So, the Village Voice’s Pazz and Jop is up today and as usual, it’s fascinating and infuriating and fascinating again when you dig through all the individual ballots and comments and everything. Below’s my ballot, tell me the shit I missed or why the stuff I liked sucks and whatever else. That’s the point of this poll, right?:
1. Ryan Leslie, Ryan Leslie
2. G-Side, Huntsville International
3. Maxwell, BLACKsummers’night
4. James Ferraro, Edward Flex Presents: Do You Believe In Hawaii?
5. Wavves, Wavves
6. Diamond District, In the Ruff
7. DJ Quik & Kurupt, BlaQKout
8. Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3
9. Robert Glasper, Double Booked
10. Ryan Leslie, Transition
Singles
1. DJ Class “I’m the Shit”
2. Bat for Lashes, “Daniel”
3. Keri Hilson (ft. Kanye West & Ne-Yo), “Knock You Down”
4. Gucci Mane, “First Day Out”
5. Girls, “Lust For Life”
6. Emynd, “What About Tomorrow”
7. Mariah Carey, “Obsessed”
8. Cam’ron, “My Job”
9. Soulja Boy Tell Em’, “Turn My Swag On”
10. Raheem DeVaughn (ft. Ludacris), “Bulletproof”
Was also quoted twice in the section “Michael Jackson and Hip-Hop”. On Hip-Hop, not Michael Jackson, who I’m either going to just keep quiet about or write a 10,000 word thesis on the song “Human Nature”. No in-betweens there. But yeah, I got to talk about two of my favorite things: Why Kanye is always interesting and great and the awesome ways rap gets smart and mature and how all of y’all are ignoring it…
“Besides Kanye being right—Beyoncé did have the best video—he more quietly outshined Taylor Swift with his verse on Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down,” which one-upped Swift’s “You Belong With Me” and its high school love histrionics. In Kanye’s version, high school binaries are broken down—the class clown gets the prom queen—and then it turns sour anyway. Another awkward, awesome bummer from Mr. West.”
“Jay-Z tells you it isn’t cool to carry a strap. The Clipse wanna watch Madagascar with their kids. And Internet rap is no longer indulgent day-glo whatever, whatever, but wizened, worker-bee rap from every region. In short, hip-hop finally answers a lot of its critics—it grows up, it actually matures, and not in a “Ludacris goes on Oprah” way—and everyone’s favorite rap album of 2009 is a facsimile of a 1995 coke-rap blueprint. OK.”
Are You A Serious Comic Book Reader?
glad you put that soulja boy record on.
earleybird
20 Jan 10 at 4:38 am
yeah, really, Click on it and see how FEW people did. Kind of sad. Also, it's weird they listed it as the remix but I guess that's their way of consolidating shit?
brandon
20 Jan 10 at 4:40 am
"Drake is almost single-handedly saving mainstream hip-hop. Where's all the Kanye-sized love from Whitey?"
I think more than anything it's strange to see how there is almost no diversity on most lists, the occasional lil wayne song on someone's favorite singles list.
samuel rules
20 Jan 10 at 6:20 am
Samuel-
Yeah…if you really want to cry, look at the lists of like the actually big critics, like say, Ken Tucker or something.
Then you find someone's personal ballot and it's really weird and it makes you feel better.
brandon
20 Jan 10 at 3:43 pm
simon-
I was at least surprised by "Empire"? I think if I lived in New York I would be annoyed by the pick, but as it is, it wasn't "My Girls" which was what I just assumed.
It certainly says something about music right now, that Jay-Z winning is the relative "surprise"…
brandon
20 Jan 10 at 4:33 pm
Brandon, I was really appreciative of your coverage of the Blueprint 3 last year. I'm sick of every blog racing to outdo each other with the most thought-out reason as to why 'the blueprint 3 sucks' etc. Your list of 10 great moments on the BP3 was an excellent idea. No one who frequents rap blogs needs an essay on Jay-Z, we all formed our opinions on Jay a long time ago, so keeping your coverage to 10 specific moments was a far more enjoyable read.
I enjoy the BP3 for what it is: a Jay-Z rap album. The rapping is really good, and Jay's saying the things we want him to say (e.g. the strap line, Thank you's 3rd verse, the 'what am I missing?' line from Already Home), it seems no one's picking up on this as they are fawning over the shock! horror! of a kid cudi hook.
So, having G-side, Quik, and BP3 on your top 10 albums list gets a big fat tick from me.
Scotty Mac
21 Jan 10 at 12:30 am
nice. cant believe you put emynd on there! he's a friend of friends, always seems the funnest people make the funnest music
SR2
21 Jan 10 at 3:28 am
Scotty Mac-
Thanks, man! Really glad you liked the BP3 posts. I felt like and still feel like it was really unfairly maligned. It's more interesting months later, like most Jay albums.
Also, can't co-sign that Diamond District cd enough.
SR2-
That Emynd song is great.
brandon
21 Jan 10 at 3:49 pm
Just wanted to say that you've been dead-on about Cuban Linx 2. granted I'm not a massive Wu fan in the first place, which I realize is blasphemy in rap nerd circles, but it's a ridiculously stale album, both production-wise and as far as Rae's actual technique. the Clipse dropped a more mature and thoughtful album with significantly better beats that deals with the same subject, only they've moved beyond it and aren't sealed in the same production template/trying to appease a certain type of lyric nerd. Young Money and Jay dropped better albums too
not the biggest Drake fan though, he's alright though and he could get better, grow out if his Wayne/Kanye Jr. bland style
anywaaay. yeah, I probably gotta check out a bunch of stuff I missed later on in '09, other priorities right now though
Trey Stone
22 Jan 10 at 3:57 pm
hats off for not including "Shine Blockas" on your ballot. can't believe how high up that was.
mr. pilly wonk
26 Jan 10 at 6:43 pm
How come you dont have your website viewable in mobile format? cant see anything in my iPhone.
visit
17 Jun 12 at 12:32 pm