Read Part II on the Huffington Post here.
2008 started with two wars, a shakey economy and a presidential campaign that seemed like it would never end. 2008 closes with two wars, an awful economy and one of the most historic President Elects of all time. It wasn’t always an easy year, but there was plenty of great things—from music, art, style and more—to keep us going from Jan to Dec. So everyday this month, URB and our friends will be listing the things that helped us keep our heads up in 2008. Check out part one of URB Senior Editor, Brandon Perkins‘ list of essential madness from a mad, mad year:
“My President Is Black”
…for being the certified anthem of America’s anti-9/11. Nov 4th was New Years Eve on a Tuesday. And the hip-hop soundtrack to the first political party that hip-hop successfully crashed was Young Jeezy’s “My President Is Black.” Large and emotional and purely celebratory, Jeezy is so happy that he wants to send emails to Jesus, forward them to Moses and CC Allah. As if the winning attitude wasn’t perfect enough, the track also features the best verse Nas served all year.
Charles Hamilton
…for representing everything that’s right and wrong with the Internet rap game. With the ease of distribution, the only things holding would-be rappers back are hustle and talent. Some fall short on the latter but keep their name out by owning the former arena…quantity occasionally trumps quality. A Harlem 21-year-old with an abnormal obsession with Sonic the Hedgehog, Hamilton will have released nine mixtapes in the last three months of 2008. Not every song is good and his offbeat lethargic flow gets aggressively annoying, but he has moments and ideas that border on perfection. “Windows Media Player,” “Brooklyn Girl,” and “Stutter” might actually be flawless. The first is a song about the Internet using mouse clicks and Microsoft musical cues, while the second is the summer ode to fine females that every male deserves, and the third is a Peanuts flipping underground rap anthem. It makes every zshare link absolutely necessary, even if many of them only need to be streamed once and never downloaded.
“I’m A Monster & Eat You Alive“
…for not being Autotuned. Because it very easily could’ve been. The first cut on Weezy’s Drought Is Over 6 is triumphant, like royalty walking on rose petals, while the hook is a menacing threat of cannibalism. Wayne warbles: “Welcome to the Carter/Little Shop of Horror…I get cornered, then tortured, then slaughtered, in that order,” before singing, sans T-Pain’s monster, with a female choir in harmony: “I’m going to eat you alive.” Maybe even Wayne was sick of an Autotune program beaten to death on the inflatedly disappointing Dedication 3. But “Eat You Alive” showcases Wayne’s instrument, that weird fuckin voice and the snarl that shines through the speakers, first and foremost. Because for Wayne’s bizarre cadence, he doesn’t need to alter his voice to sound like an alien.
Santogold
…for recording the theme music for every beer commercial ever. Not because it was actually enjoyable, there are only so many versions of “Creator” a set of ears can bear, but because Santi White got paid in an era when many aren’t. It wasn’t just Budweiser commercials—there was at least one car advertisement, too—but it was also an exclusive song and accompanying web/print campaign with Converse that featured Pharrell and The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, as well. Despite being somewhat in the major label system (Downtown Records has deals with Universal’s Fontana and Atlantic Records), Santi is the model of an independent artist, the type of musician who’s support from fans was a badge of honor and the price of a CD was to “support the cause.” 2008 was the official death of that sentiment, but by seeking funds from corporations instead of fans, it didn’t matter that her eponymous debut peaked at #74 on the Billboard 200. “Selling out” is now without meaning, especially when she released a free mixtape with Diplo (Top Rankin’) that ranks among the year’s best. It’s about the music, right?
T.I.
…for turning into a conscious rapper by making grown man’s music…and doing it better than Common and Q-Tip. Paper Trail is one of the more honest hip-hop records in recent years, putting the Atlanta rapper’s very public troubles directly into the listener’s ears. Parts feel like a school assembly, something T.I. did as part of his guilty plea on federal weapons charges. But the best cuts feature TIP talking about the paranoia that caused a man in his position to even search out army guns–he tried to buy three unregistered machines guns and two silencers. One of his close friends, Philant Johnson was shot and killed after a fight broke out in Cincinnati. The drive by took the innocence out of car windows rolling down, even fans just taking cell phone pics and waving became threatening. By sharing remorse in his explanations and celebrating his successes, he can keep the dangerous and illegal feel to his lyrics while removing the negative content. What it amounts to is the most honest rap record in years.
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