2018-2019 English Premier League Predictions

As a soccer fan, I was spoiled during the Summer of 2018. The FIFA World Cup was taking place in Russia and dominating headlines. New stars (Kylian Mbappe) were made, and the soccer world was mesmerized for a full month. On a personal level, this was also a great World Cup for me as I got to watch the first half of the tournament in Italy (ahh…the pizza and gelato) and the second half with my best soccer buddies Jordan Gaines and Chris Nunez. Waking up each morning and getting to watch the knockout round always felt like a treat. The excitement and anticipation of the games felt like Christmas morning as a kid where you knew something wonderful was about to happen.

In addition to the glory that was the World Cup, I also had a chance to watch an International Champions Cup (ICC) match at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena which was a cool experience. If you have never been to the Rose Bowl, I highly recommend it! The stadium has a beautiful, classic charm about it and it is majestically situated in a picturesque canyon in Pasadena. As the stadium is in a residential area and parking is very limited, the city opens up the city golf course for patrons to park on. I had never tailgated on a golf course before but I have to say that I liked it.

Finally, next week I have an opportunity to watch my first Major League Soccer (MLS) game in person. My friend Jordan has invited a large group of soccer nuts down to San Jose to watch a match in the beautiful Avaya stadium. I have a lot to be thankful for right now in the soccer universe.

But I digress. I am sure that the real reason you came here today was to read about my English Premier League (EPL) predictions, thoughts, and questions heading into the 2018-2019 season. The EPL, for those who are not as big into soccer, is the most lucrative club league in the world and it consistently features many of the biggest names within the sport. Each team in the league has its own unique, rich history, and local customs (blowing bubbles..really West Ham?!?)

Each year at the start of the season I make some predictions about the upcoming season. It is always fun to look back and see when I nail a pick…and also when I notoriously whiff. This year I will still break give you the tried and true final standing, players to watch, leaders goal scorers, and subplots to look out for. However, instead of giving you a team by team breakdown I will instead leave you with some questions to think about for the season.

Questions and Subplots for the Upcoming Season

1. Will Manchester United’s manager Jose Mourinho unleash Paul Pogba and allow him to be the dominant force that we saw in Russia 2018?
2. Will Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante start to get the recognition he rightfully deserves for being the star that he is?
3. Will Tottenham regret becoming the first EPL team in the history of the transfer market not to make a single move?
4. After their recent promotion back to the top flight, will Fulham’s investment in players pay dividends…or will they pull a Queens Park Rangers and be left holding an expensive bag back in the Championship?
5. Is this, finally, the year that Liverpool win their first EPL crown?
6. Will Burnley continue to punch above its weight class?

 

2018-2019 Final Table Predictions

1. Manchester City
2. Liverpool
3. Manchester United
4. Tottenham
5. Arsenal
6. Chelsea
7. Everton
8. Leicester City
9. Watford
10. Burnley
11. AFC Bournemouth
12. Fulham
13. Newcastle
    
14. Wolverhampton
15. West Ham
16. Crystal Palace
17. Brighton
18. Southampton
19. Huddersfield
20. Cardiff

 

Leading Goal Scorers

1. Mo Salah- Liverpool
2. Harry Kane- Tottenham
3. Sergio Aguero- Manchester City
4. Gabriel Jesus- Manchester City
5. Romelu Lukaku- Manchester United
6. Troy Deeny- Watford (link)

 

Players who are exciting or have something to prove

1. Paul Pogba- Manchester United
2. Kevin De Bruyne- Manchester City (link)
3. Miyad Mahrez- Manchester City
4. Mesut Ozil- Arsenal
5. Wilfried Zaha- Crystal Palace (link)

My Favorite Days of the EPL year

1. Boxing Day
2. Survival Sunday
3. FA Cup 3rd Round
   
4. Opening Day
5. Really most 8am Sunday morning games which lead right into a full day of watching American Football.

Today is like Christmas morning….except even more exciting. The cosmic forces have all aligned and have produced a scheduling anomaly that makes for one of the greatest days in the history of mankind (only slight hyperbole). Today is the last day of school (link) and the first day of the 2018 World Cup in Russia (link). Wow!

As the tournament starts in less than an hour…and my school day even sooner than that, I wanted to give a very quick prediction as to the events that I think will transpire in Russia over the next month.

Story Line I Am Most Excited About

I am interested in a lot of story-lines at this World Cup, but I am most interested in seeing Germany and how they respond after their title in 2014. Will the squad bring it like they did in Brazil? Plus..watch out for striker Timo Werner. My roommate, Kobe, and I were marveling at the ball control he had in his YouTube clips (link).

