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
