Post lists on Hip-Hop this year, or just generally drop your thoughts on the genre in 2007.

Albums of the Year

1. EL-P - I'll Sleep When You’re Dead
2. Zeph & Azeem - Rise Up
3. Cunninlynguists - Dirty Acres
4. Brother Reade - Rap Music
5. Kanye West - Graduation

6. Jay-Z - American Gangster
7. Lifesavas - The Gutterfly
8. Wax Tailor - Hope & Sorrow
9. Little Brother - Getback
10. Killah Priest - The Offering

11. Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams
12. Cap D - Return of the Renegade
13. Witchdoctor - Diary of an American
14. Lupe Fiasco - The Coolest
15. NYG’z - Welcome to G-Dom

16. Marco Polo - Port Authority
17. Wiley - Playtime is Over
18. Blu & Exile - Below The Heavens
19. Common - Finding Forever
20. Hell RAZAH - Razah’s Ladder

Debuts of the Year

1. Zeph & Azeem - Rise Up
2. Brother Reade - Rap Music
3. Marco Polo - Port Authority
4. Blu & Exile - Below The Heavans
5. NYG'z - Welcome to G-Dom
6. Theory Hazit - Extra Credit
7. Example - What We Made
8. Dubbledge - The Richest Man in Babylon
9. Hell RAZAH - Renaissance Child
10. Percee P - Perseverance

In general, probably not as good as last year but plenty of decent releases nonetheless. Problem is, besides the Cunninlynguists and EL-P releases, there were no releases that could be seen as 'classics'.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Turenne,

Hmmm. I'll have to think it over a little. I've listened to the new Wu-Tang a couple times and was really pleasantly surprised by it. So we'll see where that ends up placing.

All I know is that Pharoahe Monch is at the top.

Cool, this should be interesting. I was a bit let down with hip-hop/rap this year, though I still found some really good albums. I am still waiting for Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool before I even begin to finalize my overall list. I will make a genre list and post it here though.

So far, I have two hip-hop/rap albums in my top 20 and last year I had four. That’s not a huge difference (then again it is) but it just seems like a much thinner year—for me. But like Turenne said, in general it probably isn’t as good as last year but there still was some enjoyable stuff.

I haven’t gotten around to hearing the Cunninlynguists album; I guess I need to now.

quote:

Originally posted by Portable Joystick:
Hmmm. I'll have to think it over a little. I've listened to the new Wu-Tang a couple times and was really pleasantly surprised by it. So we'll see where that ends up placing.

All I know is that Pharoahe Monch is at the top.

I was actually considering doing 'greatest disapontments of 2007', and putting Desire right on top. He just isn't the same MC as he was when he was in Organised Konfusion, and there are some truly awful tracks on his latest.

One very good thing about the last couple of years is the sheer amount of quality debut albums.

Popmatters Best Hip-Hop of 2007 just justifies my love for those Blu & Exile and Zeph & Azeem albums.

quote:

Originally posted by Turenne:
I was actually considering doing 'greatest disapontments of 2007', and putting Desire right on top. He just isn't the same MC as he was when he was in Organised Konfusion, and there are some truly awful tracks on his latest.

Absolutely disagree. It's hands down the best hip hop record this year. I love the clever parodies and sly jokes. It totally challenges the pereception that rawk d00dz have of never giving hip hop artists credit for being able to parody. Like, if you think the "club" songs on this record are intended as "club" songs, you need to listen a little closer. Plus, he's still a great MC. I don't know that I've heard a better line than "Slave to a label but I own my mastersStill a slave to my label but I own my masters" this year.

quote:

Originally posted by Turenne:
Debuts of the Year
3. Wax Tailor - Hope & Sorrow

actually, this isn't his debut. 2005's Tales of the Forgotten Melodies is.

quote:

Originally posted by brainofp:

quote:

Originally posted by Turenne:
Debuts of the Year
3. Wax Tailor - Hope & Sorrow

actually, this isn't his debut. 2005's Tales of the Forgotten Melodies is.

