Album of the Year

Kanye West – Graduation
It’s not yet 6 months old and Graduation has already aged very well. Despite a couple flaws, it’s easy to upgrade Ye’s third album to classic status. The man may not appeal to everyone, but his tireless and obsessive dedication to his music sets a standard this genre solely needs.

Emcee of the Year

Andre 3000 (of Outkast)
When it came time for us to make a list of the year’s best verses, Andre had three different verses listed by damn near everyone (and we only submitted five). When the man only rapped seven verses this year and they were all that good, he is doing something right. If he ever decides to start rapping full time again, he’ll shut the game down

Verse of the Year

Andre 3000 on Outkast's "Da Art of Storytellin' pt. 4"
He was his own toughest competition here, 3 Stacks stole the show with every guest spot he had. But this one – on DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz – put the whole damn album to shame. We can only hope a grown man like Fat Joe heard Dre’s brilliant take on “making it rain” and felt adequately embarrassed by the stupidity and ignorance of it. It’s step yo game up time indeed

Rookie of the Year

Blu
After turning down deals from an assortment of labels, including Death Row, Blu seemed to be the perfect complement to the mainstream’s Game, in what Pharcyde was to Snoop. With common man themes, a positive attitude and lethal Exile production, this was the one new voice of 2007 that required no assistance in getting his point across lovely.

Produer of the Year

Polow Da Don
Five years after finding introductory success, Polow Da Don followed Red Hot Lover Tone’s move from mediocre rapper to top-shelf producer. By being the backbone of Rich Boy’s success amidst hits for Young Buck (“Get Buck”) and carried over success from Ludacris and Fergie, this versatile master of the boards brought a sound that couldn’t be pinned down and an energy to Interscope similar to what Just Blaze and Kanye offered Def Jam a half-decade ago .

Movie of the Year

American Gangster
With a movie so good that Jay-Z had to “un-retire” once again, it’s almost a no-brainer that this “modern day Scarface” took the award home for Movie of the Year. Powerful performances by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe drove this intense flick to the good praises of both fans and critics alike. It faced stiff competition from the Tarantino/Rodriguez B-movie fest, Grindhouse, but prevailed with its wicked tale about the rise and fall of the notorious Frank Lucas.

Non Hip-Hop Album of the Year

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Sure, she’s nuttier than a fruitcake but boy can this gal wail. Channeling the 60’s with her awesome voice and biting tales about drugs and love, Back To Black floored the states after finally arriving in 2007. It’s a wonder how Europe kept this girl a secret for so long. She began to earn cool points when The Roots’ ?uestlove endorsed her after hearing Winehouse’s voice on Ghostface’s “You Know I’m No Good” but her talent spread across genres when the album finally arrived. Hopefully she can stay sane long enough to give us more.