Top Ten Albums Of "2007"

WASSUP! Let me be the first to wish Lucy, Catalina, Chloe, and Elian (all the new babies in our extended fam) a very happy first holiday season. I hope all the various holiday celebrations are safe and exciting for babies and parents alike.

As 2007 is quickly coming to a close, and I'm in the "Slower, Lower" (that's what the local folks call Delaware) with a little time on my hands, I wanted to drop a little gem on the posse and get your thoughts about the albums that made an impact on you this year. So I'd like us to compile a list of the Top Ten Albums of 2007, but with a twist. This list does not have to be albums that were released in 2007. I'm thinking more of albums that you just happened to find yourself indulging in during the course of the year. So, for example, if you just couldn't seem to stop listening to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", then by all means, drop it on the list. Odds are the majority of the albums will be from 2007 or near, but hey, why limit ourselves to such trivial confines. So without further ado, I will begin (in no particular order):


If you guys haven't copped this one yet, you need to. Perhaps one of the best efforts by the Wu in a long time. "8 Diagrams" boasts some of the tightest production quality Rza has ever achieved. With guests appearances by Erykah Badu, George Clinton and John Frusiante (guitarist from the Chili Peppers), the Wu add a lot of depth to their original Kung Fu formula. The whole clan is at their best (though, now that I think about it, Inspecta Deck is MIA) and there are numerous odes and tributes to their fallen comrade ODB. This is by far one of the best hip hop albums to drop this year (the others will be on the list). I can listen to it over and over and barely skip a song.

After 15 years in "The Game", it seems Common has taken a liking to the big screen. With roles in "Smoking Aces" and "American Gangster", he was good enough to land roles in the much anticipated 2008 release "Wanted" along side Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, as well as a confirmed role as The Green Lantern in the the upcoming "Justice League of America". Its amazing he still has time to make an album. Yet this workaholic put forth not only one of the best hip hop albums of 2007, but arguably one of the best records of the year. An instant classic, "Finding Forever" solidifies Common as the resident conscience of today's crumbling morals of hip hop. Keep fighting the good fight, Common Sense.

For those that don't know, K-os has been around for a while. He has a style that is hard to confine to one specific genre, dancing around a solid hip hop foundation into rock, reggae, soul and funk influenced brilliance. And "Atlantis" keeps his proverbial ball rolling. From the Purple Rain-era crooning of "The Rain", to the Studio 54 style disco of "Black Ice" K-os (stands for Knowledge Of Self), shows he's just as comfortable freestyling lyrically as he is flexing his vocal range. One of the freshest, most original new artists to hit the music scene. Period.

Say what you want about this 50 pound throwback, the girl can blow (or is she just doing too much blow?). Though her album, "Back to Black" dropped in late 2006, her voice, as well as her album, has served as a virtual soundtrack for 2007. And considering all the celebs hitting the "Rehab" this year, its quite fitting. Check out her previous album "Frank" to really get a glimpse of her sense of humor and songwriting abilities, with jams like "Fuck Me Pumps" and "Stronger Than Me".

I'm still waiting for someone to drop a "Rock Music is Dead" album ala Nas, but perhaps it got shelved after someone heard the Chili Peppers latest double shot to the dome. Mixing the perfect blend of early Peppers hard funk with their more recent melodic charm, Flea and the boys show why they paved the way for the Linkin Parks and Incubus' of today's rock, but still set the bar. A two album set, "Stadium Arcadium" takes you on a sonic voyage through the raunchy romance that the Chili Peppers have created for two generations of fans.

There is not much to get excited about in the world of Pop Music, but JT shows why he's carrying the torch for some of the old greats of the genre. With his first effort, Justified, he did his best to channel our favorite train wreck Michael Jackson. With "Futuresex" he revels in the influence of His Purpleness himself, with a slew of sexually-charged bubblegum bangers. One of the best duos to hit the pop scene since Jackson and Jones (Quincy, if you're nasty), Timberland and Timberlake have once again combined to produce a fine, albeit candy-coated, pop music masterpiece. Perhaps next album, he'll get a bit more creative with the cover art.

Thom Yorke has been in hiatus for the last few years. Apparently he's been busy. Radiohead's newest album, "In Rainbows" is the band's best record, in my opinion. With haunting rhythms and fresh new melodies, Thom and his cronies craft a mystic blend of electronica and expression. But perhaps the most groundbreaking thing about this album is their marketing scheme. The band released the album exclusively on their website, for the price of, well, whatever you want. Fans only had to donate whatever they wanted to download the album, hopefully proving once and for all that free internet downloading is NOT the reason for poor album sales. Perhaps artists these days are just dropping a bunch of crap.

This lyrical monarch has been burning tracks since the early nineties with his group Organized Konfusion. And after a few solo releases that never quite blew up, "Desire" has finally raised Monch up from the subterranean backpack scene. By far my favorite performer at this summer's hiphopapalloza "Rock the Bells", Pharoahe Monch has constructed a complicated labyrinth of storytelling, bravado and ear-blazing tracks that challenge the hip hop norms while staying true to his brain-teasing lyrical tongue lashings. With probably one of the first hip hop epics, his nearly 10 minute "Trilogy" shows R. Kelly that he needs to keep his Cradle Robbing ass in the closet.

Originally released in 2003, then getting re-released in 2006 in the US, "Colour The Small One" is enjoying its rebirth. After getting lucky enough to have her song "Breathe Me" serve as the show "Six Feet Under"'s swan song, Sia has shown that she is more than just a one-hit wonder. Her soft brand of sugary sweetness is causing diabetic shock throughout the music industry. She has been hailed by some as neck and neck with Amy Winehouse as the next big thing. Picture Bjork, Kate Bush, and Tori Amos having a threesome... huh? Sorry...uh... where was I... Oh, yeah, the girl can sing. And she can write as well. Intricately woven lyrics mixed with her unique vocal patterns, the Australian cutie keeps you grooving with a brand of upbeat, jazz influenced loveliness.

Now, you KNOW I couldn't have a top ten album list without throwing my boys into the mix. Another 2006 release, I've been running this album, one of their most ambitious efforts so far. "Game Theory" treats us to tracks like the skateboard indie-like "Livin' In the New World", or the soulful "Baby" and show why the "one and only hip hop band" have transcended hip hop and remain a trailblazing super-group. FYI, last Saturday I had the privilege of hanging out with the guitarist "Capt'n" Kirk Douglas, after bumping into him at a party, and he told me that their next release, slated for an early 2008 jump-off, will be the band's most experimental effort to date. Hard to believe given their track record. I'll be waiting.

So there it goes. I hope to see everyone else's list whenever you get the chance to list them. Until then, happy new year, and let's hope 2008 raises the bar in the music industry and gives us more to debate about. Peace.

Your Resident Music Slut,

Dre.