My Top 5 Albums of 2010

I'm back with my 4th installment of my personal best albums for the year passed. Once again here are the rules:

1. The albums are selected from what i have personally heard
2. There is no need to argue because my opinion is what i deem to be the total after tax, it's nothing else to add.

This was a good year for music's sake, at least as far as I am concerned. Before I delve into the list i have to do the obligatory honorable mentions. J.Cole finished the year so strong with his Friday Night Lights mixtape [Correct, I count mixtapes as they are the new albums.] and followed up on the momentum his labelmate Wale's mixtape More About Nothing. I am utterly grateful for Kanye's GOOD Friday series, that's an album worth of material and it keep me musically fed all fourth quarter. And my last honorable mention is Kenneth Whalum III, simply phenomenal, see post below.




5. Drake - Thank Me Later
As amazing as i think this album is there is one deficiency, i didn't feel like he finished quite a few songs. He delivered one verse on many of the songs [See "Light Up", "Up All Night", "Unforgettable", "Miss Me"]. The one thing that i feel Drake does better than a lot of artists, he doesn't waste any words. All of his bars are hearty, very little cliche statments or metaphors/similies that don't really mean anything. The album is relatively personal and you feel like you get a grasp of his journey, even dating back before the music; tidbits that shaped Aubrey's well-rounded outlook on life which he fights to hold on to after his introduction to the fastest life he's ever seen. I would be remiss if i didn't mention the versatility of what he does, a major part of the reason he instantaneously strolled to the top; he sings with acceptable precision and is easily one of the better new rhyme-sayers. He's that rare.




4. Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon II
I hate to repeat myself so I'm going to try to highlight some points i possibly left out of my Cudi post late last year. Cudi does a LOT with his music, it's quite versatile. One of the things that i like about his album is that it's really an adventure. Artist development is very hard to find these days, but so is album development. Cudi's albums always feel like stories that you can follow and not just a collection of songs. When you can get in the booth and take people where you want them to go and not where they want to go, that's special. Also i had to give him credit -- which often eludes him from what i hear -- his songs tend to have quite a bit of a message, sans the ones where he goes on his "stoner" binge.



3. Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives
I was mildly surprised at how mammoth this album was. Now when i say that, don't think for one second-hand on the watch that i didn't assume it was going to be good. I just had no way to predict it would be this good, considering i 'thought' i didn't understand Damian Marley. The island influence on this special delivered this to my heart. The synergy these two created was top-shelf, it makes Jay-z & R.Kelly look like 4th grade homework [I shouldn't have done that, as it was demeaning, but comparisons work wonders for perspective]. Frankly, it's hard to explain this album, which is another reason i used a comparison. Just trust me that it's great.



2. N.E.R.D. - Nothing
This is the best #2 I've ever posted, it hurts me to even associate this with a silver medal. This album means so much to me and as contradictory as this sounds, it is my favorite album currently. The undertones of social commentary in the lyrics are sheer genius. I tell people this is my life manual [behind the Bible of course]. The music comes from left-field, yes even for N.E.R.D., but it works so well with your ears. I am convinced that Pharrell has a voice suited perfectly for music, it's magical and unclassifiable. The layers in N.E.R.D.'s music is so much more developed than what i usually hear these days.



1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
This album is so complete it forced me to move my own favorite to #2. The first observation i had when i heard this is, there's at least two songs within every song. He creates so much mood and build in each song, nobody shifts the music like Kanye. Another amazing feat he conquered was turning a bunch of features into a positive and not a negative. Kanye is a symphony director that organizes the people with the sounds. He put 11 highly acclaimed artist, a few legendary, on the same song and it came out sounding amazing. He does the complete gamut when composing, and i had to give him his just due for just that. I wouldn't be surprised if he mixed the album himself. When i listen to this album i can't even go find another hip hop album to put in without it sounding simple, this simply dwarfs all of it's contempararies. The one thing i can always thank Kanye for is pushing the envelope. If you can stomach more of my superlatives about Kanye go back and read my previous post.

We(a)llington Boots

This post is mandatory. First i must say that i am shocked i wasn't privy to this information sooner. These boots are "Wellington Boots". Since my last name is approximately such i have to show love, I won't delve into the story of my last name, however i think my point is made. But the boots are also cool. Apparently it was raining over in Wales and The Startrak crew decided to break them out, check it here. Otherwise i just enamored the irony of company name meets blogger meets fashion that blogger likes. Plus i like then name of this website: www.wellie-boots.com Oh what a post!

P.S. I do not condone the finger Shay is giving, at all.

The Best Albums of 08

This is the second installment of my annual "best of " album assessment. Things you need to know include:
1. the albums are selected from what i have personally heard
2. with the lack of quality music volume i have dwindled my list to 4 instead of 5, a "decent" album doesn't get you on the list
3. There is no arguing because my opinion is what i deem to be the total after tax, nothing else needs to be added

First i must start with an honarable mention, Common - Universal Mind Control. He's one of the major players in my lineup but the album just came out in December and its just solid not exceptional. Now lets start the show (shout out to Finding Forever)

4. Joe Budden - Halfway House

This album is technically classified as a mixtape, however i make the rules. Joe veered slightly from his Mood Muzik series and put together a compilation that took over listener's emotions but not in the somber fashion of the MM songs. As usual he saturates the microphone with his witty opinions and perceptions. He took the time to seek new production and compose theme oriented songs, an occurence usually reserved for actual albums, and some artist don't even do it then. So he gets praise for his laudable efforts.

3. John Legend - Evolver

As far as R&B is concerned i am a stickler for songs that excavate below the surface and detail the many emotions and feelings involved with romance and things of that nature. I have a hard time enduring "sex songs". Legend put forth his best effort to date on this one, a mix of breezy, light-hearted songs and demanding, aggresive tunes. Also i was pleasantly surprised once i thoroughly listened, as i expected the run of the mill John Legend. He took a step outside of his traditional formula with the help of many, nonetheless exceptional album that i will replay for a long time.

2. Nas - Untitled

Some of you may refer to this as the Nigger album, but no matter what you title it the product is great. The concept and depth of the content is informative, riveting, and incredible. It is an art to teach and educate in an enjoyable and eloquent fashion. I suppose only a veteran could have pulled this off and i applaud Nas for taking the bold stance, as he states "people are afraid of criticism, but i always put myself in a sacrificial position". He nailed it, nuff said

1. N.E.R.D. - Seeing Sounds

This is one of my top 6 albums of all time, period. Although they are often categorized as experimental rock, i like to refer to this album as just pure music. Each song features a break down that any musician or artist would kill for. The melodic range of the album is off the charts, the verses are so poetic and alluring. This is what happens when you give ardent, bold, and insanely talented artist the liberty to do as they please. Its such a rare mix of peculiar talent amongst the three members that has progressed with each album they make and it has come to a temporary apex (they may get even better next time). If you aren't familiar just do yourself a favor and listen to "Love Bomb". It was impossible for me to not give these guys the top spot.