Top 31 of 2006: #5

The Streets: "The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living"
Released: April 25, 2006

It's not too often that I really like a rap album, or like one for more than a month for that matter. They are boring, uninventive, and generally lose all their appeal within a couple of listens. That's why so many rap stars are here today, gone tomorrow. Only the great live on in the hearts and minds of their fans years after they release an album. Go ahead and chalk up The Streets on my list of "Favorite Rappers Ever." This album is not Mike Skinner's first album, it's his third, and like most Americans who heard the first two, I was not pleased. Calling them rap was a disgrace to the rap genre (which itself is a disgrace to music). It was mostly a steady beat, and Mike talking. Yeah, not really my style, even if the lyrical content was through the roof (it was). But when "The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living" came out, I was shocked to hear not only one of the catchiest rap albums I've ever heard, but also one of the funniest and the best. The fact that Mike is British should be a huge side note on this one. Sure, it's blatantly obvious that he is, but even if he wasn't, the album would still be awesome. So buy it. Please.

For totally blowing my mind, The Streets make it in the top 5.

Top 31 Songs of 2006: #5
Mates of State - "Punchlines" from the album Bring It Back.