YEAR-END LIST GETS OVERHAUL...

A few weeks back, I posted on Okayplayer (and it had been almost a year since I did so) a rather fair, I thought, post about how very few great or even good hip hop albums came out this year. I mean, it's just been dry as hell. Historically, if I may say. I don't know, it could be that because of getting promoted from my former buying position, I'm left off of all the great promo lists (suckas, thanks for nothing) or, perhaps, my tastes are changing as I turned 30. Maybe even, my perception is reality and hip hop really does suck in 2007.

I went on a walk to the store last night and I took Da Pocket Prophet with me--he's getting more travel these days than the j3 Juggernaut (his iPod counterpart). While I was crossing this vast, dark schoolyard and the northern wind whipped the back of my head, Run DMC's "Peter Piper" began blasting through my headphones and, for the first time in ages, I bobbed my head, smiled excitedly and even did some "air-scratching." That rush of satisfaction that took me over as I walked through the neighborhood as it jumped to "Cold Getting Dumb" and "Brooklyn Rocks the Best" and "I'm Bad" and "Paul Revere" struck me.

I decided on my way back that my year-end list this year, instead of pouring through the best or only (as the case might be) hip hop records that came out this year, that I'll be instead ranking the best recordings (full length or 12") to come out during my period of observation. So, if you're scoring at home, I've compiling all the way up to 1987 so I have from 1979 to 1987 to choose from. I'll pick the Dirty Thirty from that era of hip hop and provide it for you as I would normally the best of 2007.

Essentially, what I'm saying, is I would rather write exuberantly on a record that came out in 1987 than reluctantly about a shitty record from 2007 that I'm lying to myself about. I would rather turn a head on to Just-Ice than try to sell them a copy of Jay-Z American Gangster record. There were some great recordings that came out this year (I'll Sleep When You're Dead comes to mind immediately). Maybe it's a boycott of sorts. Heads will accuse me of just hating. Sure, whatever. I'm the only one that's complaining about hip hop this year. Okay, gotcha.

We're turning it back all the way to 1987. If you don't like it, go read Pitchfork Media. They'll keep you abreast on all the recent stuff. And they're really fair with their rating system. Anyone that cares to join me in my venture, I would encourage it. The incredible listens that, just in a week, I've been privelege to enjoy have been reward enough. Just wait until I start loading on 1988 onto Da Pocket Prophet.

Served, for the first time, on a jury this week. It was a DWI case. Not guilty by virtue of the "presumed innocence" system we live under. Dude refused the breathalizer because it was his constitutional right and cleared him of any undisputable evidence of intoxication. Interesting. It was dope, though. I'd serve again in a second if I could. I don't know why people are so reluctant to serve on a jury.

Drew Peterson's guilty. There you have it. It's Friday folks, go high five someone.