Best Of 2011: Verses
5. TI - Hear Ye, Hear Ye
I know I am 4 days late, but I’ve been busy. Here is my final favorite verse from 2011. TIP comes back from a stint in the pokey my just ripping beats left and right. After spitting freestyle after freestyle, TIP finally released some new music. Reuniting with Skateboard P and the Neptunes on the beat, TIP spits 2 verses, no hook, over a grimy ass beat. He talks about his arrest, what the streets have been saying, and public opinion about him. Honestly, the first time I heard this song, I didn’t like the beat, the second time I kept replying Pharrell’s verse but that shit was cray, after about the 9th time I let it play and I heard TIP’s verses. Damn, I felt like an idiot, like I had been going to Broncos game and leaving before the 4th quarter when Tim Tebow steps up. Because of that TIP had one of my favorite verses from 2011.
We are already 4 days into 2012 and he hasn’t stopped. Dropping a mixtape AND a guest spot on my new favorite rapper of 2012, 2 CHAINZ!!, latest single. TIP just might end up on this list again next year.
Best Of 2011: Verses
4. Nas - Outro (off Carter IV)
Nas hasn’t been nearly as active as most people this year. You can probably argue 3 Stacks deserves this spot since he was been on over 30 different songs this year, but I’ll tell you why I think Nasir Jones deserves this spot. I’ll admit, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Carter IV. I had high hopes, sadly it just felt like the same Wayne we have been getting since Carter III. The album almost felt like Carter III.5 that isn’t I hit the outro and Nas ripped his verse. This was song that I played back 10 times the first time I listened to the album. I didn’t even get to Shyne’s or Bustas verse because Nas steals the shows. He steals the show off the whole album.
Add that to Nas dropping his single off Life is Good, Nasty, which was just CLASSIC Nas. Produced by Salaam Remi who was doing his best DJ Premier impersonation, Nas just went in and merked that beat, no hook, just 4 mins of straight SPITTiNG. Nas reminded everyone this year why he is the People’s King of New York.
Enjoy his verse from Outro, I am sure you will play it back several times. I know I did.
Best of 2011: Verses
3. Kendrick Lamar - Rigamortus
Kendrick Lamar has been on fire this year. He dropped probably one of the best, if not THE best album of the year in #Section.80, he is going on tour with Drizzy, he got this remix was Busta, and Dr Dre of all people, not only co-signed him, but closed down shop on Detox for a year to take him under his wing and craft a classic album filled with rejected Detox classic records. He is a name and a person everyone should be watching out for in 2012.
This song, Rigamortus (remix), is one of my favorite songs off #Section.80. The jazzy horns, the quick flow, the word play. If you have to listen to one song from K.Dot, it should be be this one. My favorite verse comes at the end, the 3rd verse, it begins:
I rapped him and made him Casper, I captured the likes of NASA
My pedigree to fly past ya, I pass the weed to the pastor
We all are sinners, won’t you send us to bible study faster
Your hypocrite-esque reaction a blasphemy
Best of 2011: Verses
2. Big K.R.I.T. - R4 Theme Song
Another artist who had a stellar year. Big K.R.I.T. has basically become the 08/09 B.o.B. Being the go to Producer/Rapper from the south who has been some releasing hot shit. This year he released his debut album Return of 4Eva, back in March. After that, anyone who is anyone has a Big K.R.I.T beat or verse on their mixtapes/albums. He is response for T.I.’s latest song ‘I’m Flexin’, and is just putting in that work.
I chose this song because I think it represents Big K.R.I.T. very well. A hot beat, masterful flow, southern slang, it’s just that cool ass song you can drive real slow to with the top down on a Sunday night with your main chick riding shotgun, puffing on that L, while the cops drive by watching, not able to do SHIT because you got your prescription. I challenge anyone to listen to this song and NOT nod your head by the end of it and if you were in your car, you’d most likely be rewinding that first verse just to yell out, LEFT COAST and throw your dubs in the air. Actually that last part might just be me, but you get the idea.
Best of 2011: Verses
Since it’s close to the end of the year I’ve decided to start doing my Best Of’s. For the next 5 days I’ll be posting my Best Of 2011: Verses. Songs that featured one of my favorite verses of the year. In no particular order here is the first:
1. Pusha T - Tony Montana Freestyle
This was tough, trying to decide which verse from Push-a-ton was my favorite was next to impossible. From My God to Raid, Don’t Fuck With Me to Pesos Freestyle, Cook It Down, any time Pusha T spit it a verse it hotter than the last. I chose Tony Montana Freestyle because I think it does the best job at showing how well rounded of an MC Pusha T is. Not only does he use the rhyme style and cadence set forth by Future in the original, but he used it all to tell a quick tale of raising to powering and doing what has to be done to stay there, say like one Tony Montana? The punchlines are on point, he rides the beat better than Future could ever hope to, and in the end, he made a very annoying song, not only tolerable, but one of my favorites by the end of the year. For this Pusha T had my first favorite verse of the year. If he had dropped a proper album, I would have given him the artist of the year award. He put that work in and not only doubled his O but had the whole block fiending for those WMD’s.
