2010 mixtape rankings (25-11).

Over 2010, I listened to 25 hip-hop/R&B mixtapes (actually it's probably more than that, but I only rated 25). As 2011 is before us, I decided to go back and rank the mixtape from 25 to 1 and give descriptions as of why I felt a certain way about an album. If I rated the mixtape before, the previous rating is beside the new score.

25-11 will be listed now, then I'll release the top 10 mixtapes and finally the top 10 albums, before finishing off with some imaginary awards that all these artists would love to win.

With that being said, let's get to 25-11 from the album section.

25.) Sam Adams - Party Records Mixtape | 3.20
- I'm not a fan of many of the beats from this (besides "Hold On", that entire song is great) but you'll find some gems here if you're a fan from Sam Adams. Along with the aforementioned "Hold On", "Share Your Dolla", "Heads Will Roll", "Frat Music" and "I'm On" are solid. This doesn't compare to his debut LP however, nor does it compare to the other mixtape he released this year.









24.) Los - Shooter | 3.50
- Los is one of my favorite unsigned guys out there at the moment, but there's a reason why he's still unsigned; I don't feel like he can create his own project. What I mean by that is that I don't feel like he can make something great out of original beats instead of just freestyles like Zero Gravity. There are some great tracks onhere, especially the "Stand The Rain" intro and actual song but I can't put up with Los on some of these beats. Maybe better production would help, but right now I classify him as strictly a mixtape rapper.






23.) Trey Songz - Murder He Wrote III | 3.52
- I'm honestly not sure if this is an official mix-tape or not; leaning towards not. Oh well, I still listened to it in its entirety and didn't find anything over the top about it, but it's a solid listen nonetheless. "Invented Sex (Remix)" with Usher and Keri Hilson is a nice re-do to the original on Ready.











t-21.) T.I. - F*** A Mixtape | 3.58
- T.I. dropped a solid mix-tape to build anticpation for the release of King Uncaged later on in the fall. "Spazz Out" is the tape's best song, but I wish he would have subbed out some of these songs to save for No Mercy. F*** a mixtape? No, f*** your album.












t-21.) Sam Adams - Boston's Opening Day | 3.58
- "I Hate College (Remix)" was the song that started it all for young Sam Adams, but that's not the only standout track. "Kimber (RIP)" is a nice tribute to a friend who he lost while "Opening Day" is one of my favorites from his entire catalog. This is just as good of a listen as the debut album and a better listen than the other mixtape, but it's nothing outstanding.










20.) Trey Songz - #lemmeholdatbeat | 3.63
- Trey released his mix-tape just a few months after the release of his album in September. The opening stretch with "Runaway", "Fuck Wit You No More" and "Aston Martin Music" is great, but there are some major weak spots as well. I never want to hear Trey trying to rap over an original Nas song like "Hate Me Now" again.










t-18.) B.o.B - May 25th | 3.69
- For so long, the title of this mix-tape confused me cause I listened to it after B.o.B's debut album. Apparently May 25th was supposed to be the release date for The Adventures of Bobby Ray, but it was eventually moved up a month. There's some good songs on here and I love the guest features in J. Cole, Asher Roth and Charles Hamilton.










t-18.) Mac Miller - K.I.D.S. | 3.69
- This was the first full project I listened to from Miller and left impressed. The young rapper from Pittsburgh has limited subject matter (which should improve with time) but putting it in comparison to Boston's Boy by another young, white rapper, it does what it's intended to do. Mac's flow at the start of the second verse of "Don't Mind If I Do" is nice.










17.) Royce da 5'9 - The Bar Exam 3: The Most Interesting Man In The World | 3.70
- The third volume to the Bar Exam series is another good one, as Royce rips up any original beat you throw at him. The tracklist is a little too long and I feel like there's some filler, but for those songs that aren't filler, Royce continues to say things that have you shaking your head (in a good way obviously). The theme of the entire tape was a nice touch as well.








