Weekly Top 10: Mixtape Rap Songs

In the past year, we've talked a lot about mixtapes, and their ever-growing importance in the burgeoning hip-hop scene. Smaller budgets aside, artists put almost as much time and energy into these collections of tracks as they do their full-length studio albums. Mixtapes speak just as loudly about emcees' individual talents, and in many cases are even more readily accessible and widely listened to, as well as a first impression of their work. Due to this, recent mixtapes have been full of many hidden (and not so hidden) gems, that are sometimes a harder act to follow than the artists ever could have expected. Some of the songs we've listed here were hits, and others will only see the light of day as part of the pack. Top 40 or not, these are our favorites. Check out our picks below.

[Previously on Animal Noises: Weekly Top 10: Lil' Wayne]

Weekly Top 10: Lil' Wayne

If nothing else, this week's Top 10 will be topical. As 106 million people who watched the game in the United States might know, the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl this past Sunday. One of the city's most famous sons, Lil' Wayne, will be going to jail (soon?) for gun possession charges. So, with that wrap-around logic, we bring you this week's Top 10-- Lil' Wayne tracks. Enjoy below.

[Previously on Animal Noises: Weekly Top 10: Winter Songs]

Pre-Screening: Lil' Wayne's Rebirth

Album: Rebirth

Artist: Lil' Wayne

Label: Cash Money/Universal/Young Money

Rating: 3.0

When artists achieve a great amount of success, some like to start experimenting with their style and formula, even if for just a short time. Their peers' and audience's praise have given them confidence in their abilities, so why not? However, unfortunately, this can also be met with criticism when their apparent "genius" strays too far form its roots, and into uncharted, unfamiliar territory. This is where we stand with Lil' Wayne's Rebirth. Pushed back ten months from its original release date in 2009, the project was slated to be Wayne's popular foray into the rock genre. As one might have guessed, there's a reason his record execs were nervous about the public hearing this.

Fundamentally, Rebirth has more problems than positives-- by a long shot. Surprisingly, enlisting a never-was like Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz to help may end up being the least of them. At its core, the project fails from the start. Lil' Wayne, the rapper, is supposed to be able to turn himself into Lil' Wayne, the rock frontman? The issues with that concept are numerous. Wayne can't sing without the help of auto-tune, as exemplified on tracks like "Paradice." Even with that assistance, it's still barely tolerable, as his drawl-filled delivery gets blurred and buried by an undying barrage of over-the-top guitar solos.

The cliches are endless. Yes, we know that Lil' Wayne lives his life as a rock star in the most classic sense-- sex, drugs, money and alcohol being the main themes of his existence-- and that's fine. In the context of a hip-hop album, not only does it work, but works well, since the message is delivered over superior sampling and production. But here, the message is seemingly on repeat as Wayne rarely raps, and belittles his lyrical abilities to simple rhymes and the same few sound bites about love and sex. There's even an entire song ("Ground Zero") just about being really high. Either he just assembled his most random thoughts and threw them up onto the canvas that became this album, or this is Wayne's perception on rock. Regardless, the semblance of order and believability is continually challenged as he attempts everything from the sunny beach pop of "Get A Life" to "Da Da Da"'s mention of a "funky monkey," to the "hurrah" gang cheers on "One Way Trip." Equal parts poorly executed and ill advised, the overwhelming majority of Rebirth warrants no more than a few seconds of listening to understand its purely ridiculous presentation.

All that being said, the album does contain a couple tolerable moments and one would be amiss to deny their presence. "On Fire," in comparison to everything that surrounds it, is surprisingly honest and locked-in. Wayne tells us it's about sex upfront, and throughout its mashed up elements of 1980s pop and mainstream rock, it remains true to that ideal. The other favorable outcome could be the appearance of Young Money up-and-comer Shanell, who, oddly enough can sing extremely well. The problem is that she plays second-fiddle to Lil' Wayne (as anyone else would on this album) throughout her numerous appearances--most notably "Runnin"-- and anytime she does get the chance to sing, her voice is adorned with some sloppy nu metal backdrop. If you take anything good away from Rebirth, perhaps she's it.

