Oh my god, you didn't put Lil Wayne or Nas on your Top 10?  Your credibility as a human being is completely ruined - Here are my main complaints about these albums.  The Hip-Hop media / powers that be made us believe that Lil Wayne is the greatest rapper alive and Nas is some conscious genius with Untitled.  Lil Wayne is the HOTTEST rapper by marketing standards, not quality in my opinion.  The Carter III is no illmatic, it's not even Get Rich or Die Tryin'.  There are dope tracks on there, but his mumbleness isn't the hotness to me.  Nas's CD just didn't demand my attention.  I can't tell you the last time I wanted to pick up that CD and listen to it in its entirety.  "Fried Chicken" was dope, "Hero" was a cool single, and "Testify" was controversial...but it wasn't a comelling disc.  Maybe he really does need Premo like us e-nerds think he does.

Honorable Mentions - Film Skool Rejekts Midnight Movie (Great debut CD that is incredibly slept on), Murs Murs for President, 9th Wonder and Jean Grae Jeanius, Elzhi - The Preface, The Game LAX

10. Kanye West - 808's and Heartbreak - Stephen Colbert referred to this album as the same as putting a tin cup to a Ms. Pac Man machine.  This album had some dumb hype, and while it wasn't terrible, it wasn't as good as Graduation.  That's okay because I appreciate the growth and an attempt at doing something totally new.  The vocoder stuff is annoying, but how can you deny the hotness of "Say You Will" and "Welcome to Heartbreak"?  This album was much better than I thought it would be.  You may hate on the singing, but can you deny the epic production Kanye brought to this project?  When has he gone for something as bold as "Welcome to Heartbreak" and as moving as "Street Lights"?  An essential fuck you love letter to his ex, yes Kanye is as pretentious as ever.  Who really cares what he is "singing" about if he produces good music though?  He calls himself "the voice of this generation of this decade"...I won't go that far, I think Obama has that on lock.  But I will say this album is proof of the man's staying power.  I might lose a few readers for ranking this album so high, but they really need to listen to the depth and epicness of Kanye's production on this record.  I stand by this as number 10 this year. 

9. Ludacris - Theater of the Mind - The finale track produced by 9th Wonder is aptly titled "Do The Right Thing."  When you are in Ludacris's shoes, you already have sold millions of records and really have nothing else to conquer.  This latest LP shows a hunger I didn't expect to see, and diversity you'd expect from a rather complex artist.  Plies, Lil Wayne, 9th Wonder, Rick Ross, DJ Premier, Nas, Jay-Z, Common, and others all show up on this album.  "One More Drink" is for the clubs and "MVP" is for the heads.  Tell me Ludacris didn't body that Premo track?!  My favorite mainstream album from the South (sorry T.I.), features the first rapper you love from the ATL besides Andre 3000. 

8. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles - Pure and simple, instrumental heaven.  Flying Lotus is one of the people who really deserve that "future of Hip-Hop" title.  Tight jeans and weird shades don't make you the future, your sound does.  I don't know Flying Lotus's fashion sense, but I know his music is on some tip I've never heard.  This record is so raw like FlyLo sampled the noises in a 3rd world country bazaar.  The interplaying pops and clicks between tracks is that futuristic bounce.  Los Angeles is that knock.

7.  Black Milk - Tronic - The beats on this album are something else.  The style he brings is something I don't move with immediately, but I do mess with him as a whole (pause.).  He suffers from the same problem most producer/emcees have, everyone looks at his beats first, and his lyrics second.  He is definitely a capable emcee, and most importantly he knows how to make albums. Tronic has the most "aww shit" moments than any record I can think of, with screwface bangers like "Long Story Short", "Losing Out", and "The Matrix."  This album is a set-up to a guy who could reach ridiculous popularity heights as he keeps on developing his sound.

6.Atmosphere - When Life Hands You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold -  There are two major reasons why this album isn't on enough people's top 10s.  One, people hate on Atmosphere like Slug still rhymes about an annoying girlfriend.  Two, people just don't want to type out the absurdly long album title.  I'm a former hater, but these guys have developed their sound to make mature, and bump-worthy tracks.  You want dope metaphorical joints? Look at "Yesterday" / "The Skinny" (great wordplay about cigarettes) / "Your Glasshouse" (Bush gets served on this one).  I was never the biggest Slug fan, but he kind of won me over with the Felt stuff.  Don't sleep on Ant either, whose work on the new Brother Ali album will likely be mentioned in next year's Top 10 list.

5. Gnarles Barkley - The Odd Couple   - This, right after Nicolay/Kay, won't be on the majority of people's top 10's.  Am I the only one who is completely enamored with "Who Is Gonna Save Your Soul?"  I think the hype of matching the popularity of "Crazy" was unrealistic.  Frankly, "Run" was also kinda slept on.  I guess the video giving people seizures might have hurt its ability to be distributed.  Give me a real soul singer dropping soul like on the aforementioned "Who is Gonna Save Your Soul" and "Blind Mary" over any of that vocoder stuff.  If you can credit Danger Mouse for anything, it's for making Cee Lo a more household name.  The more music we get out of that dude, the happier we are as music fans. 

