T.I., Lil’ Wayne and Erykah Badu Headline Our Top Albums of 2008
The year 2008 has come and gone, but the music that mattered the most during this calendar year will continue to live on. As we reflect back on the sounds that were, five artists stepped to the forefront producing compelling pieces that not only shared new personal revelations, but also tapped into the mood of an ever-evolving black America.
–dewayne rogers
 |
1. T.I.- Paper Trail It’s amazing what house arrest can do to an on-the-move music mogul. For rapper Clifford “T.I.” Harris, his home confinement forced the Atlanta native to finally sit down and physically write down lyrics for the first time in years. The results would be some of his most introspective work to date, as TIP further connected with his core group of followers by admitting the mistakes that have led up to his 2009 incarceration date. |
 |
2. Erykah Badu- New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War Both fearless and lyrically potent, Erykah Badu’s latest opus proved to be one of the most daring sonic explorations in recent memory. While casual music fans may be scared away by the album’s eccentricities, real music lovers will continue to point to this work as a defining moment in Badu’s career. |
 |
3. Q-Tip- The Renaissance For those lamenting the prolonged absence of Q-Tip from the music scene, his release of The Renaissance provided perhaps the best possible way for the artist to make amends for the time lost. But it’s not like Q-Tip wanted to be away, and that hunger and need to be heard again shines through, reminding us why the Abstract Poetic continues to be peerless. |
 |
4. Jazmine Sullivan- Fearless When Jazmine Sullivan first appeared on the scene, you would be hard pressed to find two industry insiders who could describe her with similar adjectives. No one knew who she was. And in the entertainment industry, a lack of identity almost certainly spells disaster. But what Sullivan offered with her debut album was a beautiful alternative to such a mindset. She embodied every possible adjective and then some, exhibiting a versatility often found in artists well beyond her years. |
 |
5. Lil Wayne- Tha Carter III For the past two and a half years, rapper Lil Wayne has arguably been the hardest working man in show business. And while Tha Carter III was supposed to serve as his victory lap around the flailing competition, the results were less than convincing. What he did offer instead was a set full of contradictions (both brilliant and incoherent) that did more to mirror the mood of this nation than any other musical work to be released in‘08. Yes, Lil Wayne suffers from attention deficit disorder, lacking any clear focus on any particular subject—but doesn’t that describe America? |
