Reflections and Resolutions - Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012 - Part IB - Goodbye 2011. Top 100 Hip Hop Tracks of 2011. Hello 2012. 12 Resolutions for 2012.

I had my doubts, but here it finally is - Part I B of Reflections - Goodbye 2011 - 2011 Hip Hop Top 2.0         ( Better make that 10.0!)

Hope you enjoyed Part I A's collection of interesting films, albums and people. Next I set out to complete a  Hip Hop 2.0 for all of 2011. Obviously I found the task of narrowing the number down to 20, I ended up with a top 100, so here's a pretty comprehensive list of solid songs that popped up in the hip hop world from 2011. So without further ado here is my list of the best 100 Hip Hop songs released in the 2011 calender. It's not Billboard, or YouTube, just my own opinion. Furthermore, I didn't hear every song made in 2011, so save it, and I know Rack City is the bomb.

The Top 100 Songs of 2011!

100. When I'm Gone - Wiz Khalifa
99. Face Off - Reks Feat. Termanology
98. Never Stop Loving You - 9th Wonder Feat. Terrance Martin, Talib Kweli
97. Welcome To the Jungle - Jay Z and Kanye West
96. Focused - Wale Feat. Kid Cudi
95. Boom, Bap - B.O.B. Feat. T.I., Mos Def
94. Reppin' 4 Flint - Jon Connor
93. The Invitation - Saigon Feat. Q-Tip, Fatman Scoop
92. Ain't No Future 2011 - Jon Connor

91. Loud Noises - Eminem and Royce 5'9" Feat. Slaughterhouse
90. How High - J. Cole
89. Legendary - Wale
88. 3D - Game Feat. David Banner
87. Underground King - Drake
86. The OtherSide - The Roots Feat. Bilal Oliver, Greg Porn

85. Pot Of Gold - Game Feat. Chris Brown
84. The Real Her - Drake Feat. Lil Wayne, Andre 3000
83. Strange Clouds - B.O.B. Feat :Lil Wayne
82. Need Some Bad - Slick Rick
81. What Goes Around - Big Sean
80. Sookie Now - Big K.R.I.T. Feat. David Banner
79. She Will - Lil Wayne Feat. Drake
78. Enemies - Saigon
77. Friends - Saigon

76. I Love Music - Tech N9ne Feat. Kendrick Lamar, Oobergeek
75. Over My Dead Body - Drake
74. F5: Furiously Dangerous - Ludacris Feat. Slaughterhouse
73. Who Gon Stop Me - Jay Z and Kanye West
72. Fuck Your Ethnicity - Kendrick Lamar
71. See It To Believe it - J. Cole
70. On My Level - Wiz Whalifa Feat. Too Short
69. Country Shit (Remix) - Big K.R.I.T. Feat. Ludacris, Bun B

68. No Church In The Wild - Jay Z and Kanye West Feat. Frank Ocean
67. Come On Baby - Saigon Feat. Swizz Beats, Jay Z
66. Band Practice - 9th Wonder Feat. Phonte, Median
65. Words I Never Said - Lupe Fiasco Feat. Skylar Grey
64. Worldwide Choppers - Tech N9ne Feat. Ceza, J.L. B.Hood, Uso, Yelawolf, Twista, Busta Rhymes,  Twisted Insane, D-Loc

63. Let's Roll - Yelawolf Feat. Kid Rock
62. Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys
61. Toast To the Dead - Immortal Technique
60. Fast Lane - Eminem and Royce 5'9"
59. Success Is My Cologne - Currency
58. Pimps (Remix) - Big K.R.I.T. Feat. 2Chainz, Bun B

57. Bundle Up - The Cool Kids
56. I'm On One - Rick Ross Feat. Drake, Lil Wayne
55. Ballin' - Young Jeezy Feat. Lil Wayne
54. Work Out - J. Cole
53. DC or Nothing - Wale
52. Martians Vs. Goblins - Game Feat. Lil Wayne, Tyler the Creator
51. Enjoy - 9th Wonder Feat. Warren G, Murs, Kendrick Lamar

The Top 50!!
50. Am I a Pyscho - Tech N9ne Feat. B.O.B. - Tech N9ne experiences a long overdue epiphany!
49. The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco - Again, hardly a track from 2011, despite it's inclusion on Lasers. I still dig the Modest Mouse back riff none the less.
48. Ric Flair - Killer Mike - The song is great, the Ric Flair soundbites are even better!
47. Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay - Big Sean Feat. Kanye West - "The fuckin anthem, get it, the fuckin anthem!"
46. He's a Mental Giant - Tech N9ne - Tech N9ne killing the beat with his incomparble word play, which he is well aware of, being the mental giant he is.

45. Makin Dough - Obie Trice -Obie's got a new album in 2012, good to hear his gravelly flow again on this one.
44. Phone Numbers - Big Sean, Trae the Truth - My pay cheques be looking like phone numbers! I wish.
43. Murder To Excellence - Jay Z and Kanye West - I found Watch the Throne to be a series of hits and misses, this one hits!
42. My Sub - Big K.R.I.T. - Filling my Outkast void with the Southern banger.
41. Capcom - Kid Cudi - Ya'll know I love some Cudi.
40. Molasses - Raekwon Feat. Rick Ross, Ghostface Killah - As smooth and syrupy as the title would suggest.

