MY PREDICTIONS FOR THIS YEAR'S XXL FRESHMEN CLASS (2014)

Every year since ’09, XXL puts together a list of who they believe are going to be the hottest artists (specifically rappers with one or two exceptions) in the coming years, so far they got it right with the likes of Lupe Fiasco, Wale, Kid Cudi, Asher Roth, Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore and more. Some of the people they also predicted to be big turned down appearing on their covers like A$AP Rocky and most notably both Nicki Minaj and Drake… and me *coughs*.

           

This year promises to be even bigger as every year tends to, but before they call out their list, I’ma make a prediction about the 10 who are going to make it (some aren’t actually going to make it due to geography as you’ll find out), so here goes:

Isaiah Rashad

 

Isaiah Rashad: This is the one name I actually expect to see without hesitation! Isaiah Rashad is TDE’s new signee and the one who probably sounds close to Kendrick in terms of flow & style. Rashad recently dropped his EP Cilvia Demo proving that TDE hasn’t changed despite their marquee artist’s (Kendrick, of course) Grammy nomination, they’re still an artist-first label, allowing Rashad to explore his demons rather than go for commercial appeal. The outcome is my favourite record of the year so far, probably till I’m done listening to fellow TDE label-mate Schoolboy Q’s mainstream debut.

Sage the Gemini: With no record deal, Sage already has two songs on the charts and not like somewhere in the obscure 100, but in the top 40. That “Red-nose” song is a banger!

Rich Homie Quan: Mr. Type of Way has been having things his way since he dropped his breakout single last year and has been featured on one or two other big hits currently on your radio right now.

Chance The Rapper: Another one I expect to see in the class. Chance got “lucky” last year. He put out a mixtape called Acid Rap, probably thinking nothing would happen till someone uploaded it onto itunes and next thing you know his mixtape is on the billboard charts making almost everyone’s end of year list last year. Not bad for a mixtape.

Migos: The Atlanta trio had everyone repeatedly saying, “Versace” like it was a new word we were learning to pronounce. Hey, if Trinidad James made the list last year, there’s room for more ratchet-y lyrics! I’m just saying!

Lord Vino

Lord Vino: So XXL may not know who Vino is and considering that they only pick rappers stateside, I’m going to say if they had an international list, I’d nominate Vino to be in there. His mixtape 234 The Mixtape is one of the most interesting to come out of Naija recently.

Poe: Keeping things Naija-side, Poe from the SDC family has been in line waiting. Only time will tell if 2014 will be his breakout year!

BoogeyThat: His skills aside, (check out his scene-stealing verse on M.I’s Ridiculous and equal attempt on Vino’s Mathematics), Boogey has an authenticity to his music (read: labels are going to have a headache trying to sell him to a commercial market that is high off Ice Prince music).

Selzin: I don’t know who Selzin is; my only exposure to him is on Lord Vino’s mixtape as a featured artist on “Suicide”. I’m putting him here off of just one verse. Hey, that’s how AZ got signed in the 90s; just off one verse on Nas’ Life’s A Bitch.

Ty Dollar $ign: XXL hasn’t always picked rappers for their Freshmen cover, as a matter of fact Kirko Bangz became the exception when he was put on last year’s cover as the first and only non-rapper to make the class (although he does rap, quiet good too). This year, my money is on Ty Dollar $ign to make the list. Described as a rapper who sings (think T-Pain), Dollar $ign already has the charts with his hit Paranoid ft. B.O.B.

D.J Mustard: XXL has never featured a producer on their Freshmen class, but if there’s going to be a wildcard this year it should be Mustard, the man who claims to make ratchet music and you know you like some of them. I could make a list, but I ain’t got time My Hitta!

MY ALBUMS & ARTISTS OF 2013

MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (2013)

1.     MY NAME IS MY NAME- Pusha T

Early this year, Pusha T threw a tantrum for not being put on MTV’s hottest rappers in the game list. I rolled my eyes, despite the fact that I thought he deserved to be in there, especially since his G.O.O.D Music cohort Big Sean made the list. Enter Pusha’s debut album My Name Is My Name, a body of work BBC’s Zane Lowe described as the most uncompromising album of the year (not to mention Pusha does the best dedication to Ma$e on Let Me Love You). In a year of semi-sequels, emotionally-tinged albums and rappers going platinum before releasing albums (damn you Jay-Z), My Name Is My Name is what all those other albums simply should’ve been about first & foremost: rap! That’s not to diss any other rapper or to say Pusha’s debut is the most super extraordinary album of the year (which actually by default it kinda is), but it does one thing better than any other album I heard this year: it delivers! That’s all we ask!

