So it is that time of the year again where I wrap it up with my top picks of 2010. So much great hip-hop out there and a lot of it I missed but will try to make up for next year. So lets get into with the list in no particular order.
2 Hungry Bros. – Back For Seconds. Listen to some of your favorite emcees from Homeboy Sandman, 8thW1 to L.I.F.E. Long over the delicious beats by 2 Hungry Bros.
Agartha Audio – The Hollow Earth. Producer Dig Dug makes haunting beats to allow his Uncommon Record brethens to rip the hollow earth apart.
Animate Objects – Danya and the Fail Present: The Shit. The second song on this album entitled, “Grow Ass Man” is the mindset to be in listening to this fine collection.
Apollo Brown – The Reset. Apollo Brown has the magical red reset button to bring hip-hop back to the masses.
Bobo Meets Rhettmatic – BMR The Mixtape. Not necessarily a hip-hop album but from the genius of Bobo (Cypress Hill) and DJ Rhettmatic (Beat Junkies) how could you not love this collaboration of live instruments and turntables.
Boog Brown – Grind Season vol. 1. Boog Brown will dominate any other artist of any gender and does it with class.
Butta Verses – Slow Down Ha Ha (Single). Butta Verses is exactly what you get on this song.
Chosen Few – New World Symphony. New Hiero affilialtes want to start a new world symphony and they deliver on that.
Clan Destined – A Story Never Told. Nice concept album of how some emcees pay to get on a mixtape and then it turns into something they didn’t want.
Count Bass D – Hartsfield JAXson. R.I.P. Jax. Count Bass D & DJ Pocket pay homage to the Jax with his rhyme partners from Binkis and others. Count Bass D & DJ Pocket deliver a great album with lyrics, beats and cuts, what else can you as for.
Damu The Fudgemunk – How It Should Sound – Volume 1 & 2. On the intro Damu The Fudgemunk says, “…interpret the title how you wanna..” and with the way he crafts his beats show that this is how hip-hop should sound.
Diego Bernal – “Besides…”. Deigo Bernal is a new name to me but his beats bring back that boom bap sound with a spanish influence that needs to be heard to believe.
Dillon – Cupid’s Revenge: The Ain’t Shit Suite. First Dillon gets a whole album of beats from Paten Locke and now he gets beats from Batsauce. If the album cover doesn’t give it away then be prepared for a interstellar ride about Dillon’s take on women and love.
Donwill & Von Pea – The Sandwich Shop. Donwill & Von Pea two-thirds of Tanya Morgan lift the beats from The Roots – Sandwich EP and do it a great service by delivering satisfying words to the music.
DTMD – The Basics (EP). Dunc and Toine Makin Dollas paying homage to EPMD with their name. The Basics have a head nodding sound that make you feel like this is straight good music with out no filler.
Dumbfoundead – Music. Dumbfoundead gives us a peak at his genuis with this free mixtape with him flowing nicely on every beat given.
Eminem – Recovery. This is the Eminem I remember from his first couple of albums and brings a great recovery for music. His song for Proof (R.I.P.), “You’re Never Over” definitely celebrates his life.
Fashawn & DJ Green Lantern – XXL & Orisue Presents “Ode to Illmatic”. What can you say about a tribute album to one of the best lyricist and his best album from one of the best up and comers. I guess this is enough, go get it.
Freddie Joachim – A.M. Freddie Joachim gives us another instrumental album that can be listened in the A.M. or P.M. and give you the most compelling melodies to enjoy.
Future Ape Tapes – Temples. If this is your first journey to the sound temples then you are in for a treat because they have now honed their skills to give you the spaced out music for your ears.
Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime – SomeOthaShip. With Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime guiding this ship they craft something that is meant to be heard.
Guilty Simpson – OJ Simpson. Guilty Simpson lays the verses and Madlib lays the beats, do I need to say anything else.
Homeboy Sandman – The Good Sun. By far the one of my favorite albums of the year. Homeboy Sandman creates a whole album of music that you can not stop listening to because of his flow and subject matter.
J Dilla – Donut Shop. J Dilla (R.I.P.) more of that neck breaking music from the producer that you all know and love including myself.
Jay Electronica – Exhibit C (Rob Viktum Remix). Rob Viktum takes a stab at remixing an already dope song with his own brand making it sound just as nice.
Joe Kickass – Let Me Introduce. Joe Kickass introduces himself as an emcee to watch for.
Joe Kickass – Mind Joe. After Joe Kickass introduces himself, he wants you to mind the lyrical gifts that he drops all over his full length.
Joe Scudda – Not Your Average Joe. Joe Scudda bombs your ears with his unrelenting flow that will not let you go even if you try to get away.
Junk Science – A Miraculous Kind Of Machine. Junk Science takes their signature hip-hop and gives you some kind of miraculous thing to keep in your deck.
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The only man that I know in the industry that can do what he wants and still sell records. This time he is back on the some hip-hop stuff that will make you wonder where does he go from here.
Kenny Diaz Presents – The Lost Episodes V. 1 & 2. From 1995 to 1999 you can discover all of the lost hip-hop that still sounds contemporary for 2010.
Kooley High – B-sides and Rarities. Kooley High gives us all of the b-sides and rarities that we might have missed and you should thank them by getting this.
Little Brother – LeftBack. It is sad to say that this is the last Little Brother album but they go out with a bang and leave you waiting for their solo and different collaborations.
LMNO & Kev Brown – Selective Hearing Part 2. LMNO & Kev Brown lend their selective hearing to the godfather of soul, James Brown and make a soulful album of beats and rhymes.
Madlib – Madlib Medicine Show #1: Before The Verdict. The jury are back in and the verdict is that Madlib and Guilty Simpson do it again.
