“Badnews 10 (the asterisk version)” by Badnews

Posted on Sunday, January 10, 2010
Tags: 50-Cent , beanie sigel , beyonce , drake , gucci mane , J.Cole , Jay-Z , Joe-Budden , Kanye-West , Lil-Wayne , Rick-Ross , T.I. , wacka flocka flame , Young-Jeezy

If you are not familiar with the badnews10, it’s a list I drop every year on Hip Hop Ruckus to at least attempt to give credit to 10 artists that made the year 2009 what it was in hip hop after which my my good friend Destro gives us a sobering opinion on what he thinks about the particular artist. The reason why I only pick ten artists is because there is only 12 months in a year and that’s more than enough time for someone to wreak havoc in four seasons. So check out the list and be smart when your going out for New Year’s. And like every year that I have been doing this, I’ll say it again…the artists are in no particular order.

1. Drake*- Usually when I prepare the list, I always type the first person that comes to mind, so probably like you, there wasn’t any reason to not think Drake first. No doubt about it, Drake had the biggest buzz in 2009, but where did it start? Was it from the alleged bidding war that Motown was involved in with him signing to Lil’ Wayne’s Young Money label and establishing it as a legitimate label, releasing his mixtape So Far Gone that was already acclaimed the best mixtape of the year by some DJ’s as early as June, or the Rihanna rumors? All these are good ingredients to create a buzz, but no matter the reason, just like his Boss Weezy did in ‘08… he dominated the entire year through the mixtape. Besides his injury on the Most Wanted tour that forced him to leave the tour (which in turn left a whole bunch of disappointed Drake fans in Denver), and into surgery, Jimmy in the wheelchair from Degrassi had a real good year. Expect more of the same in 2010. (*Fact- Drake’s first name is Aubrey and his father was a drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis)

Destro’s Input: Drake’s gonna have a good year, but tell me why do all the new rappers coming out keep copying his style. But one thing though, is it me or does Drake sound a lot like Kanye West?

2. Rick Ross*- He is starting to become a Badnews10* vet, but to be honest, he is on the list because this might be the first person so far to actually benefit from calling out master instigator 50 Cent. After announcing his departure from Def Jam and forming his own label Maybach Music, It looked like it was going to be pretty much over for the heavyweight rapper… until he dropped his first single from his album Mafia Music. Now the beat was already crazy but with the lyrics “I love to pay her bills/can’t wait to pay her rent/Curtis Jackson baby mama/I aint askin for a cent/Burn the house down/gotta buy another/don’t forget the gas can/jealous, stupid muthaf**ka” started the official and standard 50 Cent onslaught. With an already lingering photo of Rick Ross in his correctional officer suit, Ross went on almost every radio station to do the “deny til you die” defense until he just pretty much gave up on and confessed to radio DJ Big Boy that it was actually him at the age of 19. Now with that out the way, Ross did something that most 50 Cent victims didn’t do… he took advantage of this situation and released video after video on the Internet and then kept releasing his Deeper than Rap singles as planned and the outcome? Ross went on to become number 1 on the charts selling 158,000 units and then released the Triple C’s project soon after. The Triple C’s project didn’t do so well but they did manage to make more enemies such as boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and possibly the real Freeway Ricky Ross. So we might have to see what 2010 has in store for the Boss (*Fact- Rick Ross was born in Coahoma Co., Mississippi and his very first deal was with Suave House records)

Destro’s Input: Rick Ross has gained steam since his beef with 50 started a while ago. Even though we know Officer Ross is/was a “pig”…he still puts on a good show. Right now, Officer Ross > 50 Cent…

3. Jay-Z*- If I could only write one sentence to sum of the impact Jay-Z had on 2009, I would say this. Jay-Z released Blueprint 3. That’s it. But I have to go more in depth with it. Jay-Z isn’t a stranger to the Badnews10* list and he also isn’t a stranger to the Billboard charts. He hoisted himself in a very exclusive class because other than Mariah Carey and Elvis Presley, he snagged himself the second most Number 1 album debuts of all time. You might catch him walking three steps in front of his wife Beyonce on the street or ducking paparazzi, but there is no way you can’t miss him selling out concerts across the world like a Beattle or even blessing New York City on September 11th with a free show that was broadcasted on Fuse and bringing out his famous musician friends as well. But besides the sold out concerts and number one albums, he finally left Def Jam and is even breaking an artist on the new Roc Nation imprint by the name of J. Cole. It’s all in a years work for Shawn Carter and if the Beanie Sigel response ever drops next year, something tells me that this will set up an epic Rap Battle and it won’t be the last time he makes the Badnews10*. (*Fact – Even though Reasonable Doubt is #248 on Rolling Stones greatest albums of all time, It debuted at only #23 on the charts making it the only Jay-Z album to not to debut at number 1)

Destro’s Input: Right now Jay-Z is silently forming strategy on how he’s gonna crush 50 and Beanie Sigels hopes in 2010. Trust me, when the dust has settled, Jay-Z will be victorious. It’s not gonna be a good year for 50 and his peoples…

