It’s
that time of the year again, another list by yours truly. This year saw the
return of Pop music and not that Katy Perry/Rihanna music, but that genuine
90s/early 00s pop music as well as some much needed story-telling missing in
rap recently. I present to you my year end list of singles and albums and
in-betweens:-
MY
TOP TEN SONGS OF 2012:
1.
Call
Me Maybe- Carly Rae Jespen
2.
Payphone
f./ Wiz Khalifa- Maroon 5
3.
Turn
Up The Music- Chris Brown
4.
Some
Nights- Fun.
5.
Adorn-
Miguel
6.
Gangnam
Style- Psy
7.
Mercy
f./ Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz- Kanye West
8.
Like
To Party- Burna Boy
9.
Senrere
ft. Taymib- Ajebutter 22
10.
Somebody
That I Used To Know ft. Kimbra- Gotye
If
you have a problem with my number one pick, call me… maybe! Or just tell me I
used to be somebody that you used to know, abi?!
Throwback
record of the year:
We’re In This Together by Nine Inch
Nails.
If
you saw The Avengers trailer: the
song playing in the background. Released in 1999, this seven-minute opus still
kicks ass today (a little retro, of course), fit for a movie of disgruntled
superheroes who have to work together… I guess they’re in this together now
(haha, dry humour). They should use Every
Day Is Exactly The Same for The Avengers sequel, hehehe!
Best
Use of A Sample:
Memories Back Then- T.I ft. B.O.B
& Kendrick Lamar.
This
record samples Gotye’s Somebody That I
Used To Know, yet surprisingly didn’t make T.I’s latest album Trouble Man. Probably didn’t clear the
sample on time… or at all.
Best
Guest Verses of the year:
1.)
Kendrick
Lamar on A.S.A.P Rocky’s Fucking Problem
ft. 2 Chainz, Drake & Kendrick Lamar./ Kendrick Lamar on T.I’s Memories Back Then ft. B.O.B &
Kendrick Lamar.
2.)
Pharaoh
Monche on !Mayday!’s Death March (Remix)
ft. Pharaoh Monche & Stat Quo.
3.)
Method
Man on Wu Block’s Pull Tha Cars Out
ft. Ghostface Killah, Sheek Louch & Method Man.
4.)
2
Chainz on Kanye West’s Mercy ft. Big
Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz (won him a BET award, which I predicted by the
way)
5.)
Terry
Tha Rapman on Tuface’s Bother You.
This song was a so-so mid-tempo track, but the standout part about it was
Terry’s verse. It’s the only part you’ll most likely remember when the song is
over (no diss to Tu Baba, I dey hail o! I’m just saying.)
The
How-Was-This-Not-A-Single record of the year:
Pull The Cars Out-Wu
Block. Meth killed his verse.
Finally
breaking through pop record of the year: This
Is Love ft. Eva Simmons- Will.I.Am.
For
years Will.I.Am has searched for the perfect pop hit as a solo artist. As a
member of The Black Eyed Peas, he’s
had millions, but not so much on his own until he dropped this little gem
featuring Dutch singer Eva Simmons. Finally!
Redemption
record of the year:
Breathing- Jason Derulo.
Last
year Jason Derulo sampled Robin S’s Show
Me Love and ruined it (in my highly regarded and respected opinion) for his
single Don’t Wanna Go Home. We sure
wanted him to go home when he dropped that, but this year he redeemed himself with
the all original Breathing. I like
and I forgive.
Most
overlooked Pop record of the year: Masquerade-
Nicki Minaj.
For
someone who dropped more pop records than actual rap records this year, it’s
amazing how this song got overlooked. Thanks to Adidas who used it for one of their commercials featuring her, Big
Sean and Jojo Simmons (you’ve probably seen it on MTV), this song got some attention. The song is actually better
than all those songs she made videos for except for maybe Beez In The Trap and I Am
Your Leader.
Most
overlooked Rap record of the year: Driving
By- Wu Block feat. Ghostface Killah, Sheek Louch, Masta Killah, GZA &
Erykah Badu
The
sample is crazy and the beat is slow enough for when driving by.
