MCU Rankings, Post-Black Panther Edition

So, it's been nearly a year since I did this. The last time I just updated an old post, but I figured I'd rewrite it altogether this time. I've been re-watching all the movies with my son, and watching the movie through his eyes has been an amazing experience. Tonight I went to see "Black Panther," though not with him. He's not quuiiite caught up yet. In any case, through the exercise with him, I've finally seen "Ant-Man" and "Dr. Strange," which were the only two I hadn't yet seen.

As always, I put the movies into tiers along with ranking them, because it's easier to separate them out that way. Also, as always, these rankings are just for movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU. "Logan," "Deadpool," any other Wolverine, X-Men or Spider-Man movies, those are not included here as they aren't MCU movies.

Tier Four
These are the bad MCU movies. Well, "bad" in terms of MCU movies, as these are still better than a lot of other superhero movies.

18. Iron Man 2: Every time I watch it, I like it less.
17. The Incredible Hulk: That General Ross behaves the way he does throughout this movie and then ascends to Secretary of State by "Civil War" feels very Trump-ian.
16. Thor: The Dark World: Bumps up a little because the Thor-Loki banter is just so good.

Tier Three
Tier 3 is for movies that are fine. Not great, not bad, just fine.

15. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Just totally outclassed by the last few Marvel movies.
14. Dr. Strange: There's nothing wrong with this movie, and Dr. Strange is an important Marvel character, but I just don't really think he's a character that needed his own movie. I would have been much happier if this was the slot that had gone to the Black Widow movie.
13. Iron Man 3: It's still enjoyable.
12. Thor: I still have a soft spot for Thor, but it's sliding like many of the rest.
11. Avengers: Age of Ultron: It's growing on me, but I think this is as far as it can go.

Tier Two
Here, we have the movies that I really enjoyed, but at the end of the movie, I didn't say, "wow, that was the best one yet."

10. Ant-Man: I saw this one just recently, and was blown away by the attention to detail. This movie must have been a bear to edit.
9. Guardians of the Galaxy: It's here where you realize that the quality of these movies has really gone up a notch. This movie was really fun when it came out, a marked turn for the MCU. But it doesn't feel as special now, and Ronan was a pretty non-descript villain.
8. Captain America: Civil War: This movie is outstanding, and it did so much heavy lifting. But all of those disparate plots make it feel like longer than it is. It's the longest Marvel movie at 147 minutes. That's only four more minutes than "The Avengers," but that movie's plot was a lot more focused. Still, I do love this movie. Ranking these is like splitting hairs.
7. Thor: Ragnarok: Most people weren't clamoring for this movie, and it proved all the doubters wrong. I can't wait to watch it again.

Tier One
These are movies that I have, at one time or another, either considered the best in the MCU, or I could make the case for them as the best ever. The proverbial cream of the crop.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger: I can't believe it's been pushed down so far.
5. Iron Man: The movie that kicked it all off really doesn't deserve to be this low either, but a five-way tie for second place seems like it'd be a cop out.
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming: It really was the perfect Spider-Man movie, and Tom Holland really is the perfect Spider-Man. Equal parts cocky and vulnerable, but in a way that doesn't seem as hang-doggy as Tobey Maguire's Spidey.
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier: I definitely have ranked this one No. 1 at certain points in my mind. I may yet again!
2. Black Panther: Just...wow. Ryan Coogler forever. This movie has such a great cast, and Coogler put together such a tight movie that also has a smoldering and complex moral dilemma. I can't wait to watch this a million times.
1. The Avengers: Still the best, but just barely. These movies are getting so good now. The Phase One movies almost seem old-fashioned by comparison, but this one still wins out. For now.

(Belated) End of Year Mixes, 12th Edition

Life is crazy busy right now. Starting your own business takes up quite a bit of time, as you might imagine. As such, I didn't quite get my 2017 end-of-year mixes ready in my normal time frame. It happens.

As a reminder, I do two mixes - aboveground and underground. The two rules:

• The strongest rule: The song had to be released during the year in question. Exception - An international song, as songs aren't always/ever released internationally and domestically at the same time.
• The mostly strong rule: The Aboveground mix is picked from the Billboard Hot 100, and the Underground mix is quite the opposite. I usually cheat a couple of songs on the Aboveground mix, but with good reason.

There was a third rule this year - the song had to be on Spotify. I've completely assimilated to Spotify, mostly out of convenience, and partially out of not wanting to pay for two music streaming services. This was notable with Jay-Z's album. I'm sure it's great. I love Jay-Z. But I'm just not going to pay for two streaming services. I pay for enough stuff already. Sorry, Jayhova.

ABOVEGROUND MIX

1. Cardi B - Bodak Yellow. I love her. How can you not love her?

2. Kendrick Lamar - DNA.. Haters are probably getting tired of waiting for K Dot to fall off. I'm not sure that's ever going to happen. This entire album was phenomenal. "DUCKWORTH." was my favorite track off the album, but "DNA." is a close second. Geraldo Rivera gets ethered.

3. Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber - Despacito Remix. The very first time I've included Justin Bieber on one of these mixes. I'll be honest, I was listening to this song for a very long time before I realized he was on it.

4. Paramore - Hard Times. Perhaps not quite as good as the Kurtis Blow song of the same name, but it certainly holds it own, and the beat is infectious.

5. Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You. We're going on a little run of uptempo songs here.

6. Camila Cabello - Havana f/ Young Thug. It's still hard to make out what Young Thug says, but it almost doesn't matter. He's speaking his own language, and it's just fun to listen to.

7. Selena Gomez - Wolves f/ Marshmello. Speaking of infectious...on the way home from a trip, I think I listened to this song on repeat for two-plus hours.

8. J Balvin & Willy William - Mi Gente f/ Beyonce. Beyonce singing/rapping in Spanish? Beyonce singing/rapping in Spanish!

9. Goldlink - Crew f/ Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy. This one is just very smooth, despite some suboptimal lyrics. Suboptimal lyrics are kind of the norm for the childrens these days though.

10. DJ Khaled - I'm The One f/ Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil' Wayne. Always have love for my fellow Arabic brother, DJ Khaled. I wonder if he grew up listening to "Port Said" like I did. Oh, and somehow Bieber snuck onto a second song on this mix! I must be going soft.

