I’m rather certain that this Kanye West vs. 50 Cent “battle” is a big marketing stint, especially with all the articles over the past six months about how mainstream rap is stale and its sales are going down. I normally pride myself in my ability to avoid such schemes, both in terms of economic support and press support, but I just can’t resist this one, because if Kanye West does outsell 50 Cent, and 50 Cent does retire – it’d be for the best. Though it’s hard to deny 50 Cent’s ability to grind out an unavoidable club hit that 80% of the population will give into eventually — or the fact that his Formula 50 is my favorite Vitamin Water — Kanye West is simply better. He’s a walking contradiction of cockiness and self-deprecation, and it’s fascinating. Resonator Magazine called him the Dave Eggers of rap, and it’s an incredibly apt comparison.

Kanye West: “Stronger” (download)

What it really comes down to, though, is that anyone who can mess with a song like Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Stronger, Faster” and churn out a result this good deserves to stick around. Even if only because we secretly might want to watch his ego self-destruct.”

Kanye West: “Good Life (download)