2008: A Blog Odyssey AKA Dart's Official End Of The Year Post

This will be the final post on Poisonous Paragraphs of 2008. It's also the 272nd post of the year, 60 more than I made in all of 2007. Tomorrow will be the 2nd anniversary of this blog's existence and the beginning of countdown to my blog hiatus in March 2009 to focus on other projects (read: get money). I'll highlight a gang of my most popular and favorite posts of the past year (expect it to be long). I realized I didn't have much left to cover that I hadn't made a long ass list about already.

Due to the writer's strike there were very few new shows premiering this year and even fewer that I even liked. Last year brought in a gang of new shit that I still enjoy today and I also saw a few shows I used to love jump the proverbial shark this season ("Weeds" and "Heroes", I'm looking at you!). The only list left for me to cover are my favorite new shows of 2008. It's a short list because the overwhelming majority of new shows sucked ("Kath & Kim", I thought that comedies were supposed to make you laugh? Apparently, I'M the asshole for thinking that). Here's my final list of '08, see ya next year!:

Top New Shows Of 2008 (according to me):

In Treatment


True Blood


Fringe


In Plain Sight


Sons Of Anarchy


The Life & Times Of Tim


Summer Heights High


Leverage

One.

Dart Adams presents The Top 50 Films Of 2008

Twelve long months and hundreds of film viewings later we come to the payoff, my Top 50 list of the best (really, just my favorite) movies of 2008. I saw a lot of crap in 'o8 (Speed Racer, I'm looking at you!) and I saw a bunch of excellent indie films that I loved as well (The Air I Breathe, The Signal, How To Rob A Bank, Choke, The Wackness, etc.). If you include all of the international joints to the equation (Adulthood, The Tracey Fragments, Sukiyaki Western Django, Red Cliff, etc.) then it was a great year for film. This is without mentioning the hits and critically acclaimed flicks!

This year belonged to adaptations and comic book films, hands down. The overwhelming success of films like "The Dark Knight", "Iron Man", "The Incredible Hulk", "Wanted" and "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" signalled to Hollywood studios that they need to find even more properties to adapt and remake. It's getting kinda stupid now seeing as how even classic films are getting the remake treatment. Do we really need an updated version of "The Warriors" or "Logan's Run"? I know that "I Am Legend" was huge but damn!

So that leads us to my final list detailing my top 50 films of this past year. Quite a few flicks that many folks liked will be nowhere to be found here, chances are they put my ass to sleep like an episode of "Eli Stone" (Pineapple Express, fuck you very much!). I spent a great amount of manhours watching movies through multiple channels in '08 and this is the end result of a bunch of Dartflix editions. Here it is, my list Top 50 Films of '08 without any further ado. Enjoy:

The Top 50 Films (Domestic & International) Of 2008 (according to me):

Adulthood
Appaloosa
The Bank Job
Blindness
Boy A
Burn After Reading
Cadillac Records
Changeling
Chicago 10
Choke
City Of Men
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Elite Squad (Tropo De Elite)
Gomorrah
Hancock
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
In Bruges
The Incredible Hulk
Iron Man
Juno
Meet Bill
Michael Clayton
Mongol
No Country For Old Men
Paranoid Park
Persepolis
Planet B-Boy
Quantum Of Solace
Quarantine
Redbelt
Red Cliff
Religulous
Rocknrolla
Savage Grace
Seven Pounds
Slumdog Millionaire
Smart People
Snow Angels
Stop-Loss
Sukiyaki Western Django
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood
Traitor
Valkyrie
The Wackness
Waltz With Bashir
War, Inc.
The Wrestler
Zack & Miri Make A Porno

2008 Honorable Mentions (according to me):

The Air I Breathe
An Empress And The Warriors
Ballast
Chaos Theory
Charlie Bartlett
Cloverfield
Doomsday
Eagle Eye
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Frost/Nixon
Gunnin' For That #1 Spot
Hamlet 2
How To Rob A Bank
Ip Man
Jumper
Mad Detective
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Nitro
Ong Bak 2
Spiral
Street Kings
The Tracey Fragments
Tropic Thunder
Wall-E
Wanted (The graphic novel PWN's this flick)

One.