4. The Roots - Rising Down -  This album is a forgotten one because the lack of Black Thought.  I counted 28 guest verses on this album which felt more like a mixtape.  Complaints aside, this album had so many tracks worthy of repeat.  "Unwritten" to "Rising Up" to "Get Busy"...this album is packed with quite a few bangers.  It would have been higher ranked if it had a bit more cohesiveness.  I find myself not listening to it anymore, and that was definitely not the case with The Game Theory.  Still, the album has to stand out as one of the best records of 2008.  Def Jam just doesn't know how to promote these guys like Fox with Arrested Development.

3. Nicolay & Kay - Time: Line -  How people don't talk about this album in high regard is beyond me.  Kay, from Houston, brings the lyrics while the famed Nicolay drops his best production ever.  Yes, better than Connected.  The "What We Live" / "I've Seen Rivers" / "Tight Eyes" / "As the Wheel Turns" is the best 4-track suite of '08.  Nicolay, unlike any other producer this year created an album that blends together so seamlessly.  The power of transitions folks, it turns great records to even greater from an audiophile perspective.  Some people might knock Kay for not being "famous" like Phonte, but I think dude holds his own here.  "I've Seen Rivers" is a great, conscious joint featuring some eye-opening lyrics by Kay.  I hope we get more from Kay, and more importantly from Nicolay and Kay together.

2. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It - This was an unbelievably tough decision.  My favorite live show I went to was Saadiq's show I saw in D.C. earlier this year.  He somehow took us back to the 1960's, but at the same time reinvented what we thought of R&B.  Like some sort of time traveling Marvin Gaye of the future.  Yeah, even that confused me.  This record is unstoppable at a house party, and just flows from track to track.  You want to dance? "100 Yard Dash" will fulfill that desire.  You want some soul like James Brown's soles?  "One Kiss" / "Oh Girl" got you set-up.  This album was a "something different" record for Saadiq much like 808s for Kanye, but he seemed to deliver it with just as much passion and vigor without the ridiculous ego-imposed promotion.  Who knows what his next record will be like, but we do know that his amazing production served us well in 2008.  I was calling this the best album of the year and hell, I think in 2 or 3 weeks I might want to switch back into my #1.  That's how dope I think this CD truly is.  I was slightly disappointed that the rest of America did not catch on to Saadiqmania.  He has all the attributes of an American Idol winner (Dope voice + performance skills) with actual musical talent.  Oh well, let's hope his next project will garner him some more well-deserved attention.

1. Q-Tip - The Renaissance - My favorite Hip-Hop album comes from one of those albums you never expect to drop.  Desire had some dumb amount of hype for me last year and Pharoahe couldn't match it with that effort for me.  Q-Tip took 10 years from Amplified and dropped a CD much closer to Low End Theory than his last solo.  Soulful sounds fill up this COMPLETE record.  From beginning to end Tip has something to say and organic, unique production to back it up.  It was very tough to chose this over Raphael Saadiq, but I chose Tip's lyrical content over Saadiq's rather singular love-theme in his singing.  Q-Tip comes off harder than anyone on "Dance on Glass" with that accappella in the beginning and packs dance floors with "Move."  I was literally astonished at how everyone claims legends from the pasts don't got it, largely because they try to saturate the market.  Q-Tip waits a decade and packs an album with the best lyrics of the year, period.  He got spiritual with "Believe" and "Shaka", and personal with "You."  Can you tell me one song on here that won't resonate for a few years?  This was the product of years of thought, blood, sweat, and tears; and don't worry Q-Tip, we are very grateful.  Folks, the best album of 2008.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR - BLACK MILK - This was the toughest award to hand out.  The major players were Black Milk, Nicolay, and DJ Premier.  I thought Nicolay had the best total produced album out of the group.  Coming to think about it, the Foreign Exchange album was still pretty hot.  However, I thought Black Milk took this year to set himself apart with not only his work on his album, Elzhi's, but various singles.  He did his part in getting people excited to hear his music.  His tracks were normally the hottest on a record, just ask Buff 1 with the Black Milk assisted "Fall Back."  The guy has been held up as the next Dilla and we all know that is unfair.  Milk's style lies somewhere between Premier and a more hardcore Dr. Dre in my mind.  I tell people let the man develop his own sound and enjoy his endeavors.  I'm not the biggest fan of his rap style but I won't hold it against him because he is the total package.  To think this will be his biggest year is a clear mistake.  I guess and I hope I'm right in estimating that Black Milk's best days are ahead of him.

MOST DISAPPOINTING ALBUM OF THE YEAR - COMMON - UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL
Common's career has been real confusing as of late.  He made a huge comeback with Be because he linked up with a popular producer who knew how to make beats to exemplify his fly lyricism.  Finding Forever was a continuation of that slickness.  Some folks derided Common for making the same album again but I thought why mess with a good thing?  Universal Mind Control is evidence that sometimes veering off the path for an artist might not be the right thing to do.  Was this album terrible?  No definitely not but it does not dominate my earbuds like his past few records have upon release.

"Gladiator" and "Inhale" are certified bangers, but that's mostly because they were reminiscent of a hungry, lyrical Com.  The album was ten tracks short, as opposed to a full ten songs.  This LP like Nas's Untitled does not command the listener to press rewind.  I didn't even mind he went with a party jam for the first single.  The album was not cohesive enough for my tastes and I expect more out of an artist I call one of my favorites.  Hell, his penmanship is the reason this site has this name.  Let's hope Common links back up with Kanye and sprinkles a little No I.D. on top for his next project.

