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. T.I. - What You Know
Atlantic Records continues its game of monopoly, having commanded Billboard's top two albums for the first time in 25 years. "What You Know," which kicked off T.I's King campaign, is featured as one of the soundtracks to the rapper's movie debut, "ATL."
2. Juvenile - Get Ya Hustle On
Even though Juvenile's Reality Check scored him a #1 spot on Billboard 200 Albums chart, it's a far cry from the rapper's most succesful first week. Tha G Code Code moved 290,000 units back in '99 and landed on #10, as opposed to Reality Check's 174,000 opening week sales.
3. Chamillionaire - Ridin'
Houston's hip-hop hitmaker Chamillionaire recently embarked on his Texas Boyz Tour along with "Turn It Up" collaborator, Lil' Flip.
4. Lil' Wayne - Hustler Musik
Lil' Wayne has finally been rewarded by Soundscan for crafting one of his most accessible albums so far - Tha Carter II is now platinum certified.
5. Kanye West featuring Twista & Keyshia Cole - Impossible
Kanye West's latest sound stripe is the theme to the Tom Cruise-produced "Mission Impossible III." The song is recorded in Kanye's typical emotionally-powerful steez, with Twista delivering his signature octane flow. Keyshia Cole's edgy crooning adds flavor to the song as well.
6. Rhymefest - Dynomite (Going Postal)
The whack-tose intolerant Rhymefest recently revealed to About Rap that his upcoming album entitled Blue Collar, is poised to inject creativity and balance into the genre. Hundreds of thousands of fans recently downloaded "Dynomite" from iTunes at no cost, courtesy of J Records.
7. Ice Cube - Why We Thugs
N.W.A. chief lyricist Ice Cube has taken a break from hollywood to cater to his first love, hip-hop. The rapper who helped popularize gangsta rap in the early 90's is kicking off his campaign for the upcoming Laugh Now, Cry Later album with this Scott Storch-produced banger. Cube also boasts a coast-to-coast hip-hop tour this summer to further promote his album.
8. Ghostface featuring Ne-Yo - Back Like That
Although Ghostface Killah's recently-released Fishscale has been garnering rave reviews lately, many heads are upset that songs like "Big Girl" and "Charlie Brown" were left out of the final cut due to stringent sampling restrictions.
9. Mobb Deep featuring 50 Cent - Pearly Gates
Prodigy and Havoc of Mobb Deep clearly hope to attain a reasonable level of commercial success with their 50 Cent-stamped G-Unit album, Blood Money. With shiny cuts like "Put 'Em In Their Place" and "Pearly Gates", the Queens crew may well be on their way to pearly gates here on earth.
10. Kanye West featuring Lupe Fiasco - Touch The Sky
"Touch The Sky" bows at #10 this week after spending 5 weeks in the top 10. Kanye West's collaborator, Lupe Fiasco, recently unveiled the music video for his own single, "Kick, Push", from the upcoming debut album - Food & Liqor.
