2009 Hip Hop Music: The Best of the Year
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2009 was an amazing year for hip hop music! Check out our blog post for a list of the best hip hop tracks of the year.
The Best Hip Hop Songs of 2009
2009 was a great year for Hip Hop music. We saw the rise of new talents and the return of some of the greats. This list will countdown the best Hip Hop songs of 2009. Get ready to enjoy some good music!
“Best I Ever Had” by Drake
“Best I Ever Had” is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake. The song served as the lead single from his second studio album, Thank Me Later (2010). It was released to radio outlets on June 15, 2009, and to digital retailers on June 16, 2009. “Best I Ever Had” peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the rap songs chart. The music video for “Best I Ever Had” directed by Kanye West was shot in black-and-white.
Drake co-wrote “Best I Ever Had” with Boi-1da, with the latter receiving credit for the track’s production. American R&B singer Trey Songz is featured in a cameo appearance in the video as Drake’s love interest. In an interview with MTV News, Drake elaborated on how he met West and asked him to direct the music video, saying “I had this record and it was so catchy I knew that it needed a really beautiful video to capture what the song was all about… You don’t see that type of stuff happening every day.”
Critical reception of “Best I Ever Had” was generally positive; several critics praised Drake’s softening vocal delivery as being sincere and professional, as well as his use of wordplay throughout the song’s verses. The track also won awards at various ceremonies including being nominated for two Grammy Awards at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
“Run This Town” by Jay-Z
“Run This Town” is a song by American rapper Jay-Z, featuring Rihanna and Kanye West. The song was released as the first single from Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint 3, on August 2, 2009. The song quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and becoming Jay-Z’s tenth number one hit on the chart as a solo artist. It has sold over five million copies in the United States and has also been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
“Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z
“Empire State of Mind” is a song by American rapper Jay-Z, featuring vocals by Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z’s eleventh studio album, The Blueprint 3 (2009), and is co-produced by Al Schuckert and geopge Monsell. Released as a single on October 27, 2009, “Empire State of Mind” peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and became Jay-Z’s second consecutive number-one single after “Run This Town”. “Empire State of Mind” achieved commercial success worldwide; it peaked within the top ten of twenty-six other countries and charted within the top forty of nine others.
The lyrics to “Empire State of Mind” Payne about dreaming about finding success in New York City. The song contains references to numerous places in New York and its famed landmarks, including Brooklyn, Harlem and Wall Street. New York’s metropolitan area is also a focus in the verses, with Keys singing about how all Five Boroughs come together as one (“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of”). Critical reception to “Empire State of Mind” was positive; critics believed that it was an excellent ode to New York City and that it contained strong elements of hip hop culture. The single won three Grammy Awards, including two for Jay-Z as a solo artist: Song of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance.
The Best Hip Hop Albums of 2009
2009 was an amazing year for hip hop music. Some of the best albums of the decade were released in 2009. This was the year that Lil Wayne released his album “Tha Carter III”, which is considered one of the best hip hop albums of all time. Other great albums that were released in 2009 include “Watch the Throne” by Jay-Z and Kanye West, “Recovery” by Eminem, and “The E.N.D.” by The Black Eyed Peas.
“Relapse” by Eminem
“Relapse” is the sixth studio album by American rapper Eminem. The album was released on May 19, 2009, under Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. It was his first album of original material since 2004’s “Encore”, following a four-year hiatus from recording due to his addiction to prescription sleeping medication Ambien. “Relapse” debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 608,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, “Relapse” received generally mixed reviews from music critics; they were divided in their responses towards Eminem’s return to rapping. The album has since been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
“The Blueprint 3” by Jay-Z
The Blueprint 3 is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released on September 8, 2009, on Roc Nation, through distribution from Atlantic Records. It is the final installment in The Blueprint trilogy, preceded by The Blueprint (2001) and The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). This album served as a comeback of sorts for Jay-Z, as 2003’s The Black Album was widely acclaimed and 2006’s Kingdom Come was seen as commercially disappointing. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at several recording studios and was handled by several high-profile record producers, including Kanye West, Rodrigo B., No I.D., Jeff Bhasker, Symbolyc One, Al Shux and The Neptunes.
“Paper Trail” by T.I.
In September 2008, just before T.I. was to turn himself in to federal prison on a weapons charge, he released the self-proclaimed “swan song” of his career, Paper Trail. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and went double platinum, thanks to hits like “Live Your Life” (a duet with Rihanna) and “Whatever You Like.”
The Best Hip Hop Artists of 2009
2009 was an amazing year for hip hop music. We saw the rise of some new artists and the continued success of some veteran artists. Let’s take a look at the best hip hop artists of 2009.
Drake
Drake is a Canadian rapper, actor, and singer who released his debut album in 2010. He has won several awards, including a Grammy Award, and has sold over five million albums worldwide. His music typically consists of rap verses over R&B-influenced beats, and his songs often deal with themes of love, heartbreak, and success.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z is one of the most successful hip hop artists of all time. He has sold over 50 million albums and has won numerous Grammy Awards. Jay-Z’s 2009 album, The Blueprint 3, was a huge commercial success, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album featured the hit single “Empire State of Mind,” which became one of Jay-Z’s signature songs.
Eminem
Eminem is one of the most popular rappers in the world and he is often considered to be one of the best hip hop artists of all time. He released his album Relapse in 2009 and it was a huge success. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and sold more than seven hundred thousand copies in its first week. It was also nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album.
