2010 was another great year for hip-hop with a seemingly never-ending flow of quality releases dropping from both underground and mainstream hip-hop artists. Hence, it's impossible to fully represent the diversity of hip-hop in 2010 in any year-end column. But this Amoeblog will attempt to offer a sampler of some of the highlights of 2010 via revisiting some select Amoeba Hip-Hop Top 5 charts along with some accompanying videos. Also below are some best-of 2010 lists from Luis F Soria (Amoeba San Francisco), Ray Ricky Rivera (Amoeba Hollywood), DJ Inti (Amoeba Berkeley), and myself (Amoeblog).

The lists of 2010 releases below only scratch the surface of what came out this past year, which proves just how vibrant hip-hop was in 2010. It was everywhere, with artists crossing over more than ever into pop, rock, & dance. And while 2010 saw a ton of newcomers drop impressive albums, it was also a year when many longtime artists delivered some of their best work. Eminem, Big Boi, E40 and Ghostface Killah each had stellar releases. Also impressive in 2010 were Dres from Black Sheep, Sadat X, Rah Digga, and Son of Bazerk and No Self Control, who returned with the killer jackin for beats track, "I Swear On a Stack of Old Hits," released by Chuck D's Slamjamz label. Unfortunately, when they performed live, opening for Public Enemy in 2010, they weren't as good as on record or video (see below). Consistently great in concert including on their 2010 tour was Public Enemy whose 1991 single "By The Time I Get To Arizona" inspired many and took on a new meaning in 2010 with Arizona's Senate Bill 1070, or SB 1070.

DJ Shadow's Shadowsphere tour was among the best shows of 2010. Zion I's recent Atomic Clock tour was also on the money. Gurp Fest, earlier this month, proved that the party driven, raw hip-hop Bay Area bred movement is on the brink of blowing up. Among the many Bay Area artists making noise in 2010 were Richmond's Erk Tha Jerk, Vallejo's Moe Green, and Fillmore San Francisco's DaVinci. Veteran SF hip-hop crew Bored Stiff released the free digital album Now More Than Ever in 2010 but tragically lost a member when earlier this month Rick Fairley, aka Big Kwanz, died in his sleep from a heart attack. He was only 36. Hip-hop lost many others too in 2010, notably GURU of Gang Starr, who died back in April at age 43.

As the digital age continued its rapid advances in 2010, the ease with which artists can self record, distribute, and publicize their music became even greater. This meant that the volume of recordings artists made was at times overwhelming. The ever prolific Lil B, who first came to fame as a member of The Pack, is among those who have fully embraced the digital age. Equally prolific is Madlib, who released an album a month in 2010 with his Medicine Show series via Stones Throw. The Oakland duo Zion I's late 2010 album Atomic Clock.was just part of their output. Amp Live released his own (guest heavy) solo album Murder At The Discotech in 2010, while the projects that emcee Zumbi undertook included 2010's The Burnerz collaborative album with TX's The Are.

Son of Bazerk and No Self Control, whose return after two decades in 2010 with "I Swear on A Stack of old Hits," showed how they helped pave the way for Cee Lo Green's retro flavor, although Cee Lo took it to a whole other level with his big hit of 2010, "Fuck You."








Arizona Hip-Hop Artists - "Back To Arizona"
The best return to hip-hop's outspoken political era in 2010 was this posse cut by Arizona Hip-Hop Artists who, in outrage over SB1070, reworked Public Enemy's 1991 protest masterpiece "By The Time I Get To Arizona."

1) Curren$y Pilot Talk (DD172 Records/Def Jam)

2) The Roots How I Got Over (Def Jam)

3) Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella)

4) Celph Titled & Buckwild Nineteen Ninety Now (No Sleep Recordings)

5) Moe Green Rocky Maivia: Non-Title Match (Interdependent Media)

6) Ghostface Killah Apollo Kids (Def Jam)


1) Sage Francis Li(F)e (Strange Famous Records)

2) B.o.B. presents The Adventures Of Bobby Ray (Rebel Rock/Grand Hustle/Atlantic)

3) Madlib Madlib Medicine Show #4: 420 Chalice All-Stars (Stones Throw)

4) Roc Marciano Marcberg (Fat Beats)

5) Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. (Interscope)



June 2010 Amoeba Music San Francisco Top Five

1) Chali 2na Fishmarket Part 2 (Decon Records)

2) Amp Live Murder at the Discotech (Child's Play Records/OM)

3) Drake Thank Me Later (Cash Money Records)

4) The Jacka & Lee Majors The Gobots 2 D-Boy Era (The Artist Records)

5) Messy Marv Millionaire Gangsta (Prominent House Records)

Ray Ricky Rivera (Amoeba Hollywood): Top 5 Albums of 2010


1) Aloe Blacc Good Things (Stones Throw)

2) Erykah Badu New Amerykah pt. 2 (Motown)

3) Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-a-Fella)

4) Flying Lotus Cosmogramma (Warp)

5) Sade Soldier of Love (Epic)






July 2010 Amoeba Music Berkeley Top Five


1) The Roots How I Got Over (Def Jam)

2) Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)

3) Eminem Recovery (Aftermath, Interscope, Shady)

4) Curren$y Pilot Talk (Blu Roc, Def Jam)

5) Tie between three:
  -  Drake Thank Me Later (Cash Money Records)
  -  Rick Ross Teflon Don (Def Jam)
  - Nas + Damian Marley Distant Relatives  
   (Republic, Universal)




August 2010 Amoeba Music Hollywood Top Five


1) Eminem Recovery (Aftermath, Interscope, Shady)

2) Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)

3) Rick Ross Teflon Don (Def Jam)

4) The Roots How I Got Over (Def Jam)

5) Drake Thank Me Later (Cash Money Records)

Big Boi's long delayed Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty was worth the wait from the Outkast. This great album track, "You Ain't No DJ," featured Yelawolf, who also had a good year in 2010.

