1. damali wrote:

the biggest surprise of course is that a black man was elected to the U.S. presidency. and not just any black man…one who’s middle name is HUSSEIN!!! HUSSEIN YO! just wild…no one thought he had a real chance in Jan 08. no one. i’m still blown away and it’s been almost 2 months.

2. Marc Lamont Hill wrote:

For me the biggest surprise is suge knight getting knocked out… oh yeah, and the whole black president thing… it was a pretty interesting year for music too. Except for that terrible shit that kanye put out!

3. ~JJG~ wrote:

The most hilarious moment: Sarah Palin. Who?…What?…Who?…What?…I lived for SNL during that period.

4. Samuel wrote:

Dumbest Moment in Sports:

from The Daily Voice
(http://www.thedailyvoice.com/voice/2008/12/the-10-dumbest-people-of-2008-001462.php)

Plaxico Burress – You’re a superstar NFL wide receiver for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the middle of the season and you go out to a crowded nightclub with a loaded gun and accidentally shoot yourself. Not only do you endanger yourself and those around you, you also endanger your career, getting suspended for the season and arrested by the police. We may not expect a lot from highly paid celebrity athletes, but we do expect they won’t sabotage themselves. We’re talking Michael Vick dumb here.

I agree completely.

5. zak wrote:

Well, there’s the improbability combo: The Phillies winning a world series and the black president thing in the same year. Lil’ Wayne became the most overrated rapper (the hipster rapper I like to call him). Kanye’s album sucked (I thought misery music was supposed to be good)Q-Tip and Raphael Saadiq finished with very good albums. Bush ducking shoes was kinda neat. Nice to know Clint Eastwood made it through 2008. Abe Vigoda is still alive too? The Dark Knight rocked (especially in IMAX)…and Eartha Kitt (who is my great-aunt by the way) capped off the year by passing away on J-day.

Oh, and My girl and I finally split this year which was a surprise…and it’s awesome. I thought that hell was going to last forever–New. Years. Orgy. Ladies?

6. econwhat wrote:

It was NOT a surprise to me that BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA was elected!!! Called it from git go…blasted haters from git go.

Never thought my taste in music would get mellower by the minute this year though…I think it’s because of herrrrrrr, I even searched around to get her the ‘Uncovered/Covered’ CD by Kenneth Lattimore and Chante Moore to show her a little of my SENSITIVE SIDE… I think I made some progress this year y’all and that surprises and delights me to no end!!!

I had a good 2008, blocked sleezers left and right, yeah it was a good year for me!

7. ChgoSista wrote:

Music SUCKED MAJOR ASS this year, in my opinion! If one mo’ MF uses that computer/electronic tube-y thing that Roger Troutman used 20-25 years ago, I’m gon’ SCREAM!!!! >:-(

8. Marc Lamont Hill wrote:

Lil Wayne OWNED 2008

9. ChgoSista wrote:

OK, so I liked “Mrs. Officer”–don’t tell anyone, though!!!!

10. natural nubian wrote:

biggest suprise: hands-down, obama winning the oval office
biggest disappointment: tie between detroit’s “hip hop” idiot mayor and r.kelly’s nasty self

funniest moment: SNL w/sara palin

saddest moment: folks losing their homes and company execs’ carelessness

shocker: news guy throwing shoes @ bush (how he had time to not only take them off but bend down twice and get the 2nd show thrown is beyond me)

11. ChgoSista wrote:

In entertainment world, Bernie Mac’s passing was a blow…

12. ~JJG~ wrote:

Little Wayne is WICKED! Agreed, Little Wayne OWNED 2008! My friends clown me all day because I say “little” Wayne. I love Little Wayne! I even contemplated going incognito to the hood-back-woods club just to see him, but I decided I didn’t want to get shot that day.

13. zak wrote:

Yeah, I forgot about the whole Bernie Mac thing. That was shocking. Sorry, Marc. I still don’t get the Lil Wayne appeal. He’s a hoot in an interview and all, and I think he’s an above average MC, I just think he’s overrated–I can’t tell you how many white dudes in tight jeans, American Apparel scarves and Jew fros keep telling me he’s the greatest fucking thing to happen to hip hop. *sigh* I miss the ’90s.

