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rap critic - top 9 best rap songs of 2014 lyrics

hi, i’m the rap critic, here once again to give you the best rap songs of the last year. let’s get started

9. “a better tomorrow” – wu-tang clan

the first one on this list comes courtesy of the mighty wu-tang itself, from their newest album, a better tomorrow, not to be confused with the song of the exact same t-tle from their ’97 album “wu-tang forever”, which is quite fitting, because it uses its sampling choice just about as liberally as hip-hop producers did back in 1997

the world won’t get no better
if we just let it be

but method man comes in head first with no doubt the best verse of all four, flipping through different socially conscious topics almost effortlessly

[method man:]
my peoples tired of waiting for reparations to pay us
screaming jesus can save us, i, i get the bentley if i save up
but that’s just another trick to enslave us
push the minimum wages, put, put our fathers up in them cages
then watch out when mother struggled to raise us

followed by a surprisingly on-point verse from masta k!lla, and honestly, this song couldn’t have come at a better time, along with the type of music video supporting protesters of michael brown’s and eric garner’s deaths at the hands of police officers. however, as good as the first couple of verses and the general messages of the song are…

[cappadonna:]
i’m on the back of the bus with two fine divas
we in the jungle of life, but never jungle fever

cap, is this really the time to talk about your s-xual preferences?

and also, cappadonna’s flow seems to, after all these years, have that same flow where he sounds like he keeps slipping off of the rhythm of the song

[rap critic pretends to lose balance over cap’s rapping]

but then raekwon the chef comes in, delivering a… strangely sleepily-delivered but definitely engaging verse

[raekwon:]
wake up and realise the times
that we living in the world is getting more iller than ever
thought we was chillin’, striving change for the better
but it was a dream like martin luther

then, he brings up the most sparking lines of them all

and that’s the willie lynch tactics that separated the m-sses
taught us all to think backwards

now, there’s a whole debate on the credibility of the willie lynch letters, which was allegedly a guideline of tactics on how to keep slaves fighting with each other to the point where they could never unify enough to rebel against the plantations they were forced to work on, but even if you don’t believe in any of that, just in life generally, there is a very real manifestation of these type of tactics, orchestrated or no, concerning racial and religious problems when the true problems we face ultimately boil down to issues of cl-ss, particularly in how people, regardless of their s-x or racial or religious standing, can be treated unfairly by a system that purely works for those who pay the big checks to keep certain imbalances in place. but, yeah, check this joint out. it’s a really cool song, and i think we needed it in a time like this

hey, remember that kendrick lamar verse from 2013?

[kendrick lamar:]
i’m usually homeboys with the same n-ggas i’m rhyming with
but this is hip-hop, and them n-ggas should know what time it is
and that goes for jermaine cole, big k.r.i.t., wale
i got love for you all but i’m tryna murder you n-ggas

and how virtually n0body mentioned in that verse stepped up to the plate, and anyone who did was either not mentioned in the first place, or had a relatively weak couple of bars in return. well, big k.r.i.t. responded… and he’s really p-ssed that we underestimated him…

8. “mt olympus” – big k.r.i.t

now they wanna hear a country n-gga rap
five albums in, i swear a country n-gga snap
thought they wanted trap, thought they wanted b-ss
thought they wanted molly, thought they wanted drank
f-ck them n-ggas

fresh out of the gate, k.r.i.t. hits you with a dope chorus, ridiculing everyone who told him to make music more like everyone else, littered with the typical rap clichés, but all of a sudden wants to hear lyrics now that kendrick started calling people out of their names

all this attention, i don’t even know what i might even do with it
that control beat is like an ugly b-tch that everybody done f-cked raw
maybe you hit it

and i love how he addressed the verse while at the same time making clear that he thinks it’s stupid that people overreacted to something that was essentially nothing more than an invitation to friendly lyrical compet-tion and not the all out diss song that everyone was trying to make it into

