Smart & Angry

#24-1

 

24. Lupe Fiasco-Double Burger with Cheese

Lupe once again chooses to rock over a Justice instrumental and the results are once again excellent. The subject matter of choice is 90's-era gangsta films(Boys In The Hood, Juice, Menace II Society, South Central), and with that, he presents a lyrical exercise in film history like few others can.

 

 

23. Lykee Li-Unrequited Love

This almost sounds like an old gospel hymn. She got busy on this number. Yes it's another getting over a break-up song, but the rawness of this one allows an almost spiritual feeling when listening. Soulful, confessional, simple, and sweet this is fireplace/campfire type music right here.

Lykke Li - Unrequited Love from boyd langton on Vimeo. 

 

22. Big Sean ft Chris Brown-My Last

I am not going to kid myself and pretend that I didn't recognize that this was basically Kanye's Good Life-lite. NO I.D creates a similar backdrop to one of Yeezy's hits that still connects as an anthem for good times. Stadium status on this one.

 

21. Beyonce- Love On Top

I was watching her performance of this song from the 2011 MTV Video Awards and any time the cameras focused on other female artist in the crowd(Katey Perry, Adele, Lady Gaga, Niki Manaj), they were smiling singing along word-for-word and this wasn't even a single yet. In other words This is a jam! Especially for those whose born date is 1986 and lower, who probably heard an R&B hit on the radio with similar style of production. Oh, and of course Miss B did here thing on here with all those vocal climbs.

 

MTV Video Music Awards 2011 - BEYONCE "Love on Top" from Chokolate mmm on Vimeo.

 

 

20. Jay-Z & Kanye West ft Frank Ocean-Made in America

Frank Ocean stole the show on this. His hook is killer. Might not be everyone's cup of tea as far as the beat goes, but Ocean get's his Marvin on for sure. Also this is probably the least 1% moment of the and Jay-Z's you get Jay-Z's best verse and most introspective moment on the album. One of the better executed songs the two have done in recent memory.

 

 

19. Frank Ocean-Dust

This is that dude this year. Sophisticated songwriting in a genre that severely needed a shot in the arm. It's almost as if this was the year that the light side of The Force returned to shine a little. A not so subtle song about fallen in love with a girl, from a more mature point of view. Go ahead and get your grown man on Frank.

 

 

18. Tanya Morgan-In The City

Donwill's verse resonates close to me, and I am sure it does with Bobo and others who have had this feeling as well. The one where you want more than life than the place you currently reside at has to offer. On the other side of the coin Pea contributes a tale of NYC pre-Gilliani and compares and contrasts with the city today to ultimately reach the conclusion; that though it may seem better, ain't much changed. Another addition to the ever growing superb catalog of Tanya Morgan.

 

 

17. Rapheal Saadiq- Moving Down The Line

When you get really good at something people just begin to expect greatness from you. Which is about one of the few problems(if you call it that) that Saadiq has now days. The man has it down, and this is yet another testament to all that is good about music. Here is another song that will get your fingers snapping.

 

 

16. tUnE-yArDs-Gangsta

One the most anti-being cool tracks this year came from a tiny woman with a huge voice. Calling out all these people frontin like they tough over the sounds of tribal like war drums just sounds so fierce. This might be one of the most non-hip-hop, hip-hop songs this year.

 

15. Mr J Mederios ft Kyle Gregory-Shower Curtains

The amount of things that make me like this song all begin with the words. One of the dopest verses this year. Powerful; is the only word I can utter when I listen to this track. A must listen.

 

14. Marsha Ambrosis- Late Night's & Early Mornings

She can make a song like this in her sleep. Check her resume, you will see that the she kills these type of tracks. Though I doubt this song has anything to do with actually sleeping, it's also arguably one of her strongest to date.

 

13. Tiron & Ayomari ft BJ The Chicago Kid-Her Theme Song

Fellas, insert the baddest one you ever seen in your life name here, and play this as the song that was in the background from when you first saw her. Yeah, the title of the song says the rest. Ladies, enjoy, this ones for you.

