This year we’ve taken our five favorites (out of seven) and ranked them for you, starting with number five at the top and ending with number one down at the bottom.

5. Busta Rhymes, Reek Da Villain, Ludacris, and 2 Chainz

This group was a bit unexpected but it’s nice to see two veterans like Luda and Busta having fun with the cypher. 2 Chainz and Reek Da Villain had a chance to show what they could do, but both failed to impress. Busta’s verse was fine, but far from memorable. The best was saved for last on this one; Ludacris dropped a dope verse, flowing with his usual fun, metaphor-rich style.

best lines: ”They say Luda in the movies why he rappin still? / cause I need more jaguars than Jacksonville / more bills than Buffalo for my flow, and more blue jays than Toronto”  - Ludacris

4. Ace Hood, Kevin McCall, Chris Brown, and Tyga

The best thing this guys have going for them is their energy. Ace Hood managed to find his way around the beat better than the rest, but surprisingly Chris Brown was the only one with memorable wordplay.  Besides that, all four rappers spit expectedly egoistic verses that fail to leave a lasting impression.

best lines: “My chain feels like an anchor / when I told you to use your head, I ain’t want no thinker” – Chris Brown

3. Rick Ross, Wale, Pill, Meek Mill, and Stalley

Rick Ross and his MMG (Maybach Music Group) have been getting a lot of media attention this year so it’s no wonder they showed up at the cypher this year. Wale starts things off for MMG with a quick flow and metaphors flying off faster than you can catch them first listen. Pill goes in second and gets out of there after a short, forgettable verse. Next up is Stalley whose verse is surprisingly articulate and politically conscious, making it feel slightly out of place with the rest of the MMG-ers. It’s a nice change of pace though and probably got a lot of people interested in his music. Meek Mill takes the easy way out, rhyming mostly about his recent success without anything too interesting to say about it. Rick Ross spends more time buddying up to his MMG signees than anything else, but still satisfies fan with his laid back rhymes.

best lines: “I spend it make it right back on a Monday” – Meek Mill

“Look around we the largest in the game / all them other boys targets and I’m flawless with the aim” – Rick Ross

2. Big K.R.I.T., B.O.B., Machine Gun Kelly, Kendrick Lamar, and Tech N9ne

This is where it starts getting good. Every member of this mostly young, diverse group brings something to the table. Big K.R.I.T. goes first and although lyrically monotonous, he shines with his flow, cutting the beat up rhythmically in every way possible. Adding a visual aspect to Tech N9ne’s rapping is… strange. It’s like a whole new experience. At the end of his short verse it’s hard to tell exactly what just happened. Machine Gun Kelly really brings his A-game. With an energy that few other rapper’s matched this year MGK quickly fires off several memorable lines. Kendrick Lamar goes in the the direction, appearing calm until he begins rapping and you feel like a whirlwind just hit. As with his recorded material, much of what Kendrick Lamar said probably went over most fans heads, but he’s fortunate enough to be in a position where he doesn’t need to dumb down his lyrics to get exposure. B.O.B. is easily the best showman of the group and has some dope rhymes to back it up. 

best lines: “I got these teens screaming’ like Cobain’s back / try me I’ll make you a legend like Cobain’s strap” – Machine Gun Kelly

“Y’all trippin’ on T.I.P. / get off my man’s neck / I’m just saying Martha Stewart left prison in a jet” – B.O.B.

1. Eminem, Yelawolf, and Slaughterhouse

Most of the groups in this year’s cypher did their thing, but the Shady 2.0 easily took the cake. Yelawolf and Joe Budden start things off well, both spitting fun, confident verses, although Budden goes a little long. Crooked I and Joell Ortiz both go in with hard verses that shouldn’t be forgotten even amongst the more well known rappers in this group. Royce Da 5’9 looks and sounds more confident than ever after his and Eminem’s collaborative album’s success this year. Taking a break from gloating and trash-talking to speak directly to Rihanna definitely helped get the audience on his side. Last but not least, Shady himself. Eminem goes off like a caged lion unleashed, making nearly every other rapper in the cypher look like rookies. His non-stop barrage of lyrical bombs had me smiling the whole time. There are at least a dozen memorable lines to be taken from Em’s verse and I’m finding a few more each time I listen.

best lines: “If they teaching’ how to dougie I’m condoning dropping out” – Joe Budden

“They fiending for us to break like Beyonce’s water” – Joell Ortiz

“Hi Rihanna / is Nicki living with you? :et me know so I can buy binoculars and telescopes” – Royce Da 5’9

“Yeah big deal / I took some kid’s big wheel and spit in his fricken big kids meal” – Eminem

I think I’ve figured out the ultimate realness test of live bands. Sweat level. If the band isn’t getting a work out, then they aren’t giving you their all. Judging by the drenched clothing among the members of Cut Copy every single night they play, I’d say they do a pretty good job of staying fit. In fact, Dan Whitford (vocals, keys, guitar) could easily host his own work-out program based on dance moves. I’m not even kidding.

