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Hip Hop Vibe’s Honorable Mentions 2013: Justin Timberlake

This past year in hip hop was the year in white excellence and, looking back on it, the game didn’t have a chance. Within days, Justin Timberlake dropped “Suit & Tie,” which became the hottest single of the first half of the year. He also brought Jay-Z back and they ended up making quite the duo, dropping several hit singles.

Justin Timberlake closed the year of 2013 with the highest-selling album of the year with The 20/20 Experience. The album also boasted singles like “Mirrors,” which also became a major single in the year of 2013. But, Justin Timberlake planned to come back from his hiatus in a major way.

After not releasing an album in seven years and being AWOL for six years, he decided to drop two albums. When the fall set in, Justin Timberlake decided to drop The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2). While it didn’t have the impact of the first edition, the album did bring about another hit and the current song of the NBA, “Take Back The Night.”

Justin Timberlake had many memorable moments of 2013, but one of the biggest highlights came in Brooklyn. MTV rededicated itself to hip hop in 2013 and they held the VMAs in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. This arena became home to the Justin Timberlake takeover, as he performed with Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Charlie Wilson, and his NsYNC partners as he went through his long list of hits.

Outside of his solo work, Justin Timberlake stole the show on Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail on the “Holy Grail” single. The song was one of the biggest singles of the year and the third song from Justin Timberlake to crack the top five. All in all, Justin Timberlake had a career year and if he was a hip hop artist, he’d definitely be in the running for the overall artist of the year, but he was destined for at least an honorable mention.

Watch “Suit & Tie” by Justin Timberlake below: