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.

Old Yeezy Interview w/Sway

If nothing else, im able to empathize with Kanye musically. He often says what i want to get out but i don't quite have the platform. I've talked to my partner KT and we have these intellectual music conversations and i feel as if Yeezy sits in on them. There is a lot of music that i don't like (a and a measure that i do like) and its often contingent on the music principles that are missing or present and Kanye kinda touches on some these things. And most hip hop artist aren't even familiar with some of the music terms he uses like syncopation So kick back and listen to me speak via Kanye.

Thank You Mr. West

Much of this has been through the wringer already and im going to approach this with a sense of delicacy. Kanye's actions of taking the microphone from Taylor Swift was nothing that i condone and i actually feel it was out of pocket. However most of life is layered and this is no different, occasionally things get in the way and nullify the good intentions or scramble the hearts meaning.

I've heard people say that he is pompous and they will never support him... but i think that's the perspective of someone who doesn't see the complete scope of the situation. First lets make this point Taylor won "Best Female Video" and Beyonce proceeds to win "Video of the Year". This is like saying you didn't make the playoff but you won the title, totally paradoxical. Of all the people i have talked to, not a single person has been able to make sense of this for me. MTV is the same network that a couple of years ago gave Britney Spears the main stage at the VMAs and gave Kanye a side room to perform in. Here is the context, Britney had not been doing anything but rehab, she hadn't been making music and she was definitely out of game shape to even return on a national stage such as that. It is utterly ridiculous to surrender her the stage in denial of Kanye who was killing the networks and radio alike with his Graduation album.

You see MTV plays politics and charades, for an honest and authentic artist this is your greatest fear. Kanye doesn't have a malicious bone in his body concerning music, he loves it, perhaps to a fault. His gripe is completely with MTV not with Taylor, i don't think in his tactless rant he meant to decry Taylor, she was merely a byproduct of the fight with the network which is part of the machine. He actual prefaces his declaration with "yo Taylor Im really happy for you ..." He meant everything he said, he really was happy for Taylor. See the thing with Ye is that he perhaps is honest to a detriment. If he were to craft his method better perhaps his blow would have landed more effectively and the public would not be blinded by his incurtious actions. But trust me his heart is in the right place. Just like when Kanye stuck up for the people in Katrina with the George Bush comment, the man honestly means well. The most intriguing facet of this is that he fought for someone else. And not to say that Ye is the only one passionate about his craft (because he's not) but he one of the few within his circle that is passionate enough along with a platform to keep the validity of music achievements. If you follow the mans career, when he came out on his first album he said " at the tender age of six she was arrested for the sit-ins, with that in my blood i was born to be different" referring to his grandfather taking his mother with him to the sit-ins. He believes in standing up for what he considers are the ills of the music game. And unfortunately that is something that i cannot be mad at, granted he could certainly have crafted his tactic better. Generally we forget that everything has two sides, if Kanye wasn't the dominant personality he is, we would never know his name. He had to basically kick the door in because nobody was even giving him a shot with his music career. Certainly becoming more refined would serve him well but when you allow people to be themselves you must accept the good with the bad.

I've watched the Taylor video that won. MTV is "reaching". I'll leave it at that. And its not about how many albums the person sold its about the video and "Single ladies" has penetrated darn near every culture to the point where they spoofed it on Saturday Night Live, that's penetrating. Whether we think the video was great or not the impact was certainly monolithic and obviously MTV agrees giving her the "Video of the Year" award. There is certainly contradiction there and for honest people (trust me I know) it eats you alive when people are deceptive. Some people have cynically responded that he knew what person to do that to and that he calculated this. I can't argue his calculations or not, but you would be hard pressed to get the proper factors to align again. Kanye ONSTAGE next to a microphone, overt bias occurs, network has previously snubbed him. You can make a case either way.

I watched his apology on Leno and he emphasized that he has nothing against Taylor and feels tremendously horrid for degrading her music ability and her moment because those weren't his intentions. He would never want to take anything away from people musically, that would be counter productive to his quest. He simply has too much love and passion for music to watch people politic'it. I don't think people really understand K.West and just because he isn't always politically correct doesn't make him a bad guy. I personally think we need more Kanye's. We all hear of the ills of the music industry and how biased it can be. I've watched other artist gripe about it and nobody ever does anything and for that matter i can't particularly take exception when someone finally steps up and says something. Kanye isn't quite jaded like most of the world, remember that approach we all had as children, when things were wrong we said so; we didn't look at life and say "oh this isn't the right time somebody might get offended". He often holds that same approach. Ye doesn't do this for fame or glitz, as a matter of fact he hates seeing the paparazzi and the like. In his apology he said "i have to accept that i am a celebrity", indicating that he fights with this fact; in his brain he wants to be "A real boy" and live in a real world. Any mistakes made blame it on the mind not the heart. Remember "Everything im not made me everything i am"

Jasper shows Louis Yeezy's

This is virtually a sneaker update via Ibn Jasper. I posted this because he shows the new Louis Vuitton sneakers that are the result of a collaboration between Kanye and LV. He displays a black high top pair, red low top pair, and a grey/pink/brown high (which i call the graduation edition). As many of you know Kanye just had the release with Nike who dropped three colorways of the Air Yeezy's and now these are on the market.

Without getting too long-winded i want to illuminate the notion that these appear to be the luxury rendition of the Yeezy's. Made in similar high-top form just a sleeker build and slightly more luxurious fabrics. I just wanted the people to check them out, not because i like them so; actually the only pair I can dig is the "graduation" edition.

Electrical Wiring

We take many avenues to greatness on this blog, and i found some greatness on Kanye's Blog, (or at least creativity) the link is on the side. I do not concede that i would find this in someone's home anytime soon, however its fun to look at. To be honest i wish our homes over here in the states had more creativity to them, breaks up the monotony, go ahead and tilt your head to the side and say "true".

The Love Below is the Father of 808's & Heartbreak

As i was attentively listening to The Love Below it hit me that this was 808's & Heartbreaks before Kanye even thought of it. As much as people love Yeezy's 808, Andre 3000 was vastly ahead of the curve and im convinced that Kanye molded his album after 3000.

I remember being in college, multi-tasking between homework, television, and music; as i waited for BET's All Access featuring Big Boi's "The Way You Move" video. But that's not the headline of the story, Andre 3000's video was a secret and the viewing of that was going to take place right after Big Boi's behind the scenes coverage. This was a big deal for a few reasons: Outkast was essentially releasing two individual albums, and although we didn't know it at the time Dre took a step outside the box and took the singing route, in a funk kind of way.

Andre 3000 had gotten a bit uninspired by a lot of hip hop music at the time and he wanted to create music that he had internally been fond of but hadn't quite shared with the public. He modestly crooned his way to the top of the charts with no R&B falsetto's, just medium range verses and bass driven choruses. Also one of the most impressive parts (to me) is that he produced his album as well with the exception of one song i believe. And see, we have to remember people...this was 2003, Kanye hadn't even dropped his first album yet, he is now four albums in. When Dre dropped The Love Below some people didn't get it, some went back to the rhetoric that Dre was slightly off his rocker, and some didn't want to hear him sing, but none of those people honestly gave this album a solid listen. You have to remember nobody was singing at this time, there was no auto-tune to smooth out everyones vocal imperfections and turn everyone into an R&B half breed. So this was major!

Kanye dropped his joint with 12 tracks and Dre put up 18. As remarkable as Kanye did it, he can only Kobe (im using his name as an adjective) Andre's Jordan. Kanye's got 4 rings to Andre's 6, and he JUST got the fourth. Kanye did his album with the grain and Andre took the lumps on the chin, he didn't have the popularity of auto-tune to vouch for him. I don't know the official numbers but I know The Love Below went at least three times platinum and last i check 808's went one time. The point of my typing is to pretty much make sure we pay homage to one of the best to ever do it (my man Hump would say THE best). If you think Kanye has a beautiful mind, make sure you check out 3000's.

For your Entertainment

Attention Deficit Tour and Schoolz Out from B.Wallington on Vimeo.

This is simply some footage from my eventful night around Detroit with my people. First we had some performances at The Shelter: Octane and Wale (Mr. Nike Boots himself). Then i flew over to The Majestic in my best VIP posture to catch Drake come on stage. I missed Big Sean who preceeded Drake because i was taping Wale, I can only be one man. But i did get him back on stage dancing around with Drizzy and Wale. Enjoy

Pandemonium

This is sheer pandemonium in my eyes. As much as I love sneakers, you will not catch me sleeping outside for days tarrying for a shoe. For the oblivious, this is the second colorway of the Air Yeezy's (Kanye West x Nike) that dropped Saturday May 2. Although I had a friend try to alter my decision, it didn't work. To each his own, and i am actually happy for the people that were able to get them. The guy running around in Cali with them on his feet is actually a friend of Kanye's and that's why he is walking around in them, pre-release. So check it out just gives you a pulse on America and the sneaker world.

Be GREAT Today!

Alright here is the setup, these are both old and the songs have matured into the retirement home, but these are actually a couple of videos i have watch consistently with much affection for quite a while. Above are a couple of astronomical music producers, but that is not necessarily the point. It's the ZEAL, the FERVOR, and the PASSION. One of the things that i have learned, and it correlates for the blog, it doesn't matter what your profession is if you approach it with the respect and passion it deserves you will excel.

-As I bring you deeper into my brain- I've shared with some of my closer confidants my affinity for Kanye's work ethic and habit. Regardless of feelings towards him, good, bad, or indifferent he really goes to work with a concentrated focus and an astonishing energy reserve. He initiated the release of his first album, because he was working so hard and the public couldn't help but take notice, Rocafella hadn't even planned on putting him out yet, this is after he scratched and clawed to get signed. That's what it takes to be great! It doesn't matter what you do, we have all seen professionals across the board who may not be exceptionally gifted in their field but their determination and passion boost them ahead of the competition. When i sit down (i usually don't stand and write) and write I have two goals: 1. To inform the audience in an efficient manner, 2. To become the greatest writer alive. I've talked about this before but people learn differently so I was compelled to use yet another example post. Look at my man Pharrell, compare his body language with the girl he is essentially writing the song for. Actually if you hear the finished song [Natasha Ramos "Midnight Hour"] she doesn't do it justice, she doesn't exude the passion. Its even obvious in the studio session here, Pharrell's whole body is captivated by the song, his legs are tapping, head swaying, arms waving, and mouth talking. In contrast she has a little head nod but thats really it. The passion you pour into your work is evident whether you realize it or not. You could be selling paint at Sherwin-Williams and give customers the most remarkable shopping experience in the world or you could just do it as a job and achieve average results. The point is give yourself whole-heartedly to whatever your passion is and I GUARANTEE that you will excel.

This was just placed on my heart to share with the readership. Whatever you do, go be the best "x" in the world. Don't' be afraid to be GREAT!

Kanye reminds me of...

Before you write off my assessment, you have to hear me out. As i was sitting watching my favorite movie Above the Rim the other day it forced me to think about Tupac's life and this is what i resolved, Kanye is extremely like Tupac. It is rare that people so different can reflect the same light.

Follow me, its ok, trust me. Both individuals were intensely passionate about their work, especially music. Their passion for music pushed them to the cusp of greatness, Tupac created music that was felt like never before. The first fingerprint of his work was his voice, never had an artist up to that point spilled so much assertion and aggressiveness on their music. The most potent characteristic of his music was its impact on the rest of the game. He dared you to step your game up, with thought provoking songs as well as when he had his ambitions as a ridah. Kanye has also pushed people to take their music to a whole new level, he was essentially the godfather of a whole music revolution as far as the resurgence of the soul sound. Even now he makes music that changes the whole dynamic of his genre, if you can still box him into one.

Both of these guys were technically bred as anti-mainstream artist. Tupac came through with Digital Underground, a heavy contrast to the "gangsta-rap" that was taking place at that time. Kanye came up with Talib Kweli who is certainly more about helping generations than he is about selling records. Kanye says Kweli is the most important person in terms of his development as a rapper. Both Pac and Ye ended up being extremely available to the mainstream.

Both individual are extremely emotional, if you have the opportunity look at some old Tupac interviews or if you have snippets stored in your brain just think back. Look at how emotional Kanye gets, just like Tupac did. Both were passionate from an uncommon viewpoint, let me explain what that means. Tupac was such a layered individual and there was more to him than what met the surface, people would often ask him how he could make these aggressive and violent songs and in the same booth create some of the most inspirational, thought-provoking, and uplifting material. He took his experiences from an under privileged environment and merged that with privileged living, what he saw during the later chapter of his life. Most people weren't like that, which is why it was so hard to fathom for most people. Either you were hood or you were uppity, there were very few that had come from so little and achieve so much and have a platform to express it to the world, simultaneously trying to explain to the opposing viewpoint to each side. He couldn't convince the media and mainstream America that people from the slums don't always have bad intentions and they are just like you, they could not absorb what it was like to be from the slums. Just like people from the "hood" couldn't understand the demands he had on his life now and that he had work to do as far as helping as many people as he could with the platform that he had. So his viewpoint was so uncommon because there were so few that could relate.

Kanye on the other hand was taught to be different by choice. He defies all the laws and platforms that were set before him, from the time he entered as a rapper, he says himself " they were looking at me funny cause i didn't have a jersey on". He is part of the mainstream but he thinks like an underground artist, he doesn't want to do it the way others do it. Kanye would make an album and gripe because he didn't get a Grammy Award, but you have to look at what drove him to act this way. Kanye is so talented a lot of songs that are produced, he could do in his sleep, his brain is thinking "push the envelope" and create something truly original. He thinks why are we rewarding people for songs that sound just like ten other ones on the radio and lack so much from a creative aspect. Kanye is a true artist stuck in the world of painters. Everyone can paint especially if you have a stencil. Kanye is trained to think the way you SHOULD think. Lets use the example of taking someone out to a fine restaurant with the finest delicacies and they don't want anything because they are looking for a hamburger, and you are thinking "dude, we got filet mignon here, what do you mean you want a hamburger?". That is what he deals with in his field, but he works amongst them and with them. So back to my original comparison, both were hellbent on making you see things from their uncommon perspective.

Pac and Ye were also both raised by single mothers and were very close to their mothers, which I personally think had to do a lot with them being so emotional. Both had mothers that were relatively activist and progressive on societal concepts. Tupac's mother was affiliated with the black panthers and although Kanye's mom was a teacher at the tender age of six she participated in the sit-ins.

For me when i look at the two i am able to see a lot of the same brilliance, creativity, and emotion. That's why i see these two as carbon copies that walked two different paths.

BANANAS!

Kanye showed me these photos and this is CRAZY! I haven't seen these screens in action but look at where we are going people. It looks like you can get information in real-time from whatever you see. So since i got this information hot off the press I felt like it was my civil duty to share it with my readership. You're welcome folks, you're welcome.