No need to waste time, let's just get right into it. In 85, 84, 83, 82, 81...
80 “SLAUGHTERHOUSE”
Joe Budden feat. Joell Ortiz, Nino Bless, Crooked-I, Royce Da 5’9”
PRODUCED BY Scram Jones
From Halfway House (Amalgam)
Consider this “Swagga Like Us” for Webheads. A feast of tongue-in-cheek metaphors and me-against-the-world deliveries from all involved, it was more than enough to keep computers putin’.
79 “MERCY”
Duffy
PRODUCED BY Steve Booker
From Rockferry (Mercury)
Winehouse wined out. Lily Allen took the year to get right. Joss Stone stopped mattering. So Welsh siren Duffy filled the void, getting closer to ’60s girl-group pop than anyone else with this punchy on-her-knees plea.
MGMT feat. Jim Jones
PRODUCED BY MGMT
From mixtapes
Hipster rockers make modern-day Bee Gees dance classic. Labelmate Jim Jones wisely jumps on the otherwise little-known song. Boom. Cultural integration is a beautiful thing.
Sheek Louch
PRODUCED BY Red Spyda
From Silverback Gorilla (KOCH)
The LOX alum flips into a romantic, reflective mode. “Met a lot of women out there on tour / Ran through ’em all but I’m just not sure,” he muses over a poignant Betty Wright sample on this disarmingly sincere thug love song.
Mr. Vegas
PRODUCED BY Kirk Bennett
From Hot It Up (Delicious Vinyl, 2007)
After a dance craze, dozens of spin-offs, and an utterly unnecessary remix featuring Kat DeLuna and Lil’ Kim, it all comes down to the beat: a stripped-down, spring-loaded track Vegas described as “modernized mento.” Add one of dancehall’s perennial hitmakers and watch the magic.
75 “DAMAGED”
Danity Kane
PRODUCED BY Stereotypes
From Welcome to the Dollhouse (Bad Boy/ Atlantic)
Using band-aids to heal wounds probably landed DK in the damaged chick category in the first place. But the way they whisper “fix it” on this lovesick karaoke hair-tosser is enough to get on the road to recovery.
74 RIDER, PT. 2”
G Unit feat. Young Buck
PRODUCED BY Rick Rock
From T.O.S.: Terminate On Sight (G Unit/Shady/Aftermath)
50 Cent on Auto-Tune, an estranged Young Buck contributing, Tony Yayo un-surprisingly unfocused. Yet, from Fiddy’s growling intro to the rabble-rousing refrain, this is vintage Unit.
Tricky
PRODUCED BY Tricky
From Knowle West Boy (Domino)
A smoky lounge piano, tripped-up beats, and tempered whispers float eerily over an explosive, guitar-heavy chorus and the strong, feminine wail of Alex Mills. A welcome return.
Red Cafe feat. 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, & Fabolous
PRODUCED BY Zukhan Bey
From mixtapes
Five NYC MCs unleash their cleverest darts on a relentless beat. Jada sounds as if he’s swallowed a Molotov cocktail and is spitting up the damage.
Mariah Carey
PRODUCED BY M.C., Tricky Stewart, and The-Dream
FromE=MC2 (Island)
“All up in my business like a Wendy interview.” For that knowing line right there, M.C.’s No. 1 smash gets respect. She still knows how to crank out a hit when necessary.
Leona Lewis
PRODUCED BY Ryan “Alias” Tedder
FromSpirit (J)
As if to answer critics who found the Brit pop diva too cold and unfeeling, the lyrics to this smash hit are straight hemoglobin. Hearing her pour out her pain over the stark textured keyboards is an oddly draining experience. The best way to this woman’s heart is through the veins and arteries.
Ciara feat. T-Pain
PRODUCED BY T-Pain
FromFantasy Ride (LaFace/Zomba)
For once, T-Pain isn’t carrying the lion’s share on a track. Ci-Ci’s girl-power anthem is like Secret deodorant: A beat that’s strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.
68 “ARAB MONEY”
Busta Rhymes feat. Ron Browz
PRODUCED BY Ron Browz
From Back on My B.S. (Flipmode/ Universal Motown)
Never has ignorance been so joyful. Though Bussa-Bus’ pronunciation could use some help, Browz’ gibberish chorus is one of the most fascinating rap hooks ever.
Keri Hilson feat. Lil Wayne
PRODUCED BY Polow Da Don
From In a Perfect World... (Mosley Music/Interscope)
Even if she weren’t ridiculously hot, Keri’s voice alone is enough to inspire stiff boxers.
Polow lays down a track that’s got everyone ravenous for a taste.
Esperanza Spalding
PRODUCED BY Spalding
From Esperanza (Heads Up)
The bassist/vocalist gives her jazz chops a workout but manages to interweave the type of love-scorned lyrics fit for any Quiet Storm radio format. Esperanza recalls an era when jazz and pop sensibilities existed as one.
Charles Hamilton
PRODUCED BY Hamilton
From DJ Green Lantern Presents: Outside Looking (mixtape)
The pink polo-ed uptown kid’s flow is lazy enough for a recliner, but his obnoxious lyrical dexterity is anything but on this ode to BK’s finest.
Hot Stylz feat. Yung Joc
PRODUCED BY Tah Chi
From mixtapes
The beat jacks D4L, but these joke rappers are funnier, and maybe more nimble, than most anyone with a mixtape this year. Not every gag scores—poor Raz B—but batting .500 ain’t bad for a bunch of rookies.
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