Song of the Day

Nottz feat. Royce Da 5'9" & Snoop Dogg - "Never Caught Slippin'"
Dope track from Nottz's You Need This Music. Of course the production is on point as Nottz has laced everyone from Busta, De La Soul, Xzibit, Scarface, 50 Cent, Ghostface, M.O.P. and the list keeps going. Royce is the lyrical heavyweight on this track, but Nottz holds his own to open the track. Snoop wraps things up in classic Snoop Dogg fashion, even dropping a "Biotch!" for good measure.

Enjoy this shit and I'll be back in a week. In the meantime, go back and find some good hip-hop to listen to.

Song of the Day

Reks - "How Can It Be"
After hearing "This Or That" from Reks' mixtape Between The Lines last year, I wanted to hear some more. He released two mixtapes in 2010 and then released the fantastic R.E.K.S. this spring, making him one of my favorite new MCs. Little did I know how far back his catalog went. This track is from his 2008 album Grey Hairs and Reks was just as lethal on the mic in '08 as he is in 2011. So many dope tracks on this disc, including "How Can It Be," which is some straight hip-hop. Great sample and Reks is on point lyrically. You need to peep this kid's catalog if you're not familiar with him.

Song of the Day

Common - "Be (Intro)"
I referenced this song in the Best of 2005 list and had to share it with all of you. If you haven't heard it, you're in for a treat. If you have heard it, listen again. It's amazing. The slow buildup is tremendous and Common's verse is incredible. This song makes me happy to be a hip-hop fan. It's just so good.

The Best Hip-Hop Songs & Albums: 2005

Before we get rolling on The Best of 2005, I want to mention a few songs that I cut from the list that deserve special recognition. First is Blackalicious’ “Supreme People,” from their 3rd album The Craft. The album scored very high marks from critics, however, I would rank it as their 3rd best album. In fact, I’d rank them in order with Nia as No. 1, Blazing Arrow at No. 2 and then The Craft. “Supreme People” was my favorite song off the disc and was on this list at one point, but got bumped.

I also had One Be Lo’s “The Ghetto” on the list, but I just heard that song for the first time earlier this year. My brother got me Binary Star’s Masters of the Universe and One Be Lo’s S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. for my birthday because I had slept on them for so long. I love, love, LOVE, “The Ghetto,” it belongs on the Best Songs list. But I can’t pretend I’ve been listening to it for the past 6 years and include it on the list. Wouldn’t be the right thing to do. So a very Honorable Mention to One Be Lo’s fantastic “The Ghetto.”

Now let’s see what did make the list, shall we….

Best Songs

20. “Sittin’ Sidewayz” – Paul Wall
My goodness there was a lot of hip-hop coming out of the South in 2005. Young Jeezy, Lil’ Wayne, Slim Thug, Bun B, Three 6 Mafia, Geto Boys, Chamillionaire, David Banner and Paul Wall all dropped albums in 2005. For an East Coast and underground hip-hop fan, that’s too much Dirty South for me. Not that it’s all bad, but it just felt like oversaturation in ’05. But there was something about Paul Wall that I liked. He wasn’t a lyrical giant by any stretch of the imagination, and I found his buddy Mike Jones to be pretty damn annoying. But Paul Wall seemed true to himself, rhymed about pretty basic shit and was easy to digest. This song has a great beat on it and it was certainly one of my favorite Dirty South joints from 2005.

19. “The Mask” – Danger Doom feat. Ghostface Killah
Had a tough decision to make here, as this song and “Old School” featuring Talib Kweli, were both terrific songs off of Danger Mouse and MF Doom’s Cartoon Network inspired collaboration. I gave this song the nod, because I remember how excited I was to hear Ghost and Doom together on the same track. And I liked that both were masked MC’s which played right into the whole cartoon inspired album. But don’t get it twisted, this is still some genuine hip-hop.

18. “Good Morning” – Cage
This was another tough call for me as I really liked Cage’s “Subtle Art of the Breakup Song.” The story on that song is straight up nasty. But this track was a great way to kick-off Hell’s Winter and I remember being drawn in immediately. Cage made his Def Jux debut on this disc and touched upon that spittin’, “My style was sick and homeless, freezing and stuck/’Til Def Jux stuffed them G’s in my cup.”

17. “I’m Supposed To Die Tonight” – 50 Cent
50 released The Massacre in 2005, which was a huge letdown after Get Rich Or Die Trying. There was too much filler on that disc to stand up to his classic debut. The singles didn’t do much for me, as “Disco Inferno” was decent, but nothing memorable and I absolutely despise “Just A Lil’ Bit.” To this day I can not stand that song. People love that track and I can’t understand why. The beat on that song may be one of the most annoying I’ve ever heard. Seriously, I’m getting angry just thinking about that awful song. Fuck, I just listened to it again to make sure I wasn’t over exaggerating and I had to turn it off as soon as possible. That song SUCKS! Anyway, this was my favorite song off The Massacre.

16. “Where’s Your Girlfriend At?” – Blueprint
The saxophones on this song are absolutely tremendous. I love Blueprint’s humor on this song as well. The entire 1988 album was really nice, but this was my favorite track off the disc. Blueprint drops “I may not bag a dime piece in my life, but as long as two 5’s still add up to 10 then I still have options every Friday night.”

15. “Still Lives Through” – Little Brother
Little Brother always paid homage to the Native Tongue sound and this song was a perfect example of that as a sequel to A Tribe Called Quest’s “God Lives Through” off Midnight Marauders, even sampling the same hook. Pooh attacks the track from the outset and then Phonte brings some absolute heat. And of course 9th Wonder brings another hip-hop banger.

14. “Woman Tonight” – Felt
The thought of two of my favorite rappers collaborating for an album had me geeked. And believe me I couldn’t have been more excited for a Murs and Slug album, but the first installment of the Felt series left me a little disappointed. Not that it wasn’t good, it just didn’t live up to my expectations. Murs and Slug got back together in ’05 to drop Felt 2: A Tribute To Lisa Bonet and once again came up a little short in my opinion. It’s really hard to say that considering how much I’ve loved both of their catalogs, but neither Felt album was better than any Murs solo project, Murs & 9th Wonder project or Atmosphere disc. This song was really nice, however, as both MCs touch on one-night stands after shows and the loneliness that accompanies those experiences. Not your typical “I’m a pimp” bullshit.

13. “Nothing Without You” – Pigeon John
Pigeon John flips a sample of Jim Croce’s “Lovers Cross” to perfection. John has never been touted as a lyrical giant, but he does make very relatable songs. I’m a huge fan of his music and can appreciate that he doesn’t take himself too seriously, but can make some introspective music. There have been questions over the meaning of the song, whether it’s referring to a girl, music or God. I’ve always thought it was about love, God, and the Bible. The fact that it can have different meanings to different people makes the song that much better.

12. “When I’m Gone” – Eminem
This song was a bonus track for Em’s Curtain Call: Greatest Hits album. After the clustercuss that was 2004’s Encore, it was nice to get back to the heartfelt, introspective Eminem. He has made several songs for his daughter and this is one of the most open and honest tracks he’s done. I loved this track when it dropped. I’ve kind of forgotten about it since, but was glad to go back and listen to it again. He hits on having to leave his daughter to go on tour and his relationship with Kim spiraling out of control. It even hits on his drug addiction. Em has always given us an open look into his life and this song is no exception.

11. “Get Fly” – Atmosphere
Lots of great tracks to pick from Atmosphere’s 2005 offering, You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having. As always, Slug brings some great narratives and Ant provides some of my favorite production of the group’s catalog. This track always made me feel good. It’s upbeat, it’s got a feel good vibe and of course it has a deeper meaning than a casual listen would pick up on. Love the hook as well, as Slug spits, “When I get some money I’m a buy me some time.”

10. “Remember The Name” – Fort Minor
This song has been used for everything. NBA playoffs, Friday Night Lights, the trailer for the remake of The Karate Kid, the trailer for Gridiron Gang, the trailer for Fighting, a commercial for the Grammys, seriously, it’s been used for everything. And it’s really dope. The beat is instantly recognizable at this point, but the lyrics were nice as well. Mike Shinoda gets a big assist from Styles of Beyond on this, but he still holds his own. This is a great song to get you amped for anything.

9. “Here I Stand (The Streets Been Good To Me)” – Smif-N-Wessun
I absolutely love the sample on this track. I don’t know where it’s from, but it’s really, really dope. Great beat on this one as well. And of course there’s Steele & Tek spittin’ fire on this. It’s an ode to the streets which is right up Smif-N-Wessun’s ally. The hook on this track is among my favorites, “Here I stand/Before you a man/Nothing less, nothing more that’s all that I am/Death before dishonor the brand/You understand?/Street’s been good to me.”

8. “Safe 2 Say” – Fat Joe
A Just Blaze banger. One of my favorite Blaze beats and that’s saying something. The Chuck D. sample is tremendous and the beat is enough to break your neck. Joe comes hard on this track as well, which was much needed after “What’s Love,” which wasn’t his proudest moment (even though it definitely sold records). This track took me back to his better days. This is how I like my hip-hop. Bangin’ beat, great sample scratched for the hook and some in-your-face shit. It’s nice.

7. “The Corner” – Common
Jesus this track is nice. Kanye brought an amazing beat for Common to spit over and Com delivers in every way. This is an incredible look at life on the streets as Common paints so many vivid pictures with his lyrics. “We talk shit, play lotto and buy German beers.” I love that line. And adding the Lost Poets was genius, as they tie the song together perfectly.

6. “Mic Check” – Juelz Santana
I was not a big Santana fan when he first dropped. I liked his appearance on Cam’ron’s “Oh Boy,” but in general I didn’t like The Diplomats at all. I thought they created a bad brand of rap music and weren’t very original at all. In fact, I hated the “Ay!” bullshit they always did. It was just horrendous. But this song knocks. Juelz shows why he had so much hype on this track. The beat is terrific and Santana brings the heat on the mic. This song won me over and convinced me to buy his What The Game’s Been Missing album. The disc was okay, had a little too much of the stupid bullshit that turned me away from the Diplomats to begin with, but it did have its moments. None brighter than this one (although the album version is slightly different than the single version).

5. “How We Do” – Game feat. 50 Cent
I’ve been a fan of this song since the first time I heard it. I was already going to include it on this list, but did debate “Hate It or Love It” as my choice off The Documentary. This past Saturday night I got in my car and popped in an old mix CD and the first song to come on was “How We Do.” It reminded me why I loved it in the first place, not that I really needed to be reminded, but it’s such a great song. And 50 was tremendous on this song. I haven’t been able to say that a lot since his debut album, but there’s no denying 50 on this track. “Gotta sick vendetta/To get this chedda/Meet my ba-retta/The dra-ma setta/Sip Am-a-retta/My flow sounds betta/Than average/On tracks I’m a savage/I damage/Any n-gga tryin’ to front on my click.” Oh and the beat is one of the best of ’05 with ease.

4. “Ms. Hill” – Talib Kweli
This is one of the greatest tribute songs you’ll find. Talib shows his love to Lauryn Hill and shows his appreciation for what she has done for his career, as well as what her music has done to inspire young black women. Talib spits, “You give us hope, you give us faith, you the one/They don’t like what you got to say but still they beg you to come.” Kweli sings the hook over a sample on top of a piano that is goose bump inducing. Seriously, I could listen to this song every single day and love it for the rest of my life. It’s as genuine as you’ll ever find. I don’t know if there’s a song that better shows off Talib’s abilities, as he plays story teller, spitter and lyricist all in one, while pouring his heart out at the same time.

