Thank de lawd—2008 is finally behind us. Death, pink slips, and bullshit; I'm ready for the new-new. But first, some regrets. I dropped the ball on a couple of shows I said I'd get into the column, and I certainly regret that—but maybe even more than that, I regret how much this column has turned into a weekly show calendar. In 2009, I pledge to be the change that I want to see.

I regret to say that rap sucks in 2008, just as DJ Shadow said it did 10 years ago—but I still don't need a haole to tell me that, word to my man Samson Spears! Maybe my local/homey bias is showing right now, but my favorite hiphop albums came out of Seattle this year: Mingle by the Saturday Knights, Die Already by the Gigantics, and of course White Van Music by Jake One. Carter III? Kanye? Nigga, please!

I'd regret being you if you're not a 'net-savvy lover of local hiphop, because a lot of the best shit this year was free. Complimentary downloads were rampant, with J.Pinder, Grynch, and many more giving away fire-ass mixtapes/EPs to anybody who could type in a browser window, Sportn' Life putting an EP's worth of D.Black B-sides up for download, and even Type making his first two albums free for all. Shit, Dyme Def is right now giving out a song a week for free, and they're all heatstrokes. This trend will only continue, so keep your eyes to the plethora of blogs devoted to local arts 'n' crafts—off the top: www.blogsiswatching.com, www .drop-bomb.com, and of course my shit, the very first Seattle rap weblog, www.rain drophustla.blogspot.com (I do regret patting myself on the back right there, but I'll live).

Ah, but the shows—you do have to talk about the shows! Check it out: Get a double dose of The Corner this month—December 26 wear your new gear to the Rendezvous to see Nite Owls, Orbitron, Ripynt, Jonnie Storm, and Mr. Hill; then do New Year's Eve the right way at ArtWorks (923 S Bayview in Sodo) with Candidt, Grayskul, Xperience, Spaceman, and Brotha Brown. Of course some of you might hit the Presidents of the United States of America show at the Paramount on NYE that Vince Mira and the Saturday Knights are rocking. (Cut the check, Meinert!) Recuperate for a day, then definitely hit Nectar on January 2 for One Be Lo (it'll be about that cold anyway), Othello, Spaceman, and Helladope—fire for the (cold) people. On January 7, Nectar hosts a double CD release for PDXers Mic Crenshaw and Serge Severe, plus Onry Ozzborn, Animal Farm, Orbitron, and DJ Wicked.

One thing I don't regret: getting the opportunity to write this column for the last four years. I don't do it for the money (ha!), and I don't do it for the status (double ha!). I do this because I love Seattle hiphop—and, I suppose, the sound of my own voice. See you guys next year.