Lykke Li wants to be a rapper.

I didn’t want to believe it at first. My boy told me about Lykke rapping at dive bars in Brooklyn and I couldn’t even picture it. But after Saturday night’s show it’s more than obvious that this is the case.

First and foremost, however, Lykke Li is a Swedish pop star. A woman, who at only 22, commands the stage with prescience and dare I say, swagger. The oddly selected venue of 6th and I Synagogue couldn’t hold her back, and audience members rose up out of the pews and ran to the front. For some reason, it reminded me of an old Baptist revival meeting and Lykke was the preacher.

The show itself, while not as technically sound as her last Black Cat performance (acoustics have a little to do with it), was yet another journey though her debut album, Youth Novels. For the course of the hour and a half set, she ran through her hits like “Little Bit,” and “Im Good, I’m Gone”, and DC ate her up. I’m still amazed that people knew every lyric of every song in her short catalog by heart, even if Lykke had to stop the out of pitch audience during a rendition of her song, “Let It Fall”, mocking them with that “I don’t give a f*ck attitude,” most reserved for rock stars—not 22 year old folk poppers.

So back to this girl being a rapper thing. If you follow Ms Li, then you know that she not only loves hip-hop, but he has a great appreciation for it. She’s got cosigns from Kanye and David Banner. She’s shared the stage with Q-Tip, redone Rick Ross’ Hustlin’, and drops Tribe and De La Soul in the middle of her sets.

However, she dropped a bomb on her audience on Saturday night.

A Milli.

Half the audience was stunned, the other half (including yours truly) was amazed. Sure, “A Milli,” is the pop song du jour, but coming from her, it was completely unexpected. I still have no words even 24 hours later.

So yes, even though I’m a supposed “hip-hop” writer, I stan for Lykke Li with a quickness. She is refreshing change to what we consider pop, and is at the forefront of the cross-cultural shift taking place in music today. If you can buy into her sound, you must see her live to be believed.

I’m already preaching her gospel.

Peter Bjorn and John – Nothing to Worry About

Most of y’all might know PB&J (er, Peter Bjorn and John), from the track “Young Folks,” off of their album Writer’s Block,  or from the fact that Bjorn produced the top 10 album (IMHO) from Lykke Li. Well, the trio is back and 2009 and and they are still a perfect example of how Sweden stays winning. Their new track, “Nothing to Worry About,” breaks off from their folk roots with a deeper, heavier sound. The “clap clap,” beat is ready made for a hip-hop collaboration, and I expect some hipster rapper to be on top of this beat real soon. Peter Bjorn and John’s album, Living Thing, drops this year.

But as much as I love tracks and remixes, there is nothing that substitutes for an album. Sure, ANYBODY can create a track these days, but it still takes a true artist to create an album.

My top 50 albums of the year might surprise some of y’all. First off, there is a scarcity of hip-hop in the top 15 albums. Also, the biggest album of the year, Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Carter III is at 49. And finally, the album is missing some critical favorites, such as Black Milk’s Tronic. But hey, it is what it is. These albums are the one’s that I’ve listened to in 2008, and unfortunately Tronic slipped through the cracks. Also, to those who lament the lack of hip-hop, I offer no apologies. This list is compiled from how many spins each album got on my iPod, and just like that female at the club, I can’t help what I’m attracted to.

Without further adieu, here is the list. The top 15 is here with the rest after the jump.

15.) Wale – The Mixtape About Nothing

Even though he didn’t even drop an album, Wale has had a big year. The DC rapper has been on everybody’s “it” list in ’08, and the 2009 debut is going to be massive. This year, the dude had the nerve to create a Seinfeld (a show which I’m boycotting because of you know who), and still retain his swag. Even if you question his 90s television refrences, you have to agree that he’s one of the best upcoming rappers in the game right now.

14.) Brittany Bosco – Spectrum EP

Brittnay Bosco is going to tear s*#t up in 2009. The Savannah/Atlanta artist’s EP showed a creativity and versatility that most R&B singers lack these days.

13.) Estelle – Shine

Performance wise Adele blows Estelle out the water, however, I found myself enjoying Estelle’s album Shine even more than 19. Producers like Kanye, Will.I.Am, and Wyclef created an album that not only had pop hits like “American Boy,” but more mellow tracks like “Back In Love.” This album isn’t no Miseducation, but a classic nonetheless.

12.) Solange – Sol Angel and The Hadley Street Dreams

While Beyonce was busy being Sasha Fierce, her little sister crafted one of the best R&B albums of the year. Whether Solange’s love of Dilla and Zero 7 is genuine or a record company ruse is yet to be known. However, Solange is taking the place of Kelis as the left-field R&B chick everybody wants to get with.

11.) Santogold – Santogold

Santi White’s first solo album carries over her rock sensibilities from her punk days while incorporating that Brooklyn hipster swag that is the big thing in music nowadays. This was a big year for Santi, who not only got sampled by Kanye (a feat usually reserved for 70s era soul singers), but also by licencing every track of her album for TV shows, movies, and commercials, ensuring that she will be getting paper well into 2009.

10.) The Black Keys – Attack and Release

Attack and Release started out as collaboration with Ike Turner until his death in 2007, which would have been off the chain. However, what remains is The Black Key’s finest album to date. The Danger Mouse produced disc is their first studio-recorded album and their best selling so far.

9.) Danny – And I Love Her

Danny Swain is still the most underrated hip-hop artist of the past decade. The Couch Sessions Approved artist has been creating hot tracksfor years now, and he’s past dude for his shine. And I Love H.E.R. is a concept album that was better executed than most, with Danny’s nonchalant rhymes and incredible beats (with some of the most random samples imaginable), make this album a hip-hop lover’s dream.

