The Audacity of Dope

In a few days, we’ll all celebrate the end of another year (or do you celebrate the start of the next…glass half full vs. half empty?) but before 2011 arrives, it’s tradition that every media outlet in the world releases some sort of wrap up on the previous 12 months.  Here at SNSS, we’re no different…although ours is [hubris] inherently better [/hubris].  In reviewing last year’s Best of 2009 list, I noticed my explanation still applies:

Keep in mind, these are not the biggest records of the year…nor the blogosphere favorites…or Twitter picks.  Nah, these are 26 24 of our favorite songs that we played heavily on SNSS in 2009 2010.  They are not in any sort of countdown or follow any other ranking schema.  We included a few of our favorite records from the town and crossed into other genres as well.  In other words, we followed our normal formula for spinning great music on the radio, but we just supersized it on some Barry Bonds-Roger Clemons-Alex Rodriguez super powered steroid type steez.

Speaking of baseball, we’re closing in on our 300th show.  Not exactly at Cy Young level yet, but still a notable accomplishment in today’s radio environment.  As always, we’re thankful to have the opportunity to shine light on great music and talented artists, plus we really appreciate every soul who tunes in.  We had more positive feedback and new listeners in 2010 than ever before and SNSS continues to move onward and upward.  In all seriousness, it’s humbling to be one of the last bastions of the culture on commercial hip-hop radio.  Thank you.

As I did last year, I’ve included some notes for our selections below, as well as a few honorable mention picks that we would have included on the air if we had enough time.  Any feedback/debate is welcome.  Did we miss any joints in particular?

Enjoy!

Show #291 (12-26-10)
**Best of 2010**

1. Nas & Damian Marley – “As We Enter”
2. Big Boi ft. Andre 3000 & Sleepy Brown – “Lookin’ 4 Ya (Full Mix)”
3. Candidt ft. Maya Jenkins – “Imaginary Stereo” (Local Music)
4. N.E.R.D. ft. Nelly Furtado – “Hot-N-Fun”
5. Freddie Gibbs – “National Anthem (FTW)”
6. Big K.R.I.T. ft. Devin The Dude & Curren$y – “Moon & Stars (Hyphen Remix)”
7. Wiz Khalifa ft. Killa Kyleon – “Spotlight”
8. Concise Kilgore – “Alaska”
9. Freeway & Jake One ft. Raekwon – “One Thing” (Local Music)
10. Aloe Blacc – “Dollar”
11. Nottz ft. Dwele – “You Need This Music”
12. Reflection Eternal ft. Jay Electronica, J. Cole, & Mos Def – “Just Begun”
13. The Physics – “My Place” (Local Music)
14. U-N-I ft. Miguel – “Lately”
15. Kanye West ft. Dwele – “Power”
16. Rick Ross ft. Jay-Z & John Legend – “Free Mason”
17. The Roots ft. STS & Joanna Newsom – “Right On”
18. Bilal – “All Matter”
19. Shad – “Rose Garden”
20. Theophilus London – “Flying Overseas (Version 1)”
21. Sol – “Dear Friends” (Local Music)
22. Dom Kennedy – “1997”
23. The Kid Daytona – “On The Hill”
24. Drake – “Fall For Your Type (Same Mistakes)”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?dgoqsov4ft9aqld
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/84451733eaf81c64/)
(2nd back up – http://usershare.net/vfjlt0697jzy)

If there are any problems with the links or if you’d like to be added to our weekly email list to receive the playlist and download links after every show, just shoot me an email, DJHyphen@gmail.com.

Notes:

1. Lead single off a hugely underrated album.  Damian’s production guidance + Nas’ introspective social commentary = WIN.
2. It’s a shame that this flawless Outkast record (Dre’s verses!) wasn’t even on Big Boi’s album because of label politics. The Clipse told y’all bout Jive…
3. Speaking of ‘Kast, this local gem sounded like it was birthed at Stankonia…but with a west coast and distinctly Seattle influence.
4. “Ok, we wrote this for a purpose…” and they succeeded.  Stadium music, 50 thousand at a time.
5. Gibbs is everything that hip-hop purists want in a MC.  We almost picked “The Ghetto,” but this record was harder, thanks largely to a chorus reminiscent of Pac’s best.
6. When a record has an incredible chorus and Devin The Dude featured on it, you just assume he supplies it.  Not here, where Krit’s crooning steals the show.  I blended Curren$y’s verse from the remix with the original to round it out.
7. There were a handful of great records on Kush & OJ and we were one of the shows to help break “Black and Yellow,” but our favorite was “Spotlight.”  Wiz wins the best adlib of 2010 with, “this beat go perfect with my belt.”  TGOD.
8. I guarantee we’re the only show with this record on our Best of 2010 list, but that’s a shame.  The Sade sample gets flipped so nasty, you can’t help but make the Cliff face when you hear it.  Possibly my favorite beat of the year.
9. Extended fam of SNSS (you may have caught J. Moore as Free’s hypeman on tour this year) dropped a great album and thanks to a careful clean edit, this was our favorite track to play off The Stimulus Package.
10. Aloe was EVERYwhere in 2010 and his success is well deserved.  Many in the country don’t know the artist, but they know the song.  And he murdered “Politician” live in studio with us.  Epitome of an artist.
11. Between the title, the lyrics, the hook, and the beat, no record summed up SNSS better than this song.  Take your corporate $$’s thaaaaattaway.
12. Talib and Hi-Tek not only reunited with each other and Mos, but they brought along newcomers Jay Elec and J. Cole for an instant classic.  As Kweli mentioned in studio with us, this record could fit right in with any early Blackstar/RE project.  And that’s a beautiful thing.
13. The Physics delivered our favorite local record of 2009 with “I Just Wanna Beat,” and they’re on the list again with the less direct, but equally sultry, “My Place.”
14. And when wifey is at your place, play this record and let Miguel talk to her.  “You on my mind right now…”
15. My favorite artist of the year (and the decade…and ever?) with the biggest song of the year.  Everything Yeezy did in 2010 was an event and this comeback record sparked it all.  Plus, the homey S1 got introduced to the rest of the world with a great look.  “No one man should have all that power”…but he does.
16. I was ready to go back to back ‘Ye with “Live Fast, Die Young,” but J picked another great track from the Bawse.  Kudos to Ross, who successfully evolved from an industry punchline a few years ago to making some of the best mainstream hip-hop music we have.  His ear for beats might be the best in the whole industry.
17. An incredible beat is complemented by a somewhat lackluster verse, until we hear, “I’m Black Thought, what could be more prolific?” and the song kicks into the next level.
18. J’s favorite song of the year has an eerie Marley-esque feel to its lyrics and Bilal hitting notes that only he can.  Honorable mention for one of my favorites, “Think It Over,” off the same album.
19. Sharing the “best writer in the game” title with Lupe Fiasco, Shad finally got some well deserved respect stateside in 2010.  If you’re still sleeping, you’ll wake up soon.  Don’t worry.
20. Anytime your song acts as my ringtone for a good 6 months of the year, you’ll likely make the Best Of wrap up.  Your getaway anthem.
21. As I mentioned in the post for this video, Sol is one of Seattle’s rising stars.  And with our well respected scene, he’ll soon be making noise around the country.  Cop it now while his rookie card is cheap.
22. “1997” sounds like it was a great year for Dom and a 15 year old Hyph would agree.  I also agree that “I hate how rappers use the term fresh so looooooosely.”
23. Daytona is one of our favorite MC’s in the game right now and his flow over this classic sample are a match made in heaven.  Add in a Nutso/Leon “Above The Rim” reference from the greatest movie ever made and I’m all in.  “He’s playin ball…with no ball!”
24. Yes, Drake’s singing.  Yes, he has limited range.  Yes, 40’s beats aren’t the most varied (…yet).  Yes, he gave this record to Jamie Foxx.  But yes, he has an incredible knack for capturing situations many of us have been in through his lyrics and yes, this is one of the best records of 2010.  Don’t make the same mistakes in 2011.

Honorable mentions from artists not otherwise represented:

• Black Milk ft. Royce Da 5’9″ & Elzhi – “Deadly Medley”
• Donnis – “Gone”
• Homeboy Sandman – “Mean Mug”
• Janelle Monae – “Cold War”
• Jay Electronica ft. Diddy – “Ghost Of Christopher Wallace”
• J. Cole – “Who Dat”
• Kidz In The Hall – “Grizzly Man”
• Laws – “Hold You Down”
• Lupe Fiasco – “I’m Beaming”
• Miguel ft. J. Cole – “All I Want Is You”
• Slum Village ft. Posdnuos & Phife Dawg – “Scheming”
• The Foreign Exchange – “Maybe She’ll Dream Of Me”
• Trek Life – “Wow”

Of course there are more, but if you really want to know all the records we liked in 2010, peep our archives!  See you in 2011!