39. Ghetto Dreams - Common Feat. Nas - Two originals.
38. Wake Up - Wiz Khalifa - Laid back Wiz flow. Run my town, like the mayor. Run my town, bitch, I'm like the mayor. Brilliant.
37. I Do It - Big Sean - Witty punchlines, Big Sean at his #hashtagging best.
36. Cole World - J. Cole - J. Cole brings lyrics to compete with the beat as he goes in on this offering.

35. The Noose - Tech N9ne Feat. Mayday - Tech N9ne's apocalyptic tale of the shortcomings that doom us.
34. Sweet - Common - One of the singles that drove Common's 2011 revival.
33. One Time - The Roots Feat. Phonte, Dice Raw - More great music from The Roots band with a little help from Dice Raw and Little Brother alum, Phonte.
32. Marvin's Room - Drake - Some more sing-songy rap shit from the man who does it best.
31. Memories Pt. II - Big Sean Feat. John Legend - My favourite track off of Finally Famous.

30. Lost Ones - J. Cole - Modern day take on Brenda's Got a Baby. 
29. That's Life 2 - Killer Mike - Killer Mike preach!
28. 6'7' - Lil Wayne Feat. Cory Gunz - Crazy beat.
27. Ready Set Go Pt II - Killer Mike Feat. T.I., Big Boi - Had to get Big Boi on this list!

26. Trust Issues - Drake - Drake's open-book-sing-songy flow. He, "doesn't trust these bitches"
25. Black and Yellow - Wiz Khalifa - Points taken for it can hardly be considered a 2011 release, the song that rode the Steelers to the Superbowl and Wiz Khalifa to the mainstream.
24. Roll Up - Wiz Khalifa - The freshest track off of a bit of disappointing and over commercialized major label debut from Wiz Khalifa.
23. M I Crooked Letter - Boo Rossini Ft. Big K.R.I.T. - I am an unapologetic Big K.R.I.T. fan for 2011, including this battle cry from the South.
22. Niggas In Paris - Jay-Z and Kanye West - This song continues to grow on me.
21. I Do - Young Jeezy Feat. Andre 3000, Jay Z - An all star cast, Jay Z in cruise control somewhat holds it back.

The Top 20 Songs of 2011!!

20. Greatest Story Never Told - Saigon - Best track on the long anticipated Saigon album that has been delayed for nearly a decade! Worth the wait!

19. Ambition - Wale Feat. Rick Ross, Meek Mill - Wale hits hard and makes you want to be somebody on this one!

18. 5 on the Kush - B.O.B. Feat. Big K.R.I.T., Bun B - A south modern take on Luniz's  5 on It.

17. Otis - Jay Z and Kanye West - Equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster. They both bring it.

16. HiiPower - Kendrick Lamar - Voted HipHop DX's verse of the year.

15. All Black Everything - Lupe Fiasco - One of the only tracks on Lasers that I can actually see Lupe standing behind in post production.

14. Disgusting - J. Cole - All about the beat on this one.

13. 25th Hour - Reks - Dope lyrics over a Premo beat, doesn't get much better than this.

  
12. Intro/Interlude/Outro - Lil Wayne Feat. Tech N9ne, Andre 3000, Bun B, Nas, Shyne and Busta Rhymes - By far the best thing to come out of the Lil Wayne's Carter IV.

11. Dreams Money Can Buy - Drake - Drake is a worldwide superstar, here are all the dreams his new found wealth can help him purchase.

10. Reagan Era - Kendrick Lamar - Representin' the West Coast, Lamar brings a social consciousness to the West Coast gang mentality that hasn't been seen since the likes of Ice Cube nearly 15 years ago.

09. Headlines - Drake - Drake proves he's still a force to be reckon'd with. Punchline after punchline.

08. American Rapstar - Big K.R.I.T. - The making of a Rapstar right before our eyes.

07. American Terrorist - Lupe Fiasco - It might just be the Nighcall beat, but I can't get enough of this, I wish Lasers had been better, but this will do.

06. Who Do I Catch Now - Tech N9ne - What started out as a BET awards cypher, tells the story of his meteoric rise to fame in 2011, where does Tech go from here?

 
05. Nasty - Nas - Nas doing Nas, owning a track and keeping his name in your mouths.

04. Red Nation - Game Feat. Lil Wayne - Love the Zombie nation background beat, a true anthem for 2011.

03. Dreamin' - Big K.R.I.T.- I've been feeling K.R.I.T. since 2011 began. 2011 had to be a dream come true for the Mississippi native,who blew up both on the mic and behind the boards.

02. Make My -The Roots Feat. Big K.R.I.T. Dice Raw - Best song on what is arguably the best album of the year.

01. The Return of Simba - J. Cole - My song of the year, didn't even make an album. Still my song of the year.

And there you have it ladies and gents, the best hip hop singles of 2011. Hope you enjoyed it!

