Note: Many moons ago, when I was the editor for a couple of small community newspapers, my managing editor once told me the year end recap issue couldn’t drop after January 1st, as there’s nothing worse recapping old news after the new year has started. So, please forgive me as I recap this old news, but this entry turned out to take a lot longer than I originally imagined.
It’s a fairly common perception in hip-hop that things nearly aren’t as dope as they use to be. A decade ago, I was a devoted subscriber to this way of thinking. In 1997, you couldn’t tell me nothing except that hip-hop was getting worse each year, and that the art form would soon to be completely rent to pieces by corporate vultures by the year 2000 at the latest. Well, by 1998, I learned to calm my ass down and realized that hip-hop is now big enough that whatever drives the mainstream doesn’t drive the music as a whole. I’ve learned to ignore the music that I know doesn’t appeal to me, and focus on everything else. I’m much happier these days.
So while many hip-hop heads lament how the last few years have been lousy, I’ve been pretty damn happy with the state of hip-hop music over the past ten years. I guess you could maybe make the argument that hip-hop wasn’t as strong in 2008 as it was in 2007, but I still had more than enough albums to consider when putting together a list of the 10 best albums of the year. Truthfully, I could have even put together a perfectly acceptable top 10 list from the albums that didn’t quite make the list and call it a day.
As it stands, I’ve put together a list of 60 hip-hop releases that dropped in 2008 I enjoyed quite a bit. Plus five more that disappointed me. So, starting with the good, here are the 10 best hip-hop albums of 2008:
Top Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2008
10. Azeem – Air Cartoons
As the chorus of the title track says, Air Cartoons indeed sounds like it was written while Azeem’s hand were tripping on ’shrooms. The Jersey born MC, now residing in Oakland, has already had a unique way of thinking and rapping, and with this, his fifth album, the beats reflect his mind state. Convincing psychedelic hip-hop albums are hard to pull off without seeming forced and self-indulgent, but Air Cartoons succeeds because of Azeem’s ability. The despite its lysergic sonic feel, the album isn’t an ode to mind-altering substances; Azeem takes Oakland residents and artists to task for “going dumb” and searches for universal truth. It’s good to see that there are MCs that aren’t scared of being intelligent.
9. Invincible –
ShapeShiftersDetroit is really on a come up these days. The scene is spawning some of the best rapper and producers doing it these days. Invincible is one of them, and is a somewhat unconventional rhyming hero: a Jewish female MC. You don’t see many of those everyday. But Invincible is skilled enough to be thought of as a dope MC, period. Though she made her name in the underground as a battle MC, she’s most adept on
ShapeShifters creating thematic rhymes, such as commentary on the Israeli/Palestinians state of affairs (“People Not Places”), the beneath-the-surface racism that exists In liberal Ann Arbor (“Deuce/Ypsi”), and the slow and sad gentrification of urban Detroit (“The Locusts”). She even puts a little spin on the Patty Hearst kidnapping on “Ransom Note.” I hope to hear a lot more of Invincible in the future.
8. Dagha –
DivorceI’m tempted to call
Divorce the
Hear, My Dear of hip-hop albums, but on this album Dagha the details of his acrimonious divorce from his wife in a largely matter-of-fact and straight-forward manner, as opposed to Marvin Gaye’s protracted bitterness. On his second album, Boston’s Dagha explains the all the minutiae that can go along with a failed marriage in vivid detail, from his wife changing the locks on their house without his knowledge, to the process they go through trying unsuccessfully to sell their home, to his separation from his daughter.
Divorce then follows Dagha as he describes trying to piece his life back together and maintain his grind as independent artist. It’s a sobering and occasionally depressing album, but its also refreshing in its complete honesty. It also helps that Dagha is a gifted MC and enlists a crew of talented producers.
7. Black Milk –
TronicHave I mentioned the strength the Detroit scene? Rapper/producer Black Milk is one of the better beat-makers in the game these days.
Tronic, his second album, only enhances his reputation. Tracks like “Give the Drummer Sum,” “The Matrix,” and “Hell Yeah” are some of the better produced beats of the year. Black Milk really shines with his drum programming, an increasingly lost art in hip-hop production. However, the beats are the star of the album, as Black Milk rhyming skills need work. But the beats are so well made, that I’m will to give Black Milk more time to grow as an MC and consider this album one of the year’s 10 best.
