It’s right after the jump……

Let’s face it, Hip-Hop in 2008 was the aural equivalent of a terminal illness. We can’t honestly think of enough good records to even warrant a top 10, well maybe just, but we figured everyone else would do that for you. So what better way to wrap up the year than to lazily regurgitate something we wrote for the latest edition of HHC Magazine. That’s right, it’s the Hip-Hop Blog World cup 2008.

You’ll be please to know we ommited ourselves for a couple of reasons. Firstly, we don’t consider ourselves a blog, we’re a magazine. We started out in 1997 as a magazine and we’ll end a magazine. Admitedly a magazine competing against some heavyweight blogs of similar genius and stature. And admittedly a magazine without any pages, ABC figures and you can’t even find us in WH Smiths anymore. Secondly, we’d put ourselves first. Well this is Hip-Hop, so a bit of bragadacio never goes a miss. We’ve also strived for total objectivity when it comes to any favouritism toward out fellow Uproxx network bredrin, only one blog didn’t make the cut but as one of Fat Lace’s favoutites, an honourable shout out to The Rap Up. So here we go, who will be crowned champ?

So, how did we arrive at the 16 names here? Well, we get access to traffic figures, feedback and all the joyful encumbrances of the blogosphere. Some of these 16 are the most visited, some are the most respected, some are the most commented on. And to make things interesting, we threw a couple of personal wild card picks into the mix too. Some are blogs in the truest sense – personal web logs of opinion – while a couple of others scarcely hold an opinion while remaining popular for their (often free and illegal) content. And the criteria for who wins? Hey, this is the internet. He who shouts loudest in ALL-CAPS wins, right?

Round 1:

Unkut Vs. Bust the Facts

Virtually a bye for hotly tipped Robbie and his Unkut blog. Combining QB love with some of the most interesting, in-depth interviews in hip-hop land trumps BTF’s comment-free world of downloads. The rivals rate Unkut too: “They keep it raw like skinned knees after a bike wreck,” says Smoking Section’s Gotty. Bust the Facts gets love too: “You want an album by MC SO&SO from Bumscratch, New York?” asks Trav from Wake Your Daughter Up, “Dread and BTF probably has it.” However, as Noz from Cocaine Blunts argues, “I don’t think rapidshare index blogs should be in the competition. To me blogging entails writing beyond Artist/Title/Label/Year.” It does, so Robbie flies through.

Byron Crawford Vs. Soul Sides

Byron Crawford’s widely read blog combines on-point reviews, daily updates, uncensored opinion, slang teaching and a comments box full of hate (usually a good sign). Oliver ‘O-Dub’ Wang’s site probably pips him for quality of writing but, as the name suggests, focusses mainly – and increasingly – on soul, despite O-Dub’s hip-hop love. Werner Von Wallenrod sums it up best: “Knowledgeable, well-written blog… too much about the music used to make hip-hop than actual hip-hop music for my tastes; but they’re definitely authorities on what they write about.” Byron heads for the second round.

Smoking Section Vs. Dirty Waters

Gotty and the Smoking Section crew are on their grind. Here you’ll find interviews, personal posts, reviews, sports and movie talk – oh, and music links for days. Strikes with a great breadth of material, from old to new to next school. Why should they win? According to Gotty himself: “I honestly believe we fill a lane that others don’t – we go hard daily. We provide pretty extensive & diverse written features. We don’t take ourselves too seriously @ all. And if we win, we’ll be throwing an e-party! All drinks on us!” According to Trav @ WYDU: “It has evolved a lot over the past couple years, Gotty and boys have turned it into one of the most complete blogs on the net.”

Dirty Waters, meanwhile, is an admirable site combining a similar breadth of music with graf and some unique content – but it’s punching a little above its league here and tumbles out to Gotty’s grinders.

Wake Your Daughter Up Vs. Hip-Hop Isn’t Dead

What both these enthusiastic sites have in common is extensive reviews. WYDU has a lot more besides, however. “WYDU is a prime candidate for the underdog role, the little train that could,” says Trav who runs the site, “Unique taste in music not based on following the pack, and very frequent, well-written posts,” says Werner Von Wallenrod. Hip-Hop Isn’t Dead isn’t scared at taking a crack at big artists and going against the grain, but WYDU’s mass of content – seriously, it’s hard to keep up – means this one is wrapped up in the first half.

