John's Track of the Week: Meth, Ghost & Rae's "Our Dreams"

Song: Our Dreams

Artist: Meth, Ghost & Rae

Album: Wu-Massacre

Rating: 7.0

Creating an album for the fans isn't exactly a novel concept of late. Lil' Wayne would claim every mixtape to be such a gift, and let's face it, he's made quite a few of those. Yet, for artists like Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, not only is it abnormal, but nearly unheard of to leave the confines of their normally sprawling collections of gangsta hip-hop. So when the three artists announced they'd be releasing fan album Wu-Massacre under the Meth, Ghost & Rae monicker, one wouldn't be blamed for being somewhat surprised, and at least mildly excited.

For what Wu-Massacre lacks in production value (the group has said it was recorded on virtually no budget), it excels in how comfortably the three rappers gel together. Over two years removed from Wu-Tang's last effort (2007's 8 Diagrams), it's as if they never left the studio, with their rhymes as crisp and locked-in as ever, and each artist naturally conceding to the next whenever necessary. Though exemplified on many tracks, one of the most interesting representations is on "Our Dreams," which features Inspectah Deck and Sun God, as well as a looping sample from Michael Jackson's "We're Almost There." Playing off the psychedelic vibe and MJ's vocals, the rappers mingle flawlessly within its confines to create a smooth, cool hit. Check it out below.

Best of 2009: Honorable Mention

We've reached the end of our Best Albums of 2009 countdown. Still, it's also worth noting the top 10 albums that unfortunately did not make it to our list. All of these efforts were of a high quality, yet just barely missed, so to end off our year here at Animal Noises, please feel free to peruse the list below. We hope everyone has a happy new year, and we'll see you in 2010.

40. Embryonic, The Flaming Lips

39. Phrazes for the Young, Julian Casablancas

38. Unmap, Volcano Choir

37. Loso's Way, Fabolous

36. Dissolver, Iran

35. Real Estate, Real Estate

34. In Prism, Polvo

33. Heavy Ghost, DM Stith

32. Wildlife, Headlights

31. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, Raekwon

[Previously on Animal Noises: Best of 2009: Most Anticipated Albums of 2010]

Most Prolific Artists of the Decade: #11-20

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 fourth 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.

20. Danger Mouse -- 4 LPs (as artist by name; Most recent: Dark Night of the Soul), Gnarls Barkley -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2008's The Odd Couple), Danger Doom -- 2 LPs

19. Usher -- 3 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Here I Stand)

18. Timbaland -- 2 LPs (as artist by name; Most recent: 2009's Timbaland Presents Shock Value II)

17. Modest Mouse -- 3 LPs (Most recent: 2007's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)/2 EPs

16. Beyonce -- 3 LPs (Most recent: 2008's I Am... Sasha Fierce)/3 EPs, Destiny's Child -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2004's Destiny Fulfilled)/1 EP

15. Wu-Tang Clan -- 3 LPs (Most recent: 2007's 8 Diagrams), RZA (3 LPs), GZA (4 LPs), Method Man (3 LPs), Raekwon (2 LPs), Ghostface Killah (7 LPs), Inspectah Deck (4 LPs), Masta Killa (2 LPs), U-God (2 LPs)

14. Coldplay -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends)/3 EPs

13. Eminem -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2009's Relapse), D12 -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2004's D12 World)

12. Ben Gibbard -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2009's One Fast Move or I'm Gone), Death Cab for Cutie -- 5 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Narrow Stairs)/5 EPs, The Postal Service (1 LP), All-Time Quarterback (1 LP)

11. Girl Talk -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Feed the Animals)/2 EPs

[Previously on Animal Noises: Most Prolific Artists of the Decade: #21-30]