11. SZA - The Weekend. SZA seems pretty chill.

12. YBN Nahmir - Rubbin Off The Paint. This is perhaps the first song I've heard with a Spongebob sample. Hopefully it won't be the last!

13. Lil' Uzi Vert - XO Tour Llif3. Pretty sad that all his friends are dead.

14. Sam Smith - Too Good at Goodbyes. Being gunshy about commitment is equally sad.

15. Lana Del Rey - Love. This is also Lana's first time on the mixes. I thought she had been on them before, but I guess not. Overdue.

16. 21 Savage - Bank Account. In the 2016 post, I said I didn't understand why 21 Savage was popular. I finally get it. It took me awhile to get there, but I got there.

17. Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It?. My daughter really likes this one. Somehow, it fits sonically right between 21 Savage and Migos. Go figure.

18. Migos - T-Shirt. These guys could have ended up on like 12 different songs on this mix. Quavo did get onto one other. It's hard to keep up with these guys, they're everywhere.

19. Khald - Young, Dumb & Broke. The first time I heard this song, I hated it. The second time, I loved it. I've kept on loving it.

20. Tyler, The Creator - 911 / Mr. Lonely f/ Frank Ocean & Steve Lacy. It's been awhile since Tyler made the mix - 2011 was the last time I put him on. This song also doubled as the Frank Ocean song, as I wasn't that crazy about "Biking" or "Chanel," though the latter was a late cut.

21. Miguel - Sky Walker f/ Travis Scott. I too am Luke Skywalkin' on these haters.

22. Nicki Minaj - Regret In Your Tears. It really wasn't Meek Mill's year.

UNDERGROUND MIX

1. N.O.R.E. - Uno Mas f/ Pharrell Williams. This song just makes me so happy. N.O.R.E. still got it.

2. Big Boi - All Night. This one infuriatingly ended up in an Apple ad, but it can't diminish how good the song is.

3. Kamaiyah - Successful. She was one of the last cuts last year. Not this year. I could have picked two or three of her other songs and been perfectly content, but this one was just tremendous.

4. Kehlani - Undercover. While this song didn't make the Hot 100, she did have songs from this album that did, so this is sort of cheating, but it's not technically cheating, so I included it. Ha.

5. Joey Bada$$ - FOR MY PEOPLE. This was my favorite track off a moving, more mature album from him.

6. Open Mike Eagle - Legendary Iron Hood. There aren't more than five or six rappers in the game doing it better than him right now, if there's even that many.

7. Rapsody - Laila's Wisdom. She's never quite gotten her due. Hopefully that'll change soon.

8. Big K.R.I.T. - Confetti. Yet another underappreciated rapper, it's hard to get respect if you're not from a big city, and Meredian, Miss., doesn't quite qualify.

9. Meyhem Lauren - Shea Stadium f/ Action Bronson & DJ Muggs. Back when I first heard Meyhem Lauren years ago, I thought he was sort of a joke. So it was with some surprise when I realized that he was now a respected rapper. But after listening to his newest album, I got it. Clearly, he's grown.

10. M-Dot - Chrissy. This was another fantastic album, that I'm looking forward to listening to more.

11. Vince Staples - Big Fish. I enjoyed this album so much more than I did his album last year. There were a couple of songs I considered for this spot.

12. Sevyn Streeter - Anything U Want f/ Wiz Khalifa, Jeremih & Ty Dolla $ign. The original song that this song pays homage to, "Anything" by SWV, is one of my favorite songs of all-time, so this one was an automatic winner for me.

13. Skyzoo - '95 Bad Boy Logo. Speaking of nostalgia, I vividly remember the mixtape that Skyzoo samples at the end of this song. I still have it, I think, at my parents' house. I need to grab that the next time I'm home. It's a really good tape.

14. The LOX - Break It Down. Not only are they still doing it well, but they're starting to get salty at the new generation, which is hilarious.

15. BROCKHAMPTON - GUMMY. This is a very good song.

16. Statik Selektah - Slept to Death f/ Curren$y & Cousin Stizz. As always, picking a song from one of Statik Selektah's album's is a trial. I know he's not that critically acclaimed, but he's right in my lane.

17. Kelela - LMK. You really should.

18. Faith Evans - Ten Wife Commandments f/ The Notorious B.I.G.. This was a really fun concept, and a much more fun way to do this type of song, even if I didn't quite agree with all of her commandments.

19. Wu-Tang Clan/Method Man - If Time Is Money (Fly Navigation). Mr. Meth was the best part of this Wu-Tang album that wasn't a Wu-Tang album, and this song was the best part.

20. Jidenna - Bambi. To be honest, his two albums were a bit of a letdown, but this one caught me the right way.

21. Milano Constantine - Barbaric. Yet another album that was really difficult to pare down and pick one song from.

22. Sean Price - Price Family f/ Bernadette Price. Looking through the "Imperius Rex" booklet, it was pretty clear that Price was a family man, and this song was very emblematic of that.

23. Prodigy - Mystic. I still can't believe he's dead, and that I saw him perform live two months before he passed away.

Bonus Christmas Track. DMX - Rudolph The Rednose Reindeer f/ Divine Bars. This is sure to enter my personal pantheon of Christmas songs.

End of Year Mixes, 11th Edition

Welcome to year 11. For past editions, click here. For newcomers, here are the two basic rules that govern these mixes:

• The strongest rule: The song had to be released during the year in question. Exception - An international song, as songs aren't always/ever released internationally and domestically at the same time.
• The mostly strong rule: The Aboveground mix is picked from the Billboard Hot 100, and the Underground mix is quite the opposite. I usually cheat a couple of songs on the Aboveground mix, but with good reason.

Usually, it is harder to fill the Underground mix than it is the Aboveground mix. Not so this year. Here are those who just missed the cut for the Aboveground mix:

• Rihanna - She assists on Kanye's song, so she's not completely absent, but I didn't really like her album this year.
• Schoolboy Q - I try so hard to like him, but whenever there is a guest on his album - from Jadakiss to Vince Staples to Kanye - they completely outshine him. For someone who seemingly wants to be about lyrics, he has a hard time putting together an uninterrupted 16 bars.
• 21 Savage - I don't get why he is popular. Get off my lawn.
• YG - Close, but no cigar.
• Fat Joe & Remy Ma - Fat Joe gets on the Underground mix. Just couldn't swallow "All The Way Up." I had it in initially though.
• Jhene Aiko (and Big Sean) - Tweeners.

