It's hard to sum up my 2009 in a better way than that picture; Gucci Mane, the CEO of So Icey Entertainment/1017 Brick Squad Records. The Warner Bros. signed emcee was one of 2009's two breakthrough hip-hop artists (the other being Drake, of "Best I Ever Had" fame), and within this one year, he dropped a total of six official mixtapes, one official album, one unendorsed album, and countless bootleg mixtapes. And he only got out of jail in July of that year, so he did all that in a mere five months before returning to prison AGAIN in November for a parole violation. Yes, a strong work ethic still pays off in 2009, and hopefully now, in 2010. However, although he dominated the year, he wasn't the only artist to release music I enjoyed; in fact, 2009 was one of the best years for music in recent memory.
