In 2009, we spent so much time putting together our retrospective of the last decade (click here for our "Best of the 2000s" series) that we almost forgot about all the memorable things that happened this year. Well, 2010 ain't here yet, so we're spending the last week looking back at all our favorite stuff, including albums, movies, girls, video games, sports moments, books, style trends, and websites. Sure, everyone has already dropped their '09 lists, but no one has taste quite like Complex. Who else spent 2009 bumping everything from Nicki Minaj to Animal Collective? Look back on all our favorites with the Top 25 Albums of 2009 countdown...
#25: J. Cole The Warm Up
The Complex Co-Sign: Jermaine Cole moved from North Carolina to NYC in the early 2000s to pursue his rap dreams, and this year they came true. The 24 year-old signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation label and released his best mixtape to date, garnering comparisons to lyrical heavyweights like Nas. The artist formerly known as Therapist still has a long way to go before he hits the mainstream, but one listen to The Warm Up (and his scene-stealing guest verse on BP3) let us know he has a good chance of getting there.
Listen:
"Grown Simba"
[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE FOR FREE]
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#24: Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca
The Complex Co-Sign: Kanye isn't the only one who dropped out of school to make music. Dave Longstreth, the pulse of Dirty Projectors, left Yale to do the same, but that's old news. The band is on their sixth album, and they've learned a lot, even if it wasn't in the classroom. Their weirdo sensibilities are still in place, but not to the point that you're scared to play it in front of your friends. Experimental music is great, but making tweaked out records that everyone can enjoy is the real challenge, and Dirty Projectors did it on Bitte Orca.
Listen:
"Stillness Is The Move"
[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $6.99]
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#23: Lee Fields & The Expressions My World
The Complex Co-Sign: Let's not let the influx of singing rappers allow us to forget that there's an entire generation of vocalists who do this for real. Lee Fields is one of them. After a decade of activity in the '70s, homeboy pretty much disappeared for the next 20 years, but true talent doesn't fade because he still put out one of the best albums this year. We love contemporary music's obsession with all things electronic, but nothing can replace soul backdrops and an amazing voice, which is exactly what Lee Fields brings to the table.
Listen:
"My World Is Empty Without You"
[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $7.99]
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#22: Clipse Til The Casket Drops
The Complex Co-Sign: After two classics, Pusha and Malice can put another stripe on their arm. Maybe not for making another classic, but dropping one of the best albums of the year gets them something. They stepped out from under the exclusive production umbrella of The Neptunes and still did a great job of picking the weird beats they're known for rapping over. Add a gang of crazy verses, and you have one hell of an album.
Listen:
"Popular Demand (Popeyes)" f/ Cam'ron
[CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MP3 ALBUM FOR $9.99]
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#21: Theophilus London This Charming Mixtape
The Complex Co-Sign: We knew about Theophilus before 2009, but this project made us believe in him. If Morrissey made hip-hop set to electronic beats, it might sound something like This Charming Mixtape. With seemingly every rapper going left field these days, it's getting a little tired, but Theo showed us that it's still enjoyable if done right. Others took notice too, and now this Brooklyn kid counts folks like Mark Ronson, Solange, and Passion Pit amongst his contemporaries.
Listen:
"Always Love U"
[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE FOR FREE]
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HIT NEXT TO SEE THE REST OF THE COUNTDOWN! (ALBUM #20 - #16)
jfish10 December 28th, 2009 at 11:53 AM
ummm.... WALE?! Attention Deficit was a great album and put DC on the map for Hip-Hop
spectacular yes! December 28th, 2009 at 12:04 PM
That Wale album was horrible. DC can do better! A few other things I might have put on this list but its preetty solid
TheRealSpydaman December 29th, 2009 at 04:05 AM
smh.... cornball dat thinks da soulja boy mixtape should b top 25, really son? n lames dat sed slaughterhouse waz wack, open ur ears, that album had some of the illest lines put together on an album in a while. Joe buddens padded room and escape route waz ill, royces street hop waz ill, joell ortiz road kill ixtape is ill, crooked i's mr pigface weapon waist waz ill, plus da mixtapes they did as a whole, were ill. But since u retards dont no wat real hip hop is, u think slaughter its wack. so cheney, pull wayne n soulja boys dick from ur ass and try to get away from bullshit that they call "hip hop," cuz wat they offer is music that is suppose to make teenage girls and lil kids scream, not real hip hop
Julie December 29th, 2009 at 02:32 AM
agreed
suckitmarshall December 28th, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Great list, but not sure about the order. That Passion Pit LP coulda been #26 in my opinion. That said, the Wale album was ass like that, so good looks on snubbing that arrogant dickface.
spectacular yes! December 28th, 2009 at 01:08 PM
Passion Pit album is dope! You know what album should have been #26...Miike Snow! They should stick to Britney Spears records and stop making faux-indie rock
Capo December 28th, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Whale's album fucking sucked, and his constant " I was under-shipped" excuse painted him out to be bitch made. Under-ship deez.
Vigor December 28th, 2009 at 01:11 PM
When the album is barely stocked in the biggest city in the country (NYC/Manhattan), I fully believe the undershipped 'excuse.' Album was solid and heralded by many, many publications, sites and blogs. Y'all just shallowly hate on dude cuz he's got an obnoxious personality. The music speaks for itself. Aside from 'Chillin' album is dope as hell.
clocksuckaz December 28th, 2009 at 02:56 PM
i dont see any alchemist. im sure he exists.
Roderick a.k.a. K-ROC December 29th, 2009 at 04:49 PM
Thats a good point cuz Alchemist produced that CD 100%. Those niggas needed assistance. ALC all day
Ty December 28th, 2009 at 02:59 PM
WHERES APATHY?
yallayalla December 28th, 2009 at 03:02 PM
good to see phoenix at the list
Voltron aka Speech is my hammer, bang the world into shape and let it fall! December 28th, 2009 at 03:03 PM
You fucking inbreds. The Ecstatic is one of the greatest albums of the decade. Its not even on this list. Die. Die now... kinda sorta.
JR3 December 28th, 2009 at 03:13 PM
Nicki Minaj is wack!!!! Remy, Eve, or Digga would serve her, she looks great but lyrically is pure garbage. I thought Em's flow was dope on his album but as a whole the album was underwhelming. And don't even get me started on Cudi, I thought his album was wack as hell. My top five albums of the year hip hop wise are Raekwon OBCL2 Clipse Till the Casket Drops Ross Deeper than Rap Jay-z BP3 Fabolous Loso's Way
ithinkiloveher December 28th, 2009 at 03:14 PM
where's Soulja Boy's 'My Way of Life Vol. 1' mixtape? that was some of the hottest shit out this year. list is pretty great though. all the essentials are there and i'm really not mad at the order.
Genius December 28th, 2009 at 03:23 PM
I'm surprised Pac Div's "Church League Champions" didnt at least get an honorable mention. & you guys are wayy off on the top album. def an underwhelming list.