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.

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"

Norman Rockwell is Bleeding (Comedy Central, 2008) by Christopher Titus

This is a very personal album, and Titus' storytelling abilities are absolutely fantastic.  It's a stand-up album delivered by way of anecdotes more so than just straight-forward jokes.  I very much admire Titus' honesty in his delivery.  In my opinion, he is one of the most open comics ever.  Clearly, he has turned his struggles into something with great artistic value and that is something to be greatly admired.  Norman Rockwell is Bleeding is a masterpiece and it  comes across as a comedic catharsis for its creator.

It's Bad For Ya (Eardrum, 2008) by George Carlin

Carlin's last album was a good one.  He had the cynic with a bleeding heart type of approach to humor- which is my favorite coming from him.  With him being 70, he tackles things like aging and death.  However, the strongest material comes at the end of the album when he discusses religion and patriotism.  It's funny and smart; George Carlin's forte.

The Villain (Koch, 2008) by Trick Trick

When I wrote a review of a song off of this album for Billboard Magazine, I knew people were actually reading my stuff.  I'm not defending the insensitive comments that Trick Trick made in the allhiphop.com interview or the homophobic lyrics on his album, but I reviewed a song that didn't have any of that and in the comments section on Billboard's site, someone replied and went on in a really long paragraph about "how can I say good things about Trick Trick and this song when he said this, that, and the other thing in an interview."  It was a really weird experience seeing all that happen for the first time like that.  Now stuff like that's the norm all over the web, but in 2008, for me, it was something new.

My Love: Essential Collection (Columbia, 2008) by Celine Dion

My Love is a great compilation album that does a wonderful job of spanning Celine's career.  Between the Titanic soundtrack and the R. Kelly album, I've got a few of the Celine tracks that I like.  Fortunately, this collection grabs a few others.  "Beauty and the Beast" and "Because You Loved Me" are classics that I'm now proud to have purchased and keep in my iTunes library.

LAX (Geffen, 2008) by The Game

Game's third album is not his strongest, but it still has some very strong points.  "Game's Pain" is a solid homage to Hip-Hop's elder statesmen.  And even with Lil Wayne's recycled hook on "My Life," Game still drops great lyrics (My mind fucked up, so I cover it with a Raider hood/I'm from the city that made you motherfuckers afraid of Suge).  The weakness to this album, in my opinion, is that it isn't as cohesive as his other albums.  It plays more like a collection of songs than a set of songs that go together and that makes the nineteen tracks seem very long-winded.  Overall, it's a descent album, but when compared with the rest of Game's catalogue, I'd put it in the bottom half.

Untitled (Def Jam, 2008) by Nas

As controversial as this album was at the time of its release, it has held up over the years.  There are so many great cuts here: "Hero," America," Sly Fox" Y'all My N****s," "We're Not Alone," and "Black President."  I remember when President Obama was elected in 2008 and driving to work at school early in the morning and blasting "Black President" all the way.  Regardless of the alleged ghostwriting claims that have emerged recently, it doesn't change my opinion that Nas is one of the best lyricists ever.  Over twenty years in Hip-Hop, and Mr. Jones is still going strong.  Much respect due.

Tha Carter III (Cash Money, 2008) by Lil Wayne

"Shyea/I'm right here, in my chair/With my crown and my dear/Queen B, as I share/Mic time with my heir/Young Carter, go farther/Go further, go harder/Is that not why we came?/And if not, then why bother?/Show no mercy ta Murciélagos/Far from being the bastard that Marcy had fathered/Now my name's been mentioned with the Martyrs/The Biggie's and the Pac's, and the Marley's and the Marcus'/Garvey, got me a molotov cocktail/Flow, even if you box well, can't stop the blows/Kaboom! The Roc Boy in the room/The Dopeboy just came off the spoon/Also, I'm so fly I'm on auto-/Pilot, where guys just, stare at my wardrobe/I see Euros, that's right, plural/I took so much change from this Rap game it's your go/Young!"

