Passion of the Weiss: The 50 Best Hip Hop Songs of 2011 (#25-1)

Very proud to present the second half of Passion's top 50 rap songs of 2011. I wrote about Yelawolf's "Hard White (Up In The Club)" (#18) and Open Mike Eagle's "Nightmares" (#8). Click the writeup for "Nightmares" for the whole thing. Please share if you dig, there's even a zip file of all 50 songs.


Somewhere between Devin the Dude, Nate Dogg and Ish from Shabazz Palaces, Open Mike Eagle is the wry observer in the back of the class. The inverse of a million rap songs about dreams (including the one three spots prior) “Nightmares” isn’t solely aspirational nor is it a concept track. It’s a statement of purpose and a litany of astute complaints, demands and observations. Mike wants shag on his floor chart carpeting, and old guys singing four part harmony. He doesn’t call out lying-ass rappers but reminds us that the written life has always been synthesized. It’s designed to deceive. His new friends want to talk sneaker colors but Mike is too busy playing rap Nostradamus: the countryside will flood with tourists eager to see real families while gangbangers will turn to MPC samplers.