Dart Adams presents The Top 250 Hip Hop EP's, LP's & Mixtapes Of 2008

Here it is, the definitive "Best Of" list of the year...mine (LOL). I've gone back and forth with several other writers and bloggers about this past year in Hip Hop and to hammer home my point each time I produce a list of the best releases of the year thus far. Oftentimes they get dismissed because NO ONE but me and a handful of my blogging brethren and sisteren have even heard of any of these artists and/or groups before. This means that I can talk about how great the M-Phazes-Remixed LP was until I'm blue in the face as all I'd receive back is a blank stare followed by the question "Who are/is M-Phazes?". *Slaps forehead into a seamless facepalm combo*

Please keep in mind that I did around 40+ weekly review blogs this year for more than 250 EP's, LP's and mixtapes and I heard a hell of a lot more that I put into my Late Passes (For Doz Dat Slept) section. This means that a gang of albums that I gave Mos Def's, highly recommended and recommended Maybe (Maeby)'s to in the past 12 months didn't make either of these lists (I bet you that I STILL missed some joints due to the sheer volume of releases and clerical errors). Without any further ado I present to you "Dart Adams Top 250 Hip Hop EP's, LP's and Mixtapes Of 2008":


The Top 50 of 2008 (according to me):

9th Wonder & Buckshot-The Formula
9th Wonder & Jean Grae-Jeanius
14KT-The Golden Hour
88-Keys-The Death Of Adam
All Natural-Elements (Fire)
Atmosphere- When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold
Black Milk-Tronic
Blu & Mainframe-Johnson & Jonson
Blue Sky Black Death-Late Night Cinema
Buff1-There's Only One
Chaundon-Carnage
Common Market-Black Patch War EP
Common Market-Tobacco Road
C.R.A.C. Knuckles-The Piece Talks
Count Bass D-L7
Dela-Changes Of Atmosphere
DJ Babu- Duck Season Vol. 3
DJ K.O. presents Picture This...
DJ Revolution-King Of The Decks
Elzhi-Europass/The Preface
EMC-The Show
Evidence-The Layover EP (tie)
Fat Jon (The Ample Soul Physician)-Repaint Tomorrow (tie)
Genius/GZA-ProTools
Heltah Skeltah-D.I.R.T (Da Incredible Rap Team)
Invincible-Shapeshifters
Jake One presents White Van Music
J-Live-Then What Happened?
Joe Budden-Halfway House
Ludacris-Theater Of The Mind
Madlib-Beat Konducta Vol. 5 Dil Cosby Suite
Madlib-WLIB AM King Of The Wigflip
Mighty Joseph (Vast Aire & Karnegie)-Empire State
New Jack Hustle (Shawn Jackson & Newman)-Soundcheck
Nicolay & Kay-Time:Line
Now On-Tomorrow Already
Opio-Vulture's Wisdom Vol. One
The P Brothers-The Gas
Q-Tip-The Renaissance
Reks-Grey Hairs
The Roots-Rising Down
Shawn Jackson-First Of All...
Statik Selektah-Stick 2 The Script
Tanya Morgan-The Bridge EP
Tanya Morgan & DJ Soul-Tanya Morgan Is A Rap Group
Termanology-Politics As Usual
Torae-Daily Conversation
Vandalyzm-Megatron Majorz
Vast Aire-Deuces Wild
Vordul Mega-Megagraphitti
Wale-The Mixtape About Nothing


The Next 200 of 2008 (according to me):