MOST SLEPT-ON ALBUM OF THE YEAR - NICOLAY AND KAY: TIME:LINE
I chose this album over other records for one reason, it's supposed fanbase shrugged at it for no apparent reason.  It had one half of Foreign Exchange, but did not get half the press/hype of that record.  Yes, we know Phonte is a bigger name than Kay...but that doesn't mean this album should have been completely slept on.  I like this album better than Connected, and it being released this year makes it easy to recognize how much hyper this album was than both those FE records.  They are very different albums, but I figured this album would get more attention.  It had that southern flavor that's oh so popular with some funky tracks.  Nicolay supplanted himself as a producer to remember with his efforts this year.  I only hope Kay gets equal attention as these two should have been supported stronger, so we as listeners can look forward to more music from the two. 

Critical Runner - Up: Film Skool Rejekts Midnight Movie - While the last record was slept on by people who should like the album (i.e. people who rave about Foreign Exchange), this album like Move.meant's last year went under the Hip-Hop radar for far too many fans.  It featured acts like Skyzoo and some of the best hardcore production and lyricism you'll find all year.  "Super Heroes" / "IBM" / "Strength in Numbers" are the tracks people are screaming for cats like 50 / Nas to come with, and are left disappointed.  This record is for those fans and I guarandamntee this album is a banger.  From beginning to end, you hear the hunger of 3 talented dudes who you know will be here for years to come.

WORST ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
This movie was so bad it somehow crosses mediums and is my worst album of the year.  Let me put this out there: I used to love Indiana Jones.  These were movies that somehow people of all ages could enjoy and it's something I connected with my family over.  We didn't have much popular culture to share because Straight Outta Compton just isn't dinner music at an Indian household.  However, Indy was something we all cherished and loved.

Then Spielberg and Lucas thought it would be a good idea to put out this ghastly movie.  The first problem was the terrible plot.  Aliens?! Really?  Where do they fit into the mythical motifs of the other movies?   I also got mad because that "twist" was announced literally in the beginning of the movie.  The plot was ridiculous.  Indiana Jones was about the spaces between science fiction and reality.  This movie just blew that all out of the water.  Shia Lebouef, swinging with monkeys chasing a Jeep?!  I mean it was silly and also just useless.  However, that scene is no where as bad as Indiana Jones surviving a nuclear attack in a fridge.

Indiana Jones hiding in a Lead fridge to survive a nuke literally served no purpose and annoyed anyone over the age of four.  I know we as Hip-Hop fans complain about doo-doo albums from artists, but most of those albums are about 60 minutes long.  This movie doubles that in length and unlike crappy rap albums, it destroyed a piece of my childhood and therefore is the worst album of 2008.

BIGGEST ARTIST LIKELY TO PROVE THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE AVERAGE HIP-HOP FAN MIGHT NOT BE AS HIGH AS WE'D HOPE IT TO BE: LIL WAYNE
Last year Soulja Boy won this award because it made no sense why people would clammor towards him.  I wrote earlier how Lil Wayne's lyricism made him the new "big thing' of Hip-Hop.  This holds true in reference to Weezy's ascension into god-like popularity.  Since The Carter III his verses are what I call "Digital Ma$e."  They are just vocoder verses that sound mad lazy.  His fans still swear by him even if he is dropping whackness.   Let's be fair, I think he has killed verses this year but also has used his own coattails to ride some beats in a horrid fashion.  His fans continue to jock even if the lyrics themselves are weak.  Truthfully, I'm not a big hater of Wayne like I used to be.  I respect his hustle, his grind, and how those attributes led to his current status in the game.  However, I do not support his legion of fans who jock Wayne like a fiendin' crack addict.  Objectivity is the first thing lost in stan-dom and Wayne's popularity is evidence of a fan base who doesn't care what's being said as long at is said by someone who is "hot right now." 

If you don't agree with me I pose this question: Do you think Jay-Z would be allowed to get away with the verse on that T-Pain single "Can't Believe it."?  Nope, I didn't think so.  

MOST IMPRESSIVE HUSTLE SHOWN: LIL' WAYNE + FREEWAY
Lil Wayne and Freeway have done their best this year showing up on everything.  Lil Wayne dominated the first half of the year, but Freeway went donkey kong ridiculous at the end of the year.  The Month of Madness with 31 quality tracks per day in December and Freeway now jumping on everything calling it a "Freemix" is the truth.  He recognizes people loved Wayne for having so many verses, so Freeway is on a crazy writing spree.  Saturating the market seems to be where it's at, and Freeway is making sure people recognize he has his lyrical hustle up.

This award likely goes to dude hosting and showing up on most mixtapes.  Lil Wayne is not a goon, but a goblin for that.  Like I mentioned before, his hustle is why he is so huge right now.  I respect the level of his grind this year.  2009 has started off strong with those inspiring "What's G" commercials.

BEST VERSE OF THE YEAR - Mos Def on The Roots "Rising Down"
This was a very tough decision because nothing struck me as awe inspiring like last year's Andre 3000 verse.  Still my favorite verse was from the Mighty Mos who gets extra points for stepping back to the mic proper.  It's good to see the man on his rhyme grind once more.  "Grapes of Wrath in a Shapely Glass" is a nasty double entendre considering the theme of the song and the classic novel.  Mos Def stood out on the joint with insightful lyrics that literally grabbed the listener's attention.  And it's true, bone gristle does pop from continuous grinding. 

