Why does everyone care so much about the Haiti earthquake?

Let me get this out of the way immediately: I think the media attention on the horrible situation in Haiti and the American public's overwhelming response in the way of aid is truly wonderful and I applaud it immensely.

However, read the following paragraph:

An area that is already economically despondent is hit with a giant earthquake that kills between 50,000 and 100,000 residents and creates a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions.

Sounds like the current situation in Haiti, right?

Well, it could also describe the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, a country very important to the American effort in Afghanistan and the Global War on Terror. Here is a snippet from a general report on that quake:

This was the deadliest earthquake in the recent history of the sub-continent resulting in more than eighty thousand casualties, two hundred thousand injured, and more than 4 million people who have been left homeless. The adverse effects of this earthquake are estimated to be larger than those of the tsunami of December 2004.

As Pakistanis, Afghans and other residents of Kashmir and the surrounding area were left homeless through a brutal winter following the earthquake, American media kept finding more important stories, and the American people never seemed to rally to the cause.

That paragraph could also describe the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China, which affected a very rural swath of Chinese countryside and killed about 70,000 people, a large number of which were children who were attending school in shoddily built structures. A year after the attack, there were reports that millions were still homeless. But the American media let this story go quickly after it happened, reporting more about the effect on pandas than the gigantic effort to save people ruined by the quake.

Neither of these earthquakes and subsequent human misery prompted the outpouring of American support and media attention that the Haitian disaster is receiving. All the major national media outlets in the United States continue to lead with the Haiti story every day, while the American people continue to open their checkbooks and hearts for the Haitian people.

So why Haiti and not China or Pakistan?

I would say that it is simply a matter of "Close to home, close to heart". While the other two countries are way over in the Eastern Hemisphere, Haiti sits directly underneath the U.S., so American media could find it to be more important. As well, there is a large Haitian immigrant community. However, as I have discussed on my blog previously, most U.S. newspapers focus their international coverage on the Middle East and Asia, to the detriment of nearby countries and regions such as Mexico and South America. And there are more Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans in this country than Haitians. As well, with Pakistan's immense importance to the Global War on Terror, that country's 2005 crisis deserved as much attention as Haiti is receiving.

Maybe it's guilt. Haiti has faced economic and political problems for decades, as well as a string of deadly hurricanes. Meanwhile, the United States has continued to send Haitian immigrants back on their way when they attempt to seek refuge here while accepting lighter-skinned Cubans, supposedly because of Cuba's Communist government. Possibly now we are paying Haiti back for ignoring it all this time.

Truthfully, I have no idea why we, as Americans and as the media, ignored Pakistan and China yet are giving our full attention to Haiti. When I was a newspaper editor, I pushed for continuing coverage of the earthquakes, as I worked in an area (San Francisco) that was earthquake-prone with a large immigrant population. After just a couple days, my entreaties fell on deaf ears, as there was some new buzzy story, probably involving an Austrian man who kept his daughter in the basement or some minor happening in Iran, that came along to push it out of the way.

I am proud of the media and American public for focusing on this disaster and doing what they can to help. I just wish I didn't have to wonder why they don't do it every time.

The 2009 mixtapes

Every year, I put together a mixtape of some of my favorite hip-hop, then push it on my friends like a crack dealer. What can I say? I like sharing good hip-hop, especially with people who otherwise wouldn't listen to anything but 80s hair metal or the same playlists they made four years ago.

Here's the playlist from my main 2009 mixtape, which I will probably hand you if I see you.

Since I've been working from home, I've had a little more time to download and listen to new music, so I also managed to put together a non-hip-hop 2009 mix. There's a couple of extra hip-hop mixes thrown in at the end for good measure.

THE YEAR IN HIP-HOP: 2009

1. "New Wu" - Raekwon, featuring Ghostface Killah and Method Man

Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II" was my favorite album of the year, so this track gets the coveted lead-off spot.

