My Top 5 Albums of 2009…With a Twist!
The twist to this rankings system comes in two parts.
1) I am not ranking them 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.. they are all in the top five, so no rankings necessary.
2) My top 5 albums are CDs that I started listening to within the year 2009, so essentially they could be released in 2008, 2007, etc.
I am not the best at describing why I listen to them but I will do my best, scouts honor.
If you want any of these CDs, let me know and I will send you the links to download them.
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CYNE – Pretty Dark Things
This was an easy choice to me. Pretty Dark Things was released in 2008, and brought to my attention in January by my friend Austin. This was the only CD I listened to all of Jan-March, no lie. A little wiki:
CYNE (“Cultivating Your New Experience”) (pronounced “sign”) is an American indie hip-hop group originating from Gainesville, Florida. Characterized with a warm and soulful sound influenced by left-field hip-hop, rock, trip-hop and jazz, the group is known for lyrics that range from party boasting to meditations on the philosophy of Rousseau.[1][2] The group consists of emcees Akin and Cise Star, and producers Enoch and Speck, and are currently signed to City Centre Offices.
Instrumentals are/was something that I have listened to a lot in 2009, and the music they produce is what I would use as an example as instrumental hip-hop or conscious hip-hop.
1st track off of their album
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Kid Cudi – A Kid Named Cudi
Yes, Kid Cudi. This mixtape, his 1st, came out in July 2008. Like many of you, I did not hear about him until ‘Day ‘N Nite’, and the Crookers remix, hit the airwaves in Feb. I didn’t download it until before Spring Break, and this was my the CD I would always listen to in my car. He often uses beats from MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Ratatat, and other instrumental groups and rap over them. The mixtape uses different genres to create his unique hip hop sound.
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P.O.S – Never Better
P.O.S. A breath of fresh air. Under the Rhymesayers label and hailing from MN, Never Better was released in Feb. of 2009. I didn’t start really listening to it until the summer, and was fortunate enough to see him in concert in November. It was one of the best concerts that I have ever been to. His lyrics are truth; some from real-life experiences. Nothing really else to say except to listen to his music.
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Colin Munroe – Colin Munroe is the Unsung Hero
This Mixtape, released in Dec. of 2008, is not hip hop. Yes, it is more pop than anything. Colin, a producer and songwriter, uses the piano a lot on this CD, as well as auto-tune on half of the songs. Not a bad thing at all. This CD was found in the Spring of 2009 on some hip hop blogs I look at. It is a very unique sound and something that I could listen to constantly.
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Panacea – The Scenic Route
Panacea, a duo out of D.C, was found in fall 2009 with the help of Pandora. The Scenic Route came out decades ago in 2007. Some wiki:
Combining old-school rhyming with soulful beats, the Washington, D.C., duo Panacea have drawn comparisons to revered hip-hoppers like the Roots, Gang Starr, and A Tribe Called Quest. Panacea blends Native Tongues-inspired beats with warm major chords and soul samples and add smart, conscious rhymes about life, love, and of course, hip-hop.
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This list was very hard to make. These CDs, however, are CDs I can listen to front to back.
Others that could have easily been on the list include:
Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement
Felt 3 – A Tribue to Rosie Perez (haven’t had enough time to listen to it)
The Visioneers – Dirty Old Hip Hop
Common Market – The Winters End EP
Illa J – Yancey Boys
