Welcome to the Tesher Top Ten, where we count down my top 10 favorite songs of the year!

I decided not to include my own songs in this list, but if I did, I would’ve most likely had my Taylor Swift Shake It Off remix at #2…

…and Move That Dope, Rasputin at #1.

What can I say, I love what I do.

Drake has garnered a reputation for launching newcomers into the mainstream. The Weeknd, Future, Migos, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and A$AP Rocky have all benefited from his co-sign and ILOVEMAKONNEN is the latest addition to the list. However, Tuesday had all the makings of a hit even before Drake’s involvement. A woozy synth-laden bass-boasting beat by trap-darlings Sonny Digital and Metro Boomin, an infectious chorus that will be cemented in music history for as long as Tuesday remains a day of the week, and occasionally off-key verses that encourage the listener to sing-along made Tuesday a club banger, a house party hit, and a Grammy-nominated single.

Everybody loves nostalgia. It’s the reason why classic movie franchises are getting sequels and Twitter accounts are gaining hundreds of thousands of followers just for posting pictures of your childhood toys. Hot off the release of his first independent album, 50 Cent capitalized on his buzz and announced the reunion of G-Unit during his set at this year’s Summer Jam, sending rap fans into a nostalgic frenzy.

Night driving alone under city lights with this song is an experience. Although technically a remix of Hit-Boy’s Grindin’ My Whole Life, the Unit’s version stands tall on its own and vastly improves upon the original. Every member from Lloyd Banks to Young Buck sounds better than ever as they blend their trademark G-Unit braggadocio with the beat’s rapid-fire snares, and hearing 50 Cent repeat “Nah I’m talkin bout?” throughout the whole song surprisingly never gets old. The Unit’s subsequent efforts in 2014 ranged from fantastic to average, but Nah I’m Talking ‘Bout remains the standout.

I don’t often listen to slow songs, and I listen to weed songs even less than that, but the finale of Curren$y’s Saturday Night Car Tunes EP caught my attention right from the get-go. While Curren$y has made a name for himself as a champion of stoner tunes, Wiz Khalifa’s claim to that title has wavered in recent years. Dojo sees Wiz return to form as he delivers a great verse and a stellar chorus, complimented by an equally great performance from his once primary collaborator. Tying everything together is the MVP of the track: the smooth sample-based instrumental. In a world where songs are getting shorter and radio play still kind of matters, instrumental breaks that aren’t EDM drops are becoming increasingly scarce. I was pleasantly surprised by an instrumental break in place of a third verse, and it helped to seal in Dojo as my go-to relaxing track this year.

I’m a sucker for Pharrell production, and even though the guy put out an entire album this year, his work with Usher on She Came To Give It To You appealed to me more than anything else. The bassline is killer, the riffs and drums are packed with energy, and the last 45 seconds of the song bring out one of the funkiest moments I’ve heard from the ongoing 2010s funk-pop revival. Usher shows his audience he’s still got the vocal chops to deliver, and it’s a shame this track didn’t get the recognition it deserved.

King Of The Fall is the most valid proof that The Weeknd can say just about anything in a song and it’ll sound beautiful. Seriously, he makes the line “N*gga back the fuck up, if you ain’t with me motherfucker you against me” sound like a lullaby. The risqué lyrics, the heavenly vocals, and the dark production make King Of The Fall The Weeknd’s most House Of Balloons track since House Of Balloons, which not only seals it in as one of my favorite songs this year, but also indicates a promising 2015 for the Canadian crooner.

The first time I heard Young Thug was in September 2013 when I accidentally stumbled upon Stoner. To say I had mixed opinions would be an understatement. Danny Glover came out some time later, and after that, videos of both Drake and Kanye turning up to Thug hit the internet and forced listeners to develop an opinion on hip-hop’s latest weirdo. Many were instant fans, many more were not.

Fast forward to June 2014. T.I. drops the first single off his next album with none other than Young Thug…and it bangs. About The Money completely changed my perception of Young Thug from a cheap Lil Wayne ripoff to an energetic Lil Wayne-inspired rapper capable of making extremely catchy music. The weird adlibs, the sing-songy flow, and the imaginative melodies made this track a hit for Thugger as well as for T.I., who almost always brings his A-game. However, the shining light of this track, even more so than Young Thug, is producer London On The Track. His production on About The Money is captivating, and somehow alternates between “smooth and melodic” and “hard street banger” without sounding like a complete mess.



This vine is a perfect representation of how great this song’s beat is.



It’s tough being a Lil Wayne fan these days. All of his post-jail material has been pretty lackluster, and fans have been waiting and praying for the return of the A Milli Weezy, the mixtape Weezy, the Weezy that didn’t rattle off a bunch of punchlines and call it a verse. In May 2014, that Weezy returned on Believe Me. This track was no-bullshit all-bullshit, with both Wayne and Drake absolutely going off over a simple Boi-1da beat. I would even go as far as to say that Lil Wayne, in 2014, outdid his protégé Drake on this song. How crazy is that! The track was a hit with fans as well as on the charts, and it finally started to look like Lil Wayne was back. Label troubles have unfortunately halted the release of Tha Carter V, but the world most definitely has its eyes on Weezy F. Baby once again.

Much has been said about Bobby Shmurda and his meteoric rise to fame… so much so that so I’m not going to do a write-up for this song. All I’ll say is the song is solid on every level, and that’s all that really matters.

I’m a huge Rick Ross fan (ha), and so you can imagine how excited I was when he released not one but TWO albums in ONE year. Who does that?! Mastermind and Hood Billionaire weren’t perfect, and they didn’t quite live up to the expectations set by previous works such as Deeper Than Rap or Rich Forever, but both albums had their moments. However, my favorite Rozay moment wasn’t on either album. Oyster Perpetual was a freebie released to promote Mastermind, but I enjoyed it more than anything on the album. The song instantly evokes that classic Rick Ross feel with a woman’s harmonizing vocals placed under Ross’ opening brags, and launches into a smooth beat over lyrics about brand-name accessories, money laundering, and everything else you could expect from The Boss. I’ve always favoured classy-Ross over trap-Ross, and with this short chorus-lacking freestyle, classy-Ross (perhaps unwittingly) delivers one of his best efforts yet.

Realizing that Wiz Khalifa’s We Dem Boyz was my 2014 song of the year was surreal considering I loathed the song when it was first released in February. I hadn’t been enjoying a lot of Wiz’ music after ONIFC, and hearing him say “Hol up hol up, we dem boyz!” for nearly 4 minutes didn’t change anything for me. A few vines and a couple parties later, the song started to grow on me. I soon realized that I was completely wrong about the track. We Dem Boyz is catchy as hell, easy to sing along to, and the beat is basic and energetic; what more could you ask for? Seriously, this song got (and still gets) EVERYONE going. Whether you’re just kicking it with your friends, in the kitchen with your mom, at a house party with the squad, or alone in your room writing a Top 10 list, this song will get you pumped up and singing along. I mean I went to a country music festival in the summer, a COUNTRY MUSIC festival, and I heard We Dem Boyz playing out of at least 5 different campsites. You crazy for this one, Wiz.

Honourable Mentions

Future - T-Shirt

G-Eazy - Say (Feat. French Montana)

Drake - 0 To 100/The Catch Up (Feat. James Blake)

Iggy Azalea - Fancy (Feat. Charli XCX)

Travi$ Scott – Backyard

All in all, 2014 wasn’t as great as 2013 in terms of music but it still had its shining lights. With releases from artists such as Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Lupe Fiasco on deck, I’m definitely looking forward to 2015.

Thanks for reading, and happy new year!

- Tesher