2010's top 7

So the year's almost over, which means all bloggers are contractually obligated to start posting lists of things. Let's face it, nobody's happy about this, but I'm not trying to lose my job. That said, here's the top 7 mixtape releases of 2010. Why seven? Because it's a lucky number and easier than 10. What's a mixtape? For my definitional purposes, it's a body of music released under a single title, free of charge, and unavailable for purchase in stores, on iTunes/Amazon, etc. Projects that almost made this list include: Smoke DZA's George Kush Da Button, which certainly wins the award for best title, and Kanye's G.O.O.D. Fridays effort, which I'm omitting because it wasn't really a mixtape. Kind of a progressive mixtape maybe, but he's gonna win album of the year anyway, so he can sit this one out. To the batlist!

7. The Marathon - Nipsey Hussle

One of two tapes Nipsey let loose this year, this one actually sounds like more than leftover tracks. Unlike the other tapes on this list, the production is not 100% original. He recycled Ye's "Runaway" beat and raps over an MGMT track, but the tape still has a cohesive sound, and the West Coast prodigy sounds focused and ready to proceed after an all too common label snafu.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

6. Friday Night Lights - J Cole

The latest offering from the Roc nation kid. Like a number of his fellow list residents, he still hasn't released an official album, but the mixtapes have been impressive, especially when you consider that he's making all the beats himself, too. Thoughtful raps and some catchy hooks make this one a winner

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

5. Str8 Killa No Filla - Freddie Gibbs

Gangsta Gibbs keeps building momentum. While I didn't enjoy this tape quite as much as last years', it did more than enough to satiate his fans, and the Str8 Killa EP tie-in actually gave the young Gary native a product for people to purchase on iTunes/Amazon. I know I did.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

4. K.R.I.T. wuz here - Big K.R.I.T.

Big K.R.I.T. just came out of nowhere (also known as Mississippi). If he keeps puttin out projects like this, no one's gonna complain that he arrived unannounced. He presented this as an album, and it certainly sounds like one, but it was only released as a free download, so I'm calling it a mixtape. So there. Also, all original production by Krit himself. Listen and enjoy.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

3. Trunk Muzik - Yelawolf

If you're crusin, I got that trunk muzik. This came out in the frozen wastelands of last January, but 'bama's favorite white boy warmed up the rest of the country with his best effort to date. The tape proved so popular that it was flipped into an album last month. This guy has a serious buzz going right now, and although some people hate his voice, he's certainly making original sounds. I'm lookin forward to whatever the next project is.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

2. More About Nothing - Wale

D.C.'s favorite MC returns from an album that everyone arbitrarily hated on to provide a tape that may have trumped his entire body of work up to this point. This thing is jam-packed with great song after great song, and, in my opinion, the Seinfeld samples are even better interwoven than they were on the original Mixtape About Nothing. Original topics, clever lyricism, and very strong production for the win.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

1. Kush & Orange Juice - Wiz Khalifa

This sucker dominated my iTunes playcounts, though I wasn't even expecting it to. It came out early in the year and never outwore its welcome in the rotation. It's party music and chill music all at once. The overall sound is so cohesive and purely relaxing, it's like getting a contact buzz without even passing the j, though sometimes you'll swear you can smell the smoke. Kush & OJ plays start to finish without a single jarring moment and is likely to please a variety of audiences- men, women, hip-hoppers, and non hip-hoppers alike. It's little wonder that Wiz's popularity has basically exploded after this tape. Here's to the upcoming album. Black & Yellow, people.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

It's like that sometime, man. Ridiculous. Life can be so ridiculous.

Blogs are funny things. We had a resurgance for a while there. Looks like the stats show a spike in 2009. I checked in more when abroad/trapped in a minnesotan iceburg. I had more time then. Boston life is busy. Meanwhile, Maciej's had a turd tableau going on for a month.

It is my hope that the collective C~o~I teachings will be published in pamphlet or tract form in the near future.

In case you're wondering, the 2010 Mr. Olympia winners are:

dexter jackson - 4

branch warren - 3

phil heath - 2

jay cutler - 1

Cutler's a boring choice in my opinion, but I think they're trying to make him into a legend. Heath was definitely good enough to take it.