Squad Most Likely to Disappoint

England…like always.

Golden Boot Winner

Antoine Griezman- France (link)

Darkhorse Teams that could go far

Columbia (can James Rodriguez channel the magic again?)

Belgium (the last chance for the golden generation)

Champion 

France.

France has too much talent up front and in the midfield. Les Blues will be a fun team to watch in Russia and will defeat Brazil in the finals (2-1) to claim the World Cup.

Remembering Craig Pitti

“Someone go out and guard the left handed guy with the yellow shoes.” I was at an adult league basketball game at Novato High School playing against a team called “Coaches Convention”, and this was the first time I met Craig Pitti. I didn’t know it at the time but Craig would soon become a friend who would have a lasting impact on my life. Craig passed away today (10/13/17) at the far too young an age of 40, but the friendship, mentorship, and lessons he taught to me and so many others will continue on.

Back to the dusty gym in Novato. The year was 2009 and I was transitioning to a life after college. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so in the meantime I played a lot of basketball. I had recently enrolled in a teaching program at Dominican University but I wasn’t sure if that was what I wanted to do long term. I was playing for a soon to be disbanded basketball team and I was looking for a new group of guys to play hoops with. As it so happened one of the guys in the league was an old basketball coach of mine, Chris McCune. Chris pitched the idea of bringing in an undersized, unathletic power forward to Craig and Dan Curtaz who, thankfully for me, were receptive to the idea. Meeting Craig and the rest of the guys on the old “Coach’s Convention” men’s league team was an important moment in my life and showed me the huge impact that one can have as an educator.

After my initial season on the team, I began to get to know Craig a little bit better. We both taught History, enjoyed watching the 49ers, shopping at Trader Joe’s, and playing and coaching basketball. Craig had a genuine way of making you feel valued, and it was impossible not to like him because he told the best stories.

Ah yes… the stories. Once I became part of the men’s league basketball team I started to learn the culture of the team. On the floor the team, which had subsequently changed its name to Rise and Fire, liked to shoot a lot of three point shots, play fundamental basketball, and bark at the referee’s a little bit. But it was the post game trips to Maya Palenque in Novato which were the real event of the evening.  And in the post game festivities, which always took place on the patio of Maya rain or shine, Craig was the center of attention. The team would always laugh, think, and listen to what he had to say. Craig had a way of telling stories that instantly hooked the listener and getting the inside scoop from someone as well connected as Craig always felt like a special privilege.

There are too many Maya memories to mention, but one story stands out as I think back on all of the entertaining evenings on the patio, and that was the night that we won our first men’s league title together with our current roster. We were all in good spirits after a team victory and the laughs, tacos, and bufff-alo sauce (™:Chad Stuart) were flowing. I felt a real sense of pride that evening and I was excited to get to spend the evening with my friends.  At the end of the evening we took a photo with our favorite bartender Carlos. The giant smile on my face was always how I felt playing basketball with this great group of guys.

Although basketball was the activity that brought Craig and I together, it was not the only avenue in which Craig affected my life. Early on in our friendship Craig served as my content supervisor while I was finishing my credential at Dominican. Although he always liked to downplay the role in which he played, Craig was instrumental in helping me become a better teacher. He went out of his way on several occasions to have conversations with me about what life in the classroom was like, and how to engage students. When I took over a History position at Tomales High School and had no Economics curriculum, Craig was happy to send along a couple of his favorite projects and some great supplemental reading ideas.

I will also never forget how Craig would go the extra mile for San Marin students and the Novato community. One really bizarre example of this was when, as athletic director, Craig couldn’t find a volleyball coach. The two options that Craig faced were either canceling the season which would have meant letting down a number of students who were excited for the season or coaching the team himself. To anyone who knew Craig the decision was obvious…the season must go on. Craig then reached out to me to see if I would be interested in being his assistant coach. I didn’t have any experience but I thought it would be a fun experience. Coaching volleyball with Craig for that season turned out to be a lot of fun, and Craig had the team motivated to play every game. Seeing Craig build relationships with his students and the different teams he coached was always something that inspired me. Craig was always there for his students.

I would be remiss if at some point in this tribute I didn’t bring up Craig’s basketball coaching skill and the joy he got from this pursuit. For eleven years Craig was the head coach for San Marin basketball. During this time he mentored, taught, and shaped a number of young men in the Novato community. Craig had a real gift of connecting with people and building them up when they needed it. It is a real testament to his greatness that so many of his players come back to see him and are quick to thank him for his selflessness and passion for the game.

Each year coming to watch the Mustangs was a blast. In different years the team would take on a different personality and it was fun watching many of the players progress through their high school careers. However, the 2011 season stands out as one of the most exciting times in Mustang history. Craig led a talented group of players to a league title, and several shocking victories which ultimately culminated in a North Coast Section title. There are so many many fond memories that I have from that season, but I think I will leave you with this clip which was taken at the end of the NCS title game and shows what Craig Pitti is all about (link).

And, what the heck, one more video from the shocking upset of mighty Bishop O’Dowd. (link) If you listen really closely you can hear Superfans Matt Kinney and I screaming in the background at the end of the game.

Away from the court Craig loved to golf and spend time in Tahoe relaxing. I was fortunate to tag along with Craig, Chad Stuart, and the rest of the men’s league crew for a weekend in Tahoe to watch the opening round of the NCAA basketball tournament a couple of years back. Once again there are too many great stories to write them all, but a favorite story from the weekend centers around the hype of Craig’s favorite coffee shop, The Tahoe House. All year I had heard stories at Maya about this mysterious and delicious cup of coffee that was beyond my wildest dreams. Being somewhat of a coffee snob I dismissed these claims and assumed The Tahoe House would be an OK cup of coffee and something I could soon forget about. However, when I walked in for the first time I knew I had found the best cup of coffee in the United States. Drinking that cup of coffee and enjoying a cinnamon knot was even sweeter hanging out with a great friend like Craig. I still take my family to the Tahoe House and it is a tradition that I am proud to carry on. Drinking a cup of coffee at this place will always remind me of my buddy, Craig.

Finally, who could forget the Pitti Christmas party. Family and friends were important to Craig and every year Craig brought everyone over to his place in Novato to celebrate the holidays and to show off his skills on the guitar. The guitar itself is a great metaphor for Craig. Craig did not grow up playing the guitar but later in life realized that it was something he wanted to learn how to do. Instead of making excuses about being too far behind, Craig instead picked up the guitar and started playing. In that respect,  you could see that Craig was dedicated to lifelong learning and figuring out how things worked. In the education field this is known as growth mindset and you saw this whenever Pitti took on a challenge. I will always remember the buffalo dip that Craig’s mother Kathleen would make. I would remember to save calories on the day of the Christmas party because of the unique and delicious grub. In addition, I will always remember Kristen Pitti’s positive energy and how much she supported her brother. She would always cheer the loudest after Craig would grace the room with one of his newest Pearl Jam covers.

Thank you for being such a great friend, mentor, and a positive influence on my life Craig. Although you are gone you will never be forgotten. Your service to your school, students, family, friends, and community are a true inspiration. I am forever grateful that you guys brought me into your group and helped me grow into the man I am today. Basketball season will never be the same without you, but I promise we will carry on the lessons that you taught us all. Thank you for being you.

Always your friend,

Alex Chapman
Oh…and what tribute to Craig would be complete without a song from Pearl Jam. (link)

One of my favorite times of the year is the week leading up to the start of the English Premier League (EPL) season. The sweet slowness of Summer is still a reality during this week, transfer talks in the soccer world have reached a frenzied pitch, and I get to make my predictions for the upcoming season.

Now, if I am being honest, I don’t always do very well on these predictions and they should only be used as musings and a little bit of extra context as you start the season. Most notably last season, I had Manchester United winning the league and they limped along to a sixth place finish. I also did not see the blistering season and finish of Tottenham. I have to give the Spurs some credit as they played an entertaining style of football. The team also has quite a bit of young talent on the roster this season (Dele Alli anyone?!) and they look to continue on their upward trajectory.

While there are always some whiffs when it comes to my projections and previews, I can sometimes get it right and call out things that I am seeing that concern me. Last year (link to last years preview) I called two of the three relegated teams and nearly hit on the third. I was especially harsh on Sunderland who I believed lacked any real punch. In short, Sunderland appeared to be a team destined for a drop.

