As hip-hop continues to be dominated by punch-line rap, it should come as no surprise that Young Money honcho Lil’ Wayne and top protégé Drake continued to feast like kings throughout 2010. While some may think the emphasis on one-liners takes away from storytelling and actual rhyming, no one can dispute the fact that these two are the leaders of the pack. “Right Above It” is boastful, but still has a positive tone to it. Weezy’s hook is almost like a call to all Young Money fans (of which there are plenty these days), smartly milking the cult-like following the fledgling label has earned over the past few years. This kind of “you’re either with us or against us” philosophy isn’t new by any means, but it sure is a powerful tool when used properly (see: The Miami Heat).
If you can’t tell, I’ve got a jones for positive rap. As long as rap exists, there will always be a market for the hard, dark, grimy aspects of hip-hop culture. What we should celebrate is artists who want to change the game and help it evolve. While he doesn’t always hit the mark with his highly-opinionated lyrics, Lupe Fiasco should be applauded for using his voice to create change. His forthcoming album, L.A.S.E.R.S. is an acronym for “Love Always Shines Everytime, Remember 2 Smile.” On the single, “I’m Beaming,” the Chicago-bred emcee bangs a drum for today’s young dreamers, imploring them shed their dark futures and join him in the metaphoric spotlight. Whatever your calling is, Fiasco empowers you to march to the beat of your own drum.
On an album chock-full of winners, I could not possibly ignore “You Ain’t No DJ.” The ATL hip-hop ambassador teamed up with Yelawolf to basically talk shit to wannabe emcees and DJ’s, trading verses seamlessly and scorching the competition. The off-kilter Andre-3000 production is a perfect platform for the two unconventional emcees. As the words fly like expertly-thrown daggers, the condescending tone is ironically welcome. The difference this and some bum rapper’s diss track is that Big Boi’s pedigree commands respect. It’s no coincidence that no one dared to respond to this track. “You Ain’t No DJ” is the first and last shot fired. It’s a one punch knockout made possible by lyrical acrobatics and a history of excellence on both the street and mainstream levels.
There’s a good chance Arcade Fire’s “We Used To Wait” wouldn’t have made it this high (or at all) on this countdown if it weren’t for the brilliant music video. Whether by streaming concerts for free online, or being the first to stage a music video website built on HTML 5, Arcade Fire stayed on top of emerging online trends to push their popularity to wild heights. Each strike of the piano is instantly given life as you see the opening scene of the music video – the character (yourself) literally running home. It hits on many levels: nostalgia, loathing of adulthood, regret, etc. “We Used to Wait” is also on the tamer end of Arcade Fire’s musical spectrum, which is a nice departure from their normally-raucous sound.
As My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is Kanye’s most intimate work to date, no other song on the album is more personal than “Blame Game.” Magic always seems to happen when Kanye and long-time collaborator John Legend jump on a track together. The content reminds me much of one of my all-time favourites by Eminem, “Love You More.” The volatile nature of Kanye’s high-profile romances (i.e. Amber Rose) no doubt provided plenty of fodder for him to tell this tale. Legend’s piano accompaniment is heart-touching: delicate, sombre, and almost mournful. Chris Rock appears to lighten the mood for the final 2:30 of the track. His presence isn’t all that important aside from adding insult to injury for Yeezy’s former flame. Yeah, Yeezy’s enormous ego taught you.
When covering any of Michael Jackson’s classics, one must be sure to provide an interesting twist. If done in the same style as the original, the song dies a quick and furious death as soon as anyone with a shred of music intelligence identifies it as a shitty imitation. I was mildly interested when I saw that Danish electro-soul duo Quadron had tried their hand at MJ. I read the description and saw that the response was actually quite favourable. Whereas MJ’s “Baby Be Mine” was funky and up-tempo, Quadron brings things to a slow crawl. Replacing MJ’s charisma is Coco’s subdued yearning. The song’s transformation is remarkable – almost to the point where the connection between the two isn’t readily apparent. A spoken piece from the King of Pop creeps in just before the end of the song as a nice homage to the fallen icon. A must-have.
This is a bit of a cheater pick because the song actually came out in Europe during Summer 2009. The dance anthem didn’t hit North American shores until early 2010 (which is when most of us finally heard about it), so here it is. “Stereo Love” is the first single from Romanian musician/producer/DJ Edward Maya. This collaboration with DJ/singer Vika Jigulina has turned into a global hit, spending a record 52 weeks atop the European Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was also re-released in Canada as a cover New Brunswick’s Mia Martina replacing Jigulina. Though popular, Maya never the Mia Martina version and openly debunked it on his webpage. If you have a problem with Vika Jigulina’s accent, then the Mia Martina version might be a better pick. My vote goes to the original.
How Janelle Monae can generate such huge sound from such a tiny package never ceases to amaze me. In 2010, the petite siren finally broke into the mainstream with The ArchAndroid. Combining a unique musicality and enough vocal chops to fill a football stadium, Monae’s album was more than satisfying for her fans and was spot-on in displaying her diverse artistic repertoire. Much like most of the album, “Say You’ll Go” is spectacular in every sense of the word. Theatrical and extravagant in composition, it even manages to incorporate “Claire de Lune,” which caught me by surprise. Classy, dramatic pop courtesy of an out-of-this-world talent.
Thanks to his latest incarceration, T.I. finds his role diminished on what was easily the best song off No Mercy. “Welcome to the World” is a splash of cold water to face of those living life through rose-coloured glasses. T.I. and Kanye relate their stories of the street life and the dark side of celebrity while Kanye and Cudi caution obsessed females on the hook. “If you’re lookin for real love, it ain’t here my dear,” groans Cudi. T.I. rips his verse, filling his bars with series of visceral, stuttering rhymes aimed at pretty much anyone in his way. Kanye spends his words on the subject of gossipmongers and conspiracies against – what else? – Black people.
No one personifies “delicate” more than Corinne Bailey Rae. Even looking at her wiry frame, you feel like tossing her a Whopper or two. Sure, she has decent pipes, but what makes her unique is her ability to drop down to that whisper-quiet level and draw us into the song. “The Sea” seems to be about cheating, and the feelings of foolishness and disbelief that accompany the moment you realize the truth. The crushing defeat is penned as beautifully as one could ever imagine. Bailey Rae proves once again and soulful doesn’t necessarily mean louder.
