Kings of 2009, Part One

Now that I finished the 2009 Flops list, I can breathe a little easier because this next list is going to be much more enjoyable to make. Although there were plenty of MC's who didn't hold their own this year, there were more that stepped up and delivered. Because I believe that more people should be recognized for achievement rather than failure, this list has the top ten, rather than five, MC's of the year. This post includes the bottom half, in no particular order, of who ruled this year. So here we go. . .

- Eminem: This one was an easy choice. Slim came back after a saga of drug problems for the past five years. His new album "Relapse", was a huge commercial success, with a #1 debut on the Billboard 200. The album was also nominated for "Best Rap Album" at the 2010 Grammy's. A couple of tracks on "Relapse" didn't really belong such as "We Made You" and "For Old Time's Sake", but the majority of the album was very good. Sure, it was sick and demented at parts, (just listen to "Insane"), but tracks like "Underground" and "Déjà vu" proved that Shady is back.

- Kid CuDi: I'll admit, I was skeptical of CuDi when he was preparing his debut album with Kanye. Don't get me wrong, Kanye's a great producer, but I feared that CuDi would stray away more from hip-hop and move to R&B. I'm glad I was wrong though, because CuDi' "Man on the Moon: The End of Day" was a strong debut. The album was deep and emotional, as CuDi explained how he's always been a misfit, looked down upon by others. My only problem with "Man on the Moon" was "Make Her Say". This cut just didn't fit and probably should never have made the album. Still, it was an impressive show by CuDi, and I'm already looking forward to his next album, "Cudder", set for release this upcoming year.

- Drake: Love him or hate him, you can't deny that the artist hailing from Toronto had a super year. His mixtape "So Far Gone" was a bigger success than many albums released this year. "Best I Ever Had" rocketed up the charts, #2 at its peak, and Drake later signed with Young Money Entertainment. Drake has already said, "I love R&B music, man, that’s what you gotta understand, I listen to R&B music more than I listen to Rap. That’s kinda my thing. I just want to make genuinely sexy music for women to listen to and for men to play for women," so I expect him to stray away more from hip-hop in the upcoming years. Regardless, Drake had a monster 2009 and should be recognized for it. (For more about Drake's R&B, check this out)

- The Neptunes: Maybe not the best year for the combo of Pharrell and Chad Hugo, but when you win Producers of the Decade, you deserve a spot on this list. These guys have been making hits for the past ten years, most recently for Jay-Z's "The Blueprint 3" and Clipse's "Til' the Casket Drops." Pharrell has also assisted on a few tracks this year, which he usually does, like "Let it Loose" by Wale. The Neptunes always produce unique sounds and have remained consistent in 2009.

- Slaughterhouse: THIS is what a rap supergroup should be. The first five tracks off of their self-titled debut album were insane. For instance, read the lyrics for "Lyrical Murderers" or "The One", and you'll see why this may be the greatest collection of lyricists ever heard. There are still some things that Joe Budden, Royce Da 5'9", Crooked I, and Joel Ortiz need to work out, like not adding so many filler tracks. However, these guys know what rap is about and Slaughterhouse is no side-project for them. Expect big things from them in the near future.

For the top five Kings of 2009, check out the next post. . .