I like lists. They keep my train of thought organized. Not to mention, you can make a list about almost anything--shopping lists, grocery lists, and of course, the quintessential end-of-the-year music list. With January just around the corner, it's about time for the music enthusiast in you to browse your favorite blog posts and magazine articles for those endless "Top 10 albums/singles of the year" lists. Unlike John Cusack's character in
High Fidelity, I don't make a list for every occasion (Top 5 breakups, anyone?). But what I do have is a list of noteworthy singles that have been released this year. Keep in mind that they are in no particular order.
Q-Tip, "Gettin' Up"Q-Tip has got that smooth, charismatic flow that has left an undeniable mark on young, up-and-coming MCs. And he hasn't changed one bit. In "Gettin' Up," he claims that he's "Still a common man, and yeah, that's for sure/Still a bankroll, and yeah, still can tour." We believe it! From an album aptly titled,
The Renaissance, Q-Tip is definitely contributing to the cultural renaissance of Hip-Hop itself.
Erykah Badu, "Honey"Honey, you so sweet! But also quite soulful, and energetic. With a smooth, yet hard-hitting retro funk beat laced by Hip-Hop super producer,
9th Wonder, it ranks as my favorite song off of
4th World War, and is one of my favorite songs of summer 2008. It's also got a really fun video in which Erykah recreates record sleeves of classic albums from Eric B. and Rakim, De La Soul, Nas, and Diana Ross, among other artists.
Raphael Saadiq, "Oh Girl"On
The Way I See It, Raphael Saadiq takes us back to an era of 60's soul that even your parents would appreciate. The album's obvious Motown influence is a cool and refreshing change from the recent influx of neo-soul type singles on the market (not that they're bad!). With its soulful, delicate guitar strumming over slow-tempo drumming, and Raphael Saadiq's own heartfelt crooning, "Oh Girl" just may be the cause of unsolicited spooning.
Stacy Epps, "Floatin"Stacy Epps is a singer who has appeared on a number of indie Hip-Hop albums. You may remember her collaboration with Madlib on the track, "Skin Play" from J Dilla's
Ruff Draft album. Or maybe you heard her on Madvillain's "Eye" off of
Madvillainy. But regardless of how you heard about her, who doesn't love the sound of harmonius vocals over a dreamy, ethereal beat? The production on this track reminds me a bit of J Dilla's "Won't Do."
Freddie Joachim, "Hear It From You" (feat. Lauren Santiago & Jacewon)This one is off of Freddie's latest full-length album,
In With Time. Seasoned with Lauren Santiago's effortlessly sweet vocals, and a silky smooth verse from local MC,
Jacewon, the album takes on Freddie J's signature jazz-infused, mellow and melodic, Hip-Hop style. I love so many songs off of this album, but this is probably my most frequently bumped track. I could play this song over and over again. It's that good!
Johnson & Jonson, "The Only Way"I know I can't stop raving about the lyrical skills of Blu, but it isn't very often that a song's lyrics are a continuation of the sample, and vice-versa. This is an interesting way of approaching a sample. It's also an extremely funky, bump-worthy track off of Blu & Mainframe's
Powder & Oils.
Remixes:Amplive, "Video Tapez" (feat. Del tha Funkee Homosapien)This is a song that made a lot of noise earlier this year. It's off Amplive's
Rainydayz Remixes, which is an eight-track album remixing Radiohead's
In Rainbows. After being issued a cease & desist order, Amplive released this to the general public for
free download earlier this year.
Santogold/Diplo, "I'm a Lady" (feat. Amanda Blank)I love the original version of this song, and I think it is equally as good. However, Diplo's remix is definitely bangin'. Straight off of the
Top Ranking mixtape, it's got the kind of 80's Hip-Hop vibe that makes me wanna rock gold chains and parachute pants.
Flying Lotus, "Robo Tussin" (feat. Lil Wayne)After dropping
Los Angeles, Flying Lotus hit us with this bootleg remix of Lil Wayne's ubiquitous rap single, "A Milli." From his previous remixes, we know that the Los Angeles-based producer has got a knack for recontextualizing music, and his work on"A Milli" is no different. It's everything you would expect from FlyLo-- glitchy, spaced-out, futuristic, and meticulously crafted heavy-hitting beats. "Robo Tussin" is most definitely an interesting departure from Wayne's original song.
That's about all for now. I don't doubt that I missed a lot of good singles, and if I did, feel free to comment on what I should've included. Happy New Year! And may 2009 be a great year for music.
