This year was pretty special for a few folks, from Lady Gaga’s undeniable presence, the explosion of Indie bands like Passion Pit, reggae dub mixess by Major Lazor and Kanye’s free publicity for Taylor Swift. We sat down and debated about what were some of our favorite songs of 2009. We don’t care about chart sales, download counts, ringtones or whatever else get’s calculated into being considered a hit… we’ll leave that to the other guys. Our list also isn’t in any sort of order, it’s one big diverse selection of music that we hope you enjoy. If we missed a few good ones, feel free to yell at us in the comment section.
View our Staff Picks: Top 40 Songs of 2009 after the jump (more…)
North Carolina based rapper J.Cole has gained critical acclaim almost instantaneously after bursting on the scene in 2007 with his debut mixtape The Come Up. His popularity has only heightened with the release of his 2009 mash-up mixtape The Warm Up and the deal he inked with the live events company Live Nation. Hip Hop mogul Jay-Z signed Cole after hearing the record Lights Please. Although from a southern background, J.Cole has a very gritty New York, early 90’s flow, almost reminiscent of a young AZ. His calloused yet intelligent street message is articulated skillfully, with exaggerated bravado and flare. Even without an album, he seems to have the musical direction of a seasoned rapper, attacking subjects that plague the inner city, from an intelligently empirical standpoint. J. Cole also graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. John’s University in 2007. We look forward to the debut album.
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