3. “Yes Yes Y’all” – Geto Boys
I love “The G-Code,” but I had to go with this song off the Geto Boys’ The Foundation. I remember seeing the video for this and being souped up that Scarface, Willie D. and Bushwick Bill were all together again. The beat is a banger and all three MC’s drop some hard street shit. Willie D. spits one of my favorite lines, “Hoe n-ggas make me hotter than Tabasco/Play with my money I’ma kick you in your asshole.” It’s not thought provoking or life changing, but the way Willie spits it, it’s perfect. This song is hard as hell, but it’s also a lot of fun.

2. “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” – Kanye West
Nothing was more highly anticipated in 2005 than Kanye’s follow-up to his classic debut The College Dropout which came out the year before. After “Through The Wire” and “Slow Jamz” and “All Falls Down” and “Jesus Walks” and “New Workout Plan” (my goodness, Kanye dropped a lot of singles off that disc!) we all wondered what sound he’d go with for his first single from his sophomore effort. In typical Kanye fashion, he flipped it on us once again, using a Shirley Bassey sample from her song “Diamonds Are Forever,” the theme song for the James Bond movie of the same name, to set up another instant smash hit. “Gold Digger” would go on to be the biggest single off the album, but I can remember the day I heard “Diamonds” so clearly that it’s stuck with me to this day. I was working at the liquor store and one of the local hip-hop & R&B stations played the track 3 times in a row as it made its debut. I stood right next to the radio for all three versions and it was a definite “Wow!” moment for me

1. “Feel It In The Air” – Beanie Sigel
This is one of my favorite songs ever. Beanie elaborates on his verse off “Streets Is Talking” and goes into detail on being able to sense a friend’s deceit. The horns sound like something from Boyz N The Hood which is really dope. Beans is on point lyrically, flipping Scarface’s verse from “Minds Playing Tricks On Me,” by spitting, “I sit alone in my 4 cornered room staring at hammers/Ready to go bananas/2 vests on me/Techs, extra clips on me/I know my mind ain’t playin’ tricks on me.” And then there’s the line that my boy D loves, “I’m still afloat/I ain’t the captain of the yacht, but I’m on the boat.” This song takes me back to a great time in my life, just after college when we would have house parties all the time and life was so simple. I will always take a journey back to those days when I hear this song and it will make me smile. As a big Beanie Sigel fan, I couldn’t pick a better song to highlight his career. I rap along with Beans every time this song comes on and I’m sure I always will.

Best Albums

10. Hell’s Winter – Cage
I don’t like everything Cage does, but when he’s on he can be really good. This album had some abstract, weird shit that I didn’t care for as much which comes with the territory with Cage. The album starts in tremendous fashion with “Good Morning” and closes with the terrific title track. The other real standout on this disc is “Subtle Art Of The Breakup Song” which details a drug-influenced drive with his girlfriend that leads to a fatal car crash. The lyrics are very vivid and the beat is chilling.

9. 1988 – Blueprint
Printmatic throws it back to the old school with this disc, as evidenced by the title. Blueprint brings the humor on “Big Girls Need Love Too,” kicks it old school on “Boombox” and “Inner-City-Native-Son” touches on growing up in less than ideal circumstance as he spits, “His only babysitter was a TV screen.” The album brings a very nostalgic feel, features plenty of lyrical gems, has great production and is a lot of fun to listen to.

8. The B. Coming – Beanie Sigel
Obviously this song opens in grand fashion as the No. 1 song of 2005 is the first track on the disc. But Beans keeps up the pace for the majority of the album. “I Can’t Go On This Way” deals with Beans personal struggles as he spits, “We make chips off this gift that we cursed with/And then my mind drifts, am I defeating the purpose?/Cause you feel like shit when you miss your son’s first shit/But who gonna pay the bills, supply the meals, no surplus/My baby momma give me drama on the daily/Like she makin’ it barely and my kids is eatin’ rarely.” It’s lines like these that have always given Mac great appeal to me. Great guest spots on here as well, including Grand Puba and Sadat X on the Just Blaze produced “Bread & Butter” and Jay-Z on “It’s On,” but it’s the Rell assisted “Look At Me Now” and Cam’ron cameo on “Wanted” that sealed the deal for me.

7. The Minstrel Show – Little Brother
An excellent, cohesive follow-up to the groups’ terrific debut album, it opens with some of Phonte’s dopest lines on “Beautiful Morning” and effortlessly blends right into “The Becoming” where ‘Te drops more gems. Pooh, Phonte & 9th Wonder never let up, dropping great track after another. Phonte even shows off his vocal chops on the hilarious “Cheatin’” where he does his best Ron Isley impression. Elzhi stops by on “Hiding Place” and LB favorite Joe Scudda drops a verse for the fantastic “Lovin’ It,” which would’ve been on my Best Songs list if it wasn’t for “Still Lives Through.”

6. The Rising Tied – Fort Minor
I couldn’t have been more surprised by an album than Mike Shinoda’s solo effort. I’ve never really been a Linkin Park fan, I don’t hate them or anything, just don’t go out of my way to listen to their shit. But this album had some great hip-hop on it. It actually had four of my favorite songs of 2005 on it. I already mentioned “Remember The Name” above but the album had so many more gems on it. Not surprisingly the guests on the album steal the show from Shinoda, but when you get Black Thought, Common and Styles of Beyond on your record it’s not hard to guess why. Gotta give credit to Shinoda for sharing the mic with them. Black Thought has one of my favorite verses of the year on “Right Now.” “Where’d You Go” got this record some commercial attention and it is a terrific, heartfelt song. Shinoda’s finest moments come on “Cigarettes” and “Kenji” while John Legend brings his butter smooth vocals to “High Road,” another one of my favorites.

5. The Foundation – Geto Boys
I already described my excitement for the Geto Boys reunion in the Best Songs portion and I can say that the album lived up to my expectations. “Declaration of War” is the perfect song to kick off the album, only to be followed by the great “Yes Yes Y’all.” Then there’s the Scarface solo cut, which he also produced, “G-Code.” You may’ve heard this one on a recent car commercial. Shit is so hard. Face talks about snitching over one of the best beats of ’05. “Yes Yes Y’all” was my favorite song of ’05 at one point, so that’s why it remains on the Best Songs list. But if that song wasn’t around “G-Code” would take the No. 3 spot in its place. It’s that good. “When It Gets Gangsta,” “What?” and “Real N-gga Shit” are some more gangsta anthems, which always sound good coming from Face, Willie D. and Bushwick Bill. They also get introspective on “I Tried” discussing everything from breast cancer to having their kids taken from them and “Leanin’ On You” which finds Bushwick reflecting on a suicide attempt and thanking God for being the only one that’s strong enough to hold him up.

4. You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having – Atmosphere
From a straight hip-hop production standpoint, this may be my favorite Atmosphere record. Ant brought so many great beats for this album and Slug feels right at home over them. The Family Sign is certainly more advanced, thanks to the addition of two live musicians, but in terms of hip-hop production Ant is tremendous on this one. “The Arrival” is a celebratory opener, “Panic Attack” and “Watch Out” are upbeat, boom-bap tracks and “Musical Chairs” has that traditional Atmosphere sound. That’s just the start of the album. Things get even better from there, as “Say Hey There,” “Pour Me Another,” “Smart Went Crazy,” “That Night,” “Get Fly,” and “Little Man” are among the best songs of the groups career. “Pour Me Another” deals with Slug’s drinking addiction, “That Night” deals with the grisly details surrounding the night an Atmosphere fan was raped and murdered at one of their shows with Slug torn on whether to even write the song but feeling compelled to address the issue and “Little Man” is Slug’s ode to his father, his son and his reflections as both a father and son, where he finishes by saying to himself, “Your son says, ‘Hi dad’/Your dad says, ‘What’s up?’/And me, I wanna thank you, but I won’t, I’ll just say, ‘Good Luck.’”

3. The Documentary – The Game
When this dropped it received praise reserved for classics. Now, six years later, I can tell you that it’s not a classic. But it did get heavy rotation in ’05 and certainly was a nice return back to the days of The Chronic and All Eyez On Me, sprinkled with a touch of Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, thanks to 50’s heavy influence on the disc. The album started in classic fashion, it just runs out of steam a bit towards the end. “Westside Story,” “Dreams,” “Hate It Or Love It,” “Higher,” “How We Do,” the title track, “We Ain’t,” and “Like Father, Like Son” are all top-notch, while “Don’t Need Your Love,” “Church For Thugs,” and “Start From Scratch” are all really good. Game did way too much name dropping on the album, which has been the biggest criticism of his career. But he is a good rapper, this just isn’t on the same level as Illmatic or Ready To Die, even though Game talks about those albums over and over again.

2. Be – Common
Common finally got his just due on this disc, thanks in large part to his affiliation with Kanye West. Common had been one of the best MCs in the game for over 10 years before this disc was released, but never got noticed. Better late than never, right? The album intro is simply amazing. If it was more than 2:24 long it may’ve surpassed “The Corner” on the Best Songs list. “Go!” features vocals from John Mayer of all people, but it works as Kanye’s production makes the song come together beautifully. “Faithful” is more soulful music from Common, before the outstanding “Testify” which has an incredibly dope sample courtesy of Kanye and Common at his best as storyteller weaving a tale of deceit. The second half of the album slows down just a tad, with the exception of the fantastic “Chi-City,” but it’s still really good music. My only real complaint is not including a studio version of “The Food.” It was a tremendous performance on Chappelle’s Show, but I have that shit on DVD. I want a true audio version of the track. I know it’s nitpicking, but I’m very particular about this shit.

1. Late Registration – Kanye West
As good as Kanye’s production was on Common’s album, he saved his best for his own album. Sophomore slump? Not even close. Kanye brought it again on this disc, leaving us to debate which album was better: The College Dropout or Late Registration? I’ve always leaned towards College Dropout because of the impact it had on me as a fan and on Kanye’s career, but I certainly wouldn’t fault anyone for siding with Late Registration. I give major props to Kanye for branching out and taking a chance by sharing production credits with Jon Brion for a more polished sound and for starting the album with an Adam Levine collaboration. As for the album, the highlights are “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Touch The Sky” (featuring a super hungry Lupe Fiasco), “Gold Digger” (one of Kanye’s biggest songs ever), “Drive Slow,” “Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)” with a show stealing verse from Jay-Z, “We Major” featuring the one and only Nas, “Hey Mama” (one of my favorite Kanye tracks ever), and the amazing “Gone” featuring Cam’ron and Consequence. I didn’t even talk about the Gil-Scott Herron and Common assisted “My Way Home” (which should’ve been a full song, instead of a 1:43 interlude), “Crack Music” featuring the newcomer of the year in Game, “Roses,” and “Bring Me Down” with a cameo from Brandy of all people. The whole disc is amazing and is an easy choice for Album of the Year.

Alright, that’s it for 2005. Kanye has now grabbed Best Album honors in consecutive years. He didn’t put out a disc in 2006, so we’ll have someone new take top honors. Will it be an underground favorite? Or perhaps one of the best groups to ever do it? Oh, and despite what one of the biggest singles from ’06 says, hip-hop ain’t dead!

Until next time…

New Release Tuesday/Song of the Day

Today's new release is Wu-Tang's Legendary Weapons. I've heard five songs off the disc and all are nice. I also read a review that said it was mediocre because it didn't have the whole clan as a cohesive unit. Um, it's NOT a true Wu-Tang Clan release, so if you are among those that expected a full-length from the Clan, then you will be disappointed. If you expected a compilation much like Wu-Tang Chamber Music, then you will be happy with this release. Seriously, I'm a harsh critic when it comes to new music not living up to the artist's past, but I never thought of this along the same lines as Enter The 36 Chambers, so that's why it hasn't disappointed me to this point.

