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"

Backstreet Boys (Jive, 1997) by Backstreet Boys

I did own this album (I sold this along with a lot of other albums at a time when I needed money).  It is something I am embarrassed about, but that was popular music at the time when I was 10.  For what it's worth, it does hold some nostalgic value because this was the year that I really got into music and I knew not just rap, but pop too front to back from about '97-2000.  I knew everything on MTV and pop radio at the time.  Obviously, a large majority of that music has faded over the years, but those records took me outside my comfort zone and I began to learn what type(s) of music the masses do and do not respond to.

The Colour and the Shape (Capitol, 1997) by Foo Fighters

I bought this album on my thirteenth birthday (in April '00) in preparation for seeing my first concert in the summer of 2000.  The Foo Fighters opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the former put on just as good a show as the latter.  "My Hero" is a great single and Dave Grohl gets extra props as well for directing the song's music video.

Big Willie Style (Columbia, 1997) by Will Smith

Will Smith was on the verge of movie superstardom when this album was released, but this project proved that the Fresh Prince could still rap.  With top-notch production from the likes of L.E.S., Trackmasters, and Jazzy Jeff, Mr. Smith created a great upbeat album.  The singles are great, but even some of the deep cuts here are great too such as "Candy" and "Chasing Forever."  Nas gets major props as well for ghostwriting some of Big Willie Style's standout material.

Aquarium (Universal, 1997) by Aqua

I totally get that this is a questionable album to write about because it's as cheesy as an album can be.  However, this album has sentimental value to me.  When I was an exchange student in France in the spring of 1998, there were a lot of parties that took place in the three weeks  I was there.  They were pretty much all dances and this album was in heavy rotation because of all the upbeat and danceable tracks.  Who would of thought that such a bad album could bring back such good memories?

Greatest Comedy Hits (Columbia, 1997) by Eddie Murphy

This is a good collection of stand-up material.  However, if a listener has Eddie Murphy and Comedian, there is really no need for this album.  The additions to it are just bits of recordings from his films.  The one thing I can't figure out though is why his legendary routine about Bill Cosby never made it to record.  Even though there is certainly still a sight element to it, it is also funny in audio too.

Love Always (MCA, 1997) by K-Ci & JoJo

This album is pretty much a one-hit project.  However, the song that was a hit is totally worth the cost of an entire album.  "All My Life" has a jazz pop melody that is absolutely amazing.  It is also a song that I have many fond memories of slow dancing to when I was in France while I was in Fifth Grade.  In my opinion, it's one of the greatest pop songs of the 90s and will continue to hold up for a long time to come.

What's Your Name? (Warner Bros., 1997) by Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler's first full-length musical album is a mixed bag.  The cleverness and shock value of some of Sandler's previous songs are still there, but 14 tracks is a long time and the music can't hold on for that long.  Some songs are just weird ("Zitty Van Zittles," "Moyda").  However, there are some good tunes here.  "Pickin' Daisies" and "Listenin' to the Radio" aren't bad and "The Goat Song" is a seven-minute epic that is a great extension from "The Goat" skit on Sandler's previous album.  Overall, this album is mediocre at best- a fun listen, but not anything amazing.  Considering it was released in 1997, I'd rather watch The Wedding Singer instead.

Lock 'n Load (A&M, 1997) by Denis Leary

Leary's rants are perfected on this album with disdain aimed at coffee, beer, and Hanson among other things.  "Deaf Mute Cocktail Party" is brilliant and his routine about his kids is great.  I didn't become a fan of Leary until seeing Rescue Me years later, but I can clearly see where the outstanding writing, commentary, and perspectives on that show came from with material like this.  Oh, and I think someone should play "Life's Gonna Suck" at a high school graduation ceremony sometime.

Titanic (Sony, 1997) by various

For as big of a song as "My Heart Will Go On," the rest of the album (wherein all other tracks are instrumentals) holds up very well too.  Even without the accompaniment of visuals from the film, James Horner's arrangements are superb.  "Rose" and "Hymn to the Sea" are my personal favorites.  They clearly evoke emotion and could be used to score anything accordingly, in addition to one of the biggest movies in the history of film.  Titanic certified James Cameron as a genius, and its soundtrack did the same for James Horner.

The Velvet Rope (Virgin, 1997) by Janet Jackson

The part in that episode of Family Guy where Brian shoots at a copy of this album is really funny.  The album is too long and has too many interludes.  But I really like a couple tracks on here.  "Got 'Til It's Gone" with Q-Tip and the Joni Mitchell sample does Joni's "Big Yellow Taxi" justice, "Go Deep" is a great upbeat song, and "Together Again" is rightfully one of the biggest hits of Janet's career.  All the sexual material on the album is cool, but nothing is left  to the imagination and so it comes across as shock for shock's sake instead of intimate expression (the cover of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" and how Janet made it a song about lesbian love was pretty dope though).

Supa Dupa Fly (Elektra, 1997) by Missy Elliot

Missy Elliot not only looked different than her contemporaries, she sounded different too.  The spacey vibes and free associations of Missy raps made her a standout.  At a time when women were using sex to sell, Missy challenged that by just being herself.  But she can't take all the credit for this masterpiece of an album, this album certified Timbaland as a genius.  His sounds stutter, he has crazy arrangements and crafted a sound that has never been duplicated (but often imitated).  The sound that Timbaland introduced to the world to on Aaliyah's One in a Million are perfected here.  In my opinion, this is one of the best produced hip hop albums ever, right up there with Dr. Dre's The Chronic.