Part II - Resolutions - Hello 2012 

Well isn't this a bit of a self serving blog entry. "I resolve to..." How does one even begin to define their resolutions. How can I improve both myself and my quality of life in 2012 is what it comes down to for me. In retrospect, 2011 goes down as 'just fair' in my books. I can't think of any examples of any life changing events in my world. No big moves, changes, or milestones, No babies (phew!), rings, or career defining moves. Just day to day monotony, supply teaching and serving. The life of a rock in the passing stream of life. That's not meant to be a complaint of 2011, just an observation. More than an observation, it's an admission of that feeling of 'want' that grows inside of us. (Kind of like 3rd Eye Blind "Semi-Charmed Life", but I'm not quite sure this is what they were talking about.) That feeling that you're left wanting more for both yourself and those around you, that's where I start with my resolutions for 2012. How can I appease this feeling of want to the point where I can look back and call 2012 a defining year in becoming the person and having the life I envision for myself. And is that even realistic? Realistic? No. Worth a shot. You bet. I think the whole, shoot for the moon - end up in the stars is an fitting analogy. Here are my self serving resolutions for 2012 for your scoffing pleasure.

12. Decisions, Decisions - That's what it all comes down to isn't it, the choices we make. In 2012 I hope to make all the right decisions, all of the time. Unfortunately, no matter how much resolve I approach  this with, I will not achieve this lofty standard. What I can count on is that I'll take the time to make the best decision I can and then I'll leave it alone. Enough with the over analyzing, replaying out what decisions I could have made differently. In 2012 I will make well thought out choices and stand behind my decisions as they determine who I am and continue to become. Furthermore, occasionally I'll screw up as well. (Really took a leap here, I know)

11. Challenge = Growth - Without challenging ourselves in new situations, environments and opportunities we're limiting our ability to grow, change and improve. Interestingly, the chinese word for crisis includes the symbols for both danger and opportunity. Unfortunately most opportunities tend to be disguised as work and that tends to skew our vision at times. Very much a situation where the more you risk (leaving your comfort zone) the greater your possibility for reward. I resolve to seek out new challenges for the opportunities and learning experiences they present.


10. Listamania - There's a saying that goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail ...or something like that. For me organization is the key to getting things done. If you've read my blogs you know I like lists, so this resolution is seemingly a match made in heaven. An amelioration of tasks and goals. I resolve to become a master of the list; setting 'to do' lists on a daily, weekly, and monthly scale. Checking off even the most mundane of tasks for that feeling of accomplishment that only completing my laundry, groceries and banking all in one trip can deliver.

09. Chef Budd - Next time someone approaches me and says "What's cooking?" ( Followed by a pleasant "good looking", I hope.) I hope to respond with, something edible, anything edible. If there's one thing I am guilty of, it's being a lazy cook. It's not that I can't cook, it's just easier and more convenient to eat out or order in, which a) costs far too much on the day to day b) rarely results in healthy food choices. That said, an improvement here could serve to fatten up my wallet, while at the same time trim down my waist line. I resolve to eat out a maximum of 2 times a week. 
 
08. The Pen(is) Mightier - I'm a better person when I'm reading, if I have time to read it's a sign that life is moving at a good speed for me. Reading is a symbol of relaxation and control. When I'm reading and writing on a consistent basis I have time and patience to get things done at a pace that's thoroughly enjoyable. I resolve to read at least a book a month, and write 2 entries a month, as well as hopefully something more substantial moving forward.

07. Have the Courage To Think Outside The Box - 2012 shall not be a year of, "but I've always done it this way....". In 2012 I resolve to have the courage to think outside the box; to look at the way I, and those around me, do things and ask, "Is that the best way...?" A lot of the time we can fall into the rut or safety net of continually and habitually doing things the same way over and over. Routine can be a good thing but stagnation, not so much. Maybe the best way hasn't been thought of yet, maybe I'd do well at something I've never considered for myself before. In 2012, I will not overlook the endless possibilities that exist beyond my conscious.

06. Lay Waste to the Waist, and Other Forms of Waste - I'm a criminal wastophile. Time, money, food, opportunities, you name em, I waste em. My goal for 2012 is to try and eliminate some of the waste from my life, including this waist (not entirely, obviously). Clearly, some of these resolutions overlap, and I've already pleaded guilty to wasting ends on eating out at an extravagant pace. I waste loads of time on facebook, twitter, and surfing the net, completing mindless, thankless, and product-less tasks. I've got to do a better job of catching myself in the act and improving upon this. Waste. Get rid of it.  

05. Be Healthier - Sleep more, eat healthier, exercise daily. Shouldn't that continually be a goal we strive towards. When I reflect on the times when I feel crummy on a day to day, week to week basis, the usual suspects tend to always be the culprits, lack of sleep, a bunch of trash in my diet, general malaise. And they domino as well, when you're not sleeping well, it's more likely that you'll be too tired to complete any physical activity, let alone the activity it'll take to fire up the stove and make something worthwhile to eat. Did I say you'll...I meant I'll. I resolve to sprinkle some healthier habits into my daily routine, maybe you should too?

04. Seek and Destroy - For most of this list the resolution involves, doing something new or the addition of something. Addition by addition. Simple. But in some cases what we have is addition by subtraction. Like a computer, we function best when we're not plagued by virus, spyware and clutter. In our daily lives the elimination of some of these hindrances can be just as beneficial as the addition of any new practices or habits. What we destroy shows our character as much as the things we build. I will continue to explore and identify my weaknesses, flaws, and poor habits and work towards their destruction. 

