1. The Streets - Everything Is Borrowed

This will be my last post of the year…

*sound of record player starting / winding up*

This is my hour, I’m never going to bed.

In between helping out with constructing the massive midnight meal which takes place after the clock strikes 12 on New Year’s (a tradition that’s been in my family for as long as I can remember), and fitting in one more hard workout session for 2008 (a mix of heavy weight deadlifts, a record setting marathon plank session, and a multitude of body weight exercises performed on my door mounted Power Gym), I’ve been trying to polish off my possible first ever completed Tumblelog list before December 31, 11:59PM EST. And I’m not gonna lie: it’s been tough, but in a fun way (like a final exam…wait, that’s not fun). Let’s hope I can stay out of the Dave Letterman “Number 1 always sucks” trap (although ending the Top Ten List with the worst entry is by design, I still wanna end strong). Will this entry suffice in achieving the bar I’ve set with each subsequent entry on my Top 12 songs list? Read on and decide for yourself (I’m busy, I’ve got a post to write).

Some days I feel I’m getting smaller and smaller / but some nights I seem to grow taller and taller.

What’s most strange about this entry is that, on a list of pretty much all hip hop or hip hop related songs, this track right here which tops ‘em all off is NOT a traditional hip hop song. Mike Skinner and his british collective known as The Streets are best known for their recitation-style raps over garage beats. Influenced by hip hop, yes, but also many other forms of music. So why did I pick this as the number one song of 2008? I’ll try my best to properly express that sentiment, but I also want to know why I always ask these rhetorical questions to my imaginary readership. It’s my writing style, I guess.

The wind of change won’t whistle me away / if I spin my tails and sail / And sail away. And let yesterday become today.

The title track from The Streets’ 4th and perhaps best LP (IMO), Everything Is Borrowed, is a very timely song (incredibly relevant). What with the world knee deep in a recession and the credit crunch no doubt hitting many families (especially during the holiday season where we’re all supposed to be shiny happy people holding hands), it hits home for many and hits hard. My family and I have been greatly blessed with never having experienced the financial turmoil of repossession and the loss of a home (and for that, I am infinitely thankful). But it happens all the time. Sadly, it’s just a necessary evil of a commercial and capitalistic society.

Just when I’m discovering the meaning of life, they change it / just when I’m loving life, it seems to start raining.

The beat. Wow. This beat makes the entire album. It’s all things inspiring, epic, beautiful, tragic, tear-inducing and full of emotion that just moves you the way that good music should (even if you don’t understand english, the music should incite some kind of reaction from you; the melody is that good). And when I saw the accompanying music video for the first time, I knew it was to be my favourite song of the year. Not only did Skinner and his cast perfectly express the tough financial situations that any family could be subject to in these turbulent times, but he (and the film crew) did it all in such a concise manner, with touching images that make you feel for these characters you don’t even know, right before they get kicked out of their own home. The late Sydney Pollack remarked in the Life In Pictures docu how the late Stanley Kubrick was fascinated with commercials because they told stories so fast, and the best music videos do just that as well, this one included.

Another note about the music video that solidified this inclusion was the casting of one of my favourite non-famous actors (that being my favourite kind, since they truly are just normal people), premium British girl next door, Amelia Warner as Mike Skinner’s wife (see this post for my sappy feelings on her). Simply put, Skinner and his peeps knew what’s up and were aware of who to perfectly cast in this role. And mad props to them for coming to this decision :)

My time on this earth is my only penny / wise is the gent counting every moment spent.

I’m guilty of materialism as much as the next guy (“perhaps…a bit more.” - Delbert Grady). And the meaning of possessions always remain the same: we can’t take any of this stuff with us when we expire, nor do we need any of it when we’re born into this world with nothing. For as the great Tyler Durden remarked, “the things that you own end up owning you.” This song stresses the idea and importance of memories being our only currency/assets. Invest in them and you will be rich in the after-life (whatever your religious beliefs are, we all die, and therefore need some kind of hope to believe in after we’re gone).

