With so many rap tunes raining down on us like confetti, it's often challenging to wrap our hands around the hottest songs out there. Not to worry, I've compiled a list of the ten songs that are incinerating charts and ears everywhere. The weekly Top 10 is based mainly on aesthetic value, relevance, and performance on various charts.
1. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
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In case you've been wondering, Danger Mouse has consistently denied the popular assertion that "Gnarls Barkley" is a nod to famous basketball player-turned-broadcaster Charles Barkley. "It's just like everything else on this record. There was no conscious decision about stuff," said Danger Mouse. Yeah right!2. Lupe Fiasco - Kick Push
Listen | Watch Video (windows media).
Some more bad news for fans of Lupe Fiasco. The youngun's album has been kicked and pushed back from its original release date of June 27th while they record new songs for the revamped version of Food & Liquor. Sorry, were you saying that he had assured us about the original shelf date in his About interview?
3. Fort Minor - Where'd You Go
Listen | Watch Video (windows media).
"Where'd You Go" reached an all-time high when it hit #5 on both MySpace and Billboard Hot 100. Mike Shinoda has now unveiled a previously unreleased Fort Minor track titled "Strange Things" on his fansite, "The Militia." About "Strange Things," Mike says, "this song basically got scrapped as i started making other things that i liked better, but listening to it now, there's a cool kind of nostalgia about it."
4. Kanye West ft Twista & Keyshia Cole - Impossible
Speaking of "Impossible," it was impossible for Kanye West to avoid the courtroom last week. A hip-hop group known as I.O.F. slapped West and Ludacris with a copyright infringement lawsuit claiming that the duo had jacked Ludacris' hit single "Stand Up" from I.O.F's "Straight Like That."
5. The Roots - Don't Feel Right
"Don't Feel Right" is the lead single from The Roots' upcoming Def Jam debut, The Game Theory. The crew is currently on tour to promote the album which drops on August 29, 2006.
6. Busta Rhymes - Touch It (Remix)
According to several reports, Busta Rhymes' highly anticipated Dr. Dre-produced album, The Big Bang, has been leaked to internet sources. So far, the leak has not hampered Busta's release date. So much for a big bang, huh.
7. Pharell featuring Kanye West - Number 1
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Kanye West seems to be everywhere these days - movie premieres, soundtracks, courtrooms. "Number 1" is his first ever collaboration with Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes.
8. OutKast - Mighty O
The mighty OutKast is back with a mighty good single to set off their "Idlewild" movie campaign. On the song, Andre 3000 quips, "category? ain't got none and you know I'm right." True indeed.
9. T.I. - What You Know
T.I. is one of several rappers scheduled to appear at the 2006 Hot 97 Summer Jam. The Summer Jam is well discerned for its slew of hip-hop 'beefs' as well as stunts.
10. Rick Ross ft Jay-Z & Young Jeezy - Hustlin' (Remix)
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Congratulations to Rick Ross, he now holds the prestigious award for "most altered album title of 2006." His Slip-N-Slide/Def Jam debut had been dubbed Career Criminal. It was later modified to Port of Miami. Not to be confused with The Street Catalog, his recent hold-them-over-till-release date mixtape.
