The watered-down, sanitized version of Dr. Martin Luther King's message has too often permeated the discourse of racial equality, usually perpetuated by people who could care less about the content of one’s character. The people who laud him without understanding the complexities of the man and his message do a disservice to his legacy and the continuing work of social justice that remains to be done.

We know it's late, but our legion of rabid followers probably won't mind. So without further ado, we proudly present our favorite tracks of 2009. Consider it a gift from a friend. A friend that, while admittedly obsessed with hip-hop, can appreciate the peculiarity of Lady Gaga just as much as the dopeness of Raekwon. Pretensions and myopic notions aside, the list simply attempts to display what made our heads nod the most.

Kanye West is no stranger to bad publicity. Sure, the most recent incident — the Kanye West/Taylor Swift MTV Video Music Awards fiasco— caused quite the storm, but is it the craziest we’ve seen from Kanye in recent memory?