The Underground mix was a lot harder to cut. I could probably make a second mix just with the snubs. I ended up narrowing things down by picking just one song from a particular producer -- notably The Alchemist and Pete Rock. I made several cuts. Those who I listened to generally but didn't hone in on a particular song were: The Hamilton Mixtape (just can't include something Jimmy Fallon participated in), Kodie Shane, Nao, Joey Purps, King, Jamila Woods, Blood Orange and ASAP Mob. Then there were two more rounds of cuts with specific songs that I was considering. Round two:

• Talib Kweli: Every Ghetto, Pt. 2
• Vinnie Paz: The Ghost I Used To Be
• Termanology: We're Both Wrong
• Ras Beats: Wit No Pressure
• Flatbush Zombies: Bounce
• The Enforcers: The Enforcers

And then there was a third round of cuts, with songs I really wanted to squeeze onto the mix but ultimately couldn't do it within the 80-minute framework:

• Smoke DZA and Pete Rock: Black Superhero Car f/ Rick Ross
• Spitta Andretti (Curren$y) & The Alchemist: Smoking In The Rain
• Masta Ace: Young Black Intelligent (spoke word by Chuck D)
• Kamaiyah: I'm On
• Kaytranda: Got It Good
• Epidemic: From The Beginning (final song cut)

Let's get to those that actually made the cut.

ABOVEGROUND MIX

1. A Tribe Called Quest - We The People..... I waited 20 years for this. No other song could possibly go first.

2. Beyonce - Formation. Just a master class in meaningful pop music.

3. Childish Gambino - Redbone. This one just gets inside you. It's great that a song like this became popular.

4. Ariana Grande - Side To Side f/ Nicki Minaj. An obvious choice, need a Nicki verse and she didn't do a ton this year. 

5. Sia - Cheap Thrills. One good thing about this song is my son asked me what the world "thrills" means.

6. Chance The Rapper - No Problem f/ Lil' Wayne & 2 Chainz. Chance is so good he can coax a good verse out of 2 Chainz.

7. The Weeknd - Starboy f/ Daft Punk. This guy really seems unlikable, but he keeps making undeniable hits...

8. Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop The Feeling. Probably my kids' favorite song of the year.

9. Shakira - Try Everything. This song and JT's are probably having the same effect on parents my age that Phil Collins songs being featured in The Lion King had on our parents. "Wow, they got great talent to sing for this movie? Cool!" On the off chance you don't have a child, this song was from Zootopia.

10. Auli'i Cravalho - How Far I'll Go. Surprisingly, the Moana soundtrack - which my daughter demands to listen to constantly - had multiple songs chart on the Billboard 100. This one was my favorite, as it is the kind of inspiring song I want my daughter to grow up listening to. Thus ends the kid-friendly block of the mix. I figured I'd lump them together. They actually flow into each other pretty well.

11. Daya - Sit Still, Look Pretty. One of the last songs to make the cut, and in the same vein as "How Far I'll Go."

12. Kendrick Lamar - untitled 07 levitate. I actually like the final cut on the album best, but it didn't chart, and it also sounded very much like his previous material. So 07 it is.

13. D.R.A.M. - Broccoli f/ Lil' Yachty. This one grew on me. Initially, I didn't much care for it, but I came around.

14. Frank Ocean - Pink + White. I really didn't care for the way Frank Ocean dropped his albums this year, and still haven't bothered with the "visual" album. But this song is a great ballad.

15. Solange - Cranes in the Sky. It's not a typical pop song, but it is a beautiful song.

16. Rae Sremmurd - Black Beatles f/ Gucci Mane. I'm as surprised as you are, because previously I couldn't stand these guys. But I like the concept here a lot, and the Gucci verse helps. I wonder if "Black Beatles" will become this generation's version of the "fifth Beatle."

17. Young Thug & Travis Scott - pick up the phone f/ Quavo. I still don't quite know what to make out of Young Thug, but he is a lot of fun. I like fun. This and "Black Beatles" are two of my favorite songs on this mix, and it's a real treat to have them this far down in the mix, because it rewards you (me) for getting to the back end of the mix.

18. Alicia Keys - In Common. One of the two songs (Tribe being the other) that hadn't charted on the Hot 100 when I picked the songs. This one got close enough. Love Alicia. She's criminally underrated.

19. Kanye West - Famous f/ Rihanna & Swizz Beatz. I didn't much care for Life of Pablo, and the optimistic first couple of cuts didn't feel right to me, because that just isn't who Kanye is. "Famous" however, is classic Kanye. When the beat flips halfway through, you can't help but vigorously nod your head.

20. Kehlani - Distraction. Love her. Looking forward to the whole album when it drops.

21. Bruno Mars - Versace On The Floor. Closing out the mix with a great ballad is always great, and this one certainly qualifies. I liked this song far more than "24K Magic," which seemed like a song that fit better in 1996 than it did in 2016.

You'll notice I haven't mentioned Drake yet. That's because I didn't even bother with him this year. I was a staunch Drake supporter for years, but I've had enough.

UNDERGROUND MIX

1. Noname - Reality Check f/ Akenya & Eryn Allen Kane. It's hard to believe that this girl is just getting started in the music business. This song is so amazing. And the hook is so uplifting. Just let your light glow!

2. Open Mike Eagle & Paul White - Admitting the Endorphin Addiction. This beat is so weird, this guy is so weird. I love it. There were three or four cuts I could have included from this album.

3. Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Stranger Things. Yup, the theme song of a TV show. When the mix came in at 78 minutes, and I didn't have enough room to fit on another full song, I decided to add this in. It's rare that a TV show's music is so captivating. The whole soundtrack is awesome.

4. Cormega - Guns And Butter f/ Gunplay. The concept of this one is sort of silly, but the beat is so damn theatrical, and 'Mega kills it, as always.

5. Anderson .Paak - Come Down. I'll be honest, I was surprised this song didn't chart in the Hot 100. Next album for sure.

6. Isaiah Rashad - Free Lunch. I love this dude, more people should know about him.

7. De La Soul - Memory Of... f/ Estelle & Pete Rock. There were a few big reunions this year, and De La was chief among them. I had a hard time narrowing down the song to pick for the mix, but this song, aided by the video, ultimately won out.

