Hot and Fluffy (Levity, 2007) by Gabriel Iglesias

Iglesias is a very funny comic.  His voices are hysterical and he is a fairly clean performer.  The passion for humor and appreciation he has for his fans is very admirable.  The only thing with this album, as with many stand-up comedy albums, is that some of the jokes are sight gags and obviously that's missed with just the audio recording. 

The Carnegie Hall Performance (Comedy Central, 2006) by Lewis Black

This is not only my favorite Lewis Black album, but one of the few double disc albums that I can play from beginning to end.  A lot of the material ended up in his book Nothing's Sacred (which is a great read), but obviously it is interpreted differently when the material is actually heard by its creator.  In my opinion, this album is one of the funniest LPs from the 00s.  It's a smart and well-sequenced piece of commentary on the times.

Take a Joke America (Warner Bros., 2000) by Carlos Mencia

The thing I like about Mencia's comedy is that he is an equal-opportunity offender.  He jokes about everything and that is very refreshing in the politically-correct climate that we so often find ourselves in today.  Although this album is not as strong as New Territory, it is a very solid collection of material that would ultimately resemble the type of content that Mencia would put on his Comedy Central show a few years later.

The Solution (Roc-A-Fella, 2007) by Beanie Sigel

"Dear self, can I talk to you/I been trying to have this conversation for years but you won't listen/Damn, are you that plain ignorant? your so indignant/Please come off that high chair your sitting in/Before you snatched from it, or strapped to it/Ya body used as a conduit, a thousand volts flow through you/Ya life gone over something foolish/Talking to you is so useless/Ya head harder than them walls you'll be housed in soon/Before ya body's embalmed and you lie in tomb/Open ya ears, eyes and heart, cause that hour's soon/And the hour shall cometh, when Ish Rahzel blows his trumpets/The sky shall crack, the stars will plummet/The sun will rise in the West you'll drown in your own sweat/And when that day shall be, I'll bet I'll see no bravery"

-Beanie Sigel, "Dear Self (Can I Talk to You)"

Gettin' It (Jive, 1996) by Too Short

This album is good, but a bit repetitive in terms of beats and content.  The album offers nothing new, but that doesn't mean it's not an enjoyable collection of tracks to rattle speakers with while cruising down the highway.  Put simply, it's Too Short doing what Too Short does which is exactly what it should've been considering this was billed as his "retirement" album when it was released. 

Here's Your Sign (Warner Bros., 1996) by Bill Engvall

Although this album may be memorable for its famous catchphrase, the rest of the material is a bit below what Engvall would eventually deliver the future.  The promise of a funny storyteller is there, but he hasn't quite hit his mark yet.  Because of this, the album seems a bit long.  It's a good release, but not a great one.  Fortunately, Engvall's overall albums improved over time.

The Saga Continues... (Bad Boy, 2001) by P. Diddy

Diddy's third album is a descent return to form.  Rather than the all-star Hip-Hop cast that cluttered Forever, Puff puts the spotlight back on his Bad Boy roster on this go-round and it works out well for everyone involved.  The flaws to this album though are that it's too long and that it has too many interludes.  All things considered, this LP is a fun listen where P. Diddy reclaimed his spot as one of Hip-Hop's elite.

222 (Chunklet Magazine, 2003) by Patton Oswalt

222 is the uncut version of Feelin' Kinda Patton.  Personally, I think this is better.  The live feel and "mistakes" of the performance makes it that much funnier.  It's an album that's perfectly flawed.  It's only two tracks and clocks in at a bit over two hours.  However,  transitions still run very smooth and hilarity ensues as a result of discussion topics ranging from obscure pornography to living in an apartment in an interesting area of L.A.  Overall, it's a fantastic album and a wonderful precursor to the masterpiece that is Werewolves and Lollipops.

15 Degrees Off Cool (Warner Bros., 2007) by Bill Engvall

This album is typical Engvall storytelling.  It lack's his catch phrase, but that's okay.  Like Foxworthy, he's an everyman comic and that is very enjoyable.  My favorite bit on here is when he talks about meeting George Strait.  Additionally, the fact that the album was recorded in front of a "home-court" audience in Texas makes the album fun too because the energy from the crowd translates well to the recording.

God's Stepson (N/A, 2003) by 9th Wonder

9th Wonder is a great producer and this is further evidence of that.  Considering Nas is one of the best lyricist's ever, sometimes his beat selection is less than stellar.  Fortunately, 9th realized this revamped a majority of God Son's tracks and one other.  The two tracks that I do think were better on the original release though were "Get Down" and "Made U Look."  Other than that, he definitely brings new life to a lot of already amazing records with his production.  Props to him for "The Cross" and "Ether" especially.

The Untouchable (Rap-A-Lot, 1997) by Scarface

"Our lifestyles be close captioned, addicted to fatal attractions/Pictures of actions be played back in the midst of mashin/No fairy tales for this young black male/Some see me stranded in this land of hell, jail, and crack sales/Hustle too hard to think of culture/Or the repercussions while bustin on backstabbin vultures/Sellin my soul for material wishes, fast cars and bitches/Wishin I lived my life a legend, immortalized in pictures/Why shed tears, save your sympathy/My childhood years were spent buryin my peers in the cemetary/Here's a message to the newborns, waitin to breathe/

If you believe, then you can achieve, just look at me/Against all odds, though life is hard we carry on/ Livin in the projects, broke with no lights on/So all the seeds that follow me, protect yo essence/Born with less, but you're still precious/Just smile for me now"

2Pac, "Smile"

That Lonesome Song (Mercury Nashville, 2008) by Jamey Johnson

This is one of my favorite country albums ever.  Johnson's incredible songwriting and emotional delivery makes for a very compelling listen.  I received this album as a gift right before spring break one year and took it with me to Florida.  In a nutshell, those Florida vacations were some of the most relaxing and carefree experiences of my childhood, and Johnson's album sucked the joy out of all of it that year.  That's how powerful the music is.  "Mowin' Down the Roses" especially is really amazing.

Bootlegs & B-Sides (Priority, 1994) by Ice Cube

This is a mediocre compilation (which explains why they're bootlegs and b-sides).  However, there are some highlights.  The blend of "Check Yo Self" for the remix over Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five's "The Message" is and "D'Voidofpopniggafiedmegamix" is a cool mix of Ice Cube records from his first few albums and a clever ways to give props to P-Funk.

Laugh Now, Cry Later (Lench Mob, 2006) by Ice Cube

Cube's seventh album was a great comeback after a 6 year hiatus from the mic.  Although the album is guilty of some filler, the highlights make the album totally worth it.  "The N***a Trap" is classic Ice Cube social commentary and "Why We Thugs" is a great single that still manages to keep a message intact.  Production-wise, the album is solid and Lil Jon proves with his three contributions that he's capable of more than just southern crunk.

Trouble (RCA, 2004) by Ray LaMontagne

Trouble is one of my desert island, top album picks.  I think the songwriting and delivery are nothing short of astonishing.  I was first unknowingly introduced to his music through a few episodes of FX's classic, Rescue Me.  I then purchased the Trouble album on clearance when Tower records was going out of business for like 5 bucks.  To this day, years later, it's still one of the best 5 dollar bills I've put down at a register.  In my opinion, the album is a classic from beginning to end and will continue to stand the test of time.

Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky (Capitol, 2006) by various

For a compilation soundtrack, Rocky Balboa is pretty good.  It has a great mixture of the classic records such as "Gonna Fly Now" and "Eye of the Tiger."  However, combined in the standards are pieces of dialogue and other great instrumentals.  The Three 6 Mafia record is current, but not very good.  My personal favorite pieces are "Adrian" and "No Easy Way Out"- I still believe that's a great song used wonderfully in Rocky IV.

Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (Island Def Jam, 2005) by Young Jeezy

This is a solid debut album.  It depicted street life with catchy hooks, aggressive lyrics, solid beats, and commanding flows.  And even though Jeezy isn't necessarily a top tier lyricist, the emotion that he he puts into his delivery makes up for it.  The production is great (especially Mannie Fresh's "And Then What") and the collaborations with Jay-Z and Akon helped cross the album over and get it on the radar of the mainstream.