16.) B.o.B - No Genre | 3.73
- I found myself hating a good bit of the production on here, and yet it still got a generally high score. "Beast Mode" is a great opening song, but the tape's highlight easily goes to "Feet Don't Fail Me Now", as it's one of my favorite songs of 2010.












15.) Asher Roth - Seared Foie Gras With Quince And Cranberry | 3.80
- Roth has always had talent, showcased by his first mix-tape, The Greenhouse Effect. After a disappointing debut album, Asher came back with a vengeance with this mix-tape. The production is awesome throughout the tape, while my personal favorites are "Rik Smits" and "Sour Patch Kids (Remix)", in which Roth goes toe-to-toe with heavyweights like Blu and Talib Kweli.








14.) XV - 30 Minute Layover | 3.82
- Just 10 actual tracks, this is more than a mini-mixtape than anything, but it's still pretty good. Freestyles over original beats like "This Plane", "Nothin' On You" and "Drop The World" (named "Lift The Game" on the tracklist) are the tape's highlights, but with it being such a short project, you can get through the entire thing without finding something bad.









13.) Diggy Simmons - Airborne | 3.85
- I'll just leave this review to one line: The final track, "Great Expectations", is a perfect ending because Diggy should have great expectations; especially when he puts together something like this as a 15-year old.












12.) Los - The Louis Vuitton Gift Pack | 3.86
-This isn't an official mix-tape really, but Los did put it together so I'll count it. Some great freestyles here, especially on "Monster", "Dark Fantasy" and "6'7". My favorite would be "Fall For Your Type" though because he speaks about a potential deal that fell through without actually mentioning it until the end. However, there's two songs with original beats and they're the two worst on the tape; what a surprise.








11.) Fashawn - Ode To Illmatic | 3.90
- This would be up in the top 10 list if it weren't for the actual copy of Illmatic being out there. I don't hate on Fashawn for going over the classic production, but I rather listen to the original than an updated version. Still, the California rapper shouldn't be ashamed because it's a very entertaining release.

Thanks for the memories, VY.

This was bound to happen.

Vince Young, one of the most exciting players in the NFL, will be cut or traded from the Titans as early as February 7th.

As a Titans fan, I'm upset by the news but not devastated. With the tension between Young and head coach Jeff Fisher reaching its highest level after the Washington Redskins game, it was almost a guarantee that one of the two were not going to be with the organization in 2011. My gut thought Fisher would stay to my disdain and it was right, as Fisher should return for his 18th year.

First off, let me state that I do not condone Young's actions throughout his tenure in Tennessee. I do however feel like Fisher is to blame a bit for Young's immaturity, because he's never given him a fair shake in my eyes. Young has always had to look over his shoulder, because Fisher was more willing to pull him out for the back-up than vice versa.

That being said, one of the two needed to go, as it was clear they couldn't co-exist anymore. I personally felt Fisher should have went because it was clear the last few years what Fisher did without Young but it was still unknown what Young could do without Fisher. However, I'm not too upset at the result because Fisher is more proven than Young, even though the latter has been progressing nicely over the last two years whereas Fisher has been regressing.

Now that Tennessee is treating Fisher like an elite coach by keeping him after six-game losing streaks in consecutive seasons (although this isn't official yet, I would like it better if both were gone and just start off completely fresh), he better be held to a high standard in 2011. He got his wish by Young leaving, now he needs to coach the team to at least a playoff berth. The talent is definitely there and the schedule will be weak next season, so there's no excuses.

Fisher needs to stop being so loyal to veterans and coaches that are almost useless (Justin Gage, Donnie Nickey and defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil are examples) and instead play the best players. He needs to take responsibility for losses instead of blaming it on the players. He needs to trust his starting quarterback and not cause tension with him like Steve McNair at the end of his career, Billy Volek and now Young. If he does all of these things and we are successful in the win column, then I will change my opinion about Jeff Fisher and want him as the head man in Tennessee. I, however, am doubtful this will happen.

I'd like to thank Vince Young for all the memories he's given me as a Titans fan. He gave Tennessee a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Giants in his rookie year. He gave Tennessee a walk-off overtime touchdown run in his home state that same year. He gave Tennessee their first playoff berth in four years the following season. He gave Tennessee an astonishing 99-yard drive to beat Arizona last season, which continued an incredible late-season surge that almost resulted in a playoff berth.