 

 

12. Phonte- Sendin My Love

My experience in a long-term relationship is very limited at this time of life. So a song like this, shouldn't appeal to me. It does though, if anything it really does capture some of the positives despite within the negatives that one could look forward to. Honest, grown-man music right here.

 

 

11. The Weekend-Wicked Games

Dude got his Prince-lite on for this number. What I like about this one, is how violent it sounds. What I mean by that, is in a world where most songs like this are written for boys and girls who mindset is still 18 & under, this crashes against. When he says “Tell me you love me!” he is demanding it, not asking. It's aggressive, there is not a hint of indecision what so ever. This is music for adults, it's the uncomfortable; comfortable. Prince was the king of this, and The Weekend does justice to that legacy.

 

10. Saigon-Enemies/Friends

Two tracks basically become one on off of The Greatest Story Never Told. A somber almost Chronic 2001-esque style beat begins the chronological tale of who learns they ultimately trust the streets. The surprise comes at the end of the song where the sample gets sped up to a more traditional Just Blaze fashioned beat(horns included) banger, resulting in one of the best moments on the album.

 

9. Frank Ocean-We All Try

Show don't tell with Frank. Instead of just writing some sappy song about how he is trying to make things work, he breaks talks about how all of existence itself is flawed, and because of that we must all still try. Now that's some of cold game right there.

Frank Ocean - We All Try (music video) from High5Collective on Vimeo. 

8. Tiron & Ayomairi-Perfect

Trying to understand why a women does, exactly what she does, from the point of view of a man. Yeah that never works out. But that's what Ron, and Mari fully admit to in on here. We don't get it. Not only that they ask why don't we don't notice when a lot of things they do everyday is to meant to get us to do just that, notice.

 

 

7. Mr Mutherfucken Exquire ft Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown, & EL-P-The Last Huzzah

That is a long ass title. This guy's album cover had me ignoring him up until I saw the video for this The Last Huzzah. The best posse cut this year by a mile and a half comes from as someone elsed named them in a comment section somewhere on the Internets:“crew that looks like they kick it at Gamestop(hilarious I thought at least)”. Pretty much every one nails their respective verses, with standouts from Danny Brown, Das Racist, and El-P and Exquire himself. If you love hip-hop music, then you must hear this joint for sure(the video is pretty fresh as well).

 

 

6. Shabbaz Palaces-Swerve..The reeping of all that is not Worthwhile(Not withstanding)

Another one of those songs in which upon first hearing, time freezes. What starts off as a nice mid-tempo bounce number, morphs suddenly into a Jazz/R&B moment. Hip-Hop has never sounded so alive.

 

5. Bon Iver-Holocene

The vocal arrangements are heavenly on this one. I had to include it for sure. It's just that nice. Plus like I always say, I am always a sucker for brass arrangements, no mater how subtle they might be. I would love to have him and Kirk Franklin collab actually. Wonder where that would go? Speaking of which...

 

4. Kirk Franklin-Hello Fear

Yes on a predominately hip-hop oriented list Kirk Franklin gets some shine. My later adolescent years and up the mans music has been a huge part of my life. Whether you believe in religion or not, the man creates great music. This song arrived in a time in the world where fear itself is working at an all time high. An encouraging message that fear, need not hold a permanent place in our life. And backed by some of almost most heavenly arrangements in the universe, the message has never sounded better.

 

3. Blu ft Jimetta Rose- Spring Winter Summer Fall

I have never heard anything like this. I have listened to lot of music this year and there are very songs where I can say after a first listen, lack anything familiar. By far one of the best songs I have heard this year. Blu delivers a pair of verses that will allow him to enter Mt Olympus for the rest of his days.

 

2.DJ Quik-Killer Dope

Epic. Quik might be the Little Richard/Chuck Berry of hip-hop, he will most likely never get his proper due. The fact that he continues to create masterpieces like this after 20 years in the game despite the lack of recognition is something to be admired. The horns are something that the 300 of Sparta might march in to town to. A true testament of his new sense of rediscovered confidence. He has never sounded more alive than now. One of the best produced songs this year.