I'm gonna cop the entire disc today. Best Buy has it for $7.99, as does Amazon.com. There's a Deluxe Edition on iTunes for $9.99, but it doesn't look any different than the regular release, so I don't know what's up with that. Anyway, for only $8 it's worth checking out.

Here is the tracklist. GZA and Masta Killa are the only members absent. Great guest spots as well with help from Sean Price, AZ, M.O.P., Action Bronson and Termanology.

1. Start the Show (feat. Raekwon and RZA)
2. Laced Cheeba (feat. Ghostface, Sean Price and Trife Diesel)
3. Diesel Fluid (feat. Method Man, Trife Diesel and Cappadonna)
4. Played By The Game
5. The Black Diamonds (feat. Ghostface, Roc Marciano and Killa Sin)
6. Legendary Weapons (Ghostface, AZ and M.O.P.)
7. Never Feel This Pain (feat. Inspectah Deck, U-God and Tre Williams)
8. Angels Got Wings
9. Drunk Tongue (feat. Killa Sin)
10. 225 Rounds (feat. U-God, Cappadonna, Bronze Nazareth and RZA)
11. Meteor Hammer (feat. Ghostface, Action Bronson and Termanology)
12. Live Through Death
13. Only the Rugged Survive (feat. RZA)
14. Outro

And for the Song of the Day.....

I give you "Meteor Hammer" off this disc, which is Ghost, Action Bronson and Termanology. The Ghost/Action Bronson combo is what really intrigued me about this track as Bronson sounds eerily similar to Ghostface. His voice, his cadence, the whole nine makes him sound like a white version of Tony Starks. Even still, Bronson is nice on the mic. And although it was those two that I was peeping for, it's Termanology that absolutely slays this track. Term is a tremendous MC and he really takes advantage of getting the spotlight here, ripping his verse with ferocity and slick word play. Really dope track.

Song of the Day

DOOMSTARKS - "Victory Laps" (Madvillainz Remix)
We've heard Doom and Ghostface together before, but it doesn't stop my excitement for any music they release together. This is a nice track, with Doom and Ghost sharing the mic back and forth over a nice piano-driven beat. I love that they released this is a cassette single for a bit of nostalgia. Looking forward to their long-awaited collaboration album. It's gonna be nice!

Song of the Day

Blackalicious - "Just What Can Happen"
Popped an old mix CD in the deck last night because I didn't want to leave my iPod in the car while I was at the bar, afraid it would melt from this oppressive heat. When I got in the car today, the CD was still on and this track came on. I haven't heard this song in years, but I was so damn happy to hear Gift of Gab ripping this tremendous beat to shreds again. This took me back to 2005 when we used to have parties at the 450. Great track, great group and the Okayplayer compilation had some really dope songs on it.

Song of the Day

Kanye West feat. GLC & Consequence - "Spaceship"
This song came on my iPod today and damn is it great! This song is often forgotten and overlooked that's how good College Dropout is. If this was on most other albums it would've been one of the best tracks on the disc, but Dropout was so good that this is probably in the middle somewhere. I love Kanye talking about producing 5 beats a day for three summers. His production was every where before this disc dropped. Dude seriously did grind to get to the top. "I've been working this grave shift/And I ain't made shit/I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly/Past the sky"

Song of the Day

Joell Ortiz - "Good Man Is Gone"
I've been playing major catch up with this year's albums. I've spent so much time going back and listening to older music for my Best Of columns, that I haven't paid much attention to the music that has dropped in '11. With the exception of Bad Meets Evil, Atmosphere, Reks, Raekwon, Random Axe and Lupe, I didn't cop much new music. I recently got Saigon, Pharoahe Monch, Joell Ortiz and Cunninlynguists and I've been mowing through those albums. Shit is nice. 2011 has some heat that's for sure. I had heard a few of the Ortiz tracks from last year's Farewell To Summer mixtape, but Free Agent is a nice album. This song is really dope. Joell spits verses to his fallen friends over a terrific sample that was also used for Gang Starr's "Next Time." I love that Gang Starr track, so when I heard the familiar sample it made me even more souped for the song.

Song of the Day

Ghostface w/AZ & M.O.P. - "Legendary Weapons"
The title track from the upcoming Wu project, dropping July 26. This is really dope. Ghost's first verse is terrific as he spits, "I rocked that black and yellow before Wiz Khalifa" and says "I was Ghostface before Scream." AZ sounds fresh on the second verse and then M.O.P. finish it off in fine fashion. I listened to snippets of the entire album and it sounds really good. I've heard five songs in their entirety and shared a few on here and I'm telling you all to go out and cop this when it drops next Tuesday. It's going to be well worth it!

Song of the Day

Saigon feat. Jay-Z - "Come On Baby"
I've been a Saigon fan since I heard "The Letter P" and "Let A N-gga Know," but I can honestly say I wasn't in a rush to go out and get his very, very delayed debut, The Greatest Story Never Told. I heard the title track and it was nice, but I had so much music I wanted to catch up on that I didn't see it as a necessity to get Sai's debut. Then my boy D told me how dope it was. He said an album's worth of Just Blaze production, plus a track with Q-Tip on the hook, how nice is that? And he was right. So glad I listened to him and picked this one up. The album is a banger. This is a true treat from Saigon, Just Blaze, Swizz Beats and Hov. The beat is classic Just Blaze and Saigon and Jay both step up and knock this one out the park. Sorry I slept on you Saigon. But it was definitely worth the wait!

Song of the Day

Masta Ace - "Good Ol' Love"
As I said in my Best of 2004 column, I missed the boat on Masta Ace's Long Hot Summer. I'm sure I'll catch up on it at some point, but I did have this track back in '04. 9th Wonder on the production and he brings his signature sound. Ace spits some real shit about being owed his props for all the work he's put in over the years. He finishes the song by spitting, "This is how hip-hop is supposed to sound/Tear them other cats posters down."

The Best Hip-Hop Songs & Albums: 2004

Without looking, 2004 felt like it would be a down year. I remember Kanye being everywhere in ’04, but I couldn’t think of many other breaking artists or major projects that year. Upon further review, I found my initial feelings to be pretty spot on, but there is still plenty of quality music to celebrate from 2004.

I'd like to preface the Best Songs list by telling you that Jadakiss's "Why?" was considered for this list, but I still have a little bit of bitterness towards that track because I actually wrote a song called "Trivial Pursuit" that used the same exact concept back in 1999. Of course I'm the only one that heard that song, but it does exist and I still have the lyrics to prove it. So for jackin' my idea, I left "Why?" off the list. Sour grapes, yeah, you could say that. But it's my list, so too damn bad.

Let's get into it...

Best Songs

20. “Mockingbird” – Eminem
I’ve always liked Em’s music best when he’s sharing personal stories. This is a very heartfelt dedication to his daughters. I remember the first time hearing Encore and thinking what the hell happened to the introspective Em from The Eminem Show? Then this song came on and it was so refreshing, especially considering the songs like “Puke” and “Big Weenie” that preceded it on the album.

19. “Warrior” – Lloyd Banks
“On Fire” was the song that jumped Banks’ solo career, but it was the b-side to that single that got my attention. The beat was dope on this. I also like Banks’ opening line, “You heard right muthafucka/Grandmama’s daughter ain’t raise no sucka.” It’s simple yet effective.

18. “Stay Cool” – The Roots
The Legendary Roots Crew flip the same sample that De La used on “Ego Trippin’” and Black Thought sounds so dope over it. The Tipping Point remains a very underrated album and there were several songs I could’ve picked from that disc for this list, but this was my favorite when I first heard the album and remains so to this day (although “Star/Pointro” is definitely a close second).

17. “I Try” – Talib Kweli
Here’s the first entry from Kanye West in ‘04, as he produces another banger for Kweli. Lyrically, Talib is on his game on this track and the use of Mary J. Blige on the hook was the perfect touch. She raised this song up a level. So many great lines on here and a truly uplifting song. “Try to bring the struggle to light/The label want a song about a bubbly life/I have trouble trying to write/Some shit that bang in the club through the night/When people suffer tonight/Lord knows I try.”

16. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” – Snoop Dogg
I’ve got almost every Snoop album and with each release I expect less and less, but I realize what kind of music he’s out to make and I’m okay with it. Snoop has a niche and at this point in his career there isn’t much point in trying to reinvent the wheel. We ain’t getting the Snoop of The Chronic or Doggystyle back and the sooner you come to terms with that, the sooner you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy his music for what it is. This song was an absolute banger and is one of his biggest songs ever. The Neptunes brought a classic beat for this track and Snoop is at his entertaining best spitting over it. It’s fun hip-hop and there’s no need for it to be anything more.

15. “Way Of The Light” – Gift of Gab
This song was used for a soda commercial, so some of you may know the beat and hook from that, but this song is soooo much more than a damn soda commercial (although I’m sure Gift of Gab got paid for that commercial, so I’m cool with it). If you are in a bad mood, if it’s a rainy, shitty day outside or if you’re low on energy, just put this song on. It’s impossible not to boost your energy and spirits listening to this song. It has such a positive vibe. I love Gift of Gab. Dude remains one of the most underrated MCs in hip-hop.

14. “If It Wasn’t For You” – Handsome Boy Modeling School feat. De La Soul
Speaking of positive vibes, this song makes my head nod and puts a smile on my face instantaneously. The beat on this song is absolutely terrific. And then there’s De La who did this song justice. Pos rhymes about the effects of fame, while Dave gives an ode to his pen and then Pos spits a verse dedicated to his daughter. Great lyrics and great wordplay throughout the song.

13. “Appreciate” – Pete Rock & CL Smooth
The Chocolate Boy Wonder and Caramel King reunite for Pete Rock’s Soul Survivor II. Thank you to the both of them for this one. Love when hip-hop acts come back together and make more classic music together. We need another Pete Rock & CL Smooth album stat! Pete Rock has made a career out of producing some of the illest beats hip-hop fans have ever heard, but no one and I mean no one sounds better over Pete Rock production than CL Smooth.

12. “Get Back” – Ludacris
The video for this song absolutely slayed me. Luda walked around with popeye arms and starting whooping asses. Along with Busta, Luda makes the best videos out there. The production on this track is some rah-rah shit and Luda brings the energy to match on the mic. I just watched the video again while writing this and it really is the best. “I came, I saw, I hit ‘em right dead in the jaw.”

11. “Got It Twisted” – Mobb Deep
Mobb samples Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science,” an ‘80’s electro song and completely kick the shit outta it. Seriously, spitting some street shit over this beat is sick. Prodigy brings some heat on this one, “It’ll be a manslaughter right in front of my kids/A little blood get on my daughter, it’s nothing she’ll live.” Love that line. The remix with Twista was pretty good as well.

10. “Hip-Hop” – Royce Da 5’9”
Royce linked up with Premo for this one. Only great things happen when those two connect. This isn’t quite on the same level as “Boom,” but it’s still incredibly nice. Premier definitely brought it with this beat and of course Royce was up to the challenge. Three verses of venom and a terrific hook to go with it. Royce’s flow is perfect throughout the entire song.

9. “Down & Out” – Cam’ron feat. Kanye West
Mr. West is back in the building, this time lending his production as well as his voice for the hook. I’m not the biggest Cam fan in the world, but he has had his moments over the years. This is his best song ever. This is one of the best beats of the year and Cam’s lyrics kill me. He ain’t Canibus or Chino XL, but his lyrics absolutely work on this track. “Now a nigga got bacon to bake/Harlem shake naw, I’m in Harlem shaking awake/Shaking to bake/Shaking the jakes/Kill you, shoot the funeral up and Harlem Shake at your wake.” Hahaha, that shit is so ill!