aww man, i’m more concerned why n-ggas been textin’ my cell, callin’ my phone
ask me about this kendrick sh-t, that he ain’t even really even diss me on

however, he does go off on someone that he feels some type of way about concerning rappers who jack the styles of southern artists

so i’ma take from all these southern artists that mainstream never heard of
recycle all of they lingo and make sure i screw my words up
bravo for your swagger-jackin’, i’m overwhelmed by your dedication
you actually fooled these people into thinkin’ that your music was innovative

and then, he goes in on music awards and how they have no credibility in regards to judging good hip-hop

n-gga please, this award ain’t got sh-t to do with us
god could physically come down and say “he the greatest
my favorite, y’all should listen, he has potential
to outlive the heatwave i’ma send through this motherf-cker
and rebuild for a whole ‘nother other culture”
and that wouldn’t be enough

and he makes it quite clear that he does not give a d-mn about your parameters for his music

so, i keep flexin’, wreckin’, for the people that respect it
check it, f-ck a control (are you not entertained!)

so yeah, definitely check this one out, and give his album, cadillactica, a listen, too. it’s pretty nice

7. “irregular heartbeat” – 50 cent feat. jadakiss and kidd kidd

now, i was not expecting to put a 50 cent song on this list, especially since his latest album, animal ambition, to me wasn’t that great of an offering, but i have to say, even though i’m not the biggest fan of the “hyperthug” persona that 50 cent has, i can always appreciate it if he ill-strates an actual sense of danger to it, something that can really strike fear into someone as an anthem of evil, and this more minimalist production does that, added to a menacingly cool delivery by 50

[50 cent:]
n-gga, you p-ssy, you scared
i can hear your heartbeat
why the f-ck would you come around here?
i can hear your heartbeat

come out your mouth sl!ck i’ll get you hit
my n-ggas hungry, they hit a l!ck

you think my rap sh-t a gimmick, i ain’t seen parole in a minute

it’s the type of song that gets you in your gut when you hear it the first time. now, i’d appreciate it more if it was just him, but the guest artist, jadakiss, definitely does do a good job of adding to the terror

[jadakiss:]
trying to back peddle and stumble on the curve
you stayin’ at the ground, you mumblin’ your words
literally i can see your heart pumpin’ through your shirt

and while kidd kidd doesn’t really add to the horror as much as jadakiss does, skipping a more subtle delivery and opting for the more in-your-face gangster att-tude, he still has his lines that connect

[kidd kidd:]
bang, i’m the one that came in your house for the chickens
left a n-gga brains hangin’ out like we chillin’

and sure, it’s more mindless thug music, but i feel like even that can be done right, and here, 50 recaptures that fear of lurking through the darker parts of jamaica queens once more

6. “sweatpants” – childish gambino

so here, childish gambino is essentially a gloating little brat who boasts about how better his life is than yours… and that’s not me insulting him, that’s the character he plays!

watching haters wonder why gambino got the game locked
half-thai thickie, all she wanna do is bangkok

and although it’s not really that different from his usual brag songs, in that they still contain his materialistic, yet complexly thought-out punchlines, it’s definitely a high-light in how outrageous he gets with them

still spitting that cash flow: dj khaled
i got a penthouse on both coasts: ph balance

my architect know j-panese, yo’ girl, she jocking these
no hands like soccer teams and y’all f-ck boys like socrates

and then, of course, there’s my favorite part of the whole thing

ain’t n0body sicker and my fisker, “vroom, vroom,” ho
ain’t n0body–
(fiskers don’t make noise when they start up…just so you know)
top of the hold ’em totem

it’s a fun song all around, accompanied by an -ssuredly more interesting video than 3005, as in, i’d definitely show this to a friend to get them into childish gambino

i’m winning so they had to dump the gatorade
and i don’t give a f-ck [rap critic jumps in his seat] about my family name

the h-ll’s your problem, kid?

