It’s a cold, sparse week out there for Hip Hop.  There are only three acts representing Hip Hop in the top 50 with two of them in the top ten.  Jay-Z drops from three to four selling 41,000 copies of his latest disc The Blueprint 3.  The Black Eyed Peas fall a spot from five to six with their smash album The E.N.D.  The group moves another 34,000 copies.  Meanwhile, Drake is beyond the top ten but still manages to grab the 23^rd spot selling 17,000 copies of his mixtape-released-as-a-album So Far Gone.

            Some solid albums have dropped over the past few weeks but haven’t come anywhere near the top ten.  The commenters below usually say that Jay helped to clear out autotune but the question is what is left?  A lot of Hip Hop is being thrown against the top ten’s wall but none of it appears to be sticking.  Let’s see what happens in the upcoming weeks. 

Dropping This Week

            First up this week is another installment to the J. Dilla collection.  This posthumous release by the late, great Jay Dee entitled Dillanthology, vol. 3 features guest appearance by Madlib, Guilty Simpson, Black Thought, Common, and D’Angelo.  The production is, of course, handled by Jay Dee as J. Dilla.  Those that are fans of Slum Village, J. Dilla, or Hip Hop in general should go out and pick this one up.

             Next up is the new face of Ruthless Records.  Newcomer Hopsin is an actor who has appeared in Fame and That’s So Raven (If Drake can come from Degrassi then I guess this dude can come from That’s So Raven) and now is making his recording debut with the album Gazing At The Moonlight.  I don’t know too much about him except the fact that he wears white contacts and his first single is “Pans In The Kitchen.”  We’ll see if he’s going to be the one to bring Ruthless back.

            Then we come to the Rick Ross backed group Triple C’s (Carol City Cartel) with their debut album Custom Cars & Cycles.  The group is composed of Ross, Gunplay, and Torch who have been rapping together for the last decade.  Don’t know how this album is going to be because you never know what you’re going to get when rappers bring their friends into the booth.  You never know….

            Next up is Brooklyn MC Sha Stimuli who is well known for releasing a themed mixtape each month during the year 2008.  He now drops his debut album entitled My Soul To Keep.  The album feature Freeway, Young Chris, Torae, and Bellringer with production by Just Blaze.  If you have any doubts about him take a look at one of the 12 mixtapes he released last year.  This one should be sure to impress so pick it up.

            Next we come to Canadian Hip Hop group Swollen members who release their fith full length studio album Armed To The Teeth.  The album features Tech N9ne, Saafir, Talib Kweli, Everlast, and Glasses Malone to name a few.  This is the first album that the group has released in around three years so fans should go out and pick this one up.

            He was one of the features on the previous album and now he returns with his 10^th studio album K.O.D (King of Darkness).  Guest features include Three 6 Mafia, Brotha Lynch Hung, King Gordy, Kutt Calhoun, Krizz Kaliko and Big Scoob.  Fans of Tech N9ne and his Strange Music label should not be disappointed by this latest release.

            Last but not least is Houston MC Z-Ro with his the second installment of his drug inspired trilogy.  Cocaine is the rapper’s 13^th solo studio album and features the usual Houston suspects.  It comes on the heels of the Z-Ro’s last release, Crack, and before his next Heroin.  He’s really going all out with the drug theme.

            That’s it for dropping.  Go out and pick up an album.

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