Best Songs of '10

Super late. Yeah, I know.

Beyonce's super annoying "Single Ladies" joint may have won the Grammy for best song of 2010, but my Top 10 list goes in a little different direction. We'll back away from pop bull crap and focus on the records that meant something without overused claps on every single 8th note. No offense Mrs. Hov. I take that back: much offense intended. Now stop reading my blog, Beyonce, and get back to making crappy music that's forcibly inserted into 45% of all radio transmissions every year. Moving on ...

10. "Erase Me" - KiD CuDi featuring Kanye West
9. "Light Up" - Drake featuring Jay-Z
8. "The Train, Pt. 2 (Sir Lucious Left Foot Saves The Day)" - Big Boi featuring Sam Chris
7. "25 to Life" - Eminem
6. "I'll Kill Her" - Cee-Lo featuring Soko
5. "Hustle Blood" - Big Boi featuring Jamie Foxx
4. "Choices (A Wave for Alex)" - Charles Hamilton
3. "Find Your Love" - Drake
2. "Lost in the World" - Kanye West featuring Bon Iver
1. "Blame Game" Kanye West featuring John Legend & Chris Rock

I know it features pretty much no parity when Kanye, Big Boi, and Drake represent 60% of the list, but I'm just being honest. These songs are the most epic joints I listened to last year and begged for that replay button. Ye forced me to replace his own damn song as the single best joint once "Blame Game" was the final Dark Fantasy track to leak. Somebody on Twitter that night said the song demanded an "Album of the Year" Grammy by itself. I agree.

... and Free Enes.

Read More...

Summary only...

Jigga vs. Big Boi

It's interesting to me that only 1/2 of OutKast has properly collaborated with Jay-Z and it's not the one of the "Hey Ya" variety. Back in 2002 and 2003, the Jigga Man and Big Boi swapped featured on each others' The Blueprint 2 and Speakerboxxx albums. And even more interesting is the fact that pre-Purple-Ribbon-beefing Killer Mike tagged along for both of the joints. Twista joins in to make "Poppin' Tags" a full posse cut between the four of them. The original Slaughterhouse, anyone? Down below in the "Izzo" video, Big and Dre both actually make a 2-second appearance at the 2:07 mark where I conveniently have it starting. I figure if you're going to take a couple songs off from rhyming with the greatest rapper of all time, why not go with the second greatest? Sir Lucious Left Foot knows what he's doing.

2002
Jay-Z - Poppin' Tags (feat. Big Boi, Killer Mike, Twista, & Sleepy Brown)
2003
Big Boi - Flip Flop Rock (feat. Killer Mike & Jay-Z)
Bonus Mrs. Jay-Z: Beyonce - Hip Hop Star (feat. Big Boi & Sleepy Brown)



... and do the John Wall.

Read More...

Summary only...

The Drought Is Over (CH Edition)

Remember what I said about needing new music? Well CH heard me. Times six. This is crazy. So crazy that I gotta hook every single one of the joints up on here. Now, just for reference sake, these aren't new projects, per say. They're just projects he's been working on for the last couple years and either didn't get around to releasing them or just didn't quite complete them properly like he wanted. So here's the remaining five projects after Well This Isn't Awkward.

Charles Hamilton wins. That's all.

Charles Hamilton - 10 Things I Hate About Me
Here's what he had to say about it:

This was supposed to be my comeback project. Then the things I hate about me ended up being y'all problems. So "Why put this out, when Charles is able to bring law and order through his music. Charles, can you make a conceptless project?"

Basically, I had a therapist for about a month and a half, around the time I got dropped. My therapist (shouts to Dr. Ryder) said I am a very complex case, but very in my right mind. I think the version I'm giving Dalvyn (20fourhourbodega.blogspot.com) has some audio samples from my therapist's album (the connecting and healing power of music) scratched in. I know there are MAD soundbytes on it tho.