Maybe Rebirth was doomed to fail from the start. Or perhaps every successful artist needs an effort such as this one (even The Beatles had one dud in them) to get themselves refocused on what made them great in the first place. The fact of the matter is that Rebirth ends not only being bad, but downright putrid. Based on the positive reaction to recent mixtape No Ceilings, it' s not as if Wayne has lost it. He just needed to see that he couldn't make a good rock album, to know for sure that it was true. Any other artist, and maybe this would be blasted even further, or (more likely) it never gets recorded in the first place. But now that it's all over, let's just agree that it was an unparalleled failure, and move on. Tha Carter IV can't come soon enough.

Best Track: "On Fire"

[Previously on Animal Noises: New Lil' Wayne Video, "On Fire"]

New Lil' Wayne Video, "On Fire"

Although Rebirth may never actually be released, that's not going to stop Lil' Wayne from putting out singles and videos from the (possibly fictional) album. The latest endeavor, "On Fire," is just the standard stuff for Rebirth-- guitar noodling, house parties, scantily clad women, etc. And it sounds like a mashup of hip-hop, mainstream rock and 80s pop, as we discussed in December. Quite the combination, but none too surprising anymore when it comes to Lil' Wayne's "rock" project. Check out the video below, and maybe we'll see Rebirth out sometime this year (who knows).

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best of 2009: Mixtapes]

Best of 2009: Mixtapes

Recently, the buzz surrounding mixtape releases has almost surpassed that of albums themselves. This seems like a lot to make out of a promotional variety-pack of original and recycled beats, topped with off-the-cuff rhymes. Yet, in the past year or so, we've seen more and more examples of artists who blur these lines. Emcees have put increasing amounts of time energy into these releases, sometimes even landing top radio hits like Kid Cudi with last year's "Day 'N' Nite", and "Best I Ever Had" off of this year's number one, Drake's So Far Gone. Check out our picks for Best of 2009 below.

10. Gucci Land, Gucci Mane

9. The Warm Up, J. Cole

8. Flight School, Wiz Khalifa

7. Dat Kid From Cleveland, Kid Cudi

6. Gone Fishing, The Cool Kids

5. Back to the Feature, Wale

4. No Ceilings, Lil' Wayne

3. B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray, B.o.B.

2. UKnowBigSean Vol. 2, Big Sean

1. So Far Gone, Drake

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best of 2009: Album Artwork]

Most Prolific Artists of the Decade: #1-10

Our latest list-- the Most Prolific Artists of the Decade-- looks to chronicle the most important (for better or for worse) artists of the decade. For one reason or another, be it their positive (or negative) cultural significance, landmark moments for music, staying power or otherwise, these artists mattered a great deal this decade.

In no way is this a list of our favorites of the decade. On the contrary, many of our favorites are not present, while others whom we're actually not fans of, have made the list. So without further ado, check out our the fifth (and final) part of our Most Prolific Artists list below. Next to each artist's name, you'll see a basic numeric list of all primary recordings this decade. For many of these, their impact should probably be self-explanatory. Enjoy, and if you haven't yet read our list of the Best Songs of 2009, or Best Albums of the Decade, read up on those too.

10. T.I. -- 6 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Paper Trail)/2 EPs, P$C -- 1 LP (2005's 25 to Life)

9. Conor Oberst -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2009's Outer South)/1 EP, Bright Eyes -- 8 LPs (Most recent: 2007's Cassadaga)/4 EPs, Desaparecidos (1 LP/1 EP), Monsters of Folk (1 LP)

8. Arcade Fire -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2007's Neon Bible)/1 EP

7. Justin Timberlake -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2006's FutureSex/LoveSounds), 'N Sync -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2001's Celebrity)

6. Jay-Z -- 7 LPs (Most recent: 2009's The Blueprint 3)

5. The White Stripes -- 5 LPs (Most recent: 2007's Icky Thump)/1 EP

4. Lil' Wayne -- 5 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Tha Carter III)/1 EP/10 Mixtapes

3. Animal Collective -- 8 LPs (Most recent: 2009's Merriweather Post Pavillion)/4 EPs

2. Kanye West -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2008's 808s & Heartbreak)

1. Radiohead -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2007's In Rainbows)/3 EPs

[Previously on Animal Noises: Most Prolific Artists of the Decade: #11-20]

Best Albums of the Decade: #31-40

Our countdown of the best albums of the decade continues today. As any music listener knows, there were a lot of releases this decade-- many of which struck a chord with someone, somewhere, while others failed to do so. I think it's fair to say that more music came out this decade than any other, and with that comes more difficult decisions in determining what's really best. Check out the next 10 selections below-- all album streams are courtesy of Lala.com.