03. Discipline - To me discipline is the ability to overlook your short term wants and desires in favour of doing what it takes to pursue your long term goals. You want both, but your over arching vision has to take priority in these situations. You want a fit bod just in time for summer, but you also want a cheeseburger because you're craving it and they're admittedly a known delicacy. In this case your desire for a burger contradicts your goal of a fit bod. Show discipline. Do not bet on a Bears quarterback. Show Discipline. This is especially important when seeking change, eventually the hope is that long term goals and short terms wants and desires are in sync, until then, show discipline.     

02. Balance -  A big thing for me is maintaining balance, I can be very good in ebbs and flows. As evidenced by November's cleanse followed by December's binge. While, I can maintain the level of discipline necessary for wholesale change over the course of a month, the reality is I wasn't ready to make the full scale lifestyle change. I'll binge for one month on deep frieds, pumphouse beers, and donairs, only to follow up with a month of chin ups, frequent jogs and generally healthy eating. Binge, purge, repeat. I've always been an extremist in that sense, O-Town, all or nothing. I resolve to strike a balance. If I am able to find that fine balance; coupled with an infusion of positive thought  and action, destroy some bad habits, there's no reason 2012 can't be a remarkably productive 12 months.

1. Robotic Cyborg - Lastly, I would hope that having stayed in line on all of these resolutions, my end result is that I will have morphed into some type of machination by years end. It will take a well programmed set of algorithms and software to keep me away from some of the vices that could prove fatal to this idyllic 2012. Best to not let any of my superficial desires and emotions have me seeing short sighted in such a scenario as this. This is mostly meant to be tongue in cheek, as some would suggest I have as good a chance of becoming part man - part machine as I have of carrying out these resos. A simple reminder to dream realistically because I think it's important to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day and this life is entirely a work in progress. I am not a robot, I am human - an I can and will make mistakes. I'd love to sit down in 2013 and think 'job well done', but there will continue to be setbacks and obstacles, the thing to remember is to remain realistic in dealing with setbacks. If I can do that and not let any setbacks, which can and will occur, deter my spirit of progress then I have no doubt 2012 will keep me smiling all year long. I resolve to carry these resolutions out with cold, robot-like precision. 

Happy 2012 Folks!


Peace.

Reflections and Resolutions - Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012 - Part IA - Goodbye 2011.

Let's start by wishing a very Happy - Holidays ( All ), Hanukkah (Judaic Friends), Kwanzaa (Brothers) and Birthday (Jesus, Thomas). As well as a Merry Christmas (Christian Brothers), and a Happy New Year (All).

Phew! So much wrapped up in all of that (present pun), it's a seriously busy time of year, merely trying to survive the gauntlet that accompanies the seasonal festivities. My not so subtle excuse for a few weeks blog hiatus. But seriously, tough time of year to sit down and get anything done (written), since the age of 5 we were taught to shut our brains off, engage in stuffing our face with an assortment of Christmas goodies and mindlessly stare off at the consumer products placed before us. I didn't complain about it then and I'm not complaining about it now. I loved watching that little electric race car make his laps around the track. It was mesmerizing and hypnotic. And that was in elementary school. I'm just saying I couldn't hardly find the time to read, let alone write, this break. Beginning in university they tell you shut it down in early December. Okay, do your exams, shut it down, stuff your face, drink your beers, I know the routine. Again, not complaining, just, er, justifying, sorta.

I digress, I had started a holidays survival guide and maybe next year you'll get to read it. It appears we all survived to this point anyhow. I'm not so sure that the Beardo Knit Beard Cap we'll still be a hot ticket item in "gift giving 101", however I can assuredly say it will still be prudent to avoid drunkenly propositioning a coworker at a Holiday staff party function in 2012 so there's that from the "how to survive a holiday functions with dignity"section. Now you're already looking forward to next  Christmas! Regardless whatever I had written, it was so last year.

Here's a fun idea, let's start this year by reflecting on the year that was 2011. A year of water treading as far as I was concerned, in which the lows were never too low and the highs were never too high. Now that's what I call conservative living! I'll get to some lists and opinions here in a moment, but from a personal perspective I felt 2011 was a very safe year. I felt as though I did little in the way of reinventing myself or reshaping my mold. At times this can be a good thing - consistency, stability and balance certainly being positive characteristics. However in this case, while I do feel I have some of those characteristics, I also think we can get into auto-pilot sometimes and we're not allowing ourselves to grow as a person in that state. Just going through the motions and not living with emotion. Just food for thought. Certainly something that I will take into account when I begin to map out my resolutions for 2012 later in the blog. Sometimes I gotta break away from the comfortable coward within.

While I was sleep walking some exciting things went on in 2011. Here's a recap. My Take. Enjoy.

Top 11 Movies of '11:
01. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.... Can't Wait.
02. The Descendents.... Can't Wait.
03. Shame.... Can't Wait.
04. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy .... Can't Wait.
05, Mission Impossible: Ghost Recon .... Can't Wait.
06. The Adventures of Tin Tin .... Can't Wait.
07. A Dangerous Method .... Can't Wait.
08. Moneyball .... Can't Wait.