Unpredictable (No Limit, 1997) by Mystikal

Other than Snoop Dogg and Mac, Mystikal is the only emcee out of the No Limit camp whose records had technical merit and didn't just move units as a result of the seemingly invincible No Limit movement that Master P ushered in during the late 90s.  The opening cut, 'Born 2 Be a Soldier," gives Mystikal a proper introduction to the No Limit army and then Mystikal drops a solid collection of songs with few guest emcees. Even if one of the album's highlights is "Here We Go" with B-Legit, E-40 and Master P, there is no denying Mystikal's talent on solo cuts such as "Unpredictable" and a song he recorded about his deceased older sister called "Shine."

The Slim Shady EP (Web, 1997) by Eminem

This EP is a bit raw.  However, given Eminem's skills, it epitomizes the idea of the diamond in the rough.  "If I Had…" is my favorite track on the 10-song EP and even held up alongside Dr. Dre-produced cuts on The Slim Shady LP released in early '99.  However, that is not the only song that was re-released on Eminem's Aftermath debut.  "Just Don't Give a Fuck" and "Just the Two Of Us" [later renamed "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" without the Bill Withers' sample and replaced with an original beat] also received mainstream exposure after first appearing here.  Dr. Dre is arguably the greatest hip hop producer ever, and if this project caught his ear- clearly, he thought Eminem had something to offer.  Which he did.  And then some.  Almost fifteen years later, Eminem is the best-selling artist of the 2000s decade and one of the most respected emcees in the history of hip hop.

No Way Out (Bad Boy, 1997) by Puff Daddy

After the unexpected passing of Biggie, Puffy became the biggest star on the label.  And he rose to the occasion with this album.  He collected some of the best artists from the East coast and put together an ensemble of hip hop superstars for No Way Out.  Jay-Z makes a promise to go multiplatinum on "Young Gs",  Biggie rhymes masterfully over a Jackson 5 sample on the remix to "It's All About the Benjamins", Faith Evans sings beautifully for her late husband on "I'll Be Missing You", Gunuwine sings a great hook on "Is This the End", Busta Rhymes brings his energy to "Victory", Mase becomes the prince of hip-pop, and Puff becomes one of the biggest stars in entertainment by proving that good music not only makes good business, but that good business also makes good music.

    

When Disaster Strikes (Elektra, 1997) by Busta Rhymes

This whole album is incredible and the videos for "Dangerous" and "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" are both masterpieces.  My fondest memory about this album is that I remember being a pre-teen when the album came out and because of the "Parental Advisory" sticker my mom wouldn't let me buy it.  However, I had a cousin who had the album and one time she came over to babysit me and younger sister.  She just happen to have that CD on her and so I took it up to my room and taped "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" on a tape (not a CD, a tape).  I listened to the tape so much that I broke the cassette.  It is one of the first rap songs that I learned by heart.  And to this day, Busta Rhymes is still one of my favorite emcees.

    

My Way (LaFace, 1997) by Usher

This is what Usher's debut was supposed to sound like.  However, when he released his self-titled debut three years earlier, he was too young to be believable.  Fast forward a  few years and have Jermaine Dupri step in to assist on the writing and production end.  The result is My Way.  The opening lines of "Nice and Slow" are suggestive but not too far-fetched, "My Way" was catchy, and "U Make Me Wanna" was teenage drama without the bubble-gum pop that weighs down so much music that intends to present a youthful perspective.  Usher, along with Justin Timberlake, have gone on to become two of the biggest stars of their generation and this was the album that Usher needed in order to prove that he was the real deal and jumpstart down a path that would lead to one of the most successful careers in modern R&B.

The Carnival (Columbia, 1997) by Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean is super-talented.  It is unfortunate that his work on Canibus' debut soiled his reputation as badly as it did.  The Carnival is an awesome album.  Not only does it have all the members of The Fugees on it, but it also has The Neville Brothers on a track.  I'll admit that "We Trying to Stay Alive" is a bit tacky due to the obvious sample.  But he more than makes up for that slight misstep with "Gone 'Til November" and "To All the Girls" (shout out to Bob Dylan for his cameo appearance in the music video for the former as well).

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (Roc-A-Fella, 1997) by Jay-Z

Jay-Z's sophomore album is better than  it is given credit for.  The pop sounds of " (Always Be My) Sunshine", "I Know What Girls Like", and "The City is Mine" overshadowed the rest of the project.  To be fair, those three songs are the weakest on this release.  However, considering how Puffy's sound was dominating the charts at the time, the pop tunes on this set was just a way for Jay to bait listeners with the current trend and then really be able to show people what he was doing with the rest of the album.  For instance: Premier delivered a banger with the opening cut, "You Must Love Me" is as emotional and revealing as rap songs get, and "Where I'm From" is lyrically incredible.  {Writer's note: Because of a busy schedule, I was unable to post for multiple days and so I am posting multiple times now to make up for it.  I apologize for any confusion and/or inconvenience.}

Harlem World (Bad Boy, 1997) by Ma$e

Not counting Biggie, Ma$e is my favorite rapper from Bad Boy.  Although he was criticized for his slower delivery, I really liked it.  It made his voice immediately recognizable and gave him a very unique style.  I love "24 Hours To Live" and "Will They Die 4 U?".  But in my opinion, the whole album really holds up too.  Yes Ma$e was pop, but pop in the sense that he made popular music- not that he compromised himself for record sales.  Bad Boy was unstoppable in 1997 and Ma$e is one of the reasons why.