Year of the Comeback: The Top 15 Albums of 2007 (Part I)
Dec 31 '07 (Updated Jan 02 '08)
The Bottom Line Part I of II
Year of the Comeback: The Top 15 Albums of 2007 (Part I)
Everywhere I looked this year, it seemed like there was some unlikely comeback. In movies, the freaks and geeks crew came out of nowhere to dominate the entire comedy genre, the 4th Die Hard was actually really good, and the Coen brothers stopped sucking and made the year’s best film. Seemingly washed up actors like Tommy Lee Jones starred in two of the year’s most acclaimed productions, David Fincher returned after a long hiatus to make a film that was actually merited the critical response it received, and Tarantino’s dialogue driven style proved effective once again. In sports, the Spurs’ methodical dominance returned to bore the sh.it out of everyone on their way to another title, Gators repeated, Red Sox proved they are the new Yankees, and Brett Favre had an MVP-caliber season just a couple years removed from throwing 29 picks (!). The hip-hop scene was no different, with triumphant comeback records from many of the artists on the list.
15. B.A.R.S. – Cassidy
After beating a murder trial and surviving a Kanye-like car accident, Cassidy traded in his hustler persona for…his real one, Barry Adrien Reese. This album takes a new direction than his previous ones and actually works pretty well for a Cassidy album, with a lot of those “real talk” tracks driven by somber piano loops. Clearly, most these songs are just pure bullsh*t, with Cass rhyming about how he found God or something, but I caught myself listening to this record a lot. I’ve always been a big fan of Cass’s style; his constant multi’s and simple punchlines make his delivery excellent, and his ridiculous arrogance adds a layer of humor to lines like “I run philly I ain’t trynna be the damn king but the damn thing could get pulled like a hamstring.” He’s still sticking to the same 4 year old major label rap album blueprint that Jadakiss and Fab seem to live by, but this a surprisingly strong album with less bullsh*t and filler than his previous ones.
Dat Piff: ‘Damn I Miss The Game’, ‘Innocent’, ‘My Drink N’ My 2 Step’
14. The Undisputed Truth – Brother Ali
I was waiting for this album so long that I didn’t even care by the time it came out. At an Ali show in 2003 he kept saying to look out for this and that it was “almost done”. I still don’t really understand because as far as I know, Rhymesayers wasn’t pushing it back. I mean, it’s not like they’re Def Jam, right? I also want to go on record saying that no RSE album not entirely produced by Ant will ever be worth listening to. He’s not the most exciting producer by any means, but his style has developed miles since the Overcast days and is one of the more consistent beatsmiths out there. As for Ali, I thought he played it a little safe with this one, sticking to the same subject matter he’s been kicking his whole career, but this is just nitpicking. He powerful, preacher belt is as effective as ever and he continues to have a very focused flow and rhyme structure. I don’t see this as the classic some hip-hop purists say it is, but it stands as one of the year’s best.
Dat Piff: ‘Truth Is’, ‘Watcha Got’, ‘Ear to Ear’
13. Carter III Sessions – Lil’ Wayne
I loved Da Drought 3. It’s a great showcase of Wayne’s hazy, scatterbrained on-mic persona and him just straight experimenting with all the ways he can stretch his croaky murmur around some of the year’s most recognizable beats. But it lacked focus, and I’m a firm believer that Wayne is at his best when he’s not just effortlessly spewing half-baked, train of thought outtakes (see 'Gossip' for an example of Weezy focusing a little). My favorite song of his remains “Hustla Music”, and the leaked Carter III Sessions is done in the same style that made that song so great. Often, his vocal performances are evidence that he’s dead serious, with subject matter he dosen’t like talking about in interviews, and I feel that this transforms his style into a more focused effort that better highlights the insane rhyme schemes he wraps his tone around.