Most
underrated Naija songs of the year:
1.
Anamachi Kwanu- Ill Bliss ft.
Phyno.
2.
Subsidy Blues (Unnoticed
Occupy Anthem)- T.R.P, Bilzee & B.B.P.
Ok, I’m putting this here, ‘cause I’m on
the first (and arguably the best) verse of the song. You know how I do.
Download here..
ALBUMS/MIXTAPES
AND EPS OF THE YEAR:
1.
GOOD KID, M.A.A.D CITY- Kendrick Lamar: Dre stopped
working on my album to work on this. Can’t hate! Dear children, who listen to
Nigerian rap albums, don’t be confused. This too is a rap album… it just has
story-telling! You know, where people actually say something!
2.
LIFE IS GOOD- Nas: Also known as Resurgence of the
year. Nas had the album of the year… then Kendrick showed up!
3.
KANYE WEST PRESENTS G.O.O.D MUSIC CRUEL SUMMER-
Kanye West:
The half-baked group album better than any group album out this year or the
past few years for that matter. I’m looking at you MMG and YMCMB!
4.
A LOOSE QUARTER- Joe Budden: What can you
say about a guy whose album sounds like a diary of his life? And you know his
life is the shit! Ask twitter!
5.
BLUNDERBUSS- Jack White: Nominated for
album of the year for the 2013 Grammys. I still can’t help, but wonder what
this album would’ve sounded like if it had been done like it was initially
supposed to. White was suppose to record with RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, which
would’ve been off the hinges, because White has never recorded digitally
(that’s right Children, people still play instruments). Although RZA was
supposed to play guitar alongside White, you know they would’ve done something
digital, considering RZA is also known as Bobby Digital (little inside joke for
Wu heads). Nonetheless Blunderbuss is still a great album, however in my
opinion it’s not that great when stacked up to previous White projects, particularly
with his O.G band The White Stripes
or The Raconteurs, but we’ll settle
for this. The Grammy committee has too!
6.
ON THE HOUSE- Slaughterhouse: Not to be
confused with the album, Welcome To Our
House. On The House was the
prelude to the sophomore and Shady debut album of Slaughterhouse. Only problem…
it sounded better than the album. This might be because it was recorded after
the album and clearly some songs should’ve made the album, but I’m guessing
sample clearance became an issue. How else do four album worthy songs end up on
a mixtape?!
7.
EMPIRE MATES STATE OF MIND- E.M.E All Stars: This deluxe
edition (there was no other edition by the way, who Banky wan do wayo for?) was
not bad at all. I just had a problem with the way the singles were promoted,
but we’ll get to that. Banky did something smart here, he overstuffed the album
(22 songs) so the wack songs and album fillers were buried among the manageable
to the great. That’s smart. Now back to the singles. Having listened to the
album from track 1 to 245, I can tell you I would’ve promoted the singles in a
very different order. They would’ve been in this order: 1. Reppin’ Emeazzyyy. 2. Change.
3. Can’t Stop Us. 4. Get Down Tonight. 5. Baddest Boy. 6. Sun Mo Mi. In this order, we would’ve been introduced to the lesser
known members of E.M.E much quicker rather than watching a video where their
names were posted with their faces. I’m a bit disappointed Banky didn’t have enough
faith in the non-dance tracks to promote them, considering they were very good
in my opinion. For a Naija album, I rate this 4/5 (I’m feeling very gracious
here, you know me, I’m an everybody-hater). One more thing, Banky finally
addresses his big head on Can’t Stop Us
(“The head is as big as the one your kele gave me”) So Banky has a spine? Who
would’ve thought?! (P.S. Is X.O Senavoe a part of the group and why does he
sound the same on every record? I don’t mean his voice, mumu. I mean his
rapping sounds the same on just about every track, IMO.)
8.
AWAY AND BEYOND- Tuface Idibia: I suppose this
should get a mention being the best contemporary (read: non-dance) album I
heard out of Naija.
Notable mention: Scorpio Season- Nelly. Miss the old
Nelly? You know the one on the first two or three albums? Well take away a few
songs on this mixtape and there he is, like he never left.
Excluded due to its December release:- Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors- Big
Boi.
Due to being released in December, I
won’t include this album in the chart, but Big Boi’s 2nd solo album
(3rd, if you include Speakerboxxx
is the most experimental album I’ve heard this year and if I had to put it on the list, I’d put it in
third place ahead of Kanye’s Cruel Summer. It certainly will be album
of the year so far as of January 2013, so find a copy and listen. Abdulnasir
says so!
More
Miscellaneous mentions:
Best
New Artist:
Burna Boy
Artist
Of The Year:
King Kendrick Lamar/ a.k.a Benz is to me just a car/ that means your friends
have to be up to par/ ‘cause my standards are pampered by threesome tomorrow.
Controversy
of the year:
This year’s Headies Award.
I
think the Headies committee needs to
make up their mind on whether the fans should vote or the committee should
vote, but splitting the voting between both groups doesn’t make sense (so if I
go up against Ice Prince and win the people’s vote, the committee can just come
and give it to Ice Prince? I go kill person). Either be like the AMAs and MTV awards and let people choose (with a few awards chosen by the
committee like say Video of the Year,
since they all look the same now) or be like the Grammys and let a select
committee of industry insiders pick the winners and more importantly the
nominees, because that was another complain this year. One other thing that
irks me about the Headies is they
shouldn’t have to ask people to submit their music to be considered for
nomination. That’s just crass. It’s the Headies,
not an upstart awards. By now they should have a group of music insiders who
suggest people to be nominated and considered (not just in Lagos o, we Abuja
people count) and not for the artist (or their management) to submit their
music “for consideration”. That’s just plain stupid and like I said only
upstart awards can get away with that.
This
year’s complaints ranged from those who were nominated to those who won. As one
person put it, “I didn’t have a problem
with the winners. I had a problem with the nominees.” One other person
wasn’t so nice, “I feel like they picked
their winners; then built the categories and nominees around them.” These
are actual quotes, I’m not dramatizing.
As
far as the awards themselves are concerned, I don’t have much of a problem with
the categories. I do wish however they will introduce a Mixtape of the Year award cause I think Eva would’ve won (based
largely on impact) and because I plan to drop mine (fingers crossed) next year
and I wouldn’t mind some sort of validation of my skills as I plan to win…
unless that short black boy (a.k.a bonehead) M.I decides to drop Illegal Music
3, then the Headies committee is just
going to give it to him.
And
seriously how did SDC lose Best Rap Album
of the year? That’s the one I really didn’t get, everything else I can live
with. Although to be fair to the Headies
(and those who voted Ice Prince) on this one, SDC had arguably one of the worst
promotions for one of the best albums in a while.
I’m
also not so sure about TY Mix as producer of the year for the simple fact that
Naeto C’s “Ten Over Ten” sounds
similar to Chidinma’s “Kedike” (which
he both produced) and not in a producer-trademark kind of way. Where’s the
range? Also I think Femi Ojetunde got overlooked as far as nominations are
concerned, except if Tuface’s album didn’t fall into the specified time period,
then I understand. But I also think he might be overlooked next year, because he
doesn’t make the typical afro pop music of the day. Just saying.
I
was also a bit confused trying to figure out the difference between Next Rated, Rookie of the year and Hip
Hop World Revelation, because they kind of sounded like the same award with
different names. Next Rated I got to
know was for new artist w/out an album (Davido rightfully won in my opinion),
while World Revelation is for new
artist with an album (Wizkid, who should’ve won Album of the Year rightfully won this one too). And they need to
stop calling it Hip Hop World Revelation,
ain’t nothing Hip Hop about Wizkid. Since we’ve sorted that little bit out,
there’s one more confusing bit: isn’t Next
Rated and Rookie the same then?
These people are confusing!
Peace,
see you next year… or next week, I’ll drop my favourite movies of the year.