40. Futuresex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake (2006)

39. Trouble, Ray LaMontagne (2004)

38. Person Pitch, Panda Bear (2007)

37. The Ugly Organ, Cursive (2003)

36. Black Sheep Boy, Okkervil River (2005)

35. The College Dropout, Kanye West (2004)

34. Anything Else But the Truth, The Honorary Title (2004)

33. Tha Carter III, Lil' Wayne (2008)

32. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco (2002)

31. In Rainbows, Radiohead (2007)

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best Albums of the Decade: #41-50]

New Lil' Wayne, "On Fire"

Just because we're dedicating all of our time to end-of-year stuff doesn't mean the music world still isn't continuing around us. Lil' Wayne's Rebirth, pushed back again, is now coming out December 21st, just in time for Christmas. The latest track off of it to hit the airwaves is "On Fire"-- an interesting juxtaposition of club hip-hop, radio rock and some 80s pop effects. Still not sure how the overall effort is going to pan out, but I suppose we'll find out soon enough. Check it out over at Rap Radar. Rebirth comes out December 21st via Cash Money/Universal/Young Money.

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best Songs of 2009 That We Left Out: Lil' Wayne's "Hot Revolver"]

Best Songs of 2009 That We Left Out: Lil' Wayne's "Hot Revolver"

Song: Hot Revolver

Artist: Lil' Wayne

Album: Rebirth

Year: 2009

Who would have thought that after a string of wildly successful hip-hop LPs and mixtapes, Lil' Wayne would come back to us in 2009 with a rock album? We did . . . in April, and then again in September, and now hopefully later in December. Release date changes aside, what we have heard has been interesting to say the least and "Hot Revolver" is, hands-down, the standout.

This one makes the list for a few reasons. For one, it isn't half bad. Whether Wayne can actually play a guitar or sing is debatable, but he does know how to put an honest and unique effort forward. And where he lacks in skills, he makes up for with his attitude and persistence in his art. Check it out below.

New Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, "Successful" (Feat. Lil' Wayne, Drake and Trey Songz)

Seriously? I don't mind humorously singing along to "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" every once in awhile any less than the next guy, but I've got to ask: Lil' Wayne, why are you doing this? If Weezy truly is the "greatest rapper alive," as his Twitter page claims, then why is he making a guest appearance on Soulja Boy Tell 'Em's newest track? Even worse, he drags Drake in. It would appear that the new mandate in hip-hop is to include Wayne, but if he wants to continue at the level he's at, he has to abandon this strategy now. Besides that, this song is all about gettin' money, smoking, swag and tattoos. And it's not all that good. You can check it out below if you want though.

Weekly Top 10: Summer Songs

In keeping with the feature we relaunched last week, we'll be posting up 10-track playlists on Thursdays every week from now on. These playlists are themed in some way, and this time we chose summer. So enjoy. Oh, and my apologies for not having the actual Beatles version of "Here Comes the Sun". Imeem doesn't have most of the band's catalog, so hopefully George Harrison and Paul Simon will suffice.

New Lil' Wayne, "Kobe Bryant"

I hate Kobe Bryant. I don't hate Lil' Wayne. Thus, I'm torn here, as I'm sure others are when confronting not one, but two polarizing figures on one track. Anyone who was lazing about the interwebs last week probably caught thsi one already, but since Pitchfork put up an official stream and whatnot, I figured it'd be worth mentioning. You'll also be happy to know that Weezy actually raps here, which is a stark contrast to what he's been doing lately- what with the "rock album" and his budding career at ESPN, you'd almost forget he rapped. "Kobe Bryant" is not great, nor is it terrible. Rather, it's somewhere in the middle. I'll let you decide for yourself though. Check it out over at Pitchfork.

Lil' Wayne on ESPN's Around the Horn

My first question: How did I miss this?!?!  I'm a big fan of Around the Horn, so my lack of seeing this sort of baffles the mind.  For those who are unaware. Around the Horn is one of two roundtable discussion type shows on ESPN that air weekdays (the other being Pardon the Interruption).  Lil' Wayne's successful foray into sports bloggerdom has done wonders for the network, and Lil' Wayne, so cross-promotion has sort of become a regular thing.  After a successful stint on First & 10, this just seemed like the next logical step, and I for one, am impressed by how well he fared (even though the cards were stacked in his favor by host, and one of my favorite ESPN personalities, Tony Reali).  The next move after this would be giving him one of the host seats for a night on PTI.  Until then though, I can only imagine the hilarity that would ensue.  Still, apologies again for a post that's a bit off-topic.  Here's the link to Weezy's blog archive, which ESPN finally decided to take care of.