Wait a minute this looks like a list of movies I most want to see... just haven't yet. (No excuse on the Moneyball exclusion here, have to see it.) But yeah that's exactly what it is, as is usually the case the year's best films are released just prior to Oscar season, an effort to build up their buzz  heading into award season. Below you'll find a list of the best films I actually saw in 2011 that were also released in 2011. I'll revisit a definitive best film of  the year list when we explore the Oscar selections in about a months time. For better or worse.

11. Captain America - Didn't blow my mind, didn't let me down.

10. Margin Call - Enjoyed this office drama that depicts a firm folding over night a la Lehman Bros.

09. Paul - Consider me on the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost bandwagon.

08. The Ides of March - The year of Ryan Gosling...

07. Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Good film, expect more Apes to follow. Not good.

06. Thor - Left the theater feeling pleasantly surprised after this viewing. Have to watch again but I enjoyed this popcorn!

05. Lincoln Lawyer - Early film from 2011. Probably slides down this list when some of the new releases come out but it held my attention, cocky McConaghy.

04. Kill The Irishman - Sleeper pick. Dope film. Check it out.

03. X-Men: First Class - Or the year of Michael Fassbender?

02. Source Code - A very cool idea for a film, I kind of see this as this years Inception, a science fiction movie that seems to have a better grasp of how to deal with the loopholes that exist when we suspend of disbelief regarding the supernatural. 

01. Drive - Best film I saw all year, opening scene sets the table for the whole film. Great music. Gosling owns the film without hardly speaking, acting his way through each and every scene. Check it out if you haven't already, expect something rather artsy.  

 
With further apologies to Warrior, Cowboys and Aliens, The Hangover 2(!), Fast Five, and upon recommendation from Dan, Real Steel, all films I still have yet to see, despite having loads of time to catch up on this. Congratulations movies you are now on the short to-do list.


Top 11 Most Interesting People '11: Solely according to me so you won't find the Kardashians here. These are the people that I will always read an ESPN article or Yahoo! side bar story about whenever their name pops up. Not necessarily out of adoration but certainly intrigue. Odds that they'll return to the list in '12.

11. Cam Newton - What he lacks in philosophy (A lion Cam? Really? In the jungle? Really?) he more than makes up for in raw footballing talent. Newton should be the ROY and flashed talents that will electrify for years to come. 6:1

10. Albert Pujols - Any time a guy signs a 260 million dollar contract they get on the list, throw in the World Series Victory and the 3 HR performance in game 3 and a pretty vanilla guy (read: robot) deserves a mention. 40:1

09. Michael Jordan - I'm always interested in what Black Jesus is up to. Rocked a tidy Hitler-esque mustache. 4:1

08. Barak Obama - The President, always a man of intrigue. This day in age with the challenges the United States have been facing both at home and abroad it's certainly a difficult time to be the man in charge, '11 was a challenging year, but it's 2012 that will be make or break in determining his long term legacy. 1:1 It's an election year! 


07. Derek Jeter - First Yankee ever to hit 3000 hits! Digest that. Arguably the most historic franchise in professional sports and Jeter stands a top the franchise in a sport that holds it's statistical milestones on a pedestal like no other. He did it in GQ fashion as only Jeter could hitting a home-run for number 3000, going 5-5 on the day and driving in the game winning run. I don't like many Yanks but Jeter is a baller. And he reportedly gives gift bags of memorabilia to his romances (read: conquests), a gentleman. 50:1

06. Mike Tyson/Charlie Sheen - Tyson always makes the list (for obvious reasons), sharing the spot this year with roast mate Charlie Sheen who was mildly interesting throughout the year with his Tyson-esque downward spiral out of sanity. 1.5/1  

05. Kanye West - Ridiculously productive last 18 months for Kanye. Guy's a really talented asshole. Stayed out of trouble for the most part. 16:1

04. Peyton Manning - Guy doesn't play and he's still a very interesting topic of conversation. His value was starkly apparent with the Colts looking absolutely listless in the early weeks of the NFL season. Losing him cost the Colts their season, and now with the Colts holding the top pick, Peyton might be out the door. So much can change in just one NFL season. 3:1 (This thing is just getting started! Read: Fearless Prediction)

03. Tim Tebow - White Jesus? Tim Tebow has been one of the most intriguing personality's in sports this past year. Christian values (as if these were a problem) and religious beliefs aside, I find Tebow to be a genuine good guy of the game; a guy who plays hard every down and refuses to give up on himself or his teammates.   Tebow has displayed a penchant for winning, as well as poor quarterback play, two things whose stars rarely align for greatness. Tebow is a polarizing figure, there are those who can't help but respect his track record for winning. While others find it nearly impossible to remain apologetic of a dismal completion percentage, yards per catch, low QBR and general poor QB play. Watch a Denver game and you'll find yourself thinking, "I know a guy who could have made that throw" following a Tebow 20 yard overthrow of a man streaking wide open. These things happen but you can't deny that Tebow took the 1-4 Broncos and led them to the playoffs. (Of course, say what you will about the AFC West.) 20:1