8. Apollo Brown & Skyzoo - Visionary Riches. There are few better producers out there than Apollo Brown.

9. Vince Staples - Pimp Hand. I feel like he should be charting as well, but he doesn't seem especially interested in making music tailor-made for the Hot 100. And that's OK with me.

10. Oddisee - Lifting Shadows. I have just recently been digging in on Oddisee, and he's been a revelation. He put out an instrumental LP and a regular EP this year. This song, which is a powerful one about how he is treated by people based on his skin and religion, comes from the latter. "I think my TV's clothes in wool" might be the best lyric of the year.

11. D.I.T.C. - Make 'Em Proud. I generally try to just keep up with current music rather than dig back in the crates for older stuff, but I might have to make an exception for D.I.T.C. Their reunion reminded me just how awesome they were, especially before Big L passed. If you don't know, Fat Joe got his start with D.I.T.C. "I'm like Vince with his arm in the rim" is the perfect description of Fat Joe, btw. At his peak, an absolute showman who captivated his audience, and in the grand scheme of things, not recognized for having as good a career as he has.

12. General Steele & Es-K - Just Live f/ Buckshot. An old-school meets new-school team-up that was beautifully done, and Buckshot capably rides shotgun on this track.

13. Kodak Black - Everything 1K. This kid is going to be a fixture and a southern rap titan.

14. Beneficence - The Heart. I had never heard of this guy before, but he's been around for some time, and is pretty damn legit.

15. Danny Brown - Hell For It. I wasn't as enamored by Brown's album this year as I have been with his work in the past, but this track - the last on the album - redeemed it for me.

16. Run The Jewels - Don't Get Captured. Released just in time for this year's mix, RTJ3 isn't quite as good as RTJ1 or RTJ2 - at least not on the first few listens - but it's still pretty epic. This song in particular shows off what the duo do so well, inhabiting different stereotypical perspectives to create a powerful song. And it leads beautifully into the next song.

17. Journalist 103 - Good Die Young Pt. 2. This song is haunting.

18. Ka - That Cold and Lonely. This was the one I wavered on most, but ultimately it just beat the song from Epidemic.

19. Havoc & Alchemist - Buck 50's and Bullet Wounds f/ Method Man. Some of that old old. Meth is always best on other people's tracks.

20. Common - Pyramids. I initially was going to include Common's song with Stevie Wonder, "Black America Again," but it is six minutes long, and the final two minutes are basically Stevie just repeating the same phrase over and over, which didn't feel like the best use of space. The politically-motivated song is undoubtedly more important this year, but given the length I went with "Pyramids," which is more of a selfish choice, but it is refreshing to know that after all this time, Common can still spit as hard as he used to. And the ODB sample in the hook puts it over the top.

21. Mr. Lif - Don't Look Down. Speaking of comebacks, Lif really came out swinging in 2016. It was nice to have him back.

22. The LOX - Move Forward. "Hey yo Preem we had to do it again, right?" Yes, yes you did. Filthy America was a classic LOX album in the best and worst ways - they were always so close to putting it all together but never quite got there. But at their best, they are, as Jadakiss is fond of saying, top five dead or alive. This song, assisted by the legendary DJ Premier, is the LOX at their best.

23. Czarface - Two In The Chest. They'll never get as much respect as RTJ, but the parallels are there. Two guys who were well established veterans in the game came together and have been making beautiful music together well beyond the time when the gimmick of a team-up should have worn off.

24. Bonus Christmas Track. Chance The Rapper and Jeremih - Snowed In. There has been a general lack of Christmas rap in recent years, but that changed this year. Dej Loaf and Gucci Mane dropped Christmas tunes, and just before Christmas, Chance and Jeremih dropped a whole Christmas EP. The pick here was a toss-up between "Snowed In," "Stranger at the Table" and "The Tragedy," but "Stranger" is a remade cover of a Jackson 5 song, and "Tragedy" isn't as uplifting, so "Snowed In" it is.

If you want, you can listen to these mixes on Mixcloud. Embeds are below.

This is always a long post. If you made it this far, thanks for indulging me!

MCU Rankings, Ver. 4080

So, pretty much after I see a Marvel MCU movie (ie, not the first five Spider-Man's, or the Fantastic Four's or X-Men's) I end up ranking them. It's what we do, we like ranking things. Sometimes, I do it even in between movies. But usually I forget my order because I have a terrible memory, among other things. So, I figured I'd put it down on the blog. That's what a blog is for, yes?

These are both ranked and organized into three tiers. Think of the tiers like this - I would be willing to re-organize the rankings of these movies within their tiers, but not outside of them.

May 18, 2017 update: Slotting in GoTG 2 & Dr. Strange.

Tier 3
Not Ranked. Ant Man - Still haven't seen it yet. I have a hard time believing it would escape the third tier.
Not Ranked. Dr. Strange - Maybe was good, but the trailer looked just like Inception, and I didn't care for the whitewashing. Also, I don't really like Dr. Strange as a character. Pass.
13. Thor: The Dark World - Marvel has a rep for bad villains, and none was worse than the dude in this one. I don't even remember his name, and don't feel compelled to look it up.
12. Iron Man 2 - Another sequel that landed with a thud, and while I'm finally getting used to Don Cheadle as Iron Patriot, I still hated the decision in this movie.
11. The Incredible Hulk - This movie was pretty good until the final third, which got a little cartoonish, and not in a good way.

Tier 2
10. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 - It was good, but it was very slow to develop, had way too much Drax, and I didn't care for the gimmick of Baby Groot for an entire movie. We get it, he's cute. He also grew back limbs way too quickly in the original for me to believe he was a baby for so long in the second one. Furthermore, I wasn't a big fan of the sexual tension plotline, but I especially was not a fan of the way it ended. Will leave it at that for now since saying why not is still spoiler-ish. Also, the main reason for antagonism between the two leads is identical to Civil War. Marvel being a cohesive unit is supposed to prevent these sorts of things.
9. Iron Man 3 - Definitely better than Iron Man 2, but the villain was uninspired, and the after the fact revelation that they wouldn't let Rebecca Hall be the villain will forever color this one, as Rebecca Hall was nails in this (and every) movie.
8. Avengers: Age of Ultron - It's fine, but the end scene where they're like, "hey let's train new Avengers!" rubbed me the wrong way. I thought it was a pretty blatant sign that "hey sucker, this movie was a placeholder, thanks for burning $20 on seeing it." That feeling is the main reason why I didn't bother with Ant-Man later last summer.
7. Thor - I liked the plot of this one a great deal, and Natalie Portman is one of my favorite actresses. It's a shame they can't get her back for the smaller roles in the Avengers movies, but I get her not wanting to do them.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy - The team sparkles in this one, but again, they get demerits for the lack of inspired villain. Ronan was a stiff. You could again make the case for a lead female villain, as Nebula was way cooler, and had a legit beef with one of the heroes in Gamora. I suppose it's the same beef that Loki has with Thor, but that's OK.

