Trends. Let’s see. We chose two tracks about cars, one about a bug. Six songs with Canadian production credits, eight with Canadian voices. Some are billboard charting million dollar commercial songs, others are basement bangers. Some beats are freshly composed productions, some are sample-based. One is about making a comeback, two are about coming up. One is about sports. Two are about inner demons. One is about embracing inner demons. And last, there are two songs written about girls, and two written by girls.
I’m no mathematician, but these numbers add up far beyond the twenty tracks we’ve selected below, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
We could have included a much larger list. Honorable mentions go to Yelawolf and Big K.R.I.T. with “Hometown Hero”, or Yela’s striking acoustic rendition of “Pop the Trunk.” Or Wiz Khalifa’s hazy and synthed out rhymes and giggles in “Up” or “Mezmorized”, each user-designed soundtracks for laxing back and toking on a dub. Or hauling on a bong. Notable for their good music grind, is Kanye West, Big K.R.I.T. and Wiz Khalifa, who each have more than five tracks to their names that could have easily filled this list (look to the Favorite Albums list for further recognition there). But a playlist (and a year-end round up) simply isn’t one without variety nor scope, and we had plenty to choose from in 2010.
Kanye West – “Monster” ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver
Prolific Kanye West, lady monstrum Nicki Minaj, mogul Jay-Z, and track-pants champion Bon Iver unapologetically celebrate their aberrance in the rap game and in oppose describe you: their Monster stew. –K-Lis
G.O.O.D Music Series/My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Def Jam/Roc A Fella, 2010]
Big Boi- “Shutterbug”
Thank Scott Storch who knocked in your car with the song of summer 2010, whether you repped an Oldsmobile or Lexus. BABY BABY. –Chedo
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty [Purple Ribbon/Def Jam, 2010]
K’Naan – “Wavin’ Flag”
A Canadian hit, Coca Cola anthem, 2010 Fifa World Cup soundtrack, million dollar Haiti fundraiser, and multi-language translation from Arabic to Russian. K’naan’s flag has many reasons to wave. –Chedo
Troubadour [A&M/Octone, 2010]
Rick Ross – “Aston Martin Music” ft. Drake & Chrisette Michelle
If you love turning up your music to show it off to bystanders but only have a Toyota, guess what? It’s Aston Martin music. Boss. –Chedo
Teflon Don [Mayback/Slip-n-Slide-Def Jam, 2010]
Shad – “Rose Garden”
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/02-Rose-Garden.mp3|titles=02 Rose Garden]
Shad eats the mic to re-territorialize the phrase “Canadian Rap Sensation” over a feel-good Lynn Anderson sample and humbly claims Cee-Lo says it best, but post grad rappers know how to set and showcase a quote. –K-Lis
TSOL [Black Box/Deacon, 2010]
Big K.R.I.T. – “No Wheaties” ft. Curren$y & Smoke DZA
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/11-No-Wheaties-Feat.-Smoke-DZA-Curreny.mp3|titles=11 No Wheaties Feat. Smoke DZA & Curren$y]
Championship – No Wheaties. Amazingly chill sample with a subtle and well proportioned beat. Swag verses relating to football greats and winning big. –J.R.
K.R.I.T. Wuz Here [Direct Connect, 2010]
The Roots – “The Fire” ft. John Legend
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/The-Roots-The-Fire-feat.-John-Legend.mp3|titles=The Roots – The Fire (feat. John Legend)]
If you didn’t have a fire before, Black Thought and John Legend will ignite one. If you had a fire, they will stoke it. If you already had a flame, call the fire truck. –K-Lis
How I Got Over [Def Jam, 2010]
Mars & Bond – “Solus”
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/SOLUS.mp3|titles=SOLUS]
Young. Fresh. Dope. Intelligent and unpredictable track about girls and the misconceptions of dating, liking vs. “saying it would last” swagishly. –J.R.
Single. [Independent, 2010]
Wiz Khalifa – “Black and Yellow”
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Wiz_Khalifa-Black_and_Yellow-NoTags.mp3|titles=Wiz_Khalifa-Black_and_Yellow-(NoTags)]
Repetitive and catchy break-out track. Simple but short enough that it calls for a replay if you dig the beat, which is really infectious. –J.R.
