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Obama won!
reposted after removal

1. Kanye West-808s and Heartbreaks
I wont write alot here, because it will end up turning into a rant ( a postive one), so if your interested, here are my initial thoughts on Kanyes 4th.
I now admit this isnt a hip-hop album, it is almost undefinable. Its a pop album i suppose, but nothing like any pop albums before it.
Best track: Kanye West-Welcome to Heartbreak feat. Kid cudi (no link im afraid)
Bonus: Young Jeezy-Put On (feat. Kanye West) his verse on this is ridiculous, and a brilliant set up for 808s...
2. Q-Tip-The Renaissance
2008 was a year of hip-hop discovery for me, a year of A Tribe Called Quest discovery and in turn Q-Tip's awesomeness. This album is fantastic. Its such a positive record, both lyrically and musically. Gettin Up (one of the 2 Dilla productions) is so chilled and upbeat its brilliant. Other highlights include Move (the other Dilla production, Jackson 5 sampling), and Believe (my favourite) and a classic chillout hip-hop song. It was so lovely to have an uplifting hip-hop album this month after being depressed by 808s darkness haha! After 9 years away from releasing his own music, Q-Tip is firmly back on top of hip-hop.
Best track: Q-Tip-Believe (feat. D'Angelo)
Bonus: A Tribe Called Quest-Luck of Lucien
Aparently he will be on one of the 3 new Prince albums this year!
Metacritic (81)
3. The Killers-Day and Age
Another disappointing album, and now my overexcitement has died down probably their worst so far. I was so excited for this album, but its a dud. The first 3 tracks are awesome, electronic classic Killers, but after that the album falls flat. With the excpetion of I Cant Stay, the remainding tracks blend into obscurity. Bloody hell that was negative.
Best track: The Killers-Losing Touch
4. Beyonce-I Am...Sasha Fierce
Beyonce also released her worst album to date, with a double album to represent herself (I Am...with big ballads a la If I were A Boy but much worse and boring!) and her alter ego (Sasha Fierce, upbeat tunes a la Single Ladies). The first half of the album may as well be chucked away, Beyonce has made much better slow songs (Irreplaceable for one), but it has always been her upbeat tunes that I have liked. Sasha Fierce provides 2 awesome examples of this in Single Ladies and Diva. Although im not quite sure of the lyrical gist of single ladies, its a big tune. And Diva I probably just like because the beat is as close to A Milli you can get without actually sampling it. Bangladesh produced A Milli and Diva surprisingly enough. Her vocals are actually brilliant on it. Anyway, it has nothing on her first 2 albums in terms of consistency, and it is lacking a BIG guest appearance from Jay-Z! I am hoping for a Diva remix with him sparring with her about being a hustler or some shit.
Best track: Beyonce-Diva
Metacritic (62)
5. T.I.-Paper Trail (UK release)
Not listened to this enough yet to make a full judgement, but not a huge fan on first couple of listens. Live your life is a ridiculously good song though, and Whatever You Like although badly written and generally silly is also great. Not quite sure of the moral message of Live your life, but its so infectiously good I cant complain.
Best track: Live your life feat. Rihanna
Metacritic (73)

Ludacris also released a feature saturated album this month. T.I, T-Pain, The Game, Rick Ross, Chris Rock, Chris Brown, Jamie Foxx, Lil Wayne, Nas, Jay-Z and common are just a few of the artists on the album. Its still pretty rubbish. The Nas/Jay-Z featured track is by far the best song, the Nas verse is brilliant.
Ludacris-I Do It For Hip-Hop (co-starring Nas and Jay-Z)
"They say I’m so low key, I’m socially awkward
Only those that really know me are the ones that I talk with
They smile in the light, hate in the dark,
you call it beef, to me its's just a fuckin’ walk in the park
Because you are who you are when nobody is looking
That's who you are so when the cash and cars is gone, the day after tomorrow
Don’t be askin’ to borrow, ski maskin’ it hard, like the way you rap in your bars
I could ride on you and whoever, devise new endeavors
I’m as live as hive full of predators
Twenty thousands different species of bees
Some half poisonous sting, some just pollinating their leafs
It's just like rap, some will buzz some will attack, compromising their own life in fact
Sixteen years since my first sixteen, pardon the rest of my niggas
But I’m the best whoever did it" Nas
I bought Illmatic for £3.60 from zavvi yesterday, good times.