Young Mike's Blog

Young Mike's Top 10 Albums of 2010 - #1

Posted By: Young Mike · 12/22/2010 12:30:00 PM
I'm counting down my favourite albums of the year.  Let me know your picks in the comment section!
 
 
We've reached the Top of the Mountain!  Here's the Best Album of 2010 (according to me!)
 
#1
 
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (released November 22, 2010)
 
It should come as no surprise that this is the number one album of the year.   Here are just some of the accolades the album has received thus far...
 
#1 - Spin Magazine's Top 40 Albums of the Year
#1 - Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of the Year
#1 - Pitchforks' Top 100 Albums of the Year
#1 - Billboard's Top Albums of the Year
#1 - Slant Magazine's Top Albums of the Year
#1 - Time Magazine's Top Albums of the Year
#1 - The A.V. Club's Best Albums of 2010
#2 - The Guardian's Best Albums of 2010
#4 - Vibe Magazine's Top Albums of the Year
 
Nearly every critical standard said this was the best album of the year, and for once, they got it right.
 
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a comeback for Kanye after the average 808's & Heartbreak where he took a break from rapping to use some auto-tune.  He followed that up with his poor display of sportsmanship by interrupting T Swizzy (Taylor Swift) at the MTV VMA's and having the whole world turn on him.  He then pulled out of a planned tour with Lady Gaga and disappeared from the scene for a while.  He needed time to heal the damage that had been done to his image, his reputation, and his ego.
 
But Kanye returned slowly, first leaking the first single off the record called 'Power', a stunning five minute track that utilized a King Crimson sample.  He proceeded to give away new tracks every week on his blog on "G.O.O.D. Fridays".  Then at this year's VMA's, he returned and debuted to play a stunning new track called "Runaway".  A song that song Kanye take shots at himself, while at the same time not apoligizing for who he is.
 
When his album dropped, people had high expectations, but he surpassed them on every level, delivering his finest album lyrically and musically.  He's shown that while he may not be evolving as a person, he has evolved as a rapper and a songwriter.  The rhymes and lyrics on this record are exponentially better than the rhymes on his first album, while the production is as shiny and tight as ever.  The album is a schizophrenic masterpiece that will be talked about for years to come.  He takes pieces that shouldn't go together and puts them together seamlessly.  It's truly everything you want in a rap record and more.  It's things you wanted but didn't even know to ask for.  Kanye brings it all to you and doesn't let up for 70 minutes.
 
He also uses a ton of great guests including Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Rick Ross, Nicky Minaj, Bon Iver, Rihanna, John Legend, and Pusha T just to name a few.  They all bring their "A" game and do their part to make this album as great as it is.
 
EPIC.  That is a word you can use to describe this album.  It's also a word you can use to describe Kanye West and everything he does.  Including the 34 minute short film called "Runaway" that he released ahead of the album.  I've included it below.  You can see the audacity, the cockiness, and the ego of Kanye West dripping off every second of film.  It's total pomp and excessiveness and he can't seem to have it any other way.
 
Yes, Kanye is a bit of a tool, and it's very easy to hate the guy.  But do we hate him because he's a tool, or do we hate him because he talks smack and then backs it up every single time.  Truth be told, Beyonce did have a better video than Taylor Swift.  But he chose to excecute his displeasure with that injustice by being a total jerk.  Even though he was right.  In the case of this album, he exceuted it in the same fashion...like a pompous, arrogant, son of a gun.  And he went on to create one of the best rap records of all time.
 
Check out "Power", "Runaway feat. Pusha T", and "All of the Lights feat. Rihanna" in the player.
 
 
"Runaway" Short Film
 

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