1. Lupe Fiasco-All Black Everything

My favorite song of 2011 is taking the idea of a re-imagined society where slavery never existed. A radical concept indeed to think about, and is handled very well by Lupe. The Fred Astire line in the song always brings a smile. Great song, challenging the way we think about race relations, and history, without coming across too preachy either. I would love to see a TED video just having him talk about this song.

#49-25

 

49.Theophilus London ft Dev Hynes- Century Girl

Theophilus has the type of lyrical content that Big Sean specializes in, which is about 80% nonsense. But when it clicks like this, it works. Don't know why he didn't put this on his album? It could have easily have been another single for sure.

 

48.Tiron & Ayomari-Back 2 U

For the foreign situation where you don't know if you are going to see that someone again, send them this song.

 

47.Phonte ft Elzhi-Not Here Anymore

New Tigallo-Tigallo-Tigallo! When it was announced that 9^th Wonder would be working with Phonte again I really didn't know what to expect. I had at this point grown accustomed to that non-9^th collaboration point of Te's career, and to be honest there wasn't too much that I had heard in the recent memory that had me begging for more 9^th Wonder. Well, when I heard this jawn, you pretty much consider all those former thoughts invalid. The beat is beautiful, Phonte delivers two hip-hop quotable worthy verses, and then Elzhi takes us home with a fierce verse as well making this one hell of a trailer to one of this years best albums.

 

46.Tyler The Creator ft Frank Ocean-She

Two of the more well-known members of OFWGKTA link up for on one of the weirdest songs available to public this year. Yet, everything that makes this song abnormal, makes it that much more enjoyable. The off-time drums, weird lead synths, creeper like verses from Tyler, and another golden hook sung by Frank, all work together to create a strange, yet still wonderful jawn.

 

45.Beastie Boys-Make Some Noise

These dudes still can rock it. It's on some skateboarder type youthful music though despite their age. This one will set the crowd into a frenzy for sure.

 

44.Frank Ocean-songs for women

What goes around comes around is the theme for this song about an R&B singer who sings songs to get at a girl, then finds out that the very girl who he was singing about is singing a new song. Kind of has a post-modern Mowtown sound to it.

 

43.Tanya Morgan ft Napoleon & Che Grand-Gotta Get Over It

I actually came back from a Friday evening walk downtown and this has been playing on repeat since shuffle brought it to my attention. The perfect song for a day like such. All the obligations for the week are done, everybody in a good mood outside, Christmas lights are up everywhere you look, great scene. The music is perfect for this in environment. Also I would include family get-together's, and summer barbecues as well. Tanya has supplied a jam for anywhere good spirits are present.

 

42.Pusha T-My God

Easily the first track this year that had folks on that screw face. Pusha is at home over these type of eerie sounding productions. My God!

 

41.The Roots Ft Dice Raw & Phonte-One Time

Glad to see that Phonte making another cameo with the The Roots crew. He sounds right at home here on this beat, and This kind picks up where How I Got Over Left off production-wise, left off. I can't wait to get back home and get the LP so I can read more up on this album.

 

40.Lupe Fiasco-WWJD He'd Prolly LOL like WTF!

Best song title this year. Beyond that though, Lupe does what he didn't do enough of on LASERS and spits more of the complex introspective raps that originally turned heads on. This introspective look at consumerism is worth every replay.

 

39.Blu- Amnesia(Remind)

The song is only clocks in at a little under a minute and a ½, but a song's length only matters if you're aiming for Clear Channel(radio) now days, besides since when did size matter? Anyways, this short jam on catching feelings is perfect for those afternoon hangout's and such. Doesn't hurt either that it's written by composed by Blu either.

 

38.Big Sean-So Much More

This beat is so nice that it doesn't matter that only 60% of Big Sean says on here is semi-interesting. NO I.D really did his thing this year on the beats. It's so soulful, I actually appreciate the part more when Sean is just talking at the end where he sheds the artificial and actually just gets real.

 

37.Lykee Li-Follow Rivers

Homegirl is so fresh! Songs like this continue to make my case. I hate using this term as it is something that the new school is more familiar with; swag. What I like about this is it has a swing to it than most indie music which allows you to groove a lot more than usual do to the hip-hop/r&b influence.