The thing that upsets me the most about Young leaving isn't the moments he left me with, but rather the way he was progressing into a good quarterback and following in Steve McNair's footsteps. The stats were similar at their points of their careers and he was a great guy off-the-field, providing McNair's kids with a father-like figure after Steve was murdered.

I have no doubt in my mind Vince Young will be successful on his next team if given the opportunity. I've watched him long enough to see incredible progression and growing up (don't judge just from the Washington incident, that was more on him being frustrated because he wasn't allowed to go back into the game) to know whoever signs or trades for him will be getting a talented player who comes through in the clutch. I just hope his next coach trusts in him a lot more than Fisher did.

So once again, thanks for the memories Vince, and I will always be a fan of yours wherever you go.

2010 album rankings (25-11).

Over 2010, I listened to 25 hip-hop/R&B albums (actually it's probably more than that, but I only rated 25). As 2011 is before us, I decided to go back and rank the albums from 25 to 1 and give descriptions as of why I felt a certain way about an album. If I rated the album before, the previous rating is beside the new score.

25-11 will be listed now, then next will be a ranking of mix-tapes, also from 25-11. Then I'll release the top 10 mix-tapes and finally the top 10 albums, before finishing off with some imaginary awards that all these artists would love to win.

With that being said, let's get to 25-11 from the album section.

Notes: If you don't see a certain album on here, it's either in the top 10 or I haven't given it a good enough listen to rate it. I plan on doing something similar for 2011 in music, but it'll be more in-depth as I'll continue to expand my catalog of albums and mix-tapes.

25.) Lil' Wayne - I Am Not A Human Being | 2.21 [previously rated 2.67]

- Weezy continues to spiral downward with this release, which was originally set to be an EP. The one lone major highlight would be "That Ain't Me", which features Jay Sean on the hook. However, after re-reviewing the tracks, I found that I overrated that song, which knocked down the album's overall rating a little bit.

24.) Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday | 2.77
- The Young Money factor really hurts Nicki's debut album. There are too many cringe-worthy punchlines and not enough spazzing out. "Dear Old Nicki" and "Blazin'" are nice surprises from the rest of the album, as is "Save Me", which showcases a very soothing voice from Minaj.











23.) Nelly - 5.0 | 3.04 [previously rated 3.25]
- I tried getting into this, I really did. I wanted to get into it cause it was Nelly, and if you remember from my last review, he was my first favorite rap artist. However, this album is just another disappointment to his discography. There are bright spots that I still come back to however. The track that was dubbed in the beginning as Dilemma Part 2, "Gone", is the album's best. I still love the Biggie sample on "1000 Stacks", "Just A Dream" is catchy as hell and still gets plays from me and "Nothing Without Her" is another good one. Unfortunately the rest of the album can't hold up to those standards.





22.) Travie McCoy - Lazarus | 3.10 [previously rated 3.15]
- "Akidagain" and "Don't Pretend" are the two tracks are stand out from the entire album. "Billionaire" was a nice single for the radio, but got extremely played out in my mind. Most of the remaining songs are basically Gym Class Heroes' throwaways it seems like.










21.) T.I. - No Mercy | 3.11
- The most inconsistent album I've heard all year, which skews the overall rating a tad, because it's not as good as what I have it listed. When this album is on, it's great, evidenced by tracks like "Castle Walls" and "No Mercy." However, that is canceled out by songs "Amazing" and "Lay Me Down", with the latter being possibly the worst song I've heard all year. You can tell the label had a big influence on this LP after T.I. went back to jail.








20.) Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager | 3.35 [previously rated 3.53]
- There's just something about this album I can't get into. Maybe it's because I'm still wishing Cudi would go back to his A Kid Named Cudi style of rapping or maybe it's because I enjoyed the first one a decent amount but came into the second chapter with no expectations after hearing the leaks. Whatever it is, I had to knock the rating down a notch cause it's not hitting me like a Cudi project usually would. "Don't Play This Song" is still my favorite from the entire LP, but I don't really go back to about 75% of the album. If Cudi continues in this direction, then he's going to probably see more scores like this in my reviews.