Tier 1
5. Captain America: Civil War - I'm looking forward to watching this one a million times, but the revelation that Zemo had only been a villain for a year rang a little hollow. I feel like it takes villains more than a year to build up such a vast network of knowledge of evil. Which was a shame, because I loved him as the villain up to that point. And Black Panther and Spider-Man were awesome.
4. Captain America: The First Avenger - It's a war movie, and there is no shortage of those in the movie, but they just do such a great job with it, and Red Skull is the real deal. Also, if there is one movie that you need to understand the larger MCU at this point, it's this one, since the relationship between Cap and Bucky is arguably the most important relationship in the MCU right now.
3. Iron Man - I just watched this again last night, and it's amazing how good this movie is compared to the two that came after it. Also, Tony Stark's facial hair is jarring compared to what it is now.
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - So, so awesome. The Falcon is great, and Black Widow gets perhaps her most screen time in this one, which is great. Get her her own movie already! It has a legit case for number one, but I mark it down just because it isn't as fun.
1. The Avengers - The Avengers vs. Loki was the perfect match up, and this one is a fun thrill ride throughout. It's the gold standard for what a comic book movie can and should be.

End of Year Mixes, 10th Edition!

I have been making mix tapes as long as I can remember. Before I had anyone to make them for, I made them for myself, and I purchased them whenever I had the chance -- generally, whenever I was in Downtown Crossing (they used to call me the "white guy" at Hip Zepi) or in NYC (at Fat Beats or on the street). I have the picture to prove it:

One good thing about my parents saving everything is that my old mixtapes are still around. Ah, memories. pic.twitter.com/MrLc6ZFD3Y

— Paul Swydan (@Swydan) December 5, 2015

Eventually, I started making them for other people. My sister, my girlfriend (now wife), my friends. More or less anyone who I was close with that wasn't super annoyed by me forcing them to listen to "my" music.

One year, it occurred to me that even though I was broke and couldn't afford to buy presents for all of the people I was close to that I could make them a mixtape. Or, by then, it was CDs, but saying "Mix CDs" has always sounded wrong to me. Now, I just say "mixes," but I still think of them as mixtapes.

That was 10 years ago now. The idea was simple, to make two mixes -- Aboveground and Underground. Popular and not popular. The idea was that people always claim that pop music is garbage, and I think that viewpoint is garbage. Maybe the radio is clogged by some clunkers, but I think there are plenty of great songs each year that become popular. To be clear, I don't consider these "the best," just my favorites. Music can't really be defined as "best" as far as I'm concerned.

I haven't written about them every year -- at some point I should go back and write about the first few just for posterity -- but if you click here you can find links for each edition since 2009. I follow a couple of basic rules.

• The strongest rule: The song had to be released during the year in question. Exception - An international song, as songs aren't always/ever released internationally and domestically at the same time.
• The mostly strong rule: The Aboveground mix is picked from the Billboard Hot 100, and the Underground mix is quite the opposite. I usually cheat a couple of songs on the Aboveground mix, but with good reason.

Because this was the 10th edition, I tried to listen to more songs than I usually do -- especially for the Underground mix.

For the Aboveground, artists considered that didn't make the cut include Ty Dolla $ign, Rae Sremmund (I don't get why they're popular), Jessie J, Future, Demi Lovato, Jeremih, Dej Loaf (next year I think), and the last song cut was Lana Del Rey's "High By The Beach." Also, no Nicki Minaj - her album came out last December.

One artist I DIDN'T listen to was Kanye. I think of Kanye albums as one of the true events in music, and I wanted to wait. When he released a few singles, I figured he was close to releasing "Swish." As summer crept in, and news leaked that he had played the whole album for people, I figured it was coming any day. Never happened. Oh well.

