Benz and a Backpack

2009 saw long-awaited drops, unexpected come-ups, and head-scratching mistakes. Monster commercial hits, tasty underground pleasures, and a mixtape as the biggest album of the year. We saw record labels and media establishments lose power like a blizzard just hit and the lines went down. We saw firsthand how a fresh blanket of snow threatened normal routines, had people shoveling their steps and digging out their cars with whatever they could grab (like, say, a slimy incident at the VMAs). They hadn’t salted, or even prepared for the storm at all. They’d gotten so wrapped up in summertime living that when winter hit, they were caught wearing flip-flops and shorts.

The internet debilitated the industry as we knew it, and it was typified in 2009: free music everywhere. The number of people who don’t pay a nickel for their music is growing bigger, so record labels are confined to a shrinking share of the market. Now labels are doing their best to regain their grip on the game, and part of that process is squeezing artists tighter than Homer does Bart’s neck. You won’t get a deal unless you’re already a marketable commodity, and as a result some of the best albums this year came from alternative groups on independent labels. Nonetheless, you know some major-label bosses scored huge hits in ’09. Hit the skip for the cuts that’ll tide you over ’til spring shows her pretty face.

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15. k-os – Yes!
k-os received a lot of attention from critics and bloggers because this album, and with good reason. The Canadian emcee/singer/producer has been in the game for nearly a decade, but Yes!, an album that bumps top-to-bottom as either background or foreground music, solidified his name and status permanently.
Key Tracks: Fun, Uptown Girl, 4-3-2-1.
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14. Brother Ali – Us
The concept behind the album is dope, and the execution is pretty tight, too. Brother Ali is a very attuned person, and as a result he can tell many different people’s stories with complete authenticity. Exploring topics as varied as the legacy of slavery in the US and sexual identity, Brother Ali taps into a populist spirit that could only originate in Minnesota, and along the way he proves that he is in fact a Bad Mufucker.
Key Tracks: Fresh Air, Breakin’ Dawn
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13. BlakRoc – BlakRoc
Dame Dash came back with bang in 2009! Overseeing the collab-heavy BlakRoc project must have been a lot of work, but the final product and the corresponding internet promo campaign were hugely successful. Sparking buzz in indie as well as mainstream circles, The Black Keys tailored their midwest-bluesy sound to a range of different emcees in the game, and the album- although choppy at times- holds up very well.
Key Tracks: On The Vista (ft. Mos Def), Stay Off The Fucking Flowers (ft. Raekwon), Dollaz & Sense (ft. Pharoahe Monch and RZA)
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12. J Dilla – Jay Stay Paid
The Pete Rock-produced, posthumous Dilla album featured beats off the incredibly elusive 3 Beat Tapes, Dilla’s body of unreleased work that circulated among Dilla-heads after his death. With guest appearances from Raekwon, Havoc (of Mobb Deep), Lil’ Fame (of M.O.P.), Blu, Diz Gibran, Phat Kat (of D-Town), Black Thought, and DOOM, the diverse collaborations on Jay Stay Paid are a testament to Dilla’s positive effect on the game.
Key Tracks: KJay & We Out, Reality TV (ft. Black Thought), On Stilts, Mythsysizer
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11. Wale – Attention Deficit
Just as Dilla could get artists from every corner of the industry down on his cuts, Wale possesses a similar talent. With the hottest female R&B singers (Melanie Fiona, Marsha Ambrosius, Jazmine Sullivan, Chrisette Michele), the hottest southern emcees (Bun B and Gucci Mane), the hottest producer in the game (Pharrell), bubbling newcomers (J. Cole and K’Naan), and the hottest female pop star (Lady GaGa), Wale definitely made a splash with his major-label debut.
Key Tracks: Beautiful Bliss (ft. Melanie Fiona and J. Cole), Mirrors (ft. Bun B), Chillin’ (ft. Lady GaGa)
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10. La Coka Nostra – A Brand You Can Trust
Started in ’05 as an informal hip-hop collective, La Coka Nostra surprised everyone (including themselves) with the success of A Brand You Can Trust. The supergroup is made up of Ill Bill, Everlast, Slaine, Danny Boy, and DJ Lethal, dudes that all have a penchant for making high-energy music. With DJ Lethal and Alchemist handling the majority of the production, Coka combines heavy rock n’ roll, head-bobbin hip-hop, and oft-prophetic lyrics. “Hate will fill your rage/drugs will get you high/money buys respect/love will get you by.”
Key Tracks: Bang Bang (ft. Snoop Dogg), Choose Your Side (ft. Bun B), Nuclear Medicinemen (ft. Q-Unique and Immortal Technique)
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9. KiD CuDi – Man On The Moon: The End of Day
