Top 10 Albums of 2007

2007 could be described as a lackluster year for rap. It's no disrespect or credit taken from some of the top artists and offerings this year, but overall there seemed to be a lot lacking. It could be the continuation of more and more 1 hit wonders and watered down anthems coming out. It made this top 10 list even easier to compile, just in time for the arrival of a new year, and hopefully more great releases. 1) American Gangster - Jay-Z 2) Graduation - Kanye West 3) Finding Forever - Common 4) 8 Diagrams - Wu Tang Clan 5) Big Doe Rehab - Ghostface 6) Eardrum - Talib Kweli 7) Return of the Mac - Prodigy 8) The Weatherman - Evidence 9) The Cool - Lupe Fiasco 10) UGK - Underground Kingz (Double Disc) The top 3 on my list definitely are several steps above the rest of the list. Jay, Kanye and Common showed brilliance on their releases. Hopefully the Grammy awards will commemorate Kanye or Common for their works as well. I'd love to say the same about other efforts, but it just wasn't there. That's not to say the rest of the top 10 doesn't show flashes of good stuff. They each offer some standout cuts and great music and are worth owning if you're a fan of any of them or rap in general. And there's some other notables that don't quite fit with the "hip-hop" or rap genre even though the artists releasing the album are typically there. Timbaland's compilation, "Shock Value" and the Beastie Boys' instrumental cd, "The Mix Up" are two albums that come to mind that were worthwhile releases in 07'. You can find any of these mentioned albums at iTunes Store Music. Special thanks to Ms. Reb from Rebelvision Network, who has provided her 10 album picks for 2007. These picks come from the Hip-Hop and R&B genre... As I Am - Alicia Keys Futuresex/lovesounds - Justin Timberlake Veteran - Marques Houston The Solution - Beanie Sigel Don't Talk, Just Listen - B5 Welcome to the Zoo - Gorilla Zoe Road to Exclusive - Chris Brown Notebook Paper - Huey UGK - UGK (Uunderground Kings) Back up in Da Chevy - Boyz N Da Hood Thanks again to Ms. Reb, and make sure to stop by Rebelvision Network! You can find all of the above albums and individual tracks for download at iTunes Store Music Also see DJ Destrovega's 2007 Music in Review at Escalator Music!