Like most years, 2009 had its share of ups and downs. We dealt with the tragic losses of iconic artists, but we also discovered legends in the making. We saw the return of some of R&B's biggest names, but we also had to deal with artists who just plain overstayed their welcome. Albums were pushed back, and back, and back, but others, despite all odds, finally hit the shelves. Fads came and went. But through it all, through all the highs and lows of 2009, one thing stayed the same, as constant and unchanging as the Statue of Liberty. And that one thing was Lady Gaga's hairstyle.

Here are Rap Pages Magazine's staff picks for the best, worst, and WTFing-est 2009 had to offer.

Aliya Hassan, Assistant Publication Director/Junior Editor

10. Maxwell
9. Usher
8. Jamie Foxx
7. Gucci Mane
6. Ryan Leslie
5. Trey Songz
4. Jay-Z
3. Beyoncé
2. Rihanna
1. Drake
Mixtapes have long been a part of building artist buzz in Hip-Hop, but in 2009, Drake took it to another level with his release of So Far Gone. The tape spawned a number one hit and summer anthem in “Best I Ever Had.” From earning the respect of Hip-Hop veterans and newcomers alike (he was even featured on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 song “Off That”) to being signed to Lil’ Wayne’s Young Money crew, I think it’s easy to say that Drake had a stellar 2009.

10. "Break Up" – Mario feat. Gucci Mane and Sean Garret
9. "Makin’ Love" – Fabolous feat. Ne Yo
8. "Get It Wet (part 2)" – Twista
7. "Heartless (cover)" – Melanie Fiona
6. "I Invented Sex" – Trey Songz feat. Drake
5. "Diva" – Beyoncé
4. "Empire State of Mind" – Jay-Z
3. "Day & Nite" – Kid Cudi
2. "Blame It" – Jamie Foxx
1. "Best I Ever Had" – Drake
Even though they may have played this song on the radio enough to make your ears bleed, I remember the first time I heard it and I was impressed. Quality rapping and singing from the same artist is hard to come by, and Drake did it on this song and made it a hit! Added bonus: it’s a Rap song complimenting women! It's about how great the woman in his life is. I’m sold.

5. "Successful" – Soulja Boy
His lyrics just aren’t up to par, which caused him to mess up a great Drake song.

4. "Ice Cream Paint Job" – Dorrough Music
Play this song when you're driving and don’t want to think about anything.

3. "You’re A Jerk" – New Boyz
I'm biased. I just don’t like jerking.

2. "Booty Dew" – GS Boys
The song is annoying, and the dance is even worse.

1. "Every Girl" – Young Money
The song is just kind of gross. Add into the mix that Lil’ Wayne got two girls pregnant in the same year and it makes things even more “eeewwww.”



Tia Price, Contributing Writer

10. Trying Something Different?
Ok, so it might not be that different after seeing Britney Spears do it just the year before, but what exactly inspired these singers to follow the trend? Solange, who shaved off all her hair, and the half-shaven Cassie? Sorry girls, but new ‘dos won’t improve your record sales.

9. Heartbreaks and Break-Ups
We all saw it coming, we just didn’t know when it would happen; so when Usher and wife Tameka decided to end their marriage, it wasn’t much of a surprise. The real surprise was the divorce of Nas and Kelis. You would think after a baby and a topless tattoo of your wife on your arm, the couple would try to work things out.

8. Busted!
Cheating is bad, so if you feel you “must” do it, at least be smart about it. Tiger Woods got busted for cheating on his wife after allegedly leaving a voicemail on his mistress's phone that started off with him saying, “Hey, it’s me, Tiger…”

7. Have A Baby By Me, Baby, Be A Millionaire…
A song by 50 Cent that got plenty of airtime, but it should have been made by Lil Wayne. The Grammy Award-winning rapper had not just one but two children in 2009 (born three months apart), one by actress Lauren London and the other by R&B singer Nivea (who also has three children by ex-husband The-Dream.)

6. The “Homewrecker”
They tried to keep this hush-hush, but Mashonda (Swizz Beats's ex-wife) wasn’t having it. After rumors swirling around that her husband was creeping with Alicia Keys, Mashonda lashed out, calling Keys a “homewrecker.” The new couple is still going strong and apparently looking for a new home together.

5. Kanye vs. Kanye
He’s done plenty of bizarre things throughout his career, but this was by far the cruelest. Were Kanye West’s actions at the MTV VMAs a result of indulging in too much Hennessey, or was this just another one of his antics? Whatever the reason, it gave him no right to embarrass Country singer Taylor Swift.

4. Do I Hear Wedding Bells?
We all thought one of the following two things: are they really in love or is this a publicity stunt? No one could fully believe that Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, The-Dream and Christina Milian, and Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon got married. These couples are still going strong and seem to still be madly in love. Let’s see what the rest of 2010 holds…

3. Chris Brown vs. Rihanna
Who knew “good boy” Chris Brown had it in him?! Even though we never found out the real cause of the argument between Rihanna and Chris, it should never have ended the way it did. The aftermath led to TV interviews, restraining orders, and not-so-flattering CD sales.

2. The Lady Gaga Takeover
She was just introduced to the world a couple of months ago and has been leaving her mark in the entertainment industry ever since. From collaborating with Hip-Hop and R&B performers, to her outlandish outfits and popular songs, Lady Gaga became the “it” girl of 2009.

1. This Is It?
No one ever saw this one coming. The death of Michael Jackson not only left a legacy in the music industry, it left a lasting impression on his many fans world-wide.

Van Lathan, Contributing Writer

10. Kid Cudi
Underrated, underrated, underrated. That describes Kid Cudi. His album Man on the Moon: The End of Day was an endeavor bordering on brilliance, which after making a little noise got buried under the weight of the Rap BS. Cudi more than proved that he was ready for the spotlight this year, though, and if his first release was any indication, he, and we, have a lot to look forward to.

9. Slaughterhouse
Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden, and Royce the 5’9 took the road less traveled in ‘09. Unable to gain any tangible traction as solo artists, this Mount Rushmore of Internet lyricism got together and delivered one of the most complete albums of the year. Here’s the rub: still didn’t sell. Their debut self-titled album definitely went hard, but was criminally under-supported, even by the Internet junkies that were supposed to carry them. No matter, though—word is, the group is in talks to join the Shady/Aftermath army, and if that happens, a top five spot is guaranteed.

8. Fabolous
Loso got it all back together in ’09. He dropped a Loso’s Way and catapulted himself back to the top of the Rap world. After burning up the earlier part of the decade, Fabolous proved in ’09 that his career is going to be written by him, and not his detractors. Although his music is pretty straightforward, Fab has shown enough lyrical prowess to stand next to any of the most proficient spitters in the game. And unlike some of them, he can move units.

7. The Clipse
The shame of this ranking is that The Clipse dropped what I consider to be Album Of The Year with Til the Casket Drops. The effort showed incredible growth both lyrically and thematically and was the most cohesive release from the Virginia duo. They didn’t really burn up '09, though, due in part to the late year release of the album, and also to their fairly low-key Rap star status. However, if this list was based solely on albums, The Clipse would be number one.

6. Lady Gaga
Weirdness, hits, thongs, and radio airplay. That described 2009 for Lady Gaga. All those things led to her becoming an international superstar and the heir apparent to Madonna’s Pop Queen throne. She also made a notable appearance on Wale’s hit “Chillin,” delivering an infectious chorus and showing the Rap world she could step into our lane a little. Lady Gaga seems like the type of artist whose style and flair just might keep her around for the long haul. Stay tuned.