Tanya Morgan presents IlWil: Beat Thieves 2
J Dilla-Pay Jay (Unreleased MCA LP)
Akrobatik-Absolute Value
Finale & Spier 1200 presents Develop (2007/8)
Icon The Mic King-The Reintroduction
Ayatollah-Louder
Ayatollah-Drum Machine
Pete Rock-NY's Finest
9th Wonder & Murs present Sweet Lord
Black Spade-To Serve With Love
Fat Ray & Black Milk-The Set Up
Rhymefest-The Man In The Mirror
Substantial-Sacrifice
Braille-The IV Edition
Kids In The Hall-The In Crowd
Donwill & SuhBURB-Suburban Sprawl
Random-Patches & Glue
Random-The 8th Day
Danny!-And I Love Her (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Carlos Nino & Lil’ Sci present What’s The Science?-Elevation
Nieve & Cook-Away With Words
Focus presents Dedicated
Focus & Fokis-20/20
Presto-State Of The Art
AZ- Undeniable
AZ & DJ Absolut-N.4.L
Koushik-Out My Window
Ghostly International-Ghostly Swim
Blueprint vs. Funkadelic
Analogic & Rashid Hadee (A & R)-Serenade For The Moment
Re Up Gang presents We Got It For Cheap 3: The Spirit Of Competition
Now On & DJ Houseshoes-Don't Call It A Mixtape
Blue Sky Black Death & Jean Grae-The Evil Jeanius
Little Brother-And Justus For All...
Rapper Big Pooh-Rapper’s Delight
Guilty Simpson-Ode To The Ghetto
Looptroop Rockers-Good Things
LMNO & Kev Brown-Selective Hearing
LMNO-Let Em Know
Del-The 11th Hour
Custom Made-Original Dynasty
45-Hello Friends
Mickey Factz-The Leak Vol. 2: The Inspiration
Muja Messiah-Thee Adventures Of A B-Boy D-Boy
Don Cannon & DJ Drama present Asher Roth-The Greenhouse Effect
Kooley High-Summer Sessions EP
Kaze-Block 2 The Basement
Kollabo Brothers-For My Peoples
Cyne-Starship Utopia
Cyne-Pretty Dark Things
Metabeats-Metaphysical
DL Incognito-A Captured Moment In Time
The Camp-The Campaign
Living Legends-The Gathering EP
Doomtree-S/T
Muneshine-Status Symbol
Damu The Fudgemunk-Spare Time
Damu The Fudgemunk-Overtime
Freddie Joachim-Tiger Beats
Freddie Joachim-In With Time
Baje One-The Weightless EP
El-P-Weareallgoingtoburninhell Megamix 1 & 2
Nico The Beast-No Beast So Fierce
Amanda Diva-Life Experience
ST Da Squad-The Album
Qwel & Kip Killagain-The New Wine
School Of Beats-Lesson 3-The Progress Report
M1 Platoon-M1 Invasion Mixtape
Access Immortal-Last Summer In Brooklyn
Archetype-Unfolding
Omer Saar-The Green Album
Snoop Dogg-Ego Trippin’
Bun B-II Trill
T.I.-Paper Trail
Young Jeezy-The Recession
The Cool Kids-The Bake Sale EP
The Knux-Remind Me In 3 Days
Kanye West-808’s And Heartbreak
Scarface-Emeritus
David Banner-The Greatest Story Ever Told
Lil’ Wayne-The Carter III
The Game-LAX
DJ Whoo Kid & Bishop Lamont-The Confessional
Prolyfic & Reanimator-The Ugly Truth
Astonish-From Now Until Forever
Mighty Joseph-Empire State
Brooklyn Academy-Bored Of Education
DJ Green Lantern & Nas-The Nigger Tape
Nas-Nigger (Untitled)
Little Vic-Each Dawn I Die
Fel Sweetenberg-Sweets’s Day Off
J Boogie's Dubtronic Science-Sole Vibrations
Roddy Rod-Blunt Park Sessions
K-Otix-The Reason
Rashid Hadee-A Change Gonna Come
Esoteric vs. Japan-Pterodactyl Takes Tokyo
East Coast Avengers-Prison Planet
Lone Catalysts-Square Biznizz
Time Machine-Life Is Expensive
88 Keys-Adam’sCase Files
Pace Won & Mr. Green-The Only Color That Matters Is Green
The CAEN Project-Caesar’s Vengeance
