Okay, it’s almost two weeks late. I don’t have really any valid reasons except that 2004 marked my first full year as the rap buyer for ***** and, with that being said, I heard more hip hop this year than any year before. If anything, it’s what makes this year’s list so complete. It took me this long to listen to that many freaking records. Despite what I’ve read in many different places that 2004 was a bad year for hip hop, I strongly disagree. Sure, it was the year that crunk built. Lil Jon dominated the airwaves no matter how many people insisted they couldn’t stand him. But, then again, Kanye didn’t have such a bad year himself. Another melee at the Source Awards. Ol Dirty Bastard passed on. Dr. Dre’s had us wait another year but retail got their Eminem record making for a pretty decent year in sales. Danger Mouse became a household name by igniting a “mash” craze which led to some really great combinations and led to some incredibly terrible music. It was the year of the mixtape (none of which are included here—only official releases here, folks). To collect them all would be impossible, but it proved to be a damned good way to get your music out there cheaply and effectively. Flava Flav became a VH1 favorite and now he just can’t find his way out of cable hell as he embarks in a spinoff of Surreal Life: Strange Love in which he sadly pursues another overaged, alcoholic, blonde has-been in Bridget Neilsen. How very depressing. Not only did Method Man and Redman somehow stumble onto network television, but joined Xzibit (who himself laughed all the way to the bank) to pitch deodorant to the masses (it’s called a “power stripe”). And LL’s still searching for his true self. But enough with all that. Onto to the list.

2 is the magic number this year:
2 records from Nature Sounds.
2 records from Rhymesayers.
2 records from Stones Throw.
2 brothers, 2 separate records.
2 MF Doom projects.
2 Wu Tang projects.
2-member projects, 6 of them to be exact.
2 of those pairings released their 2nd records.
2 debut records in the top 5.
2 records from acts hailing from Chicago.
2 records from acts hailing from Philly.

Okay, okay, I’m getting carried away. It WAS a good year for hip hop and hopefully this list provides a compelling case for it. Agree or disagree, the list is what it is—an opinion. So, I’d be happy to hear your feedback. Otherwise, enjoy.

I’ve included a DISAPPOINTMENT section just to let me vent a little. It’s healthy so just entertain me. I’ve listed it first so, if you don’t care, just scroll down.

All records are available or can be special ordered at many fine retailers. Support quality hip hop.

If, by chance, you would like to view list from years past, please let me know. I’d be more than happy to pass them along.

AND NOW, I present to you, the BEST HIP HOP ALBUMS OF 2004 (according to j3):

DISAPPOINTMENTS

Eminem Encore (Interscope)

Too late for Eminem to switch up his style. Maybe he should’ve considered that on this second outing or, at the very latest, on Eminem Show. Still strong lyrically, but this album falls flat. Em’s production is wretched and if Dre’s

contributions are any indication of what awaits us with Detox, I’ll forego treatment.

Nas Street Disciple (Columbia)

Outkast might have little problem releasing a double record full of compelling material, but Nas doesn’t have the same luck. The disappointment isn’t really in the album itself, it’s in the thought that it took Nas two discs to deliver 86 minutes of material. At the very least, wouldn’t it have been possible to shave off 6 minutes of skits and interludes to put it on one single disc? Hell, this album should’ve been about an hour long, but holier-than-thou Nas drew it out not for creative purposes, but just to give the perception of importance. A handful of decent tracks (coincidently all delivered by the same producer in Salaam Remi) and typical spit from Nas, this record is more fluffy packaging than the actual Nas opus that some might anticipate. Packages like these are the reason why downloading is so rampant.

Masta Ace A Long Hot Summer (M3)

Masta Ace does what he can to deliver lyrically, but album relies too heavily on a boring and tired concept of struggles in
the rap game juxtaposed against inner city strife. Not a suitable follow-up to the killer Disposable Parts. Liked it for the
first two listens, but slept through the third. Unfortunately his Long Hot Summer was a much longer cold album.

Beastie Boys To the 5 Boroughs (Capitol)

I’ve always graded on a curve with the Beastie Boys, but put this up against your least favorite Beasties record to date and that record will look like a masterpiece. Needed more Mixmaster Mike. Needed less of that throwback sound. Innovation has always been the Beasties’ strong suit, but Boroughs was a sad step backward. Hopefully they won’t wait another five years before attempting a rebound.

