The Best Rap Album of 2008

With 2008 nearly over, we have been reflecting on the world of Hip-Hop, and what new things this year has brought to it. When it comes to albums, there are very few, that made any real impact. Needless to say, hip-hop is the most competitive and controversial of all musical genres. With that said, a question that is asked at the end of each year is which rap album released for the year is the best of all. The only two true contenders are obviously, Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III and T.I.'s Paper Trail. There are other honorable mentions like Jeezy's The Recession, but as far as being the # 1 rap album of 2008, there are only two albums in question.

At the beginning of 2008, and even before the year began, The Carter III was highly anticipated and ended up being the most anticipated album of 2008, hands down! Lil Wayne's delivery is some of the best the rap game has ever seen. It isn't hard to see that his rhymes come from the heart, which is usually what separates the best in the game, from the rest in the game. He rhymes with a lot of passion, and an artist with a lot of passion, usually makes good music. Lil Wayne showed his versatility in songs like "Lollipop" and "Got Money" showcasing his harmonious abilities. Even on songs he just featured in like T. Pain's "I Can't Believe It" and The Game's "My Life," he showed that he isn't just limited to the same old rhyme spitting. On another note, how many rappers have been able to make a song with no subject matter whatsoever, and get as many radio spins as "A Milli" did? His swagger and charisma are unmatched. The popular single, "Mrs. Officer" featuring Bobby Valentino, has a nice feel to it and is actually kind of hilarious, considering the history between rappers and the police. At any rate, all non radio-friendly material on the album is quality music that all rap fans can appreciate, with the exception of those who have a problem with his verbal assault of Mr. Al Sharpton on the song "Misunderstood." Neither album has any clear cut weaknesses, if they have any at all.

Unlike most hip-hop artists, T.I. can rap about his own life and make some really good music that all his fans can appreciate. With his most recent run-in with the law, most people probably wrote T.I. off as being finished. Furthermore, coming off of his worst album release in T.I. vs T.I.P., it was easy for everyone to assume that they had seen the best T.I. had to offer. Paper Trail proved all T.I. doubters wrong! He was never one to be doubted when it comes to his passion on the mic. Rap fans know that he always gives his heart on his albums. This go round, I think Tip really surprised us with his lyrical ability. The way he's flipping words on Paper Trail, certainly raised the bar for Southern rappers. On the song "Swagga Like Us" which features hip-hop juggernauts Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne, T.I. showed that he is lyrically superior. He wasn't out shined by any of his collaborators on the entire album. A lot of his music on this album is very uplifting, and songs like, "No Matter What" and "Live Your Life," featuring Rihanna, are songs that people from all walks of life can relate to.

With only good things to say about both albums, I am tempted to call this thing a draw, but I would rather not cheat my readers out of their time. So the question remains; which album is the Best Rap Album of 2008? I'm going to have to give it to Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III. Paper Trail is a ridiculously close 2nd, but T.I. and Lil Wayne have different styles anyway. They are hard to compare because each of them possess different strengths and weaknesses than the other. So, there you have it; The Best Rap Album of 2008 is Tha Carter III.