Kings of 2009, Part Two

This is the top half of 2009 and these artists are ranked in order, starting with #5 and ending with my choice as the #1 MC of 2009. So, without further ado, the top five MC's of 2009. . .

5. Lil Wayne: How can an MC who found out he was probably heading to jail and not release a new studio album have a good year? Well, its Weezy, and its hard to argue he's had a more successful year than 2009. For starters, Wayne released one of the top mixtapes this year "No Ceilings" that had songs such as "Swag Surf" and "I'm Good" and "Sweet Dreams." Weezy has always been a great collaborator and this year he stepped it up. The MC hailing from New Orleans had eight, yes EIGHT, songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100. He also was a contributor in the huge hits of "Every Girl" and "Bedrock" off of "We Are Young Money". Add that Wayne won "Best Rap Album" at the Grammy's in February, and I'd say he had a pretty good year. This upcoming year will be interesting for Weezy, as he will be spending some time in jail and releasing his new rock album, "Rebirth". Wayne also has already started recording for the latest Carter sequel, "The Carter IV".

4. Jay-Z: Has Jay-Z EVER had a bad year? You have to go back to 2006 when he released "Kingdom Come" which was met with mixed reviews, although it was a big success in a sales point of view. It's hard to believe that Hova turned 40 almost four weeks ago, but let's face it, the guy can still rep it on the mic. Jigga released "The Blueprint 3" back in September and I'm sure we can all quote at least three of his songs off it. The album had a few skippable tracks after the gem "Empire State of Mind", but for the most part, the album was well done both production wise and lyrically. As quoted in "Thank You", Jay says "Please don't bow in my presence How am I a Legend? I just got 10 #1 albums Maybe now 11. More hits than a Now! 11." Hova is right about that and he broke Elvis Presley's record for most #1 albums released by a single artist. "The Blueprint 3" was the second highest selling hip-hop album of 2009, only behind "Relapse", and Jay-Z had a very, very good year.

3. UGK: With the passing of Pimp C, producer/rapper for UGK, you wouldn't think that a posthumous album could be very successful. Boy did Bun B prove me and many others wrong. "UGK 4 Life", the final album of the duo, was one of the best ever released by UGK. Why? For one, Bun B made sure that the album included the inner circle of guests that the majority of UGK purists love. Too Short, E-40, B-Legit, Eightball, MJG, Goodie Mob's Big Gipp, Boosie, and Webbie are all here and shine on tracks such as "Still on the Grind", "Used to Be", and "Steal Your Mind". The production is well done with nearly half the tracks produced by Pimp C himself before his death. The album, except for the song "Hard As Hell", is devoid of any subpar moments and it has done well commercially, debuting at #6 on the Billboard 200. It may not be more successful than UGK's previous album "Underground Kingz", but it's a damn good album and certainly one of the year's best.

2. Mos Def: Eminem made a great comeback this year, but his return still doesn't top Mos Def's. Mos Def released his latest album, "The Ecstatic", this past June and it still has critics jittery. The album isn't just good in certain parts, it's a lyrical ride that will have many remembering Pretty Flacco's (Mos Def's common nickname) first album, "Black on Both Sides". "The Ecstatic" has only three guests featured in it and that's a breath of fresh air for hip-hop and Mos Def. Many artists today clutter their albums with too many guest appearances, leaving us wanting more from the artist credited with making the actual album. Mos Def makes sure that we know how good of an MC he is by not letting this happen. Even in his guest spots, they're blended in perfectly with the album like Slick Rick on "Auditorium" and "History" with Talib Kweli. This album also has a standout track that will continue to be played for a long in "Casa Bey". The album peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200, making it Mos Def's second highest ever for an album and it has been nominated at the upcoming Grammy's for "Best Rap Album". Mos Def hasn't been the most consistent MC in his career, but he responded this year.

1. Raekwon: Despite Mos Def's comeback, or Jay-Z's new Blueprint, or Weezy's dominance on the charts, one MC was truly king over the rest. That man was Corey Woods, a.k.a. Raekwon. Raekwon released "Only Built for Cuban Linx. . .Pt. 2" this past September and has been one of the most critically praised albums all year, and that's not just hip-hop. Time magazine named it the #9th best album of the year, the only hip-hop album to even make the list. Rolling Stone, which usually looks down upon hip-hop, placed it in the year's top 25 albums. The list goes on and on, and I could seriously make a seperate post just publishing every top ten or top album list its been included on. How can Raekwon, an artist who hasn't made noise in nearly 14 years when he released "Only Built for Cuban Linx", the prequel to "Only Built for Cuban Linx. . .Pt. 2", drop such an outstanding set of tracks? Well, Raekwon was focused when he made his new album and the lyrics show that. Listen to "New Wu", "10 Bricks", "Surgical Gloves", "Gihad", or "House of Flying Daggers" and you'll realize pretty quickly how skilled Raekwon really is. I haven't even mentioned the commercial success, which it did very well in. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 and has already sold more than 149,000 copies. Raekwon has been named MC of the year by numerous sites and he gets my nod on this one as well. Chef Raekwon is the King of 2009 for hip-hop and has earned it.