4. Lil’ Wayne*- After spending most of ‘08 releasing mixtape after mixtape and selling album after album, it looks as if he is learning everything from his father Baby and putting his record label management skills to work. Officially signing acts such as Drake, Nicki Minaj, Gudda and even a much younger artist by the name of Lil’ Twist, it seems that Young Money established themselves officially in the early part of 09, and continued to do so at the end of ‘09. After successfully building his buzz from the last couple years, Lil’ Wayne decided to do something to try and top himself and in the same breath gain popularity from a whole other genre of fans… release a rock album. And just like the rest of his albums he released this decade, this rock album titled Rebirth seems to be doing what all other Lil Wayne albums do best, create a lot of buzz and hype. But with a upcoming departure from being rich and famous to his new home jail for eight months, it seems that Weezy F. Baby isn’t going to break his tradition from making my list again in 2010. (*Fact- Lil’ Wayne dropped out of school when he was 14 to pursue his career but later obtained his GED and even enrolled at the University of Houston in 2005)

Destro’s Input: I think the Rebirth album will be the album of the year. But one question, why the hell did Baby put that tattoo on his head. Dumb mufucka…dumb…

5. T.I.*- Getting minimal but noticeable feedback from snubbing T.I. and DJ Drama from last year’s list, there is no way I could do it in ‘09 because it seems T.I. was everywhere for the most part in early 2009. But not so much from the success his latest album Paper Trail which did it’s usual “T.I.” numbers its first week selling 568,000 copies and debuting number one on the Billboard charts and also getting a Grammy nod for songs like Dead and Gone and Swagga like Us, but for the fact that this was the year he had to prepare himself for a prison bid for the weapons charges he was convicted of in 2008. Apart of his sentence was 1,500 hours of community service and call this a theory or a unrecognized fact, he dropped a show on MTV titled TI’s Road to Redemption in which the toughest kids from all over the country MTV could round up, get mentored by T.I. as well as T.I. sharing his past mistakes and “mannin’ up” to face the music and complete his sentence. Each day that passes, T.I. is one step closer to coming home to his fiance Tiny and her best friend Toya’s reality show and also getting on with his life. But for now he’s locked up… what will be in store for him in 2010? Hopefully something that consists of thorough background checks before signing informants to Grand Hustle. (*Fact- T.I. has been in three movies so far that have been released, and two out of the three movies debuted number one at the box office grossing over $100 million combined which were ATL and American Gangster)

Destro’s Input: T.I. will make a comeback in 2010. However, if he keeps making mainstream crossover joints like the one he did with Justin Timberlake, he will slide back into mediocrity. Whatever happened to the classic trap house sound?

6. Gucci Mane*- If anybody drew the biggest buzz for new artists to watch on the mainstream stage this year besides Drizzy Drake, it was definitely Gucci Mane…surprisingly. And by surprisingly, I mean I didn’t think I would hear from him ever again after Freaky Girl and Young Jeezy probably “ethering” his career before it really even got started. But Gucci Mane proved me wrong and made me a believer. Gucci Mane took to the Internet and also to the mixtape scene and gathered his old fans as well as new ones and finally readied his album The State Vs. Radric Davis. And with using the old shock and awe move, he came away with chart topping hits Wasted and Spotlight featuring Usher and also squashed his long but steady beef with fellow ATL rapper Young Jeezy. It all seemed like it was going great but unfortunately Gucci Mane violated his parole early September and is back in the can finishing out his 12 month bid. But his album is doing very well at this point, but the bigger picture here is the buzz we are already hearing that there are new tracks he has already completed with Young Jeezy and are ready to be released before he even went in. Will this be enough to see him on the list in 2010? (*Fact- Gucci Mane was acquitted of Murder in 2005 while already serving time in prison for another charge)

Destro’s Input: This will be a down year for Gucci. I think his young protege Waka Flocka Flame will make a serious dent in the hip hop game…

7. Eminem*- Don’t call it a comeback… call it a relapse. Believe it or not, this is Eminem’s very first time making the list…ever. But in 2009 he deserved it, and after coming off a long ass hiatus to check himself before he overdosed on drugs, he picked up where he left off. In 2007, he juggled with the idea of never releasing another album ever again, but because he is a studio rat, he always knew he had enough ammo to drop classics for the rest of our natural lives. But in 2009, I guess he finally said f*** it and released the long anticipated album Relapse and Relapse 2. And obviously the fans were ready because Eminem had a stranglehold on the Billboards selling the most units this year until Susan Boyle came through and crushed the buildings, and trust me if she was a rapper she would had made this list. But Eminem does what he does best, sending shots at Mariah Carey and making crazy references about Miley Cyrus that I dare not repeat on this site and that would make Jamie Foxx’s Hanna Montana jokes seem harmless. Also he hopped on the song Forever with Lil Wayne, Drake and Kanye West and a recently leaked track titled Drop the World by Lil Wayne, it looks like he will make the list in 2010 again. Who knows… we might even hear from him on Dr. Dre’s Detox album… probably not because Dre will never drop that album. Oh and perfect timing, but Eminem sold the most records this decade. Detroit at it’s finest. (*Fact- Eminem fist major on screen role was a character named Chris, a disgruntled former car wash employee in DJ Pooh’s movie The Wash)

Destro’s Input: I think Eminem should have stayed retired.