Single. [Rostrum/Atlantic, 2010]
Drake – “Over”
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/04-Drake-Over-Prod.-by-Boi-1da-Al-Khaliq.mp3|titles=04-Drake-Over (Prod. by Boi-1da, Al Khaliq)]
The difference between a one-hit wonder and an auteur superstar. Proof versus doubt, success versus failure, the system versus the underground. –Chedo
Thank Me Later [Cash Money/Universal, 2010]
T.I. – “All She Wrote” ft. Eminem
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ti-all-she-wrote-feat.-eminem-cdq.mp3|titles=ti – all she wrote feat. eminem cdq]
Two hungry emcees with black ink on their records take to the mic where they reign invincible as kings, fueled by doubt and armed with syllables. Eminem’s articulation is the arrow, Dr. Luke’s bassline is the bow. –K-Lis
No Mercy [Grand Hustle/Atlantic, 2010]
Blake Carrington – “Fresh(er Than The Rest)” (prod. Rich Kidd)
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/07-Fresh-er-than-the-rest-feat.-Rich-Kidd.mp3|titles=07 Fresh (er than the rest) (feat. Rich Kidd)]
Verse and sample integration done right. One indication (among many) that the next decade will be on some Rich Kidd Shiiiit. –K-Lis
We On Some Rich Kidd Shit Vol. 4: The Boiling Point [Ridgeway Inc, 2010]
Aloe Blacc – “I Need a Dollar”
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/01-I-Need-A-Dollar.mp3|titles=01 I Need A Dollar]
HBO’s “How To Make It In America” knows all about fair deals. So does Aloe Blacc, who shares his story in exchange for the dollar he desperately needs. –Chedo
Good Things [Stones Throw, 2010]
KiD CuDi – “Mojo So Dope”
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Mojo-So-Dope.mp3|titles=Mojo So Dope]
If you can’t feel this, I probably don’t give a fuck ’bout your lifestyle. –K-Lis
Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager [G.O.O.D Music/Universal Motown, 2010]
Donwill – “Laura’s Song”
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/02-Lauras-Song.mp3|titles=02 Laura’s Song]
Will convert Nick Hornby skeptics into novel cult whores if not for the beat then for the song, if not for the song then for the concept album it lives on. The parts measure up to their sum. And then some. –K-Lis
Don Cusack in High Fidelity [Interdependent Media/iM Culture, 2010]
King Reign – “Money” ft. Saukrates & Kardinal Offishall (prod. Boi-1da)
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/01-King-Reign-f_-Saukrates-Kardinal-Offishall-Money-Prod.-Boi-1da.mp3|titles=01 King Reign f_ Saukrates & Kardinal Offishall – Money (Prod. Boi-1da)]
Big beat, big bassline. Will make you feel like a BOSS who wants to know where the Money is at. Nice sample and verses, but the beat… –J.R.
Reign Music v.2 [Independent, Forthcoming]
The Foreign Exchange – “Maybe She’ll Dream of Me”
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/02-Maybe-Shell-Dream-Of-Me-Album-Mix.mp3|titles=02 Maybe She’ll Dream Of Me (Album Mix)]
Phonte’s (lone) rap cuts through Lay’s love butter and exposes the youthful emcee he’s determined to leave behind. As Authenticity‘s first single it insinuated a hip-hop direction though later proved to be a lone diamond in a lovely R&B ruff. –K-Lis
Authenticity [Foreign Exchange, 2010]
Jessica Kaya – “Heavy” (Prod. Rich Kidd)
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Jessica-Kaya-Heavy-Kaya-Richie-Hennessy-FEAT-Rich-Kidd.mp3|titles=Jessica Kaya-Heavy – Kaya & Richie Hennessy FEAT Rich Kidd]
Up at 4am in the morning? Can’t sleep? Put down the Vicks and let Jessica Kaya make your eyes heavy. –Chedo
We On Some Rich Kidd Shit Vol. 4: The Boiling Point [Ridgeway Inc, 2010]
Curren$y – “King Kong”
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/03-King-Kong.mp3|titles=03 King Kong]
So, this starts off kinda dope and gets progressively doper. The beat is eerily dope with a typically random Curren$y verse, which is also dope. Dope. –J.R.
Pilot Talk [BluRoc/DD172/Def Jam, 2010]
Black Milk – “Black and Brown” ft. Danny Brown
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/09-Black-And-Brown-Feat.-Danny-Brown.mp3|titles=09 Black And Brown (Feat. Danny Brown)]
A layered string sample makes you wait, pensively, for something big you can feel coming. And when it comes, “Ayo/Long Awaited/Debated/but fuck it here we are”, it comes even hungrier than you. –K-Lis
Album Of The Year [Fat beats/Deacon, 2010]