As 2014 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on a stellar musical year.To do so, we’ve rounded up the top 50 songs of the year. In developing this list we weighed each track against the following criteria: overall song quality, impact and popularity, and support (blogs, charts, DJs, etc.). We are counting down 10 tracks per day. Today we continue our list with 30-21. Be sure let us know your thoughts on our picks and the top 20 is coming up!
30. J. Cole – Fire Squad
2014 was a quiet year for J. Cole in terms of releases. That is until he decided to set the game on fire and announce an album with only 3 weeks notice. When the album leaked a week prior to its release, one track had everyone talking. ‘Fire Squad’ has J. Cole going off spitting raw bars with quotables on quotables. He kicks the verse off with “Ain’t a way around it no more, I am the greatest, a lotta niggas sat on the throne, I am the latest.” A statement that’s hard to dispute considering Cole’s impressive catalog. But it’s not those bars that had people buzzing. It was the final verse where addresses the white appropriation of hip-hop. “Same thing that my nigga Elvis did with Rock n Roll, Justin Timberlake, Eminem, and then Macklemore, while silly niggas argue over who gone snatch the crown, look around my nigga white people have snatched the sound, this year I’ll prolly go to the awards dappered down, watch Iggy win a Grammy as I try to crack a smile, I’m just playin’, but all good jokes contain true shit, Same rope you climb up on, they’ll hang you with.” The verse is quite blunt but is hard to dispute considering Macklemore’s Grammy win over Kendrick and Iggy beating Drake at the AMAs. All hype aside, this is one of the rawest rap tracks of 2014 and makes Cole’s claim as king hard to dispute.
29. P. Reign – DnF (feat. Drake and Future)
It’s been a long time coming for P Reign. The Toronto native who has been a long time friend of another (but much larger) Toronto native, finally released his Dear America mixtape and EP this year. Track number 29 of the Top 50 Songs of 2014 is the lead single that comes off the Dear America EP entitled ‘DnF’ which we later learn stands for “drunk and fuck”. This joint is P Reign’s first chart topper and club banger. Since its release it has been all over the radio and has gotten major DJ support in the clubs. Both P Reign and Drizzy offer confident and clever bars while Future offers some support in the hook. It also went on to be remixed by eSenTRIK. Hard to argue its dominance in the latter half of 2014.
28. Dougie F & DJ Fire – Back Up On It (Jasmine)
Diplo-backed Dougie F & DJ Fire became evangelists of Jersey Club. Dropping by at Sway in the Morning, Hot 97, and 106 and Park with ‘Back Up on It (Jasmine),’ Jersey permeated the mainstream media’s air waves. It’s great to see the genre getting the attention it deserves and it’s even better to see it’s a real Jersey sound, not something watered down for mass consumption.
27. Sable – Mt. Moon
Sable is regularly known for his upbeat and cheery Future Bass tunes. So what happens when he mixes things up and decides to make some disgusting dungeon bass? The answer is ‘Mt. Moon’, a menacing bass epic that hits like a sawed off ray gun blast from point blank. There were a number of stellar tracks in this vein, but no one did it as well as Sable.
26. TroyBoi – Don’t Be Judging
TroyBoi has a handful of tracks that we debated putting on this list (‘Medusa Days’, ‘2 On Remix’). But in the end one stood out. Maybe it’s the MJ samples, maybe it’s the eerie and thematic intro. Maybe it’s the mind rattling drop that is like nothing you’ve ever experienced. Or maybe, just maybe it’s the songs’ artwork which features the producer rocking a bedazzled silver glove. Actually, it’s a combination of all these factors. In the end, few tracks were as inventive and original as ‘Don’t Be Judging’.
25. Nadus – Nxwxrk
Jersey! Brick City Bandit and Newark native Nadus dropped the jersey anthem of 2014. The track features phenomenal progression; opening with majestic piano work. Nadus slowly brings in each of the songs elements, taking his time to build something truly masterful. With support from RL Grime (via his edit) the track’s reach increased exponentially and became a staple amongst DJs for a good part of the year. Though the edit is awesome, it’s Nadus’ original that really deserves the respect.
24. Skrillex – Coast is Clear (Feat. Chance the Rapper)
Skrillex ‘Recess’ is jam packed with a wide variety of impactful and impressive music (‘Stranger’, ‘Dirty Vibe’). Easily one of the most talked about and interesting songs is ‘Coast is Clear’. When it was announced that Skrillex and Chance would be connecting for a track, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t this. That said, I don’t think anyone was disappointed. Combining laid back piano work with DnB drums, heavy bass and Chance’s one-of-a-kind style, this track is telling of what makes both artists so great; their ability to let creativity overcome all.
23. Kendrick Lamar – i
Ever since good kid, m.A.A.d. city, the world waited for Kendrick to release some new solo music. With no set release date on his sophomore effort, K Dot dropped his ultimate feel good joint and it caught fire almost immediately. Fans of Kendrick that wanted to hear another hard barred rap track were in for a surprise and though some naysayers claimed he sold out, this track is still very true to who Kendrick Lamar is as an artist. Since dropping ‘i’, Kendrick has been all over radio and festivals performing his new hit. Not only has this song created massive buzz over the web it has also been able to share a message of self-love and the importance of believing in yourself. In almost every one of his recent interviews, Kendrick shared his interactions with fans and what he wanted to create for the people who felt they were alone in their daily struggle. Considering the combination of a great message, well delivered lyrics and undeniable feel good sound, it’s safe to say Kendrick Lamar’s ‘i’ deserve its spot on our Top 50.
22. Quest – Automatic
After years of grinding on the mixtape scene, Quest finally found his mark in 2014, dropping one of the best projects of the year in Searching Sylvan. Picking just one track off the album was tough, but ‘Automatic’ is the perfect selection that exemplifies what the album is about while strongly standing on it’s own. From the jump Quest comes out swinging with battle raps then precedes to get personal giving listeners a piece of his struggle. With a number of flow changes and hard hitting production this is a clear standout. As the beat changes just past the midway point as does the mood and Quest’s delivery. It’s a more introspective feel with Quest addressing his dreams, procrastination and dealing with hate. “I got plans to become a star, make a fortune and do it large, 20 cars inside my garage (as soon as Dragon Ball Z goes off!), Got a fascination with procrastination, no taking charge, Got to mention my love for hate, guess thats why I lurk on these blogs.” The versatility and storytelling displayed in this prove why Quest is one of the best breakout rappers of the year. But don’t worry we won’t compare him to these new rappers.
21. Logic – Nikki
One of the biggest standouts from one of the best albums of the year, ‘Nikki’ is nothing short of amazing. The track is positioned as a love song personifying his greatest addiction. Logic drops subtle (“I love it when you’re fresh, I love it when I take your top off and we share the same breath”) and not so subtle hints as to what track is about (“You the only girl I need I gotta have you back, even though you turn my lungs black.”) The impressive double entendres and wordplay are reminiscent of legends who have gone in similar directions. Most notably Jay Z’s ‘I Know’ and Common’s classic ‘I Used to Love Her’. When a track garners comparisons to some of the greatest ever, it’s no surprise that it ends up on this list.