2. "Broken Van (Thinking of You)" - CunninLynguists, featuring Mac Lethal

If Wu-Tang didn't get you into the album, the haunting Leon Russell sample that dominates this track won't fail.

3. "The Don Cheadle Effect" - Skyzoo

Following up a very complex track with one that's just about rhyming. Four awesome short verses here, including one taking on all of Cheadle's notable roles.

4. "American Nightmare" - BK-One, featuring Brother Ali and Scarface

Um, if you know my musical proclivities, you know that Brother Ali and Scarface on the same track will get my interest. If you've heard this song, you know why it's on here. Awesome shit.

5. "Auditorium" - Mos Def, featuring Slick Rick

6. "Stimulus Plan" - Dead Prez

7. "I Heard It Today" - Mr. Lif

The annual political section of this mix. Hard to choose the best part of this triple play. There's Mos Def lamenting the nation "going through the motions" and "dimmin' down the focus" and Slick Rick imagining himself as a soldier in Iraq, having a kid tell him "Gimme oil or get the fuck out my country!" Dead Prez tells us "It's the American way/Imperialism, have it your way/Whatever it takes/Whoever gets fucked in the process, that's OK". The most pointed comments, however, may be from Mr. Lif, with "They were willing to give people with bad credit loans/cause they knew within a few years we're out of our homes/then they can buy up all the same property they sold us/for the wealthy and maniacal, the shit was a gold rush".

8. "Whatcha Wanna Do" - DJ Quik and Kurupt

Well, I needed something light after the political stuff, and this song makes me crack up. I may have to sub this out for some copies, but any song that answers the title question with "Trying to drink, trying to smoke/and after that, I'm trying to poke" is OK by me.

9. "Popularity" - Skyzoo

10. "90210" - Wale

A couple of songs by amazing rhymers dealing with fame and what it means.

11. "Reality TV" - J Dilla featuring Black Thought

12. "White Noise" - Atmosphere

Two songs dealing with the inanity of television. Black Thought tells us "My head's so spinnin'/I'm so through with women/who watch reruns of The Real World with dinner/and Kim Kardashian, moms and Bruce Jenner." Atmopshere gets a little deeper with "Surf the shit, I'd rather watch the commercials/Program a nation of clones/Subliminal seeds, watch them grow/So tune in for next week's show/Like if it wasn't on, what the fuck would you know?"

13. "Refuse to Lose" - Dead Prez, featuring Chuck D and Avery Storm

This song refuses to get out of my head. I figured the rest of you deserve the same fate.

14. "Never Come Down (The Brownie Song)" - CunninLynguists

15. "Smoke" - J Dilla, featuring Blu

A couple of great songs that glorify smoking weed. Don't do drugs, kids.

16. "Crown Jewel" - Brother Ali

I can't believe I went this far without a song from Brother Ali's "Us" album, but the awesome horns and laid-back, laconic rhymes in this track make up for it.

17. "Fire Wood Drumstix" - J Dilla, featuring DOOM

Nothing better to break up some mixtape monotony than a quick minute-and-a-half DOOM rhyme over a J Dilla beat.

18. "Catalina" - Raekwon, featuring Lyfe Jennings

One of those old Raekwon crime joints, as Slick Rick says on the album. Great video, too, you can check it out up top.

19. "Mega" - BK-One featuring Aceyalone, Myka 9 and Abstract Rude

Always on the verge of getting edited off this album, but I just like it too much. Great beat with Brazilian flavor, great rhymes.

20. "Bad Mufucker Pt. 2" - Brother Ali

He really is.

21. "Samsonite Man" - Fashawn, featuring Blu

California's 2009 Rookie of the Year pairs with Blu, who took that award in 2007, for a track about always being on the move that speaks to me after I spent 2009 constantly headed somewhere. The "Ramblin' Man" of '09 hip-hop.

22. "Streets" - CunninLynguists, featuring Sean Price and Poison Pen

I described the sample on "Broken Van" as haunting, but the sample of Peter Skellern's "You're a Lady" on this track will not just haunt you, it will worm its way into your dreams ...

