These songs, in my opinion, are the most artistic and overall best of 2007

I made this as an article in the school paper. It took me over 15 HOURS over a few days to finish this! So I spent way to much time thinking this through. And in the end the editors of the school paper said they ran out of room and couldn't put it in. So this is the first time people other then my close friends have seen it. Please comment and critique my review!

ENJOY!

1)       Surviving the Times – Nas

Relentlessly deep, Surviving the Times is one of Nas’s greatest works to date.  It follows Nas’s early life as an unsigned MC, to becoming one of the greatest rappers alive, and the way he effortlessly delivers his smooth rhymes, you will be reminded once again why Nas is a living legend.  It’s hard not to get lost in his ever looming question “What would I do if I could suddenly feel?”

2) Pray – Jay-Z

                Pray is defined by its stunning, yet commanding lyrics, which Jay-Z delivers with such energy, only a couple songs by Eminem can compare.  Many lines, such as “The truth is the shamelessness ain't stainless is that aim this is / You know who's game this is / Move coke like Pepsi, it don't matter what the brand name is” or “Fast forward freeze frame on my pistol / Fist full of dollars ignorance is so blissful”, are arguably some of the best sounding word arrangements used in any song all year.

3) La La La – Lil’ Wayne

                Initially designated as the first single for The Carter 3, La La La is a drastically different tone for Lil’ Wayne.  We have grown used to his heated battle cry “Best Rapper Alive” and his beastly verses, which he more then demonstrated in We Takin' Over, but once he slowed it down and provided one of the catchiest beats of the year, it’s hard not to get caught up in his intoxicating flow.

4) Stronger – Kanye West

                In Kanye West’s continuous search for musical perfection, Stronger is his most recent entry.  Its unique beat is actually a remix created from a sample of another remix (Daft Punk’s Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger).  With the remarkable techno beat acting as the song’s backbone, Kanye fills out its lyrical body while stressing his musical genius, creating a dazzling musical beast that apparently enjoys wearing goofy looking sunglasses.

5) Superstar – Lupe Fiasco

                Even though Lupe Fiasco’s new album The Cool does not even come remotely close to the quality of his previous album Food & Liquor, he still managed to produce his best song thus far from it.  Superstar’s clean rhymes and mellow beat make it an undeniable pleasure to listen to.  Additionally, his metaphor of how spotlights burn a star’s image throughout the world is pure genius.

6) 88’ – The Cool Kids

                Mikey and Chuck started off small, making hip-hop beats for a few underground producers, but as soon as they realized the best MCs to rap over their beats were themselves, a new movement soon followed.  Even though The Cool Kids have yet to release a CD version of their new album Totally Flossed Out, which just came out in February on the internet, they’ve pioneered an entirely new style for rap.  They represent a new branch of hip-hop culture; one that is refreshingly new, while retaining numerous old school distinctions.  88’ has a continually changing beat, so the song sounds crispy all the way through and never monotonic; a common flaw numerous rappers suffer from.  With out a doubt, these guys win my Coolest Rappers Alive award for 2007. “Do the smurf, Do the wop, Baseball bat, Rooftop, like I'm bringin 88’ back”

7) What a Job - Devin the Dude (Ft. Snoop Dogg & Andre 3000)

For those of you who have dreams of becoming music stars, you might reconsider after listening to Devin Copeland’s epic.  He, along with Snoop Dogg and Andre 3000, sing of the strenuous lives’ they live just trying to make hit after hit, day after day.  Snoop Dogg lyrically explains that after 15 years he is still deep in the game, and will be for as long as he can, working just as hard as he was when his career first started.  He believes they “got a lot to deal with….And then again the public need that, we gotta make hot music.”

Runner-Ups:

Soul Amazin’ – Blu & Exile

Nostalgia - Marco Polo (Ft. Masta Ace)

Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) – UGK (Ft. Outkast)

Won’t Let You Down – Chamillionaire

Best Rap Line of 2007

Pray – Jay-Z

“Anywhere there's oppression, the drug profession flourishes like beverages, it’s
refreshin…ahhh”

By: Rattlesnake93