6. The Mighty Underdogs –
Droppin’ Science FictionThe Mighty Underdogs started the year with a solid EP, and ended it with a spectacular album. The Bay Area trio, comprised of the Quannum Collective’s Gift of Gab and Lateef the Truth Speaker and Crown City Rocker’s Headnotic put together a short and sweet (48 minute) album that still seemed epic in scope. Like almost all of the best albums of the year, it was varied in subject matter and feel, while still feeling cohesive. And like all good album, the Mighty Underdogs prove capable of evoking emotions through their music, from sadness to inspiration; I freely admit to dancing in joy to the album’s closer, “Victorious,” the on Barack Obama’s election night.
5. Guilty Simpson –
Ode to the GhettoThe third and final album by a Detroit artist on this list,
Ode to the Ghetto is a throwback “street” album. On it, Guilty Simpson seems less concerned with proving his street credentials than he proving he can actually, you know, rap his ass off.
Ode to the Ghetto demonstrates that’s not it’s not what you rap about it, but how you rap about it. Songs cover topics like ghetto life, problems with his girlfriend, and crooked cops, but doesn’t ever sound stale. Guilty Simpson has a very distinctive voice, flow, and demeanor that all command attention. He’s got vocal presence that comes off like an odd combination of Biggie Smalls, Redman, and Sean Price (how makes an appearance on “Run”). It’s also got dope beats provided by Black Milk, Madlib, and the dearly departed J Dilla. Ode to the Ghetto doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but its simple effectiveness carries the weight.
4. Jake One –
White Van MusicPart of me objects to the nature of how this album was put together. From Seattle producer Jake One’s own description in the linter notes, much of
White Van Music is made up of unused and unfinished tracks featuring a who’s who of mainstream and underground MCs that they originally intended for the own respective albums, but didn’t make the cut for whatever reason. That feels like cheating. But whatever, the results are outstanding so I can’t hate. Some of the tracks on the album are among the best songs released this year, including Blueprint’s “Scared,” Casual’s “Feeling My Shit,” Bishop Lamont and Busta Rhymes’ “Kissin’ the Curb,” MF DOOM’s “Trap Door,” and Freeway and Brother Ali’s “The Truth.” And when it comes down to it, I imagine a lot of my favorite albums were put together in a similar manner.
3. Akrobatik –
Absolute ValueThis Boston MC is quietly putting together a really solid career. Most of what I needed to say about this album I said already in a record review I did for this neglected blog earlier this year. But suffice to say this is the type of album I wish more artists would make: well-constructed rhymes covering a variety of topics over dope beats, guest appearances that enhance rather than overshadow the artist, and everything coming together to create a distinctive mood.
2. The Roots –
Rising DownRising Down is a dark and brooding album, which serves as a bookend to The Root’s 2006 album
Game Theory (apparently this album is made up songs recorded during those same sessions). It’s also probably the Roots’ best album since 1999’s Things Fall Apart. While these days the group is making a greater pop culture name for themselves on TV as Jimmy Fallon’s in-house band, they certainly weren’t fucking around when they recorded
Rising Down. Black Thought’s non-stop lyrical barrage on “75 Bars” has been known to melt speakers. “Criminal” is powerfully grim and haunting. Songs like “Get Busy” and “I Can’t Help” hit harder than left hooks to the jaw. The album also brings out the best in the guest MCs that grace the tracks: Mos Def’s performance on the title track/album opener might be the best verse of the year. And the album’s closer, “Rising Up,” shows that a go-go inspired hip-hop track can actually sound dope. That’s an amazing feat in itself.