1) Alpha Pup Records

2) MPMsite

3) All City Records

4) Stones Throw Records

5) Project Moon Circle

(Also be sure to check out DJ Inti's other best music of 2010 list on the Amoeblog where his picks include Die Antwoord, Onra, Lil B, and Chico Mann).






Along with the other elements of hip-hop, the b-boy/b-girl (and poppin' & lockin') part of the culture was shown much love in 2010 by the Tools of War produced True School NYC Summer Park Jam Series. Put together by Christie Z Pabon along with such hard working folks as her husband Jorge FABEL Pabon, the legendary hip-hop figure better known as Popmaster Fabel, and the series main MC, GrandMaster Caz of the legendary Cold Crush Brothers this series is one of the most uplifting events a hip-hop fan could attend. And the fact that, year after year, Christie Z and company manage to put it on for no charge to the public proves that the best things in life, indeed, are free.






The DJ element of hip-hop was also strong in 2010 with turntablists all over the globe advancing the art form; most impressively on an underground level both in the US and overseas. Galway, Ireland's Vince Mack Mahon turntablist quartet were at the center of many DJ themed events in 2010 including putting on the fun Community Skratch Games DJ battle in their West of Ireland hometown in April, releasing a turntablist compilation at that same time, and participating in the Community Skratch Tour (video above) with DJs from all over Europe.







Homeboy Sandman's "The Carpenter" off his 2010 album The Good Sun

Billy Jam's Fave 50 Albums of 2010

1) Homeboy Sandman The Good Sun (High Water/Fat Beats)
2) V/A Community Scratch Music Volume 2 (Nozl Recordings)
3) Gangrene (The Alchemist & Oh No) Gutter Water (Decon)
4) El-P Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3 (Gold Dust)
5) Ghostface Killah Apollo Kids (Def Jam)


6) V/A Whole Train OST (Goldkind Filmproduktion GmbH)
7) Tone Tank + Scott Thorough  Scott & Tone (Modern Shark)
8) V/A Return Of The DJ, Vol. VI (BOMB Hip-Hop)
9) Amp Live Murder At The Discotech (OM)
10) Reflection Eternal Revolutions Per Minute (Blacksmith/Rawkus/Warner Brothers)

 


11) Madlib Medicine Show 3-Beat Konducta in Africa (Stones Throw)  
12) Onra Long Distance (All City)
13) Rah Digga Classic (Raw Koncept)
14) Coolzey Coolzey and the Search for the Hip Hop Hearts Volume I: He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (Public School Records)
15) V/A Ninja Tune XX (Ninja Tune)


16) Sadat X Wild Cowboys II (Fat Beats)
17) Chali 2Nal Fish Market (One Records)
18) Strong Arm Steady In Search Of Stoney Jackson (Stones Throw)
19) Flying Lotus Cosmogramma (Warp)
20) DJ Babu The Beat Tape Vol. 2 (Dilated Junkie Music/Nature Sounds)

Rah Digga returned after a decade in force with her 2010 album Classic featuring this single, "This Ain't No Little Kid Rap." The New Jersey rapper was also among those featured in the Ava DuVernay directed documentary on females in hip-hop, My Mic Sounds Nice, that premiered on BET in 2010 and made the point that females are unfairly represented in hip-hop.

21) Z-Man Show Up Shut Up & Rap (Machete Vox)
22) Rob Swift The Architect  (Ipecac Recordings)
23) Murs & 9th Wonder Fornever (Fontana)
24) Freeway & Jake One The Stimulus Package (Rhymesayers)
25) Grand Invincible Cold Hand In The Dice Game (ZeroFriends)


26) RJD2 The Colossus (RJ's Electrical Connections)
27) Junk Science A Miraculous Kind Of Machine (Modern Shark)
28) Propaganda Anonymous Squat The Condos (PropAnon)
29) Rakaa Crown Of Thorns (Decon)
30) Meth, Ghost, Rae Wu Massacre (Def Jam)

31) Blockhead The Music Scene (Ninja Tune)
32) Ernest Gonzales Been Meaning To Tell You (FoF Music)
33) E40 Revenue Retrievin: Night Shift (Heavy On Grind Entertainment)
34) John Legend & The Roots Wake Up! (Columbia)
35) Pigeon John Dragon Slayer (Quannum Projects)


36) KRS-One & True Master Meta Historical (Fat Beats)
37) Roughneck Jihad E Pluribus Urine (Soothsay Records)
38) Zion I Atomic Clock (Gold Dust)
39) Atmosphere To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy (Rhymesayers)
40) Bomb Zombies Sincerely Yours (Hellfyre Records)

41) T.D.S. Mob Treacherous, Devastating, Supreme (DiggersWithGratitude)
42) Lyrics Born As U Were (Decon)
43) Naru Kwina Hip Science 101 (Hip Learning)
44) Melissa Czarnik Raspberry Jesus (Hyperdrive Motivator Productions )
45) Beans End It All (Anticon)


46) Community Education After School Special (Community Education)
47) Jack Splash King of the Beats (mix CD / no label)
48) The Herbalizer Herbal Tonic (Ninja Tune)
49) Nobody One For All Without Hesitation (Alpha Pup)
50) The Burnerz Zumbi & The Are present The Burnerz (Jah Works)

  Best use of the word "fuck" in a 2010 song goes to both Cee Lo and this hip-hop/comedy duo from
Limerick, Ireland, The Rubberbandits, whose song "Horse Outside" was a runaway surprise hit in Eire in the past few weeks after debuting on the Irish sketch comedy show Republic of Telly.