14. DCI74 wrote:

The Giants shocked the sports world, a lot of luminaries passed away, Obama made history and a ton of wack music was released.

15. wouldn't you like to know? wrote:

My Biggest surprise of 08, was of course, losing my Mother. But you guys have made this year a little brighter by taking that walk with me…thank you all again.

Losing Bernie, Issac, and Eartha was also very shocking…

Having a “first” Black prez is great, but word on the street is, that have happened before….hmmmmmmmm

Marc, i know you don’t want us to be all dark in this post, but i must say, this have been an extremely emotional year for me…if there’s ever such a thing called “being tested”, i must say this was the year of “the big pop quiz”….sheeesh.

i’ve had some great highs, and some extreme depressing lows, but this year has truly prepared me for the next….i’m extremely focused, and ready to conquer the world. for that, i appreciate all my “tests”, and must say THANK GOD…

also, i’m no huge sports fanatic (thanxx blaxx), but i must say it was huge for the phillies in 08. although i’m no sports buff, it was still rather shocking to see my city erupt like that with positive cheer….it’s been a long time coming and we deserved it….

well that’s my wrap up…for now.

16. MsBlake wrote:

The Obama Family owned 2008. Forget what you heard…

I cannot wait to see little brown skinned girls named Sasha and Malia play on the White House lawn.

Now thats fresh.

17. Blaxx wrote:

Ms. Chong, you needs to holla at me. I don’t wanna have to log into MySpace in order to teach you this stuff (I’ve met my once per 4 month quota LOL).

2008 sucked. Music sucked. Lil Wayne owned 2008 due to lack of quality competition. Every rapper started saying “I don’t listen to rap no more cuz it sucks” but then they went and made even worse music (I’m lookin at you Kanye West).

Movies were even worse. Name a good movie this year that wasn’t based on a play, book, comic, true story or was a remake of another movie or TV show.

Let’s not talk about the economy.

Obama was the lone bright spot but 2009 will show us what he’s dealin with.

18. Blaxx wrote:

By the way, Skillz just put out another LAME wrap up track. I don’t get how a person can spend the entire year doing nothing (ghostwriting for garbage rappers doesn’t count) then get amped up to talk about all the stuff other people did. Gossip folks

19. DCI74 wrote:

Wayne wins by default

20. Frederick Senkeeto wrote:

The darkest moment of 2008 was those dame Phillies winning the Bleeping World Series. Disgusting.

21. wouldn't you like to know? wrote:

i’m so mad at you blaxx, hmf!

i did hit you up, but you never got back chump…we gotta exchange emails or something dude…

i’m trying to be in the loop for next year…

i want a retardedly big, #1 sponge finger too!!!!

22. jess wrote:

2008 was fairly decent for me, in spite of everything that has happened.

Brightest Moments: The Glow in the Dark Tour, Lupe Fiasco’s ‘The Cool” (came out in December of ’07, I didn’t get it until January of ’08), my college graduation, Michelle Obama is our First Lady

Darkest Moment: The murder of Jennifer Hudson’s family.

Biggest Disappointment: The Roots’ “Rising Down”… maybe it’s just me, but it wasn’t of “Phrenology” or “Game Theory” caliber. I guess there were too many interludes and guest appearances. Save for a few tracks, it just wasn’t that good to me.

Most Shocking: I’m a college football fan above anything else, so I would say it was Texas’s loss to Texas Tech and the subsequent tomfoolery by the BCS.

23. Mrs. Rivers wrote:

Here’s my personal reflection for 2008:

The biggest surprise: My 45 year old sister getting pregnant and having the cutest little brown baby boy one could ever imagine.

Biggest dissappointment — I fell out of touch with a really good (or so I thought) friend of mine. But hey, thats life . . i guess. It still hurts . ..

brightest moment: My Wedding Day.

Darkest moment: personally I dont think i had one of these.

This year I was really blessed. But 2009 is going to be bigger and brighter!

24. Miriam wrote:

I totally agree about Kanye’s mess! but he tried

25. Lovely209 wrote:

Who do you guys think had the worst year? My pick would be Young Berg.. He got his transformer chain stolen, beat down by rapper Maino, and crucified by black women every where with his “dark butts” comment. sheesh what a year he had!!