Yes, that all fits on one 80-minute CD, just barely. If I can fit them, I've cut some snippets of J Dilla instrumentals from "Jay Stay Paid" to fit in between some tracks.

THE YEAR IN NON-HIP-HOP: 2009

Here's another mixtape for you, with much less discourse. A couple notes: Yes, there are a couple tracks with rappers on them, but they're mostly rock with some rhymes, so I fit them on here. As for the Wale/Lady Gaga song, I refused to consider that hip-hop; it is straight pop, but some people will like it, so I included it. I do know that Kurt Cobain has been dead for a decade so it's a little odd to have Nirvana tracks on a Best of 2009 mix, but 1) the songs are from "Live at Reading", which was released this year; 2) "Spank Thru" has never really received a proper release before this album; and 3) this version of "Lithium", with thousands of people singing along with Kurt, gives me the fn chills, the only song this year to do so, so it gets included.

1. "Soul of a Man" - Ramblin' Jack Elliot

2. "Pat" - Built to Spill

3. "Way Down" - N.A.S.A., featuring Barbie, RZA and John Frusciante

4. "Say Please" - Monsters of Folk

5. "I You We" - Circulatory System

6. "Lithium" (Live) - Nirvana

7. "Cannibal Resource" - Dirty Projectors

8. "I Can Be a Frog" - Flaming Lips, featuring Karen O

9. "Chillin'" - Wale featuring Lady Gaga

10. "Ghost of Karelia" - Mastodon

11. "Ahead of the Curve" - Monsters of Folk

12. "Got Nuffin" - Spoon

13. "Death Don't Have No Mercy" - Ramblin' Jack Elliot

14. "Daylight" - Matt & Kim, featuring De La Soul

15. "Life's a Dream" - Built to Spill

16. "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" - Green Day

17. "Temecula Sunrise" - Dirty Projectors

18. "Map of the World" - Monsters of Folk

19. "Spank Thru" (Live) - Nirvana

20. "Evil" - The Flaming Lips

THE ANDREW ADDENDUMS

Andrew is my best friend from high school and the person who has been the longest fan of my mixtapes, since I used to make them on actual cassette tapes for our car stereos back in the mid-90s. He loves hip-hop, but doesn't spend near the time I do following album releases and listening to new stuff and he's always asking me about what's good, so I made him a couple mixes I will also detail here.

Here's the problem with Andrew, though (and yes, he will read this. I don't care, he knows it). He's been Berkeley-ized, even before he moved to Berkeley. He doesn't want to listen to misogynistic, violent, overly foul-mouthed rap anymore, no matter how fun it is. So I tailor his mixes a bit differently. I call it the "Dinner Party Test" - if Andrew's got some granola-eating, hemp-wearing Sierra Club members over, will he be embarrassed by the song? If so, I try (kinda) to avoid it. He also has slightly different tastes than me generally; for instance, while I didn't like K'Naan's album much, I know he would, so I've included songs from there.

However, I also refuse to blindly accept this change in my friend, remembering us riding around NC, rapping along to Biggie, Wu-Tang and some just plain rude shit. Therefore, I made him two extra mixes, one soft and one a tad harder. I will bring him back to the dark side. You've been warned, Heather.

Andrew mix I - Perfectly OK for a dinner party - 1. "Supermagic", Mos Def 2. "Hiphop" - N.A.S.A., featuring KRS-ONE, Fatlip and Slim Kid Tre 3. "I Come Prepared" - K'Naan, featuring Damien Marley 4. "Therapy" - Alchemist, featuring Evidence, Blu, Talib Kweli and Kid Cudi 5. "Henrietta Longbottom" - Felt 6. "Nothing But Strangeness" - CunninLynguists 7. "La La La" - De La Soul 8. "Fresh Air" - Brother Ali 9. "The Mayor" - N.A.S.A. featuring The Cool Kids, Ghostface Killah, Scarface and DJ AM 10. "Untitled(LovedU)2" - Blu 11. "ABC's" - K'Naana featuring Chubb Rock 12. "Here I Am" - BK-One featuring Phonte, Brother Ali and The Grouch 13. "Don't Leave (When Winter Comes) - CunninLynguists featuring Slug 14. "TV in the Radio" - Wale featuring K'Naan 15. "Sunny CA" - Fashawn featuring Co$$ and Mistah F.A.B. 16. "Felt Chewed UP" - Felt 17. "Freshfest" - Skyzoo featuring Wale 18. "No Hay Nada Mas" - Mos Def 19. "Life as a Shorty" - Fashawn featuring J Mitchell 20. "Take a Minute" - K'Naan 21. "Move" - CunninLynguists 22. "The National Anthem" - Lupe Fiasco

Andrew Mix II - Fuck the hippies - 1. "Gun Harmonizing" - Royce the 59 featuring Crooked I 2. "Evil Deeds" - Wu Tang Clan 3. "Prepare for War" - Saigon 4. "Our Way" - Fashawn featuring Evidence 5. "Ill Figures" - Wu Tang Clan 6. "Shake This" - Royce the 59 7. "Spit" - Saigon 8. "We Will Rob You" - Raekwon featuring Slick Rick, Gza and Masta Killah 9. "Dirty Game" - Cormega 10. "Cocaine" - CunninLynguists 11. "Radiant Jewels" - Wu Tang Clan 12. "Hot Shyt" - Wale featuring Peedi Peedi, Black Thought, Tu Phace and Chris Young 13. "Survival Skills" - KRS-One and Buckshot, featuring DJ Revolution 14. "Blue Balls" - BK-One featuring Blueprint 15. "Mean Streets" - Raekwon featuring Inspektah Deck and Ghostface 16. "Deathmurdermayhem" - Felt 17. "Alphabet Soup" - Skyzoo 18. "The True & Living" - BK-One featuring Raekwon and I Self Devine 19. "NYPD" - Dead Prez 20. "Connection" - KRS-ONE and Buckshot featuring Smiff N Wessun 21 "Running Wild" - CunninLynguists featuring E-40 and Evidence 22. "Mega Fresh X" - Cormega featuring Red Alert, Parrish Smith, Grand Puba, KRS-ONE and Big Daddy Kane

Why don't newspapers care about Mexico?

In 2010, as in 2009 and 2008, I am very thankful for the Los Angeles Times. If it were not for this newspaper, the people of the United States would know nearly nothing of the near-war going on just south of us.

Since Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared war on the drug cartels that have basically run Mexico for years, our neighbor has been bogged down in violence that is bringing more immigrants to the U.S. and severely undermining the government of a country that is extremely important and extremely close.

But you wouldn't know this from the coverage these problems receive in our nation's newspapers. When four teenagers were savagely killed in Tijuana, including a young man who attended school in my girlfriend's hometown of Chula Vista, California, most newspapers ran a short brief, if anything at all. The L.A. Times and brave reporter Richard Marosi, however, went in-depth to tell their readers about the savagery directed at children and women in this town just across the border from San Diego.

This morning, when Mexico finally captured the man most likely responsible for much of the Tijuana violence, the Times splashed it as their lead item on their website, as it deserves.

What do other newspapers believe is more important in the world?

The New York Times and Washington Post are leading their world coverage with the news that an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed by a bike bomb. Does this matter as much as the stability of our closest neighbor and NAFTA partner? Not to me.

The Wall Street Journal believes the most important world news to Americans is that China is cutting the amount banks can lend. Considering how much money we make and spend in our trade with Mexico, internal Chinese financial dealings are not as important.

The most prominent world story at the San Francisco Chronicle's sfgate.com? This piece of drivel.