02. Lebron James - Another polarizing figure in '11 was Lebron James, who incidentally has the exact opposite problem as Tebow. He is arguably the best player at his sport, he just hasn't found a way to win on the big stage. (I realize Tebow hasn't won on the NFL's BIG stage) 2011 saw Lebron James, superfriend Dwayne Wade and their merry band of Miami Heat attempt to live up to their preseason parades and press conference posturing. In the end, the Heat were outdone by the underdog Dallas Mavericks, enlarging the size of the monkey to that of an ape now on Lebron's back at this point. Lebron continues to stumble on the biggest stage and, because of his villain image, this continues to delight us. Lebron was probably the player I would most miss watching if it weren't for this season coming together. No doubt it's Bron who has the league garnering it's best ratings in years. Love em or love to hate em, it's all love. 2:1
 
01. Steve Jobs - Have become increasingly interested in Steve Jobs and what a visionary his was for this digital world all around us. In a way he was one of the bridges to our transformation into the digital age. Sadly, it took his passing to bring everything that Jobs meant to our time and place to the fore. We live in the iAge (for better or worse) and it's mostly because of this guy. RIP

Honourable Mentions -  Dirk Notwitzki, Aaron Rodgers, Jack Layton



Biggest WINNERS of  '11

Dirk Nowitzki/Dallas Mavericks - The Mavericks and Dirk were both able to shake off previous claims that both the player and the team were too soft to rise to the challenge of an NBA championship. Facing the juggernaut Heat in the NBA Finals, a mid-level seed out of the West, the Mavericks were certainly the underdogs heading into the finals. But Dallas, backed by millions of Heat haters, were able to rise to the challenge. Using a combination of tough defense (Stevenson, Chandler, Marion) and timely shooting, (Dirk, Terry) the Mavs rolled over the Heat in 6, proving that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. It was a good year for the Mavericks!

Ryan Gosling/ Michael Fassbender - As mentioned above in the top films of the year, both Gosling and Fassbender have broken out in a big way in 2011. Fassbender is more of a newcomer on the scene with Gosling being a name on the precipice of super stardom since his role in The Notebook made him familiar to the masses and his role in Half Nelson gave him critically recognition, a nomination nod from the academy. Fassbender was a star in X-Men's enjoyable prequel effort and remained busy with roles in A Dangerous Method and Shame, two films that are currently in theater and have received positive reviews to this point, largely for the efforts of Fassbender.  

Tech N9ne - Tech N9ne finally made it onto the mainstream scene, appearing on Lil Wayne's Carter IV album this past summer with the banger Interlude. Pumping out his uber lengthy All 6's and 7's this past summer. Tech then released collaboration album Welcome to Strangeland in the fall. Was a good year for Tech.

Green Bay Packers - A Superbowl and a 15-1 record to follow it up. In a league that is anything but predictable from one week to the next, sounds like these guys were winners in 2011 to me. 

Honourable Mention: Tim Tebow, St. Louis Cards, Barcelona, Novak Djokovic, Rory McIlroy 

Top 11 Albums of '11: 2011  was a pretty good year for hip hop with some major label debuts from much hyped youngsters Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean and J.Cole. The year also saw some heavyweights back on the mic with Kanye West releasing his own album and collaborating with Jay Z on watch the Throne, Lil Wayne added to his Carter collection (not that you'll see that reflected in our list here) and Drake continued to make a name for himself as a player for years to come. We also had some surprising new talents shine in Big K.R.I.T. and Kendrick Lamar. All told 2012 was a good year for Hip Hop.

(Of note: I've included an Out of 10 ranking here for each album which will be confusing because the scores may not entire reflect their positions on this board, which seems contradictory. But remember this list is my top 10 albums of the year. For instance I recognize that Wiz Khalifa's album Rolling Papers was somewhat of a dud, you won't see it on any critically acclaimed top 10 lists, but I listened to that album a tonne. It just makes me a poor decision maker. Noted. It's like the guy who says Transformers is his favorite movie, and he's watched it 46 times, it's high on his list, but it's not a 10. So yeah, sometimes I recognize an album to be generally less flawed and yet I've enjoyed it less than another album on the whole. Maybe because of a few high points and low points, as opposed to a consistency. For instance I think Watch The Throne has some scintillating material on it, possessing some of the highest peaks of the year music-wise (Otis, Murder To Excellence), meanwhile it suffers lyrically at times with the redundancy of being told how rich and powerful Kanye and the Jigga Man are. Still a great album to ride to and party to. I know, just writing this, I'm thinking this makes no sense, maybe, just maybe, what I'm suggesting, while it appears to be contradictory, might only be paradoxical. Juss sayin.)