8. “Breathe” – Fabolous
I discussed this in the Best of 2001 column, but I’ll reiterate it here: I am not a Fabolous fan. But the kid does have the potential to get on my good side if he’d just release more music like this. This song is undeniable, Fab fan or not. The beat, courtesy of Just Blaze, is an absolute banger and F-A-B-O brings so much fire on here it’s not even funny. So many great lines to pick from. C’mon Fab, less “Can’t Let You Go” and “Throw It In The Bag,” more “Breathe” and “Keepin’ It Gangsta,” please!

7. “Run” – Ghostface Killah feat. Jadakiss
I got used to Wu songs without RZA production, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t always hoping for more RZA production. He brings the rawness for this track for Ghost and ‘Kiss to spit over. One of RZA’s best beats in years. Jada’s verse is terrific detailing a foot chase with the cops and spittin’, “Rather it be the streets than the jail where I die at/And I’m asthmatic, so I’m looking for somewhere to hide at/But they too close/And I got this new toast/Imagine if I would’ve let off a shot or two/You know what I gotta do.”

6. “Thief’s Theme” – Nas
Salaam Remi brought the heat with this one. Flipping “In A Gadda Da Vida” was such a great idea, Nas used the shit twice (which will be discussed further for “Hip-Hop Is Dead”). Nas brings the “Nasty,” Illmatic style back for this one. This is one of his hardest records. Nas drops so many ill lines here that I can’t pick a favorite. It’s just too nice.

5. “Rock Co.Kane Flow” – De La Soul feat. MF Doom
All three MCs go back-and-forth sharing the mic on this one to outstanding results. Doom was a great choice for this track as his style fits the production just right. Doom may be a bit abstract, but he can bring the lyrics as evidenced here, “Said it made him tougher than a bump of raw medicine.” Love Pos’ line saying “We De La to the death, or at least until we break up,” as an ode to the group’s longevity. Think about it, Tribe broke up, as did Organized Konfusion, Artifacts, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, EPMD (who have since reunited), and countless others. But De La has stayed together to give hip-hop fans great music for over 20 years. Thank you De La!

4. “Through The Wire” – Kanye West
I heard about Kanye ad nauseam from a guy at work before The College Dropout came out. He kept talking about how dope Kanye was and how he had this song where he rhymed with his mouth wired shut. Then I heard the track and became a believer. It’s crazy to think where Kanye’s career as a rapper started and where he is now. He went from making mixtapes featuring underground favorites Mos Def and Talib Kweli, to becoming an international superstar. This song was the true Kanye sound when he first dropped, sampling an old soul record (Chaka Khan’s “Through The Fire”) and speeding it up, and then laying down some real life shit. I love this record. “But I’m a champion, so I turn tragedy to triumph/Make music that’s fire/Spit my soul through the wire.”

3. “This Way” – Dilated Peoples feat. Kanye West
This is the fourth song on this list that had Kanye’s fingerprints on it. (Originally there were five with Mos Def’s “Sunshine” on the list, but it got bumped) I absolutely love this song. I love the lyrics and I especially love the hook, “This time I made up my mind/This time I’m back on my grind/I know there’s things in my life that I’ma let go starting tonight.” All three verses are terrific, but it’s Kanye that steals the show, “I’m a Chicagoan/’Til Chicago wins/’Til we blow like Chicago wind/I don’t know what’s better, getting laid or getting paid/I just know when I’m getting one, the other’s getting away.”

2. “It Takes A Seven Nation Army To Hold Us Back” – Apathy
Holy SHIT! The first time I heard this I was blown away. Ap absolutely destroys this White Stripe’s track. This is so sick, it’s not even funny. You gotta peep this if you’ve never heard it. “Better get the best shit you wrote that makes them go wild/Shit that you’ll put up in an AOL profile/Download it, burn it and ship it to Kansas/To a cousin that’ll pump it on a college campus/Play it at dances/And translate it to Spanish/So foreign exchange motherfuckers’ll understand it/Shit that’ll make them chicks send you their panties/And fight with their families/Like, ‘You don’t understand me!’”

1. “Afterparty” – Method Man feat. Ghostface Killah
So much disappointment associated with Meth’s Tical O: The Prequel. But this song made it all worth while. This song is my shit! Ghost and Meth absolutely kill it on this one. The beat is phenomenal and Ghost and Meth flow back-and-forth effortlessly. The first verse is tremendous as Meth and Ghost rhyme about the day after a house party. If you’ve ever attended or thrown a massive house party, you’ll be able to relate to this easily! There are so many quotables on this track. And although it’s called “Afterparty,” this is an absolute party starter and party necessity. Makes me want to have a beer and a car bomb and maybe a shot and play some beer pong or flip cup, I mean DAMN, this song just makes me want to party. And of course that brings a lot of happy memories for me!

Best Albums

10. A Job Ain't Nuthin' But Work - J-Zone
I love J-Zone's shit. Dude doesn't take himself too seriously, but he does concoct some of the best and original beats you'll find. His music doesn't sound like everyone else's and that's a good thing. Lots of humorous tracks here such as "Kill Pretty," "Baldylocks" and "Disco Ho." He also flips it on NBA stars that want to enter the hip-hop game, by braggin' about his hoops skills compared to other MC's. It's really fresh. And then there's the Celph-Titled collabo "Spoiled Rotten," where the two try to outdo one another with punchline after punchline. Zone brought it for sure with this disc.

9. Encore – Eminem
I’m so torn on where to stand on this album. It has three parts, 1/3 good, 1/3 awful and 1/3 great. It’s the good and great stuff that puts this disc on the list. “Never Enough,” “Like Toy Soldiers” and “Mosh” all got the album off to a good start, but it’s tracks 7-14 that the album takes a turn for the worse. It’s all garbage and doesn’t live up to Em’s body of work. Fortunately, he regains his form with the final five songs, including the aforementioned “Mockingbird” and the Dr. Dre and 50 Cent assisted title-track. I can’t front, I’m a huge Eminem fan, so I’m probably a little too kind with this ranking, but I still like half the album and it’s more memorable to me than say Jadakiss or Mobb Deep’s albums (both of which were good, but nothing to write home about. I also debated keeping Encore off the list and replacing it with Foreign Exchange’s Connected, but that would’ve been dishonest as I’ve only really listened to Connected about 3 times. I know, I messed up with that one. But I gotta stay true to how I’ve done all of these lists).

8. The Beautiful Struggle – Talib Kweli
The highlights from this album are some of the best of the year. “Going Hard,” “I Try,” “Around My Way,” “Ghetto Show” and “Black Girl Pain” are all fantastic. Songs like “Back Up Offa Me,” “Broken Glass,” “We Know” and “We Got The Beat” didn’t hold my attention as much, which knocks the album down a few notches for me.

7. The Hunger For More – Lloyd Banks
This disc featured every member of the G-Unit (including The Game) but Banks holds his own. “Warrior,” “On Fire,” “Warrior Part 2,” “Karma,” “When The Chips Are Down” and “South Side Story” are all great tracks. Damn, this album was even better than I remember. The Game has a show stealing verse on “When The Chips Are Down,” and Em brings it on “Warrior Part 2.” But my three favorite tracks on the album are all Banks solo joints (“Warrior,” “Karma” and “South Side Story”) which solidified Banks’ spot as one of the best newcomers in ’04.

6. Street’s Disciple – Nas
Biggie released a double disc, as did 2Pac, Jay-Z, and Wu-Tang, so Nas decided it was his turn to join those legends in putting out a double CD. But like Jay’s Blueprint 2, Street's Disciple would’ve been better left as a single disc. There are plenty of highlights on here, but 25 tracks leaves too much room for filler. Nas could’ve condensed this and had another near classic on his hands. Here’s how I would’ve broken this into a 13-song album: 1. Nazareth Savage; 2. These Are Our Heroes; 3. Disciple; 4. Sekou Story; 5. Just A Moment; 6. Suicide Bounce; 7. Street’s Disciple; 8. U.B.R.; 9. Virgo; 10. Bridging The Gap; 11. War; 12. Me & You; 13. Thief’s Theme.

5. The Pretty Toney Album – Ghostface Killah
When it comes to solo albums, Ghost is easily the most consistent member of the Wu. He delivers another gem with this disc. 2004 was a huge year for Ghost, as he was also on my favorite song of 2004 (Method Man’s “Afterparty”) and was the driving force behind the excellent Theodore Unit mixtape. I love that Ghost decided to rhyme right over some classic R&B/soul records instead of sampling them on “Save Me Dear” and “Holla.” The album also features the excellent “Biscuits,” “Metal Lugnies” featuring Sheek and Styles P., “It’s Over,” “Be This Way,” and “Run” featuring Jadakiss.

4. The Tipping Point – The Roots
In the grand scheme of things, this will probably be towards the bottom of The Roots’ catalog, but that’s only because their other albums are so damn good. Personally, I’m a huge fan of this disc. “Star/Pointro” kicks off the album in grand fashion, “Don’t Say Nuthin’” was a tremendous lead single, I discussed “Stay Cool” above, and “Why (What’s Goin’ On?)” is among my favorites Roots tracks. The legendary Roots crew delivered again in 2004.

3. Madvillainy – Madvillain
Madlib and MF Doom team for one of the underground’s favorite projects of all-time. The two make a great team, as Madlib’s production and Doom’s sometimes non-sensical lyrics go hand-in-hand. Most of the songs are relatively short, allowing us to enjoy 22 songs, but as the saying goes, it’s short but sweet. “Operation Lifesaver aka Mint Test” finds Doom discussing halitosis, while “Rhinestone Cowboy” is my favorite track on the disc as Doom has firm control of the mic. Both bring their alter-egos in for the fun as well, as Madlib transforms into Lord Quas on “America’s Most Blunted,” and “Shadows of Tomorrow,” while Doom’s Viktor Vaughn character joins the fray on “Fancy Clown.” It won’t be for everyone, but if you want something completely different, turn to this album. You won’t regret it.

2. The Grind Date – De La Soul
I discussed De La’s longevity above, but it bears repeating, they deserve a ton of credit for staying together for so long and continuing to bring us top notch hip-hop music. This disc featured fantastic production from Supa Dave West, J Dilla, Madlib, 9th Wonder and Jake One. De La also enlists the talents of Carl Thomas, Ghostface Killah, Common, Flava Flav, Butta Verses and the incomparable MF Doom. There really is no filler here, with the true highlights being the title track, “He Comes,” “Days Of Our Lives,” “Come On Down,” “No,” and “Rock Co.Kane Flow.” It’s great hip-hop from one of the greatest groups to ever do it and a true testament to their terrific career.

1. The College Dropout – Kanye West
Truthfully, I didn’t love a lot of the albums of 2004. There were some good albums and some really, really good albums, but it didn’t have the multiple greats that other years had. It did, however, have a classic in Kanye’s debut album. His career has really changed since this disc dropped, but this remains an absolute staple in his now legendary career. Where do I start with this one? “All Falls Down,” “Jesus Walks,” “Slow Jamz,” “Through The Wire,” all classic singles. Not to mention the non-singles like “Never Let Me Down” featuring Jay-Z, and “Family Business” which are my other two favorites on the album. And then there’s “Two Words” with Mos Def and Freeway – damnit there’s just too many great songs. I could list the entire album. I still remember hearing this album for the first time. I listened to it like crazy when it came out. The music on this album has held up over the past 7 years, and I’m sure it’ll still be one of my favorites 10 years from now. Kanye may be an asshole, but his music is outstanding. He’s definitely the best producer of the ‘00’s, hands down. And 2004 was such an amazing year for him, as he produced songs for Jadakiss, Mobb Deep, Dilated Peoples, Cam’ron, Mos Def, Twista (“Overnight Celebrity” almost made the Best Songs list), D12, Slum Village (“Selfish” was another last second cut from the Best Songs list), Talib Kweli, damn near everyone in the game, not to mention R&B greats Janet Jackson and John Legend. It was Kanye’s year, but his crowning moment came with The College Dropout.

