10 Best Rap Songs 2009

For a head-nodding good time, one need look no further than these 10 best rap songs of 2009. They’ve got sick beats. They’ve got mad flow. They’ve got references to Transformers and fried chicken. In short, these songs made hip-hop fun in 2009.

1. “House of Flying Daggers” by Raekwon.  Raekwon came back in a big way in 2009 with his amazing follow-up to “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.” The album silences doubters right out of the gate with the amazing “House of Flying Daggers,” a song with a ridiculous amount of energy. It may have borrowed samples old school Wu Tang, but it still sounded new and exciting.
2. “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z. With “Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z created song that speaks for an entire generation of New Yorkers. It’s the kind of song the city needed after everything it had been through in the ‘00s. As such, it reached the status of instant classic.
3. “Hip Hop” by N.A.S.A. N.A.S.A.’s 2009 debut “The Spirit of Apollo” was chock full of guest vocalists from the genres of hip-hop, indie rock and whatever you might call Tom Waits. As a result, it was an uniquely eclectic album. It was still rooted in hip-hop, though, and this track was the hip-hoppiest, making it one of the best rap songs of 2009.
4. “I Hate My Job” by Cam’ron. There are a lot of worthwhile songs about people hating their jobs. This is one of the best. If you’re a cubicle drone suffering from a severe bout of ennui, this song may be just the one for you.
5.  “9x’s Outta 10” by DJ Quik and Kurupt. Nine times out of ten, when you listen to this song it will completely rock you. The other one time out of ten you’re just in a bad mood and nothing’s good enough for you. Lighten up, man, and enjoy this song. It’s hands down one of the best rap songs of 2009.
6. “Shine Blockas” by Big Boi feat. Gucci Mane. Although fans had to wait for 2010 for Big Boi’s excellent solo album “Sir Lucious Leftfoot,” we got a taste of how good it promised to be with the 2009 single “Shine Blockas.” It was, to say the least, an exciting preview.
7. “Exhibit C” by Jay Electronica. Any song that mentions Megatron alongside a sample of a Transformer transforming wins a special place in our nerdy, nerdy hearts. While Jay Electronica may not have the name recognition of Jay-Z, this up-and-comer has plenty of talent of his own.
8. “Best I Ever Had” by Drake. Who knew some kid from a Canadian TV show would become a big name in hip-hop in the U.S.? Not us, but then again if we had that kind of foresight we would be a whole lot richer. We will say this, though: this song may very well be the best Drake ever had.
9. “Wasted” by Gucci Mane. Hey, it’s Gucci Mane again. If you want an exercise in frustration, try listening to the clean version of his song “Wasted. After you’re done ripping your hair out, go back and listen to the album version. Doesn’t that sound a lot better? Indeed, with curses intact this was one of the best rap songs of 2009.
10. “Popular Demand” by Clipse feat. Cam’ron. This song wants to make us eat at Popeye’s. That’s not a plug; we’re just fans of fried chicken. What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, this Clipse track. It’s pretty good.