Top Albums of 2008

So everyone makes these lists... I enjoy reading them, but as I get older and older I realize that I don't recognize 80% of the albums on these lists as well as having less and less time to scour the interweb and flip thru music magazines for new music.

Also, about 95% of my friends all do the 9-5 so I don't really have anyone to talk music with.

With that said, here we are:
(keep in mind, some of these albums might've been released in 2007, but it's my list so shut the fuck up)

Hip-Hop Albums:
(this is rated by consistancy and how many times I was excited to hear the entire record over again)

1. Lil' Wayne - "Tha Carter III"
2. Kanye West - "808's and Heartbreak"
3. EMC - "The Show"
4. GZA/Genius - "Pro Tools"
5. Ludacris - "Theater of the Mind"

EP's:
(it's unfair to put these with the albums)
1. Oddisee & V/A - "Pete Rosenburg Presents: A Rosenburg Oddisee"
2. Alchemist - "The Alchemist's Cookbook"

Not Hip-Hop Albums:
1. Burial - "Untrue"
2. Black Kids - "Partie Traumatic"
3. Bon Iver - "For Emma, Forever Ago"
4. Vampire Weekend - "Vampire Weekend"
5. Santogold - "Santogold"
6. M83 - "Saturdays = Youth"
7. The Radio Dept - "Lesser Matters"

R&B Albums:
1. The Dream - "Love Hate"
2. Al Green - "Lay It Down"

Most Disappointing Albums:
(this is rated by how excited I was to hear the record vs how bad the record really was. some records I knew would suck, but I still kept some faith that the artist would make a comeback. So in short, if I knew the album would suck and it did suck, it didn't make the list, ie: Fat Joe - "Elephant in the Room")

1. Wu Tang Clan - "8 Diagrams"
2. Nas - "Untitled (aka: Nigger)"
3. Murs - "Murs for President"
4. Yak Ballz - "Scifentology 2"
5. RZA - "Bobby Digital: Digi Snacks"
6. Atmosphere - "When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold"
7. Tricky - "Knowle West Boy"
8. Portishead - "Third"
9. Q-Tip - "The Renaissance"
10. The Game - "L.A.X."
11. Nine Inch Nails - "The Slip"

Soundtrack of the Year:

1. The Wackness
(the soundtrack is actually 80% of the reason I bothered to go see this movie)

Albums that Surprised Me:
(this is rated by how crappy I thought the album would be, but actually turned out pretty enjoyable)
1. Common - "Universal Mind Control"
2. Ill Bill* - "The Hour of Reprisal"

*I'm generally not a big fan of anyone from this click, but the list of guests on this album MADE me HAVE to check it out: Raekwon, DJ Premier, Max Calvera (of Sepultura/Soulfly - wtf!!!), HR & Darryl Jennifer (of Bad Brains - wtf!!!), DJ Muggs, B-Real, Vinnie Paz, Immortal Technique & more

Musical Trends I Still Don't Understand: 1. Electro
2. Ed Banger Records
3. Noise
4. Gabber

Albums I'm Looking Forward to in 2009:
1. Cage - "Depart From Me"
2. Raekwon - "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2"
3. Dr. Dre - "Detox"
4. Eminem - not sure what it's called
5. Lil Wayne - "Tha Carter III" (same title but all new tracks)
6. 50 Cent - "Before I Self Destruct"
7. T-Wayne - "He Rap, He Sing"
8. OutKast - all 3 albums...

Albums I Discovered in 2008:
(but NOT released in 2008, in no particular order)
The Lox - Money Power Respect (1998)
MC Solaar - Prose Combat (1994)
Oscar Peterson - Fly Me To The Moon (retrospective - 2006)
Bad Brains - Quickness (1989)
Masta Ace - Sittin' On Chrome (1995)
Stars - Nightsongs (2001)
Bitty McLean - On Bond Street (2005)