8. 50 Cent*- What would you do if your baby mama drama was mentioned in a song and you were called a monkey for most of 2009 by a Miami based rapper? Would you fly the Miami rapper’s baby mother to New York and take her shopping on 5th Ave for fur and Gucci heels, give the baby mother a book deal and then fly then spend the day with the Miami rappers children at Floyd Mayweather’s mansion in Las Vegas with other celebrities and post it all on Youtube? That’s pretty much what 50 Cent did in 2009. Oh and he released his own cologne, two movies one of them starring Val Kilmer and a website grows in popularity by the day. Never mind he only sold 140,000 copies of Before I Self Destruct, looking at the bigger picture, the fact that G-Unit might make the comeback of decade by “probably” signing Beanie Sigel and setting up a colossal rap beef between him and Jay-Z, I would say that 50 Cent had a pretty good year. But if he doesn’t release anymore music in 2010 after already saying he won’t drop anymore mixtapes, this could be the last time you might see him on my list. But we all heard the retiring crap that rappers say before so I’m not even going to entertain that thought. (*Fact- 50 Cent boxed at age 14)

Destro’s Input: 50 is finished. Beanie Sigel is only relevant now, because he beefed with Jay-Z. Bar none. One thing and that is that I would love to see the beef with Jay-Z and 50…might help 50 sell more records…

9. Kanye West *- IMA LET YOU FINISH…BUT BEYONCE HAD THE BEST VIDEO OF ALL TIME! Some might feel that is a true statement, but when you run on stage drunk on Hennesey during a 19 year old country singer’s MTV Music Video Award and snatch the mic out of her hand… your probably going to get negative press about it for the next 60 million years in mainstream years. Now that that’s out the way, let me tell you why he really made my list. Even though 808’s and Heartbreaks was released in 2008, he managed to keep the singles relevant in 2009 like, So Amazing for example. Tell me that song doesn’t make you want to pick a basketball up and go to the park right now. Also he was on tour for most of ‘09 and made a killing on the road, and even earned GQ ’s top 10 stylish men of the year also sharing that title with Dwayne Wade… see the connection? Kanye didn’t go away in 2009, you see he made the list because he was able to make an album he dropped in 2008 relevant in 2009. And regardless of what most might think about him, he is really is just a guy from Chicago hellbent on taking over the music industry. He went away after the VMA thing, but something tells me he won’t stay away for good in 2010. (*Fact- his father was a former black panther and the first black photo journalist for the Atlanta Journal- Constitution newspaper)

Destro’s Input: I love that nigga. He is my idol.

10. Joe Budden- I’m sure most of us guys had ex girlfriend problems in 2009, I’ll be the first to admit I did. But comparing it to the Joe Budden/Tahiry situation… it really doesn’t make mine look as bad as I thought it was… well at least as bad as Joe’s. Joe Budden decided to voice his opinions via the Internet for most of 2009 and while it was entertaining most of the time to see him argue with Tahiry over a cell phone that she found in his car, the most entertaining moment came when he argued over a list that didn’t really show Joe any love. And that ultimatly led to the statement that most misconstrued, that he claimed he was better than Method Man, and that led to Joe Budden vs. half of Wu Tang. But that also led to him getting stole on by Raekwon’s henchmen and launching a Internet beef actually asking Raekwon to fight him one on one even after Joe met with Method Man to squash the tension. And if that wasn’t enough to deal with, He is trying to get his group Slaughterhouse up and running and so far it seems like it is going better than it did earlier in the ‘09. But just like Joe spit in a freestyle… he doesn’t need a major all he needs is an ethernet. So if Joe can keep coming with grade A video chats and web postings as well as great records from Slaughterhouse, there isn’t a reason why we should hear from him 2010… and Tahiry as well. (*Fact- Joe Budden released his debut album the very same day 50 Cent released his Get rich or Die tryin’ and many predicted that Joe would out sell 50 cent he obviously didn’t but he did debut in the top 25 in 2003)

Destro’s Input: Joe Budden is gonna have a subpar year and his girl Tahiry is gonna slip into mediocrity.

*Every year everyone releases some form of top 10 list in December so as I was reading my list, I realized it sure sounded like most of these other lists that are being dropped by other writers in the past week. So I decided to put a asterisk at the end of this year’s list. What does the asterisk represent? It represents the time and effort I put into this list to try and not make it sound like everybody else’s list. These artists I picked to be on my list deserve to be on it. So the asterisk basically stands for not twisting my neck to try and make it different, but just to simply state facts and give credit where credit is due.

Source: BadNews – Contributor to HipHopRuckus

-If you have any questions or comments for Badnews, hit him up @ Myspace

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