Top 20 Hip Hop Albums Of 2009

Just about every hip hop blog in which the blogger actually writes (which are getting to be scarce) is gonna have some kind of 'top albums' list, here's mine:

#1 Mos Def - The Ecstatic

The Ecstatic was exactly what Mos Def, and hip hop, needed after that trainwreck True Magic. The majority of the album's production is laced by Stones Throw heavyweights like Madlib and Oh No while Mos proves his lyrical supremacy alongside a small, selective cast of featuring artists including Slick Rick (who's verse is on "Auditorium" is one of the best guest spots of the year), Talib Kweli, and Georiga Anne Muldrow. No slip-ups, no filler, no bullshit, just 16 dope tracks. This is album of the year.

#2 Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx 2

Ask me on a different day and this release could very possibly be my top album of '09. 22 tracks and all of them dope, Raekwon matches the success of the first installment in his series without recycling the same sound or content. I'll be bumping this for awhile.

#3 - Slaughterhouse - Slaughterhouse

I do not like Joe Budden. I don't think he's a good rapper nor do his useless ustreams or "king of the internet" claims appeal to me. But that's beside the point. This is a very strong album, and the Slaughterhouse collective (minus one) is a force not to be f-cked with.

#4 - Eminem - Relapse

A lot of us were expecting the second coming of Christ when Em came back. That's not exactly what happened, but you can't deny that Relapse is a good release. It's lyrically and musically solid with quite a few bangers in there as well.


#5 - Finale - A Pipe Dream And A Promise

Detroit emcee Finale has flown steady under the radar until just this year when he dropped this amazing album, A Pipe Dream And A Promise, virtually mirroring Elzhi's situation in '08.

#6 - Wu Tang - Chamber Music

RZA didn't want to call this an official Wu Tang album, and that's not what it sounds like, but with live instrumentals from The Revelations, a handful of Wu members, plus friends like Sean Price, AZ, Masta Ace, and M.O.P., you can't really go wrong.

#7 - UGK - UGK For Life

Along with being the first posthumous album since the passing of Pimp C, UGK 4 Life was a solid release, featuring the classic UGK sound that we all have come to know and love.

#8 - Doom - Born Like This

MF fans already know. Doom came back with a new name but spitting the same game. The masked-villian prevails once again.

#9 - Fashawn - Boy Meets World

Fashawn is a talented, young left-coaster and his album Boy Meets World was the undisputed best debut album out of any hip hop artist in 2009. Listen to this and tell me the kid doesn't kill it.

#10 - Brother Ali - US

Us is a collection of Ant-produced lyrically-excellent storytelling tracks by your favorite legally-blind albino rapper, Brother Ali. Don't sleep.

#11 - Tiye Phoenix - Half Woman, Half Amazin'

Best album by a female emcee in 2009? Yes. One of the best overall albums of 2009? Yes. If you haven't heard this already, your slacking.

#12 - OC & AG - Oasis

Both of these legends still got it on the mic, no doubt. I'd say this was better than most of the other albums you listened to this year. Buy it and agree.

#13 - Redman & Method Man - Blackout 2

It doesn't quite compare to the original but Red and Method Man's Blackout 2 is a pretty damn solid album overall.

#14 - Blaq Poet - The Blaqprint

Any rapper that can do justice over a DJ Premier beat is worth a listen. Blaq Poet not only does that, he murders some of these. I feel like this album may have been a bit overlooked, but it's definitely worth a spin.

#15 - M.O.P. - Foundation

Not sure how this album got so blatantly overlooked. On account of how dope it was I would have figured more people would have caught on, that's just how hip hop is sometimes. Foundation was a dope release, worthy of a spin from any head.

#16 - K-os - Yes!

Some people really LOVED this album, I wasn't one of them. I thought it was pretty damn good though, it's on my top 20 list is it not?

#17 - Obie Trice & MoSS - Special Reserve

This came out late in the year but I had to go back into the list and add it in, that's how much I was feeling it.

#18 - J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid

To tell you the truth I wasn't really feeling this album all that much, but the story behind it, being Dilla's first posthumous album, Ma Dukes, and all that, I figured this deserved a spot on the list if only for importance.

#19 - Clipse - 'Til The Casket Drops

I bump 'Til The Casket Drops. The maturity the Thornton brothers display on the mic plus the elevated lyricism and well-chosen guest appearances, laced by Neptunes production makes this album more than worth your dough.

#20 - Marco Polo & Torae - Double Barrel

That Coney Island curb-stompin' rap.

BONUS:
#21 - N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo

Occasionally, one of those experimental hip hop albums actually turns out to be good, N.A.S.A.'s The Spirit of Apollo was this year's standout. Accompanied by a plethora of big-name artists from Kanye West to KRS-One, N.A.S.A. combines Brazilian funk with electronica and hip hop to create a unique sound.

Disclaimer:
This is my top 20 hip hop albums of the year therefore albums that I failed to listen to of course aren't included. I know I missed a few, so If you find yourself saying, "where's ____" leave a comment saying where you think said album should be on the list. Peace.