BEST HIP HOP MIXTAPE OF THE YEAR: 50 Cent – War Angel LP

In 2009, as Americans experienced the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, 50 Cent crafted material that reflects the harsh realities of this time in our history. On this summers War Angel LP, 50 Cent adds two verses, a catchy chorus, and melodic bridge to an arsenal of original instrumentals. There is not a single feature appearance (if you don’t count the usage of Robin Thicke’s singing on “Cocaine”), no attempts at experimentation, but rather 50 Cent laying out a blueprint for what it is to make a classic, agressive, hip hop mixtape. The ultimate result is a 11 track collection of some of 50 Cent’s best mixtape material to date. Combining the competitive hunger heard on Guess Who’s Back? with the superior craftsmenship that helped 50 sell over 38 million albums worldwide, 50 Cent’s War Angel LP is better than So Far Gone. Why? For starters, War Angel LP is 100% hip hop. There is no doubt that Drake crafted an excellent mixtape, but some of the best songs on So Far Gone are straight R&B or even indie. And no, the Drake&B is not comparable 50 Cent’s melodic vocals, as Drake attempts to actually hit notes. To top it off, Chuck D told me earlier this year, “R&B is not hip hop.” So how can a hip hop blog call Drake’s mixtape the best of the year when hip hop is only one of the ingredients that contribute to Drake’s mixtape gumbo. But this is not about So Far Gone. I can pop War Angel LP in the CD player of my truck and get through all the music without skipping a track, and it’s (one of) the only hardcore rap products on the market that features an artist speaking from his own experiences, not merely rapping fairy tales. The songs are all well written and executed, the content is agressive, and most importantly, the music embodies the artist that is 50 Cent. Like the savy crack dealer he once was, 50 Cent delivered high quality music to his audience of hardcore rap fiends that had nothing to really feel in terms of new music releases. What’s more ironic that the title (“what is a war angel?”) is that one of the most successful rap moguls of all time sounds hungrier than ever. It’s not #10yearsago, but War Angel features 50 Cent combining the hunger heard on his records in 99 with the craft that he’s perfected over the past decade.

Bottom line: War Angel LP is the best free product that hit the mixtape game in 2009. Thanks for the classic mixtape, 50! That’s not to say that there weren’t other phenomenal releases this year…

Honorable Mentions (download them all here.)
Drake – So Far Gone
J. Cole – The Warm Up
Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa - How Fly
Lil Wayne – No Ceilings
Gucci Mane – The Burrprint 3
Nicki Minaj – Beam Me Up Scotty
El Prez & Dale Danja – Perfect Strangers
Chip Tha Ripper – The Cleveland Show
Wiz Khalifa – Flight School

But back to 2009’s Best Hip Hop Mixtape. Here’s the artwork for 50 Cent’s War Angel LP.