hate Rappers





21. Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives






20. DJ Muggs vs. Ill Bill - Kill Devil Hills






19. Skyzoo & Illmind - Live From the Tape Deck






18. Kno (of Cunninglynguists) - Death Is Silent






17. Big K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T. Wuz Here






16. Scarface - Dopeman Music






15. Apollo Brown - The Reset

Detroit Hip-Hop Drop Part 1

So...the Detroit hip-hop scene is by far my favorite right now. Maybe cuz it's perfectly attuned to living in medium and large sized industrial shitholes, but it makes sense where I'm at.

Here's a run down of a bunch of artists I'm diggin, along with an album link.

Black Milk

Album: Sound Of the City Volume 1

Guilty Simpson

Album: Ode to the Ghetto (2008)

Phat Kat

Album: Carte Blanche (2007)

Elzhi

Album: The Preface (2008)

Finale

Album: A Pipe Dream And A Promise (2009)

TO BE CONTINUED...

Cunninlynguists - Dirty Acres (2007)

Some laid back Southern shit. Took me a long time to even give this group a chance (the name is BULLSHIT!). But this is worth it. Some ol' sit on the porch in the country during the hot ass summer drinkin a beer muzik.

1 - Never featuring Big Rube
2 - Valley of Death
3 - Dirty Acres
4 - Kentucky (Interlude)
5 - K.K.K.Y.
6 - Wonderful featuring Devin The Dude
7 - Yellow Lines featuring Phonte and Witchdoctor
8 - The Park (Fresh Air)
9 - Summer's Gone
10 - They Call Me (Interlude)
11 - Gun featuring Sheisty Khrist
12 - Dance For Me
13 - Georgia
14 - Things I Dream
15 - Mexico featuring Club Dub

HERE

Radio 4 - Gotham! (2002)

Dance punk band from Brooklyn with some serious Gang of Four worship going on here.

1. Radio 4 - Our town (3:42)
2. Radio 4 - Start a fire (3:33)
3. Radio 4 - Eyes wide open (3:42)
4. Radio 4 - Dance to the underground (4:52)
5. Radio 4 - Struggle (3:13)
6. Radio 4 - Calling all enthusiasts (3:06)
7. Radio 4 - Save your city (3:08)
8. Radio 4 - Speaking in codes (4:14)
9. Radio 4 - Certain tragedy (3:30)
10. Radio 4 - The movies (4:03)
11. Radio 4 - End of the rope (3:04)
12. Radio 4 - Pipe bombs (6:25)
13. Radio 4 - New disco (2:49)

HERE

Max Roach - We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite (1960)

This is powerful music. A civil rights jazz album. YEAH!

01 Driva' Man - Brown, Roach - 5:10
02 Freedom Day - Brown, Roach - 6:02
03 Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace - Roach - 7:58
04 All Africa - Brown, Roach - 7:57
05 Tears for Johannesburg - Roach - 9:36

HERE

Scarface - Dopeman Music (2010)

Another one of them 'It's a mixtape not an album' deals (BULLSHIT). If you release it to stores to buy for $10 or whatever, there's no DJ's screamin on it and all the tracks are new.....it's an album, people. Regardless, it's from Mr. Jordan, so it don't let down.

01. Picking Up The Pieces
02. Dopeman Music (Feat. B. James And Monk Kaza)
03. Lyrical Assault (Feat. Malice And Mr. Lo Key)
04. FaSho Money (Skit)
05. Gwap (Feat. B. James And Monk Kaza)
06. Get Lost (Feat. B. James, Monk Kaza, And Rodney Gant)
07. The N Word
08. The Ghetto Report (Feat. B. James And Monk Kaza)
09. 2 The Beat (Feat. B. James And Monk Kaza)
10. Wanted
11. Hustle Game
12. Riff Raff (Skit)
13. In my Blood (Feat. B. James)
14. Bad Man (Feat. Papa Reu)

HERE

John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1959)

Probably as good a starter album as any if you wanna get into jazz.

1. Giant Steps
2. Cousin Mary
3. Countdown
4. Spiral
5. Syeeda's Song Flute
6. Naima
7. Mr. P.C.
8. Giant Steps (Alternate Version 1)
9. Naima (Alternate Version 1)
10. Cousin Mary (Alternate Take)
11. Countdown (Alternate Take)
12. Syeeda's Song Flute (Alternate Take)

HERE

Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959)

Been meaning to check this out for years, since the Refused basically stole the title. Kind of a 'watershed' moment for jazz, the break into avantgarde or free jazz, as I understand it.

01 - Lonely Woman (05:01)
02 - Eventually (04:22)
03 - Peace (09:02)
04 - Focus on Sanity (06:50)
05 - Congeniality (06:47)
06 - Chronology (06:04)

HERE

Charlie Parker & Miles Davis - Bluebird: Legendary Savoy Sessions (1947)

I'm not a jazz connoisseur like I am with hip-hop or hardcore punk, so I'll just say this is good stuff, people, good stuff.