Without further ado, my Top 11 Albums of '11

11. Rolling Papers - Wiz Khalifa - On the list solely because of the number of rotations this LP got from me. I can't leave this off the list and feel honest about it. Listen to..... Wake Up, When I'm Gone, Black and Yellow 6/10

10. The Wonder Years - 9th Wonder - Great compilation album from a premier beatsmith. If you like samples and soul music, this is a great album for you. Some relative unknowns on the tracklist but their is the presence of Phonte, former member of Big Brother with 9th Wonder, who holds it down as the two seem like they haven't missed a beat. Listen to.....Band Practice Ft. Phonte and Median, Never Stop Loving You Ft. Talib Kweli and Terrace Martin, No Pretending Ft. Raekwon and Big Remo 8/10

09. Take Care - Drake - Take Care serves as an open account, revealing the past 12 months of Drake's   life, unveiling the tension that exists between his rise to fame and the drawbacks of emerging fame. This collection of offerings expose both the niceties, as well as the struggles, of a life under the microscope. Technically Drake has improved, expanding beyond simply being a #hashtag rapper, his crooning has improved as well. The future is bright. Listen to.... Headlines, Marvin's Room, Over My Dead Body 8/10

08. Greatest Story Never Told - Saigon - After years of delay and set back Saigon finally releases a studio LP,  it's worth the wait. In a word, gritty. Saigon has waited nearly 10 years to finally get his message out their and he makes the most of his opportunity. Listen to.....The Greatest Story Never Told, Friends, It's Alright 8.5/10

07. Section 80 - Kendrick Lamar - Compton MC Kendrick Lamar burst on the seen this summer with Section 80, a disciple of the Dre camp, Lamar represents a more introspective look at the hood, preferring to shine a light revealing the dark aspects of the hood, rather than gloat in it's suffering like many others in this day in age.  Listen to.....Reagan Era, Fuck Your Ethnicity, Hiiipower 8/10

06. Watch The Throne - Jay Z, Kanye West - Jay Z and Kanye prove they can co-exist both in the studio and on the mic in this high powered anthem generating mega success they call watchin' the throne. Listen to.....Otis, No Church in the Wild Ft. John Legend, Murder to Excellence  8.5/10

05. Cole World: A Sideline Story - Long anticipatedmajor label solo  debut from the one known as Young Simba. A few rehashed tracks were the byproduct of the recent mixtape phenomenon but other than that minor gripe this is a dope album and I listened to it lots in the past few months. Cole brings a fresh headiness to the game, punctuated by his ability to mesh popular cultural references within more complex themes and structures. Listen to.....Cole World, Lost Ones, Mr. Nice Watch Ft. Jay-Z 8/10

04. Pl3dge - Killer Mike - Another installment in Killer Mike's Pledge series, Pl3dge might be Mike's best yet. If you like southern rap and you like listening to someone with something to say than certainly check this album out, it was one of my go-to's in 2011. Kind of reminds of Scarface's The Fix in that it's an underrated album from a third coast that likely won't get its props. Listen to..... Ready, Set, Go Remix Ft. TI and Big Boi, That's Life 2, Ric Flair 8.5/10

03. All 6s and 7s and Welcome to Strangeland (Collabo Album) - Tech N9ne - All 6's and 7's sees Tech N9ne begin his 2011 transformation into a more radio friendly emcee, a tough evolution to complete without selling out. Tech still explores some of the stranger sides of life, he just seems to do it with a more positive outlook. His word play has never been in question. Listen to.....He's a Mental Giant, Strangeland, Am I A Psycho 8/10,  and Welcome to Strangeland served notice that Tech N9ne had energy to burn in 2011 with his early release already having an extended length.  Listen to.....Who Do I Catch Now, Slave Ft Kutt Calhoun, Krizz Kaliko, Noose Ft. Mayday 8/10

02. Return of 4eva - Big K.R.I.T. - There's a lengthy review that shows my support of this album in a previous blog. I liked this album immensely and still listen to it regularly, a testament to it's craft.  Can't wait for K.R.I.T. to drop his first major label debut in '12. Could be K.R.I.T.'s year to breakout. (read: fearless prediction) Listen to.....Dreamin', American Rapstar, My Sub 8.5/10

01. Undun - The Roots - This album might be getting a boost because of it's novelty to me right now, it's getting the most play in my itunes the past couple of weeks. The Roots have truly improved as musicians over the years and are now champions of their sound and Black Thought shows that he has not lost a step along the way either. A short play time, the album breezes by, just push play. Listen to.....Make My Ft. Big K.R.I.T. and Dice Raw, One Time Ft. Phonte,  9/10

Honourable Mention: REKS - Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme, Raekwon - Shoalin Vs. Wu Tang Clan (Maybe I owe this another look) Sorry Lupe Fiasco and Big Sean,  Lasers and Finally Famous simply did not make the cut, better luck next year. 

Biggest Losers of  '11:

Jerry Sandusky - One of the biggest stories of 2011 was also it's worst. Jerry Sandusky was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault on young men, children even , whom he encountered during his time working on the campus at Penn State. This is a despicable story and we're all losers for living in a
world where attempts are/were made to let perverts like this go on living their lives while young people are eternally scarred, for the sake of not rocking the boat? This story deeply saddens me about our state of apathy and lack of desire to take charge and seek change. The rest of these losers pale in comparison.


NHL Hockey Fans - No Sid the Kid for basically all of '11 and counting. Undeniably the games best player is leaving fans to wonder what could have been rather than what is. Get well Sid.