I’ve been ready to finish this now, but have struggled to post the final version because I’m not entirely happy with the Best Albums list. I feel like something’s missing. Brother Ali’s Champion EP deserves mentioning here, but it’s not a full-length so I didn’t include it. Murs and 9th Wonder’s Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition and Foreign Exchange’s Connected also deserve their due here as both projects were excellent. I just didn’t include them because they were sort of an afterthought for me in 2004. I don’t know why, but I listened to both of those albums a few times and then put them aside. It wasn’t until last week that I picked up Connected again and gave it a thorough listen and I haven’t listened to 3:16 in forever, although I do love Murs’ music. MF Doom’s Mm.. Food probably deserves a closer look as well, but I was such a fan of Madvillain’s album, that I didn’t devote any real time to Doom’s solo project in ’04. And finally to Masta Ace, I have failed you. I remember Long Hot Summer getting a ton of praise when it dropped, and yet I never picked it up, so I couldn’t cheat and include it on this list. I’m sure it deserves to be there, but I can’t put it on the Best Albums list based on its reputation. I need to hear it first.

So in hindsight maybe it’s not the albums of 2004 that failed me, maybe it’s me who failed to pay closer attention to some of the best hip-hop to drop that year. I promise you this is the only time you will find that to be the case as I break down each year, but I had to confess to you, my readers, that I struggled a little with the Best Albums of 2004 because I was missing a few key albums from my rotation. Sorry. (But College Dropout is still a classic and still worthy of the No. 1 spot regardless of what other albums I neglected!)

Song of the Day

Wu-Tang Clan Ft. RZA, Raekwon & Jimi Kendrix - "Start The Show"
This Wu-Tang Legendary Weapons project is looking really nice. Rae and RZA weigh in on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, discussing their frustration with our government. Street Radio brings a nice beat to compliment both Wu greats on the mic. I usually don't care for political songs, but this one held my attention.

Song of the Day

Talib Kweli - "Going Hard"
Doing more work for that Best of 2004 list. Kweli will have another song from 2004's Beautiful Struggle on the list, but this song bangs too. This is the first track on the album and gets things kick started in fine fashion. Really like Charlemagne's production on here and Res joins Talib for the hook. Lyrics are of course on point as Kweli never takes a song off. Just straight up, dope hip-hop music.

Song of the Day

Xzibit - "Back 2 The Way It Was"
Mr. X to the Z was nice on this one. The final song from Weapons of Mass Destruction, which I went back and listened to and enjoyed it more than I remembered. This is my favorite song off the album. I almost included this on the forthcoming Best of 2004 list, but couldn't find a home for it. If I had paid closer attention to this song when it dropped 7 years ago, it probably would make the list, but instead I give it to you in the form of Song of the Day.

Song of the Day

The Foreign Exchange feat. Joe Scudda - "Raw Life"
Getting The Best of 2004 lists prepped, so I went back to listen to some albums from that year. Glad I did. Popped Foreign Exchange (Phonte & Nicolay) into the deck yesterday and really enjoyed this track. Phonte needs to get more recognition for whole dope a rapper he is. And I've always liked Scudda on the Little Brother records. Phonte drops, "Thought kissin' ass was in my blood type?/Oh, negative," and "Save your back talk for the chiropractor." Dope!

Song of the Day

Atmosphere - "The Last To Say"
A truly chilling and haunting song from Atmosphere's The Family Sign. I'm so glad they made a video for this song because the message of this song needs to be heard. This won't get any radio rotation, but it deserves to as the group discusses domestic abuse and the ramifications it has. There's no happy ending here, but Slug urges his friend to leave an abusive boyfriend who follows in his father's footsteps of beating a loved one. This is what music should be about, delivering a message and making you think. This is a live version of the group's performance on 89.3 The Current, as I couldn't get the official video link. But this performance is a great representation of the song as well.

Song of the Day

XV Ft. Kendrick Lamar - "Textbook Stuff"
I really liked XV's mixtape, but it was Kendrick Lamar's "Ronald Reagan Era" that made me go back and listen to this track again. Damn, this shit is fantastic. Love the hook, the beat bangs and XV and Kendrick both bring their "A" game. This is solid head-nodding hip-hop right here. One of my favorite songs at the moment.

Song of the Day

Vakill feat. Juice, Rhymefest, Nino Bless & Crooked I - "Beast Ballad"
Decided to go with another posse cut today. There's been a lot of hype around Vakill lately, so I had to see what this was all about and it's definitely a dope track. Juice batting leadoff, then 'Fest, Nino, Crooked and Vakill finished it up. This is nothing more than five MCs taking turns beasting the beat, so there's plenty of punchlines to go around. Crooked drops my favorite verse, which is no surprise. I can't wait for his true debut album to drop. And Vakill definitely proved worthy of the hype. Dude is nice.

Song of the Day

Trae Tha Truth feat. Lupe Fiasco, Big Boi, Wale & Wiz Khalifa - "I'm On"
Really nice posse cut here. I give Trae credit for putting all these cats on his track, because they are all definitely in a different class than him. He does alright, but is outshone by his guest. Lupe is the leadoff man, Big Boi brings another excellent verse, Wale is Wale which is always a good thing and I really like Wiz on here. All around it's a really solid track. The guests actually brought it instead of mailing it in, which can sometimes be the case on guest spots. Like this one a lot.

Song of the Day

Notorious B.I.G. feat. 112 - "Sky's The Limit"
Biggie Smalls with one of his many great sinlges from Life After Death. This song came on my iPod today and of course made my drive home from work a lot more pleasant. Biggie delivers another lyrical gem, offering up his tale from wearing fake designer clothes to having money put away for his daughter to go to college. It's a triumphant story that has inspired many. And the video is absolutely fantastic!

The Best Hip-Hop Songs & Albums: 2003

2003 was a great year for underground hip-hop. I found a lot of new artists that are still among my favorites today. It also brought us some familiar faces, including a “retirement” and the return of one of hip-hop’s most controversial rappers who was ready to drop a classic on us. Without further adieu, here’s the Best of 2003.

Best Songs

20. “Stay Real” – Black Moon
The beat on this track is so nice, it will make its way on this list twice. While the other variation is one of my favorites ever, Buckshot rips this beat as well. Interestingly Da Beatminerz get credit for this production, while Just Blaze takes the production credit for the other. Clearly great minds think alike.

19. “High School Reunion” – Pigeon John
One of the many new artists that I discovered in 2003. I picked up his album, Pigeon John Is Dating Your Sister, at a CD shop on a whim because I thought the title was clever and I saw Murs, Mikah 9 and Abstract Rude all featured on the album. John debuted the year before, but I wasn’t aware of him until this disc dropped and I’m so happy I picked it up. This song shows his comedic side as John discusses going to his high school reunion without a dollar to his name. This is the opposite of the glitzy, braggadocio hip-hop that gets so old and repetitive after a while.

18. “God’s Work” – Murs
This is the second new artist I discovered in 2003. Love the vivid lyrics Murs provides on this track. He breaks down what we’ve all experienced at one point in our lives, going to a job we hate with a horrible hang over. Murs wakes up hung over, foggy on what went down the night before, is stuck in traffic, and debates calling out instead of facing another day in customer service. Verse 2 describes his life as a rapper on the road and what they have to go through night after night to try and make a living. Not the glamorous life we would expect for a rapper, that’s for sure.

17. “Love Joint Revisited” – Little Brother
Artist No. 3 that I discovered in 2003. Told you ’03 was a big year for new underground favorites. This song has so many great lines and of course top of the line production from 9th Wonder. Big Pooh and Phonte give a run down of all the things they love, including the clever line “I love Philly’s and cheese steaks,” playing on the City of Brother Love’s famous sandwich as well as the choice tool for blunts. I also love the following line, “I love Macho Man Randy Savage screamin, ‘Elizabeth come and take a ride on my Slim Jim.’”

16. “#1” – Joe Budden
Jersey’s own Joe Budden dropped his solo debut in ’03 and garnered some mainstream attention with his singles “Pump It Up” and “Fire.” But it was his rendition of the Boogie Down Productions classic that was the true gem of his album. Joe takes us on a journey back to the old school and the hip-hop era as he knew it as a kid. He references everything to Pumas and low top Converses to Flavor Flav clocks and the Ultimate Warrior. Made me wax nostalgic for sure.

15. “Deliverance” – Bubba Sparxxx
I liked “Ugly” and I was a fan of Bubba’s first album. I didn’t think he was the next big thing, but I thought he had some decent ability on the mic. His second album showed more growth as an artist and this track was a great example of an artist sticking to his roots. Sure, it’s hip-hop. But it’s backwoods hip-hop. Timbaland brings the perfect sound for Bubba’s country tales.

14. “Up To No Good Again” – Tame One
I really liked Tame One’s When Rappers Attack album. I wanted to include it in the Top 10 albums list, but it got bumped when I realized I had left off another album. From front to back it’s very good and this is easily my favorite song on the disc. Tame attacks right off the bat on a really ill beat and never lets go.

13. “The Way You Move” – Outkast
I’ll go more into depth on Speakerboxxx/The Love Below later on, but I’ll be the first to say that this song didn’t live up to “Hey Ya” when the two were released. After hearing “Hey Ya” a million times, it was nice to hear this song instead. This is a great party/club beat and Big Boi showed he was ready to hold the mic on his own. The chorus and horns are tremendous as this song brings a great energy and makes you want to move (obviously).

12. “Don’t Come Down” – Obie Trice
The sped up sample to start this song grabbed me the first time I heard it and made me a fan instantly. It sounds like something Kanye would produce for The Blueprint. Obie talks about being a problem child and living under some harsh conditions as a kid. It’s an introspective, heart tugging song that just so happens to have a head nodding beat along with it.

11. “A.D.I.D.A.S.” – Killer Mike feat. Big Boi
I love this beat. I loved it when I first heard it and I love it to this day. Killer Mike made a splash on Outkast’s “Whole World,” and then dropped the stellar “Akshon,” before unleashing this ode to the ladies alongside ½ of Outkast. Mike had to step up to the plate rhyming alongside greats like Andre 3000 and Big Boi and once again he proves he’s up to the challenge.

10. “Runnin’” – 2Pac & The Notorious B.I.G.
Produced by Eminem and featured on the soundtrack for Tupac: Resurrection, this song takes the vocals from the song of the same title that was released on the One Million Strong soundtrack. The original also featured Stretch and Dramacydal, but wasn’t as dope as the version that Em cranked out in ’03. I had the original version, so I was skeptical about the remake but it certainly outdid the original thanks to the Edgar Winter “Dying To Live” sample.

9. “What We Do” – Freeway feat. Jay-Z & Beanie Sigel
Damn does this shit bang! I mean really bang. Just Blaze brings one of the best beats of ’03 and Free gets loose on it. Beans also brings it, but it’s Jay’s verse I like the best. “Bang like T-Mac, ski mask air it out/Gotta kill witnesses, ‘cause Free’s beard sticking out.” I wish Philadelphia Freeway had more bangers like this. Then again, this probably set the bar too high for me going into the album, so maybe I set expectation that were too high to meet. Hmm…..

