I look at the choices on the list and see a lot of potential. It basically comes down to Dizzee Rascal and Kanye West.

I voted for West. His album couldn't have dropped at a better time. Not only does it elivate him to supastar producer status (already comparisons to Dr. Dre) but it also shines a light on a talented vocalist in the making.

Dizzee Rascal is in a whole other world (which is what many critics love about his music) and it'll be interesting to see where he goes from here.

Madvillain is even farther out there on the experimental side and Ghostface has seen better days.

I haven't checked out Kanye's album yet. I don't really have that high of expectations for him. I first got introduced to him through Talib Kweli's awful "Quality" album, so he made a bad first impression. Also, Kanye's productions on the Black Album were pretty mediocre. If College Dropout has guest rappers/vocalists, then I'm gonna pass it up completely. If it's just Kanye rapping on it, and if he doesn't even rap that much, then I might download it.

At the risk of being barred from this board, I have to say that Eamon's single "My Baby's Lost," which mines a sample from the classic "I Only Have Eyes for You" to much the same effect as the Fugees' "Zealots" is pretty hot.

I realize he's not EXACTLY hip-hop, but close enough, huh?

c'mon guys no mention of probabbly two of the most slept on albums?That being...
Dj signify-Sleep no more
Tes-x2

That is only naming a couple...madvillainy was great and dizze was great...kanye is ok...tired of the sped up vocal samples.

Signify has put together some of the best uses of the sp1200...incredible!Check it out if u have not!

DJ Signify was kind of a "hey, this is a pretty good albu... what's on TV?" album. Pleasant and competently executed, but without any characteristics that draw me to it specifically.

ok...if two of the best lyricists of our time does not intice you...than you need to go jump back on the juvenile bandwagon.Buck 65 and Sage Francis are writing stories that anyone can relate to...its called reality...and i saw that u were liking that busdriver album...what a joke...u must like the horrific twista album then also.Speed rapping i s a joke...there is no content and it is not even hot.

And anyone who compares dre to kanye west just shows how immature the "new" rap audience is...dre is in the same league as dj premier,pete rock and prince paul...only to name a few of the elite producers....kanye needs at least 2 more incredible albums to reach that level...he does have potential...but come on?

Let me have it i want to hear some comments?

Imprezu21, I completely agree with everything you just posted, although I haven't heard the Busdriver album so I won't comment on it yet. And to O, what exactly is it that makes Mike Skinner the "worst rapper on the planet"? He is definately unorthodox but that does not make him bad! I would classify him in the same realm of rappers like Doseone, Sage Francis and Buck 65. And what is rap essentially other than prose put to a beat?

What is the best rap album so far this year?

Definitely The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free. Brilliant lyrics.... the songs smack into each other... the narrative runs straight through the album... it is great story-telling, and as the moods shift the music tags right along... it's great f---ing theatre is what it is.... this is 10 material

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Originally posted by Imprezu21:


And anyone who compares dre to kanye west just shows how immature the "new" rap audience is...dre is in the same league as dj premier,pete rock and prince paul...only to name a few of the elite producers....kanye needs at least 2 more incredible albums to reach that level...he does have potential...but come on?

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oui!

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Originally posted by Imprezu21:
Dj signify-Sleep no more

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Terrific album. Every time I hear this it goes up in my estimate. I wouldn't put it on the Madvillainy level, though, if only because I can easily think of a few tracks on Sleep No More I can do without, as opposed to Madvillainy. It also gets a bit monotonous towards the end.

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Originally posted by Imprezu21:
i saw that u were liking that busdriver album...what a joke. Speed rapping is a joke...there is no content and it is not even hot.

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Busdriver does rap fast, but I consider him above the speed rapper who goes does monotone lightning-fast under-enunciated raps.

First, he uses the whole spectrum of rapping speed, instead of being a hack speed rapper whose fast raps are his one trick. Second, he's got the one thing that is really lacking in hip hop today: personality. I've heard tons of rappers who have decent or even exceptional technique, but their uninteresting voices make them sound very average. I actually didn't realize how plain rappers' voices are until hearing Busdriver. The lack of personality is especially present among fast rap.

I'm gonna give Signify's album another shot. It never really grabbed me, so I assumed Pitchfork's Rollie Pemberton had screwed up yet again (he's still better than Sam Chennault). Now it's summer, so maybe it will sound better.

Sage and Buck aren't bad, but I don't consider them a draw for me.

are you sure you got your facts straight buck....pitchfork rated it at 8.7...as in exceptional...almost every review i have read says the same thing...very good to great...in saying that i do not buy albums base dof reviews.That takes the fun out of it.If u want to hear some more progressive rap check out dalek...he has to be one of the most creative and inventfull rappers out there.But i am sure you are not quite into making music that pgresses the artform?Its called pushing boundaries...and it should be respected.As far as unique voices...have u heard buck 65 rap at all...his voice is unlike any other...and his ability to rhyme and tell a story is very impressive.And sage francis' delivery should grab you from the minute you hear him...his non-prophets album with joe beats takes goled era hip-hop and brings it back...and it is very refreshing.If u havent heard that one...i think pitchfork gave it a 9.4 or something like that...since it sounds like u base how much you like an album by what the reviewer says....anyways...not to be mean...just good fun...this is why i love rap and the hip-hop culture!Good day!Sorry for my misspellings.

not to beat a dead horse...but one thing that i totally agree with in the pitchfork...or maybe in the tiny mixtapes review...was the factthat this album has "atmosphere"...there is an ever changing backround that is very nice and compliments the album very well...and also...the album is a constant mix...so if u download the album it may affectt the timing in between tracks...just to state the obvious!

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Originally posted by Imprezu21:
are you sure you got your facts straight buck....pitchfork rated it at 8.7...as in exceptional...

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Yes. He meant that he assumed Pemberton screwed up by saying it was good, because he personally didn't like it at all (Buck, if you're reading this, I highly recommend you listen to it again, though I can see why someone wouldn't get into it).

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i think pitchfork gave it a 9.4 or something like that...

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9.2, actually. You might be thinking of Madvillainy.

So far, gotta give the edge to The Pretty Toney Album. Madvillain is so almost there, but, damn, I wish some of the songs were longer. I know that's kind of the point, but I'm selfish and I want Accordion to be a 5 minute jam.

And The Streets is not hip-hop, it's UK Garage with spoken-word narrative over it. Plus, there are some really shitty tracks on it. I thought Original Pirate Material was a stronger album.

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Originally posted by MattChesnut:
I thought Original Pirate Material was a stronger album.

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Me too, even though I don't really think there are any shitty tracks on A Grand. Which ones are you talking about?

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Originally posted by Vykromond:

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Originally posted by MattChesnut:
I thought Original Pirate Material was a stronger album.

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Me too, even though I don't really think there are any shitty tracks on _A Grand_. Which ones are you talking about?

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"Get Out Of My House" and "Such a Twat" are two that come to mind. They seem to exist solely to extend the narrative and are pretty lifeless musically. "Not Addicted" leaves something to be desired. And couldn't "It Was Supposed To Be So Easy" have been better mixed? Skinner's voice is pretty raw on that track. I do like the horns there, though. At any rate, "Empty Cans" is worth the price of admission. Damn, that there is some pretty sound.

I would say the new Streets album IS hip-hop whereas the first album was more akin to UK Garage with spoken word over it. I enjoy both albums quite a lot, although there are a couple of tracks on the first album that I still skip every time! Song 2 is unbearable. The new album is much more cohesive.

Lot of great choices on that list, personal fav would have to be the Cee-Lo, he just flows so damn well!