Before I get into my final table and give you a few players to watch, I wanted to go back to my favorite soccer memory and one of the happier days of my life. The day is December 31, 2011. I had woken up extremely early (5am) to watch the ESPN fixture between Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers. ESPN was broadcasting the match which meant that my favorite commentators Ian Darke and Steve McManamon would be calling the game. In hindsight this is probably the biggest reason why I braved the 5am hour. Anyway I remember waking up that day in a great mood. It was like waking up on the wrong side of the bed but the exact opposite. As I drank my first cup of coffee and watched the soccer match the power United side started imposing their will on the game. However, in the second half a few moments of brilliance by Blackburn brought them back into the game despite the United attack. I especially remember the brilliance of Blackburn player Yakubu in that game as one of the teams at the bottom of the table knocked off Manchester United. For additional thoughts on the game here are a few quick links.

1. Yakubu penalty kick (link)
2. BBC Breakdown of the game (link)
3. Lineups (link)

Anyway, after the game I remember thinking how much fun the EPL game was. As this match came in the earlier days of my soccer journey it is a day I come back to from time to time. This day also stands out as I got to go to the Asian art museum in San Francisco later that morning to ring their giant Buddhist bell to ring in the new year.

Thank you for going down that rabbit hole with me (link).

Now…on to the 2017-2018 season!

As usual in the EPL, there are about five or six teams with a realistic shot at winning the league this season. And while I agree that it is kind of a bummer if your favorite team is not in that group it is still better than a lot of the European leagues where the race is between two, or in many cases, one team. Of course the beauty of international club soccer is that even if your favorite team is not competing for the title all of your matches count as you try to avoid relegation.

After a little bit of research here are my predictions for the 2017-2018 EPL Season.

2017-2018 Final EPL Predictions

1. Manchester City

2. Chelsea

3. Tottenham

4. Arsenal

5. Manchester United

6. Liverpool

7. Everton

8.  West Ham

9, Newcastle

10. Leicester City

11. Stoke

12. Crystal Palace

13. Bournemouth

14. Southampton

15. Swansea

16. West Brom

17. Brighton

18. Watford

19. Burnley

20. Huddersfield

So for the record I have Manchester City winning the league this year. Sadly this is the year we say goodbye to Watford, Burnley, and newly promoted Huddersfield Town. Don’t worry Huddersfield, you will always have this memory (link).

Players To Watch

1. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)- my pick for player of the year

2. Paul Pogba (Manchester United)- disappointed a bit last year..but ready to bounce back (link)

3. Wayne Rooney (Everton)- the legend going back to his boyhood club is must watch TV.

4. Javier Hernandez (West Ham)- Chicharito is on the Hammers?!?

5. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)- I put him on the list every year because of his creative passing abilities (link)

6. Harry Kane (Tottenham)- I was torn between writing down Kane who most fans know and Dele Alli..but I already got a clip of Alli so here is a shout out for Kane.

As usual, feel free to post your comments and thoughts in the box below. I look forward to an exciting season.

 

Long time blog readers might remember a column where I listed my Top Ten NBA Players of all time (link). However, times change and so do lists. I am going to condense that ten player list into a top 5…but you will get video highlights for each player unlike last time.

Keep in mind, this is not necessarily a list of the five greatest basketball players of all time. Instead it is a list of my favorite guys to watch. I am happy to listen to any comments or lists that you might have.

Without further ado…here is the list.

5) Dirk Nowitzki (link)

4) Isiah Thomas (link)

 

3) Kevin Garnett (link)

2) Michael Jordan (link)

1) Larry Bird (link)

It is good to be back in the blog world after an extended absence. I wasn’t sure if/ when I would be back, but I knew when I woke up this morning that I was in the mood (Talib Kweli- In the Mood) to write.

I am excited to be reprising one of my favorite columns this evening, Song of the Summer. For those of you who didn’t read my post in 2015 about the birth of the Song of the Summer, here is a quick recap. Back in 1998 (already nineteen years ago?!?) my great friend Michael Ravina and I were in his pool, enjoying the Summer, and talking about whatever soon to be sophomores in High School talk about. In our case the conversation inevitably revolved around sports, getting our license, and the game of ping pong.  This particular afternoon was a hot one so we decided we would be in the pool for much of the afternoon. Our favorite radio station at the time, 106.1 KMEL, seemed to be playing a new track quite a bit. That song was Ghetto Superstar (link) by Pras, Maya, and ODB. The two of us enjoyed the song so much that on the spot we anointed it “the song of the Summer.” Basically each Summer one track would be called Song of the Summer and with the playing of that song a story for a particular time period could be recited.

One of the interesting parts about this tradition is that each Summer a track tends to emerge. This Summer one track emerged fairly early on and I knew it would be the song of the Summer. The song was Goosebumps by Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar.

For those of you who may have been living under a rock for the last couple of months, Kendrick Lamar is legit. Kendrick Lamar is a hip hop artist who raps about his experiences growing up and is just incredibly smooth on all of his tracks. For more information about Kendrick Lamar check out his website (link)
. 

The first memories that come to mind when I play this song are of me playing this song on my way to my Summer administrative classes, and listening to this track with a Peet’s ice coffee as I ride around Terra Linda checking out the architecture and different neighborhoods. On several occasions I also used this track as a pump up song on my way to play noon time basketball at the YMCA.

It will be interesting to see what song emerges next year in the 20th annual song of the Summer. 

It is that time of the year once again…it’s time for my yearly EPL predictions. With the kickoff of the 2016-2017 season a mere five and a half hours away, I felt I would weigh in with some of my thoughts.

Last year was another exciting season in the most prestigious league in the world. Leicester City, who was once ranked at 5,000 to 1 odds to win the title, came from out of nowhere to stun the soccer world and capture their first EPL title. I had them finishing 19th…so yeah…I got that one wrong. However, I did say to those who follow the blog to watch out for big seasons from Harry Kane and Georginio Wijnaldum which I did get right.

Before I get to the power ranking and final table prediction I have a quick tangent I want to go off on. I was not happy with this years Euro Cup. Despite great coverage from ESPN and an expanded field, the product was simply not enjoyable. Teams, such as the eventual champion Portugal, played cagey, defensive soccer. There was no real ambition or desire to go forward and stretch the opponent. Teams simply played conservative and waited huge chunks of time for one opportunity to counter attack. Many countries flat out parked the bus in front of the goal and waited for a shootout. Quite simply it was not the type of soccer I enjoy watching. I had high hopes for Euro 2016, but I was ultimately let down.

However, I am ever the optimist and I firmly believe that those lame tactics will not tarnish and destroy the EPL product and that we will see consitent, exciting soccer this season. And now, without further delay, I unveil the final table for the 2016-2017 EPL season.

2016-2017 Final Table Predictions

1. Manchester United
2. Arsenal
3. Manchester City
4. Chelsea
5. Tottenham
6. Liverpool
7. West Ham
8. Everton
9. Leciester
10. Stoke
11. Southampton
12. Middlesbrough
13. AFC Bournemouth
14. West Brom
15. Crystal Palace
16. Watford
17. Burnley
18. Sunderland
19. Swansea
20. Hull

So for the record we have Manchester United winning the title. Arsenal, Man City, and Chelsea will qualify for Chapmions League. And, sadly, Sunderland, Swansea, and Hull will be relegated. It is especially painful for me to put Swansea in the relegation category because I have really enjoyed watching them play the past few years. However, I just do not see enough talent on Swansea’s roster to see them doing very much this season. I did pick Leciester to finish 19th last year so you just never know.

Players to Watch 2016-2017

1. Paul Pogba
2. Sergio Aguero
3. Romelu Lukaku
4. Mesut Ozil
5. Saido Berahino

 

 

There is really no way around it. I suppose I should search for some deep analogy, or profound reason why this is so…but instead I am just going to come right out and say it. I love disco! There is an energy around the genre that is inescapable, and I am left with the realization each time that I listen that the disco bands in the 1970’s were just plain cool. From the outrageous outfits, to the memorable beats the genre is just infectious and makes you feel good.

And as I share my love for disco, I think it is important to note that the absolute apex on the cool-o-meter was the late 1976 release of the song Disco Inferno by The Trammps.

Disco Inferno would have been a tour de force on its own, but the song became even more recognizable and popular as it was paired/ featured prominently in the movie Saturday Night Fever (link). The song seemed to speak for an entire generation, and as the beat played one seems to be swept away in the
times.

Breaking down the video is another favorite pastime of mine. A few things that stood out on my most recent viewing of the video. In case you wanted to follow alon
g and do the same (link)

1. Those outfits!- The creamsicle tuxedos are amazing. If one
   were to ask what the perfect blend of orange and white looked like I would have to direct them to this video. The shoes are also incredibly polished and accentuate the entire outfit. It is also an amazing feat that all members of the group match perfectly.
2. The dance moves- Very simple yet incredibly fitting for this video. Lots of 1-2 steps and finger wagging. Not exactly Michael Jackson doing the robot in Dancing Machine…but still pretty impressive.
3. The Dance Floor- When you can include that much orange in a video shoot you have to consider it a win. I also like the lights that are lining the orange and black stage.

Here are some additional links in case you haven’t gotten enough of the cultural phenomenon.

