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Tha Carter IV is coming. Lil Wayne was in jail. He is not joking. Its third single, “How to Love,” which was released four days ago, gives an assurance that the album will not be restricted to nothing but “John” and “6 Foot 7 Foot” records.

That is not an attack on either of the two preceding singles. Both are, in actuality, better than “How to Love.” Over and above that, the newest single reminded Stone (aka the Barack Obama of The Couch Sessions) of a Maroon 5 record, whereas I was reminded of couple of different artists.

At first, in some measure, it echoed James Taylor and Randy Newman, dreary, repetitive and slow. Still, after being more attentive to giving it an appropriate appraisal, the proper records it resembles became evident.

Rebirth, Lil Tunechi’s self-proclaimed alternative rock album, had a deluxe version that included the track “I’ll Die for You.” How to Love seems to be a remix of that record, as Wayne mixed in a bit of the “Love Like This” remix he recorded back in 2008 for Natasha Bedingfield. Mix both records along with the goal of mirroring B.o.B’s “Lovelier Than You” that is also dominated by guitar and what one will get is “How to Love.”

Attempting to diversify the album is not surprising. What is surprising is the fact that the artwork for 6 Foot 7 Foot is black and white and consists of Wayne leaning against a wall while looking at the camera with the song title highlighted in hot pink, on the side, in large font. Yet, the artwork to How to Love is also black and white but illustrates Tunechi about-faced with his armed stretched out, showing off his UNIF spike jacket, and his alias, Lil Wayne, taking up a third of the cover in red while the song title is undermined in white and a smaller font on the bottom of the cover. Maybe he just wanted to produce a record to flaunt his jacket in the artwork.  Maybe the girl he has been spotted with at Miami Heat games and the beach inspired him. Who knows? He says he is “not a human being.” Whatever that means. I just do not know how to love “How to Love.”

Birdman – Money To Blow (DJ Dials Joy Orbison Hyph Mingo edit)

Hat tip to my homie Lennis Tomb from TGRI for this one.

One of the things I love about the EDM community is that they tend to do rather amazing remixes of top 40 hip-hop albums. While the current notion of “remix” in the hip-hop community tends to focus on a couple “of the moment” rappers” phoning in a verse or two, EDM artists have completely re-worked songs, hearkening back to the days when a hip-hop b-side would have a couple of house remixes on them.

Take DJ Dial’s vocal edit of Birdman’s “Money To Blow”. Dials makes some subtle edits to Joy Orbison’s excellent Hyph Mingo, removing the broken beat and adding a more hip-hop 4/4 backbone and understated horns. The Bay Area DJ completely reworks the track, by changing relatively little.

If you don’t know, Joy Orbison is the look. The dude, who went from working the mailroom to becoming a UK dubstep sensation, and his track has already been voted as one of the top 100 tracks of the 2000s by Resident Advisor. I posted the original track below as well as the original non vocal edit.

Hyph Mngo (dj dials remix) by dj_dials

Joy Orbison – Hyph Mingo

DOWNLOAD: Flying Lotus – Lil Wayne Remixes

If there are two people who should ever get into a studio together it would be Flying Lotus and Lil’ Wayne. Lotus’ remix of A Milli (aka Robo Tusslin) is a modern classic in my opinion, and his mixe of “I Feel Like Dying,” continue to bring Wayne’s lyrics into a whole new dimension. Lotus decided to package both tracks in a zip file, in 320kps, complete with INSTRUMENTALS. That’s what I’m talking about. (via Fader, IHeardItOn)

Lil’ Wayne – She’s On Fire

Wayne’s latest project, Rebirth is still mired in “will it drop/won’t it drop” speculation, however more tracks are leaking from that project, so the album may still see the light of day later this month. “She’s On Fire” chops up an 80s sample, yet leaves all of the God awful rock awkwardness that is found in the previous failed singles “Prom Queen,” and “Hot Revolver.” Will this album be more like Tha Carter III then we first expected?

Lil Wayne – Wasted (freestyle)

Most people know that I’m not the biggest Lil Wayne fan. I respect the man’s hustle, and I think he’s dropped more than a few quality rhymes here and there, but I hesitate to call him the greatest ever or the greatest of all time like some stans are hard pressed to do.

However, I feel sorry to know that Wayne is staring down almost a year in jail for a bullshit gun possession charge. This is the same BS law that got Plaxico Burris locked up in the “great” city of New York as well. In the end, these stupid laws only result in more and more men going to jail, and does not even address the social inequalities that would encourage someone to carry a gun in the first place.