So then, the final thought amongst all of this rambling? I guess today/tonight is one of those times where we “borrow” or rather build up our memories more than usual. When I hug all of my loved ones once the clock strikes 12 as we celebrate the arrival of the new year with the rest of the world, I’ll be building up my bank of love and memories for future spending after I pass, when I leave with nothing but love.

I came to this world with nothing, and I leave with nothing but love / Everything else is just borrowed.

Very expertly expressed and oh so true. So as I finish this post within mere minutes of the new LED NYC ball dropping, I just want to say that I wish that 2009 spells health, happiness and stable financial times for all of us. Enjoy the precious time we have with our loved ones. Save up those memories and always strive to create new ones. Because, “as time will say, nothing but, I told you so.”

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone and let’s all raise our glasses to an excellent 2008 and to the very best that life has to offer in the final year of this decade.

Peace out for the ‘08!

-Magic Juan

ps. It’s all done.

2. Black Milk - Long Story Short

The manner by which an album begins is paramount to getting across its point. When I make a mix, the most important tracks to me are the first, the last and the exact middle track. And if it’s an even numbered mix, then the last track of the first half and the first track of the second half are key (and now you know some of the insane methods of how I construct a mix…damn, I miss Muxtape). Not only does the intro track set the tone for the rest of the album, but just like a good book or intro paragraph, it should instantly hook you in as a willing participant in the journey that is to come. And if it comes out the gates with all guns a blazin’ so to speak, then that’s just a juicy bonus. Such is the case with Long Story Short, where things kick off with some elec-TRONIC noises, followed by a robotic voice that indeed confirms that you are listening to Black Milk’s sophomore LP. So strap yourself in, because it’s going to be an ILL ride. The piano intro is wonderful and adds a touch of class to the preceedings. Then once the ominous organ creeps up from below, followed shortly by the dirty and heavy bump of the sharp snares, it’s so on. LET’S GO!!!!!!

So what better way for Black Milk to introduce his latest album than to catch all of us up by providing a complete history of his life and career up to this point(!). Long Story Short style (about 3 minutes of lyrics to be exact). It reminds me of the opening credits of Superman II (not the newly released Richard Donner cut which I love, but the theatrical cut that I grew up watching almost every day until I was 7 and realized that there were more movies out there besides Superman II and Jaws). If you’ll remember, the filmmakers wanted to catch us all up on Superman: The Movie and did so by providing clips of said film efficiently interpolated into the flying opening credits of Superman II. It worked like a charm. And now we’re ready to enjoy the sequel. In this case, Tronic is the Superman II to Popular Demand’s Superman: The Movie. In short, it builds on an already excellent debut, and as a result, it’s a better piece of work.

8-14-1983, nigga I’m here / but let me fast forward ‘bout 17 years / take you back to the basics / back to the basement / hi-hat, snare drum, bassline, bass kicks / recording the karaoke stereo to tape deck / having fun with it / ain’t worried ‘bout gettin’ paid yet / couple years past now I wanna get paid and / stepped up as an MC / stepped up to the MP / your M-P-C beats gettin better bruh / listenin’ to Pete Rock, Primo, Dilla on the regular

I know I talk about J Dilla quite a bit on this site (and rightfully so, he helped to make me a better music listener). But I don’t think its too much of a stretch to say that Milk is the heir to the Dilla throne (not ready to take it just yet, mind you, but give him another decade). Not only is he getting better and better on the mic (and for a producer he is well above average), but straight up, Black Milk is the hip hop producer of the year for 2008. In the past calendar year, homeboy has handled his 2nd solo album, a Prince beat tape (Music From The Color Purple), the Caltroit mixtape with Bishop Lamont, Elzhi’s Euro Pass mixtape and eventual solo debut The Preface, as well as contributions to the latest albums of Guilty Simpson, the GZA and Kidz In The Hall, all with a distinct sound and vision. And with Tronic, he took things up a notch, displaying that Black Milk gets IT (and by IT I mean that special, intangible sound).