Madlib – Madlib Medicine Show #5: The History of the Loop Digga, 1990. Here is a record of Madlib beats from the 1990s and he even lets his CDP crew represent hard on this one.
Mainframe – e.q.e.p. If you like those joints that bump then you can get with Mainframe and Blu on this EP.
Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx – The eXXecution. The eXXecution is flawless with Marco Polo providing the beats that Ruste Juxx slaughters.
Meth, Ghost & Rae – Wu-Massacre. If you are a Wu fan and don’t have this album then it is time to get into the Wu-Massacre before you lose your life (or miss out on these three the hard way).
MF Borat – So Good to Me (Single). DigDug invents the perfect beat to let MF Doom make music so good to me.
MF GRIMM – You Only Live Twice: The Audio Graphic Novel. If MF GRIMM can do this with two lives then he needs to be granted many more.
MidaZ The BEAST – El MidaZ Affair. This is the MidaZ affair but invites us all to find out why he is a beast on the mic.
MidaZ The BEAST – Freestylin’ (Single). MidaZ freestylin’.
MidaZ The BEAST – Lost N Found (produced by Blue Sky Black Death) (Single). If this is in the lost and found then he must have more gems that we are missing.
Mos Dub – Mos Dub. Max Tannone remixes Mos Def with reggae dub music to give you a diverse sound clash.
MosEL – Just Thinking Out Loud. I am just thinking out loud that MosEL has made a something to be marveled.
Mr. Lif – Santa’s Got a Muthafuckin’ Uzi (Single). I always wanted this on vinyl because it was a limited edition cut out of Mr. Lif’s head with a santa cap but I have to settle for the craziest christmas rap of the year.
Murs and 9th Wonder – Fornever. Fourth album of Murs and 9th Wonder and they are fornever quitting.
Mystik Journeymen – Return 2 The Love. It is not a come back but a return to the love of hip-hop.
Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong†Marley – Distant Relatives. Nas and Jr. Gong come together to give you a familar style that is paired nicely.
Obii Say – The Vinyl Proxy 1965. The vinyl proxy used by emcee Obii Say and producer Sinitus Tempo gives you a vintage mixing of new material that succeed on each song.
Oddisee – Odd Spring. Spring beats from Oddisee that move you in ways you didn’t think possible.
Oddisee – Odd Winter. Winter time is the theme behind this frosty instrumental album that will warm up your soul.
Opio – Mark It Zero. The Big Lebowski infused joint from one of your favorite hieroglyphics members but don’t mark it zero, mark it sick.
Pack FM – I F*cking Hate Rappers. Pack FM explains while he can’t stand rappers by rapping. It makes senses when you listen to it.
Persevere & Style MiSia – The Vintage Edition EP. Persevere gives the vintage edtion of his catalog so you can remember why he does his music.
Rah Digga – Do Your Numbers (Single). Nottz produced single (that is not on the album) to promote her newest album entitled, “Classic” and it sounds that way.
Rapper Big Pooh – The Purple Tape. Rapper Big Pooh reminiscences over this purple tape that makes you want more.
Ras Kass & DJ Rhettmatic – A.D.I.D.A.S. The album that I knew he could always make with him just spitting complex words and supported and paid by fans and myself alike.
Reflection Eternal – Revolutions Per Minute. Reflection Eternal took a minute to release this one but it was worth the wait.
Rhymefest – El Che. Rhymefest needed to start a revolution to get his album out and it should catch on.
Rocky Reason – Part Dark Matter. She has an alien introduce this album and that gives the overall feel for this spaced out piece.
Ski Beatz – 24 Hour Karate School. Ski Beatz harnesses the backdrops for emcees to karate chop on this one.
Slum Village – Villa Manifesto. Maybe the last Slum Village album and with songs like, “Earl Flinn” show that they never lost it.
Strong Arm Steady – In Search Of Stoney Jackson. Strong Arm Steady are bless with a whole album of Madlib invasion beats and it makes for one of the best of the year.
Tame One – The Hell or High Water EP. Junkwaffel lays down just the right beats for Tame One to black out to.
Tarica June – Moonlight Revolution (The Mixtape). This one came out of no where with some of the nicest lyrics from an up and coming emcee.
The Heart & Brain – Mbodiment. With 23 tracks and no filler it is a great accomplishment with everything working for this album from beats to rhymes.
The Residents – Open House. Munshine and Saint definitely have a open house that you should visit and will return to frequently.
The Roots – How I Got Over. The Roots always get over because they don’t settle for nothing but quality music and this one does it right.
TiRon – MSTRD. I have always liked mustard better than ketchup and TiRon proves that it is also true with his sound.
Toki Wright – BlackMale. Toki Wright is going to catch you by surprise. It is hip-hop that makes you feel empowered.
Tone Liv – Path Train To Jersey. Took the ride to Jersey with Tone Liv and now I understand why it was worth the trip.
Trek Life & J.Bizness – Rhymes Within Reason. They rhyme and produce for a reason and it is to create ample music.
Turbo – ElectroRockv5: Long Live Lightning Level Lyricism. Fifth album in the ElectroRock series and he still defies how much better he can get.
Unique Assassin – Spelling Bee Champ. If Unique Assassin was put in a spelling bee contest then he could spit every letter and make it sound extravagant.
Von Pea – Pea’s Gotta Have It. He said this is the album he wanted to make in school. It takes you back while still sounding fresh.
WEB & I.D.e.A – God’s Favorites. WEB & I.D.e.A are becoming one of my favorites and can be yours too after you give it a listen.
X.O. – One. One. Ten. After killing it on Diamond District, he does it again and again all over his solo effort.
Dope list! So many I need to hear…All the covers are banging too. Inspired me to design some sick shit to pitch to rap artists in town.