Best Of 2008: Top 25 Albums (Entries 15-11)

Previous Midwest Broadcast Best of 2008 Posts:
Non-Hip-Hop Albums
Top 15 Mixtapes
Top 25 Albums (Entries 25-21 + Honorable Mentions)
Top 25 Albums (Entries 20-16)

Intro: As you are reading this, I am probably driving up to Northern Minnesota for a little vacation. All my posts thus far today were written last night, but able to be delayed until later thanks to pre-scheduled posting options. I'm going to eventually (hopefully sooner rather than later) finish writing my final ten entries on the Best Albums of 2008 list, and ideally I'll be able to drive to a coffee shop or something where I can find some wireless internet. So expect post updates for the Best of 2008 series sometime within the next two days, but in the meantime, all other posts (news, downloads, videos, etc.) will likely be lacking. I'll be back on December 31 to bring in the new year, and once 2009 kicks off I'll be back at Midwest Broadcast in full force. Until then, keep on checking back to see the rest of my rankings for the Top 25 Albums of 2008!


15. Guilty Simpson: Ode To The Ghetto
Guilty Simpson’s flow at times almost sounds so lackadaisical that his skill gets overlooked. However, with his debut album on Stones Throw Records, Ode To The Ghetto, that mistake will be made much less often. This album is sixteen tracks of gully, Detroit street-rap. Simpson’s topical content is limited at times, but he makes up for it in ability. The production on Ode To The Ghetto was equally stunning. With an A-list lineup featuring regular contributor Madlib, the late J Dilla, Black Milk, and Oh No, the beats were consistently strong throughout. Black Milk even gave Guilty one of his best beats of the year with “The Real Me,” which ended up being the album’s best song. Key Tracks: “The Real Me,” “Robbery,” “Ode To The Ghetto,” “My Moment”

14. Heiruspecs: Heiruspecs
Even though I already have had this album for about two weeks now, I got not one, but two copies of the new Heiruspecs album for Christmas. At least that means my family knows me pretty well. I’ve said it before, but no music group or artist reminds me of home more than Heiruspecs. So, naturally I was ecstatic when I discovered they would be releasing their first studio album since A Tiger Dancing. I have only given this album about 1.5 good listens, so this rating is moderately tenuous. Still, I was very satisfied with how the album turned out. Heiruspecs sound more mature and earnest with this new effort. Gone are post-track shout sessions of “Bitch! Bitch! Blah Blah Blahhhh!” and guest appearances from Mark Wheat. Instead, Heiruspecs the album has a theme of change. Songs like “We Want A New Flow” and “Change Is Coming” make it clear that the Saint Paul hip-hop band refuses to put up with most of the radio-rap bullshit presently dominating the airwaves. Heiruspecs are back, ya’ll, and they’re taking their craft that much more seriously. Key Tracks: “Get Up,” “All In All,” “Broken Record ft. I Self Devine,” “On My Way”

13. Muja Messiah: Thee Adventures of a B-Boy/D-Boy
Minneapolis has found a new dope boy who proved that you don’t need to leave the Twin Cities to “Get Fresh.” Thee Adventures Of A B-Boy/D-Boy was a criminally overlooked album in 2008. Muja sounded less like the rookie releasing his first studio album that he is, and more like a savvy veteran of the Twin Cities hip-hop scene. Boasting potentially intimidating guest raps from Slug, Black Though of The Roots (!!!!), I Self Devine, and Musab, Muja managed to hold his own lyrically, instead of merely sharing the spotlight. This helped ensure that B-Boy/D-Boy was his album to claim. Muja effectively and emotionally weaved tales of the street and of his own personal life. Two songs continually stick with me from this album. The first is “What’s This World Coming To ft. Slug,” on which Muja raps “My big sister drowned in a river / years later my brother got gunned down and they never found the killer / I know I’m next, yup, death’s coming for me.” The second song is “Tha Madness,” on which Muja has one of the coolest opening verses of the year. He raps, “I was born blessed with a curse / money over breakfast first / Bury me a ‘G’ / Black stretch Lexus hearse / What’s it all worth, on this planet we call Earth? / Call me crazy, but madness is the psyche’s nurse.” Those two examples, my friends, are what make this album so special. Key Tracks: “Tha Madness,” “What’s This World Coming To ft. Slug,” “Growing Pains,” “At All Cost (My Economics,” “Patriot Act ft. I Self Devine”

12. The Knux: Remind Me In 3 Days...
If The Knux grow increasingly popular with mainstream hip-hop, they have more potential to revolutionize the genre than anyone else today. In fact, it’s amazing that Interscope has not done more to help promote them. Krispy Kream and Rah Al Millio are two New Orleans blues rockers who moved to LA and refined their sound to be more hip-hop. Their album, Remind Me In Three Days..., kind of sounds like, dare I say, TV On The Radio meets The Cool Kids. That admittedly might be a little ambitious, but these swanky guitar-playin’ rhymers have some serious potential to change the face of hip-hop music. Their raps may be mildly commonplace at times, but they’re not afraid to tackle a wide variety of topics and concept. But it was the beats on their album that were dazzling, and help boost their significant prospects. Key Tracks: “Bang! Bang!,” “Cappuccino,” “Shine Again,” “Life In A Cage (Electric),” “Wake The Fuck Up”

11. 88-Keys: The Death of Adam
88-Keys has been producing tracks for over a decade, but it took until 2008 for him to release his first solo album. The result was The Death of Adam, an album that follows the tale of the death of — you guessed it! — a man named Adam. The album begins lightheartedly, with the joyous track “Morning Wood,” but Adam proceeds to get into increasingly deeper and trouble until he meets his ultimate demise. 88-Keys is an average rapper, but he gets a solid guest list of rappers to make cameos for the album: Phonte, Redman, Kid Cudi, Kanye West. What was more impressive was the production. Kanye West executive produced The Death of Adam with 88-Keys, and they produced an extremely unified album. As each song tells a progressive section of Adam’s adventures, so too do the beats reflect the mood and theme of the story. 88-Keys must have done some dilligent crate digging, as he was able to consistently take chopped-up vocal samples that perfectly reflect the song’s message. Key Tracks: “Morning Wood,” “Stay Up! (Viagra) ft. Kanye West,” “Close Call ft. Phonte,” “Burning Bush ft. Redman”