1. Disco Inferno extended version (link)
2. Scene from Saturday Night Fever (link)
3. Featured on Soul Train (link)
4. Soul Train Part 2 (link)
5. Wondering around New York (link)
6. In New Jersey in 2005 (link)

Although I listed to a lot of hip hop music growing up, I consider Rage Against the Machine to be one of my major musical influences growing up. I still remember walking around the College of Marin campus listening to The Battle of Los Angles on my disc-man.

When I transferred to the University of San Diego my roommate Paul and I would spend long minutes looking through our CD collections before always deciding to play some Rage as we got pumped up for our intramural basketball games. Along with Red Hot Chili Peppers Rage was the most common choice of music to be playing when we would have people over at our Lido Court house in San Diego.

To this day I still enjoy going through the catalog and rocking out to different songs in the collection. And the amazing thing about Rage is that, with a few exceptions towards the end of Renegades, all of their songs are good.

However, I am a man who enjoys lists and power rankings. So with that as a backdrop, I decided to examine which songs were truly the cream of the crop in the Rage Against the Machine discography. As always this list is just my personal opinion. Feel free to chime in with your own favorite songs or albums. Is there a song that was a noticeable snub? The list will go from 10 to 1…with 1 being the top song in the collection.

Top 10 Rage Against the Machine Songs

10) Born of a Broken Man (link)- One of my most listened to Rage songs. I used to listen to this song a lot my junior year of high school. My brother would often complain that I would wake him up by playing this song first thing in the morning.

9) Voice of the Voiceless (link)- Another track from the brilliant album The Battle of Los Angeles. 

8) Killing in the Name (link)- One of the all time Rage hits. When I saw Rage Against the Machine at Rock the Bells a few years back they came out to this song. The crowd went absolutely ballistic upon hearing the opening chords.

7) Revolver (link)- One of the more under rated Rage songs on the album Evil Empire. 

6) Calm Like a Bomb (link)- The track is amazing, and I also appreciate the use of the oxymoron in the title.

5) Roll Right (link)- Great baseline. Great song. Great band.

4) Bulls on Parade (link)- Probably the biggest hit from a group that made nothing but hits. What an amazing song to get you fired up for something. I like listening to this song before my men’s league basketball games.  Sure I get some strange looks in the parking lot, but the gym knows I mean business.

3) Township Rebellion (link)- I always liked this song but it wasn’t until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa that it vaulted into the elite status for me. As people around the world noticed South Africa during this tournament…Rage kept delivering their message of standing up to injustice and oppression. The song highlights historical inequalities within the country that are important to remember.

2) Down Rodeo (link)- Another Rage song which highlights the inequalities within a country. In this instance the country is the United States and the inequality comes in the form of economic injustice. Rage always had a social conscious which was important to me as I was coming up in the world.

1)  Wake Up (link)- Perhaps a bit of a surprise at the top spot. Wake Up has long been one of my all time favorite songs. The message of being vigilant and being an informed citizen speaks to me. The dangers of giving up your rights is a powerful one. And then there is the final scene of the movie The Matrix which uses this song to perfection. That also helps in any power ranking. (link)

I love hip hop. The genre has always been something that I have been attracted to. I grew up listening to 2Pac, Wu Tang Clan, and DMX. Many of my all time favorite formative memories involve hip hop in some capacity. So even trying to create a favorite hip hop artist or song list was always going to be impossible. I think in the end my endless love for the genre is why I decided to make this a top 5 list instead of a top 10. If I had pushed this list to ten then I would have felt like there would have been some noticeable slights. However, with only five songs to pick as the elite of the elite I didn’t have to feel bad about hurting feelings and I could really focus on what the all time slappers were. 

I am sure that this list will cause a lot of debate and second guess….which is the point. I would love to hear what your favorite hip hop tracks of all time are. Please feel free to post your fave five in the comment section below.

The list will go from 5 to 1 (with one being the greatest/ most influential track of them all).

5) M.O.P- Ante Up (link)

4) The Game and 50 Cent- Hate It or Love It (link)

3) Mobb Deep- Shook Ones Part II- (link)

2) Snoop Dogg- Gin and Juice (link)

1) Wu Tang Clan- CREAM (link)

What I noticed about the list is that a lot of the songs are at least ten years old. In addition, a majority of the top 5 songs came from East Coast rappers. I considered a number of Snoop Dogg songs when I first started thinking about the list (Gin and Juice was always going to make it…but a few others were cuts that just missed out).

Thoughts? Comments? Clear snubs?