School is back in session, the leaves are starting to change colors, and the beginnings of another 7-9 Chicago Bears season are on our minds. What better time than now to reflect on the summer of 2010, more specifically its best album?

Big Boi’s “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty” is not only the best record to come out in the summer of 2010, but one would be hard pressed to find a better hip hop record that has come out in recent memory. 15 blazing tracks, and the only negative is one track – and its not even a bad track, just a boring chorus (“Follow Us” featuring Vonnegutt- also a nominee for the lamest band name in the world). Yet even though the horrendous auto-tuned chorus is most certainly a turn off, the verses contained within are still spectacular. “General Patton” is probably the second hottest track of 2010, and “Daddy Fat Sax” is an excellent song as well. “Back Up Plan” is also a classic, and an awesome album closer. The reason these three songs were all selected for this paragraph is twofold: they are all excellent, and they also happen to be the only songs without featured artists.

This is not to say that the songs with guests are not just as good. In fact some of these guest verses, production, etc. are the strongest parts of the record. Andre 3000’s production on “You Ain’t No DJ” is just another example of his tendency to take hip hop to its logical conclusions, and “Be Still” benefits from the golden voice of Janelle Monae, who also has put out one of 2010’s best records. “Shutterbugg” and “Shine Blockas” are perfect singles, yet still not the best songs on the record.

The honor of best song on this record goes to “Tangerine”, which features T.I. and Khujo Goodie. Not only does it have one of the coolest R&B/hip hop hybrid beats ever, the chorus is going to make the listener shake their hips, regardless. People talk all day about the merits of Lady Gaga’s dance beats, but she has nothing on any of the beats on this record (except maybe another stupid outfit). Not only is this a lock for song of the  year, it puts everyone else to shame. It is one of those tracks; the ones that make young, aspiring emcees just want to give up. It doesn’t get much better than “Tangerine,” and if anyone hopes to one day get paid to rhyme or make beats, the bar has just been raised.

To give this record a score would be like trying to quantify the first time you heard a life changing song, or meeting your first love, or any interchangeable “important” memory. Just know that it’s one lame chorus away from a flawless album, and when stacked up against the competition, it becomes obvious that there is none. Unless, of course, Andre 3000’s solo record is as good as it’s expected to be. To be honest, “Speakerboxxx” was always better than “The Love Below”.

School is back in session, the leaves are starting to change colors, and the beginnings of another 7-9 Chicago Bears season are on our minds. What better time than now to reflect on the summer of 2010, more specifically its best album?

Big Boi’s “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty” is not only the best record to come out in the summer of 2010, but one would be hard pressed to find a better hip hop record that has come out in recent memory. 15 blazing tracks, and the only negative is one track – and its not even a bad track, just a boring chorus (“Follow Us” featuring Vonnegutt- also a nominee for the lamest band name in the world). Yet even though the horrendous auto-tuned chorus is most certainly a turn off, the verses contained within are still spectacular. “General Patton” is probably the second hottest track of 2010, and “Daddy Fat Sax” is an excellent song as well. “Back Up Plan” is also a classic, and an awesome album closer. The reason these three songs were all selected for this paragraph is twofold: they are all excellent, and they also happen to be the only songs without featured artists.

This is not to say that the songs with guests are not just as good. In fact some of these guest verses, production, etc. are the strongest parts of the record. Andre 3000’s production on “You Ain’t No DJ” is just another example of his tendency to take hip hop to its logical conclusions, and “Be Still” benefits from the golden voice of Janelle Monae, who also has put out one of 2010’s best records. “Shutterbugg” and “Shine Blockas” are perfect singles, yet still not the best songs on the record.

The honor of best song on this record goes to “Tangerine”, which features T.I. and Khujo Goodie. Not only does it have one of the coolest R&B/hip hop hybrid beats ever, the chorus is going to make the listener shake their hips, regardless. People talk all day about the merits of Lady Gaga’s dance beats, but she has nothing on any of the beats on this record (except maybe another stupid outfit). Not only is this a lock for song of the year, it puts everyone else to shame. It is one of those tracks; the ones that make young, aspiring emcees just want to give up. It doesn’t get much better than “Tangerine,” and if anyone hopes to one day get paid to rhyme or make beats, the bar has just been raised.

To give this record a score would be like trying to quantify the first time you heard a life changing song, or meeting your first love, or any interchangeable “important” memory. Just know that it’s one lame chorus away from a flawless album, and when stacked up against the competition, it becomes obvious that there is none. Unless, of course, Andre 3000’s solo record is as good as it’s expected to be. To be honest, “Speakerboxxx” was always better than “The Love Below”.