Dat Piff: ‘Prostitute Flange’, ‘Something You Forgot’, ‘World of Fantasy’
12. Return of the Mac – Prodigy
I went back and forth with where to put this on the list. At first, before giving each album a quick listen again, I had it as high as number seven. But the more I listen to this and the albums that beat it out, I keep realizing that really only a third of the album that does it for me. “The Rotten Apple”, “Stuck On You”, and “Bang on ‘Em” are great songs that showcase the album’s gritty New York vibe. Prodigy’s cold, flat voice brings a weird “I don’t give a f.uck” feel to each of them which fits perfectly, but that kind of thing gets pretty boring over the duration of an entire record. Still, this album marks an incredibly unlikely (and short-lived) comeback by Ballerina P as well as Alchemist, who really pulls this thing together.
Dat Piff: ‘Bang On ‘Em’, ‘The Rotten Apple’, ‘Stuck On You’
11. Mood Muzik 3 – Joe Budden
Honestly, I was slightly disappointed with this album. Mood Muzik 2 was so personal and cohesive that my expectations for it’s follow-up were pretty high. Joe Budden was riding this “f.uck you” to the whole industry, portraying himself as the rebel who refused to make “Pump It Up 2” and got screwed by his label, and it translated into some seriously compelling music. The third one is less angry, but only slightly. Joe Budden has grown into one of the top five emcees out, able to nail out dark story tracks just as well as his posse-cut, punchline exhibits. I don’t think anyone can really see Joe when it comes to the punches (whuddup Ransom), as he’s found a balance in his craft where he’s not just making pop-culture and sports references but rather shaping it around the trials and tribulations that have plagued his career (“no wonder I’m on fire, I already been thru hell!”). With Def Jam finally releasing him and a new album called “Padded Room” on the way, it’s safe to assume that Jumpoff will continue this successful style into the new year.
Dat Piff: ֯th Gear’, ‘Dear Diary’, ‘Family Reunion’
10. Dirty Acres – Cunninlynguists
No rap group has changed more in so little time. Just a couple years ago they were the southern jokester rap crew with an incredibly immature name who would brag about being underground. Now they’re the best southern rap group besides UGK. It all starts and ends with Kno, who seems to have reached the potential he showed on their early work. Originally the group’s best emcee, he’s stepped out of the booth and is now perhaps the best underground producer. His instrumentals here are masterful, as his sonically refined and somber sound collects many of the staples of emotional southern rap while building on the landscape he started with his exceptional work on last year’s a Piece of Strange. Decon and Natti do a good job on these beats, and combined with some great guest appearances from Devin The Dude and Phonte, the vocals match the production brilliantly.
Dat Piff: ‘Valley of Death’, ‘K.K.K.Y.’, ‘Gun’
9. The Big Doe Rehab – Ghostface Killah
No one in rap is better at effortlessly banging out an incredibly solid, 18-track LP once or twice a year than Ghostface. This album follows the same blueprint that Pretty Toney and Fishscale did, but I actually like it a lot better than either of those. Ghostface has all but mastered his frantic ramble-flow, but he still finds new, ridiculous yet intriguing ways of exercising it over the anthemic, chopped-up soul fusions he’s so comfortable with. The Hitmakers provide a nice contrast to these adrenaline-paced beats with more of the beautifully relaxed productions that made Jay’s latest record so good. I can’t wait to hear more from these guys, who will undoubtedly be all over records in 2008.
Dat Piff: ‘Yolanda’s House’, ‘Walk Around’, ‘Slow Down’
8. Buck the World – Young Buck
The most slept-on record of the year, by far. I love these big-budget rap albums with absolutely immaculate production and great, big name guest verses. Young Buck is the best emcee in G-Unit, and he backs that statement up with his performance on Buck The World. His outrageously aggressive claims bang loud over the huge, expensive synths and horns here as his maniacal conviction makes his threats actually sound believable. Buck the World is a perfect example of someone taking the Jadakiss/Cassidy disease we talked about earlier and not f.ucking it up. This has those real talk tracks, which are very good (just skip once the Linkin Park guy shows up), he brings the best out of 50 in their collab, and even the obligatory weed song is pretty good. This stands as one of the biggest surprises of the year despite the flashes Buck had shown with Straight Outta Ca$hville, and is up there with Game’s debut for best G-Unit album.
Dat Piff: ‘Say It To My Face’, ‘Buss’ Yo Head’, ‘Buck the World’
And in case you were wondering, The Cool isn't in the top 7.
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