26. DCI74 wrote:

Young Berg lol??? Please who cares about that below average rapper. Jennifer Hudson and Heath Ledger now to me those are two who had bad years. Heath wasn’t around to enjoy the fruits of what arguably was a career-defining role and poor Jennifer, just as her star was really beginning to rise she losing two of her closest family members.

27. Lovely209 wrote:

Lol DC174! Yeah Young Berg is a sub par rapper. But you have to admit musically he took some pretty huge blows. Debatably his career is OVER! But yeah JHud definitley had a bad year. What happened to her was really sad.

28. DCI74 wrote:

Yeah Lovely he took some literal blows because he’s a real little dude but he was probably getting his ass kicked in elementary school too, so I have no sympathy for him. Whatever musical blows he took Berg doesn’t make hip hop I listen to, he makes that cookie-cutter commercial stuff.

29. Lovely209 wrote:

LMAO DC174!! You’re a REALLY funny person!! “Yeah Lovely he took some literal blows because he’s a real little dude but he was probably getting his ass kicked in elementary school too, so I have no sympathy for him. ” Daammnn!! ha ha

30. DCI74 wrote:

Lol @ Lovely. For real when I met him a couple of years ago when his first and I guess only single was getting spins, he came by our radio station and I thought dude was like 12.

31. Tom Penn wrote:

Wow! It is really sad how many people on here think the state of music is so bad right now. Sales analysis seems to prove them right though. Lil’ Wayne sold 3 million CDs, which in years past would have been nothing at all, however, with the severe decline in music sales in 2008, 3,000,000 units sold is a blockbuster by today’s standards.

So, if music ain’t liftin’ people up, I think spirits will begin to rise around noon on Tuesday, January 20th. Maybe politics and public service will become the new rhythm in people’s lives, and the voice of the new president will be the music that folk are clamoring to listen to in 2009.

32. Miriam wrote:

I’ll give Lil’ Wayne props for being as determined as a lot of people I have met are, and very witty (I love his wittiness) but his music, to me, is more about fine beats. ’nuff said. I hope he comes out with a song where the message is louder than the beats (which have always been highly seductive and mind manipulative)- I like Lyfe Jennings’ messages. They are powerful. I don’t think beats and message is mutually exclusive- Lauryn Hill did it…plenty of people are doing it…some of them are not getting to the radio- so we gotta go find ‘em.

09!

33. Blaxx wrote:

Young Berg lol??? Please who cares about that below average rapper. Jennifer Hudson and Heath Ledger now to me those are two who had bad years. Heath wasn’t around to enjoy the fruits of what arguably was a career-defining role and poor Jennifer, just as her star was really beginning to rise she losing two of her closest family members.

Comment by DCI74 — January 1, 2009 @ 10:24 am

Fuck a celebrity, there are some people down the street from all of us who always have the worst years. Do something for your local Salvation Army, Goodwill or food bank. A lot of people need our help.

34. DCI74 wrote:

Tom Penn, record sales are not a true reflection of the quality of music and artists like Lil Wayne and Soulja Boy are perfect examples of that. Times have changed dramatically in music that hype and controversy fuel record sales that in no way dictate if the music itself is even good. I actually don’t think 2008 was a bad year for music overall just a bad year for the stuff that hit the mainstream. There are a lot of artists that most people have never heard of that put out excellent music this year.

Cosign Blaxx. I spent part of Xmas volunteering at a Salvation Army and even though this little kicked my butt in some chess games it was much more fun than sitting around unwrapping presents I don’t even need.

35. DCI74 wrote:

*kid

36. ~JJG~ wrote:

DC, how are you going to put Lil Wayne and Soulja Boy in the same sentence? That ain’t even righteous! lol. Soulja Boy is no Lil Wayne. What is your beef with Lil Wayne? Is it because he’s not conscious?

37. DCI74 wrote:

Ohhh lawd! JJG go back and look at the archives if you want to know my feelings on Wayne. However if you don’t want to go there I will give you my abridged version: Lil Wayne is an average rapper, with an incredibly annoying voice and very limited lyrical content but who knows how to market himself very well in this game.