1. People Under the Stairs –
Fun-DMCPeople Under the Stairs make great music about loving music. Their albums reflect deep and abiding love of music by people whose lives are consumed by it. Fun-DMC could be the best album the Los Angeles duo has ever released, which is saying something, since I believe that P.U.T.S. is one of the best groups of the ’00s. Their sixth album,
Fun-DMC, is mostly about the joy and fun that goes along with listening to and creating music. This is more difficult than it sounds, since most hip-hop albums are about actions themselves, rather than the happiness that can result from the action. On this album, rappers Thes One and Double K cover the love of rhyming over old school breaks (“The Ultimate 144”), the love of old school hip-hop (“Letter C/O the Bronx”) the love of growing up in a house full of music (“Same Beat (Wesley Rap)”), the love of their home state (“California”) and just plain old loving the act of sitting back and listening to music (“The Mike and Chris Story”). Considering how fun has been sucked out of most hip-hop these days, this album is its own revelation.
Like all People Under the Stairs’ album,
Fun-DMC seems like it was made for the spring and summer day and nights, but this album brings a smile to my face, whether it’s 78 degrees and cloudless day when I’m driving up Highway 1 on the way back from Monterey, or I’m shivering in a brick freezing apartment on an overcast and drizzly weekday night.
Bonus: Blueprint –
Blueprint vs. Funkadelic EPI disqualified this EP because it was a free mixtape available online, and its barely 30 minutes long, but if I had to fit this sucker in, it would somewhere in-between #5 and #10. On this EP, Cincinnati’s Blueprint raps over loops (or entire songs) of early Funkadelic. Not the happy, upbeat, poppy stuff the group produced as the 1970s drew to a close, but the dirty, LSD-drenched, rock and blues soaked funk from the early part of that decade. The common theme being that early Funkadelic was a revolutionary and subversive as hip-hop can be at its best. In-between snippets of the Parliament-Funkadelic PBS documentary that aired back in 2005, Blueprint does his best to free the listeners mind, hoping their asses will follow suit.
Best of the Rest:Here’s another 14 that had a shot of cracking my top 10 list:
Heltah Skeltah –
D.I.R.T.EMC –
The ShowJohnson and Jonson –
Johnson and JonsonCount Bass D –
L7Murs –
Murs 4 PresidentJ-Live –
Then What HappenedGZA –
Pro ToolsBrooklyn Academy –
Bored of EducationDevin the Dude -
Landing GearThe Grouch - Show You the World
Kidz N the Hall –
The In-CrowdJedi Mind Tricks –
History of ViolenceEsoteric -
Esoteric Vs. JapanDoom Tree –
Doom TreeAnd here are another five albums that can be included in the list of 14 above, but just had flaws that I felt the need to comment on:
Ludacris –
Theater of the MindLudacris is a consummate shit-talker on record. I’d even say he’s fairly underrated among hip-hop heads at writing braggadocio punchline rhymes. Tracks featuring this particular talent bookend the album, and as a result Theater of the Mind starts and ends strong. “Undisputed,” “Wish You Would,” “MVP,” and “I Do it For Hip-Hop” are all just as good as anything in Luda’s catalogue. However, the middle of the album severely sags when he gets into the syrupy “for the ladies” tracks, which Luda has NEVER been good at making. Tracks featuring Chris Brown and Jamie Foxx are as corny and forgettable as the low-points of Luda’s catalogue (think the 2003 clunker “Splash Waterfalls”). I’m aware I’m being pretty hard on what’s only a three-song stretch, but the sequence kills the album’s momentum, and prevents
Theater of the Mind from being great.
Atmosphere –
When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit GoldNot a bad album, but being Atmosphere is one of my favorite groups making music, this album fell short of expectations. I understand what Slug and Ant were trying to go for, by making a “quieter” album, and this album is suitably quiet, and as a result, sometimes painfully lacking in oomph. Slug still has mad skills as storyteller, and successfully walks the line between genuine and emo. But if you put together Atmosphere for “seasonal”
Sad Clown EPs that preceded
When Life Gives You Lemons… you’d have a better album. The free
Strictly Leakage Atmosphere released via free download at the end of 2007 was a better album. I respect the effort, but the next time please don’t forget the bass.