It's funny to look back at old music choices. Hip Hop changes so much, and i find my tastes often shift along with it. It's a nice journal of my thoughts, though. I've been reading a lot of Gandhi lately, so I'm into that shit.

Here goes, with honorable mentions to Jay-Z, who, though on his game in recent features, has really transcended the genre by becoming an actual legendary person. He wouldn't be fair to include. And a shout out to Yelawolf (We'll talk after the album next month.) and CyHi da Prynce.

Current Best Rappers Alive:

5. Lil Wayne

Let's face it. This man's intelligent. All the stories from jail have him sounding quite wizened. He's low on this list due to lack of activity, but his next album I Am Not A Human Being drops on the 27th. Of course it's a bunch of leftover material, so some of it's a little too Rebirthy. What I'm really interested in is the music this man will record when he gets out.da.bing. (no homo)

4. Wiz Khalifa

This guy's not wizened, though his name's Wiz. His last name is the word for the deputy/devotee of a Sufi saint. He raps about women, weed, and airplane metaphors. He's the biggest name associated with the City of Pittsburg. Everyone loves him. He makes pleasant sounding music. Kush & Orange Juice was really something special.

3. Freddie Gibbs

This guy's the coldest dude since Miles Davis. His interview are charmingly gangster. He smokes 20+ blunts a day. He's from Gary Indiana. And he fraternizes with Indie people. He's dropped a lot of music in the past couple years, the Latest being the EP Straight Killa. There was an accompanying mixtape. He raps about guns, bitches, drugs and that murda murda, but he's the best at it.

2. Kanye West

He can still be annoying. But overall he's been on point with the flowage, and generous with the music. His G.O.O.D. Friday tracks are to mainstream rap what Wale's Back To The Feature was for the underground gentry, and we should all be thankful for them, except when Swizz Beatz tries to rap. They're six and seven minutes, and it's usually cause there are so many verses crammed in there, but that's a good thing.

1. Wale

He sounds like no one before him. He might sound sloppy at times, but if you piece together what he says it's almost always concisely insightful about some topic. He's running the District of Columbia. More About Nothing the tape release of the year to this point. Ironically, or not, he and Kanye don't work together.

"I feel they praisin too much, oh now they don't praise enough."

I suggest you buy this because it's a sonic experience.

Also, if you don't already have the following bonus track, be sure to toss it in the mix. It's a real stun gun.

Wale - Fly Away

The Best Rappers Alive, Part 2

So, I was going to wait until the end of the year to update this list, but now seems as good a time as any. I'll do some sort of best of '09 for year's end.

1. Wale

The promise shown in Nike Boots has been fully realized. Wale's mixtapes, including the most recent Back to the Feature, has shown just how intellectual this guy can get, and everything he's leaked off Attention: Deficit has been fantastic. It's only a couple weeks away, folks. Witness the future.

2. Lil Wayne

Mr. Carter is headed to the bing for the better part of a year now. I wish him all the best, and would council him by pointing out the wonders this could do for his craft. That mind forced to sit behind a wall for a year might yield something truly great. It's no coincidence that he seems to be rapping better than ever at the moment. The No Ceiling mixtape proves that he hasn't lost anything. It would be another Da Drought 3 if not for all the Young Money features. Wayne has the best jokes.

3. Obie Trice

One doesn't hear from Obie too often, but when he decides to drop something, it's decidedly amazing. Still, unless he releases his long awaited album soon, and maybe a mixtape every once and a while, Obie is in danger of drifting into obscurity. Maybe that's what he wants, but I would hate to see a talent like this take himself out of the competition.

4. Mikkey Halsted

Mikkey has definitely put in hours since the last time this list was published. He's prolific with the leaked tracks, getting a more diverse range of production, and has been spreading his namesake by collaborating with just about every Chicago Hip-Hop artist you can imagine. His Uncrowned City label is really becoming a force in the city. The Photo Album remains unreleased, as anticipation builds.

5. Freddie Gibbs

Whoa. I thought this guy was solid before, and then he went and dropped midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmusic. Might be the drop of the year. The production.. The lyrics.. I posted his previous drop earlier this year, and he's got another tape coming in November. Mainstream criticism loves this dude.