ABOVEGROUND MIX

1. Adele - Hello. I mean, do I need to say anything about this? It's phenomenal. You know that already.

2. Drake - Hotline Bling. I've said it before, and the video for this song really kind of rammed the point home -- Drake is A-Rod. They're both generational talents that are just so smart but yet so goofy and awkward, and easy to mock. Try to divorce the song and the video. Once you do, you'll realize this is a classic.
3. Rihanna - B*tch Better Have My Money. Somewhere, ODB is smiling.
4. Natalie La Rose - Somebody f/ Jeremih. I loved this homage to Whitney. It hasn't felt stale all year.
5. Major Lazer - Lean On f/ MO & DJ Snake. Diplo the person is somewhat of a blight on society, but Diplo the artist makes good music. It's a hard thing to separate, but unlike R. Kelly, Diplo doesn't actually sing or rap, so it's a little easier to like his work product.
6. Missy Elliott - WTF f/ Pharrell Williams. Missy is back!!!! And she was smart enough to hit up Pharrell for her return instead of Timbaland, whose recently released mixtape didn't exactly get universal praise, let's say.
7. Fetty Wap - 679 f/ Monty. If I wasn't so stubborn, this would be "Trap Queen," but Trap Queen came out in 2014. And not in December, like Minaj, but in April 2014. "679" is a worthy alternative though. Fetty is the type of artist that Drake has wrought - someone who is good at rapping and singing but isn't really great at either. It goes to show just how good Drake is. Having said that, this is a pretty good song, and it definitely stays stuck in your head.
8. A$AP Rocky - Everyday f/ Rod Stewart, Miguel & Mark Ronson. When I saw this on the album's track listing, I was curious. Rod Stewart? A$AP has been pushing his boundaries, and none moreso than with this. I wonder if he showed Rod the "Purple Swag" video.
9. Jidenna - Classic Man f/ Roman GianArthur. Janelle Monae hit hard with her Wondaland crew this year, and I was overjoyed by it all. This one was bit bigger of a hit than her "Yoga," but I almost included both because they're two of my favorite songs, but I try not to put two songs from the same album on a mix.
10. Carly Rae Jepsen - All That. Jepsen had a lot of hits this year, but this song -- which was the first single off of E-Mo-Tion -- wasn't one of them. I made an exception for it though, because a) it was my favorite cut off her album, and b) it damn well should have hit the Hot 100. Shoutout to my former colleague Summer Anne Burton for never shutting up about Carly Rae Jepsen. It forced me to give her a listen. I had assumed she would end up being a one-hit wonder. NOPE!
11. Taylor Swift - Bad Blood Remix f/ Kendrick Lamar. There aren't enough event remixes these days. This was all that and more -- I think every woman singer under the age of 30 was in the video, as well as a bunch of actresses and Cindy Crawford. (After they show Crawford, Swift kind of looks at the camera as if to say "yeah that's right, I got Cindy Crawford in my video, WHAT" - it's great.) It's why we have music videos. This also doubled as the moment when your mom learned the name Kendrick Lamar, which is a good thing.
12. Ellie Goulding - On My Mind. The last song that made it over Lana Del Rey's "High By The Beach." I liked Ellie's video better. She rode a horse in hers.
13. Alessia Cara - Here. We all went to a party like this in college. Or perhaps after college.
14. Selena Gomez - Same Old Love. I think I might be the only one who liked this track best on Gomez's new album. It feels like a Justin Bieber diss, and I like that.
15. Ciara - I Bet. Speaking of diss songs, man, Future has to be some kind of moron to break up with Ciara. She has always been one of my faves. #TeamCiara over here for sure.
16. Jamie xx - I Know There's Gonna Be Good Times f/ Young Thug & Popcaan. Young Thug put out a lot of material this year, but my favorite track of his wasn't his own, but rather this DJ from across the pond. This one didn't make the Hot 100 either, presumably because Jamie xx is not an American artist? That's about the only reason I can think of.
17. The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face. This is the song that my wife demanded be included this year -- she usually demands at least one. Not that it was a problem. The Weeknd finally let the Emo go for a song, and the results were fantastic.
18. Miguel - Coffee (F*cking) f/ Wale. I was disappointingly underwhelmed by Miguel's album, but this track was a standout. And Wale finally makes it back to the Aboveground mix -- his first time since 2010.
19. Janet Jackson - No Sleeep. Speaking of long waits, Miss Janet hasn't made the mixes since the first edition back in 2006. That's a long time. When I first saw that she recorded "No Sleeep" with and without J. Cole, I was curious. Then I listened to J. Cole's verse. It is possibly the worst guest shot I have ever heard. So Janet stands alone.
20. Dr. Dre - Animals f/ Anderson .Paak. This was the third track that wasn't a Billboard Hot 100 song. But there are a few good reasons why. One, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 (the chart for album sales), so I think plenty of people heard about it. Two, the cuts on the song are from DJ Premier. If you know anything about hip-hop, you know just how monumental having Dre and Primo on the same track is. Third, this album -- and this song in particular -- announced Anderson .Paak to the world. He may just be Dre's latest great find. But fourth, and most importantly, is the subject matter. After all his success, Dre is still angry, and it's hard to blame him. The emotion is raw here, and it's an eye opener.
21. Kendrick Lamar - Alright. Nevertheless, I wanted to end on a positive note. I'm fucked up, you fucked up, but if God got us then we gon' be alright. Kendrick the best.

UNDERGROUND MIX

1. Kehlani - You Should Be Here. I'm a little surprised this didn't pop onto the Aboveground mix. This album had a lot of great cuts, including "Jealous" and "The Way," but "Here" stuck with me the most because I spend so much time distracted on my phone, or just daydreaming. It's a good reminder to focus on the moment.
2. Vince Staples - Lift Me Up. A song -- and album -- rich in biting commentary. This is another that belongs on the Aboveground mix. Vince Staples is fast becoming one of my favorite artists, and is a must listen.
3. Blackalicious - The Sun f/ Imani Coppola. There was a ton of comebacks this year, and this was one of them. Blackalicious hadn't put out an album since 2005, but they didn't sound rusty on "Imani Vol. 1" at all. That's pretty impressive.
4. Scarface - Steer f/ Rush Davis. Scarface came back too. Remember Scarface? If you feel like you've been listening to him your whole life, that's probably because you have. Geto Boys popped off in 1988. "Deeply Rooted" was Scarface's first album since 2008.
5. Grimes - Fresh Without Blood. I admittedly don't know a ton about Grimes, but I love this song, as well as "California." I wanted to include it here, and break up the hip-hop a little. I think it flows in pretty seamlessly.
6. Fashawn - Higher. I feel like it's not a coincidence that an album executive produced by Nas has a song about daughters. This album, "The Ecology," was fantastic, and I hard time picking the one track to use. Ultimately, this one got me.
7. Sean Price - Magic f/ Foul Monday & Royal Flush. Rest in peace, Mr. Price.
8. Sadat X - I Know This Game. I always liked Grand Puba (and sometimes Lord Jamar) better than Sadat X, but I still do like him. And this song was great -- Sadat is an old man now and letting everyone know that you never should have doubted him. The A&R story is great, as is the Biggie sample in the hook.
9. Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment - Familiar f/ King Louie & Quavo. I not only had a tough time picking out a cut from "Surf," but I also could have chosen any number of solo Chance the Rapper songs to choose for this mix. Ultimately I picked this one because I liked the blending of the different rappers here, and because this was a nice tongue-in-cheek take on the old "It's All About You" vibe.
10. Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge as NxWorries - Link Up. This won't be the last time Anderson .Paak gets on here. And Kxwledge is great, if you like hip-hop instrumentals.
11. Apollo Brown - Detonate f/ M.O.P.. "I'm El Chapo with a crack flow, you get your sh*t pushed back slow. Simple as that." Simple as that, indeed. This was another album I had a hard time picking one track from, but you can't deny the simple beauty of the Mash Out Posse.
12. Tink - Ratchet Commandments. Timbaland's new protege -- he said Aaliyah appeared to him a dream and called Tink "the one" -- takes it back to a song that was released when she was two years old. I feel old typing that.
13. Edo G. - Last Man Standing (cuts by DJ Netik). Few have been around as long as Edo G., but he has consistently turned out work, so this album wasn't really a comeback for him. He remains one of Boston's finest -- if not its finest period. Sort of depends on whether you want to claim Guru as Boston or New York.
14. GZA - The Mexican f/ Tom Morello & K.I.D.. This was GZA's first song since 2008, and it's definitely not what you would expect from GZA. But it still rocks. It would had to have been pretty bad not to be included here, to be honest.
15. KRS-One - Drugs Won. Poignant and unflinching as always in his first album in four years.
16. Malik B. & Mr. Green - Dark Streets f/ R.A. The Rugged Man & Amalie Bruun. Perhaps my favorite track of the year. If this beat doesn't have you vigorously nodding your head within five seconds, you might want to re-evaluate your whole life.
17. DonMonique - Drown. The standout on a great debut EP (that included a Danny Brown guest shot) from a promising young rapper.
18. Freddie Gibbs - F*ckin' Up The Count. Laced with "The Wire" references, this was the standout cut on Gibbs' new album. I wanted to include "Detonate," which has a harrowing Black Thought guest verse, but the beat on "Detonate" is a little too grating for repeat listens.
19. Rapper Big Pooh - Augmentation. It's a shame we don't get more Little Brother these days, but I will happily settle for Pooh and Phonte recording separately, especially when the songs are this good.
20. Apathy - Fat Kids f/ Blacastan & Merkules. Another track from a New England rapper, this one hits home, as I have let my waistline expand far more than I should have. It's funny too.
21. Capone-N-Noreaga - U.M.A.R. f/ Tragedy. CNN has always had a knack for emotional songs, as well as unlikely acronyms, and this song combines both in a story about a person that the crew wanted to honor before he passed.
22. Awreeoh - It's My Turn Now. Produced by Pharrell Williams, this song is from the three leads in the movie Dope. They're not real musicians -- at least not yet -- but you'd never know it, and this beat is fire. And if you haven't seen Dope yet, you should definitely do that soon.
23. Bonus Christmas Track. Ghostface Killah - Ghostface X-Mas. Ghost put out a couple of albums this year, so I nearly included one of those songs here in addition to this track, but ultimately I felt that this was enough. Also I get kind of exhausted by the volume from certain artists, and Ghost was one of those this year. I somehow missed this song when he put it out a few years ago. That has now been rectified. I don't get why more rappers don't put out Christmas songs. The bar is set so low.