SONG OF THE YEAR - BLACK MILK FT. ROYCE DA 5'9 "LOSING OUT" -  What in the f*ck was Black Milk thinking when he first heard that sample?  I was simply blown away the way he manipulated that vocal into this hell-raising track.  Every major Hip-Hop head I know gets an automatic screwface when you simply just mention the song.  You play the track and faces start melting.  The two D-Twa emcees skillfully trade verses while intermixing the sample into their verses.  I tend to chose the more "epic" joints to be the song of the year.  They stand out because they leave you dumbstruck at first and you seem to only gather simple thoughts like "dope", "bangin'", "daaaamn."  This song inspires all of those emotions and more. Tronic did not exactly put Black Milk on the mainstream map quite yet, but it has cemented my belief he has the talent to be one of the true greats in the future.  

Also...MOST POPULAR SONG OF 2008 - Lil Wayne "A Milli" - It would not be fair to mention the most addictive, mentioned, and possibly hated "A Milli."  The beat you likely got sick of in a week, but for that week you were swearing like it was the new "Grindin'."  EVERYONE and their mother did a remix to this joint.  People got props for just trying to hop on, but credit to Weezy because no one went off the wall like him on that joint.  I don't know what the hell he was saying half the time but that goon/goblin distinction and that Mazaratti wyling was definitely memorable.  When you get a track as addictive as this you need to beast it, and let's admit it folks, Lil Wayne went in.  Sure there were bigger pop singles, but in Hip-Hop, Lil Wayne gave The Carter III a cult classic which is always necessary for an album to reach classic status in a few years.

RANDOM SH*T! AWARDS FOR 2008:

BEST J-LIVE SONG OF 2008: "The Upgrade" featuring Oddisee and Posdunous - I had no idea how to give this song credit this year so I came up with this bullsh*t award.  This song was my runner-up to Best track of the year thanks to an infectious beat provided by Oddisee.  The lyrical input from the three emcees is also high quality so the end product is a rather banging song.  Yelling "It's the Upgrade, What!" became a minor hobby of mine in 2008 thanks to this gem of a track.

BEST CONSCIOUS TRACK OF 2008: Atmosphere "Your Glasshouse" - Slug deftly compares a vicious hangover and your life in ruins to Bush and his treatment of this country.  One of the smartest political / conscious tracks I've ever heard.  You really don't catch the symbolism until 5-6 listens in, and I appreciate the effort Slug put into this joint.  The beat is also a monster thanks to Ant.

BEST MIXTAPE OF 2008: Wale Mixtape About Nothing - A Seinfeld-themed mixtape sounds straight silly but that description could not be farther from the truth.  This mixtape is filled with dope production from The Best Kept Secret and Wale's informative / clever lyrics.  It was one of the only CD's I could honestly listen to from beginning to end. 

BEST MOVIE OF 2008: The Dark Knight - Probably the only no brainer for me.  The Dark Knight hit me like a mack truck.  I remember wanting to constantly talk about Heath Ledger's performance, the amazing plot, and everything else Dark Knight for the following weeks.  That's a mark of an incredible movie.  My Runners Up are The Wrestler and Slumdog Millionaire.

BEST MUSIC VIDEO OF 2008: Pack FM "Plucking Daisies" -  At first I didn't even like this video, but then they completely flipped the video.  Why would they flip to the girl's POV afterwards?  For me, the message meant not to be a weak dude wrapped up in one chick.  In the year of Rik Cordero, the homie behind this one (Kareem Edouard) really did it big for the independent video director.  I was going to give this to Busta Rhymes for "Don't Touch Me" which took it back to that fisheye lens steez we all love from Bussa Bus.  Instead he tossed his first singles and decided to move with that "Arab Money" nonsense.  Don't front on this track either, Pack FM and the rest of QN5 dudes did the "love" theme right this year with their EP Baby Blue for Pink.

BEST MOMENT OF 2008: Barack Obama - Is this even a question?  Likely my favorite of 2009 will be the Inauguration.  This is a momentous occasion in our history, bigger than anything we've ever witnessed.  Whether you hate the man or not, you have to respect where he is now to understand where we have come as a nation.  50-60 years ago Black people couldn't marry white people they loved.  They did not have the basic civil rights we all enjoy today, such as living in a desegregated society.  Our grandparents lived in a world that understood people of color as inferior, and we've moved this far since.  Don't let his election fool you, there is still work to be done.  You can hate his politics, but you have to love the United States of America right about now.  People don't dance in the street unless it's for good reason, and his election had damn near the whole world out celebrating.  To '09 and infinity.

AND SOME PEOPLE WHO WILL SUCCEED IN 2009:

Wale - We've been saying this for years that this man will blow.  It sounds like Mark Ronson finally knows how to market a rapper.  Wale will be dropping his major label release this year and will be that "new star" of 2009.

U-N-I - My homie Chris London manages this crew from LA who is starting to make a buzz in the underground.  They will release their new CD, A Love Supreme, with producer Ro. Blvd. which will take them to Blu status and I think beyond.  Look out for them in 2009.

Drake - Drake has the formula for success in 2009.  He's from a hugely populated area without a singular voice quite yet (Toronto), he can spit, and he is cosigned by Lil Wayne.  That "Unstoppable Remix" is something heavy and I think you will hear a lot more from Drake in 2009 and beyond.

Black Milk - 2008 solidified his popularity with the underground masses.  Look out for him in 2009 to work with some more mainstream artists to make his name a household one nationwide.