Special mention goes to Young Buck, who still has one of the best ears for production and has huge potential on his next album drop. Also, Lupe seems to be coming out of hiding more, and there's always the question of what that Drake album is going to prove. Stay Tuned.

I Need You

Ok. I'm just going to come out and say it again for everyone who didn't hear me last time. Obie Trice is the best rapper alive. To me, he takes all the best aspects of Biggie, Jay, and Wayne and adds something great of his own on top of that. Excellent use of alliteration, wordplay, and clustered rhymes make his verses some of the most interesting in the game. Plus, he's as real as they come and currently has a bullet in his brain. You want to tell him he's not the best?

He's looking for recognition in this latest drop. Talking about the complexities of taking his label private, Obie calls on his fans and internet supporters to spread the word about his greatness. Just doing my part.

Obie Trice - I Need You (Freestyle)

Listing

As far as I can tell, the only way one is allowed discuss Hip-Hop is through lists. Therefore, let's jump right into the meat of it. I give you the five best rappers alive. This is a fluid list; artists are always one bad career move or bus slam away from falling into obscurity and/or the grave. A quick note of criteria. To be the best alive you have to be:

1) alive.

2) prolific.

3) relevant.

4) talented.

1. Obie Trice

Detroit is filled with great rappers, but perhaps none have the raw talent of O. Trice. His flows are unparalleled and his wordplay never gets boring. A platinum-selling artist, the two albums he dropped on shady records are classics, especially Second Round's On Me. The mixtapes he did with DJ Whoo Kidd are equally impressive. Not to mention he's as real as they come. Now that he's free from Interscope's stifling bureaucracy, he can pursue his own projects, so hopefully we'll be getting a lot more product from him in the future. Look for his album Bottom's Up to drop on his new Worldwide Hustle label this year.

I put together a tape of some of his rarer tracks:

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

2. Eminem

Remember what I said about Detroit? The white boy always brings the pain, and is the closest thing the game has to a relevant legend since Jay-Z got bored and started watching movies. Em's production slowed to a faint trickle through all his rehab business, but the new album (Relapse, for those of you who live under rocks) is slated for May and with public anticipation bubbling over, the next rapper on this list is about to learn a thing or two about record sales. To prepare yourself for the new Em, check out some rare old Em--his first LP with some funky beats and a laid back flow that marks the time before he rapped about the occult:

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

3. Lil Wayne

People love to hate on this guy, which shows you just how big he's become. Y'all know his story by now. Personally I think he's a fascinating experiment--literally raised by the Hip-Hop industry. The formula worked after over a decade of solid grind, and Weezy went multi-plat despite a leaked album. Tha Carter 1 & 2 are classics and dude produces music at Makavelli speeds, showing no sign of slowing. I don't think people can deny it anymore; he's a game changer. The ante has been upped for every rapper operating in the age of the Internet. The latest to leak:

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

4. Mikkey Halsted

This list just keeps building on itself. Wayne cited this dude as one of his biggest influences--moreso than Gille The Kid, who claimed to have ghostwritten for Weezy. Mikkey's story is an interesting one. Kanye did his demo tape and they were both signed by Cash Money, but Yeezy dipped off to The Roc and fame at the last minute. Mikkey, meanwhile, who was slated to be Juvi's replacement, recorded a lot of tracks that got locked away in a vault by the much maligned Birdman. He's back, though, and is more poetic than anyone out there. He's more than buzzworthy in the Chi, and when his No ID-produced Chicago: The Photo Album sees release on a major label in the near future, dude's gonna blow up. Till then, check out his flawless mixtape:

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

5. Plies

If you think my list loses credibility by including this man, you can go curl up in your bed and cry about your favorite genre while you listen to Nas through expensive headphones. Plies is hot, he's getting some of the most interesting production around right now and he released three full-length studio albums in a year and a half (Definition of Real is my personal fav). Some chide him for his often monosyllabic rhyming, but I think he's really coming into his own. No one does charming, levelheaded vulgarity like this guy. His earliest records are bangers:

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

There's more to come. Production's next.