So it wasn't a crazy year for rap this year, but there were some GREAT Albums released, and 4 CLASSIC mixtapes (which will absolutely be included here, I'm breaking my no mistapes rule from last year because much of the year's in store releases were garbage). All honorable mentions are mixtapes other than the very good, but not my cup of tea Nas and Damian Marley album. Not to waste more time, here we go...
10. Rick Ross - Teflon Don. Talk about a star-studded album. Features from Jay, T.I., Kanye, Drake and the LOX and this has endless heavy hitters. Ross has some crazy beats and continues to improve lyrically. Here's hoping the Boss has another album in the works for 2011 because he keeps getting better.
9. Joe Budden - Mood Muzik 4. Let me get this out of the way... I LOVE Joe Budden. I think he's a lyrical assassin and no one gives him the love he's due. The Mood Muzik series is one of the best ever and rivals many widescale releases every time. That's why Joey's newest mixtape is the first of 4 to show up on this list. Get on the bandwagon! SLAUGHTERHOUSE!!
8. J. Cole - Friday Night Lights. - Cole almost made the list with a mixtape last year and breaks through this year with the incredible Friday Night Lights. it combines some of his earlier in the year hits with many new tracks and is fire from start to finish. "Before I'm Gone" is one of my 10 favorite tracks of the year.
7. Bun B - Trill O.G. Bun B is another underrated legend in the hip-hop game. Even without his fallen tag-team partner Pimp C, Bun B proved he can still put out fire albums. With the inclusion of Drake as the New Young Sweet Jones, the album gets some help. There are no real standout tracks, but from beginning to end Bun spits hot fire in his unmistakable Southern voice. Bun B for President!
6. Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. Cudi delivered a darker album with MOTM2 but much like his first, his singy-rap combination is spot on. Revofev, Ashin Kusher and Mr. Rager stand out as the album's dopest tracks.
5. Eminem - Recovery. Em is back. After a weak-ass drop in Relapse (which Em shits on multiple times on Recovery) Em comes back strong here with relapse. You know the formula, Em's flow + lyrics + voice = classic. I LOVE Cinderella Man, Cold Wind Blows and Talking to Myself. Em is at his realest on those 3.
4. Wale - More About Nothing. Yo this mixtape was unbelievable. When it came out I played it non-stop for 2 weeks. Wale stepped into the big leagues with a tape that surpasses his debut "Attention Deficit" in nearly every way imaginable. The Soup and The War are among the best songs I've heard all year.
3. Fabolous - There Is No Competition 2. This mixtape is the one that sparked me to include them on this list. As tight lyrically and boasting more awesome beats than most retail releases, Fab KILLED this mixtape. Over the course of the 20+ tracks, Fab combines new beats with freestyles over other rappers tracks, and it is endless awesomeness. Body Ya, Suicide and Popular Demand are all crazy though the latter 2 are on recycled beats, but still, insane mixtape.
2. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty. This album brought into question who the real star of OutKast is. Big Boi picked 15 fantastic beats and is awesome lyrically on all of them. Shutterbug is one of my 5 favorites of the year. The only crime is that a previous label clause prevented Andre from making a cameo on the LP, but Big Boi shows he's fully capable of carrying the load solo. If anything it just makes the anticipation for the predicted 2011 OutKast reunion album even higher. Cannot wait.
1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Look, there's nothing I can say about this album that hasn't already been said. Feels more like a production than a rap album, the gap between MBDTF and the rest of the albums on this list is pretty far. The track list played perfectly into itself and is essentially an entire lineup full of monster beats and lyrical bravado. The cameos are fantastic and don't take away from Kanye's genius as no one shines brighter over the album's 11 songs than 'Ye himself. it's probably the best album of the past 3 years and a bonafide classic. If you haven't already, go listen to it. Can we get much higher? Probably not.
5 For 2011
5. New OutKast Album
4. J. Cole Debut
3. The Carter 4
2. Kanye/Jay collabo
1. DETOX!!!!!!!
10. Rick Ross - Teflon Don. Talk about a star-studded album. Features from Jay, T.I., Kanye, Drake and the LOX and this has endless heavy hitters. Ross has some crazy beats and continues to improve lyrically. Here's hoping the Boss has another album in the works for 2011 because he keeps getting better.
9. Joe Budden - Mood Muzik 4. Let me get this out of the way... I LOVE Joe Budden. I think he's a lyrical assassin and no one gives him the love he's due. The Mood Muzik series is one of the best ever and rivals many widescale releases every time. That's why Joey's newest mixtape is the first of 4 to show up on this list. Get on the bandwagon! SLAUGHTERHOUSE!!
8. J. Cole - Friday Night Lights. - Cole almost made the list with a mixtape last year and breaks through this year with the incredible Friday Night Lights. it combines some of his earlier in the year hits with many new tracks and is fire from start to finish. "Before I'm Gone" is one of my 10 favorite tracks of the year.
7. Bun B - Trill O.G. Bun B is another underrated legend in the hip-hop game. Even without his fallen tag-team partner Pimp C, Bun B proved he can still put out fire albums. With the inclusion of Drake as the New Young Sweet Jones, the album gets some help. There are no real standout tracks, but from beginning to end Bun spits hot fire in his unmistakable Southern voice. Bun B for President!
6. Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. Cudi delivered a darker album with MOTM2 but much like his first, his singy-rap combination is spot on. Revofev, Ashin Kusher and Mr. Rager stand out as the album's dopest tracks.
5. Eminem - Recovery. Em is back. After a weak-ass drop in Relapse (which Em shits on multiple times on Recovery) Em comes back strong here with relapse. You know the formula, Em's flow + lyrics + voice = classic. I LOVE Cinderella Man, Cold Wind Blows and Talking to Myself. Em is at his realest on those 3.
4. Wale - More About Nothing. Yo this mixtape was unbelievable. When it came out I played it non-stop for 2 weeks. Wale stepped into the big leagues with a tape that surpasses his debut "Attention Deficit" in nearly every way imaginable. The Soup and The War are among the best songs I've heard all year.
3. Fabolous - There Is No Competition 2. This mixtape is the one that sparked me to include them on this list. As tight lyrically and boasting more awesome beats than most retail releases, Fab KILLED this mixtape. Over the course of the 20+ tracks, Fab combines new beats with freestyles over other rappers tracks, and it is endless awesomeness. Body Ya, Suicide and Popular Demand are all crazy though the latter 2 are on recycled beats, but still, insane mixtape.
2. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty. This album brought into question who the real star of OutKast is. Big Boi picked 15 fantastic beats and is awesome lyrically on all of them. Shutterbug is one of my 5 favorites of the year. The only crime is that a previous label clause prevented Andre from making a cameo on the LP, but Big Boi shows he's fully capable of carrying the load solo. If anything it just makes the anticipation for the predicted 2011 OutKast reunion album even higher. Cannot wait.
1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Look, there's nothing I can say about this album that hasn't already been said. Feels more like a production than a rap album, the gap between MBDTF and the rest of the albums on this list is pretty far. The track list played perfectly into itself and is essentially an entire lineup full of monster beats and lyrical bravado. The cameos are fantastic and don't take away from Kanye's genius as no one shines brighter over the album's 11 songs than 'Ye himself. it's probably the best album of the past 3 years and a bonafide classic. If you haven't already, go listen to it. Can we get much higher? Probably not.
5 For 2011
5. New OutKast Album
4. J. Cole Debut
3. The Carter 4
2. Kanye/Jay collabo
1. DETOX!!!!!!!