I’ve been a life-long pro-wrestling fan. And every now and then, I dream about what theme song I would walk into the arena with if in some strange alternate universe I was a wrestler (considering I don’t have the size, strength, body, ability, incredibly high pain tolerance or huge balls to become one in this life…I think I have the charisma to be a good talker though). The song itself has to set things off, if you will. And I could probably make a good playlist of songs that I’ve deemed wrestling entrance music worthy (if Muxtape were still around, best believe I’d make that list for all of you to enjoy). And Long Story Short could very well be the first song on that list. IMO, this is the hip hop track of the year (inferred spoiler: my number one song of the year isn’t a traditional hip hop song!). Simply put, it is an amazing composition, from the intro, comprehensive story to the eventual beat breakdown. And I “still can’t believe that it’s only the beginning.” (c) Black Milk

3. Elzhi - Motown 25 (feat. Royce Da 5’9”)

Just in time for THIS to arrive in the mail today (compliments of Amazin!.com…good luck trying to find that in local record stores) comes the posting of my third favourite song of 2008. And this is a monsta, monsta, MON-STA! In beats, lyrics, bump factor, subject matter, swagger, hell even the song title is epic (which is in reference to the legendary Motown 25th Anniversary special in 1983 where a young Michael Jackson, on the cusp of solo superduperstardom, performed Billie Jean while debuting his version of the moonwalk onstage…yes, epic-ness all around).

There’s no way I could properly quote my favourite bars from this gem without posting the entire thing (there are that many quotables), so I simply won’t :p Just know that this entire music package exemplifies the fierce and hungry underground sound or “hungerground” to the fullest. Both Detroit MCs have been flying below the radar for years, with either dude having yet to blow up on their own sh!t (commercially). In Elzhi’s case, he’s been a beast on the mic for at least a decade now, performing on Dilla tracks (Welcome to Detroit, the post-Dilla SV albums, the Witness My Growth mixtape), the second Little Brother album, and as the new member of Slum Village. Only NOW finally releasing his incredibly highly anticipated solo debut. Royce’s history is also well documented, having first heard him flow on the Bad Meets Evil track from the Slim Shady LP as well as the Bad Meets Evil EP collabo with Em (back in the good ol’ days when Mr. Mathers was also a beast on the mic). Not to mention some mixtapes (including an epic 12 minute freestyle with the Shady one from the late 90s that I’ve listened to so many times, I know it off by heart) and some primo Primo tracks thrown in for good measure.

Side note: I’ve always been disappointed in Eminem, not only because of how far he has lyrically regressed since the Marshall Mathers LP (peaking WAY back in 2000), but the fact that he’s never really made any effort to reach out to Dilla or Elzhi (both his Detroit brethren) over the years for either a beat or a verse during his MTV commercial boom (such a move would have helped either of those geniuses get more of the shine that they so richly deserved no doubt…although Dilla was probably too humble to care). I remember ?uesto mentioning on the OKP boards that the only way Em could attempt to recapture any credibility he once had with the hip hop heads was to simply reach out to Dilla and rhyme over one of his beats, Motown collabo style (like Marshall Mathers didn’t know who James Yancey was). But alas, he chose to side with the unit of gorillas and now Jay Dee has passed on. There’s always the beat tapes/CDs, but no chance of an actual in-studio creation. But if dude still has anything of quality left in the rhyming tank, there’s still the possibility of a Bad Meets Evil reunion (after all, the beef has been squashed) and better yet, Royce, Em and Elzhi on the same track, one upping eachother lyrically (one can always dream). Anyways, back to the regularly scheduled post…

This track is proof positive that both Elzhi and Royce Da 5’9” have never lost a step after all of these years (in fact, they’re hungrier than ever before). It’s a simple formula of 2 unbelievable lyricists (Elzhi in particular is Top 10 IMO) laying vocals over a bass-thumping, HARD head-nodding beat by one of the most talented producers around and Detroit’s finest, Black Milk (who produced 13 out of the 16 tracks on Elzhi’s The Preface). And the results are nothing short of explosive, more than worthy of the song title. I think Motown 25 should become the new official anthem of the D, or at least the entrance music for the Pistons. Every single detail is Detroit homegrown, raw to the bone yet soulful and sweet. So on the 25th Anniversary of Motown 25 (now 50), this superb triangle offense of Detroit artists are ensuring that the legendary musical legacy of the D is in excellent hands.