Take my city of Washington, DC. We had a “gun ban” on the books for almost 30 years, yet we’ve been held as the “murder capital” more than once in the past decade and a half. On average we see at least 150 murders a year. Insane. These laws do nothing to stop gun violence from happening. But I digress.

Of course, hip-hop will soldier on. People thought that the genre would die when T.I. got locked up (which I agree with..dude had an army of weapons), and Tip was able to come back better than ever. I see the same thing happening for Wayne.

I’m not even a fan of Wayne and I’m going to actually buy Tha Carter III this week.

This year, instead of just having me yap on about my Best of lists, I reached out to several of our readers to give their Top 5 of the best releases of the year. I’ll be profiling a new reader each day over the next several weeks to see what their best tracks of ’08 were. Today’s reader is DJ Cam Jus, who dropped the Couch Sessions mix last week and is throwing a New Year’s party at Expo on 9th and U Street tonight.

Cam Jus Best of 2008:

Ranking was determined by personal favorites, overall quality, and what was hugest at spots I played at throughout the year.

Name: DJ Cam Jus
Location: Largo, MD
Website: yeahclass.com

Songs:
1. Green Light – John Legend ft. Andre 3000
2. tie: Put On – Young Jeezy / Everyone Nose – N*E*R*D
3. On the Rock – Mavado
4. Day N Nite (crookers remix) – Kid Cudi
5. A Milli – Lil’ Wayne

Honorable Mention:
Pop Champagne – Ron Browz
Single Ladies – Beyonce
Am So Special – Mavado
Blow Your Head – Diplo
My President is Black – Young Jeezy
Get Silly – Backyard Band
Swagger Like Us – T.I.
Luv Your Girl – The Dream
Sound of Kuduro – Buraka Som Sistema ft. M.I.A.
Paper Planes – M.I.A. (2007, but you know…)

Albums/EP’s/Mixetapes, etc.:
1. Shine – Estelle
2.  Santogold – Santogold (feels like it might as well have come out in 2007 that’s why i wasn’t sure to put the bangers in the songs list. so many people got them in ’07)
3. Unsung Hero – Colin Munroe
4. 808s & Heartbreak – Kanye West
5. Youth Novels – Lykke Ki

Honorable Mention:
The Recession – Young Jeezy
Lovehate – The Dream

5.) Adele – Chasing Pavements – (Various Productions Remix)

Even though Mick Boogie’s new Adele/1988 remix might be getting more shine in the Internets, a little known UK remix her song “Chasing Pavements,” has goten multiple spins in my iPod. Various Production’s chupped of remix of the track was rejected by Adele’s label though.

4.) Lil Wayne – A Milli (Nadastrom Remix)

Nadastrom mixes aren’t for everyone, but if you’re into the techno/electro ish that Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom are cookin’ up, then their remix is a dancefloor banger.

3.) The Knux – Cappuccino (Remix)

Remember back in the day when a cassette single would have the instrumental and the b-Side remix? Yeah, those were the days. The Knux’s Cappuccino rework is a throwback to the times when an artist would drop a brand new verse/beat to a song and call it a remix. It comes off like a sequel rather than a new song.

2.) Lil Wayne – A Milli (Flying Lotus Remix)

Not only does Flying Lotus remix this track, but he completely reinterprets Bangladesh’ street anthem into a chilled out lounge sleeper and made it look easy in the process.

1.) Kid Cudi – Day and Nite (Crookers Remix)

You know you’ve done your job when people think that your remix is the actual official release. The Italian dance floor duo Crookers’s remix of Kid Cudi’s Day and Nite has become an international dance floor smash and has become more famous than the original, hitting the charts at BBC Radio 1 and in Australia ahead of its official January release.

Honorable Mention: Drake – Little Bit (Remix)

I tried to avoid posting tracks with rappers trying to get on hipster tracks, but Drake’s auto-tuned duet with my future wife Lykke Li is near perfection. Drake makes the move that Kanye should’ve made considering that the Kayne-Lykke collaboration with N.A.S.A. was total bunk.

1. Santogold - Santogold album
2. Q-tip – The Renaissance album
3. The Game – LAX album
4. Jazmine Sullivan – “Need You Bad”
5. Lil Wayne – “A Milli”

This year, instead of just having me yap on about my Best of lists, I reached out to several of our readers to give their Top 5 of the best releases of the year. I’ll be profiling a new reader each day until the end of the 2008.

Today’s writer needs no introduction. Lady Glock is a fixture on both sides of the Atlantic. Check out her website at ladyglockphotography.wordpress.com.

