2011 Year in Review: Music

The mainstream was very weak in terms of quality albums. There weren’t too many quirky hits like Cee-Lo's “F You” or funky dance jams like Big Boi's “Shutterbugg.” I had to suffer through "Party Rock Anthem" and tried to love it by hating it even more. But hey, every year has novelty acts. Today’s LMFAO is yesterday’s Afro Man.

But I found a lot to enjoy this year. I had to dig harder and trust folks’ judgment and I found greater joy in my own choices. Especially when SoCal produced some great music.  So 2011 will be remembered for more than just a British songbird who made us all connect with her pain. It’s the year the West Coast finally found a new rap voice to pick up where Game left off.

Best Albums

Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (The Finest West Coast album since Below the Heavens or Documentary – my #1 album this year)

Phonte – Charity Starts at Home (Tigallo finally went solo and dropped a gem)

Big K.R.I.T. – Return of 4eva (Too many words to describe this – soulful, dope, well produced)

Adele – 21 (The most unlikeliest blockbuster pop album in ages? Well deserved)

The Roots – Undun (A powerful statement that will be listened to for years)

Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra (The Best R&B album this year hands down despite being a mixtape)

Elzhi – Elmatic (Elzhi’s tribute to Illmatic – my favorite HH album – set a high standard for future tributes)

Black Keys – El Camino (Loved the bare bones, straight forward rock sound. Consistently great)

Foster the People – Torches (Fun, fun, fun.)

Game – R.E.D. Album (Say what you will about Game but he has NEVER dropped a bad album)

Yelawolf – Radioactive (Didn’t expect much from it so maybe that’s why it surprised me)

Best Songs (Besides My Top 5 and not in any order)

Kendrick Lamar – HiiiiPower

Big K.R.I.T. – Hi’s and Lows, Country Ish (f. Ludacris and Bun B)

The Roots f. Big K.R.I.T.  – Make My (KRIT gets the Roots stamp of approval and they and Dice Raw make an elegy for their hero)

Elzhi – Memory Lane

Adele – Turning Tables

Frank Ocean – Strawberry Swing, American Wedding (very well written)

Foster the People – Helena Beat (A dead ringer for MGMT but I LOVE it)

Black Keys – Lonely Boy

Cee Lo/Melanie Fiona – Fool For You (yeah it’s 2010 but the remix is 2011. Saw em debut it live too)

Jay-Z/Kanye West – Negroes in Paris, Murder to Excellence

Game – Ricky, Born In the Trap

Lupe Fiasco - All Black Everything (a genius song, GENIUS), Lightworks

Common f. Nas – Ghetto Dreams

Tyler the Creator/Hodgy Beats - Sandwitches (struggled with putting this here, but you'll see why)

Pusha T f. Tyler the Creator - Trouble On My Mind

Nas – Nasty
M83 - Midnight City (an overwhelming beat with a killer sax solo straight out of the 80's)

Rise Against – Help Is On The Way

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie

Social Distortion – California (The OG’s of the punk scene still make great music)

Incubus – Adolescents (The album bored me but this song was amazing)

Talib Kweli – Friends and Family

Sublime With Rome – Panic, PCH

DJ Khaled – I’m On One [I hate to put this one on here but that beat is mesmerizing]

How do I top the memory of seeing Big Boi and Cee-Lo on Valentine’s Day, a great show at least with Big Boi’s set? Seeing the Purple One himself for 2 hours rocking out the old jams. Prince was still as energetic as he was in his prime and to see an entire arena go nuts? Best concert ever.

The best musical innovation this year? Hands down Spotify. Not only was I able to listen to full albums that I’ve always wanted to here but it combined the best of Real Player, iTunes and Pandora and allowed you to create music playlists for FREE. I still value buying albums but it allows you to hear a lot of older artists as well as preview new albums.

Phonte reunited with 9^th Wonder and they both sounded great together. Not to be outdone, Rapper Big Pooh held his own on his solo joint. I'm perfectly okay with all 3 of them doing their own thing and reminding me why I loved Little Brother last decade. And you noticed I couldn't pick a favorite Phonte song? That's cause they all were incredible.

Rock music came back with strong singles and established acts reclaimed their throne but to me, it was the new kids from SoCal who brought some energy. Foster the People and Rome Ramirez with the reunited Sublime made rock radio have an LA feel once again.

In regards to Kendrick Lamar’s album this year, the reason I really loved it is because content wise, Lamar was a 23 year old who was speaking to and for his generation. I respect writers and figures who can do that without sounding preachy. Whether it’s speaking on drug effects, racial harmony, girls turning lesbian after bad experiences, he rapped with conviction and passion and the West Coast needed it. That’s why I loved Section.80 to death.

Mainstream hip hop was disappointing but hip hop was still fresh. There were great albums and mixtapes that showed potential. So I won’t cry about the wack music on the radio as much, I just think hip hop is in a better place away from the stream.

*Yet, R&B felt dead to me. Frank Ocean was a revelation because he showed he can write as well as he can sing. Nostalgia, Ultra felt like a departure from what I expected since he was affiliated with Odd Future but even as his star grew this year, his voice sounded great on hip hop or R&B jams. Besides him, Ne-Yo and Maxwell need to drop their next album soon.