Q-Tip –
RenaissanceSpeaking of albums that needed a little more oomph, Q-Tip’s grand return after a prolonged hiatus is generally a good album, but it’s, for lack of a better term, too soft. First, the good: he can still rap and can put together a technically proficient beat. I don’t take the former for granted, seeing as many the rhyming skills of many of Q-Tip’s contemporaries have evaporated; lyrical longevity is nothing to be scoffed at. But this album has its fair share of flaws. Too often the drums, basslines, scratches, etc. all sound too weak. And Q-Tip still can’t sing. Now, he this lack of ability had it’s own charm on some old Tribe Called Quest tracks, but it’s done without any irony here. I’m aware I’m giving the impression that I don’t like
Renaissance, but that isn’t true. It’s just that this isn’t revelation that many are making it out to be.
Elzhi –
The PrefaceI wanted to like this album more than I actually did like it. I’ve been a fan of Elzhi (yet another Detroit MC) since the beginning of this century. I’ve enjoyed his guest appearances on other artists’ projects and his work as a member of Slum Village. Heck, I even enjoy the work of the producers involved; the aforementioned Black Milk handles the great majority of the production duties. But
The Preface never quite gels together, and it’s frankly kind of boring. There are some interesting concepts on The Preface, such as “Guessing Game,” “Colors,” and “D.E.M.O.N.S.”, but it fails to achieve it’s potential.
88 Keys –
The Death of AdamIf producer 88 Keys had just decided to make this a regular old compilation instead of a concept album, everything would have been gravy. His own vocal stylings are entertaining in an off-key sort of way, and tracks featuring artists like Redman, Kanye West (sans auto-tune), J*Davey, Phonte, Kid Cudi, and Bilal are all entertaining. But he had to fuck around and make the whole album a “story,” complete with a corny, pointless, running narration. And the point of story, you ask? Thinking with your dick and not using a condom when having sex can lead to bad things. Thanks dude, but I’m not in 8th grade anymore.
More good albums
And just for good measure, here’s another 30 albums that I rather enjoyed, but I don’t think I could consider among the best of the year.
Large Professor –
Main SourceThe Knux -
Remind Me in 3 DaysC.R.A.C. Knuckles –
The Piece TalksMurs and 9th Wonder –
Sweet LordSubstantial –
SacrificetRebleFree -
Return of the Dirty CymbalsLyrics Born –
Everything at OnceBuff-1 –
There’s Only OneMedian –
ReliefNappy Roots –
The HumdingerInvizzibil Men –
The UnveilingSadat X –
Generation XCool Kids –
Bake Sale EP
Tanya Morgan –
The Bridge EP
Dumhi -
Yoga At Home EP
Kirby Dominant –
Prostitute EP
Vordhul Mega –
Mega GraphittiIll Bill –
The Hour of ReprisalJean Grae and 9th Wonder –
JeaniusGiant Panda –
Electric Laser
Statik Selektah - Stick to the Script
Sadat X - Generation X
DJ Babu - Duck Season 3
Nabo Rawk - Teched Out Neanderthals
14kt - The Golden Hour
Mighty Joseph -
Empire StateIce Cube –
Raw FootageButta Verses -
Reality B.V.C-Rayz Walz -
The DroppingParis –
Acid ReflexOh, and special mention goes to Freeway for his
Month of Madness series, where he released a song a day from his vaults for free download throughout the month of December. It wasn’t perfect, but there’s enough quality in there to raise my respect for Freeway as an MC.
Most Disappointing albums:These aren’t necessarily the worst albums of the year, but they’re albums by artists that I expected a lot better from.
1. EPMD –
We Mean BusinessOh, how the mighty have fallen. When I was growing up, EPMD represented everything that was good about hip-hop to me: the lyrics, the beats, the scratching, the pass-the-mic-back-and-forth wordplay, the attitude, etc. We Mean Business is the antithesis of all of that. It’s almost worse that the album is dull and forgettable that outright wack. Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith are lyrically outshined by almost every other rapper that makes an appearance on this album, from Redman to KRS-One to Keith Murray to Raekwon to Method Man. These guest verses create the few moments of interest throughout the entire album. The beats, handled almost completely by Erick and Parrish, are as bland as the duo’s lyrics. It was probably better for E & P to stay out of business.
