Although Skillz has one of the dumbest names in rap this side of Canibus or (let’s be honest) Snoop, he’s a friend of Timbaland’s (hey, there’s another!) and supposedly a ghostwriter to Diddy (check) and many other more popular rappers. (Yikes — we’re just one Bubba Sparxxx away from beating the Palins at this). He named names in a 2000 single and then edited them out before release, but he’s been known to re-insert them when performing the song live.

Just out: his “2008 Rap Up,” which summarizes the events of the past year in hip hop and elsewhere. Choice line: “Kanye? He went for broke / Maybe it should have been called ‘808’s And No Hot Notes.’” (Either that, or the “We in a recession” drenched in T-Pain Autotune.)

Skillz - 2008 Rap Up [clean]

Also featuring local hip hop duo Beetnix.