My Bass Rocks

Class of 2009

While 2008 took some time to get the good music out, it definitely sounded better than the year before.  Besides the cheesy ringtone raps (*cough*Superman-that-ho*cough*), and gimmicky hipster trends, the final quarter of 2008 had some great music.  From JakeOne to Nas, or Black Milk to Guilty Simpson, there were some definite bright spots for hip-hop.

As I did last year, it’s time to make a definitive list of the most anticipated albums for 2009.  I believe next year will be even stronger in the long-haul, and I can’t wait to see what the genre has in store for its listeners.  One significant difference for the upcoming year, is that this is the year of the internet stars (even more so).  Such artists as Charles Hamilton, Asher Roth, B.o.B., and Slaughterhouse (Joe Budden, Royce the 5’9″, Joell Ortiz, and Crooked I) have seen some fame through the net, and we should finally see if this success turns into album sells.

Regardless, this will be a strong year overall and I’m very much looking forward to it.  Continue on, to see the finalists…

10) Jay Electronica: Abracadabra: Let There Be Light

While Jay’s buzz may have fizzled out gradually over the past year, his firm fan base still stands behind his abilities as an MC.  While some draw similarities to MF Doom and Nas, Jay remains on a whole different plain of existence.  Rhyming over the theme music to Eternal Sunshine is about as out-there as it gets, but Jay backs it up with his prominent rhymes.

Some heads don’t fully understand dude, but it’s hard to deny how interesting he is as a character in hip-hop.  With such supporters as Erykah Badu and Just Blaze, he’s been given a plateau that most up-and-comers aren’t accustomed to.

Regardless, he’s been hyped for what feels like an eternity (pun intended), so we’ll see if Jay can live up to all the attention.  An album title like Abracadabra doesn’t scream Top 100, but we’ll have to wait and see…

9) Asher Roth: Untitled

Even though the comparisons to Eminem are way too obvious (white boy with lyrics) and a little played out by now, it’s hard not to find Asher a noteworthy character in hip-hop.  While the whole “frat guy at a kegger” angle is also pretty cheesy, it’s difficult to deny that the man has skills…Of the upcoming class of internet stars, he is just as legitimite as the MC standing next to him (i.e. Charles Hamilton, etc.).

While this may not be enough to garnish serious attention, Roth turned some heads when he paired with legendary producers Nottz and No ID.  They have all gone on the record several times to declare “classic” when talking about this upcoming project, which is a heavy word (especially) coming from No ID, who is the man behind Common’s Resurrection.

With that said, rap fans and internet heads worldwide are looking forward to hearing the results in 2009.  The stamp of approval from legends in the game helps too…

8 ) MF Doom: Born Into This

New MF Doom music is always good for the morale of rap music.  While 2004-2005 may have been his last great run (Madvillainy, Mm..Food, Danger Doom), he still has it in him to make good music.  Best believe the hardcore Doom fans will be lining up to hear this one, which according to Doom is his definitive album.

Hopefully the Madvillainy 2 madness ends, and we can actually begin to enjoy some official MF material within the next year.

7) Slaughterhouse/ Joe Budden: Padded Room/ Royce Da 5’9″: Street Hop

Slaughterhouse is the latest supergroup to emerge from the underground scene, and consists of four heavy-hitters in the game.  Joel Ortiz (Brooklyn), Joe Budden (Jersey), Royce the 5’9″ (Detroit), and Crooked I (LA) formed like Voltron and decided to take the industry by storm together earlier last year.

Joe Budden has his internet game on lock, and his blogger fanbase has slowly become an army in the past 12 months.

6) Jadakiss: The Last Kiss

While I’m not particularly blown away by Jadakiss as an MC, it seems that I’m definitely in the minority.  Most people I know think he makes great music, and some even believe he’s the king of New York right now.  There has been a TON of hype surrounding his upcoming release The Last Kiss, so we’ll see if he manages to come through as expected.

5) Clipse:Till the Casket Drops

Hell Hath No Fury became an instant classic a couple years back, and propelled The Clipse to the top of hip-hop’s notable groups.  Not only that, but since this release they have been all over the mixtape scene, which has kept the buzz for Till the Casket Drops pretty high.

Since The Neptunes won’t oversee this project, it will be interesting to see how the Virginia duo handles putting together a complete album themselves.  Typically, when artists split from their producers, the results aren’t as welcomed by the general public.  Hopefully, the response will be more on the De La Soul side (i.e. Stakes is High), and not similar in fate to Gang Starr (i.e. Jazzmatazz Vol.4).

4) Dr. Dre: Detox

While I may have a better chance of winning the lottery than seeing Detox hit the shelves, it still needs to make the list.  I don’t think people have ever anticipated an album in the history of music like they have for Detox, so we’ll just have to wait and see.  Every year it’s the same story, but Dr. Dre is known to be a perfectionist, so I believe the end-product will be worth the wait.

3) Eminem: Relapse

Eminem hasn’t dropped an LP in years (Encore?), and has been going through some tough times in between.  From gaining a significant amount of weight to family problems, this legendary MC hasn’t been his old self in what seems like a long while.

However, a couple months back a track entitled “Im Having a Relapse” hit the web and had everyone in a frenzy over the possibility of new music from Marshall.  Well, shortly following this leak, Dr. Dre and his Interscope camp confirmed an early 2009 release entitled Relapse.  Recently, an official track from the album made its way to Bass Rocks entitled “Crack a Bottle,” featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent (listen HERE), which usually means an album really is on the way.

This could arguably be the most anticipated album of the year, or at least a tie with the following top two.  Regardless, it’s good to have Eminem back on his game, and more improtantly back in the studio with Dre.

2) Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2

Everything that’s leaked so far from OB4CL2 sounds incredible, and gives us a hint at things to come for the complete project.  “Necro (feat. Ghostface)” alone is reason enough to get excited for this release, but the other track samples have given high expectations so far.

After being disappointed with the direction of 8 Diagrams, Rae decided to cut his ties from the Wu for this solo effort.  He promises a more rugged sound, that most Wu fans have been missing since their sophomore effort Forever in 1997.  If anyone can bring back that lost feeling, the Chef is the man most suited for the task…OB4CL2 is set to drop early 2009 as well.

1) Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3

With two of the best songs to drop all year in “Jockin’ Jay-Z” and “Brooklyn We Go Hard,” Blueprint 3 is about as anticipated as any Jay-Z album ever.  With some much needed assistance from vintage Kanye, Jay is getting his Blueprint on, as if he never missed a step.

While American Gangster was pretty solid, it wasn’t nearly as earth-shaking as Blueprint, The Black Album, or Reasonable Doubt.  This will be the test to see if Jigga is back to his old ways, and can produce yet another classic full-length.

Oh, and the two previously mentioned track leaks are proof that Kanye should stick to making beats for real lyrical heavyweights…Because if anyone feels like I do about 808′s, then you’re probably not waiting too much on his next album.

PREVIOUSLY: Top Ten Albums of 2008 Revisited