Alright folks, 2008 is here and its time to reflect on 2007. We brought you our First Annual DX Awards just last year and we're back again. We got the entire staff together and voted on our favorites of the past year. With some obvious highs and some unexpected lows, we expect nothing but the best of the bitching, moaning and complaining in the comment discussion, so don't let us down. But hey, props are allowed too.! Let's go...

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.

Runners Up

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

Runners Up

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

Runners Up

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.

Runners Up

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 .

Runners Up

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.

Runners Up

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.

Runners Up

Most Dissapointing Album of the Year

Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams
For Wu-Tang fans everywhere, this was as upsetting as it was disappointing. Nobody wanted to believe the words of Raekwon and Ghostface as the public inched towards its first Wu album in years. But when it finally smacked us upside the head with its overbearing mediocrity, there was hardly a Wu fan who could honestly get behind this project. It didn’t help that Ghostface’s Big Doe Rehab was heads and shoulders better than this lump of coal in everyone’s Christmas stocking.

Runners Up

Comeback of the Year

UGK
After simply being feature mongers for Young Jeezy, T.I., Young Buck and others, Pimp C and Bun B proved that the momentum rightfully carried into album-making. With the hit of their careers, the duo earned new fans 15 years after they started in “International Player’s Anthem.” Although neither Bun or Pimp had ever really faded to earn a comeback, UGK as a unit returned to mean to the masses what the streets had known since Super Tight.

Runners Up

Worst Trend of the Year

Blaming Hip Hop for Everything
“[We] missed the part when it stopped being about Imus.” Whether Jena 6, Don Imus’ views or the Virginia Tech shootings, MySpace banner ads weren't the only things trying to assassinate rappers. Much of the media, not only the Right, pointed fingers at rap music for every turn. Even better, Anderson Cooper used Cam’ron as others used Snoop as Hip Hop’s defendants. In numerous failed scapegoat attempts, the truth always came out in the heat of the mic.

Runners Up

Story of the Year

Kanye West vs. 50 Cent
If you think sales equates a good artist or a good album, you’re sadly mistaken. But that doesn’t mean the showdown of Kanye West and 50 Cent wasn’t a thrilling ride. It was largely 50 who set the tone with his continuous shit talk and most notably his vow to retire if Ye outsold him first week. So to see 50 served a big ass slice of humble pie when he got waxed first week, it was the ultimate pay off – even if 50 doesn’t hang’em up.

Runners Up

Slept On Album of the Year

Blu & Exile – Below the Heavens
There are some albums that are so good that you don’t feel bad sharing the file with friends so they can at least hear what you’ve “stumbled” upon. Below The Heavens was that album. Matching brilliant lyricism from Blu with beautiful production courtesy of Exile, Below The Heavens caught everyone who listened by surprise. We’re still curious how long something this good can stay beneath the radar for long. Hopefully by 2008 the public will stop hitting snooze on this wonderful album.

Runners Up