And for my 1001st post…

4. The Roots - Lost Desire (feat. Malik B. & Talib Kweli)

I’ll write about this later. Right now it’s time to catch the highly anticipated series finale of Summer Heights High on HBO Canada (I’m already sad that it’s almost over).

OK, I’m back; what a finale! Still sad, though.

Rising Down by The Roots was my favourite album of 2008 (and most of my other favourites from 2008 have been represented on this list, but obviously not in chronological album order…that’s a list I do not have the energy to tackle after this one). If anything for the fact that it was the only recording this year that inspired me to write a full review (feel free to use that Chrome search function up there if you wanna read it. Edit: HERE IT IS!). And to me, Lost Desire was the standout track. Surprisingly, it was pretty easy to pick this track, not because there wasn’t any other song on Rising Down that was worthy, as there were many (hence it being my favourite album of the year, largely in part to the great sequencing of the album contents), but Lost Desire immediately stood out from the pack even during early listens. And in my track-for-track review, you can almost tell that I already had some underlying admiration for how this particular track came together, even though I wasn’t fully expressing that sentiment at the time. I think it had something to do with all the rage and emotion involved.

In the .pdf liner notes to this album (I made a post about it earlier this year with a link. Edit: HERE IS SAID POST!), the writing guru and co-band leader ?uestlove loosely described this track as an angry song about street corner nihilism (“ESPECIALLY when Philly corners will make the set of The Wire look like Epcot Center”). Yeah, no sh!t (edit: and their movie theatres ain’t nuthin’ ta f*ck wit either). Composed of 3 superb verses from Malik B., Talib Kweli and Black Thought (a super team of MCs if you will) all laid out on an edgy, electronic-laced, somewhat chaotic yet controlled beat by The Roots band members (led by ?uesto, who did his first vocals on wax in 10 years when doing the chorus), Lost Desire paints a picture of a world without hope and the importance of keeping the struggle, maintaining your desire and fighting the good fight amidst all of the corruptness (edit: corruption…is corruptness a word?) and hopeless surroundings. No sugar coating. Plain and simple. But make no mistake, there is TONS of desire in the lyrics and instrumentation in order to get that bleak, angry message across.

no one cares what the truth is, cause their fortune is built on lies

people dying, bullets flying cause they squeezin’ for fun

corner filled with teddy bears cause they killed a child again

get off the choir witcha soft attire / niggaz out here don’t give a fuck cause they lost desire

yeah we got flags but they not star-spangled / we not patriotic, our heroes are not them

paying homage to homicide / praying to the dollar sign

you open your eyelids and get capped in the ribs / your funeral they have your 12th grade PORTRAIT

said he 19 and left a self made FORTUNE and left tre ORPHANS / now he in a box with the same chain and watch that never came OFF HIM

As you can see, there are a lot of quotables to choose from, all very vivid in their imagery of a bleak, pre-Obama world from the POV of the inner cities. But amidst all of the anger comes the juxtaposition of a cool touching outro: a mini beat tribute to their fallen comrade and a musical genius. Maybe you’ve read his name from one of the hundreds of times I’ve mentioned him on this site. J Dilla is who I speak of, and The Roots perform a short cover of Dilla’s “Don’t Nobody Care About Us” beat from the album Carte Blanche by Detroit MC Phat Kat. Presumably because in this world, “don’t nobody care about us / all they do is doubt us / ‘til we blow the spot then they all wanna crowd us”. How true. And such circumstances are sure to keep any passionate individual from losing any desire towards their hopes and dreams, whatever they may be.