Cadence Weapon-Afterparty Babies
DJ Green Lantern & Charles Hamilton-Outside Looking
Charles Hamilton-And Then They Played Dilla
S.O.U.L. Purpose-The Construction
Jazz Liberatorz-Clin d' Oeil
Bliss N Eso-Flying Colours
Kaze-Block 2 The Basement
Snowgoons-Black Snow
Immortal Technique & DJ Green Lantern-The 3rd World
Outerspace-God's Fury
T.H.U.G. Angelz-Welcome To Red Hook Houses
Killer Mike-I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II
Short Bus Alumni-Mr. T’s Revenge
Effect-Fine Tuned Tantrum
Tame One-Da Ol’ Jersey Bastard
Ras Kass-Institutionalized Vol. 2
DJ Muggs & Planet Asia-Pain Language
Supastition (Kam Moye)-Leave Of Absence EP
Kam Moye-Self Centered EP
Dave Ghetto & Tha S Ence-Hustle Simmons
Strange Music Project presents S1’s Music Box
Ill Bill-The Hour Of Reprisal
King Syze-The Labor Union
Decay-The Unlikely Hour
Hell Razah-Ultra Sounds Of A Renaissance Child
Theo-The Birth
Crooked I-The Block Obama
E.Dot & Darpmalone Are Hero
Zilla Rocca-Bring Me The Head Of Zilla Rocca
Murs-Murs For President
Madlib-Beat Konducta Vol. 6: Dil Withers Suite
Madlib- Remixes 2: Saturday Morning Edition
Madlib (Madvillain)-Madvillainy 2
Skillz-The Million Dollar Backpack
El Da Sensei-Unheard Of...
El Da Sensei & The Returners-Global Takeover
Theory Hazit-Lord Fire
Has Lo-Small Metal Objects
Danny Brown-Hot Soup
Sene-Elevator Music
Afta-1-Aftathoughts
Jedi Mind Tricks presents Doap Nixon-Sour Diesel
Plain Pat & Emile presents A Kid Named Cudi
C Rayz Walz & Kosha Dillz-Freestyle vs. Written
Kardinal Offishall-Not 4 Sale
Kano-140 Grime St.
K-Salaam & Beatnick-Whose World Is This?
Diamond D-The Huge Hefner Chronicles
Edgar Allen Floe-The Streetwise LP
Illa J-Yancey Boys
Royce Da 5’9”-The Bar Exam 2
Royce Da 5’9”-The Album
Reef The Lost Cauze-A Vicious Cycle
Onra-1.0.8
Small Professor-Slowbus
Pumpkinhead-Picture That: The Negative
Peter Rosenberg presents A Rosenberg Oddisee EP
John Robinson-I Am Not For Sale
Declaime-Astormsacomin
Jedi Mind Tricks-A History Of Violence
DJ Design-Jetlag
Illogic-One Bar Left EP
MeccaGodZilla-ERROARS
Dagha-The Divorce
Cadik-Basic
Ras G-Beats Of Mind
Oddisee-Good Tree EP
Tha Connection-Trapeze
Surreal-Pardon My Dust
Silent Knight-Restoration
Junclassic-Overqualified
Kongcrete-Shackles Off
Educated Consumers-The Waiting Room
M-Phazes-Remixed
DJ Deckstream-Soundtracks
Killah Priest & Cheif Kamachi-Beautiful Minds
Sepalot-Red Handed
Reach & Twelve-Corner Speech
Panacea-A Mind On A Ship Through Time
Trek Life & Oddisee-All Times
Giant Panda-Electric Laser
Bambu-Exact Change
Cymarshall Law & Mr. Joeker-Hip Hop In The Soul
LoDeck & Omega One-Postcards From The 3rd Rock
People Under The Stairs-Fun DMC
Fakts One-Long Range
Rashaan Ahmad-The Push
Grip Grand-Brokelore
The Grouch-Show You The World
Bisc1-When Electric Night Falls
Large Professor-Main Source
Devin The Dude-Landing Gear
The Mighty Underdogs-Droppin’ Science Fiction
The Gigantics-Die Already
Reef The Lost Cauze-The Stress Files
EPMD-We Mean Business
Evidence-The Purple Tape Instrumentals
Ugly Duckling-Audacity
D.I.T.C.-The Movement
Sean Price presents Ruste Juxx-Indestructible
The Tones-Dreamtalk
Donny Goines-Minute After Midnight
Jakki Da Motamouth-Psycho Circus