Grammys Performances

In a quick follow-up to last night's post on the Grammys, I figured I'd add the videos from two of the more notable live performances.  Radiohead's use of the USC Marching Band is interesting, and admittedly, I would probably criticize any other artist for doing it.  For some reason though, it works for this rendition of "15 Step".  And then there was "Swagga Like Us".  I'm stil undecided as to how I feel about this one.  I guess the black and white thing was cool, but, the song just seemed a bit off.  Plus, we probably could have done without the very pregnant M.I.A.  Anyway, check out the videos below.

Congrats to the 2009 Grammys Winners

Normally I'd just ignore the Grammys, but this year, it seemed that the powers that be went out of their way to actually listen to music, rather than just base it upon radio play and record sales.  That being said, I wanted to congratulate the following Animal Noises mainstays for their respective awards, as well as laugh at Katy Perry and the Jonas Brothers for failing to win awards.

Animal Noise Congratulates:

Kings of Leon

Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group with Vocals, "Sex on Fire"

Radiohead

Best Alternative Music Album, In Rainbows

Best Boxed Set or Special Limited Edition Package, In Rainbows

Lil' Wayne

Best Rap Solo Performance, "A Milli"  

Best Rap Song, "Lollipop" (Feat. Static Major)

Best Rap Album, Tha Carter III

Jay-Z, T.I., Lil' Wayne & Kanye West

Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group- "Swagga Like Us"

New Lil' Wayne, "Prom Queen"

In some very interesting news this morning, Stereogum tells us that Lil' Wayne will be putting out a "rock record" called Rebirth.  The first single from this album, apparently, is "Prom Queen," which you can find either here at Stereogum, or at Lil' Wayne's MySpace as of tomorrow (1/27).  I've heard the song, and I have to say, I'm intrigued, and maybe even a bit baffled.  It seems to start out with one of those crappy, generic radio rock intros that I make a living out of hating on, but then Weezy hops in with the auto-tune.  For me, the verdict's still out on this one, as I'm going to need to hear the song a couple more times, and would like to hear the record as a whole before passing judgement.  Rebirth will be out via Cash Money/Universal/Young Money on April 9th.  Start the countdown and get excited.

Lil' Wayne on ESPN's 1st & 10

Maybe it's not completely relevant to what we do here, but I thought this was necessary to post after seeing it a couple days ago.  Earlier this week, Lil' Wayne (who has a blog on ESPN.com, if you didn't know), was on ESPN's 1st & 10.  Not only did he provide an intelligent critique of the flawed BCS system, but also made a Super Bowl pick.  Part of his spot is shown here.  Here's a link to Weezy's most recent piece for the Worldwide Leader, since they've yet to add his name to the site's blogger index.

Best of 2008: #20, Lil' Wayne

Rank: #20

Album: Tha Carter III

Artist: Lil' Wayne

Label: Cash Money/Universal/Young Money

At #20 is Lil' Wayne, and his grammy-nominated album, Tha Carter III.  And I know what people may be thinking- "Number 20?  That's it?"- and I hear you.  Trust me, this is where the album belongs, but I will say that it is the best hip hop album of the year that lacks pop or rock appeal, and is absolutely deserving of its grammy nomination.  This year, III has been able to do what most records could not, which is kick ass.  From start to finish, Weezy lays down track after track of pure gold, with his signature southern drawl and nearly incomparable flow.  Oh, and he's probably one of the most famous people in the country now, if you didn't know.  The dude's got his own blog on ESPN! (which is great, by the way).

Without a doubt, III possesses what I feel is one of the best intros ever.  Check that- the first two tracks may form one of the best intros ever.  The first, "3 Peat" jumps right into it, setting the tone and giving the record the initial burst of energy which is contagious for the first four or five tracks.  Then, the year's best rap song, "Mr. Carter" happens.  This grammy-nominated gem is basically Wayne's coming out party, for those who didn't know him before.  It features hip hop legend, Jay-Z, and is where Lil' Wayne seems to be at his best, and most comfortable.  Even though his claims that he should be mentioned with 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G. and the aforementioned Jay-Z are a bit of a reach at this point, he may just get there at this pace.  Comparisons- T.I., Young Jeezy, The Game 

Best Track: "Mr. Carter"