Talk about a concept album. CuDi captured a lot of fans with his debut studio drop not simply because of eclectic beats and undiluted flow. CuDi’s personal narrative courses through the entire LP, making it the consummate concept album. It is spacy and other-worldly, and if that’s not your thing then CuDi could certainly rub you the wrong way. But the Cleveland native is unassuming and unimposing with a keen ear for catchy melody, and his general good nature makes this album hard to resist.
Key Tracks: Soundtrack 2 My Life, Pursuit of Happiness (ft. MGMT and Ratatat), Up Up & Away
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8. Method Man & Redman – Blackout! 2
Having seen this duo live in New York City this past summer, I can tell you that I have never, ever been to a show as electric (I still cling to that memory every time I walk to the train station in the frigid cold). Usually an artist is either strong in the studio and weak on stage, or visa versa. Meth and Red can do both. The sequel to their classic debut as a team featured production from Erick Sermon and Pete Rock (as well as underground legend DJ Scratch) and appearances from Wu Tang members, Bun B, Saukrates, and more. Covering all the bases, from a Scratch-produced smokers anthem (‘Dis Is 4 all My Smokers’) to a Sermon-laced dedication to the ladies (‘Mrs. International”), Meth and Red hit a home-run with this one.
Key Tracks: Ayo (ft. Saukrates), How Bout Dat (ft. Ready Roc & Streetlife), Four Minutes To Lockdown (ft. Raekwon & Ghostface)
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7. Jay-Z – Blueprint 3
There was an article in the New York Daily News recently about how Jigga is currently the King of New York. His resume, as of late: anthem of 2009 World Series-winning Yankees (Empire State of Mind), $150 million deal with LiveNation to form his own record label (RocNation), a charity show on September 11th to a sold-out Madison Square Garden (tickets sold in within the first 5 minutes they went on sale), he co-owns the Nets (and yes, they are moving to Brooklyn), and he co-produced the hit Broadway musical Fela!. Need I say more? Well, yes. While HOV is not always at his best on the BP3, he certainly has his moments of superior wordplay (Venus vs. Mars) and swag-drenched cuts (Run This Town). And the lineup on the album is ri-diculous: Pharrell, CuDi, Drake, J. Cole, Rihanna, Kanye, Jeezy, Alicia Keys…basically everyone who is on point in the game right now. Need I say more? One of the first singles Jiggaman let leak, DOA, single-handedly put an end to the auto-tune frenzy that had overrun hip-hop. I know I don’t just speak for myself when I say: Thank You, Mr. Carter.
Key Tracks: A Star Is Born (ft. J. Cole), Venus vs. Mars, Run This Town (ft. Rihanna & Kanye), DOA, Empire State of Mind (ft. Alicia Keys)
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6. Slaughterhouse – Slaughterhouse
This supergroup impressed a lot of people here at Benz And A Backpack. Although they are sometimes labeled as personality-less, we believe their best work is ahead of them. That being said, their debut album is nothing to scoff at. With twelve solid tracks, a high-energy beginning, and a climactic ending, Slaughterhouse has a little bit of everything: something for backpackers, party goers, lyric-dissecters, beat-fanatics, ladies, hustlers. The fearsome foursome upped their buzz this year, but only time will tell if 2010 will be as kind.
Key Tracks: The One, Sound Off, Teardrops (ft. Novel), Salute (ft. Pharoahe Monch)
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5. DOOM – Born Like This
This falls into the category of a long-awaited drop. DOOM (formerly MF Doom) had been in reclusion, or so the rumors say, for three years. Having grown increasingly disillusioned with the music business, he shut himself away to work on music that would really, truly please him. If more artists would churn out material like Born Like This if they were out of the game for three years, I’d say let’s force them to do it. Put Yayo or someone on a spaceship to fucken Pandora and let’s see what happens when he comes back. Either way, Born Like This featured an incredibly sober, grim DOOM critically analyzing the state of modern hip hop. While still keeping the listener on his toes like foot fires at basketball practice, DOOM manages to reel off a few clear, well-aimed shots at various people in the game. By the end of the record, the answer to DOOM’s question “Can it be that I stayed away too long, did you miss these rhymes when I was gone?” becomes resoundingly clear: YES!
Key Tracks: Gazillion Ear, Cellz, Lightworks, Absolutely, Supervillainz, Yessir (ft. Raekwon), That’s That, Angelz (ft. Tony Starks a.k.a. Ghostface Killah)
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4. Diamond District – In The Ruff
