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]

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]

Best Songs of 2009: #11-20

It's the homestretch of our countdown of the 50 best songs of 2009. Surely you'll be able to find a favorite or two of yours amongst the collection of tracks we've assembled. If not, sorry to hear it, but give the following a good listen.

20. "Die Slow" -- HEALTH (stream via Pitchfork)

19. "Vacationing People" -- Foreign Born (via Pitchfork)

18. "The Girl and the Robot" -- Röyksopp

17. "Wilco (The Song)" -- Wilco

16. "Repeaterbeater" -- Mew (via Pitchfork)

15. "What Would I Want? Sky" -- Animal Collective

14. "Stillness Is the Move" -- Dirty Projectors (via Pitchfork)

13. "Life In Marvelous Times" -- Mos Def

12. "While You Wait For the Others" -- Grizzly Bear

11. "Pretty Girls (Feat. Gucci Mane)" -- Wale

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best Songs of 2009: #21-30]

Best Songs of 2009: #21-30

With the third day of our list of the best songs of 2009 comes a slightly more critical lens. With just 20 tracks to go after these, the questions will undoubtedly begin to mount about what was "forgotten," etc. And that's fine. Just understand that nothing was "forgotten"-- just not liked as much as the other songs on here. Sit back and enjoy.

30. "Drain the Blood" -- The Rural Alberta Advantage

29. "One Wing" -- Wilco

28. "Radio Kaliningrad" -- Handsome Furs

27. "Left & Right in the Dark" -- Julian Casablancas

26. "Warm Heart of Africa (Feat. Ezra Koenig)" -- The Very Best (via Pitchfork)

25. "Walkabout (Feat. Noah Lennox)" -- Atlas Sound (via Pitchfork)

24. "Slow With Horns/Run For Your Life" -- Dan Deacon

23. "Chillin' (Feat. Lady Gaga)" -- Wale

22. "Summertime Clothes" -- Animal Collective

21. "Andrew" -- Crystal Antlers (via Pitchfork)

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best Songs of 2009: #31-40]

Pre-Screening: Wale's Attention Deficit

Album: Attention Deficit

Artist: Wale

Label: Allido/Interscope

Due Out: November 10th

The hype surrounding hip-hop newcomers Drake, Kid Cudi and Wale has been at a fever pitch for months. From hit mixtapes, to skyrocketing singles, tours and collaborations with the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil' Wayne, amongst others, all three have firmly entrenched themselves into our consciousness in the lead-up to their respective freshman releases. In the case of Wale's Attention Deficit however, the up-and-coming rapper has managed to temper some of the expectations surrounding his other two counterparts. Compared with the stratospheric bar set for Drake and Cudi, Wale has had the luxury of operating a little more under-the-radar. But has that been a boon to the finished product? There's no definitive answer, really.

Wale's debut is equal parts greatness and tragedy. Starting with the positive, the album is littered with radio-worthy singles, the likes of which you'll surely be hearing incessantly over the next few months. Tracks like "Pretty Girls" which features Gucci Mane, "Chillin'" with Lady Gaga and "Let It Loose" which features Pharrell are your standard pop-influenced hip-hop, made in the mold of nearly every hit of the past few years. And that's not to discredit the tracks either. The first two tracks, both of which have been heard by many listeners already, are not just lyrically sound, but musically appealing as well. The heavy beats in both, mixed with the electronic and jazzy background in "Pretty Girls" make for intriguing listens atypical of these types of releases. As much as the lyrics for "Let It Loose" lack, due to the overdone concept of girls partying with rappers, Pharrell's production skills more than compensate, and actually save the song from a far worse fate.

Away from the mainstream hip-hop sound he hones so well on the aforementioned songs, Wale also flirts with a ton of experimentation, mostly in the form of funk, R&B and jazz influences. As much as songs like the opener, "Triumph," and its successor, "Mama Told Me" are filled with heavy doses of lyrical braggadocio, one cannot fail to ignore the music flitting away behind it all. On the opener, it's scattershot percussion, saxophone and electronic organ guiding the way through a jazzy, relaxed scenery that would be the perfect introduction for an album that stayed on that level. Same goes for the second track, using cool, smooth R&B sampling and a steady staple of jazz elements to create a unique and interesting mashup of hip-hop and jazz.

But unfortunately for Wale, he fails to ever establish what Attention Deficit is essentially about. The tracks just discussed do draw positive attention-- either for popular appeal or instrumental execution-- but the underlying theme is a lack of a clear vision.

Other songs on the album are similarly schizophrenic. Emotional ballads like "90210" and "Contemplate" touch on real feelings and issues for the artist, and he actually seems quite comfortable expressing them. However, surrounding these selections are misguided efforts at being Mr. West, such as "Mirrors," featuring Bun B., and "World Tour," in which he holds the second-best contribution behind Jazmine Sullivan. Add in the continuous, unrelated pop culture name drops and sports references (at one point he actually talks about Chris Childs), and you're sort of wondering where to turn by the end.

It's not so much that something should be taken away from Wale's debut for his lack of direction, but when he excels so much on slower, more modest tracks ("Diary," "Beautiful Bliss"), yet insists on telling the world how good he is in a much less effective manner, it's hard not to be frustrated. Wale doesn't seem lost, so much as curious as to where his sound can take him. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, mind you. However, for many who are being exposed to the artist for the first time, it may be hard to tell what to expect from him.

On the final track, "Prescription," Wale approaches his last messages to us in the form of a more underground freestyle, over club-style jazz. As engaging as the background is, you end up getting distracted by his rhyming, which pales in comparison in this case. He also makes sure to tell us before it's over that his next album will be better. With time and experience under his belt for the next effort, I'd surely hope so for this up-and-coming face of hip-hop in the years to come. Similarities include Kid Cudi, J. Cole and Big Sean.

Rating: 7.5/10

Best Track: "Pretty Girls" (Feat. Gucci Mane)

[Previously on Animal Noises: John's Track of the Week: "Chillin'" (Feat. Lady Gaga)]

John's Track of the Week: "Chillin'" (Feat. Lady Gaga)

Song: Chillin'

Artist: Wale

Album: Attention: Deficit

Year: 2009

I've noticed a considerable lack of hip-hop coverage here at the site all year, in terms of fairly current stuff, so this is my attempt at changing that. Not to take all the blame, the first half of the year in rap was okay at best. But luckily, the second half has hope (lots of it). Among the albums expected from now until the end of the year are new collections by Jay-Z, Raekwon, Drake, Kid Cudi and today's artist, Wale. Of the three big up-and-comers, it's debatable that Wale is the least-hyped, compared to Cudi and Drake, but perhaps that's about to change. Wale's been recording since 2006, becoming a fixture in the D.C.-Maryland hip-hop scene and putting out three separate mixtapes. Unlike his previously-mentioned peers, his raps focus more on meaningful thought, and have a more underground feel. This has led to comparisons to Mos Def and Talib Kweli, but I'll leave that judgment until his debut drops later this year.

On "Chillin'," Wale's first national-exposure single, he features Lady Gaga and a myriad of D.C. local references to put together his most club-oriented track yet. References to everything from football to Superbad, and homages to Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" and Audio Two's "Top Billin'," not only make it topical, but show Wale's consciousness of the pop culture and music scenes around, and before him. That's probably one of the big draws of Wale, epitomized not here, but actually on his last compilation, The Mixtape About Nothing. Wale draws from Seinfeld, of all places as inspiration, and even gets Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine Benes) to do a skit on the album. For those looking for Attention: Deficit, it's out via Allido Records/Interscope on October 20th.