2.     EL CAMINO- The Black Keys

Technicality is a bitch, but it can be helpful. The Black Keys released this album in late 2011 and it got much of its fame in 2012 with its songs being used in ads and TV series. So why is it here? Technicality bitches (and I should be able to cheat on my list at least once, if not all the time)! It won the Grammy for Best Rock Album of the Year for 2013, so… technically, it’s the ruling Rock album of the year and rightfully so. There are almost no duds in this album and I mean it with all seriousness. The album is mostly fast and retrospective… and good! That’s all.

3.     THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE (1/2)- Justin Timberlake

Damn technicality, this could’ve been number two! The more experimental (and better) half of the 20/20 Experience, some critics slammed this album for its mediocre lyrics and such, but I ask were they expecting a revolution from the man who brought sexy back?

4.     NOTHING WAS THE SAME- Drake

Hold up… I’m not on my worst behavior, I can explain! Lyrically speaking, Drake’s 3^rd album ISN’T better than J. Cole’s, Eminem’s or Jay Z, but, and here’s the BIG BUT, it is an easily digestible album. The album is easy listening, nothing heavy and for once doesn’t exactly seem made to cater to a female audience, not that Drake’s past albums have exclusively done so, but this is the one most guys would readily admit to liking.

5.     BORN SINNER- J. Cole

Raise your hands if you thought J. Cole was STUPID to go against Kanye West by releasing his sophomore on the same date as the self-proclaimed Louis Vutton Don. *Embarrassingly raises hand*. Now raise your hand if you were embarrassed when you found out Cole had the better hip-hop centric album? *Again raises hand*. Case closed!

6.     LONG.LIVE.A$AP- A$AP Rocky

I haven’t enjoyed a debut album like this from a new artist since King Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. A$AP doesn’t say anything new, but then who the hell does these days.

7.     VICIOUS LIES AND DANGEROUS RUMOURS- Big Boi

The more present half of Outkast in the past few years shows up with his 2^nd album (3^rd, if you count Speakerboxxx) and breaks the mold of using the same tired ass hip hop beats by incorporating every other genre possible to produce a worthy sequel to Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. And you think I’m the only one who does long titles. SMH!

8.     THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP2- Eminem

If we’re going to be honest and we just woke up today never having heard of Eminem, this album may not be placed this high, but like a sequel you watch based on the fact you liked the first movie, we all flocked to Marshall’s 7^th album and his somewhat sequel to his 2000 Marshall Mathers LP. While MMLP2 stands on its own, it is no doubt the hints and sequels to the songs on his 2000 opus that perhaps makes us cherish his latest effort more. Truth is songs like Bezerk fail to do what he intended with the retro sound, but then songs like Don’t Front succeed in that department. My biggest problem with the album is the sequencing and the fact that aside from Rap God and the perquisite pop single Monster with Rihanna, Em pretty much choose the wrong singles to promote. Don’t Front should’ve been a single, even if today’s kids may not know what 90s hip hop sounds like. Let them google and download.

9.     MAGNA CARTA HOLY GRAIL- Jay Z

Let’s face it; there are standard Jay Z albums and then there are great Jay Z albums. MCHG happens to be standard, let’s call a spade a spade. I feel this is the album Jay Z tried to make with The Blueprint 3, but for some reason couldn’t. MCHG definitely trumps TB3, but it’s still standard… for a Jay Z album.

10. OGA BOSS- Ill Bliss

Ill Bliss is underrated, but so are many rappers in Nigeria and while Bliss may never be considered a first tier concert headliner, he’s one of the reason why hip hop in Nigeria hasn’t fully gone pop and fallen to the clutches of commercialism. Commercialism’s not a bad thing, but when rappers all sound the same, it is. Bliss crafts an all round album that caters to all and probably not since M.I’s debut has a Naija rap album attempted to be so multi-faceted.

11.  JAGZ NATION VOL 1- THY NATION COMES- Jesse Jagz

Had Jesse trimmed a few tracks off his sophomore, he would’ve had a near perfect album, instead because of those few songs Jagz Nation sounds like an artist wobbling through his sophomore deciding what kind of artist he wants to be; a rapper, a singer or a Rasta. I for one I’m glad Jesse left the house that Audu built. That’s no shade towards Audu and co, but the truth is we (the fans) don’t care about who said what or what e-mail got sent to who, all we care about is good music and Jagz delivered overall.

