Year In Review...

Year In Review 2007

At the end of 2006, the common theme was that Hip-Hop was “dead” and that we’ve seen the last of good quality music coming out of the rap community. While there may be a lot of crap on the radio, there are artists out there who still care and worked really hard to put out some great music. If you are willing to dig a bit deeper you would have found some incredible albums to listen to in 2007. For this PTM Special 2-Day Event, we’re gonna bring you the Top 10 projects that you need to have in your playlist. On this year’s list, we have representatives from California, Houston, New York even North Carolina. This proves that Hip-Hop is not only far from dead, it’s even further from taking a nap.

But before we get to the list…

Major Disappointments – These are albums that many expected to be much better but fell short of expectations.

50 Cent – Curtis

T.I. – T.I. Vs. T.I.P.

Major Surprises – The following joints definitely turned a few heads and were better than people might have thought.

Rich Boy – Self-titled

T-Pain - Epiphany

Honorable Mentions – Projects that almost made the list but just fell short.

Redman – Red Gone Wild

Beanie Sigel – The Solution

Fabolous – From Nothing to Something


Sean Price – Jesus Price Supastar

Young Buck – Buck The World

Now on to the list…

Creating this list was definitely a challenge. Substance and creativity was really the standard this year and you had to come with your A game in order to crack the list. Some artists really outdid themselves and because they have so many different styles, very small details separated them. Albums 3-7 are easily interchangeable but I decided that I couldn’t punk out and give out any ties. Bottom line, Hip-Hop is alive and well and we need to do our part and support those artists that really put their blood, sweat and tears into these projects. And now I present to you the ten best albums of 2007 (In reverse order)…

10. Scarface – MADE

With stunning imagery and a strong delivery, Scarface proves that he is a living legend.

9. Talib Kweli – Eardrum

Backed by some strong production, Talib puts together an album that can be enjoyed by more than just the backpackers.

8. Evidence – The Weatherman LP

One half of the Dilated Peoples crew, Evidence’s creativity is what makes this album a must have. “Hot and Cold” is just one example of how you can take a “simple” idea and turn it into an incredible record.

7. Common – Finding Forever

With this album, Common proved that the critically acclaimed Be was definitely not a fluke. There are some nice surprises as the Chi-town emcee hooked up with the legendary DJ Premier on “The Game” and Ye and Com go back and forth a la EPMD on “Southside”. Finding Forever definitely adds to this Hall of Famer’s catalogue.

6. Joell Ortiz – The Brick: The Bodega Chronicles
Joell Ortiz wants you to know that he’s just a “fan with a deal” A student of the game, Mr. Ortiz prides himself on making you press rewind when you listen to his verses. He definitely doesn’t disappoint on his debut album with show-stopping punchlines and creative wordplay. His relentless attack on the songs “125 Parts 1, 2, 4 & 5” can only be rivaled by performances heard by Canibus in 1998. If you are a fan of pure lyricism then this album needs to be in your collection.

Come back tomorrow to see the TOP 5!