In the hip-hop community, no one really wants to be labeled a hater. While I don’t hate Lil Wayne, I am far from a fan. I respect the fact that he has put out more music than any other major hip-hop artist in the last five years and probably has the best work ethic of any rapper not named Tupac Shakur. But is doing your job really worth the iconic status he seems to have achieved? I’m going to have to say no. So at the risk of earning the not-so-superlative hater label, I present to you my Top 3 reasons why a dead Biggie Smalls is better than a living Lil Wayne.

Lil Wayne has been successful but is he really a worthy successor?

Coattails

Sean Combs might be the owner, but Christopher “Biggie Smalls” Wallace, better known as the Notorious B.I.G., is responsible for the Bad Boy Entertainment empire. The considerable wealth Combs amassed thanks to Mr. Wallace’s efforts funded his Sean John clothing line and propelled Puff Daddy to stardom. Diddy got a Grammy for his No Way Out album that featured Biggie on five songs. He also gave Lil Kim, the most popular female rapper of her time, her start.

Lil Wayne started as the youngest member of the Hot Boys on Cash Money Records. He started his own label, Young Money Entertainment, but to my knowledge, his most notable artist is Jae Millz. There are reports that he has been collaborating with and may have signed Drake, a talented young Canadian rapper.

Neither Cash Money Records, nor Jae Millz has matched the success of Bad Boy or Lil Kim respectively.

Diction: Ashy to Classy VS Bling Bling

“Ashy to classy” is the hip-hop version of the phrase “rags to riches” that Notorious B.I.G. popularized on the intro to “Sky’s The Limit,” one of his collaborations with the R&B group 112. “Bling Bling” is Ebonics for diamonds or other shiny jewelry. Ashy to classy is still cool to say after almost 12 years in rotation. Bling bling immediately makes you sound like those elderly baby boomers on the Boost Mobile commercials.

Music

The final and most important factor is the music. Despite recording just two albums (Ready To Die and Life After Death) before being murdered on March 9, 1997, Notorious B.I.G. solidified himself as the King of NY and by extension, hip-hop culture as a whole. Tupac Shakur, also now deceased, was the only comparable hip-hop artist at the time.

Conversely, Lil Wayne has made six studio albums and achieved considerable commercial success, yet still fails to hold any crowns other than Louisiana’s best. Many consider T.I. to be the King of the South and while that is highly debatable considering the fact that Ludacris is more accomplished and more popular in their shared hometown of Atlanta, it is definitely up for discussion as to whether little Wayne deserves to even be mentioned with Jay-Z, Biggie’s successor to the title of best alive.

These were only my Top 3 reasons why I think B.I.G. still reigns supreme. Trust me when I say there are many more (like voice and Wayne’s Auto Tune usage). You can say I’m holding onto the past or I have an East Coast bias. You can even call me hater but I’ll still take a dead Biggie over a living Lil Wayne any day.

A regular weekly bulletin on musical guests playing the five-nights-a-week late night talk shows (and SNL); set your TIVOs or DVRs.

The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
Monday, March 2-Friday, March 6: U2 (pictured, and yes, they are the musical guest every night this week)

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC
Monday, March 2: The Fray
Tuesday, March 3: Bettye Lavette
Wednesday, March 4: Neko Case
Thursday, March 5: Tom Jones
Friday, March 6: Papa Roach

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, CBS
Thursday, March 5: Andrew Bird
Friday, March 6: M. Ward

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, NBC
(Fallon takes the O’Brien torch with The Roots serving as his house band and kicks off his first week with a pretty fatty schedule of A-list guests and performers)
Monday, March 2: Justin Timberlake, Van Morrison
Tuesday, March 3: Jon Bon Jovi, Santogold
Wednesday, March 4: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Thursday, March 5: Ludacris

Last Call with Carson Daly, NBC
Monday, March 2: Melanie Fiona (pictured)
Tuesday, March 3: Charles Hamilton
Wednesday, March 4: Little Boots
Thursday, March 5: Robert Francis
Friday, March 6: N.A.S.A.

Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC
Monday, March 2: New Kids on the Block
Tuesday, March 3: Lil’ Wayne, Robyn
Wednesday, March 4: Oren Lavie
Thursday, March 5: Raphael Saadiq
Friday, March 6: Crooked X

Saturday Night Live, NBC
Saturday, March 7 Ray LaMontagne

No video clips this week since everyone aired reruns last week and because people don’t seem to care about Jimmy Kimmel enough to tape, then YouTube his show. Otherwise, I woulda sicked some Ben Sollee on yer ass. Stay tuned for next week’s clip…

Besting the likes of Lil Wayne and Coldplay, the tandem of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss surprisingly won five statuettes at the 51st annual Grammy Awards last night. Their country-esque Raising Sand took Album of the Year and “Please Read the Letter” bagged Record of the Year. Lil Wayne took home three awards. Here’s a more detailed account.

OK, here’s my list. Stay tuned for Top 10s by Snider and Leilani.

1. Lucinda Williams: Little Honey (Lost Highway)
On Little Honey, alt-country queen Lucinda Williams returns to the more focused, rock-oriented sonics of her breakthrough 1998 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. In doing so, she reveals a newfound sexual confidence (”Honey Bee”) and celebrates domestic bliss (”Tears of Joy”). The singer/songwriter also manages to mine pathos for humor on the superb Elvis Costello duet “Jailhouse Tears.” Williams can still break your heart, though. “Little Rock Star” plays like a much-needed note to Amy Winehouse, penned by a sympathetic female singer who has already survived the perilous, do “whatever it’ll take to get them to listen” phase. Williams closes Little Honey with a fun treat: A surprisingly awesome swamp-rock cover of the AC/DC road warrior anthem “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna to Rock ‘n Roll).”

2. Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III (Cash Money)
Lil Wayne’s stoned, whisper-y flow and high-drama delivery is spellbinding. The dude opens his mouth, and you listen, hanging on each dazzlingly whack rhyme. On Tha Carter III, Weezy’s scattered-brain brilliance is in top form – as is the big budget production that dutifully follows Weezy’s serpentine flow like a hypnotized lover. The New Orleans native’s boasts, observations and musings are weirdly striking at nearly every turn (”I’m a young millionaire, tougher than Nigerian hair.”) Wayne still bulks at straight story telling, but to fault him for this would be like dissing Dali or Picasso for rebuking realism.

3. My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges (ATO)
Genre-hopping indeed rock outfit My Morning Jacket’s juiciest disc to date features a smattering of styles, all of which are rendered outstandingly natural by the Louisville band. There are moments of extreme sadness (”Librarian”) and utmost silliness (”Highly Suspicious.”) Leader Jim James’ versatile voice convincingly sells everything from guitar-blazing, kick drum-intensive arena rock (”Aluminum Park”) to somber country-pop (”Sec Walkin.) Unlike other ultra eclectic offerings, Evil Urges never comes across as show-y. You just get the sense that My Morning Jacket is doing what they love. And doing it damn well.

4. Robyn: Robyn (Konichiwa/Cherry Tree/Interscope)
This year former Swedish pop tart Robyn finally witnessed the U.S. release of her 2005 self-titled disc. Britney and the rest of our countrys’ brain-dead blowup dolls blew Robyn away in terms of sales, but the woman born Robin Miriam Carlsson in 1979 proved the most compelling of the bunch. By far. Over thick disco beats, jittery high hat, deep space bleeps and icy strings, Robyn subverts pop platitudes. She exudes sexiness, smarts, poise and vulnerability in a way rarely seen in a world where hottnes is defined by Paris Hilton.

5. Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 (Columbia)
The magnitude of Dylan’s late-career resurgence is brought into sharp focus here with a collection of “rare and unreleased” tracks recorded between 1989 and 2006. The two-disc set is a dud-free treasure chest featuring previously unreleased gems like the Time Out of My Mind outtake “Red River Shore” (an epic folk tale with spiritual overtones), the unreleased 2005 lament “Can’t Escape From You” and the superior Oh Mercy session version of “God Knows.” Another testament to Dylan’s genius is hearing drastically different “alternate takes” that are every bit as fascinating as the ones that made the final cut. Sequenced judicially, Tell Tale Signs plays like a stellar double-album by popular music’s most vital elder statesman.

