 | Dead Letter Perfect by SoulStice
Buy new: $48.98 / Used from: $43.50 Never underestimate the MC with a Master's Degree... Soulstice comes back, with a solid release beaming of maturity and the strive for perfection over head nodding soul sounds.
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 | No Place Like Chrome by Apathy
Buy new: $21.98 / Used from: $10.98 Originally a UK only release, often partners in rhyme Apathy and Celph Titled team up for helluva release. Apathy just might be the best all around rapper out right now and Celph is the king of punchlines. Together they have the chemistry of Red and Meth, Em and Dre, too bad several of the songs are solo.
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 | Egoclapper by Esoteric
Buy new: $15.98 / Used from: $6.99 Esoteric is one half of 7L & Esoteric and his solo album might be the best thing yet out of Boston's best MC. Eso rips apart boombap beats with rhymes about 80s cartoons, action figures and the lack of excitement in hip hop and makes for one of the best listens in 2007.
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 | American Gangster by Jay-Z
Buy new: $10.97 / Used from: $4.09 Jay-Z bounces back from Kingdom Come, still not in Blueprint/Reasonable Doubt form but certainly enough to defend his crown. Jay-Z rightfully opens his second pairing with Nas with a Em quote... now where's Em's release?
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 | Graduation by Kanye West
Buy new: $10.97 / Used from: $3.05 Kanye may have dueled and won against 50 in record sales but this is the first time an album of his probably won't be in the race for an album of the year. If he can tone down his ego next release he might be back in it.
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 | Bayani by Blue Scholars
Buy used from: $4.99 Northwest Rock Rock on... uDub grads finally give the NW a group the we can get behind. They get the award for most improved this year.
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 | The Bar Exam by Royce the 5" 9'
Buy new: $16.98 / Used from: $7.75 Rarely are mixtapes worth mentioning in best of, but DJ Premiere best pairing outside of Guru easily is Royce and that alone is bragging rights but the highlight is when Royce kills the Statik track, Street hop.
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 | Hard Road: Restrung by Hilltop Hoods
Buy new: $39.99 / Used from: $63.94 What? You don't Know? Hilltop Hoods are the world's most successful indie rap group, hailing from Adelaide down under. Its 2006's complete classic Hard Road redone in Kanye Late Orchestration fashion. The only downside is its essential verbatim, instead of reworking the songs. Still, Its beautiful.
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 | Getback by Little Brother
Buy new: $13.99 / Used from: $2.75 Little Brother parts ways with 9th but ask me, it might be for the best. Yeah I said. The Listening? Classic. Minstrel Show? Not quite. Getback? Getting warmer.
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 | Median's Relief by Median
Buy used from: $9.88 Median's Relief has its shaky spots like a first release but there's moments of brilliance like Brenda's Baby, following up 2pac's Brenda's Got a Baby. Keep your eye on Median.
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 | The Outsider by CL Smooth
Buy new: $16.98 / Used from: $8.99 The Mecca Soul Don is back. American me was good, but Outsider, meant as a companion album outshines the original. CL is youthful and ascending back up to the top. Good to have you back CL.
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 | The Cool by Lupe Fiasco
Buy new: $10.99 / Used from: $3.35 Completely flips his style for a conceptual album that's out of the park. Its a strong argument for the album of the year. Complimented by eccentric yet fitting production choices, his improved flow and skillful rhymes put Lupe in an elite circle with the giants of rap.
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 | Hell's Lost and Found by Apathy
Buy new: $18.98 / Used from: $40.68 Apathetic just gets better and better. Two disks of his "B" material comes out better than almost every release this year. Tracks like Everyday and Feelin' U show Apathy is versatile as they come as he bounces between joking to serious.
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 | The Big Doe Rehab by Ghostface
Buy new: $13.98 / Used from: $1.34 Another year, another great LP from Ghostface. After his expanse last year with action figures, two albums, introducing his son as a rapper, you might think he was over extending himself... Instead he sounds as dedicated as ever.
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 | Popular Demand by Black Milk
Buy new: $14.98 / Used from: $5.32 Once beat smith for Slum Village seems to have been sleeping on his best production and saving it for himself. Black also is a capable MC outshining most producer rappers.
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 | Sad Clown Bad Summer Number 9 by Atmosphere
Buy used from: $4.88 Slug and Ant released two quality EPs, either worthy of this list. The Sad Clown, Bad series have been up to studio quality and it pays
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 | Below the Heavens by Blu & Exile
Buy used from: $198.33 Blu is rookie of the year, dropping first LP that sounds veteran. Chalk in Common & A Tribe Called Quest namechecks, Illmatic references and a solid soulful production by Exile and you'd never guess that he was hailing from LA. Blu joins the rank of the grown-man rap movement as possible one of the best in it.
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 | The Memphis Sessions by A.Z.
Buy new: $17.98 / Used from: $6.24 One of the most solid remix albums ever, AZ over reworked (barely) soul songs is what everything The Format should have been. A few reworkings just don't fit (Al Green's Love and Happiness and MOP do not mix) but even with blatant soul jacking it its hard to deny how good it sounds. AZ sounds like a legend on this album.
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Listmania!
