PropsOverHere Presents Best of 2008: Top 25 Songs

2008 was just aight in terms of hip hop but, like every year, it had its moments. Here are the 25 best moments according to me, so probably to you as well.

25.  Reks- Say Goodnight

Reks' "Grey Hairs" got a little love from the backpacker, purist types but was sort of bland. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad album at all, but most of the beats were just ok and Reks doesn't offer anything special lyrically. This track, produced by DJ Premier, was the real standout to me.

24. Kidz in the Hall- Drivin' Down the Block

This borders between pure genius and something the Cool Kids would do for which reason I could only put this at #24. I mean an 808 beat with the chopped and screwed chorus in 2008 is normally a disaster but the ode to Masta Ace is clever  and the the Outkast "ATLiens" part was entertaining as well. Great music video too.

23. Busta Rhymes- Arab Money

This is hardly up to standards musically (did you know Ron Browz produced "Ether"?), but otherwise this is just great. The concept and the auto-tuned Arabic chorus are pretty brilliant, but the dance is one of the greatest things to happen to hip hop since ever. 

22. Prodigy- Veterans Memorial, Pt.2

I always liked these kind of Alchemist beats better than the synth-led ones he always does. Everyone knows Prodigy's lyrics are retarded nowadays, but I still enjoy a good amount of his music. The part about robbing a jewelry store with his dad was at least entertaining if not lyrically special.

21. Kidz in the Hall (Feat. Sean Price & Buckshot)- The Pledge

The Kidz take a break from their hipster (or whatever) style and do a more traditional cut with their new labelmates at Duck Down, Buckshot and Sean P. This is my favorite beat and overall song on the album, which I wasn't too big on.

20. Big Boi (Feat. Andre 3000 & Raekwon)- Royal Flush

This was the lead single for a new Big Boi album which I haven't heard much about since. This was dope to me because its like Outkast circa '95 or something but I'm not sure who told Big Boi it was a good idea to have a lead single with Raekwon on it.

19. Fat Joe- That White

This Premo beat took a few listens to warm up to, but overall this is a pretty good song. I acknowledge that Fat Joe is horrible but its hard to knock the D.I.T.C. shouts and rapping about crack.

18. Q-Tip- Believe

The smoothest cut on an album full of them. This is basically the beat for Large Professor's "For My People" with some Q-Tip-isms and D'Angelo, but jacking old, unreleased beats= a pretty good idea. Like Lupe Fiasco's "London, Tokyo" was a shelved World Renown song from the early '90's.

17. Pete Rock (Feat. Jim Jones & Max B.)- We Roll

Speaking of smooth cuts, this is butter. Jim Jones and Max B. are shitty but if that keeps you from enjoying this then I hate you.

16. Nas (Feat. Joell Ortiz)- Ghetto (Remix)

I made a post a while back about how good Joell's verse was on this. I'm not sure if it takes verse of the year anymore, but it kind of gave me a new perspective of him as an artist. Nas' verse is nice too, and the Green Lantern beat (who knew) is quality. I like how he incorporates the Rakim song in there.

15. Saigon (Feat. Red 5ive)- Believe It

January 1 will mark yet another year without the Saigon album I was promised. I guess if they just leak out one Saigon/Just Blaze track every year for like the next 15 years it wouldn't be so bad. Red 5ive is Just Blaze when he's using the autotune for heads who didnt already know.

14. Ludacris (Feat. Nas & Jay-Z)- I Do it for Hip Hop

I gotta admit I like the idea of this song more than the product itself, but its still good. Jay-Z's verse is beyond retarded though.

13. Termanology (Feat. Bun B)- How We Rock

Since "Watch How it Go Down" came out like 3 years ago and was on every last one of those Termanology mixtapes which preceded the album, I left it off and put this on here instead. This is far from Premo's best work but it still knocks. Bun B sounds surprisingly good over this beat too.

12. The Game (Feat. Lil Wayne)- My Life

This has to be Cool & Dre's best beat since "Hate it or Love it" right? I wasn't put off my Lil Wayne's autotune chorus, either. Not that I like Lil Wayne or the autotune, but I think it sounds pretty good, and at least he doesn't rap.

11. Jay-Z- Brooklyn We Go Hard

These are some of Jay-Z's best raps since The Blueprint 2. "I Jack, i rob, I sin", brilliant! It's too bad this is just for the movie soundtrack and not for Blueprint 3 since this is far superior to "Jockin' Jay-Z" though similar in ways.

10. Royce Da 5'9"- Shake This

Like Saigon and Just, that Royce and Premier album didn't come out this year, but at least we got one song. I like the "One Mic" dynamic on this where the strings come in and Royce gets all angry and loud.

Royce Da 5'9" - "Shake This" from Three/21 Films on Vimeo.

9. Jay Electronica- Exhibit A

I wrote about how I thought Just Blaze's final cut of this was kinda gay but the song the way I downloaded it the first time is great. I've never understood the hype behind this guy until I heard this song which has got all kinds of random references and such.

8. The Roots (Feat. Mos Def & Styles P)- Rising Down

I wasn't a huge fan of that last Roots album but this track is downright filth. There's some good rapping on this too, even some by Mos Def.

7. Black Milk (Feat. Sean Price & Pharoahe Monch)- The Matrix

I guess a track with one of the best beat-makers in the game, two of the best rappers evar, and scratches by Premo should be #1 caliber but this is still nice. Pharoahe and Ruck both have memorable verses and Black Milk is able to hold his own which is impressive in its own right.

6. T.I. (Feat. Jay-Z, Kanye West, & Lil Wayne)- Swagga Like Us

This was another one that I think I like the idea more than the song but its still the most defining rap song of the year. As far as Kanye's new style of beats with the hard drums and vocal samples this is my favorite yet, and this will be the swagger anthem for years and years.

5. Bishop Lamont- Grow Up

I didn't feel that this ever got enough love (though I did hear it a few times on satellite radio). Who knows if Bishop will ever put anything out on Aftermath but this shows how good a Dre/Bishop project could be. This is also one of the very few rap songs with a clear and true message which I appreciate. Some of the lines on this are downright hilarious too. 

4. The Game (Feat. Common)- Angel

It took me a few listens to get used to this since its funky and busy for a Kanye beat but I couldn't get enough of this by the end of the summer. I also found it kind of funny how Common kicks the metaphorical rap about weed  then Game comes on and just does his usual name-dropping, hip hop appreciation raps.

3. Nas- Hero

I took a good deal of heat for disliking the untitled Nas album, but at least it had this one truly epic song. Nas's rhymes and Polow da Don's production make this just fuckin inspirational. 

2. Black Milk (Feat. Royce da 5'9")- Losing Out

Detroit's finest collab for this classic banger. This was kind of weird to me at first with the sped up vocal sample but the way Black and Royce compliment the beat with their verses is genius. Too quote someone from the always enlightening forums at ughh.com, this track is crackmuffins.

1. Jake One (Feat. Royce da 5'9" & Elzhi)- Glow

Speaking of Detroit, this track (along with "Motown 25", look it up) show where the real lyricists are at these days. First of all, Jake One comes with a banger with a great sample and bass line, but the highlight for me (which is unusual) is the rapping. both Royce and Elzhi just black out on this. The moment that sticks out to me are the first few bars of Elzhi's second verse "Create an illy scene/cause what I really mean/I make the whole city glow like the video from "Billie Jean"/Possess it/ I was destined to be fluorescent/ You less slick/I guess its just a finesse that you blessed with." It's not often in these days and times that rappers tear apart a track the way these two do here, which is why it is my choice for the best song of 2008.