I listened to so much stuff that didn't make the cut here. Jadakiss, Logic, Isaiah Rashad, Large Professor and Czarface were among the last cuts from the mix. Earl Sweatshirt, Diddy (!), Kirk Knight, Joey Badass (really disappointing album from him), Jazmine Sullivan, D.R.A.M., Big Grams (Big Boi's new project), Statik Selektah, Guilty Simpson, Talib Kweli & 9th Wonder, Mad & Blu & Madlib, Cannibal Ox, Ray West & Kool Keith, L'Orange & Kool Keith, Little Simz, Tate Kobang, Cakes da Killa, Raekwon, YG and eMC (worst hooks ever) were also considered. All of the extra listens definitely led to me getting the mixes out a little later this year, but it was worth it, because I am extra happy with what I included as a result.

If you want, you can listen to these mixes on Mixcloud. Embeds are below.

This is always a long post. If you made it this far, thanks for indulging me!

Dj iMAGINE - 2015 Hits: Aboveground by Paul Swydan on Mixcloud

Dj iMAGINE - 2015 Hits: Underground by Paul Swydan on Mixcloud

Me, on TV

Just going to leave this here for posterity.

Link

And embed, which may or may not work:

Ninth Annual End of Year Mixes

Years gone by: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009. The 2012 link should have the intro/explanation to what I try to do with these mixes.

Aboveground Mix

Lots of pop this year. This was one of the hardest cut downs. Here are the songs that didn't make the cut:
- Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk. Liked the song, but it felt like it would get old quick.
- Jennifer Lopez & Iggy Azalea - Booty. I just don't like J Lo, and adding Iggy after the fact - while a nice admission that no one likes Pitbull anymore (if in fact anyone ever did) - rung a little hollow.
- Jesse J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang Bang. Just didn't like it as much as their other songs.
- Ella Henderson: Ghost. One of the final cuts.
- Usher f/ Juicy J - I Don't Mind. Good song, but not exactly fresh material.
- Drake - 0 to 100/The Catch Up. One of the final cuts. It just didn't really vibe with the rest of the mix.

That's a lot of cuts. I usually struggle to round of the mixes with songs I like, but this year I had way too much. Then there was also D'Angelo. I know a lot of people have praised the album, but his voice makes it hard for me to hear what he's actually saying, and while I pick it up more on subsequent listens, it bugs me enough that it ruins the whole thing for me. Sorry, D'Angelo.

Let's get to the mixes.
1. Kid Ink - Body Language f/ Usher & Tinashe. I fell in love with this song, so much that I wanted to lead off with it. It's kind of a classic 90s throwback, with the heavy hitters on the hook. You might not think of Tinashe as a heavy hitter yet, but she put out one of my favorite albums this year, and I expect big things from her.
2. Taylor Swift - Blank Space. TS' version of "I Get Around," this narrowly beat out "Shake It Off" (which is her version of "Dirt Off My Shoulder"), mostly because Summer asked me to pick "Blank Space." She gets one request per year, and this was it.
3. J. Cole - Wet Dreamz. Topic selection is everything, be it baseball analysis or music or anything else. This topic definitely stands out, and the beat knocks as well.
4. Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass. The Massachusetts girl makes good.
5. Iggy Azalea - Fancy f/ Charli XCX. Love her or hate her, and I understand both viewpoints, this is an awesome, awesome song.
6. James Newton Howard - The Hanging Tree f/ Jennifer Lawrence. Yes, Jennifer/Katniss, I am coming.
7. Shakira - I Can't Remember To Forget You f/ Rihanna. Most people probably forgot this song came out in 2014, since it debuted on January 13th. But it did, and it's about as superstar a collabo as you can think of.
8. Ariana Grande - Break Free f/ Zedd. It is a little harder to appreciate her songs since she does legit look like a 12-year-old girl, but she definitely can sing. She doesn't quite have Mariah's range or charisma though, so let's knock it off with those comparisons.
9. Calvin Harris - Summer. This joins the semi-long line of songs with my wife's name in them, and it was a smash hit to boot. Easy pick here.
10. Kendrick Lamar - i. Another easy pick. Hope we get more K. Dot in 2015.
11. Selena Gomez - The Heart Wants What It Wants. I couldn't believe it myself when I realized how much I liked this song.
12. Migos - Handsome and Wealthy. I learned of this group when Q-Tip called them "tha truth." That doesn't happen often.
13. Trey Songz - Touchin', Lovin' f/ Nicki Minaj. Trey basically plays second banana on his own song. Nicki crushes her verse. It really was her year. And her outro on the song leads beautifully into...
14. Nicki Minaj - Anaconda. There was a lot of social media fuss around the cover art and video and with good reason, but it's also a damn good song, and I can't really remember anyone having the stones to flip Sir Mix A Lot's beat, so bonus points for that.
15. Charli XCX - Boom Clap. Infectious.
16. Future - Benz Friendz (Whatchutola) f/ Andre 3000. This is the one song I really cheated on. It wasn't one of the six singles from Future's monster album, but since four of the six landed on the Hot 100, I can only assume that this one would have as well had it been chosen. And since this was the one with Andre 3000 on it, it gets the nod. Outkast 4 lyfe.
17. YG - Who Do You Love? f/ Drake. I had heard about YG for awhile, and this song didn't disappoint.
18. Tinashe - 2 On f/ Schoolboy Q. Like I said, Tinashe rocked my world this year. And the Schoolboy Q feature puts it over the top. It also served as Schoolboy's one appearance this year, as I just didn't like his album as much as most.
19. Clean Bandit - Rather Be f/ Jess Glynne. This song doesn't really fit, so it kind of got pushed toward the back, but it was one of my favorite songs of the year.
20. Sam Smith - I'm Not The Only One. Hard to deny this guy's talent, even with a boring name like Sam Smith.
21. Michael Jackson - Love Never Felt So Good (Original Version). I sort of cheated here too, because I believe the version of this song that charted was the one with Justin Timberlake, but that strikes me as unnecessary. The song was brilliant on its own.