Name: Lady Glock
Location: Washington, DC
Website: ladyglockphotography.wordpress.com

Top Five (In no particular order)

1. Jerk It – Thunderheist
2. Walking on a Dream – Empire of the Sun
3. Going On – Gnarls Barkley
4. Lights Out -Santogold
5. Day & Nite (Crookers Remix) – Kid Cudi

Runners Up (In no particular order)

1. Magic – Robin Thicke
2. A Milli – Lil Wayne
3. Rolex It Up (The Heatwave Refix) – Beenie Man & Wiley
4. Inna Da Ghetto – Diplo & Buraka Som Sistema
5. Electric Feel – MGMT

Honorable Mention

1. Biko – Bloc Party

Even though I cant’ stand this song, ‘Ye turned the phrase “beatmaker” on its end, and essentially pissed off every hip-hop producer I know. It’s a good thing, I promise.

6.) Kid Cudi – Day and Nite (produced by Dot Da Genius)

While most songs this year have become complex autotune monstrosities, Day and Nite thrives in its simplicity.

5.) Kano – Hustler (produced by Mikey J)

With Hustler, the Londoner Kano and producer Mickey J create the East Coast street banger that New York rappers should’ve made this year.

4.) TI, Jay-Z, Kanye West – Swagger Like Us (Produced By Kanye West)

This track redefines the posse cut, and this MIA sample has started the new hip-hop/hipster crossover movement. Look for said movement to dominate 2009 like Autotune did in 2008.

3.) Jay-Z featuring Santogold – Brooklyn Go Hard (produced by Kanye West)

Even though Black people can’t stand Santogold (just check out any comment section on Concrete Loop where her name is mentioned), Kanye and Jay-Z’s track just might give her enough street cred to achieve mainstream status in 2009.

2.) MIA – Paper Planes (produced by Diplo and Switch)

How does song from a relatively unknown UK rapper/songstress about the working poor somehow became one of the most popular songs in America? It’s the quintessential musical rags to riches story. Diplo and Switch created a monster and they didn’t even know it. Oh, and can just I say….best. hook. evar.

1.) Lil’Wayne – A Milli (produced by Bangledesh)

Bangledesh’s sample of a obscure Fatboy Slim UK remix of A Tribe Called Quest became the top anthem of 2008. This track was so hot, even R&B dudes were rapping over this beat.

Nadastrom – “A Milli” (Remix)

Tired of hearing every rapper, R&B singer, has been and baby mama try to rap over that “A Milli” beat? Then check out this remix by my boy Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom, aka Nadastrom. Their new album will be dropping real soon on Switch’s Dubsided label. (first spotted at Ddoff)

myspace.com/nadastrom

I really could give a damn about “popular” music. Yes, there are great singles that drop every year, but for the most part, when you get around to the albums, maybe only 10-20% actually bring something new to the table. Most often, popular music nowadays seems to try and capitalize on the latest trend. (Autotune, cough, cough) But I don’t blame the industry–people simply buy into what’s familiar. Take Usher’s new album. “Love In This Club,” is a banger (although I’m enjoying the Rockafire Explosion version better, but that’s just me), but the rest of his album is filled with tired R&B cliches. If Usher created 10 “Love In This Club,” type songs then it would a top album for me.

So yeah, having that said most of y’all know that I’m not going to like the Lil’ Wayne album. Again, it’s not that I’m a hater or that I don’t like “street,” hip-hop or any of that. I just don’t think the album is that good, and I still can’t figure out the fascination with this dude at all.

I understand why he’s popular. He’s been on every magazine cover this side of Better Homes and Gardens, and it’s state law now that every song on the radio must have a Lil’ Wayne remix. But there are two types of popular in my book: T-Pain popular and Jay-Z popular. T-Pain is popular because he is on the radio all the time. Jay-Z has amassed millions dollars because he manages to influence people and set trends–the G.O.A.T. philosophy. For me, Wayne is the former, not the latter. I feel like I’m in the minority in that assessment.

Everyone from my brother to accomplished music people are saying that Wayne one of the top 10 rappers of all time. I just don’t get it. Dude doesn’t come close on my top 10 rappers list. Dudedosent ‘ even make my top 10 Southern rappers list. But Wayne has a fiercely loyal group of backers that will go to bat for this dude if you say even the slightest thing negative. Yes, Wayne has some straight fire gems out of the hundreds of songs he released, and I respect his work ethic–he’s one of the hardest working dudes in the industry today, and he gets all the money he deserves in that respect. But for one solid song, there are 10 duds.

Wayne has a wicked spit, and cadence, but lyrically, he loses me.

And honestly, I’m enjoying Lil’ Mama’s A Milli track better than Wayne’s.

Also, I think Papoose needs more shine than Wayne too. Exhibit A:

But seriously people, am I missing something? Please let me know in the comments.

(And yes, this might be the last time I post about popular hip-hop for a while.)