6. Gnarls Barkley: The Odd Couple (Downtown/Atlantic)
Gnarls Barkley blew people’s minds with their 2006 debut St. Elsewhere. Its synthesis of producer Danger Mouse’s R&B-rap-future funk-fusion and Cee-Lo’s confessional vocals were unlike anything on the market. The duo’s follow-up, The Odd Couple, lacks a chart-shattering single like “Crazy.” But on balance, the new album is every bit as absorbing as its predecessor. With Danger Mouse’s spooky production egging him on, Cee-Lo continues to explore his fragile psyche and emotional well being, making for a mesmerizing foray into what we’ll call nocturnal soul.

7. The Hold Steady: Stay Positive (Vagrant)
The Hold Steady’s booze-y brand of classic rock for the indie set gets expanded, and frontman Craig Finn’s mouthful vocals become clearer, on Stay Positive, the Brooklyn band’s latest collection of gutter reports and tales of sing along song redemption. It’s a more polished Hold Steady. But a band this splendidly raw benefits from professional touches like pushing the vocals and occasional guitar solo up in the mix. And on “Joke About Jamaica,” we’re treated to the revival of the talk box. Ironic bullshit? Not to my ears.

8. Sonny Landreth: From the Reach (Landfall Records)
For nearly two decades, Sonny Landreth has been one of the most respected guitarists on the planet. But the Louisiana-based artist is also a capable singer/songwriter, and on From the Reach the slide guitar virtuoso shows he’s capable of a studio album that does more than frame his axe achievements. A cohesive blend of bayou rock, blues, jazz and touches of prog (”The Milky way Home’), the disc is a gripping showcase of excellent musicianship and emotive songs. Famous friends Jimmy Buffett, Eric Clapton, Robben Ford, Dr. John, Eric Johnson, and Mark Knopfler all make guest appearances – but no one outshines Landreth, who is at the top of his game here as a triple threat entertainer.

9. Metallica: Death Magnetic (Warner Bros.)
Rick Rubin miraculously returned Metallica to its thrash glory this year, which means the best metal act of the 1980s again reigns supreme. Metallica’s trademark recipe of whiplash-inducing riffs, slippery machine gun rhythms, and burly vocals about the innate horrors of the human existence results in a timeless mode of escapism. Especially for the male species. Glad to have ya back, fellas.

10. Jamey Johnson: That Lonesome Song (Mercury)
With a mighty pen and a gruff, expressive voice that straddles the line between George Jones and Waylon Jennings, singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson has become a key player in the latest movement to return Music City from Rascal Flatts fluff to the mature, sad country songs popularized by the so-called Nashville “outlaws” of the 1970s – most famously, Willie & Waylon. Johnson isn’t afraid to show his manly emotions on songs like the poignant, cocaine cautionary tale “High Cost of Low Living” or while singing about his WWII vet granddaddy (without getting sappy) on “In Color.” And on “Women,” Johnson has a hoot poking a little fun at the fairer sex. It’s country. The way it should be. Johnson performs tonight at Dallas Bull in Tampa.

• Top 20 songs of 2008.

• Honorable mentions: more best songs of 2008.

• 12/19 Update: Top 10 albums of 2008.

• 12/17 Update: Check out “Honorable mentions: More best songs of 2008.”

OK, here’s my list. Look for the CL music team’s Top 10 album lists to be posted Dec. 22-24, to coincide with our Top 10 issue that streets Christmas Eve.

Also, I’ve been seeing M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” popping up on other best-of lists. The song topped my 2007 tally, so I decided to leave her off this year’s – or else the Sri Lankan sensation would have definitely given Weezy a run for his cash money.

1. “Mr. Carter,” Lil’ Wayne (pictured) w/Jay-Z
Lil’ Wayne, the self-proclaimed greatest rapper on earth, lives up to the claim on this amazing free-word association with a world-class hook. Weezy’s distinctive Nawlins locution is wonderfully raspy as he bounces from brilliantly wacky pop-culture references (”Hector Camacho Man Randy Savage”) to outstanding boasts like: “Two words you never hear, ‘Wayne Quit?’/ ‘Cause Wayne win, and they lose/ I call them April babies, ’cause they fools.” Jay-Z’s guest verse is boss, but it’s Weezy’s dramatic delivery and mad genius lyrics that make this song my top pick for ‘08.