I put him in the same category as SB because that’s is where he fits, 2 very limited rappers yet successful rappers. The only reason TH3 scanned a million records in its first week had nothing to do with the music and had everything to do with the hype generating it’s release. Any diehard Wayne fan will tell you that TC3 wasn’t even the best of the series and the fact that 3 years went by between that and TC2 along with his assault on the mixtape game is what led to the overwhelming hype and anticipation of TC3. Jean Grae, Phonte, Cory Gunz, Joell Ortiz and Joe Budden are MCs that all dropped quality material in 08 and would all rap circles around Wayne and SB that would make them dizzy.

This isn’t about beef or consciousness it’s about skills and Wayne and SB are not skilled MCs, they are both very very limited yet they both much like 50 know how to make songs that appeal to the mainstream audience but that doesn’t make it hot it just means its popular. For me the difference between an MC and a rapper is very obvious, a rapper can makes songs that may cause you nod your head but an MC can do that in addition to drop lyrics that will cause you stop and rewind what you just heard because it was that ill. Not all talented people are famous and not all famous people are talented.

38. ~JJG~ wrote:

DC, Wayne is a poet (and don’t laugh out loud either! lol)! His lyrical structures/composition is sick. He is an artist. He is a talented lyricist. TC3 is FIRYAH! Even if you don’t like Wayne, you have to admit that he and Soulja Boy are not in the same classification. Soulja Boy is hot garbage (as you would say). You must keep in mind that Wayne is still very young and will continue to evolve as a MC (yeah I said it—MC) lol. The MCs you mentioned are dope as well, but people have slept on Wayne for years. Stop napping and joined the consensus! lol.

50 and Soulja Boy are mainstream/commercial because they sought out to be (that was their platform) and the record companies wanted them to be. Wayne is mainstream today only because people have finally acknowledged his skills. When Wayne started he was wearing a long white t-shirt and a one dollar bandana. Wayne still performs at gully clubs (at least in the south), which is not mainstream.

The cuts that were released from TC3 were not for intellectual stimulation or spiritual uplift. They were for us to get our two-step on and to walk-it-out (lol). There are cuts on TC3 that give hints to his awareness. His voice is an acquired taste. Try the art of the slow approach when it comes to his voice.

Hip Hop is his supermarket!

39. DCI74 wrote:

“DC, Wayne is a poet (and don’t laugh out loud either! lol)”

Ok that officially ends my participation in this discussion.

40. Lovely209 wrote:

Lol. I swear I cannot stop laughing at DC!! Yeah Lil’ Wayne being a poet that was FUNNY!! That was even too much for me to handle. I wouldn’t go as far as putting SB and Lil’ Wayne in the same category becuase I think SB’s antics are coon-ish and his videos are minstrel shows! Lol. However I do think Lil’ Wayne is OVERRATED! I think people get so caught up on his swag and the way his voice rides a beat that they don’t really listen to the bullshit that sometimes comes out of his mouth. I mean honestly some of the things that come out of his mouth don’t even make sense, but people disregard that because he has a nice flow. But yeah DC sometimes the BEST response is NO response!! I told you you are TOO FUNNY!

41. gigi wrote:

…leave Kanye be! he had a publicly devastating year and personally I don’t believe he has fully mourned the death of his mom. if there is/was ever a time to give somebody a pass . . . this is it.

42. ~JJG~ wrote:

DC and Lovely, that’s it! I’m officially removing y’all names from the Lil Wayne Barbershop Fan Club. And to think, I was going nominate you Lovely for the VP spot and you DC for Recording Secretary gig, but not anymore!…………LOL!

FYI–Sign for Lil Wayne Poetry Workshop has begun.

1. JJG
2.
3.
4.
5.

43. ~JJG~ wrote:

*Sign Up

44. econwhat wrote:

2008 was the YEAR many, many, MANY SLIMSY-SLIMY-SLEAZY-SUCKERS were UNCOVERED and EXPOSED!!! YES SIRREE Y’ALL some got exposed surrounded by FLOOD LIGHTS!!! LOL

HAPPY 2009!!!

45. DCI74 wrote:

Lol @ Lovely, thank you and thanks to you JJG for removing my name for real! I think Tanya might be interested in a slot in that fan club, she loves Wayne.