-Jay-Z, "Mr. Carter"

II Trill (Rap-A-Lot, 2008) by Bun B

Between Bun's first and second solo albums: Pimp C was released from prison, UGK topped the charts with Underground Kingz and then Pimp C died.  However, despite all the drama, he was able to put together a great second set of music.  "That's Gangsta" featuring Sean Kingston was a great single that didn't compromise Bun's swagger and "You're Everything" which samples Jodeci's "Cry for You" pays homage to southern hip hop.  "Get Cha Issue" and If I Die II Night" provide deep lyrics and social commentary.  The most noteworthy record though is "Angel in the Sky"- a very touching song eulogizing his friend, Chad "Pimp C" Butler.

Raw Footage (Lench Mob, 2008) by Ice Cube

Raw Footage saw Cube get political like he was in the early part of his solo career.  "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It" is an excellent defense of hardcore hip hop.  "Why Me" is an insightful song told from the perspective of someone who has been shot and "Hood Mentality" questions people who limit their own potential because of their surroundings and situations.  Keith David also appears on the album for a few vocal interludes.  As far as production, beats come in from all over:  Emile from New York, DJ Crazy Toones from California and Maestro from Atlanta.  Guests include WC, Game, Young Jeezy and Cube's son Doughboy.  They're all good, but none outperform Cube on the mic.  Ice Cube is one of the best emcees of all-time and this album is one of his best releases in recent years.

808s & Heartbreak (Roc-A-Fella, 2008) by Kanye West

Okay, Kanye West can't sing and auto-tune had been played out since Cher put out "Believe" ten years earlier.  However, Kanye is honest and open to a fault and that is why this album is a true piece of art that has and will continue to hold up.  After I heard Kanye's first verse on the album's second cut, "Welcome to Heartbreak," I was in.  Not surprisingly, the album's best-produced tracks find Kanye getting assistance from his mentor and fellow Chicago musical genius No I.D. ("Heartless", "See You in My Nightmares", and "Coldest Winter").  The only thing that I wish this album had that it doesn't is a studio version of "Pinocchio Story".  This album is kind of weird, but really cool at the same time.  In my opinion, Kanye is the only artist in hip-hop who could pull something like 808s & Heartbreak off.  It is a real rarity, especially in the modern marketplace, where art and commerce can combine successfully.  However, this is an example of something that achieved that feat.

Theater of the Mind (Def Jam, 2008) by Ludacris

Ludacris is a hip-hop superstar, but I feel like he is still underrated as an emcee.  His punchlines are crazy and he can destroy any beat that he rhymes over.  Mr. Birdges took note of this and crafted a theatrical piece for his 6th album.  I think it is some of the best work that he has released to date.  The song with Floyd Mayweather [Grand Rapids stand up!] ("Undisputed") is my favorite and the fact that he did a song with Jay-Z and Nas together is legendary.  Luda also made history by being the first southern rapper on a Premo beat [wherein he got a beat from Premier for his own album, Scarface appeared on Gangstarr's  "Betrayal" in '98].  And, in my opinion, he outshines Lil Wayne on "Last of a Dying Breed" with one of the best lyrical displays and impassioned deliveries that I've ever heard from him.

Paper Trail (Grand Hustle, 2008) by T.I.

I was not a huge fan of T.I. when his career first started to be honest.  Not until I heard his remake of UGK's "Front Back" and "Big Shit Poppin'" (Mannie Fresh provided awesome beats as well) did I began to pay attention to Tip Harris.  It was then that I learned T.I. didn't write his rhymes down and that he was going to on his next album, Paper Trail.  I loved "No Matter What" and was writing for Billboard at the time so I bought the album the day that it was released so I could be ready immediately when the next single from the set was announced.  I was impressed to say the least.  The collaborations were great (especially Ludacris on "On Top of the World" and Justin Timberlake on "Dead and Gone"), the singles had substance ("Live Your Life"), and his lyrics were deep ("Slide Show").  It is one of my favorite southern rap albums and a modern hip-hop classic.   {Writer's note: Because of a family emergency, 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.}