Gift of Gab Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up (Epitaph)

Who would’ve thought that with the word wizardry Gift of Gab so eloquently displayed on the last three Blackalicious albums that his first solo outing would be such a letdown? Still a lyrical legend by most standards, your best bet here is to look away and pray for a new Blackalicious in 2005.

Mos Def The New Danger (Geffen)

If you’re expecting Black on Both Sides or an album to rival Black Star’s debut, keep looking. Mos’ acting chops have noticeably improved however such dramatics don’t work on record, but Mos tries his damnedest making this unquestionably the most pretentious record of 2004. Looks like Mos exchanged heat for self-exploration. Good for him, bad for us.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Blockhead Music by Cavelight (NinjaTune)

Blockhead ditches the loud and wordsy rappers for a soft-spoken solo instrumental outing. Blockhead makes beautiful morning music.

RJD2 Since We Last Spoke (Definitive Jux)

Like what Private Parts was to Endtroducing, so this is to RJ’s debut Dead Ringer. If none of those names mean anything to you, I suggest you get started with instrumental hip hop from 1997.

Foreign Exchange Connected (BBE)

Okayplayers jumped all over this record and so did MTV, however, I didn’t see the same genius in Connected. I did, though, notice the merit making this a suitable honorable mention.

2Mex 2Mex (Image)

Shapeshifter 2Mex finally completed his best work to date. There’s little doubt that years from now, this album will be included in the canon of the LA underground.

Camron Purple Haze (Def Jam)

Swaggering rapper makes stereotypical rap record yet somehow, someway manages to change the formula just enough to make things interesting. Good listen.

K Os Joyful Rebellion (Astralwerks)

The Canadian Wyclef, K Os one-ups his own debut with this sophomore record. For fans of eclectic hip hop, look no further.

J-Zone A Job Ain’t Nuttin’ But Work (Fat Beats)

J-Zone fills his album-a-year quota with Job. He gets progressively better with each record. Not bad for a guy who still produces all of his work in the basement of his grandma’s house. Go get ‘em, Zone.

THE LIST

20. Eyedea and Abilities E&A (Epitaph/Rhymesayers)

Following up their 2001 debut First Born, Minneapolis’ Eyedea and DJ Abilities return with a tighter, hungrier and more aggressive sophomore long player proving this duo has more tricks than we first thought. E&A improves upon the formula which worked on their debut, still employing the head-spinning, spitfire delivery of emcee Eyedea conversing with mixtape kingpin Abilities’ fast cutting and scratching. The difference here is an evident comfort that simply didn’t exist on the first record—Eyedea making the full transition from battle vet and freestyle phenom to one of the nicest emcees on record and Abilities moving from an opening act spinner to a road-tested beatsmith and producer. Luckily Diddy’s reported six digit advance check couldn’t lure Eyedea into being Bad Boy’s great white hype. We certainly wouldn’t have had a record this

nice.

19. R.A. the Rugged Man Die, Rugged Man, Die! (Nature Sounds)

Finally. After giving the middle finger to Russell, Jive Records and, well, almost everyone else on the way to his submersion in the underground, thanks to Nature Sounds, R.A. finally releases his debut full length—a project that’s been over a decade in the making. Until now, R.A. has been hip hop folklore for most of his career—rarely touring, releasing only sparse twelves over the last decade, popping up on each of Rawkus three Soundbombing installments and making relatively unnoticed contributions to various underground projects, most notably his verse on the Smut Peddlers’ “Bottom Feeders.” But now, he blasts back onto the scene with Die!—a remarkably offensive, crude and often absurd disasterpiece. Rugged Man strikes back relentlessly with a fury of scathing cheapshots and lowblows—confronting ghosts from his past, haters and doubters all the while fearlessly extending a challenge to every flashy song-and-dance rapper to a duel. Partnered by contributions from J-Zone, Ayatollah, Wu members Masta Killa and Killah Priest, and Timbo King, Die!’s truth strength resides in Rugged Man’s honesty, wit and cockiness. The only weakness of Die! is, it seems, more of a loose assortment of songs rather than a cohesive album, but nonetheless, it’s enough room to R.A. to do his thing. He’s the slimy perverted uncle of the underground and the Mr. Miyagi to Eminem’s Danny Laruso. Nice to have you back, R.A.

