My top five hip hop tunes of 2009!!

I do love a good end of year list, and what better subject to go in on than my love of charty American hip hop? Took me a while to decide upon these five but im pretty sure i'm happy with it. Been a great year and loadsaaa tunes that didn't quite get there (Turn My Swag On, Bedrock) but hey! Im sure those who missed out will still sleep tight. Sooo, without further ado, let's roll!!

Number 1 - Drake 'Best I Ever Had' (Cash Money)

Fave tune of the year . . . .no question gotta be my man Drake (im convinced her wrote The Carter 3 ya know!) 'Best I Ever Had.' First heard it at SXSW it's been on heavy rotation in my internal jukebox ever since. So cant wait for the full album . .. .but surely he's run outta hot punchlines by now?!?

Talking of which, so many killer lines in this tune. My fave being

"Sweat pants, hair tied, chillin' with no make-up on /
That's when you're the prettiest, I hope that you don't take it wrong."

Oh yes!! Lets not forget the video. I'm not one for music vids, but this has gotta be the greatest opening twenty seconds of a rap vid ever right? Enjoy!



Number 2 - Yung La feat. Young Dro & T.I 'Ain't I' (Grand Hustle)

On a March evening earlier this year, my friends Sebastian, George and I were driving from New Orleans to Houston. I'd had enough of soft rock bangers, religious propaganda and channel flipping so settled for Hot 93.3 and heard this little puppy!! Everything seemed right about it, the mood fitted what I was seeing (bit thuggy, damp air, creepy plinky plonky synths) and it all just 'clicked' , so much so im still banging it nine months later.

Even though it's not T.I's tune he totally owns it. However I do love Young Dro's nonsensical line:

"You got to know we gwoppy, pockets extra sloppy / Don't I love my vegetables extra cheese and broccoli!" I have no idea what he's talking about but it's cool! Ha.




Number 3 - The Dream feat. Juelz Santana, Fabolous, Ludacis 'Rockin That Thing (Remix)' (Def Jam)

Right, I think Rick Ross is a total pecker so let's pretend he's not even on this track yeah (someone do an edit - quick and DJ Khaled take a hike too), and im not gonna let his appearance on this track spoil it for me. As mentioned before I'm a sucker for a hot R&B possee cut and maaaaan, there hasn’t been better than this bitch right hurrr all year. Those synths kill me, the lazy drums excite me and Juelz verse pretty much gives me a semi ("whoooaaa, look at shawty rooool!"). Anyway, enough excitement . . .check it out . . . ..



Number 4 - Wale feat. Lady Gaga - 'Chillin' (Atlantic)

Okay, this guy is fast drifting into Shade Sheist, Mims and J-Kwon territory (the where are they now file, standard!), but it doesn’t mean he cant write a (singular!) hit tune. I was a Lady Gaga doubter until I heard this but this was the turning point.

Things I like about this song

* Wale has the most brilliantly shit line of the year "Let's talk about the cars ya'll got / you say you gotta lotta whips but I gotta lot!"

* Gaga's delivery on the line "Across that pond, they all know us international... Whoaaaa!" . . .amazing!!



Number 5 - Jay-Z feat, Swizz Beatz 'On The The Next One' (Roc Nation)

This is my fave tune from my fave album of 2009, which must surely make it the best song of the yar right? Wrong! 'Cos it's rolled in at #5 doofus! This beat killed me from the word go flipping a Justice sample, the cascading drums before the drop are brill and has some of Jigga's hottest lines of the whole album. Case in point

* "fuck that autotune cos we oooooon" (with autone fx - genius!)

* "I don’t get dropped - I drop the label!"

Classic Jigga, simple lines that say more than most rappers say in an entire fucking album. Go Hova!