Yeah I was winging it a bit with the debuts, hopefully the rest are correct.

quote:

Originally posted by Portable Joystick:

quote:

Originally posted by Turenne:
I was actually considering doing 'greatest disapontments of 2007', and putting Desire right on top. He just isn't the same MC as he was when he was in Organised Konfusion, and there are some truly awful tracks on his latest.

Absolutely disagree. It's hands down the best hip hop record this year. I love the clever parodies and sly jokes. It totally challenges the pereception that rawk d00dz have of never giving hip hop artists credit for being able to parody. Like, if you think the "club" songs on this record are intended as "club" songs, you need to listen a little closer. Plus, he's still a great MC. I don't know that I've heard a better line than "Slave to a label but I own my mastersStill a slave to my label but I own my masters" this year.

My most remembered line on Desire (for all the wrong reasons) is this...

quote:

We never had a mutual relationship with Washington
Why? Because I believe they put the virus in the latex

Its not even the fact that its some pathetic conspiracy theory, its so insincere which is a cardinal sin in Hip-Hop.

After Lets Go the album falls apart imo, with second rate insipid R'n'B mixing with some of the most annoying god awful songs ever.

I have to admit, I could barely muster the enthusiasm to listen to Desire a third time. It starts brightly enough, but I'd agree with Turenne that the last 4 or 5 songs are really weak. And Welcome To The Terrordome is so unbelievably lazy. I mean come on... your first album in what, 8 years, and you don't even have enough material for a 13 track album? Unless you're going to do something radical with a cover version, like Tricky did with Black Steel, why bother? Particularly when you're covering PE. I was actually embarrassed for him. Really disappointing comeback.

Pharoahe Monche's "What It Is" is one of the strongest lyrical songs I've heard in a couple of years.

I mean, the opening line, "Raps like Star Wars except only the stars die and there are no sequels, beat three cases, see three P.O.'s"

Welcome To Terrordome is a really well done cover, IMO, and he does have his own verse at the end of the song. It's nice to see modernization of a classic, and, as for the argument of "laziness", hip-hop has been built from other peoples ideas. That's what I like about it. For all the "beef"'s, hip-hop is a very open forum type of musicianship, where beats are taken, lines are tailored, and everyone works towards the hip-hop nirvana. I agree there are a few too many R&B heavy cuts, but the production is generally top-notch.

I'm not ready for my hip-hop list yet, but Pharoahe Monche will be near the top.

Yeah, there are a few decent tracks on the album, but, on the whole, I wasn't impressed. And, for the record, I really dislike the Public Enemy cover. I'll be posting my list soon.

We should also do songs do you guys want to make a new thread or just include them here?

Lifesavas isn't a debut either.. they had a cd out in 2003 called Spirit in Stone.. it was pretty good.

And neither is Black Milk's popular demand...lol

Yeah I forgot about Sound of the City.Really should have done some research...

BTW Black Milk has just dropped Caltriot, a mixtape with west coast artists. Supposed to be pretty nice.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Turenne,

what about clipse?

quote:

Originally posted by im so indie:
what about clipse?

What about em?

The brilliant Hell Hath No Fury came out at the end of last year.

quote:

Originally posted by Turenne:
The brilliant Hell Hath No Fury came out at the end of last year.

i have seen it pop up on some british top albums lists for 2007 - i think it is just this year being released oversees. so, maybe he is from europe?

speaking of clipse - any thoughts on the his (i don't remember which one of them it was) recent statements regarding lil wayne?

quote:

Originally posted by krugulitis:

quote:

Originally posted by Turenne:
The brilliant Hell Hath No Fury came out at the end of last year.

i have seen it pop up on some british top albums lists for 2007 - i think it is just this year being released oversees. so, maybe he is from europe?

speaking of clipse - any thoughts on the his (i don't remember which one of them it was) recent statements regarding lil wayne?

I'd hardly call it recent, Clipse and Lil Wayne have been beefin' for a whiles now.

Unfortunately, no one really cares. I think Clipse has got all bases covered as far as "truest to the game" goes, but, by the same coin, Lil Wayne more fun. I still don't know why Da Drought 3 is making such a big showing this year though, it's STILL just a mixtape!