For fans of: Heltah Skeltah, Black Moon, Smif N' Wessun, Justus League, Cappadonna

Even Better Than the Real Thing
22. Lil' Wayne - Da Drought 3 (Young Money Entertainment)
I didn't hear all 937 of Lil' Wayne's mixtapes last year, but most people say this was the best and I can see why. I admit I slept on Wayne for a long time, but I have my reasons. When he first came out, his style wasn't my cup of tea and even as he started to improve, I was still turned off by his violent streak. It's hard to digest the work of an artist who has basically alluded to the fact that he may have killed a couple people at some point.

But on those days when you can put that aside for a few minutes and just look at this as simple entertainment, you will find one of the best "improper" albums of all time and something that's probably better than any of his respective studio releases. The most electric lyricist in the game today spits metaphors and similes that would make Marshall Mathers piss himself and his wicked sense of humor and laid back attitude make it hard to believe that this guy would ever seriously harm somebody. (Let's hope it's not true.)

The cocksure veteran will be the first to tell you that he's at the top of his game, but it's still impressive to hear him clearly trying hard to excel and striving for perfection. Who knew the mainstream could be hiding the shiniest diamond in the rough? But if he's smoking something other than all those blunts, it's going to be hard for me to support this guy.

For fans of: Eminem, Ras Kass

Dead Solid Persistence
21. Machine Head - the Blackening (Roadrunner)
This was far from the most progressive or original metal release of 2007, but it may just have been the most technically sound and perhaps the best produced, as well. The taut riffs and compact vocals call to mind Metallica's heyday without so much of the symphonic structure. The confidence and aggression doesn't feel overwhelmingly genuine, but it's still somewhat effective. The songs are more workmanlike than their competitors, but you can't deny the overall musicianship and the final package is undoubtedly impressive.

None of the tunes here really sound like much fun, which is something I kind of look for in this cynical age, but they still leave a good taste in your mouth. You'd like to see a bit more experimenting, but you can't argue with an album that delivers in so many other areas. This is a huge step forward for a band that thought about calling it quits a few times over the years. This is a good starting point on which to build a huge structure and with their current focus, there seems to be little room for a letdown and I don't foresee one.