2. “Highly Suspicious,” My Morning Jacket
Genre-hopping rockers My Morning Jacket’s foray into funk is a stone-cold winner. Frontman Jim James pulls a Prince, singing falsetto about sexy mysteries like “peanut butter pudding surprise” – without a discernible hint of irony. Oh, yeah, and the thumping, make-you-wanna-hump backbeat is irrepressible.

3. “Slapped Actress,” The Hold Steady
This isn’t the first song in which the indie rank’s fiercest bar band name-checks Ybor City, but it is The Hold Steady’s finest. And that’s saying something considering the gutter glory of “Killer Parties.” On “Slapped Actress,” the band has concocted a guitar-centric, articulate rush of adrenaline that rises and falls like a first-rate arena-rock offering – minus the gloss and lyrical goofiness.

4. “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?,” Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley’s Cee-Lo Green has evolved from an ace rapper to one of the most talented soul singers of his generation. Green’s voice is ragged but right, his phrasing and expressiveness sublime. Credit Danger Mouse for draping Green’s raw vocal in subtle, plucked strings and restrained, hypnotic beats.

5. “Jailhouse Tears,” Lucinda Williams w/Elvis Costello
Williams is the trailer park gal with good sense scolding her “three-time loser” boyfriend (Elvis Costello) in this humorous white trash exchange that also manages to tug at the heartstrings.

6. “Bang! Bang!,” The Knux
The Knux brothers offer a super-catchy cautionary tale about life in their native New Orleans. Unlike Weezy, though, their jubilant sound is more indebted to Outkast – and New Wave – than anything from the Cash Money stable.

7. “White Winter Hymnal,” Fleet Foxes (pictured)
Not since the Beach Boys’ prime have vocal harmonies sounded this sweet. Like a church choir singing its way through an enchanted Pacific Northwest forest, this song is spirits-lifting escapism at its finest.

8. “You Stood Me Up,” Benji Hughes
Like Beck before he got all psychedelic and serious on us, Benji Hughes offers a detailed account of a chick ditching him for another dude. We feel ya, man. And dig those grabby, old-school synth runs.

9. “My Home Is Nowhere without You,” Herman Düne
Spanish guitar, delicate percussion, mariachi horn and angelic background singers frame this gorgeous valentine. It’s emotive, but not over-sung, in English by sharp-eyed Frenchman David-Ivar Herman Düne.

10. “I Got Mine,” The Black Keys
The song starts off as a crushing, garage-rock kiss-off then pulls the listeners into a delightfully trippy carnival tunnel (thanks Danger Mouse) before the guitar fury and raging vocals return with even more face-melting force.

11. “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country,” Randy Newman
Pop music’s crown prince of sarcasm sends up the Bush administration by arguing things could be worse. In doing so, he mentions “Hitler, Stalin, men who need no introduction.”

12. “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution,” The Black Crowes
Just when you thought the Crowes had lost their way on the jam-band circuit, the sibling act returns with a ballsy rocker bolstered by the slashing slide guitar playing of North Mississippi Allstar Luther Dickinson.

13. “Red River Shore,” Bob Dylan
An outtake from Dylan’s 1997 Grammy-winning masterstroke Time Out of Mind, this lovesick epic finds the singer searching the world over for the one fair maiden who brought him solace. On the final verse, he ponders the ways of Jesus, and salvation in general. “Well, I don’t know what kind of language he used,” Dylan somberly intones over mournful accordion. “Or if they do that kind of thing anymore.”

14. “Ur So Gay (And You Don’t Even Like Boys),” Katy Perry (pictured)
Girl-kissing Katy Perry gets sweet revenge with a hilariously savage attack on her indie-rock ex in this horn-enhanced pop ditty. Best line? “You walk around like you’re oh so debonair/ You pull ‘em down, and there’s really nothing there.”

15. “I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory,” Kathleen Edwards
In this breezy country-rock delight, the Canadian singer/songwriter bemoans playing second fiddle to her frontman boyfriend. In doing so, she manages to work formerly feared NHL enforcer Marty McSorley into the song. Very cool.

16. “Rock ‘N Roll Train,” AC/DC
Big, heavy riffs and taut rhythms that swing. It’s AC/DC, back near the top of their game, which means no other contemporary hard-rock act can touch ‘em.