 

36.Beyonce- Rather Die Young

From the opening lines of this one, you know that B' is about to bring it. She sings with so much of the passion that I thought was lacking on a lot of the last two releases of hers. This is her track, it's not like I can sit here and think;oh _______would've killed this track.

35.Cee-Lo-Bridges

This cut right here was vintage. A Neptune's produced song that was left off the cutting room floor of The Lady Killers(why?). The two had collaborated before back on Cee-Lo's second solo venture ...Is The Soul Machine and had me thinking Al Green back then. Now, my thoughts are further cemented by this one. Casual fans of Crazy, and F*&K You might not have flocked to, but for fans of soulful music, this is a cut that will bring goodness to your ears.

 

34.Jay-Z & Kanye West-Murder to Excellence

One of the few moments on the album were the two take a look outside their window finally. The production on this one is dope. Can't believe I am actually saying this two years in a row now about something featuring co-production by Swizz Beatz. What is this world coming too?

 

33.Kendrick Lamar-Ho'd Up

Kendrick Lamar is definitely a talented artist. The problem for me is sometimes his beats aren't the most creative for someone with such a fluid style. Though everyone might of went crazy over ADHD, or HiiPower!!! This song is the one that showcases all his talents the best.

 

32.Pharohe Monch ft Styles P & Phonte-Black Hand Side

This is on the real song. Nothing flashy, a hard look on the reality of the modern African-American struggle, and critique on artist who neglect to tell this story in their music. Accompanied by Phonte's beautifully sung hook, Pharohe Monch and Styles P trade reality rhymes.

 

31.The Cool Kids ft Mayer Hawthorne-Swimsuits

Summer Jam! Fresh to def, radio formatted, and ready to lock and load. This was the song that would of had folks dancing for sure. I don't know if the clubs were playing this cause I wasn't in a place where hip-hop music was getting burn. I do know that this is some feel good, have fun music none-the-less and Mayer on the hook is gold!

 

30.The Roots Ft Big K.R.I.T-Make My

The Roots and K.R.I.T??? Yeah, never would've seen this collabo coming in a million years. This is a kind of blues-based track though and you don't have the Blues with out the South. KRIT, makes the most of his opportunity and delivers a great performance on the mic, next to one of the best in the game. A beautiful track, that was the first peak to the instant classic album Undun.

 

29.DJ Quik ft Dwelle- Time Stands Still

Grown folks music right here. What can't Quik do at this point? This might be one of the best songs that Dwelle has ever appeared on. He really should enlist some more production services from him. On that smooth tip, grown man tip for sure.

 

28.The Dream-Body Work/F#*! My Brains Out

The first half of this song isn't all that different from his normal sigle aimed music. But when we get a little pass the half-point, the song gets really interesting. From a slowed down bridge the speed almost instantly picks up to something that owes a lot to Prince, but also get's reaaaal nasty in here. Almost ten minutes of music that you shouldn't be listening to around kids.

 

27.Tyler The Creator-Yonkers

My first intro to the universe known as OFWGKTA(Odd Future for short, not writing that all the way out again). I don't want to get into the video since what I am doing here is talking about actual songs. So let's start with the amazing production. The jazz chords, are what gets to me the most, and then you have Tyler whose flow on here is crazy. It's dark, it's raw, it's explicit, in your face, and everything that you wouldn't want your young kids to listen to. In other words it's just what rap needed this year... A walking paradox

 

26.Nas-Nasty

Nas does these type of songs in his sleep now. He is JUST THAT GOOD. I don't know how people could even try to compare him and Hov? Besides making Ether the bar which all battle rap responses had to measure up to from that point forward, he has recently been over this year been seen commiting genocide on tracks left and right. Nas is the Chuck Norris of rap(in terms of bad ass, not ridiculousness).

 

Beyonce Knowles has been in the game a minute now. I remember back when in was in high school and she was in Destiny's Child(original line-up) and you weren't even checking for her and her group. Then that No, No, No Wyclef Jean remix basically saved the group's career and the rest as they say is history.

 

(side note: The irony in the situation is that it was a remix to a Fugess single on their first album that basically saved their career as well. All comes full circle.)

