It's a good time to be a hip-hop fan. OGs like Kanye and Jay-Z seem to be on a winning streak lately, while younguns like J Cole and Freddie Gibbs have been cranking out fiery hits that make their peers look ordinary.
10. Wiz Khalifa - "Black and Yellow"
© Rostrum/Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records signee Wiz Khalifa returns with his first single, "Black and Yellow," which is totally not about Western Union Money Transfer. No, those are just Wiz's favorite colors. The single was produced by Norwegian production team Stargate.
9. Foreign Exchange - "Maybe She'll Dream Of Me"
© The Foreign Exchange Music
Foreign Exchange is comprised of Little Brother frontman Phonte and criminally underrated producer Nicolay. They dropped "Maybe She'll Dream Of Me" as a free mp3 to pave way for their third LP, Authenticity, due out in October.
8. Rah Digga - "This Ain't No Lil Kid Rap (Remix)" (Feat. Redman)
7. Young Buck - "My Campaign"
Life gave Young Buck lemons, he gave us lemonade. Shortly after gun-toting IRS agents came raided Buck's house for $300,000 in unpaid taxes, he went straight to the studio and recorded this heartfelt tale
6. Reks - "This Or That"
© myspace.com
Reks emerged in 2007 with one of the hottest songs of that year and disappeared for a while. He's now back on the saddle for another ride. "This Or That" leads the charge for his new EP, which in turn leads the charge for a new album. See how that works?
5. Big K.R.I.T. - "If I Should Die"
© Def Jam
Big K.R.I.T. summons the spirit of Marvin Gaye on this new smash from an upcoming mixtape. This one is sure to renew your appreciation for soul samples in rap.
4. Rick Ross - "B.M.F." (Feat. Styles P)
© Henry Adaso/About.com
Ricky Rozay rips through this Lex Luger beat like a bulldozer going through a wall made of LEGO. Much like Lil Wayne's "A Milli," "B.M.F." has inspired a chain of freestyles throughout the country, with everyone from Trae tha Truth to Lupe Fiasco making their own versions of "Blowing Money Fast."
3. J Cole - "Blow Up"
© Thi Chien/Roc Nation
You could hear minds getting blowed from coast to coast when Hollywood Cole unleashed his breakout mixtape, The Warm Up in 2009. His recent stream of leaks, including "Blow Up," stands as evidence that Cole hasn't lost the spark that propelled him into hip-hop consciousness.
2. Kanye West - "Power" Remix (F/ Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz)
© Scott Gries/Getty Images for Universal Music
Kanye connects with his big brother for a slam dunk remix. If you can't get enough of these two together, check out their equally monstrous hit "Monster" alongside Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver.
1. Freddie Gibbs - "National Anthem (F-ck the World)"
No other song exemplifies Gibbs' raw emotion better than "National Anthem." And it's not just the uncompromienergy that makes this a winner. Listen to how he infuses his rhymes so that each line starts where the previous one ends and then gradually switches into double-time mode. The urgency of his flow gives each verse the sense of a grand epiphany.