18. Electric Life’s a Struggle (Sun Moon)

During the late 80s and early 90s, mainstream hip hop was dominated by the hip hop group. But when going solo proved to be much more financially beneficial, groups dismantled and Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip and Method Man became household names. Over the last five years, though, the hip hop group has seen a resurgence in hip hop’s underground. Boston’s Electric (formerly known as the Electric Company) is one such group. Led by veteran emcee Insight (check for his solo record The Blast Radius), Electric’s Struggle is a infectious and groove-heavy record which has echoes the sounds of hip hop’s groups of years past — the party vibe of early Pharcyde, the sound construction of Tribe or Black Moon, the free and easy feel of Digable Planets. While nothing about this record is especially groundbreaking or courageous and a rewarding listen. For Electric, Life might be a Struggle, but obviously, making tasty hip hop isn’t.

17. Roots The Tipping Point (Geffen)

Don’t be fooled by all the lists you see putting this record on top—it’s a significant step down from Roots’ previous a ccomplishments. Tipping Point sounds much more commercial, but that’s not the drawback. The most noticeable flaw is it sounds surprisingly incomplete. That being said, a hurried Roots record will still rival many hip hop records released in that same year and, for that reason, it ranks on my list here at #17. Again, we find Black Thought dipping and diving like the experienced emcee he is, making a fine case for himself as one of hip hip’s elites while ?uestlove’s production is drastically different—less organic and more reliant on traditional breakbeats, sampling and looping—providing a different and refreshing direction for what was becoming a very predictable formula. Tipping Point is a good listen, but not phenomenal—falling hard on the lack of cohesion and its careless construction. But I have to appreciate their change in direction with this record—evolving from the boring snores of the live hip hop format into a true-to-form hip hop troop. Just tell yourself the real record is coming out in March and this is just a teaser.

16. Handsome Boy Modeling School White People (Elektra)

Being a huge fan of the first installment entitled So…How’s Your Girl? (essential material, folks), my expectations of the follow-up were incredibly high. For that reason, as unfair as it may seem, this is where it lands on my list. Don’t be confused, White People is a helluva listen, however, it’s as much a hip hop record as it is alt-college-radio mash record. Hopping from lowly Tommy Boy to Elektra for the sophomore release, it seems like Prince Paul and Automator too graduated from the Handsome Boy Modeling School—now with more high profile guests and a much richer sound in the recording. However, the guests seem to dilute the experience as it drifts from straight-up hip hop in the first half into an almost confused genre-morphing schizoid experience. The first record was highly conceptual yet humble and simple while White People has more glitz and manages to force the concept onto the listener rather than letting it flow through a natural course. There’s plenty of chuckles though with the help of former SNL cast member Tim Meadows, but add to that Deftones’ Chino, QBert, Hiero’s Casual, Jack Johnson, Pharrell, Mars Volta, John Oates, Barrington Levy, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, Kid Koala, Cat Power, El-P and Cage—it’s a crowning achievement to be able to balance all of the cameos as transparently as they do—the mark of two true musical geniuses. I can only wonder though, would it have been possible to avoid enlisting Linkin Park’s Mike and Chester on “Rock and Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This) Part 2”? Matching them up with Lord Finesse, Jazzy Jay and Grand Wizard Theodore seems to me like a tragic miscue. Putting my painful biases aside, White People is a wowing experience and is well worth the green.

15. Murs Murs 3:16 (Definitive Jux)

Living Legends’ Murs and Little Brother’s 9th Wonder are a perfect pairing on 3:16, Murs’ second effort for Definitive Jux. And while I’ve never been big on 9th Wonder’s production, his contributions here make this Murs record more accessible than any of previous efforts and ultimately more enjoyable. Murs is rarely and tragically given enough room to flex his storytelling abilities because of overproduction, yet here 9th’s tracks take backseat leaving Murs plenty of space to rock it—the perfect balance—evidence of 9th’s strength and experience as a producer. A solid release from one legend and one soon-to-be.

14. Maylay Sparks Graymatter (BBE/Rapster)

Transplanted from Philly to Copenhagen to record his 2004 solo debut, Maylay (formerly known as Rahsheed of Ill Advised) comes with what might be one of the biggest sleepers of the year. Like bandmate and now labelmate Baby Blak’s debut, Maylay comes out of nowhere with as good and as tasty a record as you’ll hear all year. Maylay’s street-wise scruff is reminiscent of a young Nas and the production of DJ Noize (who produced three tracks) makes for the perfect complement musically. Graymatter isn’t the type of record that will knock you off your feet, but sometimes that’s a good thing. Solid hip hop.

