I told myself I wasn’t going to do one of these this year–they take too much time–but I heard a few people were looking for this list this year, and I gotta give the gente what they want. Before we dive into my 25 favorite hip-hop tracks of 2010, allow me to first go over a few guidelines: First, artists are only allowed to appear once. (In other words, it doesn’t matter how dope you thought the new Kanye was, he’s only claiming one spot.) Second guideline: In an effort to not spend too much time on this post and become better at math, I’ve limited my descriptions to equations. Third guideline: There are no guidelines.
25-21
David Banner
25. Nieve – Doin That Today
Breezy beat + Nieve’s laidback flow = Lazy Sunday anthem
24. Eternia and Moss – It’s Funny ft. Joell Ortiz
Intense lady MC + Joell Ortiz = No laughing matter
23. David Banner – Be With You ft. Ludacris & Marsha Ambrosius
9th Wonder on the beat + Marsha on the hook + multiple Luda guest verses = Enjoyable David Banner track
22. Rocky Rivera – Heart
Soulful sample + talented story teller + message = Me reminiscing about the 90s
21. Sadistik – Savior Self
CasOne, Kristoff Krane, Alexipharmic and Eyedea (RIP) = Nice little posse cut for fans of Atmosphere, Living Legends, etc.
20-16
J. Cole
20. Panacea – Natural Selection
Straightforward flow + dreamy beats = Something to zone out to
19. The Letter P – Brother ft. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Dope rhymes + Heartfelt sentiments + Edward Sharpe sample = A little something for everyone
Click here to listen to “Brother”
18. J. Cole – Problems
Hov’s protege – his usual rampant misogyny = Refreshing
17. Qwel & Maker – The Game
Typical Cat spitting flames + piercing soul beat = Good game
16. Reflection Eternal – In This World
Powerful Hi-Tek beat + urgent Talib = Epic feel
15-11
Moe Pope
15. Hoodie Allen – You Are Not a Robot ft. Marina & The Diamonds
Clever wordplay + indie sample = Hipster’s wet dream
14. Freeway – Throw Your Hands Up
Boom + Bap = Fear the beard
13. Jay Electronica – Shiny Suit Theory ft. Jay-Z and The-Dream
Jay + Jay = Handfuls of quotables
12.Rafael Casal & Daveed Diggs – Babysittin
Relentless beat + fun with words = New appreciation for the Bay
11. Moe Pope – Rock Me I
Hip-hop homage + Memorable metaphors = Boston, stand up
10-6
K. Flay
10. Lil Wayne – 6’7″ Ft. Cory Gunz
Mixtape Weezy = Martian
9. Melissa Czarnik – Been This Way
Strings + honesty = Thanks, NPR
8. Drake – Over
Degrassi: The Next Generation = Street Cred
7. Das Racist – You Oughta Know
Overly recognizable sample + gibberish = Why do I like this so much?
6. K. Flay – No Duh
Hot fire spitter + Stanford diploma = K. Flay
5-1
Yeezy
5. The Roots – The Day ft. Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash
Blu, Phonte, Black Thought = Three of the greatest “reality rappers” doing their thing
4. Malcolm & Martin – Thank God
Solid message + solid beat + solid Rhymes = Chuck D smiling, somewhere
3. Kanye West – Gorgeous – KiD CuDi & Raekwon
Lyrical daggers + catchy chorus = Most slept-on song off My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a.k.a. this album’s “Spaceship” / “Gone” / “The Glory”
2. Shad – Rose Garden
Fresh face with a penchant for wordplay & honesty + great soul beat = Visions of a young Kanye West
1. Big Boi – Shutterbug
Seasoned Big Boi + Unruly track = Can’t touch this (c) Hammer
That’s all, folks! Hope you enjoyed the music. I’ll catch you in 2011.