Hey everyone, it's truly hard to believe it's been 3 years since Dave left us.  Each time this day has come round the calendar, I have tried to post something positive in his memory.  I believe on his birthday I discussed the election of Barack Obama as our new President.  I'm going to take a 180 and talk about another passion of Dave's on this day, and that's wrestling.  First before that, make sure to bump the tribute track by Kenn Starr and Haysoos which was produced by 9th Wonder.  Props to all the parties involved including Peter Rosenberg for making the connections necessary for the creation of this beautiful track.

Haysoos and Kenn Starr "D. Ellis" [left click, zshare]

Once Karlena hits me up with the "Bartram Remix", we'll post up one of the funniest joints Dave ever created.  I now want to talk about a movie that screamed Dave Ellis to me, and that flick is The Wrestler.

The Wrestler stars Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a washed-up ex-wrestling star who lives in a trailer and does amateur events in his old age to barely make end's meat.  Thank director Darren Aronofsky for helming this truly dope film.  Those who read Sum Ish when it was Hip-Hop Reviewz really knew how much Dave loved wrestling.  Some of my favorite moments growing up revolved around WWF Pay-Per-Views.  I remember crowding Ellis's basement which was filled with the homies and cheap beer.  Since I was the smallest and arguably weakest wrestling fan, I understood my position and normally took the back seat on the bench press in the far end of the room.  Those PPV's were objectively boring to me at first, I'd say I only came to kick it with Ellis and the homies.  Wrestling sucks you in like some sort of entertaining vortex.  Next thing I know, I'm a casual fan who transforms into a guy who owns Steve Austin t-shirts.  I will never forget getting unreasonably hype for the original "Tables Ladders and Chairs" match with Ellis, Sapir, Paul Walker, Kaufman, and everyone.  Beyond WWF (now WWE), Ellis had a pure love of Professional Wrestling.

Those of us who went to West Windsor will never forget the advent of the backyard wrestling league entitled BTW (Sadly, I forget the acronym but we always referred to it as BT-Dub).  This league spawned from Dave being blocked unjustly from the High School's talent show.  So instead of lobbying to get another chance to perform, he along with Kaufman, Neumann, and others formed a backyard wrestling event which would be on the same night.  It built such a huge hype, that the then disciplinarian had to call the cops on the event since the event charged 2 dollars for entry.  Apparently that's illegal, frankly I thought we'd be busted for trying to have kegs there! Back to the movie though, this pure passion for wrestling in general would have made this movie resonate with Dave I think.

I can only imagine Dave's post about this movie.  He'd be souped that director Darren Aronofsky did not pull any punches, and really portrayed what it's like for fallen wrestling stars and for amateur wrestlers in general.  Aronofsky excelled in showing the many facets of wrestling from the hardcore matches (which are a huge sell point for many leagues) to the dependence on drugs/steroids to keep competitive.  Also, this movie was so JERSEY.  That's right, I get bold.  Since I moved to California, I sometimes forget about my original roots.  This movie has more Jersey pride than a drunk guy in Ocean City singing Bon Jovi.

Also, you'll notice that Mickey Rourke's second job had him at Acme.  Those who know Dave knew his connection to the grocery store.  Mickey Rourke's hatred of his boss made me chuckle, because it reminded me of Ellis and Little Head complaining about that demonness Patty. Anyway I'm losing all sorts of structure with this post...

This movie is a celebration of the highs and lows of wrestling culture and I think that's why it reminds me so much of Dave.  I wish I'd be able to discuss the flick with him, but that feeling comes with every new Hip-Hop track that comes out.  I do know that he'd love this movie, and would agree with me that Mickey Rourke needs to win an oscar for his role.  While it was a very melancholy flick, it made me happy because it had me reminiscing about good times with Dave.  And with that note, I'm out for now.  Take care everybody. 

Dave Ellis Forever.

P.S. - Posts coming up on the new Zion I / Saigon v. Buddens / and more!

MF Doom "Ballskin" - I have trouble enjoying this song, because it requires me saying "I like ballskin."  Mf Doom apparently has a record in 2009, but who knows if that will come out.  After his whole impostergate scandal, I think it will be tough to wind back a lot of his fans.  It's not like many folks buy records so I suppose he will stay relevant if people forget why he dropped off in the first place.

Oh yeah, New Rza with Ghostface, Kool G Rap, Tash Mahagony - "Whar" - Classic wu beat re-mixed with some new verses from some O.G. vets.  I was hoping Tash was from the Tash from Tha Liks, but instead its a chorus songstress. Oh well, still a banger.  Gotta love the fact Rza sampled bees for the beat!  That's what I call commitment to the Killa Bees motif.

As promised, here are some of your Top 10's as I finish up my year in review.  Inauguration hits town, I doubt I'll have a computer in front of me until Wednesday.  I feel like if I release it by February, it'll be somewhat reasonable.

