YA HEARD: The top 10 Ya Heard moments of the year

"I'm going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!"

-- Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift's VMA speech

Happy Holidays! As 2009 comes to a close it is time for the annual Top 10 Ya Heard Moments of the Year. Taking a look at the highs and lows of popular culture, sit back and enjoy this year end review of the year that was 2009 in entertainment.

#10: Eminem Returns -- Eminem made a triumphant return to hip-hop this year when he released his first album since 2004. His 'Relapse' LP went on to sell close to two million records and served as a reminder to just how lyrically gifted the Detroit emcee is.

#9: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II -- Wu Tang Clan member, Raekwon, brought some long overdue gritty hip-hop to the game this year after finally dropping his highly anticipated 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II' album. With the help of his Wu bandmates and some additional assistance from Dr. Dre, Rae was able to recapture some of the energy from 'Cuban Linx one' and produce another hip-hop gem.

#8: B.I.G. -- The hip-hop biopic of the late Notorious B.I.G. hit theaters nationwide earlier this year and was everything that it was hyped up to be. Giving fans a glimpse into the meteoric rise and untimely death of Christopher Wallace, the movie turned out to be a huge success as it grossed $21.5 million in its first weekend on the big screen.

#7: Kanye West/Taylor Swift -- Kanye West received some much deserved backlash from fans after he rudely interrupted Taylor Swift's award acceptance speech at this year's Video Music Awards. West, feeling that Beyonce' should have won the award for Best Female Video instead of Swift, rushed the stage and took the microphone away from the country music star so that he could share his thoughts. The event caused Kanye to acknowledge that he needed to take a break from some of his more rambunctious ways.

#6: 50 Cent vs. Rick Ross -- In one of the most heated hip-hop beefs in quite some time, hip-hop's self proclaimed "bad guy", 50 Cent, targeted one of hip-hop's newest talents, Rick Ross. Following last year's revelation that Ross was once a Corrections Officer, 50 Cent charged Ross as being a fraud. 50 even went as far as filming the time he spent with Ross's children and ex-girlfriend on numerous occasions in an attempt to ruin the newcomer's image.

#5: Generation Hip-Hop had the honor of witnessing the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, sworn into office. In one of the most watched and attended inaugurations in United States history, the candidate that so many young and old citizens elected into office officially moved into the White House this year.

#4: Jay Z -- Just as fine champagne, Jay Z proved that he only gets better with time. On the heels of releasing "The Blueprint 3," Jay Z and Alicia Keys made history when they performed "Empire State of Mind" before Game Two of this year's World Series. While hip-hop acts have long been a part of many other professional sports, this was the first time that a hip-hop act was given a stage to perform on at the World Series.

#3: Tiger's image takes a hit … with a nine iron -- This one occurred late in the year, but it was a doozy. Tiger Woods made headlines when it was reported that he was involved in a one-car accident last month. The details surrounding the accident made the public very suspicious as to what was the real cause behind the "accident." Tiger would eventually make a public apology to his family for some "transgressions" that he regretted. This bit of media scandal at the expense of the clean cut Tiger Woods came as a surprise to many.

#2: Rihanna -- The media went wild last February when it was reported that R&B singer Chris Brown had physically assaulted his R&B girlfriend Rihanna following an argument that the couple had. When police released photos of the injuries sustained by Rihanna at the hands of Brown, many began to discuss the issue of domestic abuse. It was quite amazing that amidst so many other newsworthy moments, the aftermath of this story continued to be in headlines for a majority of the year.

#1: Drumroolllll -- The Death of a King -- The world was shaken this year when news began to spread about the death of Michael Jackson. Arguably the greatest entertainer ever, the worldly influence Michael Jackson made in this world became very clear upon his death. As the voice of two generations, the unfortunate loss of Michael Jackson is the #1 Ya Heard Moment of 2009.

So there you have it; hope you enjoyed 2009 and until next year … Peace!!!

Dennis Winn can be reached at 703-200-4928 or YaHeard40@gmail.com.