5. “mandela” — cyhi the prynce

okay, so the lyrics in this song are really cool, and they’re about a guy who went from being a normal everyday street hustler to someone who wants to inspire the people to be greater

i’m a freedom fighter, dalai lama from a weed supplier
i’m muhammad to the rap game, that’s my last name, my first should be elijah
to compete wit me, you gone need a priest to preach
or your sweetest niece to give a h-ll of a easter speech

and yeah, it gets kinda corny in the second verse with the flows and punchlines

it was something about mary, n-gga i was ben stiller

but i’m not gonna lie, half the reason this song is on this list is because of that chorus

mandela! nelson nelson!(i want my troops in the field like) sing along [rap critic starts dancing and singing along]
mandela! nelson nelson!(all these n-ggas wanna k!ll)

to anyone who thought that bastille song was thumping, show them this and call it a day. also, it’s just nice to have a song where the chorus is about comparing themselves to a man who sought to end the division of black and white people in the motherland, which is better than, i dunno, say, comparing yourself to a frantic, temperamental fictional drug dealer whose life was lived by being a selfish, c0ke-fueled -ssh0l-

“tony montana by future”

just saying

‪4. “kingdom” – common feat. vince staples‬‬

“kingdom” by common tells the all-too-well-known story of a man caught between wanting to live a life in the righteous path or the life of fast cash and immediate benefits. however, it starts backwards, from common’s perspective, as a friend who went to his friend’s funeral

[common:]
second row of the church with my hood on
my homie used to rap, he was about to get put on
at his funeral, listening to this church song
his family yelling and screaming, i hurt for ‘em

however, during the second verse, he switches over to the man in the casket, contemplating the worth of earthly possessions against a prior to un-examined quest for salvation

[common:]
i was hurtin’, couldn’t get no work
you created me from dust, that’s why i did dirt
my whole life i had to worry about eatin’
i ain’t have time to think about what i believe in

and while i don’t dig vince staples’ verses as much as common’s, i appreciate its place in this song, as, after common’s exploration of this lifestyle is seen through older, more experienced eyes, we shift to a journey directly through the eyes of someone younger, someone who could still be going through it

[vince staples:]
satan serenading ever since i was a toddler
tell ‘em talk is cheap, n-ggas living for the dollar
make the best from the least on the quest for them keys
to the kingdom

it serves its purpose as a song that ill-strates the internal struggles of those who are torn between good and evil in a ghetto, hood life context, and for that, it deserves its spot on this list

now, for all the great abilities for story telling that the artists on this list display, at the end of the day, i’m a man of lyrics

‪3. “definition of a rap flow” – r.a. the rugged man

and the next guy on this list has been in the game so long with lyrical consistency, that it’d be a shame to not-

wait, rugged man’s only put out two albums? and this single’s from the second album?! this dude’s been out since 1993; he did a song with biggie smalls before he was popular! how the h-ll has that happened?

anyway, he has this strange flow that i can only describe as if the big rough and tumble nameless thug from a typical action movie started rapping, so admittedly it is a bit of an acquired taste, but when you get into the thick of his intricate lines, it’s a wonder to sit back and take in

rugged man’s flow is uglier than blind dates
my mental is heavy like heavy d and chubb rock ‘s combined weights

beat it, believe it, leaving you leaking, losing blood like an anemic
i’m rather conceited
rappers are comedic, heated leaving you paraplegic
i’m undeniable, diabolical, biological warfare

the one thing that makes it kinda odd though is that, after all this complex, crazy lyricism, it culminates to this as the chorus

i’m feeling so groovy now
rugged man’s flow will f-ck your whole head up
i’m feeling so groovy now

it feels like they were trying to do something, like, anything, to make this song appealing to a more mainstream audience

go shopping (x3)
let’s all go shopping

the h-ll…

‪2. “diabolical sound” – diabolic‬‬

“the whole underworld worries me less than a single man…diabolik”