Raoul Duke's Top 10
10. Al Green - Lay It Down
9. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles 
8. EMC - The Show
7. Elzhi - The Preface
6. J-Live - Then What Happened?
5. Black Milk - Tronic
4. The Grouch - Show You The World
3. Opio - Vultures Wisdom Vol. 1
2. Q-Tip - The Renaissance 
1. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It

Mike G's Top 10(s):

Top 10 hip hop
1) Q-tip- The Renaissance
2) Common- Universal Mind Control
3) Gym Class Heroes- The Quilt
4) The Roots- Rising Down
5) Blu & Mainframe- Johnson & Jonson
6) Kidz in the Hall- The In Crowd
7) TI- Paper Trail
8) Black Milk- Tronic
9) Nas- N*****
10) Shwayze- Shwayze

Top 10 all Genres
1) Q-tip- The Renaissance
2) Kevin Rudolf- In The City
4) TV on the Radio- Dear Science
5) Raphael Saadiq- The Way I See It
6) Your Vegas- A Town and Two Cities
7) Chin Chin- Go There With You EP
8) Fall Out Boy- Folie A Deux
9) Common- UMC
10) NERD- Seeing Sounds

Most Anticipated for 2009
1) Mos Def- The Ecstatic
2) Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek- Train of Thought 2
3) Anything from Blu
4) Eminem- Relapse
5) Wale
6) Kid Cudi

From the boy Dwizz, who pt mad effort into it!!
Dwizz's Top Ten Rap Albums

10.  Murs And 9th Wonder - Sweet Lord ( Most Probably like MURS for President better, but this is one of my fav combo's in hip hop giving me a great album and IT WAS FREE!! boo yaa)

9.  Opio - Vultures Of Wisdom (Don Julio ranks on my top three tracks of the year..Took me a while to warm up to the whole album but after His live show i was sold!)

8.  Vast Aire - Deuces Wild ( Not a ton of press or Buzz for this album,  Was I the only person who liked it??  Love it all the way thru, great Sophomore Release..The Track T.V Land is killer)

7.  Guilty Simpson - Ode To The Ghetto (Great debut album,  The first time i heard Get Bitches I thought it was terrible..the THIRD time i heard it ..I knew it was Genius and the rest of the album is very good too)

6.  Little Vic - Each Dawn I Die ( I was told to listen to this album and then didn't really get around to it for a about month after and once i did i was blown away..can't wait to her more from this dude..The Title track and Sister Morphine are standouts on the album.)

5.  Immortal Technique and DJ Green Lantern - The 3rd World ( Saw Technique at a festival 4 years ago without ever having a track by him..blew me away..he's been one of my fav mc's since..This album is awesome..usual Tech cleverly cutting down anyone who stands in his way!! HollyWood Drivebye,  The 3rd World and Mistakes are the standouts for me.)

4.  QN5 - Baby Blue For Pink EP (I wouldn't normally list a label compilation album on my top ten lists of the year..or an EP for that fact BUT this was soo good that i think i dedicated feb,mar and april to listening to this at least once a day...Plucking Daisies is my RAP SONG OF THE YEAR..yup i said it.... nothing else released this year affected me like the samples on that song  year..NOTHING!)

3.  Grip Grand -  Brokelore ( Remember the Time and the rest of the album owned my earsfor a good portion of summer..loved every song and killed by how a group could make good songs usuing Obvious samples..something i normally can't stand!  Any group who can flip the Jump Around Beat and make it seem fresh gets the nod from me!)

2.  Atmosphere - When life gives you lemons you paint that shit gold.. (Unexpectedly good! Ill admit ill love anything atmosphere does..but where I like there last album ,I find this one way more well rounded, Not just college party songs like the last album...... Its refreshing to here someone act there age on the mic and drop great story's of life from the average Joe's Perspective.  Also Ants Beats never seem to stop getting better?!? )

1.  Q-Tip - The Renaissance (What Else would I put? This album is great..i can listen to it in my car, party, Desk at work, headphones and even when the family is over..the best overall album of the year..not surpirising Im sure:)

Top Ten Hip Hop Shows Of The Year. (yep i go to enough shows to have a top ten!)

10.  Skratch Bastid @ Element NightClub in Victoria  (one of the best DJ's in The world Plays a Free show and only about 80 people show up..not surprising..I didn't waste the opportunity tho..i got smashed and danced all night!!)

9.  Little Brother @ Coachella 08' (they were on early,  it was fuckin hot out and i was insanly huingover but I still rocked out big time..first time seeing them but im sure not the last!)

8.  Cunnylinguists @ Barcode in Victoria (A dingy little bar but made the perfect size for the crowd that showed up..despite bad sound and a missing member they pulled off a great show.)

7.  DJ Z Trip @ RoofTop of Strathcona in Victoria ( The setting was a nice as the show.. Outdoors dance floor on the roof of a great pub in downtown Vic..played everything could hope..including his banging track he did with MURS.)

6.  Blue Scholars @ Sugar Night Club in Victoria ( The live show was as Nice as Geologic was to meet in person after the show..even though only half full they rocked every person there out hard!)

5.  Hilltop Hoods @ Sugar Nightclub in Victoria ( Hilltop Hoods were awesome..sold the place out and people (mostly aussie's) Went nuTs!! most notably the rap group im in RAOUL DUKE got a chance to open and we didn't waste a minute of it)

4.  Brother Ali @ Sugar Nightclub in Victoria( 4th time seeing the big albino and he tore it up!! he ran outta beats cause he played everysong that he brought a beat for!!  so he freestyled forever at the end of his show over anything his DJ would play..really glad that after so many shows im still so interested!!)

3. R.A Tha Rugged Man @ Barcode in Victoria (again im at the dingiest place in town..perfect setting for the nastiest guy in the rap game!! Amazing show..crowd was funny and went nuts..his performance was at its best when he came out into the crowd and out of knowwhere started making out with one my friends..She claims it didn't happen..we were standing right by you Girl..it happend!)