I am ALWAYS up to something (planned punch? answers here)
I can't sing (but I do it for the love of music and the theraputic response to singing)
I don't understand the value of money (so I didn't cry when I got "dropped"... #suarez)
I hate being categorized (and the Soulja Boy beef was horribly misinterpreted; I shoulda been more mature)
I jump the gun too often (and bullets don't scare me for some reason, so...)
I talk to my self a lot (and I have found...)
I watch a lot of CNN (and I feel like a pro boxer)
I'm moody (and it sometimes costs me love...)
Overall, I'm a Nerd (though geeks kick ass)
I Am More Concerned With Love Than Life (and I am living in the life after albums)

Charles Hamilton - The L Word II: Lust And Love (INcomplete)
Here's what he said about it:

All Barry White samples.

Bigger Ego, Shorter Tolerance (Beyonce)
-I felt compelled to respond to "Ego"... lol

How To Be A Better Girlfriend (Rihanna)
-Far from a rude boy... treat me like a gentleman and I won't treat you like a baby mama.

Rhythmic (Sonji)
-I pay your sister my rent... well, PAID your sister my rent... may I at LEAST have this dance? lol

someladyswebsite.com (Jessica)
-And I officially fall back from all communication with you after this song... sorry for the neglect...

Star Baby (Starrene)
-Pretty deep song, for a pretty deep female.

Superwoman (Fantasy Lady)
-I cannot remember your name. Will never forget your frame. Or the heat of the summer day we met on.

Vibration Bandaids (Karen Civil)
-The hook explains all.

Charles Hamilton - Gynophobia
Here's what he said about it:

Pronounced.... G? No... phobia. Gynophobia means fear of women. And though I've slept with enough women to be considered a G, I fear them. It's a Venus domination thing...

August Rush
being a semi-psycotic music in love

Farewell
the female in question liked to scream on me, couldn't trust me because I cheated on her, and had the sweetest accent I have ever listened to

Hello Kitty Guitar
as long as she still cares, I don't ever have to be inside of her again

London Girl
women are bizzarre

OhMyWhosThat
the most beautiful Dominican woman I have ever met, created right in front of me... and her name is

Pre(e)
...and this is about the night we met

Virgin
I am, tho...

White Girl Love
"Tell me you love me white girl..."

Barbie
a superficial lover with a heart of a super official lover... and kinda is about Nicki Minaj

Pilates
my crush on my 6th and 8th grade teacher, Imelda Lati

Charles Hamilton - Autumn Harvest
Here's what he said about it:

Autumn is a bunny.
Autumn is a bi-polar bunny.
Autumn is a musician.
Autumn is a junior high school teacher.

This is his life.

Charles Hamilton - Atlantis And A...
Here's what he said about it:

Cleveland Harlem goes to Atlanta and wonders about everything.

Who is Cleveland Harlem?

Recorded between 2008 and 2010... shouts to DJ Toomp, Sol Messiah and Groove for the production.

Also, learn a bit more about why I'm keeping my distance from this game... but still doing my music.

... and do the John Wall.

Read More...

Summary only...

New Bobby

I've been waiting for this mixtape.

Bobby Ray -
B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray

You should know that Bobby music is essential to me. But I just gotta say thank ya Jeebus for B.o.B's camp coming through with the "No DJ version" immediately. Artistic music needs to be released artistically. Gucci and Wayne and Khaled can keep their drops cuz there ain't nothing to miss. But on stuff I listen to, if it ain't DJ A-Mack then I ain't having it.

But anyways ... while most alter-ego records (see "T.I. vs. T.I.P." & "I Am ... Sasha Fierce") lack any real purpose or execution, Bobby has the talent and variety in his sound to deliver. You got that down south B.o.B soul food next to that rock-tinged singing Bobby Ray record. There's a difference. And both are entertaining. Cop it. Still listening through as many times as I can to catch my favorite joints. Only time you'll ever hear me big up an OJ Da Juiceman track ("I Am the Man"), though. You can write that down. For certain.

... put 'em both together and you got yourself a super spork.

Read More...

Summary only...

I Am Not Charles Hamilton

You can't talk to me about rap music today without me bringing up this dude. It's that simple. As 2008, Charles Hamilton is hip hop to me. He epitomizes everything enjoyable and worthwhile in the genre. Even though he wouldn't want me categorizing him within any genre.