13. Fat Hed Night Train to Babbleon (Dope Discs)

From the same never-too-serious LA underground, which launched acts like the Shapeshifters and the Visionaries, comes the newest interstellar supertrooper: Fat Hed. Like a bizarre hybrid of Biz Markie, Kermit, Humpty Hump and Sammy Davis Jr., Fat Hed is as much a circus clown as he is an emcee, but on record, he’s killer. Definitely the weirdest record on the list, Night Train ended up on my desk in an unmarked envelope. It sat there for about a month until one night I tore it open to give it a listen. I was dumbfounded and the appeal was immediate. It marks the unity of both hip hop’s weird past and its progressive quickly morphing future. It’s a supergalactic funk fantastic recruiting producers Double K (from People Under the Stairs) and Kutmaster Kurt to name a very few. But it’s the work of producer Nocturnal Ron that dominates much of the record and truly sets the table for what is like very few of the records in my collection. Night Train takes the unsuspecting listener on twisted journey through the furthest reaches of the blue yonder. Fat Hed’s obsessions with weed, porn and sci-fi take driver’s seat and take only a few potty breaks—reminiscent of Digital Underground or Kool Keith. And the production combines dusty woodwinds and blatted tubas with an assault of bouncy breakbeats to make for one interesting ride. Freaky, funky and fun as hell, Fat Hed’s debut doesn’t fail.

12. Masta Killa No Said Date (Nature Sounds)

Who would’ve guessed it would take this long for Masta Killa to get his own record? And who would’ve thought that it would be this record to feature all of the original Wu members, including even U-God and Ol Dirty? Well, thanks again to the folks at Nature Sounds, who had quite a year, No Said Date made quite a mark on hip hop in 2004. Complete with those signature fu film samples, Date proves Wu still has it. “This is just the next chamber, baby!” jokes Method Man and, indeed it feels like it. Though Masta obviously carries the record, it almost feels like one big Wu album with all cameos coming off so cleanly. Only fitting that Dirty made the record with his howling vocals on “Old Man” completing the reunion just before passing away late in the year. Unfortunately, Masta Killa’s strength as an emcee is overshadowed by the sheer star-aligning magnitude of the record, but fortunately for Wu fans everywhere, this project finally made it to the masses. A no-brainer for any Wu Tanger.

11. Crown City Rockers Earthtones (Bassment Hip Hop)

New name, same headnodding freshness. Once known as Mission, the Crown City Rockers make their return with their straightforward, no-nonsense brand of hip hop. Earthtones is inviting and chuck full of serious sweetness. Raashan carries all of the emceeing responsibilities minus a few guests from west coast all-stars Zion, Blackalicious’ Gift of Gab and Living Legend’s very own Scarub who all make stellar cameos. The music itself, like Mission, is a combination of keys, drums, bass and MPC—which despite only being four players is capable of some amazing instrumentation. There’s plenty to love about Earthtones in it’s unassuming and simple makeup—like the kid that shows up at the party and just wants to dance his col’ ass off. That’s what Earthtones does innocently enough to not annoy. A seamless mix of varying tempos and moods, Earthtones hooks you immediately with its blast of ruckus rhythms and inescapable party-vibe, but once you hit the properly titled thirteenth track, “Heat,” Earthtones cools off as we find the Rockers doing what they did so well on Mission’s One—just relaxing and letting it roll, melting the listener into a soundscape of lazy free-flowing gooiness. Altogether, Earthtones is a brilliantly colorful record that permits itself to scribble outside the lines of convention.

10. Leak Bros Waterworld (Eastern Conference)

I’ll get some grief on this one, but I have a soft spot for Cage after Movies for the Blind. Cage teams up with Tame One, formally of the Artifacts to give us this drug-drenched, violent, over-sexualized hallucination. Both Cage and Tame have no issues admitting to their vices providing more drug references than Cypress Hill’s first three records combined over spectacular production contributions from J-Zone on “G.O.D.” (easily one of my favorite beats of the year), RJD2 on “Gimmesumdeath,” DJ Mighty Mi, El-P and Camu Tao proving he’s a threat behind the boards. Not for the light-hearted, Waterworld is like smoking, drinking, sniffing and swallowing everything you can get your grimy hands on. Afterwards, get your stomach pumped with some of that new Eminem record.