2.  Hieroglyphics @ Elemnt Nightclub in Victoria( Now shows can be good for different reasons..this one had alot!! First off Tanya Morgyn Opens??!! and wins the crowd over by third song..then as quickly as there done Hiero takes stage and the place erupts..at one point I say to my friend "If Opio plays Don Julio im Gonna go Chernobyl!!"  He did and I followed suit launching my drink in the direction of anyone i could hit.and bumping in to every one within a 8 foot radius..yes that night I WAS the guy you hate at a Rap show!!Soo good!)

1.  Murs @ Coachella 08' (well I had seen the man once before and it was fantastic..but this time took the cake..starts off with classic like L.A and Silly Girl and then reveales that he has come with a live band..they rock out for a while and then murs pulls out a huge coup..He brings out the entire Living Legends crew for the last 2 tracks!! amazing!!)

Other Good shows this year
Zion I @ Sugar nightclub
Luck I am @ Coachella 08'
Most Dissapointing show easily was the Beatnuts @ Element Nightclub..Just retire allready

Great year for Hip Hop and Music in general..cant Wait to read your guys lists..and Yes i will Judge you for putting 808's and Heartbreaks on it!

Back to Big R: Thanks for the feedback everyone, Dwizz, you might judge me after my top 10...

RIP and REP D. Ellis

Year in review: I'm halfway done with round 2 and I think it's best that I've had this extra time, I've been moving around albums here and there.  Wait for that in a week or so, but I'll post ya'lls top 10s within the week.

Go get that Inverse EP - http://inversehiphop.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/inverse-so-true-ep-download-immediately/ - The homie Tunji and Toby aka Inverse have released a free EP.  It's features QN5 mainstays such as Deacon the Villain from Cunninlynguists and Substantial.  Is it dope?  The answer, the inverse of no.  Holy sh*t, that was corny.  Luckily you guys get a dope, free EP so you can't get too angry.

This new Platinum Pied Pipers will probably be in top 10 of '09 at the end of 2009.  Producers Wajeed and Saadiq follow up their underground classic Triple P with a much different disc in Abundance.  I expected an album with rapping, and what I got was an album dripping with soul and that 60's bop.  "On a Cloud" is a catcy lead single and "Sanctuary" is something else.  When was the last time you listened to a record expected something, got something different and was actually happy they switched it up?  I can't remember the last time that's happened.  Think Mark Ronson mixed with Jay Dilla with some Motown on top.

What the f*ck is up with the Arizona Cardinals?  I've doubted them the entire playoffs and think they will knock off the Eagles because Larry Fitzgerald is apparently the nicest receiver in the game right now.  Also it was dope seeing the two #1 seeds get knocked out.  Maybe I'm cynical because I'm a Bills fan, but the Cardinals represent the hopes of small market teams everywhere that one day, even shitty teams can be champion.

One of the people I'm predicting big things for in '09 is Skyzoo.  Check "On Fire" courtesy On Smash which features a soulful beat from the producer group that you'd expect it from, Cookin' Soul.  I'm not quite sure where this is going to be released, but it's definitely a dope track. 

Mad sleepy.  Inauguration in like a week, holla!

RIP and REP D. Ellis

Buy Film Skool Rejekt's debut album Midnight Movie
If you haven't already had a chance to cop this record, go HERE now and do-so at Amazon.  Since there are so many tracks, they had to split it up into two purchases.  I find that kinda odd that Amazon/iTunes would do that, but Amazon sells it for half of what Itunes does so cop it there.  I'll write a real review of the record when I hit home, but I just wanted to remind ya'll to do so.  While trends seem to be moving towards "hipster" rap, FSR is unabashedly spitting that raw.   You've seen the videos (search "Soundcheck" and "Strength in Numbers" on vimeo.com), and I promise you the album is dopeness.  Cyrus tha Great knows how to make dope beats, period.  The two emcees complement each other perfectly.  I want ya'll to check the Amazon page or Itunes to preview the record.  I guarantee you listening to the beats on their own will make you want to cop and the lyrics are fierce like starving lions.  And oh, "IBM" is the future of rap music, period.  Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

T.I. v. Ludacris on who had the better album this year - Winner: Ludacris - I haven't had a chance to talk about how much I was digging this Ludacris album.  Theater of the Mind features a still-hungry Ludacris (gotta respect dude's passion) and a great diverse cross-section of tracks.  Seriously, if this album was sequenced differently it might have been a terrible listen due to how different tracks are.  A Plies feature track after the numbingly-dope Premo cuts on "MVP" might make my head explode.  However, Ludacris and his team compiled a great potpurri of tracks.  He goes everywhere on this album from the hilarious drunk anthem "One More Drink" to the slept on jammie "Call Up the Homies."  The album really showcases Luda's lyrical dexterity on tracks like "Undisputed" and "Everyone Hates Chris."  Who isn't feeling "What Them Girls Like" in the club either?  (Or in my case, shitty dive bars because that's how Big R rolls in a recession).  Look at the last 4 tracks on this album: "Last of a Dying Breed" with a passionate, yet wyling Wayne verse, "I Do it For Hip-Hop" w/ Jay-Z/Nas (Jay-Z/Nas collabos don't have that "ooh effect" they once had. Still a big deal though)  "MVP", and my favorite track, the 9th Wonder produced "Do the Right Thang."  These songs are for the underground / Hip-Hop heads.  "Do the Right Thang" is "conscious" as any P.E. record, it's just that Ludacris is a complex individual and his album reflects that.  He is partying, being ignorant, making you think, and looking out for the community all on one album.  I don't know any other emcee who can pull off this kind of a diverse album, and Luda seems to do it with ease.

