Best of the Midwest 2009: Albums

Sorry for the delay. If it weren’t for the last minute, I’d never get anything done.

Honorable mentions: Royce Da 5’9”: Street-Hop; Blakroc: Blakroc; No Bird Sing: No Bird Sing; Tanya Morgan: Brooklynatti; Franz Diego: Franz Diego

15. Eyedea & Abilities: By The Throat

E&A threw us a changeup with By The Throat, and probably alienated a few of their more traditional fans. This album was not for everyone, and I admittedly did not enjoy it at first. After giving it a second chance — and third, and fourth — I came to appreciate the artistic risks that the group took. While not every song was a success (“Forgive Me For My Synapses,” “Factory”), the album’s better tracks compensated. In particular, “Smile” was one of the ten best songs of the year (and also the best music video).

14. Unknown Prophets: Le System D

Twin Cities veterans Unknown Prophets made a victorious return to the spotlight in 2009. Le System D uses no samples, is extremely guitar-driven, and features several sung choruses. But where you might think the album would stray from past releases from the Prophets, all their traditional trademarks still remain: passion, persistence, hard work, everyday life, struggles, triumphs.

13. Felt: Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez

With Aesop Rock riding shotgun on the third Felt album, this was their most ambitious and uneasy release yet. His production is haunting and schizophrenic, which did not necessarily make things easy for Slug and Murs. They couldn’t seem to find their comfort zone on several songs, and seem to be having less fun than on previous Felt records (aren’t Felt records supposed to be, more or less, lighthearted side projects?). Rosie Perez probably won’t come calling Slug or Murs anytime soon, but the record had enough terrific songs and punch lines to still merit repeated listens. Had they cut some of the fat from the 21-song tracklist, we would have been on to something.

12. Kid Cudi: Man on the Moon: End of Day

Of all the newcomers releasing debut albums in 2009 that XXL crusaded for, it was Kid Cudi who put together the best album, and sold the most records. All this from a hipster, emo, experimental, alternative, etc., kid from Cleveland. If the entire album sounded like the last three songs (“Pursuit of Happiness,” “Hyyerr,” “Up, Up and Away”), Man on the Moon would have fallen even higher on this list. Cudi taught us more than other “risk-takers” in 2009. Labels and genre classifications are often unfairly administered, and, perhaps taking a few chances isn’t such a bad idea after all.

11. Mally: The Passion

Mally exploded from the Minneapolis underground in 2009 with a hunger not yet seen from the new local crop of emcees. His album The Passion, produced entirely by Mydus, showcased his lyrical capability and versatility. Mally can black out on a track and spit straight for four minutes (“The Passion”) or lay in the cut and reflect on rap politics (“So Close”) and his place in the rap game (“Reflection”).

10. Toki Wright: A Different Mirror

Minneapolis’ finest one-man-live-band has been a fixture in the underground scene for some time now, and when it was time for Toki Wright to craft his debut LP, he made sure to do it right. With Rhymesayers on board and many of the Twin Cities’ finest producers laying the music backdrop, Toki told us stories that made us laugh, lament, and most importantly, think about ourselves and our worldview in a new light. Though Mr. Wright hardly is a rookie to the scene, he has all of us eagerly anticipating his next move.

9. dumate: We Have The Technology

What Heiruspecs is to the Twin Cities, dumate is to Madison. Those of you who have not heard this hip-hop quintet’s 2009 album missed out on one of the most intelligent albums of the year. Rappers Dudu Stinks and MC DLO provide intricate wordplay, while the band’s tight grooves mesh with samples from Man Mantis to create one astoundingly cohesive sound.

8. Illogic: Diabolical Fun

Illogic went on hiatus for a few years musically, but came back strong with the Ill-Poetic produced Diabolical Fun in 2009. Not only was this album arguably Ill Poetic’s best production to date, but Illogic sounded as motivated as ever, and ready to prove he still belongs in the upper echelon of rappers today. Full of critiques of the hip-hop industry and complex wordplay, Illogic’s first full-length in years was one of the year’s hidden gems.

7. Big Quarters: From the Home of Brown Babies and White Mothers (Review)

Brown Babies was one of the most consistent efforts of the year. Through both the lyrics and the production, the album maintains continuity start to finish, all with an uncompromising theme of grassroots work ethic. As explained on the chorus to “Good Look,” Medium Zach and Brandon Allday may have punished themselves through nonstop grinding, but their final product was one of the best local releases of 2009.

6. Mac Lethal: The Original 11:11 Sessions

Mac Lethal originally intended to release this album as his Rhymesayers debut, but went through a rough patch in his life, and decided that it was too dismal and somber of an album to put out. Finally released years later on Black Clover Records, The Original 11:11 Sessions is everything 11:11 was not. While 11:11 was at times fluffy, sarcastic, and unfocused, Mac’s initial creative output is heartfelt, passionate, and bitingly honest. One can clearly understand why this version was not released the first time through, but it’s an incredible piece of work.

5. Finale: A Pipe Dream and a Promise (Review)

A Pipe Dream and a Promise marked the official arrival of yet another truly gifted artist from Detroit. Featuring an incredibly solid production lineup for a debut album, the release is a polished-sounding product from start to finish. Finale, in following his dreams and pursuing a career in rap, reminds us once again that Detroit is a stronghold for much of the best hip-hop being created today; he will be an artist to follow for years to come.

4. BK-One with Benzilla: Radio Do Canibal

This album is both genius and amazing for a variety of reasons: 1) The lengths BK-One went to dig up — ahem — the samples used for this album; 2) Benzilla’s masterful (it won’t be easy to top beats this good) production work; 3) The fact that Rhymesayers could assemble such a superstar lineup of guests for an album by two local and relatively unheralded producers. How it all came together so impeccably is beyond me, all I know is that I can’t stop listening.

3. J Dilla: Jay Stay Paid

To me, this album is in a different class from most of the other non-Donuts posthumous Dilla releases. First, Ma Dukes Yancey played a prominent role in selecting and arranging Jay Stay Paid. Furthermore, the project was mixed down by one of Dilla’s biggest influences, Pete Rock. The final product? The best collection of the legendary J. Dilla’s production since Donuts, and an everlasting legacy to one of the greatest of all time.

2. P.O.S.: Never Better

When Stefon Alexander’s career is more complete, Never Better is the album that we will pinpoint as his springboard to being a nationwide star. Ironic, though, that it’s so inherently defiant. Rapping about the recession was a ubiquitous trend in 2009, but no one did it better than Pissed Off Stef. Music about the state of our government is as old as dirt, but P.O.S. took a fresh approach to it. In a time when pop artists are being churned out cookie-cutter style, P.O.S. emerged as our counter-culture hero. It just so happened that his outward resistance to the norm was so damn likeable. On “Optimist (We Are Not For Them),” P.O.S. sings, "We make our own and if they don't feel it, then we are not for them," before calmly adding, “And that’s cool.” Yes, yes it was.

1. Brother Ali: Us

Accept it or not: With each album, we all witness Brother Ali inch gradually closer to legendary status. Us is third damn-near perfect album of the decade. This time around, though, Ali took a different approach. Instead of turning the story inward — seriously, what don’t we know about him? — Ali wove his narratives together with the stories of others. Particularly interesting is the cyclical nature of the album: It ends the same way it begins. Similarly, where Ali’s stories end, so begins someone else’s; everything is interconnected. Because there’s no me and no you, it’s just Us.