12.  ALPHABETICAL ORDER- Mode Nine & XYZ

It’s bad enough Mode Nine continuously gets overlooked (yet you can’t say he’s ever been underrated) and has to compete with the Davidos and Ice Princes of the Nigerian music industry. Yet, he delivers an album worth his accolades (multiple Lyricist of the year awards) and more. Since we’re speaking the truth, allow me to vent. Modey’s biggest problem in my opinion has been his inability to pick viable singles. It’s not that he doesn’t have them, he just doesn’t promote them. Luckily he partially avoids that on this album with XYZ, promoting a single like “Let It Go”. Flow for The Streets” should not have been single in my opinion, instead he should’ve gone with “The Truth” and that’s… frankly speaking, the truth. When I’m writing these posts, I’m telling nothing but the truth! Aha! I’m chatting to these youths, when I’m writing these posts, I’m telling nothing but the truth. And if Mode Nine doesn’t like it… tell him to “Let It Go”!

13.  KISSLAND- The Weeknd

The Weeknd produces his most conventional album with his official debut. He throws in a little bit of Prince and Michael Jackson in Wanderlust, my fav track off the album and has song titles that sound like Oscar nominated movies e.g. The Town (which is actually an Oscar nominated movie), Adaption (which is also an Oscar nominated movie). Has someone made a movie called Kissland already?!

14. S EP- Sza

TDE’s new signee and first female artist Sza, gives us the most alternative album of the year (sorry Weeknd). The 8 track EP is actually quite chilling and one song Terror Dome even samples snippets from the horror movie Rosemary’s Baby (chilling, I tell you).

ARTISTS OF THE YEAR:

1.     Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: So their album didn’t make my list, but seriously did anyone have a bigger year in Hip Hop than these two, from shopping at thrift shops to the ceiling unable to hold them to their proclamation of promoting Same Love (without Hip Hop blinking, well almost). Hip hop belonged to these two.

2.     King Kendrick Lamar: Kendrick still had a good year riding off his debut album from last year, but it was one controversial guest verse, a BET cipher and a world tour that really kept him relevant. Seriously, has anyone ever done a high-five during a BET cipher?

3.     Pharrell Williams: Pharrell was everywhere this year and the world is now more than convinced he’s a vampire. From producing Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines to being featured on Daft Punk’s Get Lucky to manning the board on the Despicable Me 2 Soundtrack, Pharrell is apparently still in his prime!

4.     AKA: The prince of South African hip hop definitely had a lot to be happy for this year. With the release of “Jealousy” from his sophomore album “Kontrol”, which features the self-titled song and numerous guest features on other South African rappers’ songs, the prince is definitely in line for the throne.

5.     Olamide: First of all… perhaps no entertainer had a better year in Nigeria in terms of relevancy than Badoo himself, voice of the streets, former YBNL signee, (I would add some more things, but I can not talk as much as him- that is not a Yoruba diss by the way) Olamide.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR:

Was there anyone more happy than Pharrell this year?!

ARTISTS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2014:

1.     Damon Albarn of Blur, Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad & The Queen drops his debut album (who isn’t excited?!). If you’ve been part of three successful bands (well, two and a half) ranging from Rock (Blur) to Alternative Hip Hop (The Gorillaz) to contemporary Rock (The Good, The Bad & The Queen, which features the late Fela’s drummer Tony Allen), expectations are high, especially when you’ve been the lead singer of all those bands!

2.     Isaiah Rashad; TDE’s new signee will be dropping his latest mixtape Cilvia.

3.     King Kendrick Lamar: Tell me Kendrick isn’t dropping something new next year with a Beats By Dre ad that features him rapping over the good doctor’s beat and photos of him and The Alchemist in the studio.

4.     Schoolboy Q: another one from TDE. Kendrick just opened the doors for his homies. Every other crew is in trouble next year!

5.     Lindsey: dropping her debut EP Brown early this year, songstress Lindsey’s digital album got her some attention across the border. Here’s hoping 2014 brings a full LP.

THE BEST SINGLES & GUEST VERSES OF THE YEAR

This year’s list was hard for me to decide on, I mean I had favourites, but there was soooo much good music to choose from, so here we go:

1.     Khona ft. Uhuru- Mafikizolo

If this song didn’t make number one, Oluwa would ask me! The heartbreak song of the year is also the best song of all time (for now). Khona means come back and here Mafikizolo and Uhuru sing for their loved ones to come back including an ex-member who died in a car accident and the female lead’s daughter who too died in a separate car accident, hence the broken down car in the visuals.

2.     Can’t Hold Us ft. Ray Dalton- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

One White boy ruling hip-hop, that’s nothing new! But two?! The ceiling couldn’t hold rapper Macklemore and the Jazzy Jeff to his Will Smith, Ryan Lewis.

3.     Royals- Lorde

There’s something cool about artists being self-deprecating, point in case New Zealand singer Lorde who knows she’ll never be a royal, but damn it if she ain’t hood-rich!