5. The Black Eyed Peas
I don’t like them. You don’t like them. But let’s face it—everyone else does. Every song they make turns out to be the biggest song of all time. They are unstoppable. It’s very possible that one or all of them actually sold their souls to Beelzebub. Their album The E.N.D. has three number one hits, two of which topped the charts for 12 and then 14 weeks. It makes no sense. They really could be number one, except that if I put them that high, I would not be allowed back into my hood ever again. So here they sit, at five. But again, let’s face it—we all know no one can really match their success.

4. Beyoncé
She remains the only female artist in the world big enough to sit next to the big boys. Ms. Knowles, or Mrs. Carter, was all over 2009, leaving her imprint on the big screen, on the charts, and on the world over, as she embarked on a worldwide tour. Never one to be afraid of overexposure, Beyoncé has destroyed all her competition with a fierce consistency and an ever-present control of the pulse of Pop music. And with her threatening to release yet another album in 2010, every female singer out there has to be wishing that Jay would go ahead and pop a bun in that luscious oven. Or that she would just sit down somewhere.

3. Eminem
Eminem came back this year with a new album and a new lease on life. The latter seems to be working for him; the former, not so much. Relapse dropped on in May of ’09 to much fanfare and not very good reviews. Let’s face it—the album sucked. However, it still crept towards double platinum and restarted the recording career of one of Rap’s most intriguing personalities. Also, some high profile features and freestyles at the end of ’09 proved that Em still has a raging lyrical demon inside him, and that we might get to see it on Relapse 2, due out later this year.

2. Jay-Z
The Jiggaman could really top this list every year, just based off history. He’s sorta like the Tom Brady of Rap—it always seems like he’s going to find a way to win. This year saw Jay do much of what we’re used to from him, topping the charts with his album The Blueprint 3, crafting anthems like “New York State of Mind," and fending off challenges from former allies like Beanie Sigel. For most of 2009, Jay was just being Jay, and that’s enough to keep him atop the music world for some time to come. One has to wonder, though...how long will the King of New York be able to hold his throne, now age 40 and with an ever-more emboldened crop of younger spitters eager to take his throne?

1. Drake
How did he top this list? He doesn’t even have an album out! Well, that, my friends, is WHY he topped this list. Drake had a 2009 most artists can only dream of without any major label involvement (for the most part.) His rise to the top of the Rap game is a testament to the fact that hot music makes hot artists, no matter what your back story is. Think about it: Drake is a biracial, light-skinned, CANADIAN rapper who starred on a kids' show. He’s got no tattoos, and he sings every other verse. Yet despite all this, every body count rapper is lining up to have him on their tracks, and every hardened thug on the street is awaiting the solo album. Drake struck a nerve this year like no artist has in a while, and I can’t think of anyone who made a bigger impact in ’09.

Conte’s Networking Communications, Contributing Writer

10. Country/Pop artist Taylor Swift – “A Love Story”
 http://www.myspace.com/taylorswift
9. King of Pop Michael Jackson – “Earth Song”
http://www.myspace.com/michaeljackson
8. Blues/Roots/Soul artist Wendy Rich – “Workin' Woman Blues”
http://www.myspace.com/wendyrich
7. Hungarian Experimental/Alternative/Rock artist AdryA – “The Bridge”
http://www.myspace.com/adryamusic
6. Classical/Pop/R&B producer Beat Queen – “Pray On”
http://www.myspace.com/beatqueenmusic
5. R&B artist Professor – “It’s A Beautiful Day”
http://www.myspace.com/irunman
4. Russian Pop/Rock artist Alyona – “Eternity”
 http://www.myspace.com/alyonamusic
3. The Thriller film Giallo, by director Dario Argento, starring Adrien Brody, and executive produced by Richard Rionda. Film score composed by Marco Werba (represented by Conte’s Networking Communications)
2. Hip-Hop artist Akon of Konvict Music – “Beautiful"
 http://www.myspace.com/akon
1. Hip-Hop artist Qwes of 50/50 Music – “Million Ways”
http://www.myspace.com/qwes
Qwes is a great musician, entertainer, and actor who has collaborated with many of Hip-Hop's greats, such as Akon, Nelly, and Ludacris.