Cut Copy has been one of those bands that grew up with me through the phases. When their debut “Bright Like Neon Love” came out in 2004 along with a ton of word of mouth hype, I had to check it out. I think that was my first real taste for merging indie/rock elements into electronic music, which I hardly had an ear for at the time. One thing I disliked about electronic music at that point in my life was the overly-digital vibes. Cut Copy always maintained an organic analogue work-ethic when producing, so I think it made it easier for people like me to get into dance music from them years ago. Anyway, with “In Ghost Colours” in 2008, perhaps their greatest claim to fame so far, I had matured just as much as they had with their sound. Filled with a balance of euphoric chill-outs and a few floor-stomping bangers, Cut Copy made a strong re-assurance that they weren’t a forgotten element of yesteryear’s bloghouse days. Fast forward to 2011 and the band is touring heavily in support of their new record “Zonoscope.” With more of a psyche/pop feel this time around, the album took time to grow upon listeners and obviously portrayed the level of maturity and professionalism that Cut Copy has worked up to over time.

One may have their doubts with the liver performance of an electronically based artist or band. A lot of sounds from the album cannot often be replicated on stage in a live setting, in disappointment to the fans. It was a long time coming that I finally got to see Cut Copy in concert, and the moment finally arrived at Coachella this year. My previous assumption was proven wrong before the band even began to play. Their live show is something special, maybe even magical. I may be a fan, but I am most definitely not biased. A few friends of mine came along who weren’t even into Cut Copy prior to attending, and left saying that was their Coachella highlight. Sure, I could die happy, but not satisfied until I got to see them again at their own show. Fast forward to October; Cut Copy came to the Hollywood Palladium with Washed Out and Midnight Magic.

Finally I could see the guys in a smaller setting at their own show, with some awesome openers to top it off. Arriving early to ensure a spot up front and center, it was a long boring hour waiting for the bands to begin. Washed Out was pretty cool live as usual, but not as powerful as I would have liked after being a fan of the albums for so long. Midnight Magic on the other hand…SO good! I highly recommend seeing Midnight Magic whenever you get a chance. They are bringing back the art of live dance music, and their brass arrangement is extremely badass.

By the time Cut Copy hit the stage, I looked behind me to see a packed sold out house, and the energy was already goosebump-inducing. I knew that this show wouldn’t top Coachella as far as vibes and energy, but still above average levels for sure. Greeted by a loud cheer, the boys were looking sharp as usual and wasted no time as they opened immediately with their 2011 radio hit “Take Me Over.” They seemed tired of playing it just as much as I am tired of hearing it, but as soon as they went right into classic fan fave “Feel The Love,” everyone was in the groove. I really don’t have anything to criticize about their live show. All the antics and high energy constant dancing you can handle along with flawless performance…it’s a real trip. Cut Copy originally started as a DJ side project and it’s great to observe how they have evolved into a full live band with a defined sound. Blasting through more new Zonoscope songs than expected plus their early hit from the neon love era “Saturdays,” this set was more up to date than I would have thought. Teasing the crowd with a few breaks here and there, the crowd at the Palladium showed no signs of fatigue. Like I mentioned before, Cut Copy gets the people moving. Finally ending their set with an encore extended jam performance of “Need You Now,” the lights came on and the show was over. I overheard somebody say that was the closest they have felt to an ecstasy high without even doing drugs. That says it all. Although as a long-time Cut Copy fan, I would have loved to hear more of their classic underground hits, but it was great to hear the new album tracks up close and personal at a cool venue.

The night didn’t end at the concert though, as the Cut Copy crew moved on to ex-Cinespace location for an afterparty DJ set. I rolled over there as it was only a block away and got a feel for their personal taste in records. The DJ set was filled with their trademark remixes and some interesting old school psyche rock tunes. I guess good bands make good DJs, but double duty for the night is talent. To my pleasant surprise, this night drew a lot of non-Hollywood nightlife types and the dancefloor was going off until the early hours of the morning. So as this night was a big realization point for me on the topic of being a longtime Cut Copy listener, it also shined a light on how far these guys have come in their journey of sound. Here to stay and a must-see act, I highly recommend catching them next time around. I don’t speak for just myself when I say they change lives!

Here’s a new one from Thundercat titled “$200 TB”. It was originally released as a bonus track on foreign versions ofThundercat’s album The Golden Age of Apocalypse. Now Flying Lotus has uploaded the track to his soundcloud. The song has a distinct Brainfeeder feel to it, which makes sense because Flying Lotus and Austin Peralta (both Brainfeeder artists) helped make it.

Thundercat – $200 TB prod.Flying Lotus ft. Austin Peralta by Flyinglotus

I haven’t jumped on the Lana Del Rey bandwagon yet. She’s pretty and has a good voice, but other than that I don’t hear anything too enticing about her. Anyway, master remixer Joy Orbison has added his signature minimal groove to her song “Video Games”. Check it out below.

Kendrick Lamar – “Cloud 10″ (prod. Nosaj Thing)

Learn more about the Windows Me Series.

The hype is building for Common’s upcoming album, The Dreamer, The Believer. “Blue Sky”, produced by No I.D. is most likely the next single off the album, and features a sample of ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky”. This is only a piece of the full track, and is not full quality. Look out for The Dreamer, The Believer if you want to hear “Blue Sky” in its full glory.

Common – “Blue Sky”

Rick Ross – “I Love My Bitches”

For now there is only a tagged version available. I will update whenever a tag-less a version is available.