09. Typical Cats Civil Service (Galapagos4)

The Typical Cats are at it again. Civil Service is an explosive celebration of hip hop’s storied past and a glimpse into its future—energized by every astounding verse and tightly glued together with incredible textures of piano loops, loud breakbeats and thudding basslines. Qwel, once again, shines as the punk-ass, wise-cracking, loudmouth battle Cat. But his improved brethren, most noticeably DJ Natural on the cuts and beats, prove the well-traveled crew has grown from cubs to ferocious lions of the underground. Typical? Anything but, and if Qwel doesn’t blow in 2005, I’ve officially lost all faith in hip hop.

08. Jean Grae This Week (Babygrande)

Thank God someone finally got Jean’s back and landed her the deal and the production she needed to show the world what she’s made of. She resents being referred to as a “female emcee” and it’s only fair. Because since she first started popping up on twelves as What What, she’s been rhyming circles around her colleagues and Week is a perfect representation of her skills. Of course, despite her wishes to shake the stigma of being female in a male-dominated sport, I gotta say she sounds supersexy on the mic—ferociously and methodically moving from one verse to the next with the cockiness of a hungry veteran of the underground ready to blow. With production from Midi Mafia (responsible for hits by 50 Cent) and superproducer 9th Wonder, it’s all in Jean hands and she proves her worth as a remarkable storyteller and truly one of the
most strikingly fresh voices in hip hop today. Period.

07. Maroons The Ambush (Quannum)

For the most part, Quannum laid pretty low this year compared to the previous three years. But in 2004, it only took one beautifully crafted EP from Lateef and Chief Xcel (here under the moniker of Maroons) to make the year worthwhile. Driven by Chief’s uncanny ability to create the richest, almost suffocating, compositions and paired wonderfully with Lateef’s lyrical vengeance, Ambush captures the listener from the opening moments. What happens next is a swift and undeniable assault that ultimately leaves the listener yearning for more—which is apparently promised in 2005. Those who were also disappointed with the Gift of Gab solo, trade it in for this beastly EP.

06. De La Soul The Grind Date (Sanctuary)

Strong Island’s finest! After two consecutive letdowns in the Art Official Intelligence series, De La does right by abandoning (or postponing) the highly overblown AOI project, signs on with Beyonce’s pop, drafts an all-star platoon of producers and guests (including Dilla, Madlib, Ghostface, MF Doom, Flava Flav, 9th Wonder and more) and delivers the satisfying Grind Date. Pos takes the reigns like a true champ and shows all the youngins why he’s still revered as one of the best in the game while Dave and Maseo follow suit with their best performances in years—at least since Stakes is High. Date is a return to the De La we all fell in love with—balancing the message with wit and pulling it off with the coolest humility and reserve. If Stakes showed us a maturing De La, then Date brings us a De La growing old, but like three hipsters who have championed the game for almost twenty years now, they wear it well—assuring us there’s plenty of bite left and they’re still years from the old folks’ home.

05. Oh No The Disrupt (Stones Throw)

You gotta hate being Madlib’s younger brother, right? Well, Oh No’s no Frank Stallone. After making numerous cameos for the Stones Throw camp, Oh No finally drops his long-overdue debut, The Disrupt, like a boot firmly driven into the chest of hip hop. It’s difficult not to make comparisons to his brother. In fact, it’s downright impossible. The difference is Oh No carries the mic with more confidence and behind the boards, he takes Madlib’s signature sound to a new realm—there’s more bounce to the ounce, more funk and more fuzz in his tracks. Bro bro also lends some help to the album along with now Stones Throw resident, J Dilla. No doubt, Oh No’s lived up the expectations of him squaring off one of the more explosive sibling combination hip hop has heard—the Brotherhood of the Boom. A welcome Disruption.