Diamond District’s debut album was music to my ears. The D.C.-based group, comprised of Oddisee, Y.U., and X.O., brings good music to another level. Oddisee handled nearly all the production on the album, and his refined and yet constantly explorative nature pushes the rhyming to never-before-heard heights. Mixing mainstream themes with those unassociated with the mainstream, Diamond District appeases street heads as well as heady listeners because of the nuanced dichotomy that exists in their music; at once they embrace and reject the streets in which they were raised. ‘Streets Won’t Let Me Chill’ displays the group’s collective lyrical complexity and mental depth, as well as musical talents. These qualities are what set them apart from nearly every other act in the game right now, and they are what made In The Ruff a widely successful album.
Key Tracks: Streets Won’t Let Me Chill, In The Ruff, Who I Be, The District
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3. Tanya Morgan – Brooklynati
“I been feelin’ like Minute Bole when the roof too low/the box ain’t big enough for me to roll.” So Tanya Morgan, comprised of Donwill, Ilyas, and Von Pea decided to step outside the box! With contrasting track tempos, contrasting flows amongst the group’s members and between songs on the album, Brooklynati is a hit record. While it certainly didn’t get the love in the limelight it deserved, it certainly got a lot of press on blogs around the country. Any group that gets Phonte (of Little Brother & The Foreign Exchange) and Blu down on their album is automatically good in my book. But more than that, after just one listen Brooklynati will get under your skin no matter who you are. The diversity in the production (Von Pea, the group’s producer, goes from BPM range of 30, while typical hip hop albums have a range of 15-20) and the diversity in the vocals (Ilyas and Donwill have contrasting and yet complementary flows) illicit a wide range of emotional reactions. Most importantly, the choruses on Tanya Morgan’s tracks serve a larger purpose than choruses tend to serve nowadays. Plain and simple, Brooklynati is an example of thoughtful, eclectic music, and we look forward to the each of Tanya Morgan’s members’ solo albums in 2010.
Key Tracks: Alleye Need (ft. Piakhan), So Damn Down, Hardcore Gentlemen, She’s Gone AKA Without You (ft. Phonte & Brittany Bosco), Plan B (ft. Napoleon), Morgan Blu (ft. Blu), Just Arrived (Now What?)
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2. Mos Def – The Ecstatic
A few people I know hadn’t heard any of Mos Def’s work between Black On Both Sides and The Ecstatic. Upon listening to Mos’ most recent release, their faces were all nearly identical: one eye-brow up, mouth hanging slightly open, eyelids fluttering like sails in the wind. “Wow,” they’d say. “This is really different.” It’s true, to anyone who didn’t hear The New Danger or True Magic (in fact, I’m pretty sure fewer than 100 people heard True Magic) The Ecstatic would sound wildly experimental and free, unlike the Mos the ears are accustomed to hearing. After a few listens, though, the brilliance of the album will undoubtedly unfold, and then all bets are off. With Madlib, Oh No, Dilla, Preservation, Mr. Flash, and Georgia Anne Muldrow on production, you can guess the music is interesting and innovative (peep the hi-hat heavy ‘Pretty Danger’). Mos’ lyrical prowess and vocal dexterity are more powerful than ever though, and it is largely a product of the experimentation he did on the two albums following Black On Both Sides. The major problem with the album: it does take more than one listen. So for anyone willing to listen more than once, this album will delight because of its incredibly high re-listening value. For the rest of us whose attention spans are about as short as dachshund’s legs, we may never get to discover the beauty of The Ecstatic.
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1. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
Hands down the best album of the year. 24 star-studded tracks that bang harder than a blacksmith on an anvil. Production from the best producers in the game (Dilla, Pete Rock, Marley Marl, Alchemist, RZA, Dr. Dre, Erick Sermon, and Mathematics), rhymes from the Wu Gambinos plus Jadakiss, Busta, Lyfe Jennings, Slick Rick, and more, and the consistency from Raekwon that we once only hoped OB4CLII would bring out. The album’s flow from start to finish is seamless, with Rae and his Wu-Tang comrades spitting brilliant, cinematic verses. Rae in particular puts other rappers to shame; his storytelling is top-notch, his scene setting the most descriptive and vivid, his rebelliousness palpable. With no frills, no corresponding dances, and no hit-you-over-the-head choruses, this is hip hop at its finest: straight beats and rhymes.
Key Tracks: Broken Safety (ft. Styles P & Jadakiss), Wu Ooh (ft. Method Man & Ghostface), House of Flying Daggers (ft. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface, & Method Man), Pyrex Vision, Catalina (ft. Lyfe Jennings)
Raekwon ft. Jadakiss & Styles P – Broken Safety

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Raekwon – House of Flying Daggers ft. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface, and Method Man

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