TOP 3 coming soon…

5. Q-Tip - Gettin Up

4 years. That’s how long The Renaissance took to finally get commercially released (after having been pretty much completed and leaked in bootleg form). After Tip’s first solo album, 1999’s Dilla produced Amplified, where the legend from A Tribe Called Quest attempted to get part of the club joint scene (and succeeded as I have great memories of drunkenly “boogie-ing” to Vivrant Thing and Breathe and Stop in the clubs in my later teen years), he experienced label set back after label set back after…well, you get the idea. So thanks in large part to Industry Rule #4080, Tip solo joints that are still shelved to this day include Kamaal The Abstract and Open (both excellent “abstract” albums in their own right). Live at the Renaissance was the original version of the album that was to eventually become The Renaissance (with new songs as well as improvements to the original tracks). And (cliche coming) it was certainly worth the wait as the album is incredible and very consistent in its vibes and stuff ;)

The best songs always begin with a tune or a group of notes that fit so perfectly together that they are instantly recognizable and make you go “ohhhhhhhh!” uncontrollably. Gettin Up continues in that same vein with the beginning piano notes that let you know that it’s time to get up and thank God for this beautiful day. Again, the difficult decision for best track from The Renaissance came down to 3 tracks: one produced by Tip and the other 2 produced by the late, great Dilla Dawg (The Ummah lives on!). Move and the UK bonus track Feva (formally Fever…hehe) were amazing in their own right and displayed vintage Jay Dee (utilizing wicked beats from the famed Dilla Beat CDs). But I ended up choosing Gettin Up because of the beautiful images I got from listening to it: the morning sun peeking through the window curtains (“today is nice, come on, ay yo we…”), cuddling with that special someone ‘til noon (“we can start a clan just like the Kennedys”), fast forward to the night scene while driving through the streets to the dope club (“tonight is right, come on we goin’…”), and if Tip’s people are reading this (haha, right), then I think that the above scenario would make for a great treatment for the music video (and the scratches at the end should coincide with swiftly cut, juxtaposed scenes of Tip and his lady friend in the club and in bed to tie the simple concept together).

Even though I’ve purchased every single ATCQ album, I’m definitely gonna purchase this album (the UK import, preferably) as a thank you to the Abstract for sharing his phenomenal rhyming, producing and overall musical talents with us fans once again (after all, it’s been nearly a decade). And also I’d like to do my part to help ensure that Tip’s other shelved joints get an official release someday. But back to the track again: Gettin Up is so nice that it could have easily fit in with the best songs on Tribe’s underrated final album The Love Movement, because it’s all about the love. And I love it. Very much so.

6. N*E*R*D - Happy

So now we’re entering the second half of this countdown and thereby the TOP 6 Tracks of 2008 (IMO). And every album from here on out engaged in an epic battle in my brain for which song would take top honours as the best song of each LP, as all of these upcoming albums are incredible, have so much great music to choose from and deserve much credit for making 2008 one of the best years for music in some time.

*guitar riff* “Summer’s gone too soon…winter’s coming out.”

In this recession-filled winter season, many of the lyrics in this song speak very true to what is going on right now. But ultimately, this song is about the triumph of the human spirit. Achieving happiness despite all of the sadness surrounding us. And not only do the lyrics get across that poignant message, but the music does as well. The bass, the electric guitar, the cymbals all feel so magical together that if anything, it will make you feel better for at least the duration of the song (and that’s better than nothing). This was a tough decision between Anti-Matter (which was one of the most brilliantly named songs this year) and Happy for best track from Seeing Sounds. This song ended up winning the battle because the more I listened to it, the more I appreciated its mood and message. Edit: I failed to mention the mid-hook “Don’t try coming back…” breakdown, which is my favourite part of the song. It gives a classic rock touch to an already great track. OK, end edit. And now that we’re in the winter months, having digested this album countless times since June, Happy has aged like a truly satisfying fine wine. I really can’t describe how I feel about the song any better than that.