One.

Welcome To Heartbreak © Kanye West

Tom Brady goes out with a season ending injury in the 1st game of the season. His replacement Matt Cassel looked like shit in the NFL Preseason but he ends up with damn near a 2 to 1 TD to INT ratio, 63% completions and threw for a gang of yards (3700 yds 21 TD's 11 INT's and 73 rushes 273 yds 2 TD's) leading the team to an 11-5 record when most people (including myself) thought their win ceiling would be 10 at the most. I really couldn't ask for anything more from this season considering the fact that they had so many injuries to key players.

The New England Patriots missed the playoffs by going 11-5 the season after losing the Super Bowl on the final play of the game when they were previously 18-0. I honestly can't handle anymore NFL related disappointment. I have NO expectations for next year...perhaps that's for the best since the days of Super Bowl contention may have died with this season. I fully expect my readers over @ Armchair Linebacker to call for my ouster after all of my belly aching and whining about the Pats this past season. After the Super Bowl is over and I do my playoff recaps they might finally get their wish.

One.

Dart Adams presents A What's New In Dart's iPod End Of The Year Spectacular

This is the final "What's New In Dart's iPod" post of 2008 and there were no new album leaks or releases that I had scheduled to review so I decided to go out with a special edition. I'm still in the process of doing my "Best Of 2008" lists which includes my FULL list of the best Hip Hop albums of this past year that I'll post up Monday, but today I'll put up my Top 50 list in lieu on my usual album reviews.

Please keep in mind that I did around 40+ weekly review blogs this year for more than 250 EP's, LP's and mixtapes and I heard a hell of a lot more that I put into my Late Passes (For Doz Dat Slept) section. This means that a gang of albums that I gave Mos Def's and highly recommended Maybe (Maeby)'s to in the past 12 months didn't make this list. Without any further ado I present to you "Dart Adams Top 50 Hip Hop LP's, EP's and Mixtapes Of 2008". It'll be back with more pals on Monday so enjoy:

9th Wonder & Buckshot-The Formula
9th Wonder & Jean Grae-Jeanius
14KT-The Golden Hour
88-Keys-The Death Of Adam
All Natural-Elements (Fire)
Atmosphere- When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold
Black Milk-Tronic
Blu & Mainframe-Johnson & Jonson
Blue Sky Black Death-Late Night Cinema
Buff1-There's Only One
Chaundon-Carnage
Common Market-Black Patch War EP
Common Market-Tobacco Road
C.R.A.C. Knuckles-The Piece Talks
Count Bass D-L7
Dela-Changes Of Atmosphere
DJ Babu- Duck Season Vol. 3
DJ K.O. presents Picture This...
DJ Revolution-King Of The Decks
Elzhi-Europass/The Preface
EMC-The Show
Evidence-The Layover EP (tie)
Fat Jon (The Ample Soul Physician)-Repaint Tomorrow (tie)
Genius/GZA-ProTools
Heltah Skeltah-D.I.R.T (Da Incredible Rap Team)
Invincible-Shapeshifters
Jake One presents White Van Music
J-Live-Then What Happened?
Joe Budden-Padded Room
Ludacris-Theater Of The Mind
Madlib-Beat Konducta Vol. 5 Dil Cosby Suite
Madlib-WLIB AM King Of The Wigflip
Mighty Joseph (Vast Aire & Karnegie)-Empire State
New Jack Hustle (Shawn Jackson & Newman)-Soundcheck
Nicolay & Kay-Time:Line
Now On-Tomorrow Already
Opio-Vulture's Wisdom Vol. One
The P Brothers-The Gas
Q-Tip-The Renaissance
Reks-Grey Hairs
The Roots-Rising Down
Shawn Jackson-First Of All...
Statik Selektah-Stick 2 The Script
Tanya Morgan-The Bridge EP
Tanya Morgan & DJ Soul-Tanya Morgan Is A Rap Group
Termanology-Politics As Usual
Torae-Daily Conversation
Vandalyzm-Megatron Majorz
Vast Aire-Deuces Wild
Vordul Mega-Megagraphitti
Wale-The Mixtape About Nothing


Late Passes (For Doz Dat Slept):

Projects I'm Looking Forward To Reviewing Once They Leak...I Mean Drop in 2009:

Rhymefest-El Che
Jay Electronica-Act II: Patents Of Nobility
Jay Electronica-Abracadabra: Let There Be Light
Royce Da 5'9"-Street Hop
Big Boi-Sir Luscious Leftfoot
Mos Def-The Ecstatic LP
Royce Da 5'9"-Street Hop
Magnif & J Dilla-Detroit Royalty
Blu-God Is Good
Sean Price, Guilty Simpson & Black Milk-Random Axe
Platinum Pied Pipers-Abundance
Method Man & Redman-Blackout 2
Redman-Muddy Waters 2
B.O.B.-The Adventures Of B.O.B.
Billy Danze-Behind Gatez
AG & O.C.-Oasis: Together Brothers
Baatin-Titus
Phat Kat and Elzhi are Cold Steel
The Beatnuts-The Planet Of The Crates
Skepta-Microphone Champion
Ski Beatz-Half Man, Half Amazing
Evidence-Cats & Dogs
MF Doom-Born Into This
Jadakiss-The Last Kiss
Eminem-The Relapse

The 2008-09 Boston Celtics are 27-3 following a loss on Christmas Day to the hated Los Angeles Lakers and the end of their franchise record 19 game winning streak. It's time to start a new one tonight against the Golden State Warriors.

One.