Back when I was still blogging at SOHH (sometime in ‘06), I remember having this weird discussion about the possibility of a gospel rap album from Bushwick Bill. People cringed at the idea. Fast forward to 2008, what most people considered a nightmare is now on the brink of reality. I’m excited about this, because if anyone can make the transition from rapping about murdering your niece and raping your bitch to preaching the gospel on wax, it’s Bushwick Bill.

My boy Sketch, who had a chance to check out an advance copy of Bushwick’s Testimony of Redemption, sent me the tracklist and cover art. (more…)

When I asked 12 of my favorite music bloggers and critics to join me in selecting last year’s best rap albums, the positive response was overwhelming. Same can be said about the emails I received from others who had wanted to contribute to that epic list. So, I’ve decided to make this year’s invitation an open event.

Here’s something else I learned from last year’s experiment: Compiling the list 3 weeks early meant that one significant album didn’t make the final cut (Sorry, Esco). That explains why I waited until the dying minutes of ‘07 to make this call. Unless you’re still holding out for Chingy’s album … never mind, it already dropped … you should have a healthy well of ‘07 releases to draw from.

The process is straightforward. If you’re a music blogger, writer, and/or critic, and would like to contribute to this year’s Rap List, simply send your Top 10 Rap Albums of 2007 in order of greatness to rizoh1 at gmail dot com. Only albums released between December 2006 and December 2007 are eligible for nomination. I’ll assign points to the albums based on your rankings, and a Top 10 of all Top 10s will emerge from the master list. (With a solid pool, I might even raise the stakes to 50 finalists…we’ll see.)

The final list will be published on The Rap Up sometime in January. Send me your list no later than January 5, 2008. And remember to include the name of your blog/site/magazine in your email.

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who submitted a list. If you still want to get in on the fun, there’s plenty of time left.

Critics might tell you otherwise but the truth remains that hip-hop had a good run this year. As you’ve probably noticed, that makes it hard to narrow the year’s best albums down to three. From the looks of it though, American Gangster and Graduation are the favorites among The Rap Up readers. More on that later.

So, here’s the million dollar question: If you could pick just one song as the Best Hip-Hop Song of 2007, what would it be?

As 2007 winds down, I’ve been busy compiling some year-end lists. But I need your input as well. So, tell me: What are your Top 3 Hip-Hop Albums of the year? Feel free to add some honorable mentions.

::Eh…I needed an excuse to use this picture

Halloween parties are usually more about booze and babes in costumes, with the occasional creepy soundtrack. If you decide to throw a party this Halloween, here’s a playlist of ten (some humorous) attempts at hip-hop spookiness. Not all are spooky or funny. Some are downright disturbing.
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Canibus unleashed more lyrics of fury in one year than most MCs have been able to muster in their whole career. Pointblankperiod.

1. “Beasts from the East” - Lost Boyz feat. A+, Redman, and Canibus

2. “Canibus Freestyle” - DJ Clue Mixtape
3. “Making a Name For Ourselves” - Common feat. Canibus
4. “Shout out to Lost Boyz (Canibus Freestyle)” - DJ Clue Lost Boyz Mixtape
5. “It’s Logic (Canibus Freestyle)” - Tony Touch 55 Emcees Mixtape
6. “4,3,2,1″ - LL Cool J feat. Method Man, Redman, Canibus and DMX
7. “Boyz 2 Men” - A+ feat. Mr. Cheeks and Canibus
8. Canibus Freestyle - Mad Ball & Tab One Mixtape
9. “Uni-4-Orm” - Canibus, Ras Kass, and Heltah Skeltah
10. “Group Home Family - Canibus feat. Mr. Cheeks and Panama P.I.

Head on over to my 2nd favorite blog, Street Census, for details and audios.

Street Census—a joint blog venture between your Rizness and Quibian Salazar-Moreno—is now live and direct at Streetcensus.blogspot.com.

In case you’re not already familiar with Q, he helped pioneer the daily hip-hop news format at SOHH.com 10 years ago. He currently writes for URB, AOL Blackvoices (even though he’s not all that black!), and hiphopcrack.com.

The concept for Street Census is hinged on hip-hop recommendations—best of, worst of, etc—from yours truly, Q, and the artists we run into every now and then. Some of the lists available for your perusal, for instance, include: Stephen Marley’s 5 Essential Bob Marley Recordings, Rob Swift’s Top 5 Most Influential DJs. and Q’s 10 Best Femcees Ever.

Check it…Street Census: Hip, Hit, or Hype.

Just what I’m diggin’ at the moment, Ladies & Gents….

#5.

Soulful and cohesive from start to finish. (Cop this now.)

#4.

You can bump this while cleaning up your house without worrying about skipping a track. (Cop this now.)

#3.

Dope beats, dope rhymes, what more do y’all want? (Cop this on May 15th.)

#2.

Devin’s half-sung raps and southern fried grooves can get you through the worst traffic no matter where you’re headed in life. (Cop this now.)

#1.

An emotionally honest record laced with a litany of broiling gems. The undisputed best rap album of the first quarter. (Cop this on April 10th.)

Like my friend O-Dub would say, “these things are subjective.” Still, there’s a handful of principles and elements that we can all agree on–originality, longevity, social impact, live performance, etc…

Of course, music tastes differ across the boards. And depending on your age, old school vs new school preferences vary just as much. I fell in love with hip-hop during the Native Tongues/Fresh Prince & Jazzy Jeff era, so that obviously affects my general expectations and outlook on the game. I also remember thinking that ‘Pac was the best thing to ever happen to hip-hop at some point. My preferences have evolved over the years, but one thing’s remained the same: I always value avant garde lyricists over by-the-book rappers. (Though, spewing multi-syllabic words straight outta Webster doesn’t always guarantee you a spot on my list.)

Now, it’ll be foolish to assume that we’re the only ones evolving. The rap game has diversified. And as job descriptions change, emcees adjust to match the task. What was deemed a relevant rhyme topic 11 years ago might be considered stale and redundant today.

In any case, take this list with a huge grain of salt. I don’t claim it to be the gospel. It’s just my thoughts, Ladies and Gentlemen.

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