Interesting Note: Marq over at BookMarq This has been making some excellent selections for the best songs of 2008 (we’ve only overlapped on one song so far, I think). And in this post, Marq notes how he too came down to Anti-Matter and Happy for best song off of Seeing Sounds. And in 2 fateful, completely un-influenced moves, he went with the former and I went with the latter. On the exact same day, no less. Cool. Everybody wins!

Additional Note: This is the third Neptunes produced track that has appeared on my 12 song countdown. Will there be more? You’ll have to wait to find out. Either way, 2008 was a hell of a comeback year for them VA boys. Hopefully this isn’t the last we see from the greatest producing duo of this decade, considering all of the constantly circulating break up rumours. But then again, we’ll always have the music.

7. Nas - Black President (DJ Green Lantern Mixtape Version)

Explanation to follow (still enjoying the holidays!).

Update: The inclusion of this track really needs no explanation (but then again, not explaining things to the nth degree isn’t my style). Out of the numerous Obama shout outs and tribute tracks that came out in the past 2 years (this dude is truly the president of the people, trust!), this Nas mixtape track was the cream of the crop. Not only did it include sound bytes of Obama’s democratic nomination acceptance speech, but it actually sampled his voice in the beat, cementing dude as the undisputed hip hop president. Barack is so cool, that sometimes it just all seems too good to be true (he likes hip hop, he’s got b-ball skills, The Wire is one of his favourite shows, he works out regularly, many artists whom I greatly respect endorse the man, OBEY had a major part in his campaign, the list goes on and on). But I’ve ultimately accepted the fact that political figures will ALWAYS have some kind of corrupt machinery working either behind or around them and that I will never truly agree with everything they do (political dissension is what makes a democracy work). So as long as I like the guy as a person AND he or his administration doesn’t lie to the nation and start another pointless war that kills thousands of innocent people, then his presidency will be a success (because let’s face it, God himself probably couldn’t fix the infamous economy). But at the very least, we’ll probably get more dope artists dedicating music in the name of the coolest president in my lifetime, and as a fan, I can’t really complain about that.

8. Common - Announcement (feat. Pharrell)

I’ll explain why I chose this song a bit later. However, I’m kind of busy right now with other things (look at the calendar). But I just need to upload this song now before the day is through. To be updated…

Update for whomever is actually reading any of this: On an album that was predominantly produced by The Neptunes (with the rest of the tracks wonderfully handled by Mr. DJ), I knew it was going to be a tough time to pick my favourite of the bunch. But I ended up going with this little ditty which, along with Universal Mind Control, was one of the 2 lead UMC singles released in the summer of ‘08 (as part of an EP, back when the album was tentatively titled Invincible Summer). Not only was Announcement one of my most played/scrobbled tracks in the past 6 months (thanks Last.fm rolling charts!), but it achieved that standing because it was THAT summer jam IMO. The laid back vibe (both in lyrics and in beats) felt perfect for relaxing in the hot weather with a glass of your favourite cool and tasty beverage (brass monkey?).

But what solidified this track as one of the most memorable of the year IMO was its intentionally obvious tribute to mid-90s hip hop party jams. More specifically 95-96 Bad Boy, and even more specifically the legendary Biggie Smalls track Dreams (headz will immediately recognize the bass line as an interpolation of the Dreams beat). Plus The Neptunes trademark synth stabs as well as the synth-sprinkling instrumentation (which leads me to believe that Chad had a part in this track, but these days you never know until you peep the liner notes) updates the retro beat for a fresh 2008 makeover.

But if the head-nodding beat didn’t clue you in to the homage, the lyrics lifted directly from Biggie’s rap sheets will, not the least of which are Com’s intro bars: “live from the southside is one / hide yo’ gun / representin’ Chi-Town to the fullest / raps are bullets / see them rappers? they be duckin’ / when Com be buckin’ in the kitchen fuckin’. And there are many more, both in Com’s and Pharrell’s verse (“slow down son, you killin’ ‘em”, “as I sit back, relax”, or the “Get Money” background vocal near the end to name a few more).