Comparatively, I do think the T.I. album bangs.  But it has no content.  It's just party music for the most part, you don't really see T.I.'s mindset besides a few joints like "No Matter What."  T.I.'s album is an unbelievable Thriller attempt at every track being a single.  When I first heard this album I thought wow, he is going to sell bajillions of records in this terrible economy.  Still, it feels more like "Now that's What I call Music Volume 53" than a cohesive record that Ludacris delivered.  Overall both albums have their merits, but I am messing with Theater of Mind more than Paper Trail.

Kanye v. Lebron on whose ego is way worse - Winner: Lebron James - Kanye's ego is absurd, let's not lie.  "I am the voice of this generation of this decade."  That was vintage, and so was Stephen Colbert describing the album as listening to a Pac-Man machine through a tin can.  However, you can see Kanye's love of this new album as love that people are accepting his experimental projects.  I think 808s and Heartbreak is a cool record, it shows growth and celebrates Kanye as likely the DUDE to bring some fresh energy to Hip-Hop.  That bling bling shit was getting tired and his work on Blueprint really got us back to some good soulful Hip-Hop.  So if he has an ego on this emo record, who cares.  His mom passed and he lost his fiance, he is allowed to be a little obnoxious.  Also an interesting thought I had with a homie of mine was how we thought his next record from Graduation would be some dark-ass sh*t due to his mother's tragic passing.  Instead we have a dark record in a love sense, but I guess it's easier to reflect on the loss of love than the loss of his mother.  Anyway, I'm generally okay with Kanye's ego.  Lebron on the other hand is absurd.  I think his whole courtship with New York is f*cking terrible.

It's disrespectful to his teammates, his team, and mostly the fans.  The people in Cleveland saving cash to buy tickets and merchandise with his name probably adore him since he is from Ohio, and hearing him want to go to New York must crush their spirit.  He owes it to the kids not to talk so brazenly about leaving.  Charles Barkley called him out and Lebron's response was "He's Stupid."  Well he maybe stupid, but you are acting like a dick.  I'm a fan of a small-market football team and I don't like seeing teams in big cities steal stars, and I hate to see the athletes disrespect the franchise and city like Lebron is.  Shut up and focus on winning a ring.

Oscars v. Grammys on which has artistic integrity - Winner: Oscars - Lil Wayne got eight grammy nominations for The Carter III.  What the fuck do people look at to nominate Grammy's?  Is it MTV polls?  I thought the Grammys got it right with giving Outkast album of the year of The Love Below / Speakerboxxx, but does Lil Wayne have the BEST album?  I guess if you are looking at beats and popularity, maybe.  That album has like...no content!!  Maybe the people think "Mrs. Officer" is about police brutality and "Lollipop" is a scathing attack on Chinese food poisoning kids.  Grammys in my opinion are a joke, yet I get hyped when crews like The Roots win them.  The Oscars seem to be a real award based on artistic accomplishment.  Daniel Day-Lewis acts like invented the craft and he deserved to win for There Will Be Blood. 

Digital downloads v. CD's - Winner: leaning towards Digital Downloads - I refused to get an ipod car for my whip so I could continue copping CD's.  Well mostly in those days I'd get free music due to my DJ gig, but anyhow, I didn't want to replace the need to buy CD's becuase I did enjoy peeping the art, producers.  Nowadays I live in a city without a car and the last physical CD I purchased was Raphael Saadiq The Way I See It which was just to support what I think the best album of the year is so far.  I ended up losing that CD.  With my Ipod and my laptop comprising most of my listening experience, I really don't think the artwork is worth the extra 5 dollars and hassle to get to a store.  I've talked about before that the future of music is not even in downloads, but probably some sort of streaming where you pay 15 bucks or so a month to listen to whatever you want.  Zune has already started that trend by allowing users to pay 15 bucks a month to download whatever they want.  However, if you cancel your subscription the old songs you bought no longer work.  So while artwork and liner notes are cool and all, but I feel it might not be worth it anymore for casual consumption.

A Mixtape once in a while v. Mixtapes every other week - Winner: A  Mixtape once in a while - This is a reaction to the recent Play Cloths Road Til the Casket Drops Mixtape by the Clipse which is one of my favorite mixtapes, period.  These dudes don't drop mixtapes every week like it seems everyone else is.  I'm a huge fan of quality over quantity which you can tell the Clipse are about too.  They somehow make that coke rap interesting and entertaining.  People jock Weezy for his lines and T.I. for his swag but Pusha T has better one-liners and the "ughhhh" has swag by the pound.  If you haven't checked for the mixtape you need to.

And some Random Ish I wrote:

New Souls of Mischief "Tour Diaries" available at Nah Right.  Good ish!

Peter Rosenberg threw a very dope event with DJ Premier in NYC.  A one on one interview with an audience a la "Insider the Actor's Studio."  Check some clips at Rosenberg Radio.

Freeway has been on a releasing music spree as of late.  He is dropping a track every day in the month of December in what he calls the month of madness.  I am likely going to download all 30 at the end and peep it, but you can check each joint at his website HERE.

Ok I had much more to include on this post including thoughts on 88 Keys, EPMD, Plaxico, and shoe throwing at Bush.  That'll wait until next time.  If you hate large font, let me know in shoutbox.

RIP and REP D. Ellis