46. natural nubian wrote:

oh my, why do i feel more like a 54 yr old than a 24 yr old? who is the Lord’s name is Young Berg? and why e’rbody tryna be “young” or “little?” i thought that stopped once bow wow finally became legal and got his permit. fill me in ’cause i didn’t hear ’bout no “black butts” comment. is this the same fella who said he prefers white women even tho his own momma is black?

and i BEEN gave up on rap music early last year. it’s all about gnarles barkley now ppls. ceelo green gets “best reinvented artist of the year” award.

47. Blaxx wrote:

Yung Berg had that song “Sexy Lady” last year that was a pretty solid hit then followed it up with “Sexy Can I” featuring Ray J (which was also Ray J’s first single off his last album) but then he made a comment either on LipService on Sirus Satelite Radio referring to dark-skinned women as “dark butts”. Here’s the comment:

I’m kinda racist … I don’t like dark butts …. You know how some women prefer light skin men or dark skin men. It’s rare that I do dark butts – that’s what I call dark skinned women … I [don't date women] darker than me. I love the pool test. If you can jump in the pool exactly like you are and you don’t come out looking better than you looked before going in the pool – then that’s not a good look.Any woman that uses brown gel to set down her baby hair is not poppin’!!!

It was around this time that his year started going sour. He did a show in Detroit and ended up gettin robbed by Trick Trick and his goons (which is nothing new, Trick Trick robs just as many rappers at Maino). The goons were posing with Yung Berg’s $70,000 Transformers (it’s a giant Autobots symbol encrusted in all kinds of diamonds and other niggertry) chain on YouTube and TMZ.com the next day. Shortly after this he got slapped up in a club by the aforementioned Maino for being “disrespectful” as Maino put it. No one has lost street credibility so fast in hiphop ever before as some people put it.

48. Blaxx wrote:

Gnarls Barkley? OVERRATED. Danger Mouse has got to be one of the worst, THE WORST, producers in the game. Most talented MC in the game right now is Phonte from Little Brother. Don’t believe me? Go out and pick up any Little Brother album or mixtape, Zo & Tigallo Love The 80s or Foreign Exchange’s latest album “Leave It All Behind”. North Carolina stand up!

49. natural nubian wrote:

Blaxx u are b’shop hater of 09. DC, u came in a close second, but i seen your facebook pick and you pass only ’cause of your handsomeness. but blaxx, that just went too far. don’t talk ’bout gnarls! yes there are better artists out there, but to say he’s overrated!?!? madness.

ps-thx for the berg update.

50. Mrs. Rivers wrote:

#46 – you and me both must be 28 going on 65! lol I have no idea who these people are. But I cant agree with you on the Gnarls Barkley. Clever indeed but nothing to write home about.

Let me throw in Raphael Saadiq and Amel Larieux into artists who fell off this year. Both albums were extremely dissappointing.

51. ~JJG~ wrote:

DC, cool. I think I’m going to nominate Tanya for the Sergeant-at-Arms position in the Fan Club. She can stand outside the door and make sure our meetings are free from intrusion/…hatas…LOL.

Lovely, it’s really not about the swag (not for me at least), I just truly believe that he has mad lyrical skills. In time maybe you will see, just maybe.

52. Blaxx wrote:

WHAT?!? I’m far sexier than DC. He’d be trying to pimp me if I had a name as sexy as Damion Sincere.

By the way ladies, Mr. Damion Sincere is still available, keep your schedules OPEN!

53. Piscean Princess wrote:

LOL….y’all are funny.

Happy New Year Barbershoppers!! Much love to y’all (even though I’ve been in super lurk mode lately)….

54. damali wrote:

Also, i have to shout out 8/8/08. The Olympics Opening Ceremony was the most spectacular and jaw dropping thing I’ve ever seen broadcast on television. ever. I watched every second from beginning to end. If anyone missed it, you need to get the DVD. and watch it on HD.

55. DCI74 wrote:

Really damali? I didn’t see any of the Olympics this year other than the basketball team highlights and part of their games.

56. Blaxx wrote:

I heard everyone talking about how amazing the opening ceremonies were but from what I seen it was just OK. I’m not easily impressed so maybe it’s just me. The only things I watched at the Olympics were basketball and Usain Bolt.

57. Tanya wrote:

“…oh yeah, and the whole black president thing…” – MLH

Damn Marc, don’t be a hater all your life!!!