Top 10 high school hits of 2010

So, two weeks in to the new year I'm posting my top ten tracks from the past year. Some of them have already been posted, some not. To maximize the excitement (?) I'm starting with number 10 and working my way down to the best song of 2010. Here we go:

10. Waka Flocka Flame - Hard in da paint
Without a doubt the hardest track from 2010 comes from new acquaintance Waka Flock Flame, a rising star on the rap scene. A plus for the video that is as hard as the track itself.



9. Cam'ron feat. Vado & Kid Cudi - Ya killin me
As I've said earlier, I don't think Cam'ron is such a good rapper, but what he can do is pick beats. Ya killin me is with its dark and suggestive sound one of those "thieves themes" I've made a post about earlier.



8. B.o.B - Don't let me fall
Another rising star - but with a totally different approach than Waka Flocka - is B.o.B. His album from 2010 (The adventures of Bobby Ray) maybe was a bit too much pop for my taste, but some of the tracks was really good, such as this (Airplanes was also on the shortlist for this top 10)



7. Young Jeezy - Money to blow (remix)
This song was actually released late 2009 so it really shouldn't be on this list, but two reasons make me give it a 7th place anyway:
1) I found it on Jeezy's and Gucci Mane's collab Keyz to the city that was released in January 2010
2) It's so fkn good, better than the original



6. LLoyd Banks feat. Swizz Beatz, Kanye West, Ryan Leslie, Fabolous - Start it up
A guy I didn't think much of coming in to 2010 (mostly due to his G-unit membership), but this track produced by Cardiak is a true banger. With so many rappers featuring, I guess I'm not alone with that opinion..



5. Drake feat. Young Jeezy - Unforgettable
Hyped Drake is one of those new multi talented musicians that raps, sings, makes beats and solve global warming at the same time. Personally I think it's a bit pretensious and I thought I didn't like Drake, but when listening through his Thank me later again before making this list I realized it got plenty of great tracks. For me, Young Jeezy's participation on Unforgettable is crucial, balancing Drake's quite soft approach with some dirty southbound rap.



4. Waka Flocka Flame feat. Roscoe Dash & Wale - No hands
The second track by Waka Flocka on this list, and I've got big hopes for him in 2011 as well. Here partnering with Roscoe Dash and one of the biggest hypes of 2009, Wale, who also had a quite good year and was close to make this list with a couple of tracks.



3. Beatnick & K-Salaam feat. Young Buck & Lil' Wayne - From the gutter
One of 2010's best album was released already in it's first week: producer duo Beatnick & K-Salaam's Where the streets have no name. Out of all the great tracks on that album, this soft beat with both Young Buck and Weezy making strong performances is the best.



2. Rick Ross feat. Jay-Z - Free Mason
The silvermedal goes to fake drug lord Rick Ross. I read somewhere that you need at least a little street credibility to make it in the rap game, with the only exception of Rick Ross who's image seems as realistic as Kim Jong II's first round of golf (11 hole-in-one's!). Looking away from that, Ross can really pick his beats and his Teflon Don without a doubt was one of the best albums of 2010. Jay-Z makes a strong appearance on Free Mason with lines as "bitch I said I was amazing, not that I'm a mason" referring to all secret society-rumours surrounding him the past year.



And the winner is...

1. Chemical Brothers - Escape Velocity
The only non-rap song on this list is also my number one. I have to give a big up to MLK for posting this great +10 minute musical odyssey in the blog. I remember sending him a text when Chemical Brothers played it on Way Out West this summer, reading something like "Escape Velocity is the best song of 2010, no matter what category", and I'm still behind that statement.