Lupe Fiasco was a big story of 2011. After label drama he finally realized his 3^rd album, Lasers. Needless to say, I hated it and blamed Atlantic for compromising him. But after hearing his Friend of the People mixtape, I believe that right now Lupe is where Nas was in 1999 – lyrically on point but has a bad ear for beats drifting from his usual production team and his work is suffering. He still spits gems when he wants to but right now, the jury is out until F+L 2 and if "American Terrorist 3" is any indication, he hasn’t lost it

Odd Future captivated music heads and Southern California. They and Kendrick Lamar gave my city much needed buzz after all that jerkin and skinny jeans craze. Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats had the performance of the year with their show on Jimmy Fallon (along with Lupe on the BET Awards). Free Earl became the chant of the year - despite yall knowing how I feel about Freeing rappers.

In one year, they went from an unknown crew to heroes of the underground making moves. Yonkers for me was a fantasticly, disturbing video.  Will I be buying their albums? No, since I can't consciously see myself hearing them on and on without feeling conflicted or needing to purify my ears. Plus, besides Tyler, Hodgy and the currently gone Earl Sweatshirt, none of them dudes are great rappers.

In the end, 2011 will be all about an old soul at 23. The beautiful, British songbird Adele blessed us with her album of pain and rich soul. In a year that reminded me of Alicia Keys dominating in 2001 or Usher in 2004, Adele made hits that didn’t sound poppy but rich with the pain of a breakup. It didn’t always appeal to my ears and my mood but she wrote them well and if she wins a load of Grammys, so be it. 

I love her honesty, her no frills approach, her lack of gimmicks. She just sings and it may be boring to some, but right now it’s refreshing. It’s a shock that her album sold as well as it did but it’s a shock I’ll be happy with. In a year where you had to look hard to find great stuff, Adele was right there doing her thing without caring about sale or image. Just raw singing and rich emotion. 

I never thought I'd see somebody sell that many records again. And honestly, Adele might be in the Top 10 for albums sold in 2012 after she gets her Grammy boost. Congrats. 

Electric Relaxation Vol. 3: 2001-03 Edition

Looking back on it, most of the music that was released 2001-2003 still resonates with me in a real way. Maybe that's because I finally listened to more stuff and got exposed to a wider variety of things. Throw in that I transitioned from high school to college and you have music that fits a the mood I was in - reflective, optimistic, anxious for a new beginning.



Now when I listen to those songs or those albums - it gives me that good feeling that good music is supposed to do when you connect with it emotionally. Here's some of the albums/songs I still love.






Incubus - Morning View: More than anything, this album was bought for the sole purpose of me attending Pepperdine. The band made it in Malibu and I imagined listening to it on the shores of class. Alas, I ended up doing it in San Diego but it had the same effect.




It's probably the band's softest album but it's so peaceful that I would sit down and write some poetry to it. You can imagine the shores of Malibu in the background to "Just A Phase" and just zone out.



Switchfoot - Beautiful Letdown: I had heard of Switchfoot but this album felt like a challenge to me. A challenge to the world around me and the minute I heard "Meant To Live," I felt inspired. Lyrically, it touched on searching for something more than the simple thrills and living with a purpose and for teens, the message resonated.



They may be a Christian band, but they touch on universal themes that people can relate to. Plus they make great music and coming from San Diego, they connected with many at my school.




The Ataris - So Long, Astoria: The minute I heard "In This Diary" and heard that line "Being grown up, isnt half as fun as growing up" I was hooked on this album. When I heard "Boys of Summer" in my friend's room, I knew it'd be a hit once summer came around.


But this album was about being reflective (named after the town the "Goonies" lived in) and looking back on the younger days. It was the perfect summer album back in 2003 but now, it's an album that reminds me of being young and the fun I had back then.

Eminem - The Eminem Show: To this day, I'll tell anyone this is Shady's most personal album and maybe it's not better than Marshall Mathers LP, but its darker and realer.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way: I remember buying this the week before I left for college and I imagined listening to it in San Diego for the same reason I loved Morning View. It felt dreamlike and a good mood for being by the ocean.

It's a shame that I found out the band kinda feels ambivalent about it because it was mostly John Frusciante's input. But I love this album. I did drive down to San Diego once listening to this - PERFECT background music for the coast.

Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea - Billy Corgan's side band disintegrated soon afterwards but I really enjoy the album because lyrically Corgan was influenced by his faith.

Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers : I really hoped J5 would've blown up from this album. Radio hits and quality music haven't sounded this good from the L.A. underground.

The Roots - Phrenology : Hard to follow up a classic but they did. The first album I bought from the crew and I loved every listen of it.

Musiq - Juslisen: This was the last thing I listened to when I had my final moments when my Dad. And aside from that, it's a dope R&B album from one of my favorite singers.

Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head : One of the best albums of the decade. I remember DLing it before I left for the summer and I listened to it right before I left. Phenomenal album from start to finish. I love Amsterdam, Politik, and of course "The Scientist."

