Kanye West – Late Registration (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
Guest List: John Mayer, GLC, Consequence John Legend, Keyshia Cole
Release Date : Late June
Reason 2 Anticipate: We get to watch Kanye argue his way to the top for a second time. Plus, there’ll be another dime in one of those videos that follow. Oh and the gold chain that accompany every major release these days.
Little Brother – The Minstrel Show (Atlantic)
Guest List: Joe Scudda, Yazarah, Elzhi(Slum Village)
Release Date: Quarter 3 or 2005
Reason 2 Anticipate: Big Pooh promises to awaken us like a spring mattress. 9th Wonder has been labeled the Pete Rock of our generation, and Phonte’s “tailor-made” flow is still intact.
Custom Made – Pillow Talk (Custom Made)
Guest List: Mobb Deep, Jedi Mind Tricks, Inspectah Deck
Reason 2 Anticipate: There’s always a mystique factor about a relatively unknown group with sparkling prospects. Every West Coast MC has been on the same mission for the past 8 years – to resurrect the West. This lyrical powerhouse is doing it with a unique approach – they strip their sound off the conventional heavy bass line, and focus on catchy hooks and dazzling lyrical content, laid over jazzy beats.
Common – BE (Geffen)
Guest List: John Legend, Bilal, Kanye West(as if you didn’t know that already)
Release Date: Late May
Reason 2 Anticipate: Comm is supposed to tell us how and why he fell in love with Erykah on this record. And since he calls it ‘feel-good music’, it’s supposed to help relieve symptoms of depression.
Styles P – Time Is Money (Ruff Ryders/Interscope)
Guest List: Talib Kweli, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch,(the usual suspects), Mario Winans, JE
Release Date: May 24
Reason 2 Listen: D-Block is set to unleash their 125th official 50 Cent diss song on SP’s album. The Ghost is expected to float all over the record in what’s possibly the more versatile of his two solo efforts.
Saigon – The Greatest Story Never Told(Fort Nox/Atlantic)
Guest List: Saigon, Saigon, & Saigon
Reason 2 Anticipate: Sai got “the bowtie flow; he’ll bring it to your neck” Although, Alchemist and Scram Jones are slated to bless Saigon’s project, it’ll be interesting to see how he can maintain his razor sharp lyrical edge over club-ready Just Blaze production.
Sean Price - Monkey Barz (Boot Camp)
Guest List: 9th Wonder, Buckshot, Steele, Ruste Juxx, Flood.
Release Date: May 26
Reason 2 Anticipate: “’l'll send your ass to heaven, muthafucka ask about ‘Pac” His combination of wit and lyricism make the craft look so easy. His style is like a manual “Hip Hop 4 Dummies”
Buckshot & 9th Wonder - Chemistry (Boot Camp)
Guest List: MC Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh, L.E.G.A.C.Y., Joe Scuddah
Release Date: May 24
Reason 2 Listen: We can’t get enough of these 100% 9th Wonder records; So far, they’ve all successfully gone plastic. But those collabos are diamond to Hip Hop heads. Monkey Barz and Chemistry are the 2/3 of the Duck Down tripple threat this year. Hi-Tek and Steele complete the cypher with Smif ‘n’ Wessun Reloaded slated for a late June release.
Fat Joe – All or Nothing or Things of That Nature(Atlantic) or whatever he decides to go with next
Guest List: Nelly, Mashonda, Mase and Eminem, All Terror Squad affiliates, dead or alive.
Release Date: May 24
Reason 2 Listen: To find out what the final album title will be. Also, Joey will attempt to protect his NY Crown – the one he won last year for “Most Improved Rapper”
AZ - Final Call (Universal)
Guest List: Tony Sunshine, CL Smooth, Rell, Ron G
Release Date: Never
Reason 2 Listen: AZ’s non-stop flow, “Magic Hour”, another “Quiet Money” song, and the fact that fans will discover new ways to sleep on him again.
Other Highly Anticipated Albums of 2005
The Roots – The Game Theory (Geffen)
Canibus – Mind Control (Babygrande)
Canibus – Hip Hop 4 Sale (Babygrande)
Crooked I – Mama’s Boy Got A Gun (Treacherous)
OutKast – 10 The Hard Way(Arista)
Stat Quo – Statlanta(Shady/Aftermath)
Obie Trice – Murder City(Shady/Interscope)
Cassidy – Personality Change(Full Surface)
Joe Budden – The Growth(Def Jam)
Afu-Ra – State of The Arts
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