Nah Right Vs. Notes from a Different Kitchen

Nah Right’s much touted blog might be expected to easily brush aside the under-the-radar Different Kitchen, but we’re no respecter of traffic. “I’m just a dude who breathes hip-hop. I exist to keep your ipod heavy,” says Nah Right head honcho Eskay, while Byron Crawford says, “Nah Right provides a valuable service, in that it’s comprehensive to the point where it saves me from having to check numerous other sites just like it. If only there wasn’t so much material by artists no one gives a rat’s ass about.” True indeed. Different Kitchen’s Ian puts up a spirited fight thanks to his on the button coverage of new hip-hop informed by appreciation of wider music, and excellent political content. “Notes made politricks Hip-Hop way back when,” comments Dallas Penn, but Nah Right lives to fight another day.

Real Talk New York Vs. Daily Diggers

A David Vs. Goliath battle, the popular RTNY versus the plucky Daily Diggers. The latter has minority appeal, but since when was that a bad thing? “My blog should win because I take blogs to another level. What other blog has done an interview with 50 Cent or attend the red carpet for the VH1 Hip Hop Honors. Unlike the majority of blogs I actually go out to events and get exclusive content.” So speaks RTNY’s Nigel, and his Rawkus/Uproxx-hosted blog has clocked up 30m visits in 2 years and leads with glossy new content. A big hitter for sure, but there are chinks in the armour. “I see a lot of what he covers on all the other ‘big sites.’ He should do more video interviews cos that’s really his lane of distinction,” remarks Different Kitchen’s Ian. As for Daily Diggers, it’s the polar opposite, about digging, collecting and analysing rather than what’s new. “Two DJs/ record collectors with a lot of insight,” says Werner, while DD’s Kid Dynomite sums up their appeal thus: “We try and share a little of our hip hop knowledge in a zone where like-minded peeps could come and indulge without trawling through stuff that doesn’t interest them.” They succeed, but Goliath wins through today.

Dallas Penn Vs. Oh Word

The draw of the round sees two bloggers who frequently work together (on the Internets Celebrities video essays) becoming foes for the day. “DallasPenn.com is the most Hip-Hop blog ever in the history of the planet. DP.com deals with Hip-Hop through the lens of the American culture that spawned it,” quoth Dallas Penn himself about his site that certainly takes a different approach to the rest of the ‘here is the new T-Pain clip’ bloggers. “Great personal history/memoirs of back in the day life in NYC as an everyday b-boy.” says Different Kitchen’s Ian. Oh Word combines reviews, a blog and often hilarious features but tumbles out in the first round for two reasons: a scarcity of updates, and for not replying to our emails recently Yeah, we get petty like that.

Cocaine Blunts Vs. Werner Von Wallenrod’s Humble Little Hip-Hop Blog

A richly anticipated battle of the specialists sees two of the blogosphere’s (to use a hated phrase) most knowledgeable dudes clash sites. Noz’s Cocaine Blunts is back on track after a hiatus (and a time spent blogging for XXL) with crazy info on regional rap, while Werner’s unique approach to obscure hip-hop and compellingly strange video essays take the blog into new territory. “Highly respectable… my lady just worries when she sees me logged onto a site with such a name.” says Gotty about Cocaine Blunts, “A great writer with excellent taste in old rap. New music? Not so much.” says Unkut’s Robbie. As for Werner, “If all of us old school bloggers held a Jeopardy type tournament with old school hip hop being the main topic, Werner would crush the rest of us,” says WYDU’s Trav. However, several commentators noted that Werner needs to get off AOL to get his shine [stop press – he has], and Noz’s bigger profile edges him through to round 2.

Round 2

Byron Crawford Vs. WYDU

In Round 2, big names are going to take a tumble and egos will be bruised. First up, Byron makes it through to the semis after a brave showing from WYDU. “Still to this day he’s probably my favourite personality blogger,” Cocaine Blunts’ Noz says of Crawford. “Anybody that dismisses dude as a shock blogger is completely missing the point. The thing about Byron is that he tempers all the shit talking with self-deprecation.” His ability to create slang that spreads into the zeitgeist is another reason for getting past the fine WYDU.