8.) Lykke Li – Youth Novels

I initially dismissed Lykke Li, but she had me at this one line from her track “Little Bit”: “For you I keep my legs apart/and forget about my broken heart.” From that moment I was sold. The album itself is a stripped down, organic affair with Lykke’s voice being the main instrumental. And the girl has cred with fans like David Banner, Kanye, and Q-Tip among others.

7.) TV On The Radio – Dear Science

As someone who simply hated TVOTR’s disjointed musical style and downright depressing lyrics, I was so presently surprised by their new album that it made the top 10. TVOTR made a downright upbeat and danceable album that still retains their trademark vocal styling and instrumentation.

6.) Kanye West – 808 and Heartbreaks

I had REAL low expectations for Kanye’s venture into experimental avant garde emo and thought that this album would be a dud. However, Kanye not only knocked this one out of the park but AGAIN flipped the script on Black popular music in America. You may hate Kanye all you want (and I still do), but let’s face it: Kanye West is Steve Jobs. He’s a outlier (props to Malcom Gladwell) who sees the future and where music is headed way before we can comprehend it. Just like Job’s said we wouldn’t be using floppy drives way back in 1998.

5.) Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple

Even though Gnarl’s sophomore release didn’t get the attention or sales numbers it deserved, the Atlanta duo’s return marked their best work so far. Their lead single “Run,” couldn’t match the juggernaut that was “Crazy,” but songs like “Can You Save My Soul?” and “Going On,” have cemented the duo as a musical force.

4.) Q-Tip – The Renaissance

Q-Tip’s return to the rap game marked a return to the golden era rap that hip-hop needs right now. Q-Tip never really changed his formula from Amplified, yet crafted an album that that the grown and sexy can cling to without being ultra nostaglic about the past.

3.) Jazzanova – Of All Things

Jazzanova makes music for people who love music. I’m not talking about people who love to dance to music or those who simply just cop CDs or go to concerts, but for those who are simply obsessed with the art of music. The German collective has arranged some of the greatest heard and underheard talent this year–Phonte, Dwele, Jose James, Bembe Segue and Ben Westembach to name a few and created music around each artists’ personal style. This album should be in every music lover’s collection.

2.) Raphael Saadiq – The Way I See It

When I heard Raphael Saadiq was doing a Motown album, I dismissed it outright. I thought that he was yet another artist jumping on the bandwagon. Even if The Way I See It could be called “bandwagon jumping,” Saadiq has not only set a standard for what a revival album should sound like, but raised the bar so high that I doubt any artist will ever come close.

1.) Foreign Exchange – Leave It All Behind

When Foreign Exchange dropped their latest album, I almost felt like it spoke to me. Phonte’s soulful voice, combined with Nicolay’s always organic, smooth beats, made this album a must own for frustrated rap fans like myself that wanted something deeper in their music. Instead of played out cliche’s about poppin’ champange in the club, the duo made an album about breakups, and self deprecation. Billbord chart topper? No. But do we really care anymore?

Albums 50-16 after the jump.

50.) Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
49.) Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter III
48.) The Game – LAX
47.) Guns and Roses – Chinese Democracy
46.) Thievery Corporation – Radio Retaliation
45.) Tittsworth – 12 Steps
44.) Femi Kuti – Day By Day
43.) Hot Chip – Made In The Dark
42.) Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
41.) Portishead – Third
40.) Coldplay – Viva La Vida
39.) T.I. – Paper Trail
38.) MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
37.) People Under the Stairs – Fun DMC
36.) Sam Sparro – Sam Sparro
35.) Slakah The Beatchild – Soul Movement Volume 1
34.) The Roots – Rising Down
33.) 10 Deep Presents The New Deal
32.) Mickey Factz – Heaven’s Fallout
31.) N.E.R.D. – Seeing Sounds
30.) The Constellations – Southern Gothic
29.) Ludacris – Theater of the Mind
28.) Erykah Badu – New Amerykah: Pt. One (4th World War)
27.) Common – Universal Mind Control
26.) Jazmine Sullivan – Fearless
25.) Daedalus – Love to Make Music To
24.) Various Artists – The Food Chain Collective
23.) 88 Keys – The Death of Adam
22.) The Knux – Remind Me In 3 Days
21.) Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
20.) Clipse – Road Till When The Casket Drops
19.) Tawiah – In Jodi’s Bedroom EP
18.) Kid Cudi – A Kid Named Cudi
17.) Tricky – Knowle West Boy
16.) Adele – 19

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.

N.A.S.A. ft. Kanye West, Santogold & Lykke Li – Gifted

Lykke Li is a goddess. I haven’t posted about her (or my love for her) that much on this blog because I thought she would be a little bit to hipster for the hip-hop heads, but today I’m coming clean with my obsession with the Swedish songstress. I’ve got a heads up about this track from my boy in Brooklyn for about a month now, and it ended up leaking to the ‘net a couple months earlier than expected. N.A.S.A. (North America South Americal) is the new project from Sam Spiegel (brother of Spike Jonze) and DJ Zegon called The Spirit Of Apollo which drops on February 17th, 2009.

With so much talent on the track, I’m not feeling it as much as I should. Hopefully it will grow on me after several listens. The Kanye haters are gonna have a field day with this one.

myspace.com/lykkeli

And yes, MTV needs to make a new category called Weird Ass Videos for the VMAs and include this one in with Wiley and Santogold.

Previously in Sweden Running S*%t
Adam Tensta
Little Dragon
Good Swedish Music Roundup from Tarik at Radio Milwaukee