19.) Eminem - Recovery | 3.50 [previously rated 4.09]
- What a disappointment. Although I still enjoy some of the album, it isn't as up to the AOTY (Album of the Year) standard I set it out when first reviewed. The production is extremely mediocre and suffers from a lack of Bass Brothers beats, plus some of the actual rapping sounds extremely forced. There's a few punchlines that make me wonder if Drake ghost-wrote for Eminem. However, one positive from Recovery is that it produced one of Em's best tracks of his career in "25 To Life", which is easily a SOTY (Song of the Year) candidate.






18.) Sam Adams - Boston's Boy | 3.54 [previously rated 3.83]
- Another album I grossly overrated at first. Sam Adams isn't necessarily a good rapper, but he does have talent, shown from the album's best track "Just Love Here." The album itself appeals to the college crowd and is a hit at parties, which is what Sam has set out to do in his early career.










17.) Drake - Thank Me Later | 3.64 [previously rated 3.32]
- This album really grew on me as the year went on. The production is the biggest seller here, as I love almost every beat. "Light Up" is the album's highlight, but I really grown to appreciate "Karaoke" and how Drake put that together; just a really chill track. "Shut It Down" still sucks though.










16.) Lloyd Banks - The Hunger For More 2 | 3.65
- Banks returns to the game (from an album standpoint at least) with a solid effort. There's no overly impressive song or anything that's just horrid, but this is very consistent and fun listen. "Beamer, Benz or Bentley" is infectious.












15.) B.o.B - The Adventures of Bobby Ray | 3.79
- There's been some harsh reviews of this album and ironically, they're mostly for the same reason why I enjoy it. B.o.B showcases multiple talents throughout the LP, from singing and guitar playing ability in songs like "Lovelier Than You" to pure rapping in "Bet I." "Don't Let Me Fall" is a SOTY candidate, but even that doesn't excuse the trash that is "Magic."









14.) Black Milk - Album Of The Year | 3.92
- This was the first full album I heard from Black Milk after listening to the single "Deadly Medley", and I was impressed. Black Milk goes heavy with the drums in regards to the production and they're almost always a hit. "Deadly Medley" is my favorite from the LP, with great verses all around from Milk, Royce da 5'9 and Elzhi, but "Closed Chapter", "Black And Brown" with Danny Brown are also up there.









13.) John Regan - Sorry I'm Late | 3.93
- Backed by stellar production, indie artist John Regan releases a debut album that is a great listen from start to finish. Regan goes side-by-side with a lot of high-profile guests and doesn't seem out of place at all, keeping the transition between verses smooth. "Yesterday" with Joell Ortiz and "All I Got To Give" with Marsha Ambrosius on the hook are two of my favorites from the album, but they can't top "Suicide ediciuS" which is easily a SOTY candidate.







12.) Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives | 3.96
- Nas & Damian Marley teamed up for one of Spring 2010's best releases in Distant Relatives. It's nothing too spectacular, but it's still a good album with your typical Nas thought-provoking verses in addition to Damian Marley's reggae voice. K'naan has a couple of nice guest spots here and even Lil' Wayne joins in on the fun with a rare good verse (this year) on "My Generation." "Count Your Blessings" is my choice for the album's best track.







11.) Earl Sweatshirt - EARL | 4.00
- A very strange, disturbing, yet great release, Earl Sweatshirt enters the rap scene with a debut album that will have you scratching your head. The 16-year old kid from California is part of the group OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Pack Kill Them All) and has his lyrics focus on things similar to the subject matter from the Slim Shady LP, but remember that this guy is still young. It's gruesome and definitely not for everyone, but for who do give this album a chance, it's worth it if you can get past the subject matter. "epaR" and "Couch" are my two favorites from the album, while "Earl" is third, but don't try watching the video for the latter unless you have a strong stomach.