Author: Money Mike

As someone who is not a fan of the basic-element hip-hop that has been clogging radio airwaves and video channels for the best part of the past fifteen years, I gotta say Lupe Fiasco is a breath of fresh air. ANYONE who’s not one-dimensional is a breath of fresh air. The Chicago MC can definitely spit-as inconsistent (and way too long) as his last album, “The Cool” was, Lupe remains an engaging listen and I was very happy when the album went Gold. Maybe there’s a spot in the mainstream for intelligent hip-hop after all.

Anyway, the Grammy-winning artist has been spouting off in the media about potential retirement for some time now. As is generally the case with musicians who announce retirement, he’s full of shit. He’s backed off of the threats lately, and has returned to bless us with a new mixtape called “Enemy of the State”. You can pretty much download it anywhere (I would imagine most of you readers are more savvy about shit like that than I am).

What’s exciting me even more than the mixtape is Lupe’s website. Ostensibly promoting his forthcoming album “Lasers”, it also announces a mission statement of sorts. Seeing things like this makes me proud to be a hip-hop fan. I will definitely be checking for this release in the new year.

For the past few years, British pop icon George Michael has been spending more time getting arrested and falling asleep at the wheel than he has making music. His last album, “Patience” came out five years ago, and failed to recapture the talent that made albums like “Faith” and the incredibly underrated “Listen Without Prejudice” so great.

“December Song” appears to be a one-off holiday track from George. The animated video is quite imaginative, giving us the flavor of those holiday specials from yesteryear. That said, though, the song itself is boring as hell. George’s music has lost much of its’ pep in recent years and the fact remains that he hasn’t put out a consistently good record since 1996!! 1996!!! (repeated for emphasis) It’s definitely no “Last Christmas”. That’s for sure.

Anyhow, check out “December Song” and let us know what you think.

Hey Readers…hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and you’re recovering from either food coma or getting trampled on in the midst of Black Friday madness.

On Wednesday (or was it Tuesday? I forget…), I gave you guys a look at Popdose.com’s list of the 100 Best Songs of the past 10 years. Well, continuing in that realm, the site has also published a list of the 100 Best Albums of the decade. I won’t give away the results, you’ll have to check them out yourself, but it’s definitely an interesting read.

Here’s my own list of the decade’s Top 50 albums. If you’re aware of my musical tastes, I don’t think you’ll be too surprised by my selections. It is WAY too much work to offer individual commentary, but if you have any questions about why something may or may not have been included, feel free to ask!!

(*note…I seriously fucked up with the original list…I made two glaring omissions which have since been corrected. Thanks, Greg)

1) Back to Black/Amy Winehouse

2) The College Dropout/Kanye West
3) Parachutes/Coldplay
4) Phrenology/The Roots

5) The Blueprint/Jay-Z
6) Be/Common
7) Continuum/John Mayer
8) Late Registration/Kanye West
9) Get Behind Me Satan/The White Stripes
10) Cookie-The Anthropological Mixtape/Meshell Ndegeocello
11) Sea Change/Beck

12) Garden State Soundtrack/Various Artists
13) Comin’ From Where I’m From/Anthony Hamilton

14) Trouble/Ray LaMontagne

15) The Black Album/Jay-Z
16) Heavier Things/John Mayer
17) White Ladder/David Gray
18) Daylight/Duncan Sheik

19) Night Ripper/Girl Talk
20) Once Again/John Legend
21) Since We Last Spoke/RJD2
22) Instant Vintage/Raphael Saadiq
23) Give Up/The Postal Service
24) Rockin’ the Suburbs/Ben Folds

25) Twentysomething/Jamie Cullum
26) Good News for People Who Love Bad News/Modest Mouse

27) Guero/Beck
28) Now/Maxwell
29) A Beautiful World/(Robin) Thicke

30) Maroon/Barenaked Ladies
31) Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor/Lupe Fiasco
32) The Tipping Point/The Roots
33) The Way I Feel/Remy Shand
34) Electric Circus/Common

35) Stankonia/Outkast
36) Welcome Interstate Managers/Fountains of Wayne

37) Graduation/Kanye West
38) The Marshall Mathers LP/Eminem
39) Voodoo/D’Angelo
40) American Idiot/Green Day
41) It Won’t Be Soon Before Long/Maroon 5
42) Gold/Ryan Adams

43) Donuts/J. Dilla
44) Hip Hop is Dead/Nas

45) O/Damien Rice
46) AOI: Bionix/De La Soul

47) Extraordinary Machine/Fiona Apple
48) Who is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds Vol. 1/Jill Scott
49) Year of the Gentleman/Ne-Yo
50) Because of the Times/Kings of Leon