17. “High Cost of Living,” Jamey Johnson
In the style of Waylon Jennings and George Jones, Nashville singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson confesses to a coke habit that nearly cost him everything. This is real country. The way God intended it.

18. “Smiling Underneath,” Ani DiFranco
The sonics are spooky and moody, but the message is one of pure love and devotion. DiFranco tells her man that with him by her side she can stand anything, even a “flaming Christmas wreath” around her neck. Hot stuff.

19. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” Vampire Weekend
What the hell was Paul Simon thinking when he left this off Graceland?

20. “She Left Me for Jesus,” Hayes Carll
A new twist on a timeworn country tradition: His woman left him … But not for Bubba, for Jesus! And now Carll’s gonna kick J.C.’s ass. Blasphemous? Sure. But funny. Very funny.

It’s that time of year again. Time for holiday hoopla. Time for yuletide cheer. Time for year-end best-of lists, especially if you’re that endangered species known as a “working music critic.” This occupation makes me nervous these days. But I love making lists. And mix CDs. Especially for my siblings.

My younger sister Beth is graduating from college in a few days. I can’t make the flight to Colorado. But I’m sending some custom-made CDs with my mom and my other sister Alli to give her. I burned Beth new albums she would like. I then decided to go ahead and tally my favorite songs of 2008, which took about 2.5 hours and several more glasses of wine. I have a print piece on the topic due at 2 p.m. Thursday.

I came up with a working list of 43 tunes tonight that will be whittled down to a nice round number for my music feature that streets Dec. 17. It will be online earlier than that. I stole the word “streets.” And use it whenever I can.

Here are the songs I put on a CD for my lil’ sister. She’s a nurse now. I’m very proud of her. Beth’s chosen profession will come in quite handy for me. My lifestyle is, well, reckless. It worries her. That’s the flip side to having a blood relative in the medical field. I must sound awful. But she understands.

Beth and I dig many of the same artists. That’s one of the numerous advantages of being the eldest child: You play a significant role in the music tastes of your younger siblings. At least I did. That makes me happy. My siblings and parents make me happy. Good music makes me happy. And several other people and things. But enough of that. Here are the tunes.

Beth Mix CD 2008

1. “Bang! Bang!” The Knux
2. “Jailhouse Tears,” Lucinda Williams w/Elvis Costello
3. “Be Mine!” Robyn
4. “Mr. Carter,” Lil Wayne w/Jay-Z
5. “White Winter Hymnal,” Fleet Foxes
6. “Daughters of the Revolution,” The Black Crowes
7. “Ur So Gay,” Katy Perry
8. “You Can’t Count on Me,” Counting Crowes
9. “Smiling Underneath,” Ani DiFranco
10. “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country,” Randy Newman
11. “Highly Suspicious,” My Morning Jacket
12. “Red River Shore,” Bob Dylan
13. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” Vampire Weekend
14. “Slapped Actress,” The Hold Steady
15. “Who’s Gonna Save Your Soul,” Gnarls Barkley
16. “She Loves the Sunset,” Old 97’s
17. “Street of Dreams,” Guns N’ Roses
18. “Outlaw Shit,” Waylon Jennings

The Loaf music staff, Snider and Tatangelo, will be issuing our Top 10 albums of the year later this month, but the ball is already rolling. Here are the year-end best-of lists from Time, New York and England’s The Guardian. Click on the name of each mag and it’ll take you directly to their survey.

Time
1. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
2. TV On The Radio, Dear Science
3. Metallica, Death Magnetic
4. Girl Talk, Feed The Animals
5. Vampire Weekend
6. Kanye West, 808s And Heartbreak
7. Santogold
8. Portishead, Third
9. Lucinda Williams, Little Honey
10. Duffy, Rockferry

New York
1. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
2. TV On The Radio, Dear Science
3. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago
4. Portishead, Third
5. Hercules & Love Affair
6. Santogold
7. Fleet Foxes
8. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
9. Beck, Modern Guilt
10. Vampire Weekend

Guardian
1. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago
2. Amadou and Mariam, Welcome To Mali
3. Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid
4. Glasvegas
5. Kings Of Leon, Only By The Night
6. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular
7. Vampire Weekend
8. Kanye West, 808s And Heartbreak
9. Portishead, Third
10. TV On The Radio, Dear Science