The death and destruction in the Mexican drug wars is immensely important to the United States. Violence will send more and more immigrants across our borders illegally, turning the Southwest into a refugee camp for innocent Mexicans attempting to protect their families from the narcos and overzealous soldiers who are destroying their lives.

Eventually, a nation spiraling out of control on our Southern border will destroy trade and create a law enforcement nightmare, with some of these gangs spilling over into Texas, Arizona and California. Even if that doesn't happen, Americans are already being targeted in Mexico, and that will only increase.

Unfortunately, only the people who read the Los Angeles Times will know about these issues. With newspapers cutting back on foreign bureaus, world news has taken a gigantic hit from the cutbacks of the 21st century. In particular, Mexico has been ignored, possibly because the narcotraficante gangs target reporters who accurately portray their brutalities and ties to local government officials.

But being a journalist means standing up to those who would threaten you in order to report to the people necessary information. And even those newspapers that can not afford a reporter in Mexico rarely play up the Associated Press stories detailing the atrocities that play out every day, ignoring our neighbor to the south for stories about Asia and the Middle East.

Most towns, especially in the West, have a substantial Mexican population that needs to know what is happening in their ancestral home, but their local newspapers continue to ignore them and this important story. Whether because of fear or ignorance, the news editors of these papers turn their back on a story that will have more of an effect on this country than any not involving American service members at work overseas.

Thank you, L.A. Times, for bucking this trend and providing readers who know the importance of your work with timely and informative updates. I hope Richard Marosi and his cohorts are well-rewarded for their work, and I hope it shames other papers into following your lead.

Wizard presents a scary vision of the future

The scariest result of Washington Wizard guard Gilbert Arenas bringing four guns into the team's locker room in D.C. wasn't his subsequent indefinite suspension (a death knell for my NBA fantasy team), the revelation that one of the guns was an "Austin Powers"-like gold-plated Desert Eagle nor the resulting prospects for the Wizards' season without their top guard.

No, the most fear in this former journalist stems from the news that the picture above was almost censored out of existence.

When I talk about the loss of so many journalists from the profession--whether by news organizations shrinking or workers like myself refusing to put up with the low pay, long hours and no recognition--many people say "So what?" Their view: Bloggers, citizen journalists and the remaining news organizations can do the same job, I won't get any less news.

Well, here is the problem. As fewer writers and photographers are covering events, news organizations are relying more on the organizations to cover themselves. In this instance, the NBA hires photographers to take pictures, then licenses Getty Images to distribute them to newspapers and other publications.

As soon as the picture of Arenas poking fun at the gun incident by making finger guns in the pregame huddle became national news, the NBA pulled it. Only through an outcry by Getty and the organizations it services did the picture re-appear.

In the future, I can guarantee you that the NBA will hire a photo editor--or, if it already has one, replace him/her---and make it a necessity of that job to not transmit any pictures to Getty that could paint the league in a bad light. Or, you know, make news.

Now, let's take this a step further. Fewer photographers and writers means more organization-originated news. As a hypothetical, let's say there are fewer photogs following around the California governor. Therefore, the state hires a shooter to follow the governor around to make sure that his preferred grip-and-grin photos with schoolchildren and dignitaries make their way to the papers to help approval ratings.

In one of these meetings, the governor makes a major faux pas, such as President Obama's deep bow to the Japanese prime minister, which caused such an uproar in 2009. You would never know about it. Nobody would ever be made aware. The picture would be destroyed or at least hidden until the governor is out of office.

This would be just a minor example. We have already seen broadcast news organizations using stories given to them directly by the government. Soon, the press releases that reporters use as leads will be turned over directly to the public, with all the slant and mistruths that companies and government organizations pay PR people to place in them.

And you, my dear friend, will be receiving less real news and more of the self-serving misinformation that the government and private businesses want you to think is the truth.

Top hip-hop albums of 2009

The uneducated among you continue to tell me that hip-hop is over. There just isn't anything coming out like the stuff I listened to a decade ago, the common refrain goes. Where's the new "36 Chambers" or "Low End Theory"?

