It’s the time of year when everyone is chiming in on a list and I’m honestly not that moved by much of 2009 on the commercial front. Like most of you out there we have a hard time agreeing on things here at TheUrbandaily.com. Casey has chimed in on his Top songs of the Decade and Bill has let us know which albums he felt were slept on this year. So I’m going to dropping a baker’s dozen of songs that I’ve had in heavy iPod rotation since they dropped in ’09.
In true shuffle fashion the list zig-zag across the genre from commercial, to underground to album cuts. Hit my BP Page if you feel any of the picks.
Drake “Fear”
“Quotable”: “no Auto-tune, but you can feel the Pain/it all comes spillin’ out like I hit a vein…”
In the era where a rapper’s popularity is directly proportional to the lies they get away with this actor-turned-rapper from Toronto was a breath of fresh air.
Jay-Z f/ Kid Cudi “Already Home”
Quotable: “H-O-V” I got my own lane awwready…”
D.O.A had a hard beat with a controversial theme, but said very little. This album cut is where the Hov’s mastery of metaphor and honest delivery peaks on The Blueprint 3.
Tanya Morgan “She’s Gone”
Quotable: “I thought she was too innocent for relations/until she introduced me to ‘Electric Relaxation.”
The Brooklynati spitters offer the latest chapter in the on-again-off-again relationship with H.E.R.
Diamond District “I Mean Business”
Quotable:”I went from nada to alotta of because of Allah…”
With it’s rolling drums and haunting organ sample this cut from the slept-on “In The Ruff” project had soldiers in Iraq saluting this crew from the DMV.
Mos Def F/ Slick Rick “Auditorium”
Quotable: “I’m speakin so clearly sometimes ya’ll don’t hear me…”
A headphone masterpiece by two of the best to ever touch the mic….ever.
Pac Div, “Whiplash”
Quotable: “Used to drive a Honda til it ran out of gas/now I’m gonna push this E till it run out of Class.”
This trio from Cali is the future of left coast hip-hop.
M.O.P “Forever And Always”
Quotable: If the rumors of them breaking up prove true there is no better swan song than this one.
Raekwon F/ feat. Inspectah Deck, GZA, Ghostface Killah & Method Man) House of Flying Daggers
Quotable: “Seen things that’ll drop your jaw/my soldiers got dropped in war/see the mural in the project wall?”
Over one of the last tracks by the late J-Dilla The Wu provide one of their best collective efforts since “Triumph.”
Rick Ross F/ Kanye West and Lil Wayne “Maybach Music 2″
Quotable:“I hit the strip club and girls get extra hype/you hit the strip club and girls turn extra dyke”
Who says you can’t floss and be lyrical at the same time?
Skyzoo, “For What It’s Worth”
Quotable: “…your pink slips are their bullets, neither got a name”
One of BK’s finest documents his struggle to resist the temptation of quick money in street-corner pharmaceuticals.
Drake F/ Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, “Forever”
Quotable: “Swimmin in the money comin and find me-Nemo/If I was at the club you know I balled-Chemo”
Best posse cut of the year. Period.
50 Cent, “Do You Think About Me”
Quotable:”You think about money when you think about me, huh?/That’s why my ex is my ex, you don’t wanna be her..”
Just when you think the G-Unit hit factory was shutdown here comes the Curtis with a sped-up soul/autotune hybrid about everybody’s favorite topic.
Jay Electronica, “Exhibit C”
Quotable: “They call me Jay Electronica/Fuck that, call me Jay ElecHannukah/Jay ElecYarmulke Jay ElecTramadaan Muhammad Asalaamica RasoulAllah Supana Watallah through your monitor”
Erykah Badu’s baby daddy gives yet another reason not to refer to him as just Erykah Badu’s baby daddy.
