A year to remember?
N*gger…
Sonically it was one of the most interesting and diverse years of late. Nas’ plans to release an album called Nigger in this day and time were shunned hence he decided it would be better for it to have no name at all. The album Untitled was released to a mixed crowd and didn’t receive as much acclaim as it deserved. Queens Get The Money is one of the best album intros in my opinion since You May Die on the ATLiens LP. Jay Electronica should have produced the entire album! But despite that ineffective critique I lashed out right there, Nasir’s release was truly sublime and one of his most consistent works to date.
And she couldn’t stand under my umbrella if it drizzle…
Lil’ Wayne stole 2008 with Tha Carter III, an LP which divided hip hop fans right down the middle. I shall reserve my judgement on his work as I may contribute to the ongoing feud occuring haphazardly daily on blogs and forums. Despite one party feeling that Wayne deserves the title as number one rapper and the other feeling that he is overrated, you can’t deny the effect this man has on the industry. By diluting the internet with his mixtape and featuring on a variety of records in the previous year he has earned the right to be crowned the top musician of 2008. For all those still in doubt, check out the Grammy nomimations to see who’s on top. Watch this man in 2009.
I realise that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice…
Kanye, Kanye, Kanye. Well what can I say? I approached 808s & Heartbreak slightly hesitant of what I was about to hear and left impressed but still unfulfilled. Being a certified Kanye stan always meant that I was a sucker for whatever he brought out. As an entire package 808s is art; in order to appreciate the album you need to listen to it from start to finish. But when you start comparing the level of workmanship on the new record to previous efforts such as Late Registration or Graduation it just lacks that punch on the first listen. But the LP eventually grows on you. Note how I have tried to be as unbiased as possible with this review right here but failed dismally.
I didn’t grow up as a big fan of R&B and, like, what is the big shocker? It’s stupid. In the beginning I thought that was funny. I’m an ‘MC’, I’m a ’soul singer’, I’m a ‘dance hybrid artist’. And some guy said I looked like Kelly Rowland! My album is a pop record. I made sure it was…
Despite the minor hiccup that was 808s, Kanye introduced hip-hop to M.I.A. and Santogold; sampling their vocals for two of 08’s biggest internet hits, Swagger Like Us and Brooklyn (We Go Hard). The buzz these two generated through the records was infallible and even I (previously allergicstood up to take note of these two musicians, copping Santogold’s debut and M.I.A.’s Kala. Both are gems and hopefully we can look forward to more cross genre collaborations this year.
I told Jay I did a song with Coldplay…
Jay-Z was still a force to be reckoned with in 2008, headlining Glastonbury early on in the year and despite critique by the media and a certain someone his performance was truly breathtaking. OJAYZIS and Viva La Hova were two mashups created by the online community using Jay-Z acapellas and were released to blogosphere acclaim. Don’t Chris Martin and Jay look like lovers in the above pic? We hope that Blueprint 3 is another classic and expect that Jay-Z x Coldplay album in 2010!
Loose ends…
KiD CuDi and Wale solidified the fact that quality free music is here to stay. A Kid Named Cudi and The Mixtape About Nothing were better than most albums I heard this year. If labels don’t want to recognise that then they are playing the wrong cards. Hopefully these two release their debut albums this year and don’t wander down the Saigon/Papoose path. Other noteworthy free mixtapes included:
- The Clipse – “Road to Till The Casket Drops”
- Kanye West and Plain Pat – “Sky High”
- The Empire and Lil Wayne – Drought Is Over 6
- Nas – “The N*gger Tape”
- Charles Hamilton & DJ Green Lantern – “Outside Looking”
- DJ Drama and Fabolous – “There Is No Competition”
- Curren$y – Fast Times at Ridgemont Fly
- Travis Barker and DJ AM – Fix Your Face
To conclude…
As mentioned above, the amount of quality music released freely on blogs this year was astounding. Legitimate free music that is! That single factor made 2008 an exciting year for music. Record sales are flagging and its time for a new approach. Hopefully we see that in 2009.