01 - Billie's Bounce
02 - Now's The Time
03 - Meandering
04 - Donna Lee
05 - Chasin' The Bird
06 - Cheryl
07 - Buzzy
08 - Milestones
09 - Little Willie Leaps
10 - Half Nelson
11 - Sippin' At Bells
12 - Another Hair-Do
13 - Blue Bird
14 - Klaunstance
15 - Bird Gets The Worm
16 - Barbados
17 - Ah-Leu-Cha
18 - Constellation
19 - Parker's Mood
20 - Perhaps
21 - Marmaduke
22 - Steeplechase
23 - Merry-Go-Round

HERE

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1969)

Got into one of my jazz phases recently, which are usually short and involve either Charlie Parker or Guru's solo stuff and then that's it. But then I heard this. Wow. This is music that almost defies words and description really. This is the kind of stuff I imagine artists listening to, cooped up from the outside world and creating their masterpieces.

Side one

1. "Pharaoh's Dance" (Joe Zawinul) – 20:00

Side two

1. "Bitches Brew" – 26:59

Side three

1. "Spanish Key" – 17:29
2. "John McLaughlin" – 4:26

Side four

1. "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" – 14:04
2. "Sanctuary" (Shorter) – 10:52


HERE

Kurupt - Streetlights (2010)

It's with great hesitation that I post this or even listen to it. Kurupt probably holds the unofficial title of 'MC Who Fell Off The Worse". I pretty much gave up on him in 2005, and that was after years of decline. Maybe its because its gettin' warmer out, but thought I'd give his brand of West Coast gangsta shit another try.

1. Intro
2. Im Burnt (Ft. Problem)
3. Questions (Ft. Uncle Chucc)
4. In Gotti We Trust (Ft. Xzibit)
5. Face Down (Ft. J. Black, Tone, Terrace Martin)
6. Yessir
7. All That I Want (Ft. Snoop Dogg, J. Black)
8. Im Drunk (Ft. J. Black)
9. Scape (Ft. Terrace Martin, Virgina Slim, Big Tri)
10. Riot In The Club
11. Im The Man (Ft. J. Black, Jah Free)
12. Im Burnt (Remix) (Ft. Snoop Dogg, Roscoe, Problem)
13. Streetlights (Ft. Tone)
14. Bounce, Rock, Skate (Kurupted Mix) (Ft. Dj Drama, Snoop Dogg,Dj Quick, Terrace Martin)

HERE

WC- Guilty By Affliation (2007)

1/3 of Westside Connection, the dude who brought c-walkin to the mainstream, etc. This was pretty good, although not sure I believe Ice Cube really produced the whole album.

1. This Is Los Angeles
2. West Coast Voodoo (Feat. The Game)
3. Jack And The Bean Stalk
4. Paranoid
5. Guilty By Affiliation
6. Dodgeball (Feat. Snoop Dogg & Butch Cassidy)
7. Keep It 100
8. Crazy Toones 4 President
9. If You See A Bad Bitch
10. Look At Me
11. Side Dick
12. 80's Babies (Feat. Ice Cube)
13. Gang Injunctions
14. Addicted To It

HERE

Tha Alkaholiks - 21 & Over (1993)

Never really listened to these guys so I thought I'd finally check em out, after 13 years of being aware of them. This a good early 90s West Coast one, with Muggs/Sir Jinx type beats that were pretty prevalent back then.

01. Likwit (Feat. King Tee)
02. Only When I'm Drunk
03. Last Call
04. Can't Tell Me Shit
05. Turn Tha Party Out (Feat. Lootpack)
06. Bullshit (Feat. King Tee)
07. Soda Pop (Feat. Field Trip)
08. Make Room
09. Mary Jane
10. Who Dem Niggas (Feat. Threat)

HERE

Celly Cell - Killa Kali (1996)

It's hard for me to believe that this came in 1996. This came into my collection around 2002 and I assumed it was from 93-94, but I guess when I listen to it now it makes sense. That was around the time Mobb was gettin bigger in the Bay Area and the West Coast as a whole was moving towards a more computerized sound.

1. Round 2 (Intro)
2. What U Niggaz Thought
3. 4 tha Scrilla (Feat. E-40 & B-Legit)
4. It's Goin' Down
5. Can't Tell Me Shit
6. Tha Bullet
7. Red Rum (Feat. Spice 1)
8. Skanlezz Call
9. Scanlezz Azz Butcher
10. Remember Where You Came From
11. Killa Kali
12. Playerizm
13. Funk Season

HERE

Little Brother - The Listening (2003)

As a nearly self-identified former backpacker, I know this is blasphemy, but I never really listened to 'The Listening'. I don't know what happened. In the summer of 2005, 'The Minstrel Show' and 'The Chitlin Circuit 1.5' were in full rotation, but I never really got to this one, and haven't since....until recently. It's pretty good. Not sure if I like it more than TMS, but it's close...

1. Morning
2. Groupie Pt. 2
3. For You
4. Speed
5. What Ever You Say
6. Make Me Hot - (interlude)
7. Yo-Yo, The
8. Shorty On The Lookout
9. Love Joint Revisited
10. So Fabulous
11. Way You Do It, The
12. Roy Lee Producer Extraordinaire - (interlude)
13. Getup, The
14. Away From Here
15. Nobody But You
16. Home - (interlude)
17. Nighttime Maneuvers
18. The Listening

HERE