8. “Rite Where U Stand” – Gang Starr feat. Jadakiss
This song is fantastic. A Premo banger laced by Guru and ‘Kiss, what more can you ask for? This is one of my favorite Gang Starr songs of all-time and that’s saying something. Jada says, “Kiss keep funeral homes open.” That is just nasty. Guru finished the song in fine fashion, opening the third verse with, “I see you got the fear of God in you/We’ll tear your heart in 2/Too bad you didn’t know what you got into.”

7. “If I Can’t” – 50 Cent
The beat on this track is my favorite on the whole album. I know “In Da Club” is the smash record on this CD, but this song was a better representation of the album as a whole. I originally tabbed “Many Men” for my Best of ’03 mix made in early ’04, but it has since been replaced by this banger. 50 drops some gangsta shit over another classic Dr. Dre beat. Shit is a definite head nodder.

6. “Diablos” – Louis Logic feat. Celph-Titled
Lyrically, this has some of my favorite lines of the year. This serves as a sort of throwback to the shock value of early Eminem and Cage records. Lou opens the record with threatening lines like, “The torturous, I’ll see to it you’re finished/Leave your unfortunate seed in an orphanage,” and then Celph takes the reins in verse 2 spitting, “Slice the throats of your whole click till my palms hurt/And it’ll be more rednecks than a Willie Nelson concert.” But my favorite line comes at the end of the song as Celph drops, “My dick get hard when I pull the rifle and spray shots/And leave your whole crew shakin’ worse than Michael J. Fox.” That shit killed me the first time I heard it and I’ve loved the song ever since.

5. “Trying To Find A Balance” – Atmosphere
Of all of Atmosphere records, Seven’s Travels ranks towards the bottom, ahead of Overcast! It was a really good album, but not what I was expecting after God Loves Ugly. I should probably go back and listen to it again since their catalog of music has greatly expanded, but I remember being left a little disappointed when I first heard it. This song, however, is one of my favorite Atmosphere songs ever recorded. Musically it’s a tour de force and only Slug could do the production justice. His lyrics on this song are tremendous. And I’m not sure Slug has every brought so much energy on a track. He just rips this song apart.

4. “Stand Up” – Ludacris
Guess who brought another outstanding beat? Mr. Kanye West. Remember when he was just a producer. Seems crazy now given his track record as a rapper, but before College Dropout launched Kanye made a living conjuring tremendous beats like this for MCs to spit on. And Ludacris is game for the challenge. I wasn’t much of a Ludacris fan at this point in his career, but when this song dropped it changed things for me completely. This song made me a Ludacris fan. Great party track and the video slayed me. “How you ain’t gone fuck? Bitch I’m me.” Can you think of a better line to open a song?

3. “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” – DMX
This shit got me so amped when I first heard. I still go crazy when this song comes on. This is what DMX does best, make in your face, upbeat, ferocious songs. For me, this is as good as X has been since It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot. Some consider this the staple song of X’s career, and I’d be hard pressed to argue it. (Although I’ll always take “Ruff Ryders Anthem”).

2. “Public Service Announcement” – Jay-Z
I don’t know how and I don’t know why, but I overlooked this song when The Black Album dropped. Perhaps I was too caught up in the great songs like “99 Problems,” “Lucifer,” “Moment of Clarity,” or “Threat.” Truthfully, I don’t have an answer. But when this was released in a small dose as part of the video for “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” it grabbed my attention and made me go back and listen to it. Damn is this song great! This is easily one of my favorite Jay-Z songs ever recorded. Just Blaze brings an absolute banger (but who stole from who? Beatminerz or Just Blaze? This is the same beat I referred to earlier for Black Moon’s “Stay Real”). This became the unofficial anthem of my old house and was played during every house party, beer pong game, dart game, whatever the hell was going on, this song was playing. “Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is Hov.”

1. “Forest Whitiker” – Brother Ali
When I first heard of Brother Ali, an albino rapper, I was intrigued. When I first heard his music, I was a fan instantly. This dude is a serious force on the mic. One of the best MCs in the game, PERIOD. His debut album was fantastic and this track remains one of my favorites ever recorded. I’d love to quote the whole song, it’s just that good. Ali talks about all his imperfections (his skin, his wardrobe, his lazy eye, a “neck full of razor bumps”) and glorifies them all. “You might think I’m depressed as can be/But when I look in the mirror I see sexy ass me/And if that’s somethin’ that you can’t respect then that’s peace/My life’s better without you actually/To everyone out there who’s a little different/I say damn a magazine, these are God’s fingerprints/You can call me ugly, but can’t take nothing from me/I am what I am, doctor, you ain’t gotta love me.” The song is only one verse and a tremendous hook, but it says all you need to know in that one verse.

Best Albums

10. The Listening – Little Brother
The hype surrounding this group when they first dropped was a new-school Native Tongues. Some heralded them as the next A Tribe Called Quest. While those descriptions are accurate, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Little Brother, whose name is an ode to those great groups, showed how talented they were. 9th Wonder’s production was reminiscent of Pete Rock or DJ Premier and was the perfect sound for Phonte and Big Pooh to rhyme over. Phonte remains one of the most slept on MCs in the game today.

9. The Ownerz – Gang Starr
This is the final studio album from Gang Starr, which makes it a little bitter sweet for me. The thought of no more Gang Starr music now that Guru has passed just doesn’t seem right. This disc is not the group’s best, but it’s still Guru and Premier, which automatically makes it better than the majority of hip-hop out there. Lots of quality songs to choose from here including “Put Up Or Shut Up” featuring Krumbsnatcha, “Rite Where U Stand” featuring Jadakiss, “Skills,” “Who Got Gunz” featuring Fat Joe & M.O.P., “PLAYTAWIN,” “Riot Akt,” and the title track.

8. The End of the Beginning – Murs
John Bush of Allmusic called this “one of the most refreshing rap records in years,” and I have to agree. It has a great sound, some real life rap and a lot of personality from Murs. With production from Blockhead, El-P, Oh No, RJD2, and Ant among others, there was a great variety of sounds for Murs to rhyme over. “Transitionz AZ A Ridah” was a play on 2Pac’s “Ambitionz Az A Ridah” but from a skate boarders perspective, “Risky Business” features Shock G. & Humpty Hump as Murs throws a house party when his parents leave town, “God’s Work” deals with the doldrums of working in a cubicle and “BT$” deals with Murs’ spending habits, including blowing his money on Star Wars toys.

7. 8 Million Stories – Soul Position
RJD2 and Blueprint dropped an EP in 2002 under the name of Soul Position. In ’03 the two were back at it releasing a full length disc. This album absolutely surprised me. I was familiar with RJ thanks to his fantastic Dead Ringer, but I wasn’t sure what Blueprint could bring to the table. This disc was the perfect marriage between the two as RJD2 brings more top of the line production and Blueprint provides some great commentary. “The Jerry Springer Episode,” “Just Think,” “Fuckajob,” and “Look of Pain,” are all terrific, but it’s the second half of the album with standouts like “Run,” “Right Place, Wrong Time,” and “No Excuse For Lovin’” that made me love this album. “No Excuse For Lovin’” is the most haunting track on the disc with Blueprint describing an abusive relationship over dark, trippy production from RJ. The third verse is extremely vivid and makes the listener uneasy and feeling helpless to help the main character who is in peril.

6. Cheers – Obie Trice
I love Obie Trice. Wish he never got released from Shady Records. From all the signees Em’s had, Obie has been my favorite (although Slaughterhouse will probably change all of that). Obie certainly gets some assists on this disc with production from Em, Dr. Dre and Timbaland and appearances from Em, 50 Cent, Nate Dogg and Busta Rhymes. But Trice holds his own and makes a superb debut. There are a lot of good moments on this album, including the Em assisted “Lady,” the Dre produced “Set Up” featuring Nate Dogg on the hook, “Shit Hits The Fan,” which features Dre sounding off on Ja Rule, the Busta Rhymes assisted “Oh!” and the tremendous “Don’t Come Down.” The missteps are few and far between as Obie showed a lot of promise on the strength of his debut.

5. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – Outkast
This will be sacrilegious to some, but I don’t care. To me this was one disc of hip-hop and one disc of funk/R&B. It was a terrific effort from Big Boi and Andre 3000, but I always have and always will like my Outkast with Big Boi and Andre rhyming together. To me this doesn’t touch Aquemini or Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. I know musically it was a risky move and I applaud them for taking the risk as it resulted in a Grammy for Album of the Year. And musically it probably was the best album of 2003. But from a pure hip-hop standpoint, only Speakerboxxx was a true hip-hop disc. The Love Below is the part of the album that garnered the most praise, but it’s pop/funk/soul/jazz/hip-hop all in one. This is super hard for me to rank because I wasn’t sure where to stand on this, but I think placing it in the middle is fair given the context of this blog and the way I’ve ranked other albums. Remember, I didn’t include The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on my Best of ’98 list because it wasn’t a pure hip-hop album, and I see The Love Below in the same light.

4. Shadows On The Sun – Brother Ali
Brother Ali showed how good of an MC he was with this disc. From the incredible storytelling on “Room With A View,” to his battle rhyme style of “Champion,” his comedic style of “Prince Charming” and the introspective, but celebratory “Forest Whitiker,” Ali shows his range and always comes with potent lyrics. “Dorian” is one of the best stories you’ll hear, as Ali describes a confrontation with his neighbor over domestic abuse, resulting in a surprising arrest to finish the song. “Picket Fence” is another amazing song as Brother Ali tugs on your heart strings describing a childhood of abandonment and overcoming the tests God puts in front of us. This is music that any person can relate to and is delivered in a way that sets Ali apart from any other hip-hop artist.

3. Sin-A-Matic – Louis Logic
I ordered this CD off of Hiphopsite.com, back when they sold CDs, and I couldn’t be happier with the decision. I had heard Lou on the Demigodz EP and was familiar with “Loud Mouth” and “Factotum,” but that was about the extent of my experience with his music. Lou did not disappoint with this disc. JJ Brown and the Avid Record Collector bring the goods from a production standpoint, but it’s Lou’s lyrics that steal the show. Lou also runs the gamut on topics, ranging from failed relationships, “Idiot Gear,” internet rap fans “Fair Weather Fan,” a disgruntled employee on “Postal,” and dealing with alcoholism on “Dos Factotum.” The true highlight of Lou’s ability as a lyricist comes on “The Ugly Truth,” in which Lou comes across as one of the biggest racists/homophobes you’ll find before it’s revealed he’s delivering his rhymes from inside the mind of George W. Bush. It’s a “Holy Shit!” moment and true testament to Lou’s abilities to deliver more than just humorous rhymes.

2. The Black Album – Jay-Z
This was Jay-Z’s “retirement” album. How’d that whole retirement thing turn out? The original concept was to be a 12-song album with 12 different producers, but that didn’t quite happen. Regardless, Hov brings another excellent effort. There are some that name this as Jay-Z’s best album, however, I whole-heartedly disagree. I’ll take The Blueprint any day of the week. In fact, I rank Reasonable Doubt ahead of this album as well. But that’s not to say it’s not great. The producers Hov did enlist all bring their “A”-game for the most part, with the only song that doesn’t hold up being “Justify My Thug,” the DJ Quick produced track that jacks Madonna’s “Justify My Love.” The Neptunes’ “Change Clothes” also doesn’t do it for me, but the rest is terrific. I discussed some of the standouts during the Best Songs portion, but need to also mention “December 4th” and “What More Can I Say?” This disc also helped make Danger Mouse a household name with his brilliant The Grey Album which mashed up The Beatles’ classic White Album with Jay’s Black Album.

1. Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ – 50 Cent
I am disappointed with how 50’s career has panned out, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise given the overexposure that followed his classic debut. Think about it, after this album dropped, 50 got his own movie, released a book, got in the Vitamin Water game, released the G-Unit album and dropped his sophomore album all within a 2 year span. That’s a little oversaturation of 50 Cent if you ask me. But this album was a classic. It was a throwback to the mid-90’s thug rap that Mobb Deep, Nas, 2Pac, Smif-N-Wessun and others made famous. 50 had already stirred up a lot of controversy with “How To Rob,” but it took being shot 9 times that started to build 50’s legend and caused heaps of anticipation for his solo debut. Add Eminem and Dr. Dre backing the project and you had the recipe for a classic. 50 didn’t disappoint. This album doesn’t have the creativity of Brother Ali’s, or the variety of Murs’ disk, it was just some old fashioned gangsta shit, but for what it was worth, it was the best “gangsta” album since 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me. This disc took over every house party/bbq in 2003, and every club, radio station and music station played 50’s music non-stop. This had “In Da Club,” “Wanksta,” “P.I.M.P.”, “21 Questions,” “Many Men,” “If I Can’t,” “Patiently Waiting,” “What Up Gangsta,” “Back Down,” hell I could list the whole album. I didn’t even buy 50’s last album, but I’ll never deny how great this album was and still is.

So that’s it. Looking back there was a lot of great music in ’03 and as I stated earlier, it was a great year to discover new artists. To get debut albums from Little Brother, Murs, Soul Position, Obie Trice, Louis Logic (kind of), Brother Ali (again, kind of) is a helluva year in its own right. Add Gang Starr’s final studio record, Jay-Z’s “retirement” record which is better than anything he’s dropped since coming out of retirement, 50 Cent’s debut classic and of course the 2003 Grammy Award Winner for Album of the Year from Outkast and I’d say it was a very good year for hip-hop.

Time to start putting together the Best of '04 list. I already know the Album of the Year for 2004, but what else is there? Until then...

Song of the Day

Ghostface Killah feat. Sean Price & Trife Diesel - "Laced Cheeba"
From the Legendary Weapons album dropping soon. Looks like the disc will be similar to Wu-Tang Chamber Music, which is not a bad thing at all. Ghost starts the track in fine fashion and Sean Price brings it with more grimy, lyrical rawness. Trife holds his own with the two heavyweights. The beat is stripped down and kind of simplistic, but it works with Ghost and Ruck rockin' over it.

Song of the Day

Common feat. Nas - "Ghetto Dreams"
Oh yes! This is some great shit right here. This sounds like a throwback to the glory days of hip-hop. I can hear this being dropped in '96. No I.D. brought an absolute banger. This shit will make your head snap as you listen to Common and Nas rip it apart. Common handles verse 1 & 2 with absolute ferocity and then Nas wraps the song up nicely. This is what hip-hop used to sound like and it's what hip-hop should always sound like. Great production and hungry MCs attacking the beat. And this song is from 2011, so I can't wait to hear what Common and Nas bring on their new LPs.

Song of the Day

Kendrick Lamar Ft. RZA - "Ronald Reagan Era"
I downloaded this track more than 2 weeks ago, but haven't listened to it until today. Damn, is this shit fresh. I wish I would've listened to this immediately. The beat on this is the type of hip-hop I absolutely love. Kendrick Lamar is nice on the mic as well. This is a promising single from the kid. I know he's garnered a lot of buzz from hip-hop heads, but I haven't had much experience with his music. This makes me want to hear more ASAP. Great track.

Song of the Day

Cormega - "American Beauty"
'Mega drops this as an ode to hip-hop. Sort of a 2001 update on "I Used To Love H.E.R." Great beat on this track and Cormega is nice on the mic giving his take on hip-hop as a woman. And of course I'm trying to keep with the 4th of July theme, so there you go.

Song of the Day

Cam'ron feat. Noreaga - "Glory"
In honor of 4th of July weekend, here's Cam's banger off his debut Confessions of Fire. Okay, so this has nothing to do with Independence Day, aside from the title, but it's a banger, so I pass it on to you. Everyone enjoy the holiday weekend. Drink some beers, eat some burgers and be safe, damn it!

The Best Hip-Hop Songs & Albums: 2002

Alright, I said I’d be quicker getting these lists out, and it’s been just the opposite. Sorry about that. Just been busy and needed a little inspiration to write. Listened to the Best of 2002 mix I made in early ’03 and decided it was time to get back to this. Lots of great songs in 2002. Although album-wise it was a little bit of a down year. Not to say there wasn’t some dope shit, including one of my personal favorites, but not every disc was as complete as in prior years.

Let’s start the show…

Best Songs

20. “Fame” – GZA
The Genius released his third solo album in 2002 (technically his fourth solo album, but third Wu solo album) and brought another topic-based song. Like “Labels,” and “Publicity” before it, GZA cleverly weaves his lyrics around a running theme, this time choosing celebrities. There are plenty of great lyrics here, including “Used Bernie’s Mac to search Veronica’s Web.”

19. “Suite For Beaver Pt. 1” – People Under The Stairs
Thes One and Double K dropped another solid album in 2002 with O.S.T. Some regard it as their best album, however I’m partial to Questions In The Form of An Answer. Regardless, this song knocked. Great beat as per usual as Thes and Double K rhyme about a fun-filled party night. This is some feel good hip-hop to listen to when you’re having a shitty day.

18. “God Loves Ugly” – Atmosphere
The title-track from Atmosphere’s terrific album. There were plenty of great tracks to choose from off this disc, but this is my favorite. It starts with some self-deprecation, which Slug excels at, as a girl says Slug is “so fuckin’ ugly.” Slug then proceeds to talk about his place in hip-hop, all the while breaking down his own self-image. Ant’s beat on this is my favorite from the album as well, which pushed this over “Fuck You Lucy” as my selection from Atmosphere.

17. “Rock The Mic” – Beanie Sigel & Freeway
This shit was our anthem at one point during my senior year of college. We loved it. I remember going to the local bar and pestering the DJ until he finally played it. I think my roommate and I were the only one’s to get excited when it came on, but it was definitely worth it. Beans ripped the second verse. One of my favorite verses of the year.

16. “Sing It Shitface” – Edan
This song is so off the wall, but so great it’s ridiculous. Edan’s Primitive Plus was a throwback to the old school, and when I say old school I’m talking early-to-mid ‘80’s, not ‘90’s hip-hop. But this track, well I’m not sure there’s any genre or time period it belongs to. It is its own entity. Edan raps about harassing kids at a spelling bee, taking a shit that smells up the entire house and having weird Japanese kids sing his hook instead of R&B singers. You really just need to listen to it and enjoy. Words don’t do it justice.

15. “Cot Damn” – The Clipse feat. Ab-Liva & Roscoe P. Coldchain
“Grindin’” was the huge single for the Clipse off 2002’s Lord Willin’, but this song was easily my favorite. The beat, courtesy of the Neptunes of course, is sensational. One of my favorite beats of the year without question. The track was remixed in 2003 and called “Hot Damn” with new lyrics including some rhymes from Pharrell, but the original is the best.

14. “Satisfied?” – J-Live
You want lyrics? Put your headphones on and listen to a J-Live record. The dude is a tremendous lyricist. He’s also a great storyteller. On this one, Live weighs in on 9/11, President Bush, and the violent shooting of Amadou Diallo, among other things. The hook is terrific, as J-Live spits, “The poor get worked, the rich get richer/The world gets worse, do you get the picture?/The poor get dead, the rich get depressed/The ugly get mad, the pretty get stressed/The ugly get violent, the pretty get gone/The old get stiff, the young get stepped on/Whoever told you it was all good lied/So throw your fists up if you’re not satisfied.”

13. “Don’t You Even Go There” – Demigodz feat. Louis Logic
A lyrical tour de force as Louis Logic, Apathy and Celph Titled deliver punchline after punchline. Louis starts the track off in fine fashion and Apathy is tremendous as per usual, but it’s Celph’s verse that is my favorite. I hadn’t heard Celph Titled before this EP dropped and he gained a huge fan after hearing him on this disc. His best line comes at the end of the song as he spits, “Certified officially, we got the ill flow/And make headlines like a corduroy pillow.” That shit is dope!

12. “Special Delivery (Remix)” – G. Dep feat. Ghostface Killah, Keith Murray & Craig Mack
First of all this track starts perfectly with Ghost spitting the opening verse. Great choice. Dep then shows his talent with a solid second verse and then Diddy surprised us all bringing in a newly free Keith Murray and his former Bad Boy signee Craig Mack. All four verses are terrific, with Murray bringing the most fire lyrically, but I can’t lie, I was geeked when I heard Mack on this for the first time. No, it’s not the remix of “Flava N Ya Ear,” but it’s still dope.

11. “Guess Who’s Back?” – Scarface feat. Jay-Z & Beanie Sigel
A certain up-and-coming producer named Kanye West produced the track and it’s fantastic. After making a huge splash with his work on The Blueprint, Kanye was a popular producer for 2002. He brings another great beat here as Beans, Hov and Face all let loose on it. All three bring it, but Face’s verse is my favorite. This shit is so smooth. I’ve played this consistently since it dropped in ’02 and I’m not sure I’ll ever get sick of it, it’s that good.

10. “Get By” – Talib Kweli
Kanye on production for one of the finest beats of the year and of course Talib gets super lyrical all over it. “We sell crack to our own/Out the back of our homes/We smell the musk at the dusk in the crack of the dawn/We go through Episodes II like Attack of the Clones/Work ‘til we break our back and you hear the crack of the bone.” Love the hook as well, great message. The remix with Jay-Z, Mos Def, Kanye and Busta Rhymes was fantastic as well.

9. “Good Times” – Styles P.
“I get high/I get high” – C’mon you can hear that sample in your head right now and it’s making you smile. Admit it. This song was my favorite at one point during 2002. The production is tremendous and the sample for the hook is among the most catchy you’ll find. Styles spends the track paying homage to one of his loves in life – weed. I’m not a smoker, but if I were, this would be my smoking anthem.

8. “U Don’t Know (Remix)” – Jay-Z feat. M.O.P.
How do you take a great track from the classic Blueprint and make it better? Add M.O.P. As the newest signees to Roc-A-Fella records, Lil’ Fame & Billy Danze bring the fire to Just Blaze’s banger and then Jay caps it off with a stellar closing verse. Fame spits, “Your tracks need tune-ups/Lil’ niglet, what the fuck you recordin’ for, Nick Jr.?/The game ain’t changed, it just got harder/Plus we sponsored by Laze, Dame Dash and Mr. S-dot Carter.”

7. “Boom” – Royce Da 5’9
The greatest solo track of Royce’s career right here. Nickel-Nine unloads over a DJ Premier banger. So many great lines on this one. He finishes the track with some real hotness, “Niggas say I found God with the flow/Bring the police to the studio and bring the bomb squad to the show/Ain’t a nigga touching mine/When you listen to my shit, you don’t chew, you don’t breathe, you don’t miss a fuckin’ line/Every time I spit, I tick to show you it’s hot/Leave me in the deck too long I blow up your box/Boom!”

6. “The Seed 2.0” – The Roots feat. Cody Chestnutt
Probably the most loved and most popular Roots song ever. People who know nothing about hip-hop and nothing about The Roots even love this song. And it is great. Of course little do they know that it was originally recorded by Cody Chestnutt, hence the “2.0” in the song’s title. But the Roots put their own touch on the track and make it an all-time great. Not much else needs to be said. Everyone knows this song and it will live on forever.

5. “It’s Time (An Ode To Breaking Atoms” – D-Tension feat. Encore
I tried to hear this song for over a year. Seriously, I couldn’t find it anywhere. Finally I found D-Tension’s compilation album and bought it immediately. This song was worth the wait. I had Encore’s Self-Preservation album, which showed what a talented MC he was, especially on the song ".084", but this took him to another level for me. He absolutely owns this track and that’s saying something because the production on this track is top of the line. A lesser MC would’ve been outshone by the production.