Justin Timberlake - Justified: Don't Laugh - this album is probably one of the better R&B joints of the decade. He reminded me of Michael, George Michael that is. I heard the album the same night I heard Coldplay and loved it right away.

Sugar Ray - Sugar Ray: Don't Laugh Pt. 2 - this was their last hurrah and the boys of summer made a great album I enjoyed in 2001. "Satellites" still takes me to a special place, this album is great driving music.

The Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It/Home Grown - Kings of Pop: I gotta put these two together because I saw them both in concert at my school and hearing both albums remind me of that show. My first punk show, my first mosh pit, raw energy that I still draw back to.

Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken and Gritz: This is an album you don't hear too often on a mainstream level period, regardless of region. A song about being poor being a hit? Ballin on a Budget? This was some feel good hip-hop made the summer of 02 easy, breezy and manageable.

These down-home brothas made one of the last great Southern albums before the shift of crunk/trappin/club music that the South is more known for now.

Maybe I'll do a post on some of the singles from that era that stuck with me but you can probably imagine the singles from these albums had a big effect on me.

Flashback Friday: 1999 Albums

It's hard to believe that these albums are 10 years old. But more importantly, it's crazy how many these albums sold. This was the beginning of the end for albums consistently selling like crazy because Napster was looming and completely changed the music game.

To me, the biggest surprise of the 2000's was when Usher, Outkast and Norah Jones sold over 10 million copies of their albums. All it did was remind me of how our favorite (and not so favorite) artists used to do it in 1999-2000. You could pretty much go platinum easily if you had a monster hit like "Mambo No. 5."

It was the year of pop success that wouldn’t stop til 2001. Shania Twain, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock were the faces of music. Again it boggles my mind that this year was 10 years ago. A lifetime ago when the record industry was in the middle of making its last stand and pop stars were seemingly made overnight.

It was the perfect storm of MTV’s “Total Request Live” blowing up and a year where people wanted to party. It was like everybody wanted to end the 20^th century on top and pretty much, nearly everybody did.

Favorite 5 Albums of 1999

1. red hot chili peppers – californication

2. rage against the machine - battle of los angeles

3. mos def – black on both sides (Black Dante's Illmatic)

4. moby – play (changed the game with marketing despite no hit single until summer 2001)

5. the roots – things fall apart

* right at No. 6 - Dr. Dre 2001

Top Comebacks

1. Santana

2. TLC/RHCP

3. Dr. Dre

4. Slick Rick (Street Talkin was the joint)

5. Jordan Knight/Joey McIntyre (tie - all the New Kids fans came out the wood work for these two. Top 10 hits for both)

6. Stone Temple Pilots (“Sour Girl” is still one of my Top 5 STP joints)

Top debuts (besides the Mighty Mos Def)

1. Ja Rule (hip hop’s next big superstar)/Britney Spears (Queen of Pop til 2004)

2. Christina Aguilera (pop’s greatest voice since then)

3. Eminem

4. Dixie Chicks (country wouldn’t be the same)

5. Slipknot (brought some much needed edge to rock)

6. Ricky Martin (everyone was “Livin La Vida Loca” that summer)

*other notable debuts – Pharoahe Monch, Staind, Lil’ Wayne, Jessica Simpson, Q-Tip

Career-making Albums

1. Creed – Human Clay (hailed as the kings of rock before the backlash started)

2. DMX – And Then There Was X (the last No. 1 album of the century and believe it or not, the 2nd biggest 1st-week sales of the year behind the Backstreet Boys...just a reminder how HUGE this guy was and how far he's fallen.)

3. Limp Bizkit - Significant Other

4. Backstreet Boys – Millenium (hate to put a pop joint on here, but it signified the rise of pop taking over the radio and the biggest artists selling a million in their 1^st week - everyone who sold a mil)

5. Blink 182 – Enema of the State (hello Travis Barker, hello pop charts, hello plenty of imitators)

6. Hot Boys – Guerrila Warfare (another key cog in Cash Money’s takeover)

7. Incubus – Make Yourself (possibly their best album and just like Moby, another 2-year build to greatness)

Great Albums that came through

Method Man & Redman “Blackout” (“Da RockWilder” is one of the best beats of the last 10 years)

Kurupt – Streetz is a Mutha (West Coast Classic)

Jimmy Eat World – Clarity

Jennifer Lopez – On the 6 (more on this in Flashback on Latin Pop)

Eve – Ruff Ryders 1^st Lady (the last female rapper to debut with an impactful career – sorry Remy Ma, Scenario 2000 smashes most posse cuts since then)

ODB – N***a Please

Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile

311 – Soundsystem

Foo Fighters - There is Nothing Left to Lose

Metallica – S&M

Biggest American Flop: Robbie Williams. The biggest pop star in England tried to make a splash over here and after being signed to Capitol Records, he only went gold. Consider him the music version of soccer, everyone else loves him, we don’t (“Millenium” is a great pop song though)

* Of course that doesn’t includes Memphis Bleek, whose debut flopped in 1999 and he’d keep trying to make hits to no avail. If you couldn't sell during THIS time, is it any surprise he didn't sell this decade?

That's Flashback Friday, hope y'all enjoyed it!