i’m pretty sure diabolic’s “fighting words” for me was one of the best albums of 2014 if you’re a person who’s into insane verses about demolishing opponents, and diabolic here wastes no lyrics. add that to the beat production by dj premier and oh my lord, you’ve got some great material. the way premier bring the twisted sounds of the orchestra to play around diabolic’s vocals is just heinous

brace yourself for impact i’m raising h-ll with syntax
like satan cast an ancient spell on this track

too many rappers here get on my nerves and stay calm
put on the radio and heard the same songs all day long
it’s mind numbing like doctors squeezing forceps
to load my brain with novacaine in my cerebral cortex

when a track is just this much raw perfection, there’s not much to say that will really be any more impactful than just experiencing it for yourself, so check it out, and do the same for the rest of the album as well. if you love dope rhymes and fantastic beats, you won’t be disappointed in the least

now, i know what you’re thinking. “gee, rap critic hasn’t mentioned lupe fiasco yet, or hopsin, or tech n9ne, or eminem, so he’s probably gonna blindly pick one of them for his number one song, right?” and you know, i’m just the type of person who would bring that up, just to make you think i was not going to do that, only to end up subverting your expectations once more by indeed putting either one of them up here, but instead of ending it with the typically expected rappers like lupe, tech n9ne, eminem, kendrick lama—oh wait–
1. “i” – kendrick

yeah, kendrick lamar is definitely number one for this one, and let me explain why, because i haven’t heard a song in a while that has sounded this realistic about human failures and yet so inspirational about your ability to overcome them at the same time. this is one of those songs that gets inspirational music down, but not in a lame way. although, his voice is kinda weird at the beginning

i done been through a whole lot
trial, tribulation, but i know god

and the thing is, i love this song for what a beautiful sentiment the chorus has. after all the problems he has externally and internally, he knows the world is watching him, seeing his embarr-ssing moments and his failings, and hesays this:

in front of a dirty double mirror, they found me
and i love myself
(the world is a ghetto with big guns and picket signs)
i love myself
(but it can do what it want whenever it want, i don’t mind)
i love myself
(he said i gotta get up, life is more than suicide)
i love myself
(one day at a time, sun gon’ shine)

it’s a great chorus for anyone to sing aloud, and the thing is, it’s not the vain “i love myself” messages that we get from a lot of songs, where the love comes from material accomplishments; it’s a love that says “i value my own existence, i see who i am, and i still want to be me, regardless of what anyone, including myself, tells me about my self worth.”

everybody lookin’ at you crazy (crazy)
what you gon’ do? (what you gon’ do?)
lift up your head and keep moving (keep moving)
or let the paranoia haunt you? (haunt you)

and i really like the idea that kids around the country could be singing this as a popular song, in that its claims of loving yourself are not another song about glorifying guns and wealth and exploiting women’s s-xuality, and not singing a song that says “i love myself” because of some self-centered, narcissistic world view that sees everyone else as not as important as you, but as a chorus that reinforces your true value as a human being, and stresses how your outlook and your contributions in life don’t mean anything if at the end of the day, you don’t live it for you. in fact, my favorite part is about him wrestling with his own suicide, but believing that he will not stop doing so until he honestly believes in his worth as a human

i went to war last night
with an automatic weapon, don’t n0body call a medic
i’ma do it till i get it right

and then, specifically, he tells people not to call for help, that outside forces can’t ultimately change him or his outlook unless he at his core wants to change his negative -ssessment on life. and at the end, he makes the right decision, and finds his fulfillment in living his life to be a lesson for the future

give my story to the children and a lesson they can read
and the glory to the feeling of the holy unseen
seen enough, make a motherf-cker scream, “i love myself!”

it’s a perfect piece of music for the year, and for all time, and i can’t wait to hear the album that accompanies it

well, that’s my list, once again if, you agree or disagree, or have your own list, please, post it in the comments section, get a discussion going. ‘til next time, i’m the rap critic, and i love myself!

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