All these people, however, aren't actually listening to the rap albums that are releasing now, they're occasionally listening to the crap that makes radio and top-40 lists.

I've got news for you all: RAP RADIO SUCKS! THE MUSIC YOU LISTENED TO WHEN YOU WERE 18 WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN WHAT YOU HEAR NOW! GET OVER IT!

Whew, glad I got that out. I'm sorry for yelling.

Anyway, when people say things like this to me, I try not to shout mean shit. Instead, I ask a simple question: Ever listen to Cunninlynguists? A ridiculously talented producer, two rappers who refuse to spit the same old shit and albums that sparkle from start to finish. Sadly, nobody listens. Same with other rappers and producers who are creating superior hip-hop, such as Murs, Brother Ali, Skyzoo, etc.

So, for all of you who think hip-hop is dead, check out these albums and then we can have a cup of coffee while I revel in my righteousness ...

1. Raekwon - "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II"

This album, more than any other that came out this year, is the easiest argument against all you late-20s, early-30s white people who think the albums that came out when you were in high school are the best hip-hop could ever accomplish.

Yes, this is better than the first "Linx". I said it. A rapper exhibiting a mature style that improves upon everything he's ever done in his 40s is completely unheard of in this game. Usually, by this age (Raekwon turns 42 next week), rappers are accepting gift spots opening for newer acts on large tours, turning in lame guest appearance on other albums and -- if they're lucky -- putting out mediocre albums that sell just because of their name (COUGHCOUGHBig Daddy KaneCOUGHCOUGHRakim).

Raekwon, however, somehow found a grown-up style that works. If anybody had played the soft-spoken, laid-back, completely coherent "Pyrex Vision" track for me in the late 90s and told me it was The Chef, I would have assumed they were dipping in the Pyrex themselves.

After a decade of stomaching mediocre to horrible solo projects from Wu-Tang members not named Ghostface, Raekwon has discovered how to switch styles, pick solid beats and craft an album from start to finish, resulting in this new classic in the Wu-Tang library.

Mixtape-worthy: Um, pretty much any song on this beast. However, "New Wu", "Cold Outside", "We Will Rob You" and "Ason Jones" are the ones showing up most often on my mixes.

2. J Dilla - "Jay Stay Paid"

Since legendary producer J Dilla, aka Jay Dee, died in February 2006, fans have been waiting for a proper posthumous release that properly lived up to his large legacy. "Donuts", released just three days prior to his untimely demise, is the best instrumental hip-hop album ever, in my humble opinion, but everything since has been mediocre. "The Shining" was just a mixtape of rappers that didn't highlight the beats or offer any truly outstanding tracks; the version of "Ruff Draft" that finally saw the light of day felt incomplete.

Fortunately, With the blessing and cooperation of J's mom, Pete Rock released this shining example of his friend's lifetime of work. Using work culled from the entirety of Dilla's career, the album includes hypnotic instrumental tracks and fully realized songs with a corps of talented rappers.

Best of all, the songs aren't all paeans to Dilla, which the man himself would have felt trite and useless. Black Thought graces one of the album's best tracks with rhymes about how much he hates reality television, while SoCal's Blu raps about his love for weed.

Thank you, Pete Rock, we've waited too long for this.

Mixtape-worthy: All of the instrumental tracks would hold up, but my favorite is "In the Night/While You Slept (I Crept)". "Reality TV" (featuring Black Thought), "Smoke" (featuring Blu) and "See That Boy Fly" (featuring Illa J and Cue D) are the best non-instrumental tracks.

3. Brother Ali - "Us"

Did somebody start slipping Prozac into Brother Ali's coffee? After years of anger, depression and frustration expertly emoted on record, this album is actually ... happy?

I guess a new woman and critical appreciation have finally brought the best albino Muslim rapper ever away from the Dark Side. And while I miss the depressing songs about his failed lovelife and angry rants about Uncle Sam, this album is damn-near perfect.