 

Well, she has come a long way since then with multiple successes and millions in album sales, yet since she took off as a solo artist I don't really think she has been able to live up to the amazing artist-tag that most would proclaim her to be. I still think that Me, Myself, and I is a classic song from her first album, the second album Deja Vu had a lot of good songs but nothing too standout, and that lets be honest that Sasha Fierce double EP/LP was not the bizness. Put A Ring On It Single Ladies will forever live on being the official bonquet toss song at a weddings, while the real standout If I Were A Boy didn't get the props it deserved. The Dream and Trikey Stewert crafted a great ballad and it was among her best work , It just happened to be on her last album that was anything but standout.

 

So now here we are with her 4^th album 4(see what she did there?) and honestly I didn't exactly have high expectations. Though I heard it was said that “she is creating a whole new genre” somewhere, I was like with what? More male bashing ballads and singles I'll forget next year?

 

(side note: I was informed after writing this that 4 is both of Carters B'days, as well as the date they got married on)

Well upon the hearing the second single 1+1 another collab with The Dream and Tricky Stewart I wasn't quite thrilled. Which is why sometimes you got to give music a second go or too to really get it. It really is a great throwback single when you look at it in context. Sam Cooke would be thrilled to hear something like this on radio now. In the context of the album it actually fits better than the first single which I can't stand at all Girls Rule The World, which on the other hand was her trying to fit into today's electro fad and not the other way around. Which is the problem with being on top at times. You really have to continue to push yourself to not conform, but rather evolve with your music. The first single was a bad indicator of this not being the case.

 

Yet when you listen to this album, it sounds nothing like that. It is a R&B album. Yes a genuine no strings attached tribute to the days of old. If you grew up listening to 80/90's R&B you will definitely catch the traces from the genres glory days on this one. You have some great mid-tempo songs such as Love On Top which is a great 80's styled jam. I could see Patti Labelle or Whitney Houston rocking over this track, or maybe even see Maurice White's name attached to the production credits. Party also falls in the 80's mid-tempo selection featuring Andre 3000 isn't stand out, but also fits nicely in this in the sequencing. Aside from Kanye's cringe worthy first line about “having so much swag, you should call it swagu?”(Nexxxxt!) I am ok with the song overall. Countdown is a modern 90's update on the New Jack Swing of old kind of which samples Boyz II Men, a great club jam. The slow jams are amongst some of her finest since her first album. Rather Die Young would have Prince clapping for a encore for sure. It's ridiculously good, it's 80's R&B electro/synth slow jam hits you right away. Her vocals have never sounded as great as this. It truly is the standout of her career. It has the umph and emotion that is missing in the genre today. I Miss You co-written by the Odd Future local R&B resident, is also great song as well. More mid tempo than the aforementioned, but still pays homage to the glory songs past. This one is more 90's, but not that bad 90's Milli Vanilli, more En Vogue I would say than anything else.

 

What am I surprised about most with this album is the consistency displayed throughout. Besides the two ballads(Best Thing I Never Had, Start Over) and a aforementioned lead single, nothing on here really has me pushing the skip button. Which isn't bad being that one of those ballads(BTINH) is a at a stalemate really(not too bad, but can't listen to it all the time). If you include the deluxe edition tracks as well which are just as standouts as well. Especially the MJ Off The Wall influenced Lay Up Under me. Which will have many grooving along to for sure.

The maturity by Mrs Carter on display here. Approaching her 30's now and happily married to the one of the “best rappers alive” and being on top of the music/entertainment world, she is happy and no longer feels the need to try to fit in. This is the album that I would expect her to make. I think she took a cue from little sis Solange(whose sophomore album is severely under appreciated ) and basically had a lot more fun and let loose with this one. There is little male-bashing to be found on here and instead we find her celebrating the joys of a committed relationship. Which I am not mad at the least.

 

This might be the best pop albums this year that I have heard so far. I can see a lot of people enjoying this one.Especially those who grew up on a healthy dose of classic R&B music. I definitely recommend that most at the least take a listen to this album. I commend Beyonce on what might not result in her biggest album sales, but what might be her most creative and brilliant album yet.

 

-Justa