Hip Hop Album of the Year
There were only about 5 hip hop albums that I was really anticipating before their release, but a lot of artists that weren't really on my radar put out albums that will have me anticipating their next release.
- Def3 & Factor - Drumbo
- IsWhat!? - Big Appetite
- Lushlife - Cassette City
- Qwel & Maker - So Be It
- Speech Debelle - Speech Therapy
- Willie Isz - Georgiavania
Instrumental Hip Hop Album of the Year
2009 is now my favorite year for instrumental hip hop.
- Blockhead - The Music Scene
- Nicolay - City Lights Vol.2: Shibuya
- Nomak - Muziq & Foto
- Oh No - Dr. No's Ethiopium
- Odd Nosdam - T.I.M.E. Soundtrack
- Shin-Ski - Planetarium
- EDIT: Clutchy Hopkins - Music is My Medicine (It would be awesome if the Grammy's or one of those prestigious award committees released their nominations and then said "Oh fuck...we forgot to include something.")
Mainstream Hip Hop Album of the Year
It should be the other way around. Hip Hop Album of the Year should be all mainstream albums and I should have to make a separate category to acknowledge the best underground albums.
- Eminem - Relapse
- Maino - If Tomorrow Comes...
- Mos Def - The Ecstatic
- Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II
- Rick Ross - Deeper Than Rap
- Wale - Attention Deficit
Mixtape of the Year
I have a love/hate relationship with mixtapes. On one hand, they're just an excuse for rappers to put out mediocre material without the negative reaction they'd receive from putting out a mediocre album. On the other hand, if it's free...
- B. Dolan - House of Bees Vol. 1
- Elzhi - The Leftovers Unmixed Tape
- Freddie Gibbs - midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik
- Pumpkinhead - My Era (No Skinny Jeans Allowed)
- Sole - Nuclear Winter Volume One
- W. Ellington Felton - The Black History Month has Come and Gone Again
- EDIT: Sean Price - Kimbo Price (I can't believe I forgot to include that)
Old Washed Up Rapper Collaboration Album of the Year
I was actually able to come up with a full list of nominees for this category. Think about that for a second.
- Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One - Parallel Universe
- DJ Quik & Kurupt - BlaQKout
- KRS-One & Buckshot - Survival Skills
- Masta Ace & Edo. G - Arts & Entertainment
- Method Man & Redman - Blackout! 2
- O.C. & A.G. - Oasis
Emcee of the Year
I'm sure nobody will agree with my selections. If you don't like it, create your own blog and give out your own meaningless awards.
- Finale
- Mr. Lif
- Qwel
- Sean Price
- Sene
- Von Pea
Producer of the Year
I'm sure nobody will disagree with my selections if you've heard the work these producers put out this year.
- Blockhead
- Factor
- Jneiro Jarel
- Lushlife
- Maker
- Oh No
Rookie of the Year
Just to clarify, I'm only including artists who released their debut album in 2009. I'm not only judging it on who had the best debut album, but also on who has the most potential.
- Blitz the Ambassador
- Boycott Blues
- Fashawn
- Fresh Daily
- MAGr
- Speech Debelle
Jazz Album of the Year
It wasn't a great year for jazz albums compared to recent years, but there were still plenty of albums that kept me interested.
- Dr. Lonnie Smith - Rise Up!
- James Carter, John Medeski, Christian McBride, Adam Rogers & Joey Baron - Heaven on Earth
- Medeski, Martin & Wood - Radiolarians II
- Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics - Inspiration Information Vol. 3
- Roy Nathanson - Subway Moon
- Vijay Iyer - Historicity
R&B Album of the Year
R&B isn't quite as bad as hip hop, but it's getting to the point where you really have to search hard to find the best artists.
- Eric Roberson - Music Fan First
- Lee Fields & The Expressions - My World
- Maxwell - BLACKsummers'night
- Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement
- N'Dambi - Pink Elephant
- Platinum Pied Pipers - Abundance
Electronic Album of the Year
I had to come up with a category for the stuff that doesn't quite fit in the hip hop categories.
- Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
- DJ Spooky - The Secret Song
- Dorian Concept - When Planets Explode
- Hudson Mohawke - Butter
- Mochipet - Bunnies & Muffins
- Nosaj Thing - Drift
Pop Album of the Year
What is pop music now? Most of the stuff they play on pop stations is poppy hip hop and R&B, so my main criteria for distinguishing a pop artist is "white female vocalist."
- Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
- Florence & The Machine - Lungs
- Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted
- Little Boots - Hands
- Maia Hirasawa - GBG vs. STHLM
- Regina Spektor - Far
Folk Album of the Year
Aside from hip hop and jazz, folk has been the strongest genre this decade. After 2009, I'm not changing my opinion. This will be the most difficult category for me to choose a winner.
- Alela Diane - To Be Still
- Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish I were an Eagle
- Blue Roses - Blue Roses
- Marissa Nadler - Little Hells
- William Elliot Whitmore - Animals in the Dark
- Yusuf - Roadsinger
Rock Album of the Year
I really didn't care for rock music in 2009. I wasn't impressed by most of the albums that were heavily praised by critics, and I didn't come across any hidden gems. The bright spot was two good krautrock albums. I'm hoping for a bigger krautrock revival in 2010.
- Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
- Beak> - Beak>
- Dinosaur Jr. - Far
- Faust - C'est Com...Com...Compliqué
- Manic Street Preachers - Journal for Plague Lovers
- The Wooden Birds - Magnolia
Metal Album of the Year
Metal has progressed less than any other genre since its early days, but metal fans don't seem to complain, so I won't complain any more than I already have.
- Alestorm - Black Sails at Midnight
- Destroy Destroy Destroy - Battle Sluts
- Ephel Duath - Through My Dog's Eyes
- Mastodon - Crack the Skye
- Napalm Death - Time Waits for No Slave
- Pelican - What We All Come to Need
Blues Album of the Year
It was an awesome year for blues. 3 of my 5 favorite blues albums this decade came out in 2009.
- Alvin Jett & The Phat Noize Band - Honey Bowl
- Damon Fowler - Sugar Shack
- Guy Davis - Sweetheart Like You
- Jorma Koukonen - River of Time
- Otis Taylor - Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs
- Shemekia Copeland - Never Going Back
Country Album of the Year
I'm hoping nobody that reads this listens to enough country to realize that almost all of these albums should probably be considered either southern rock or folk.
- Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women - Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women
- Miranda Lambert - Revolution
- Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses - Roadhouse Sun
- Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away
- Son Volt - American Central Dust
- The Gourds - Haymaker!
Reggae Album of the Year
This is 75% of the reggae albums I listened to.
- Buju Banton - Rasta Got Soul
- Chezidek - I Grade
- Jah Cure - The Universal Cure
- Julian Marley - Awake
- Queen Ifrica - Montego Bay
- Ziggy Marley - Family Time
