Nas anyone?

[Gilly]

I liked the Talib Kweli and Wu Tang albums from last year as well. I'm not saying there isn't any good hip-hop anymore, just in 2008. Take Me Home is one of the best hip-hop songs in a long time.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

Lord T and Eloise: http://www.myspace.com/lordtandeloise 
Sole: www.myspace.com/timholland
Atmosphere: www.myspace.com/atmosphere 
Sage Francis: www.myspace.com/sagefrancis 

...off the top of my head.  im sure everyone has heard of these, or thinks theyre terrible.  other hip hop/rap i enjoy is mainstream so i skipped that list. 

[Andy]

I really likes Brother Ali's album, but I don't know how well it's going to hold up through time.

Killer Mike was really spotty for me, but it's a little outside my norm when it comes to rap.

[erechoveraker]

Roots album was more than alright, and Immortal Techniques newness is nice too. Atmoshphere's album is pretty alright, if you can get over the slam poetry pomposity of it.

There's still hope for the year though. Kardinal Offishall is dropping something soon, and Detox might actually come out this year too (although hearing about Dre's kid dying today mighta nixed that). Plus, new De La cannot be far off, it can't!

[Gilly]

I've heard GZA Pro Tools isn't bad but once again, we're treading in the 90's. I like mainstream hip-hop more than alternative hip-hop but the radio hits stink this year. I'm looking forward to T.I., I haven't heard the new single yet but it's supposed to be good.

I've never liked Atmosphere too much or emo-rap (yeah, yeah I know all rap is emotional) for that matter. Brother Ali is really the only guy I like out of that scene and I think he just is pegged into that scene, he's more mainstream than the rest.

[Stupornaut]

wales seinfeld inspired mixtape is free on his website

I also really like The Grouch's new album. it was a little sparse at first, but its amazing.

I know who that is and I have that CD but I still, for a split second, read that as The Gorch. Maybe he (that is, Mr. Gorchnik) should cover "Chain Hang Low" or something.

[Gilly]

That post calls for applause!

[namethebats]

I liked Black Milk's "Popular Demand" a lot; the lyrics aren't that memorable, but the production reminds me of J Dilla.

[Patrick]

what a banner year for hip hop....  killer albums from the Roots, Nas, Gza, Rza and this fall hopefully a new Mos Def album.

Are you crazy? Decent albums by a few people who've done better is not a banner year. Wale and the Cool Kids are good, but where is the great hip hop single of the year? You can never judge a year in music from August, but I'd say no.

i think the roots album is pure fire, and the genius album is hot stuff as well. 

i dont really follow rap radio so i cant think of this years club banger. 

the david banner album is kidna funny, and to be honest i really disliked the NERD album. 

we are never gonna have another 1988 or 1993 for that matter, but good rap still exists. 

[Chris L]

we are never gonna have another 1988 or 1993 for that matter, but good rap still exists. 

Yeah, in my very casual view I think Public Enemy are as good as rap will ever get.  I used to think the genre had unlimited sonic potential and these visionaries would come along to push it to unforseen heights and poetic importance, but instead most hip hop became either too shallow or too self-conscious and self-referential.  There are still colorful personalities and some good albums now and then but probably not a whole lot of timeless music. 

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

we are never gonna have another 1988 or 1993 for that matter, but good rap still exists. 

Yeah, in my very casual view I think Public Enemy are as good as rap will ever get.  I used to think the genre had unlimited sonic potential and these visionaries would come along to push it to unforseen heights and poetic importance, but instead most hip hop became either too shallow or too self-conscious and self-referential.  There are still colorful personalities and some good albums now and then but probably not a whole lot of timeless music. 

Well, Chris, I know we're both very "street"  and we like to "keep it real," but let's keep in mind that we're probably not all that up on contemporary hip-hop music.  Speaking for myself, even though I listened to a little Jay-Z and Wu-Tang, I wasn't really that into it, and it's only in the past 4-5 years that I've started to realize that they, and Biggie, Tupac, Nas, Ghostface, Kanye, and others were actually pretty good.  I did listen to some rap in the 15 or so years since I had been in tune with it, but it was mostly just Native Tongues stuff that was more popular with the white folk anyway.

[driz]

i personally wasnt into the nas record at all

but also thought id make a point - those classic 93/94/95 era records are legendary, but they werent perceived as such when they came out.  36chambers/illmatic/ready to die/etc.....werent recognized immediately as classics. 

i dont think much classic stuff is being made lately but im a grumpy old product of the 90s...who knows what the 16yr ol furutre snobs are gonna consider classic.  probably the carter3 or somehting.

[erechoveraker]

Grumpy old men.

I'd bet something from Ludacris, maybe one of those D-block kids, even that second album from Kanye is considered pretty highly. Or even stuff I can't stand like T.I. or 50's second album might get classic status too.

The whole political/conscious rap is lost on kids today for the most part, as well it should be because most of it is awful. Not to mention it's now so ingrained into the culture anyways, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty sprinkled into the non Busdriver or Dead Prez groups of today too. Although Revolutionary volume 2 by Immortal Technique is something I hear mentioned a lot in the white/college hip hop circles and that's pretty politically slanted, so maybe I'm just a dummy.

[jamesp]

what a banner year for hip hop....  killer albums from the Roots, Nas, Gza, Rza and this fall hopefully a new Mos Def album.

I was just wondering if there was any new hip hop worth listening to lately.  What about rappers that didn't debut in the early 90's?  Anything good?

Wale.

Yeah, agreed. Loved the Hate is the New Love mixtape and 100 Miles and Running. The Mixtape About Nothing is also a whole lotta fun.

I also would say that Rhymefest's Man in the Mirror Mixtape along with the Cool Kids have been pretty good newish stuff.

[jamesp]

I was slightly disappointed by the Nas album but there was enough good stuff on there I suppose. I just wish he could make another mind-blower like "Illmatic". But a newish album I can't recommend enough is "I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II" by Killer Mike. So fucking good.

I liked "That's Life" off the first Pledge Allegiance to the Grind mixtape but didn't care much for the rest. Is this one any better?

And for all the talk about needing a good hip hop single, I think "DontGetIt" by Lil Wayne and "Jockin Jay-Z" by Jay Z are two great (potential) singles.