It's just refreshing to hear someone who's not trying to be the next ... anybody! I'll take less money bragging, less thug posturing, less automobile endorsing, and less I-got-everything-on-lock any day of the week in my music. And in the same vein I'll take more introspection, more conceptual girl songs, more musical composition, more actual personality, more not-afraid-to-be-different while not being-different-just-to-be-different but because-I-actually-am-different, and more fun mixtapes any day of the week in my music, as well. Ladies and gentleman, let me reintroduce you to everything that is Charles Hamilton.

charleshamilton.blogspot.com

Name me any other label-backed musician in the world who is allowing you with full endorsement to take his music at your own discretion for an entire year absolutely free. Literally eight mixtapes worth of creative juices all for the effort of a "Right-Click, Save As". With anybody else, I'd be calling foul due to little or no creativity and each tape's prolly just a compilation of lazy freestyle verses over industry instrumentals. But not hear. Charles helms a butt-load of his own production along with fellow Demevolist producers and brings you an entirely new music experience every single time. But even you nowadays-heads would be proud as he flips ridiculous amounts of highly contemporary music into imaginative samples and creates a brand new song and concept out of something that was on the radio literally months ago. Take, for instance, Beyonce's "Single Ladies" [Ringtone Rap] or Rihanna's "Shut Up & Drive" [Lemme Know] or Hoobastank's "The Reason" [Mr. Perfect] or Young Jeezy's "Put On" [Jeezy Hamilton] or Rob Thomas' "Lonely No More" [Sweetheart (Take It Back)] or The-Dream's "I Luv Your Girl" [Wrong Side of the Bed]. Tell me you aren't completely feeling at least one of those songs or wanna hear how it got flipped. I dare you.

And now the clincher. Look deep inside of your soul and tell me who could flip the various retarded Windows computer noises into a hot hip hop joint? Seriously. This dude is beyond a genius musician. He's a real person.

Here are the links for the Hamiltonization Process 2008. It was pandemonium. And he's got beef with Soulja Boy? What else could you ask for from a rapper?

Death of the Mixtape Rapper

And Then They Played Dilla

Staff Development

It's Charles Hamilton

The L Word

Sonic the Hamilton

Intervention

The Pink Lavalamp

... this was whatcha all been waitin' for ain't it?

Read More...

Summary only...

If I Were a Song Stealer ...

This is in preparation for my to-be remixified version on Vol. 2. I think Beyonce's is retarded (and not good retarded), but I can handle this girl's. Cuz she wrote it! I hope BC Jean makes a hundred billion dollars because of it.

BC Jean - If I Were a Boy (Original)

Forget Bey. BC has an amazing voice. Gorgeous.

... and so concludes another masterpiece

Read More...

Summary only...

#2: Ms. Keys

And the long-delayed next installation of my wifey series.

Numba 2 is ... Alicia Keys!!!

I am definitely not a notable original in my thinking of this woman, but goodness.

I'm confident enough to crown Ms. Keys the songstress of our generation. Who doesn't know every single word and scat-like odd note of "Fallin'", "If I Ain't Got You", "Karma", or "No One"? No one. That's who.

She's the genuine human version of every fake Beyonce/Ciara/Christina Milian R&B singer that gets on the charts and stays in the public eye. You just know she's for real. You just know. And you can't tell me otherwise. Plus 30 million records and 11 Grammy's?

Forget that she's been in Smokin' Aces, The Nanny Diaries, and The Secret Life of Bees to show she's not just a beautiful voice. And she's got the new James Bond theme song. If that ain't legit, I don't know what it.

Alicia Keys & Jack White - Another Way to Die

Chris Campbell - Dear Ms. Keys

I love her. Bought every album. Sought every rare feature. Sweat every new music video. Yeah. That's my girl. She's undeniably one of the most talented woman in the world in my opinion.

And she's gorgeous.

... and so concludes another masterpiece

Read More...

Summary only...