Underground Mix

Lots of stuff left off this as well. Jhene Aiko, Boldy James, Gangsta Boo, Ab-Soul, Pusha T, Luke James, Prince, the 1978ers, Ghostface and Lauryn Hill all had songs that didn't make the cut. I'd like to say Wu-Tang Clan and G-Unit also were close to making the cut, but their comebacks were mostly depressing. Oh well, nothing lasts forever.

1. FKA Twigs - Pendulum. I still don't exactly know what this song is, other than a song I'm in love with. And that's enough. Perhaps my favorite song of the year. I don't really make that distinction because who cares, but this song would be in the conversation for sure.
2. Run The Jewels - Blockbuster Night Part 1. I had at times five different songs from this album picked. I probably could have just pasted in the whole thing and called it a day.
3. Lil' B - No Black Person Is Ugly. The Based God puts out so much material that it's basically impossible for me to keep up with it all, but this one cut through it all this year.
4. Statik Selektah - Get Away f/ Joe Scudda and Colin Munroe. Another hard selection, as SS' album had a lot of great choices. This narrowly made the cut over "Alarm Clock" featuring Ab-Soul, Jon Connor & Logic?.
5. Isiah Rashad - Heavenly Father. This album got better every time I listened to it, which is good, because I was initially underwhelmed, especially with the hooks.
6. The Social Experiment - Sunday Candy f/ Chance The Rapper. Chance is barely established and is already trying new things. That's an encouraging sign, especially when the result is awesome music such as this.
7. Vince Staples - Limos f/ Teyana Taylor. Oh my, this beat. I'm in love with this song.
8. Big K.R.I.T. - Mt. Olympus. There were a lot of responses to "Control." This was one of the only ones worth even noting.
9. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - High f/ Danny Brown. "Pinata" is on the short list for album of the year. This was yet another album where I had a hard time picking just one song.
10. Mobb Deep - Dirt. To be honest, I thought their album was pretty uneven, and there weren't a lot of standouts. This was one of the few.
11. DJ JS-1 - Show Shockin' f/ El da Sensai, Tame One and Reef the Lost Cauze. A great throwback beat, with three unheralded but awesome lyricists who are very at home rapping over it.
12. Cam'ron & A-Trak - Dipsh*ts f/ Juelz Santana & Dame Dash. Cam retains his belt for "funniest rapper alive." Not that it was really in dispute. The Dame Dash outro is also hilarious, though probably not in the way Dame intended it to be.
13. Flying Lotus - Never Catch Me f/ Kendrick Lamar. I don't like FlyLo as much as most do, but this song is hard to deny.
14. Ray West & O.C. - Lovers. Another great concept album, and this song was my favorite topic chosen on the LP. The recent rash of producer/rapper collaborations has been great for hip-hop, and this album is a prime example of why.
15. Azealia Banks - Ice Princess. I fear that her legacy will be as the brat who can't shut up on Twitter, which would be a shame, because she makes great music...when she gets around to it.
16. Prhyme - Dat Sound Good f/ Ab-Soul and Mac Miller. The DJ Premier and Royce da 5'9" collabo is another great example of the producer/rapper team up, and here they produce that classic Premo sound, with two (relative) newbies along for the ride.
17. Drake - How 'Bout Now. Drake and K. Dot are so good that they can rule the roost even in years when they don't put out albums. Pretty impressive.
18. Cormega - More. Another of my favorite albums of the year, and this is one of my favorite cuts off of it. The album gets a little preachy at times, but 'Mega has earned that right at this point.
19. Pharoahe Monch - Losing My Mind. This album, and this song in particular, were incredibly revealing.
20. The Roots - When The People Cheer f/ Modesty Lycan. Anything The Roots do is close to an automatic selection. They may not put out albums that frequently anymore, but since they still play together all the time, they haven't really lost a step.
21. Ras Kass & Apollo Brown - Bon Voyage. Nearly picked "How to Kill God" but I felt like this song was a better fit to close out the mix.
Bonus Christmas Track. Fabolous - I Don't F*ck With Christmas. I had a hard time picking a hip-hop Christmas song this year - record more Christmas albums, rappers!!! - but this one came along just in the St. Nick of time.

The Music

I didn't bother embedding the playlists on Spotify this year, because I've sort of had it with Spotify now that they've increased from like one ad every half hour to six or seven. But I did upload the songs to a service called MixCloud. You can check them out below.

Dj iMAGiNE - 2014 Hits: Aboveground by Paul Swydan on Mixcloud

Dj iMAGiNE - 2014 Hits: Underground by Paul Swydan on Mixcloud