Unkut Vs. Dallas Penn

There’s more laughs at Dallas Penn, more depth at Unkut. There’s more insight into hip-hop life at DP, more insight into hip-hop full stop at Unkut. So what does it come down to? “I fucks with Unkut because this site made me realize that my history in NYC would be worth documenting,” says Penn of his competitor, while Unkut’s Robbie claims Dallas Penn as his own favourite bloggers. It’s down to us then. We’d put both through, but Robbie’s penchant for asking the questions other interviewers wouldn’t see him snatch it in extra-time.

Smoking Section Vs. Real Talk New York

This battle of the Uproxx blogs is a heavyweight affair. RTNY “Should be renamed ‘Real Talk Nah Stalk’ for obvious reasons,” says Unkut’s Robbie, while Werner praises the original video content. However, Smoking Section’s sheer scope – it’s developed way beyond the time when Byron Crawford could call them ‘fucking bootleggers’ – takes this one to penalties, with Gotty calmly slotting home to win a close battle.

Nah Right Vs. Cocaine Blunts

A couple of months ago, this would have been a walkover by Nah Right, but Noz is back on his game to make this pretty damn competitive. Different Kitchen’s Ian speaks for us when he spots Nah Right’s defensive frailties: “Eskay’s the king of this blog shit but sometimes it feels like he’s coasting. I read about these nobody, new MC’s he posts about and I sometimes I listen to them and they’re so wack I’m wondering why the fuck they merited the attention. He should add more commentary justifying what he posts.” It’s Cocaine Blunts commitment to a singular vision with no flab that takes it through to a semi final showdown.

Semi-Finals

Cocaine Blunts Vs. Byron Crawford

“Unlike a lot of ‘bloggers’, Bol writes. Daily. Respect due,” Gotty bigs up Byron Crawford to give dude an early lead. But Cocaine Blunts’ “Knowledge of old school regional hip hop is virtually unparalleled,” says Ian at Different Kitchen, meaning this is all level at half time. Byron Crawford opens up another lead when Dallas Penn calls it, “the second best website on the planet,” and Robbie @ Unkut weighs in that he writes, “The only record reviews worth reading.” It’s enough to send Byron past his old XXL.com colleague.

Unkut Vs. Smoking Section

Unkut scores almost from the kick-off by unveiling lost recordings of Tribe’s ‘Scenario’ and tracking down Chill Rob G at home. The lead stretches to 2-0 with Werner saying that it, “Sometimes gets a little lazy just posting random mp3’s, but has done some of the best interviews in any hip-hop blog, ever.” Can Smoking Section come back? They get back in the game when Nah Right’s Eskay plumps for it as his number one blog, but a late blast from Noz @ Cocaine Blunts – “I like how Robbie does the classic hip hop thing with a light touch of humor. Some of these other true school bloggers are just painfully pedantic and disconnected. Also he’s probably the best hip hop interviewer on the internet,” sends Unkut into the final.

The Grande Finale

The crowd waves their banners, everyone boos the rivals national anthem (American and Australian, by the way) and sharpened coins are at the ready for the opposition fans. Let’s get some pre-match punditry:

Why should you win the 2008 Hip-Hop Blog World Cup?

Unkut: “Other than the fact that my Salute To Weed Carriers blog was your favourite blogger’s favourite blog, Unkut Dot Com is the only shit that can inspire angry newspaper articles (Hipster Douchebag Poll), unearth multiple ‘Scenario’ demos and run interviews that almost lead to real-life stabbings (T-Ray) all in the space of an RSS feed.”

Byron Crawford: “My blog should win the hip-hop blog world cup due to my dedication to keeping it gully, and the number of innovations I’ve contributed to the game. I’d list them here, but I know you’ve all got places to be. Not to toot my own horn, but I pretty much consider myself the progenitor of the form.”

And the winner is…

You can’t share the trophy, but it’s a close run thing. Crawford’s style garners as much hate as love, but his site is a uniquely opinionated take on hip-hop culture that backs up often polarising views with fine writing. Unkut is the place to go for in-depth interviews with rappers past (and sometimes present), funny polls and QB news – and more besides – but he’s let down at the last by two things: He doesn’t post quite as often (although it’s not as easy to do deep interviews with hard to track down rappers as it is to review an album bolshily) and his love for Kool G Rap and Tragedy music from the last couple of years. It’s a titanic struggle, but Byron takes the inaugural trophy…

Now you decide but keep in mind that we omitted ourselves so we’d like to come first, but what is this, Soviet Russia? Damn it, this is a democracy.

Get voting.