Emeritus (Rap-A-Lot, 2008) by Scarface

"I lay in bed lookin up at the ceiling/as the fan turns in a circle, thinkin 'bout my evil/Seein end on my TV, bombs in the skies/over Baghdad they fight but they don't know why/What they said about Hussein, was a God damn lie/Raised a war against a religion for oil, don't lie/I seen, kids from the hood livin like they gon' die/with the mindset of be broke or let's go get high/With the people livin so crazy how we gon' get by/Gasoline five dollars, how the fuck we gon' drive?/Can't afford to fill our prescriptions so we all gon' die/CVS is slangin dope on every block worldwide/Since, spies up and had the dope game on fine/Then it's only right for one nigga to go get mine huh/If they injured how they gon' survive?/If they stuck at the bottom how the fuck they gon' ride?"

-Scarface, "Can't Get Right"

The World is Yours (Rap-A-Lot, 1993) by Scarface

Mr. Scarface is Back is a fantastic album, and this album lives up to its predecessor.  In some respects, it even demonstrates growth.  From a production standpoint, it definitely has more of a West Coast/G-funk feel.  And lyrically, it's still dark-but at least, in this case, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  The album's best song, a 7-minute plus record called "Now I Feel Ya", has Face discussing the birth of his son and how he's had to change in order to be a father to him. 

The People Vs. (Universal Motown, 2005) by Trick Trick

Trick Trick's debut album is descent.  "Welcome 2 Detroit," a collaboration with Eminem, is by far the album's standout.  Other highlights include the Proof and Eminem assisted "No More to Say" and the Jazze Pha produced "Attitude Adjustment."  However, some of the albums low points, most notably "My Name is Trick Trick," do weigh the album down a bit.  Overall, this is an average album that shows potential.  Fortunately he lived up to it, and Trick Trick showed noticeable improvement on his 2008 follow up, The Villian.

Unfinished Business (Roc-A-Fella/Jive, 2004) by Jay-Z and R. Kelly

Put simply, this is a bad album.  It clearly seems like it was an attempt to sell records along with their tour (which also flopped).  The fact that this album's material is sometimes referred to as leftover stuff from the Best of Both Worlds sessions from 2002 is bad enough.  Considering that album's best records were mediocre at the very best though, it seems foolish to release stuff from the cutting room floor from those sessions.  However, that logic still didn't stop this release from happening.

Tim's Bio: From the Motion Picture: Life From Da Bassment (Blackground, 1998) by Timbaland

Although not quite as strong as Aaliyah's One in a Million or Missy Elliot's Supa Dupa Fly, Tim's Bio stands as another highlight in the catalogue of Tim "Timbaland" Mosley.  His production is obviously top-notch and he provides an innovative sound that puts performers outside of their comfort zone.  Timbaland is one of the greatest producers of all-time, and this album is one of the many reasons why. 

Let's Play (Shoreline, 2002) by Raffi

Raffi was a big part of my childhood.  I was given this album as a nostalgic gift when it was released.  And although it obviously didn't have the same effect on me as a teenager as it did as a pre-schooler, it was still a very nice sentiment.  I remember dressing up like Raffi and singing along with him line for line when a pretend mic stand and guitar.  I'm happy to know that Raffi is still making tunes for kids today.  Hopefully, his work makes some little kids fall in love with music now the same way it did for me decades ago.

Shakespeare (Comedy Central, 2010) by Anthony Jeselnik

This album contains Jeselnik's brand of really dark and edgy humor.  But with that being said, it is really funny.  The jokes are recited in a fairly monotone delivery and his comedic timing is flawless.  Highlights of the album are when he compares Buddah to Jesus and when he talks about his standards and practices discussion over an "offensive" joke with a network television employee.  I really enjoy this album, and will probably purchase his recently released sophomore album in the near future.

First Family 4 Life (Relativity, 1998) by M.O.P.

"Yeah, uh-huh, what the fuck/Two asked quick for bastards to step to/Leave wounds too drastic for rescue/When I rock jewels it ain't to impress you/What the fuck niggas commentin on my shit fo'/I'm real - how you think I got rich ho?/Pack steel - ain't afraid to let a clip go/I got enough paper to get low/Come back when the shit blow over get the dough over/Huh wit the Rover snatch the gat from the clip holder/Rip through ya shoulder bitch it's Jay-hovah/I'm too right wit it, too tight wit it/You light witted but if you're feel ya nice nigga spit i/tWho am I? JAY-Z  motherfucker/Do or die IN  BROWNSVILLE  motherfucker/Blocka, rocka, M.O.P collabo/Front on us and gats blow ya know?"

Jay-Z, "4 Alarm Blaze"