Maybe I could have just said that I love this track because it reminds me of one of the funnest times in hip hop. But then it wouldn’t be a sufficient track review now, innit? Long winded-ness FTW!

9. Murs & 9th Wonder - Marry Me

Let’s keep this “hip-hop in the name of love” theme going! *thumbs up* Another dynamic duo lands a well-deserved spot on this list. From the totally FREE studio album Sweet Lord (it’s out there and really easy to find…and that’s by design) comes this…wait, I still can’t believe that these 2 hip hop geniuses gave their third collaborative effort away for FREE (3 for the price of FREE). Because, not only does this album stand up well to Murs 3:16 and Murray’s Revenge, but Sweet Lord will be making you say just THAT after giving it a listen and realizing how much you paid for it (FREE).

But seriously, on to the track in question: a straight up, genuinely touching, lyrical landscape painted by Murs (is he talking about marrying hip hop? Not this time out…it’s for real!) onto the soulfully sweet soundscape that is the 9th Wonderful beat. Some vintage 9th Wonder production right here (with the only real difference being the substitution of hand claps for the trademark snare). And I’m loving the repeated vocal sample and how it’s consistently interpolated into the lyrics and theme (I’ve always been a sucker for that type of rhyme convention). Nothing much else to say other than give the track a listen; it’s so beautiful…

10. The Foreign Exchange - I Wanna Know

This is smooth. This is lush. This is beautiful. From an album that does an incredible job at maintaining a “hip-hop you can spin for your girl” type vibe, this track personifies the traditional R&B vibe that we all remember so well from the 90s. And it bumps something lovely (turn your subwoofer up or put on some capable headphones to feel its full effects).

And if you can track down the 2CD version of this album, the 2nd disc is strictly instrumentals, absolutely perfect background ambiance for you and yours to enjoy. I’ve been a big fan of the Phonte/Nicolay long distance experiment since day one and I will continue to promote, support and play to death whatever beautiful musical journey this duo decides to take us hip hop heads on next. All they ask is to just Leave It All Behind and lose yourself in the music. Chill.

11. Pharrell - HeartBeat (Demo) (feat. Nicole Scherzinger)

Yes, this track is what would ultimately become IMO the standout track on Madonna’s Hard Candy (which is the first Madonna album to get my attention since 1994’s Bedtime Stories, that’s a long time ago). Why am I posting this version of the track? 2 reasons: 1) I love demos 2) I’m a Pharrell fanboy. Plus I think it’s important to highlight how a track came to be, while giving due props to the creator in the process (so I guess that’s the third reason).

In what was a banner year for The Neptunes, this incredibly dance-able beat took things back to the early 2000’s when P and Hugo were running sh!t in the clubs with their “midas touch” style of beat making. Plus I always thought that the lyric “She/I feel(s) it in her/my heartbeat” was a shout out to Like A Virgin’s “You can feel my heartbeat” (throwbacks all around). Whether I’m right or not is irrelevant. Hard Candy definitely showed the Material Girl having fun for the first time since her younger years it seems. And much of that credit should rightfully go to Skateboard for his no nonsense methods of in-studio producing (lest we forget the story, confirmed by both parties, where P made Madge cry into a nervous breakdown while making this album…dude doesn’t f*ck around, and the results are dynamite).

12. Kanye West - Say You Will

Although I feel that Ye’s 4th studio album was ultimately an ambitious failure, it definitely had some songs to write home about, so to speak. And this is one of them. Plus, if there’s one thing that Mr. West is good at, it’s the ability to set his albums off with an incredible opening track (see also: We Don’t Care, Heard ‘Em Say and Good Morning). Say You Will is no exception. Sure, it’s long, somewhat drawn out (at the end), but it effectively sets the auto-tune tone for the whole album and conjures up images of 80s soft rock ballads (ie. Phil Collins). But you know what the coolest thing is? Ye samples the electronic noises from Pong(!) which permeates the beat throughout, so that’s gotta count for something. And it does: number 12 on my list, to be exact.