Lebron James - Lost the finals and was the butt of countless jokes as the masses reveled in watching James disappear during the the most important moments of the finals. His disappearance was a far cry from his in-your-face-im-taking-my talents-to-south-beach-to-win-6-or-7-titles-decision-blowout-bonanza. James made some poor decisions in '10 and they played out to make him look like a real loser in '11. I think James rights the ship in '12 , takes the necessary steps to winning the chip and cleans up his image in the process, landing him in the Winners of '12 section. (read: fearless prediction)

Boston Red Sox - Epic collapse followed by a massive shit flinging. Make it poor losers.  

Dishonourable Mention: Adam Sandler (Jack and Jill, Just Go With It?) , Joe Paterno (Guilty by Association - Should have done more), Lupe Fiasco (Yes - Lasers disappointed me this much, not even "American Terrorist III" could make up for that), Charlie Sheen


Top 11 Miscellaneous Good Things That Deserve a Spot on a '11 List:

11. Lionel Messi and Barcelona - Only soccer/futbol shout out that you're going to see in here, but 2011 was a huge year for the club team Barcelona. (Champions League Champions, Fifa Club World Cub, Spanish Super Cup) Messi was a big part of that trophy haul, cementing himself as the most talented football player in the world in 2011.

10. Simpson Catch - We've all seen the replay by now, but just one more time.

09. Wilco's The Whole Love - Great to have Wilco back. Not that Sky, Blue, Sky or Wilco were bad albums, they just weren't as challenging and/or dynamic as Yankee Foxtrot Hotel or A Ghost Is Born (IMHO). I've been digging this album since my first listen, and it continues to grow.

08. Michael Rapaport's documentary Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest -If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor. Here's the trailer.

07. Grantland - I love this Bill Simmons spin off site. This is where I go for a lot of my sports and pop culture reading among others. 2011 saw the site develop after years of writing for ESPN.

06. Frank Ocean - Thinking About You - I liked this song since I blogged about it, nearly 7 or 8 months ago. Had to get a shout out!

05. Last Day of the MLB Season - What a great finish that day was. Two games in which the seasons of multiple ball clubs game down to the final pitch. Was a memorable pennant and wild card race to be sure! Of course, that is unless you're a Red Sox fan.

04. Blake Griffin's Dunks - Let the video speak for itself. Take it away ROY.

03. UConn Huskies - NCAA Championship for Kemba Walker and crew. The Huskies outlasted a strong but even field to walk away the winners of March Madness in 2011. Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb hit big shots down the stretch and their rugged Big East defensive style held up in an impressive run through the tourney.

02. St. Louis Cardinals Big Comeback - The Cards entire season was one big comeback and this was never more true than in the bottom of the ninth in Game 6.

01. Roger Craig's Two True Daily Doubles - I watch Jeopardy on a pretty consist basis and this was mind blowing as far as Jeopardy goes. Remember this feat was accomplished in the tournament of champions, playoffs as far as Jeopardy is concerned, Roger Craig makes two ballsy calls, answering the bell on each of them becoming Jeopardy's 2011 Champion a quarter million dollar prize. Cojones.  

 

*Of note - Roger Craig also owns the single day Jeopardy scoring record from a day during his time as champion. Trivia Baawws. 

Reflections Part I B Hip Hop 2.0 Top 20 Songs of 2011: I'm gonna throw a top 20 together on it's own in a follow-up blog and I'll link each song on there so as not to make this the longest scroll ever. Plus, one less thing to sort out before publishing this.

And finally, Part II will feature my 12 New Years Resolutions for 2012:

Stay tuned

Wildcard Weekend Predictions - Reflections and Resolutions blog to come shortly

Wildcard Weekend Predictions: I wanted to have my whole blog done in time but I'm not quite there so I'll throw these up before the games get started and have the blog up and ready tomorrow sometime. So without further ado, it's playoff time and it's win or go home. Here's the way I see it going down.

Houston -4 over Cincy - A lot of people like Cincy here because of rookie TJ Yates as the Houston QB. Remember Dalton too, is a rookie and Cincy hasn't won any meaningful games down the stretch so I'm not expecting it to start here. I think Yates is good enough to win this one for the Texans, but if Delhomme gets into the action all bets are off. Houston

Lions +10.5 to cover against Saints- I don't expect the Lions to cover but I do expect them to be able to continue to put points on the board through til the final horn, giving them a shot at cover a spread of more than double digits. Without the .5 this might have swung the other way for me.

Falcons +3 over Giants - I would take the Falcons on the money line here because I believe they will win this game. The Giants are back to feeling good about themselves and that's never been a good thing, I'd like their chances more on the road in this spot. Anyway I think the Falcons have played pretty good football all year and that will be enough to get them by the G-Men this weekend.

Steelers -8.5 over Broncos - In the book of Tebow it reads; And on third loss Tebow was ridiculed and tormented for his inadequacies. They rebuked him and turned on their former savior just because he threw the ball to more members of the Bills team than Broncos. They lost faith and drove stakes in him (not literally, verbal stakes folks) just because he lost the most important game of the season to his former mentor, turned back up, turned exile, turned back up, turned starter, Kyle Orten. But it also reads... on the 4th game, Tebow rose from the ashes and led the Broncos to the unlikeliest of playoff upsets over the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers. What do you believe? Personally I'm atheist to this sort of thing. The cult of Tebow is over.