27. El P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
New York producer El-Producto will drop his second full length in March 2007. Visit El-P's
ISWYD blog for updates on the album's progress.
26. Young Buck - Buck the World
Previously slated for December, Buck's sophomore LP will now arrive in February.
25. Eve - Here I Am
Just when you thought female rappers were going into extinction, Eve quits her self-titled TV sitcom to reunite with rap.
Here I Am promises collaborations with The Neptunes, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and Dr. Dre.
24. Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
Birdman Jr. returns with his sixth solo effort,
Tha Carter III The album is slated for release next spring, just enough time for fans to put the
Baby-kissing incident behind them.
23. Timbaland - Shock Value
Timbaland takes a break from bringing sexy back to create tunes with Elton John, She Wants Revenge, The Hives, Fall Out Boy and Bjork. Let's just hope he saved all the good beats for himself.
22. UGK - Underground Kingz
Underground Kingz marks UGK's return as a collective, following Bun B and Pimp C's respective success as solo artists.
21. Papoose - The Nacirema Dream
No, it's not the rucksack-looking child-carrier. This
Papoose is a fledgling wordsmith from Brooklyn, who likes to slaughter alphabets for fun.
The Nacirema Dream (
Nacirema spells American backwards) drops in March 2007.
20. Devin the Dude - Waitin' to Inhale
Despite having collaborated with heavyweights like
Snoop, Scarface, Dr. Dre,
Jay-Z, and
Nas, Devin the Dude is still one hit away from commercial success.
Waitin' to Inhale, which drops on March 13th, features Lil' Wayne, Bun B, and the Odd Squad.
19. LL Cool J - Todd Smith 2: Back to Cool
Back to Cool is the follow-up to the underwhelming
Todd Smith. This time, LL hooks up with fellow Queens rapper
50 Cent, who will oversee production on
Back to Cool.
18. Ghostface & MF Doom - Swift & Changeable
This oft-delayed collabo finds Ghost flexing his lyrical muscles over MF Doom's soulsonic playground. (See my
interview with Dreddy Kruger for more on
Swift & Changeable.)
17. Saigon - The Greatest Story Never Told
Sai Giddy's debut has been in the works for about four years, but he swears it'll certainly be in stores before the year runs out.
16. Sean Price - Jesus Price Superstar
You can probably tell from his
Passion of Price DVD and the forthcoming
Jesus Price Superstar that Sean Price has a knack for sacrilegious titles. Expect some holy music from Price this January. (Preview Track:
Sean Price - "P Body")
15. Chamillionaire - Ultimate Victory
Rumor has it that Dr. Dre, Kanye West, and The Runners produced some tracks on
Ultimate Victory. Now there's an album worth checking for.
14. Little Brother - The Getback
Assuming they don't get kicked off Atlantic by summer, North Carolina's most visible hip-hoppers will attempt to add another masterwork to their catalog. Everyone's desire to see LB beak out of their comfort zone forced Phonte and Big Pooh to collaborate with outside producers like Illmind, Nottz, and Alchemist on
The Getback
13. Talib Kweli & Madlib - The Liberation
If "Funny Money" is anything to go by then Kwe-Lib's first collaborative album,
Liberation, will probably be a winner among Okayplayers.
12. Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Lupe's highly celebrated debut
Food & Liquor featured only one guest emcee.
The Cool promises even fewer rappers and more Pink Floyd.
11. 50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct
The tentative release date for Fiddy's awesomely-titled third entry is March 20th, so expect Mr. Ferrari to jump-start a feud or two between January and February. The scary part is that 50 has vowed to reveal a 'sensitive thug' side of his image this time.
