2008 was a good year for hip hop. We had some huge smashes, some good comebacks and some solid debuts. Join 24hourhiphop.com as we look back at this past years biggest albums.

10. Bun-B -2 Trill

Repping for his fallen partner Pimp C, Bun held it down on his second solo offering. Giving the hard hitting rhymes in his signature baritone fans have come to love him for, Bun didn’t disappoint. Standout tracks were the Keith Sweat sampled “Everything” and the Sean Kingston featured “Gangsta”.

 

9. Ludacris-Theatre Of The Mind

Luda did his thing on this album which featured appearances from Lil Wayne, Nas, and Jay-Z. My personal favorite on this one was “Everybody Hates Chris”, a funny track in which Luda examines the reasons people hate on him with Chris Rock providing some comedic backdrop. Luda said his goal with this album was to solidify his spot in the game and show that he is one of the most lyrical out there.

 

8. T.I. –Paper Trail

Although I can’t say this is one of my favorite albums from T.I., he still proved that he can perform under pressure. This album, written while T.I. was under house arrest, had some big hits. “Whatever You Like” has been inescapable for the past 9 months and “Live Your Life” was #1 in both hip hop and R&B charts.

 

7. Flo-Rida- Mail on Sunday

Flo-Rida had a lot to prove on this one. With “Low”, Flo had one of the biggest hits of all time. Fortunately though the Miami native held it down for his state and made it clear he was more than just a one hit wonder. The production on this album provided the perfect complement to Flo’s bouncy rhyme style, which shifts from fast to slow effortlessly. My personal standout is “Don’t Know How To Act” featuring Yung Joc.

 

6.   Nas-Untitled

Although Nas didn’t see his plan through to give this album the controversial title Nigger, he still gave his fans what he promised. That of course was this introspective and thoughtful album which examined race relations in this country as well as the power of a single word. Nas said his intent with this album was to both educate and frighten. He kept the guest appearances to a minimum on this one using only Busta Rhymes on the cut “Fried Chicken”, which looks at black’s fondness of fried chicken and other unhealthy foods. All in all a great and I believe, honest, attempt by the God’s Son to bring a little more substance to the game.

 

5. Scarface- Emeritus

Calling this his final chapter in the game, Scarface went out high with Emeritus. Sticking to the script, Face gives dark haunting tales of street life interwoven with biting social commentary. He addresses snitches, shady politicians, and his own demons and shortcomings on this potent set. With appearances from fellow Texans Bun-B and Slim Thug, Face definitely goes out on a high note with this one.

 

4. Rick Ross- Trilla

Ross went in on this one. Superb production gave Ross the perfect canvas to paint pictures of his boss life. Showing amazing growth since his debut, “Port Of Miami”, this album showed that Ricky Ross is a man who has more to talk about than moving weight. Anyone who doubted on his skills or lyrical ability was quickly quieted with tracks like “Maybach Music” and “Speedin”. Add to that the all star guest appearances by the likes of Jay-Z, T-Pain, and Lil Wayne, this is an album that will have a long life in my deck.

 

3. Plies- The Definition Of Real

A street dude who sells records by wooing the ladies, Plies delivered a solid effort on his sophomore set. Mixing tales of sweaty wet sex with in the bush choppa bustin Plies tries to cover all bases. Eating pussy and ridin Chevy’s still seem to be Plies’ favorite activities but he does show there is more to the man on tracks like “Somebody Loves You” and “Worth Goin Fed Fo”. My personal favorite on this one is “Rich Folks”, as to me this track is what Plies is all about: gutter talk mixed with Hollywood ambitions.

 

2. Kanye West- 808’s & Heartbreak

When Kanye premiered “Love Lockdown” on this past years VMA’s many didn’t know what to think. Was this hip hop or R&B? Was he singing or rapping? Rumors of Kanye doing a whole album in vocoder syle started to swirl right after this performance and they turned out to be true. Kanye tried something new on this record and for the most part, it worked. The above mentioned “Love Lockdown” was a huge hit and “Street Lights” has been my workout song for the past month. This is music meant to make you move, more so than think. So give love a chance and groove to Kanye’s 808’s.

1. Lil Wayne- The Carter III

What else can be said about this album that hasn’t already been said? A million sold in a week. 8 Grammy nominations. Hit after hit. This was without a doubt, the album of the year. Wayne worked tirelessly for the past three years building his buzz and it paid off in a major way with the sales and accolades of this album. “Lollipop” was the biggest song of the year and “Got Money” was a close second. The album is currently still riding high into the new year with the hit “Ms. Officer” burning up the airwaves and pop charts. With a year like this, Wayne has a lot to live up to in the 09’. I believe though that if anyone can pull it off, it’d be Weezy.