2. Kool Keith –
Dr. Dooom 2Oh how the mighty have fallen, pt. 2. This album demonstrates why Kool Keith never should burn his bridges. One of Kool Keith best and most critically acclaimed albums was First Come, First Served, an album he released 1998 under the name Dr. Dooom, featuring production by Kutmasta Kurt. It was the first of three albums that he collaborated with Kurt over a three-year period. Somewhere along the line, the two fell out, with Keith claiming that he did all the real work in the collabos. Keith has released somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 albums since his split with Kurt, and I’ll be generous in saying two were any good at all. So after realizing that they never should split up in the first place, the two reunited to try to recapture the magic with Dr. Doom 2. Yeah, well, in this case, you can’t go home again. Keith was once the shining example of a rapper that could record new music past his “prime” and still be as good as anyone out there. Now he just sounds old, disinterested, and uninspired He’s become a caricature rather than a character. And the beats are boring too.
3. Common –
Universal Mind ControlRappers simplifying their style to become more accessible is so late 1990s. To call
Universal Mind Control a genuine disappointment is kind of a stretch, because Common has moving this direction since at least 2007’s Finding Forever. This used to be one the better concept and punchline rappers in the biz. Now he routinely dumb down his style to double his dollars, but mostly just sounds dumb. I enjoy the electro/”Planet Rock”-esque throwback title track and the Kanye West (sans auto-tune) collabo “Punch Drunk Love.” But it’s a sad day when his “lyrical” track on the album is “Gladiator,” where what passes powerful punchlines is something like, “At any moment opponents will drop out like college.” Dude was clearly spending more time prepping for his role in the fourth Terminator movie when recording this album. Ah well, at least he tries harder than Mos Def.
4. Nas –
UntitledI’ve given up on spending too much time being disappointed in Nas’ output.
Untitled is the same as just about very post-
Illmatic Nas album: poetic lyrics that hampered by half-baked concepts and, moreover, Nas’ tin-ear for beats and desire to make songs that will appeal to as many people as possible. And the results are pretty much the same too: a poetic but unspectacular album. Untitled falls somewhere in the middle of his catalogue: not as good as Stillmatic or It Was Written, not as bad as
Nastradamus or
I Am…. However, in 2009 I shouldn’t still be making so many excuses for Mr. Nasir Jones, a guy who really should be the greatest.
5. Kanye West –
808s and HeartbreakAnother case where I can’t even be disappointed, because I wasn’t really expecting much. I don’t even think it’s THAT bad, but it’s certainly not nearly as good as the three Kanye albums that preceded it. That being said, I expect new albums by artists I enjoy to be at least comparable in quality to their previous releases, no matter if they’re “going in different direction.” Different is fine, I just want it to be dope, and 808’s and Heartbreak definitely isn’t dope. I’ve listened to it four or five times, and I still can’t remember anything about the majority of it.
Other genresFinally, I spent a lot of 2008 listening to new music that wasn’t hip-hop. This is the first year in my life that I’ve ever done that. So, I figured I’d put together a top lists for 2008’s R&B/Soul and Rock, electronica albums. I’m not going to include reviews, but I honestly don’t know if I possess the right musical vocabulary to describe why I like them. But I will say that I enjoyed the respective numbers #1’s in soul and rock just as much as
Fun-DMC. Never thought I’d ever see the day where I liked the year’s best rock and soul records as much as I liked the year’s best hip-hop album.
R&B/Soul
1. Raphael Saadiq –
The Way I See It2. Al Green –
Lay it Down3. Foreign Exchange –
Leave it All Behind4. John Legend –
Evolver5. Gnarls Barkeley –
The Odd Couple6. Zo! and Tigallo -
Zo! and Tigallo Love the '80s7. Solange Knowles –
Sol Angel and Hadley Street Dreams8. Menahan Street Band -
Make the Road By Walking9. Santogold -
Santogold
10. Thicke -
Something Else
Rock
1. Vampire Weekend -
Vampire Weekend2. Ry Cooder -
I, Flathead2. Radiohead –
In Rainbows3. TV on the Radio –
Dear Science4. The Black Keys –
Attack and Release5. Mars Volta –
Bedlam in GoliathElectronica
1. Flying Lotus –
Los Angeles2. Lone –
Lemuria3. Heliocentrics –
Out There