04. MF Doom MM Food (Rhymesayers)

Metal Face kills all. That’s my word. After releasing four different projects in 2004, he caps it off with his fifth: MM Food (I’ll do my best to avoid making the obvious cheesy food references—oops, just did it, screw it). Infinitely tasty and unquestionably fulfilling, Food is edible evidence of Doom’s spectacular studio (kitchen) stature while continuing to baffle heads with his presence as an emcee. For proof, check the last verse on “Kookiez”—you’ll never look at those delicious delicacies the same ever again. Pure hilarity. And for those who have never dined with Doom, be prepared for ample portions—often letting the beat ride for 16 bars past the last verse just to let you digest his dopeness. Doom, a seasoned vet, reheats beats from his Special Herbs series (I’m not making that up) while providing a few fresher beats for his hungry patrons. And for those didn’t get enough with Food, look for the limited edition of extras called Leftovers (again, I’m not making this up). Food is a zesty dish that easily dominates many of this year’s records. Now, 2005 better bring us the Ghostface/Metal Face combo meal—hell, throw Raekwon the Chef in there for good measure. Man, that was a mouthful.

03. Ghostface The Pretty Toney Album (Def Jam)

Not entirely sure why he’s no longer Ghostface Killah, but ya’ll know the name and luckily for us—ain’t a damned thing changed. The Bobby Bland of the hip hop game, Tony Starks returns with more quotables and bangers than any one pimp can shake his cane at. Pretty Toney, Ghost’s first album since making the leap to Def Jam is everything one could wish for in a Ghost album—misogyny and violence, haters and hardship, blunts and booze, stacking cash and growing up: the blueprint for any great hip hop record. Ghost croons, moans and spits verse for savory verse while the production is strong enough to lure in even the pickiest of listeners. One undeniable oopsy is the collab with Missy on “Tush,” which sounds completely out of place and too radio for the record—an obvious Def Jam move to move units. Nonetheless, it’s not so bad it tarnishes what otherwise is an incredibly fine record—possibly one of the finest Wu solo projects to date. This is grown man’s hip hop.

02. Madvillain Madvillainy (Stones Throw)

Knowing what one might know of the two artists who collectively make up Madvillain, it’d he hard to not expect greatness. Madvillainy not only matches those expectations, it greatly exceeds them. Supahero MF Doom is in prime form—smoked out and inspired, taking queues from the pages of comic books and the thousands of whispering voices in his head. Doom’s mic mastery on Madvillainy is seldom overwhelming—it’s subtle and muted, often requiring multiple rewinds to let it seep in. You’ll lightly chuckle minutes later as if you, yourself, are booted. Doom’s relieved at the boards by none other than Madlib, whose signature broken loops and fractured funk blasts are both dizzying and enticing, but altogether remarkable. Madvillainy is a paranoid, hazy and unpredictable masterpiece. It moves in slow and quietly and then suffocates the listener with its smoky composition. It’s as complicated as it is entertaining. Like old jazz records, it’s one part chaos, one part beauty. Ultimately it’s amazing. Marvel at Madvillainy where Doom and Madlib are like long lost soul brothers.

01. Kanye West College Dropout (Rocafella)

Some have called it the most overhyped hip hop record since 50’s debut and, well, there’s plenty of truth there. But considering Kanye’s resume as a producer, it’d be impossible to avoid significant hype. And one thing about Dropout, Kanye can’t stop, won’t stop letting you know how dope he is. The song construction is brilliant, the sequencing is near flawless and even though Kanye’s not breaking any new ground as an emcee, the delivery of every line is honest and unapologetic. Every cameo is an intentional and orchestrated ego flex as Kanye calls upon an arsenal of friends and colleagues such as Jay-Z, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Freeway, Ludacris, Twista, Common, Consequence (if you dig this record, check for Consequence’s Take Em to the Cleaners which is primarily produced by Kanye himself) to name a few. Since my first listen, I find it difficult to compare this record to anything but Wyclef’s first solo outing, The Carnival, in the way that Kanye manages to capture your attention and then proceeds to drown you in his creative soundscapes—almost bordering on exhaustion in the final moments. And the second you begin to tire, the album ends leaving you fulfilled and, in my case, screaming for more. It’s a fine line that’s rarely mastered in hip hop. I can’t call Dropout perfect, but it might be as close as it comes. It’s definitively hip pop—a big-budget hip hop record that reaches almost everyone. From people who wouldn’t know hip hop from a hair on their ass to seasoned listeners who will contend that “hip hop is dead” until they’re blue in the face. Because of this it’s really no surprise Kanye was nominated for 10 Grammys this year. Normally for me, that’s a reason not to include an album on this list (along with Kanye dancing around like Fred Astaire in his flush white church suit), but we were in agreement last year with Outkast and again in 2004 with Dropout. Haters, go ahead and hate - this record kills. Now let’s hope he doesn’t go out like Wyclef.