[Si] TV

New Year's Eve is right around the corner so Dream Shatterer and I thought it was only fitting to lace you with our top 10 albums of 2007. So let us walk you through our picks and if you got something to say about it send your comments to gotohell@gmail.com.

Musicman: My list is not in any particular order so my first CD on my top list for 2007 is from a new artist named Kevin Michael, who is signed to Atlantic Records. He’s the talented R&B singer that put out “It Don’t Make Any Difference to Me” featuring Wyclef Jean. Michael has sick vocals and the production is superb for his self-titled debut CD. I highly recommend this CD and I’m crossing my fingers that Atlantic puts some money behind this cat because he’s extremely talented.
Dream Shatterer: Kevin Michael doesn’t sound familiar; he sounds like one of my Haitian boy’s cousins. Taking my number one spot is Marc Anthony for a) finally impregnating Jennifer Lopez and insuring that her bubble butt will reach new heights and b) the soundtrack to El Cantante. The film was a commercial flop but the CD with Marc singing Hector Lavoe classics was matched perfectly together like a virtuoso and a debilitating drug habit.

MM: Next up is Mr. Good Life himself, Kanye West with his smash, Graduation. The CD is crucial from beginning to end. Enough said! If you don’t have Kanye’s Graduation you must be a loser and not tapped into what’s hot!
DS: Yes, Ye brought the heat this year. Graduation was probably the best album of West’s career (Hooray no skits)! It justified his crying like a school girl over not performing on the main stage at the VMAs; well maybe not, but he handed 50 Cent the biggest L of his career. (R.I.P. Mama West).

MM: Another favorite for 2007 was M.I.A.’s Kala. M.I.A. is a unique artist who is definitely paving her own path in the music game. Her sound is like no other. It’s hip-hop meets electric-funk meets drum and bass. Every time I hear a song from Kala I either get an urge to dance or bust someone over the head with a bottle. (Pray for me!)
DS: M.I.A. certainly got more burn this year from the mainstream. With Kala she got Timbo to do some beats and got some press love. The Sri Lankan hottie is making up a genre as she goes; there’s nothing she can’t do.

MM: Christian Scott is a name that most people are not familiar with, but he is a talented young trumpet player. He released an album on Concord/Universal Records called Anthem that is smooth and contemporary. If you want to broaden your musical taste I say check out Scott’s Anthem.
DS: You’re a record label exec, you’re in bed with the illest chick of the last decade and you give out water to everybody. So what’s next? If you’re Jay-Z you shake off the ugly stench of mediocrity from his first out-of-retirement album Kingdom Come and release American Gangster—a lyrical return to his early hustling sensibilities. We know Jigga is sitting on 24K golden toilets and wiping his ass with Benjamins and we still want him to rhyme about that ignorant s**t! We love it.

MM: Even though my musical taste varies, my foundation is urban music. Tank, who is an underrated artist, released the priceless Sex, Love & Pain. The lyrical content is interesting, smooth and relevant. Some might not know but Tank has written hit songs for artists like Omarion, Jamie Foxx and Chris Brown. If you looking for a CD to get the mood started, Sex, Love & Pain is the one that will help you hit a homerun. Trust!
DS: I didn’t know Tank was still around. I thought Tank and Jaheim got together and evaporated into prison body air (pause). For me the numero cinco album is Notch’s Raised by the People. The living example of the United Nations (the dude is like Jamaican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Asian, Martian, etc.) debut solo album combined reggae, reggaeton, hip-hop, R&B into a dope Spanglish package.

MM: Next up on my list of is DJ Khaled’s We The Best. Not too many people can make me want to take off my shoe and throw it at an old woman driving slow on the road but Khaled gets me amped. He came out with his banger, “I’m So Hood” featuring T-Pain, Rick Ross, Trick Daddy and Plies that had me hard dancing in the club like I was a deranged lunatic. Go cop it!
DS: Juanes’ La Vida . . . Es Un Ratico reminded everyone who the king of this pop rock ish is. The beauty of Juanes (pause) is that dude can be away for a couple of years, come back with some power ballads and win over both the public and press. All while rockin a friggin’ unibrow!

MM: Who has heard of Jay Soto? You lying if you said you did. This Latino guitar player is signed to NuGroove Records and has probably sold three copies of Stay Awhile, but nevertheless he is an amazing artist with a great album. It’s mellow yet vibrant and has an enticing groove that draws you in and keeps you listening. Remember the name Jay Soto!
DS: Keyshia Cole is that ghetto chick that would slice and dice for her man. But if you scorn her then watch yo nuggets. It’s this love and fear that had me buggin’ over her Just Like You joint. On the album when she’s in love with you her twins are your buddies but when she hates you she morphs into the baddest chick (sorry Trina).

MM: Our next album comes from one of hip-hop’s greatest lyricists, Common. Com is an artist that has been around for years and is now finally getting his recognition. His latest Finding Forever is an instant classic. Common has a way of making you think which is refreshing. Kanye West helped produce most of the CD along with will.i.am. Forever is a great pick-up!
DS: Common is one of those artists that get better with age—a rare feat in hip-hop. Finding Forever found Com with more cojones (think “The B***h In You”) but he didn’t forget his female fan base (“Drivin Me Wild”). Plus Forever marked the first time the Chi-town Nas debuted at number one. Told you he’s like wine: better with age and makes girls’ panties drop.

MM: OneRepublic, the pop band signed to Timbaland’s label released Dreaming Out Loud and it’s a smash. It’s packed with energy and substance that I didn’t expect. The single “Apologize” is off the charts. Their music is remarkable and if my predictions are right OneRepublic will be around for years!
DS: Ghostface! Who would have bet that after 13 years of the Wu, Ghost would be the most prolific MC? While Method Man is somewhere working on another s***ty movie, Ghost keeps dropping gems like The Big Doe Rehab (check out D. Hastings’ exclusive Ghost pics here). In the immortal words of Raekwon, “Yo, lace them n****s, son!”

MM: The last album on my top list for 2007 is from the queen herself, Mary J. Blige. Mary through her music either makes you want to drink a bottle of tequila and then have passionate sex or jump out the window and slit your wrist. However her new CD, Growing Pains celebrates love as well as her new drug free life. With guest features from Usher and Ludacris and production from Ne-Yo, The Neptunes and Timbaland, Mary has done it again. Her first single, “Just Fine” is a catchy dance song expressing her new outlook on life.  Mary’s Growing Pains is the perfect stocking stuffer for that special someone this Christmas.
DS: UGK’s Underground Kingz was a tightly put-together opus by Southern hip-hop’s icons. I’m not one for any hip-hop outside of the Rotten Apple but these two old heads made me a believer. Not to mention that “International Players Anthem (I Choose You)” was the rap song of ’07 and also the song of the night for my bachelor party. We’ll keep you in our hearts, Sweet Jones! In the meantime it’s chuuch on the move.