Atmosphere's Ant handles all the production duties for the third straight Brother Ali album, and its amazing that with the change in subject matter in tone from the rapper, he is able to change his style right along with it to find a rhyme/beat marriage that makes this album top-three for the year, barely beating out the No. 4 pick.

Mixtape-worthy: "Crown Jewel", "Fresh Air", "Tight Rope", "Bad Mufucker Pt. 2"

4. Cunninlynguists - The "Strange Journey" mixtapes

I have a feeling that if all the new tracks from these two mixtapes were put together into an album and Kno spent a little time remixing it, the result would jump all the way to No. 1. Released in a Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, "Strange Journey" has some of the finest production work of the year, with Kno producing a soulful yet playful sonic landscape that I just can't get enough of.

The mixtapes include all the instrumentals, live versions of some songs and remixes of some others, including a great remix of "Georgia", from their "Dirty Acres" album, with members of Goodie Mob. But its the new tracks that truly sparkle, including one of my favorite tracks of the year and a song and video that truly conveys stonededness, "Never Come Down (The Brownie Song)". While they got a little guest-happy, bringing in Slug, E-40, Witchdoctor and many others, that just shows the respect these Kentucky wildcats are deservedly garnering.

Mixtape-worthy: "Never Come Down (The Brownie Song)", "Broken Van (Thinking of You)" (featuring Mac Lethal), "Streets" (featuring Sean Price and Poison Pen), "Cocaine", the "Georgia" remix. Truthfully, I could list like five more. Just trust me on this one, you should get these albums.

5. BK-One - "Radio Do Canibal"

This is the best commercially-released, DJ-driven mixtape since Jake-One's "White Van Music". With Brazilian-influenced beats and a ridiculous list of talented guest rappers, Brother Ali's DJ produced an album that just keeps getting better every time I listen to it.

Mixtape-worthy: "Mega" (featuring Aceyalone, Myka 9 and Abstract Rude), "American Nightmare" (featuring Brother Ali and Scarface), "Blue Balls" (featuring Blueprint), "Eighteen to Twenty-One" (featuring Murs)

6. Dead Prez and DJ Green Lantern - "Pulse of the People"

I've never been a big Dead Prez fan since their first album included a song and video that seemed to support violence against public-school teachers. Dude, that's my mom you're talking about there. Also, while they tried to play themselves off as political rappers, they were really just generally angry with no real ideas besides "Fuck everything!"

However, this album brought them back into focus for me. Green Lantern proves he's more than just a mixtape DJ with an expertly helmed studio album, and the tracks range from true political commentary ("Stimulus Plan") to an emotional ode to New York ("Summer Time") and even a love song ("My Dirty Valentine"). Their best effort since their first album, and no hatred for my mom. Good job, guys.

Mixtape-worthy: "Stimulus Plan", "NYPD" (featuring Johnny Polygon), "Refuse to Lose" (featuring Chuck D and Avery Storm)

7. Skyzoo - "The Power of Words" and "The Salvation"

This one falls down the list a bit because I actually liked the mixtape "The Power of Words" more than the studio album that followed, "The Salvation". The DJ Drama and Statik Selektah-helmed mixtape really allows Skyzoo to show that he is one of the best young rappers in the game. The studio album's beats all sound the same and it bogs down because of it. However, you should get one or both of these albums because this Brooklyn-bred raper is the truth, absolutely the Rookie of the Year for me.

Mixtape-worthy: "The Don Cheadle Effect", "Freshfest" (featuring Wale), "Popularity", "Penmanship"

8. Mos Def - "The Ecstatic"

I've actually purchased every Mos Def album he's released since the back-to-back classics of "Black Star" with Talib Kweli and "Black on Both Sides". They all sucked. Not just sucked, but SUUUUUUCKED. Finally, he decided to just rap for an album, and of course I illegally downloaded it instead of paying for it. This album is good. I swear. I should be the most bitter listener, and even I can admit it.

