(The following entry is rife with lists and subjective statements. If you’re allergic to annotated recommendations, please consult your doctor before proceeding.)
Contrary to what critics would have you believe, there’s been plenty of good hip-hop music this year. From the rise of promising new acts like Reks and Mickey Factz to the resurgence of OGs like Nas and Bun B, it’s been an eventful year indeed.
With the first 7 months of 2008 now officially behind us, it’s time to take a closer look at the very best hip-hop albums*, songs, mixtapes, and collaborations of the year, so far. And let’s not forget the shitty ones.
Best Rap Albums of the First 7 Months
- When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh*t Gold (Atmosphere)
Having a bad week? Chug down this piece of optimism twice daily and you’re good to go. But beware, one man’s pill is another’s poison. - The Show (eMC) — Concept album done right.
- II Trill (Bun B) — Witness this 35-year old MC’s growing pains and bow.
- Each Dawn I Die (Little Vic) — Truly engaging from cover to outro.
- Then What Happened? (J Live) — A stunning comeback from one of rap’s most creative voices.
- Untitled (Nas) – An intellectually sizzling ride that embodies all the introspective expressionism and unabashedly biting commentary on issues that dominate our daily conversations.
- I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II (Killer Mike) – Pure proof that rage is a virtue.
Mixtapes That Were Better Than Most Albums
- A Mixtape About Nothing, Wale
- The Nigger Tape, Nas & DJ Green Lantern
- Man in the Mirror, Rhymefest & Mark Ronson
- 3rd World, Immortal Technique & DJ Green Lantern
- Hip-Hop Weekly Vol.3, Crooked I
- Da Cameo King, Termanology
Hip-Hopcentric Albums By Non-Rappers That Totally Rocked
- The Odd Couple (Gnarls Barkley) — Second time’s the charm for this odd couple.
- Hard Candy (Madonna) — MILF pop at its enticing best.
- Third (Portishead) — Despite an 11-year hiatus, these trip-hop specialists still know how to rock an album.
- Feed The Animals (Girl Talk) — Rejoice, Kanye. Pop art is very much alive.
- New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (Erykah Badu) — Mama’s got a gun and she knows just how to use it. Bang!
Albums That Were OK But Could Have Been A Lot Better
- Rising Down (The Roots) — Plays well as individual songs, but as an album this fell short.
- Ode to the Ghetto (Guilty Simpson) — As grimy as the city that inspired it. I wanted more diversity though.
- Ego Trippin’ (Snoop Dogg) — Loved the offkilter joints, but the ghostwriting was insultingly blatant.
- HNIC 2 (Prodigy) — Affirms my argument that making sequels to a masterworks should be a no-no in hip-hop.
Albums By Female Rappers That Were Pushed Back Further Than Tyra Banks’ Hairline
- Here I Am (Eve)
- Koko B Ware (Kid Sister)
- Block Party (Missy Elliott)
Albums That Fell Short of Hype And Still Received Glowing Reviews
- Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne – Frankly, dude probably has a classic in him. Too bad the lean won’t let us hear it.
NiggerNasUntitled – The hype was so monumental, so much so that people expected another Illmatic II. Which brings me to my next point. I’m only including this here for one reason: despite being one of the year’s best efforts, it wasn’t Illmatic good and that seems to be a crime if your name is Nas.
New Artist That Will Still Be Around in 6 Months
- Wale
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The Best Rap Songs (…and Some That Were Doo Doo) of 2008
Best Rap Songs of the First 7 Months
- The Roots – “Rising Up” (ft. Wale & Chrisette Michelle)
- Mickey Factz – “Don’t Be Light”
- Nas – “Queens Get The Money”
- Jadakiss – “Now Till Then”
- Big Boi – “Sumthin’s Gotta Give” (ft. Mary J Blige)
- Reks – “Say Goodnight”
- Wale – “Back in the Go-Go” (ft. Bun B & Pusha T)
Great Songs That Put the “C” Back in Collaboration
- Statik Selektah w/ Saigon, Termanology, & Cassidy – “To the Top”
- John Legend & Andre 3000 – “Green Light”
- Big Boi w/Andre 3000 & Raekwon – “Royal Flush”
- Bun B & Lupe Fiasco – “Swang on ‘Em”
- Game w/ Pusha, Jadakiss, Bun B, Fat Joe, & Young Buck – “Game’s Pain (Rmx)”
- Nas & Busta Rhymes – “Fried Chicken”
Illest Hip-Hop Videos About Barack Obama
- Joell Ortiz – “Letter to Obama”
- Amanda Diva – “Watch Your Back, Barack”
- Ti$a – “Obamaway”
- Big Boi – “Sumthin’s Gotta Give” (ft. Mary J Blige)
- 6th Sense – “Ignite the People (Like Obama)”
Rap Singles with Funny Titles That Completely Sucked
- “Please Excuse My Hand” (Plies) | Video
- “Lollipop” (Lil Wayne) | Video
- “Drop And Give Me 50″ (Mike Jones & Hurricane Chris) | Video [nsfw]
- “My Dougie” (Lil Will) | Video
Remarkable Rap Songs That You Probably Missed
- Pharoahe Monch – “Broken Heart”
- The Roots – “Grand Return”
- J Live – “The Upgrade” (ft. Oddisee & Posdnuous)
Non-Hip-Hop Songs That Totally Rocked
- Santogold – “L.E.S. Artistes”
- Erykah Badu – “The Healer”
Rap Song That Will Surely Snag a Grammy Nod in 2009
- “A Milli”
Related Posts:
Rizoh’s Radio 31: Evens & Odds
TRU Summer Soundtrack 2008
*only albums released between Jan. 1 and July 30th were considered
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