4.     Blurred Lines ft. Pharrell & T.I- Robin Thicke

5.     Miracle Mile- Cold War Kids

One of the advantages of watching Vampire Dairies (Yes, I do. No, I’m not ashamed) is you get to hear songs you would otherwise never hear anywhere else. That’s where I discovered this little gem of a Rock Indie anthem and it was released this year too, how lucky!

6.     Stay ft. Mikky Ekko- Rihanna

7.     Body Party-         Ciara

I tried not to like this song, cause I’m a hater to everything, but you can’t deny a good thing when you hear it!

8.     Radioactive-         Imagine Dragons

I have no idea where these guys came from, but I haven’t heard a rock song in a while that turned heads upside down quiet like this.

9.     I Love It ft. Charlie XCX- Icana Pop

10. Skelewu- Davido

This is the most infectious song of the year, as a matter of fact… *backs away from keyboard and starts to Skelewu*

11.  U.E.O.N.O (Black Hippy Remix) ft. Future- Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul & Jay Rock

Of all the U.E.O.N.O remixes, this is by far the most lyrical and most impressive in my opinion!

12. Personally- P-Square

Personally this is my favourite P-Square song and I’m not that big a fan of their music, I mean they have a lot of hits, but very few classics, if you know what I mean. This is a classic, only P-Sqaure could invent, “habatically!”

13.The Truth- Mode Nine & XYZ

People keep sleeping on Modey and he’s the truth… I’m telling nothing but the truth, when I’m writing these posts, I’m writing nothing but the truth! Aha!

14. Cups (Radio/Video Single)- Anna Kendrick

This song was originally written and performed in 1931 by someone whose name I forgot. Over the years it’s been covered by millions of artists, but actress Anna Kendrick is the first to do it with… cups (?)… and a banjo for the radio version, hence the renaming to “Cups”.

15.Happy- Pharrell Williams

From the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack; Pharrell’s just a big kid, I swear!

16. Julia- Sza

The next R&B starlet takes it back with this 80s pop sounding R&B tinged song.

17. Gangsta- Kat Dahlia

18. Always Love You- Burna Boy

This EDM track may seem off with the other ones on Burna’s debut (I mean it doesn’t make the official tracklist), but it’s absolutely great in my opinion.

BEST GUEST VERSES OF THE YEAR:

Contrary to popular belief, King Kendrick Lamar DID NOT have the best guest verse of the year (well not on my list), here’s my list:

1.     BIG K.R.I.T on A$AP Rocky’s 1 Train ft. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson & Big K.R.I.T.:

There’s a reason why Kendrick Lamar mentioned BIG K.R.I.T on his Control verse, you see K.R.I.T killed him and every other person featured on A$AP’s 1 train, which would explain why they gave him the last verse… so everyone else could get a chance to be heard!

2.     Wiz Khalifa on Rocky’s U.O.E.N.O (Remix) ft. Wiz Khalifa & Future

3.     Nicki Minaj on Chris Brown’s Love More

4.     Young Jeezy on Yo Gotti’s Act Right ft. Young Jeezy & YG

Also the funniest verse of the year! Here’s a sample: I make your bitch pass out/ Straight hit the floor/ She said “I never seen a car like that before/ And what’s that thing sticking out”/ I said that’s the door/

5.     J. Cole on Justin Timberlake’s T.K.O Remix ft. J. Cole, A$AP Rocky & Pusha T

The funniest (and best) response to Kendrick’s Control verse and Cole only uses a few lines to respond.

6.     Jay Electronica on The Bullits’s Murder Death Kill ft. Jay Electronica:

A verse about the environment from the perspective of a fish (?!) and then some?!

7.     Jay Electronica on Big Sean’s Control ft. Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica:

Yes, I think Electronica had a better verse!

8.     Kendrick Lamar on Big Sean’s Control ft. Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica:

And we finally have Kendrick and his oft-mistaken controversial verse; he just asked homies to step their game up is all… and the whole world went crazy!

FAVOURITE LINES OF THE YEAR:

1.     /Girl, why is you lion (lying)/ Tell me why you Mufasa- Childish Gambino on 3005.

2.     Girl, what is that? ... A ringtone?/- J. Cole’s response to Kendrick Lamar’s Control verse on Justin Timberlake’s T.K.O Remix.

3.     /I got a rooster in my (fe)‘rari/ Might be your bitch/- Jeezy on Yo Gotti’s Act Right ft. Jeezy & YG.

4.     /Skinny nigger, but my dick long/- A$AP Rocky on A$AP Ferg’s Shabba ft. A$AP Rocky.

5.     /I fucked her on the spot/ I’m just being honest!/- Future on Honest.