Vitamin Def @vitamindef - Tumblr Blog

This 1 Earl Sweatshirt track > 16 To Pimp a butterfly tracks.

Big AES! Can he do no wrong recently? The beat, the flow, the words, the presence.. all on point!

1) "Here we go again" by Lil Boosie.

I just had to. This song is so relevant in 2014, not much else can touch it. The way the beat stutters and trips, the pain in his voice, Boosie can definitely rap his ass off. As mentioned previously, I think Boosie taps into a lot of the pain and injustice in the US and around the World and vents it so vividly on this track. That alone deserves the #1 spot.

#best rap #lil boosie #life after deathrow #here we go again

2) "Eww" by Young Thug.

Thugger won 2014. This was his year. He's been everywhere (here and here) but "EWW" is him at his best. I just wish Eww would be pressed on wax for the sake of longevity - the youtube compression and bitrate trimming doesn't allow the song to breathe and bump like it's supposed to. But it's still a monster. A beast.

#best rap #young thug #eww #ewwx3 #EWW EWW EWW

3) "The Fall" by Lil Boosie.

After being in prison since 2009, Boosie is released and whips the industry back into a frenzy with his Life after Deathrow tape. The raw emotion and authenticity of Boosie is so evident on this tape, it's impossible to dismiss or ignore. I mean, who else is rhyming about their diabetes? This track is like the polar opposite of that "Lifestyle" hit.

For me, the top 5 best raps of the year are on this tape (but that would make for a boring list). So I have to make sure you also hear "No Juice" and "I'm With Ya".

#best rap #lil boosie #Boosie Badazz #the fall #life after deathrow

4) "Lifestyle" by Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug, and Birdman.

Quan is easily the most improved rapper of the year and Thugger just keeps impressing the rest of us. Nothing else sounded like the "Rich Gang" mixtape this year. The gold plated, whispy, shimmery beats helped it stand-out from the rest of the trap infused, Lex Luger sound. Yes, it;s easy to parody. Yes, they have flows. A lot can be said of Birdman's business sense too. Wayne mad.

#best rap #rich gang mixtape #lifestyle #Young Thug #rich homie quan #birdman

5) "Progressive 3" by Vince Staples.

The 21 year-old dropped the Shyne Coldchain vol 2 tape back in March and easily made this onto the top 5 rap songs of the year. Staples, ever since rapping on Earl's epaR track 4 years ago had caught my attention, but he's outgrown the Odd Future label and pushes the boundaries of conscious rap. Here's the hoping 2015 makes him a household name.

#best rap #vince staples #progressive 3 #shyne coldchain

6) "Try me" by Dej Loaf.

I'm positive this track will be on many people's end of the year lists. We are in an age when Drake's instagram feed has more power over the record industry and airwaves than anyone actually owning the labels and radio stations has. Strange times indeed. However, Dej deserves hype. The track is infectious and 2015 is sure to be big for the young Detroit MC. Her whole vibe (not content) throws me back to that "5 o'Clock in the morning" by Nonchalant from 1995.

#best rap #dej loaf #try me #nonchalant

7) "No black person is ugly" by Lil B.

TYBG. B has always had that authentic positive vibe going for him, and no other track exemplified it more than this in 2014. Especially at a time when race relations in US flared up across the country. Justice, please.

#best rap #lil b #no black person is ugly #tybg

8) "Jazz" by Mick Jenkins.

More conscious rap music, with substance and depth. Had his earlier single "Martyrs" dropped in 2014, it would've made it on the list too. Smooth, good wordplay, and concept - the way rap should be.

#best rap #mick jenkins #jazz

9) "CRWNS" by Armand Hammer.

The song and visuals make for some legit social commentary on recognizing the "real" kings. Which ones are in control? and which ones made the US great? Elucid's beat is also so very nice.

#best rap #armand hammer #crwns #elucid

10) "Circles" by SD.

The beat, flow, and whole vibe is on some lunacy tip. I personally don't know much about SD, besides that he's part of Keef's click. This track limps. It blurps. It's slurred. It's way good!

#best rap #sd #circles

As 2014 comes grinding to an end, I think it's only right to try and do a top 10 best rap wrap-up. Before getting into the highlights, let's recap the let downs.

I went into RTJ2 with a lot of hope and high expectations. What we got was a bunch of duds and a song about dicks. The whole pseudo-sophisticated-aggro vibe for the Pitchfork yuppies is so tired at this point, that I hope RTJ3 doesn't even drop. Big let down.

I was also eager to hear Oxymoron this year, after Q's hype and promise. But the only joint worth a nickel on the tape was "Break the Bank".

Pinata was also weak. Gibbs and Madlib make music for short attention spans, and Gibbs playing that whole 30 year old grumpy rappers (Wale, the Game) man-child shit is done. He's too bitter, sour, and in-compassionate to be the next Scarface or Bun B - however much the blogosphere is propping him up to be. Boosie, on the other hand, proved himself this year - but he'll get overlooked.

I won't list Keef as a straight disappointment, but he needs to polish his sound more before releasing music. There are lots of bizzaro fresh ideas on those tapes. But the majority are too drugged-out to get through let alone make it to my top ten. I do appreciate his drive and ability to not get boxed in though. The *coughing fit* on "war" shows how punk rock he really is.

Tomorrow, my pick for #10 will go up. Stay tunafish.

#best rap

In light of Brown, Garner, Rice, and countless others - named and unnamed.. I hear you. So does Boosie.

#lil boosie #boosie badazz #rap #concious #authentic