About Best of the Booth:

Over the course of 2009, we at DJBooth.net have kept our ever-growing community of DJs, artists and listeners up to date on all the latest and greatest in hip-hop and R&B. Now, it’s time for you to step into our virtual polling booth and cast your votes for our second annual Best of the Booth awards!

Factoring in reader feedback and ratings as well as staff recommendations, we’ve nominated the front-running candidates in 20 different categories. From now till 12:00 PM (EST) on December 30, you’ll be able to vote on the urban artists, albums and songs that defined the year. Check in on January 6, 2010, to see who was selected as the Best of the Booth in 2009!

VOTE NOW

DOWNLOAD: QP “Cleveland Invasion Freestyle”

I was on Facebook last week and put Joe Budden on my list for top 5 favorite MCs for one of those Living Social surveys. I knew I was going to get called out on that pick, but I was ready to defend it by specifically citing “Dumb Out” as the best mixtape track of all time. Any MC that can keep me captivated with every bar for over 7 minutes (or 15 on WHO), is top 5 in my book.

I saw Joe perform “Dumb Out” live a few years back at an Allhiphop Week event and have the same gripe with this performance; he doesn’t have the breath control to rock the entire track over a beat. I’m not knocking the dude because it’s a long track, has no hook and he doesn’t use a hype man. I just wish he could do it.

Try the patch Joey! It works!

Regardless, both of these videos are hot and “Dumb Out” is such a lyrical masterpiece that it sounds great acapella.

Hit the jump for Part 2

Props to Nah Right and OKP

Read more »

Willy Northpole is on my list of artist’s I expect to be making big moves in 2009. He’s got a vicious flow and you may recognize him as the anchor on the “Call Up the Homies” record with Ludacris & The Game.

He’s also probably got the coolest name in the hip-hop game.

Here’s a freestyle video I spotted over at H-I-F. Enjoy!