Mixtape-worthy: "Auditorium" (featuring Slick Rick), one of my favorite tracks of the year; "No Hay Nada Mas", "Workers Comp"

9. Wale - "Back to the Feature" (with 9th Wonder) and "Attention Deficit"

Yeah, "Back to the Feature" had some horrible tracks, and his major-label debut felt like a total sell-out, but Wale still has a great rhyming style and drops more sports metaphors than any other MC, which I appreciate. Feel free to just keep spinning "Mixtape about Nothing" if you're bitter about him signing a major-label deal and putting out a single with Lady Gaga, but I'm gonna keep listening.

Mixtape-worthy: "5 Minutes" (featuring Skyzoo), "Um Ricka" (featuring K'naan), "90210", "TV in the Radio" (featuring K'naan)

10. Felt - "Felt 3 (A Tribute to Rosie Perez)"

I love Murs. I love Slug. I love the first two Felt albums. I didn't love this. It's good, but there are no standout tracks. I will continue to listen to it and maybe my opinion will change, but I expected it to be my favorite album of the year and it barely made the top-10. And I may have been nice to put it here, with so many other deserving albums listed below.

Mixtape-worthy: None, really, though the album as a whole is very listenable. This is why I'm confused.

Others worth listening to:

DJ Quik and Kurupt - "BlaQkout"; Fashawn - "Boy Meets World"; Doom - "Born Like This"; KRS-ONE and Buckshot - "Survival Skills"; Alchemist - "Chemical Warfare"; Saigon - "All in a Day's Work" (with Statik Selektah); Wu-Tang Clan - "Chamber Music"; N.A.S.A. - "The Spirit of Apollo"; Cormega - "Born and Raised"

Biggest disappointments:

Chali 2na - "Fish Outta Water": As a huge Jurassic 5 fan, let me tell you that this album is pure trash. Stick to guesting on other people's albums, Chali, cause I didn't even pay for your album and I feel cheated.

Q-Tip - "Kamaal the Abstract": We waited THAT long for THIS? I'm surprised his "experimentation" didn't involve farting into a mic. In fact, I might have liked that better.

Ghostface Killah - "Ghostdini Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City": After a decade of excellence, you're excused, Tony Stark. Just stay away from R&B from now on, OK?

Rakim - "The Seventh Seal": I didn't hate this album like most other fans. I just found it to be mediocre from start to finish, unbefitting a legend.

Zion I - "The Take Over": After spending three years telling everyone how great this Oakland group is, they put out this piece of trash. I've still got their back, but only because I've deleted the album from my hard drive ...

Non-hip-hop records I really got into:

Ramblin' Jack Elliot - "A Stranger Here": Woody Guthrie protege picks the perfect time to bring back depression-era blues/folk. "Soul of a Man" and "Death Don't Have No Mercy" are two of my favorite songs of the year.

Built to Spill - "There is no Enemy": Another solid effort, possibly my favorite album they have produced.

Dirty Projectors - "Bitte Orca": They take a few too many chances, so songs go from grooving to just plain weird sometimes, but the talent is extremely evident.

Monsters of Folk - "Monsters of Folk": I don't know why I like it, I just do.

Links: September 25, 2009

Maybe I'll be able to get back to this while job-searching ...

This is just scary stuff ...

Avalanche Skier POV Helmet Cam Burial & Rescue in Haines, Alaska from Chappy on Vimeo.

Patriots-Falcons and the premieres of these two shows: Sunday is going to be a great TV day.

I really don't see why Bruce Pearl had to apologize for this joke, I thought rural white folk were the last ethnic group one could make fun of ...

I really thought it was Dr. Phil's viewers who were the idiots, but it turns out the guests aren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the pack either.

Only in Arkansas.

Photos tell the story of the Atlanta floods. You can find a lot more from this link, this is just a recent gallery.

Who's crazier?

Stephon Marbury?



or Ron Artest?