4. “What’s Golden” – Jurrasic 5
J5 has made it a point to stick to the formula of old that made hip-hop music what it was back in the day. In the face of all the commercial bullshit, Jurassic 5 stayed true to their sound and delivered this ode to the days of feel-good, boom bap rap. Soup opens the track in grand fashion, but it’s Chali 2na that steals the show, which is no surprise for a J5 record. “Well it’s the verbal Herman Munster/The word enhancer/Sick of phony mobsters controlling the dance floor.” Comparing himself to Herman Munster is priceless.

3. “Made You Look” – Nas
Oh dear God was this song awesome! Salaam Remi and Nas make a great team. This is like a throwback to Illmatic Nas. Dude was untouchable on this one. The remix with Jadakiss and Ludacris was hot too, but the original was an “Oh Shit!!!” moment for me the first time I heard it. When that gun shot goes off to start the track I get amped every time. Nas didn’t need to prove he was one of the greatest of all-time, but if there was any doubt he put those doubters to bed with this one.

2. “The Life” – Styles P. & Pharoahe Monch
Styles P. makes his second appearance on this list with a song that would probably be No. 1 for me in several other years. And no, I didn’t break my own rule of one song per album. This was originally found on the Soundbombing III album, and then was included on Styles’ Gangster and a Gentleman, so technically it counts. Good thing because I’d have a tough time leaving “Good Times” off the Best of ’02 list. But there was no way this song wasn’t making it. This was one of the songs, along with “Cross The Border” that I listened to before every game of the ’08 Phillies postseason run. Styles is very good on both verses, but it’s Pharoahe’s hook that pushes this song towards the top for me.

1. “’Till I Collapse” – Eminem feat. Nate Dogg
For me this is the measuring stick that all Eminem songs should be measured against. Everything is perfect here. The production, Nate Dogg on the hook and Em’s ferocity on the mic are all sensational. This is the same year that “Lose Yourself,” the most famous song of Em’s career was released. That song won an Oscar for goodness sakes. But “’Till I Collapse” has even more energy, more intensity and is Em at his sharpest on the mic. He leaves his soul on the track, much like a soul singer would hit that other level. And at this point in his career, Eminem had pretty much given us an inside look into his entire life, but never did I expect him to rank himself among other rappers and rate himself 9th. I love how earnest he is spitting, “Cause I’m at the end of my wit’s with half the shit that gets in/I got a list, here’s the order of my list that it’s in/I goes Reggie, Jay-Z, 2Pac and Biggie/Andre from Outkast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas and then me.” And Em, I hate to break it to you, but your list is off base. No way is Jada, Kurupt or Redman ahead of you. Can’t say I’d put Andre 3000 ahead of Em either. The Kurupt thing still doesn’t make sense to me, but again, that’s part of what makes Em great. He says what he feels, without caring what others think.

Best Albums

10. All The Above – J-Live
I said it above, but I’ll reiterate it here, if you want lyrics, listen to J-Live. Lots of tremendous songs here as J-Live is an MC in every sense of the word. Whether it’s storytelling (“One For The Griot”), getting political (“Satisfied”), showing love to the ladies (“Like This Anna”) or just flexing his lyrical muscle (“MCee”), J-Live is razor sharp on every cut. The production is solid, which is always a concern when dealing with super lyrical artists (see: Canibus, Ras Kass, etc.), and meshes well with J-Live’s style.

9. Blazing Arrow – Blackalicious
Let me preface this by saying that this album disappointed me. But that disappointment stems from the excellence of Nia, more than it represents the quality of this disc. This is still really good hip-hop music. Nia, the group’s previous effort, simply spoiled me. Lots of gems on this disc, including the title track, “First In Flight,” “4000 Miles” featuring the great Chali 2na, “Paragraph President” and “Make You Feel That Way.” Gift of Gab further cemented his status as one of the best MCs in hip-hop on this disc.

8. Quality – Talib Kweli
After teaming with Mos Def for the fantastic Black Star album and following it up with DJ Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal to drop the terrific Train of Thought, Kweli went solo for the first time. The result: more top notch hip-hop music. Kweli has always been an underground hero and rightfully so. He respects the craft and has never let it get the best of him (i.e. making a bullshit radio song just to try and garner commercial success.) The production on this disc is top notch, with contributions from Megahertz, Kanye West, DJ Scratch, Ayatollah, Super Dave West and Dilla. The only misstep for me was the DJ Quick produced “Put It In The Air.” Kanye produced my three favorite tracks on the album in “Get By,” “Guerrilla Monsoon Rap” which features Black Thought and Pharoahe Monch, and “Good To You.”

7. The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse – Jay-Z
This couldn’t live up to The Blueprint. There was just no way that was going to happen. But the choice to make this a double disc further hurt Hov’s chances of releasing consecutive classics. If this had been a single disc, it would be a serious contender for album of the year. When it’s good, it’s really good, but there’s just too much filler considering both discs weigh in at 25 songs total. As for the good, there was plenty to celebrate such as the Kanye produced “A Dream” featuring Faith Evans and Biggie’s first verse from “Juicy,” “The Watcher 2” featuring Dr. Dre & Rakim and served as the sequel to the Dre song from 2001, “Poppin’ Tags” featuring Big Boi, Killer Mike & Twista, “Diamond Is Forever,” “U Don’t Know (Remix)” featuring M.O.P., “Some People Hate,” “Bitches & Sisters” and the tremendous title track, which you’ve probably all heard in a recent commercial.

6. Phrenology – The Roots
The Roots never disappoint, but coming off of 1999’s Things Fall Apart, I was curious to see what direction the group would go with this disc. One review summed this album up perfectly saying it was the group’s hardest-hitting album, “partly because it’s their most successful attempt to recreate their concert punch in the studio.” That comment struck me because the more I thought about it, that’s a great way to describe this disc. “Rock You” and “The Seed 2.0” are both perfect examples of that “concert punch” as they bring a ton of energy. “Thought @ Work” is one of the best displays of Black Thought’s abilities as an MC and “Break You Off” featuring Musiq served as a smart choice as the lead single, following the success of “You Got Me.”

(On a side note, I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to Black Thought. I met the Roots at the Jeffrey Lurie Super Bowl Afterparty in Jacksonville after the Eagles lost to the Patriots and suffice it to say I had had about one too many Heinekens at that point. The liquid courage was in full effect so I decided to try and talk hip-hop with Black Thought. Of course the thing I wanted to know was what ever happened to his solo album, Masterpiece Theater. Now Black Thought had released the first single off that album, called “Hardware.” But in my inebriated state, I kept calling the first single “Water,” which Black Thought assured me wasn’t a solo song, but was released on Phrenology. I argued with him that he was wrong about his own music and told him to stop messing around with me because I was a real fan. I told him I knew what I was talking about and that it was cool, he could talk hip-hop with me. He was none too amused and pretty much ended the discussion on the spot. The next morning I woke up and the first word that popped in my head was “Hardware,” the actual name of the first single that I was referring to as “Water.” I had the right song in my head, just the wrong title. I never felt like such an ass in all my life. So Black Thought, if you ever get the chance to visit the Writer’s Block and find yourself reading this post, I’m sorry. I truly am. Now when is Masterpiece Theater coming out?)

5. Power In Numbers – Jurassic 5
This album was a great example of what hip-hop heads want. It featured MCing, DJing, underground favorites and no cookie cutter b.s. The production was handled almost entirely in house between Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark, except for two tracks from the Beatnuts’ Juju and one from Sa-Ra Creative Partners. The guest spots are underground favorites Kool Keith, Juju, old school hero Percee P, the legendary Big Daddy Kane and a surprising appearance from Nelly Furtado (who turned out to be the perfect choice for the excellent “Thin Line,” a song about the difference between being lovers and being friends.) Other standouts include “If You Only Knew,” “A Day At The Races,” “Remember His Name,” “What’s Golden,” “One of Them,” and “I Am Somebody.”

4. The Fix – Scarface
Many regard this as a hip-hop classic, as it received 5 mics in The Source and topped lots of lists for Album of the Year. I’m not ready to deem it a classic, but it is really, really damn good. Kanye was an extremely busy producer in 2002, bringing heat for Jay, Talib and Scarface among others. His production on “In Cold Blood,” and “Guess Who’s Back” is excellent, while the guest spots from Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Nas, Kelly Price, Faith Evans and WC all bring value to the album. I’ve always liked Scarface’s music and I’d rank this one just behind The Diary for my favorites of his work.

3. God’s Son – Nas
This album starts so strong with “Get Down,” “The Cross,” “Made You Look,” and “Last Real Nigga Alive,” but then hits a major hiccup with “Zone Out,” and “Hey Nas,” which pretty much sums up this album. When it’s on, it’s among some of Nas’ best work. When it misses, it misses badly. But the majority of the disc is on the good side, including the uplifting “I Can,” the heartfelt “Dance” which is an ode to his late mother, and the inspirational “Warrior Song” featuring Alicia Keys. I listened to this disc again recently and it will hold up over time. It’s just got a few flaws that stop if from being on the level of Illmatic or Stillmatic.

2. God Loves Ugly – Atmosphere
This is the first Atmosphere album I owned. I had a loose compilation of the songs from the Lucy Ford EPs, but didn’t have the official release yet, but I found this disc sitting in the bin at a local music store and scooped it up without hesitation. Listening to this and putting on 2011’s The Family Sign, the growth in Atmosphere’s music is extremely noticeable. But that’s not to say this isn’t good hip-hop. It’s raw, at times very bare bones and it’s clear that Slug and Ant put their all into the disc. After a little bit of a slow start, songs 4-10 are all terrific. That span of songs are among the best songs the group’s ever released including “Fuck You Lucy,” the title track, “A Song About A Friend,” “Saves The Day” and “Lovelife.” The rest of the album is also chock full of solid music with the likes of “Vampires,” “Modern Man’s Hustle,” and “One Of A Kind.”

1. The Eminem Show – Eminem
I know I’m in the minority here, but this is my favorite Em album. The Marshall Mathers LP is great, hell it’s a classic, as is The Slim Shady LP, but this is the most open look into Marshall’s life that we’ve ever had. “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” “Say Goodbye To Hollywood,” “Hailie’s Song,” and “’Till I Collapse” are as personal as any record Em has every released. Em brought some humor on the disc, not completely ditching the Slim Shady character on songs like “Without Me” and “My Dad’s Gone Crazy.” But it’s when he brings his sheer emotion that he’s at his best (see: “Soldier” & "'Till I Collapse"). The whole album is excellent. Even songs like “Drips” and “Superman” which aren’t quite up to par with the rest of the disc are still entertaining and serve their purpose on the album. Em hits on every topic from fatherhood, to his childhood, to the impact hip-hop music has on white society, to his legal troubles stemming from an assault, all the while he finds time to take shots at Canibus, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Moby, Kim Mathers and of course his mother. Every song is delivered with some purpose, instead of just sticking to the formula of rapping over a beat. I listened to this album ad nauseum when it came out and I still enjoy it every time I put it on now. Oh, and there’s some Dr. Dre production on here as well which of course is fantastic.

That'll do it for 2002. I do want to give special notice to Mr. Lif's I Phantom. The album and in particular the song "Success" is tremendous, but I slept on it and have just recently started relistening to it. I couldn't bump any of the Top 10 albums as I have much more history with them, but Mr. Lif definitely deserves some props here.

2003 is obviously up next. Another classic album on the way, as well as some tremendous underground hip-hop. Hopefully I'll be able to get it up quicker this time. 'Till next time...