First on my list is the recently released Brooklynati by Tanya Morgan. Before this album, I never really jumped on the Tanya Morgan bandwagon. Sure, there were rave reviews of their past efforts and a plethora of forum posts praising them. But the trio and I never clicked. That was, of course, until I heard that Brooklynati. It’s cohesive without being repetitive. It’s smooth with a touch of grit. It’s serious but also full of humor. In other words, it is my top contender so far for the best record of 2009. And with tracks like “She’s Gone AKA Without You” and “So Damn Down”, among the others, how could it not be?

But in a close tie behind Brooklynati are The Grouch & Eligh’s Say G&E! and Finale’s A Pipe Dream and a Promise. While these albums could not be further from each other sonically, they share a common link in the fact that they are simply fantastic. Like with Tanya Morgan, I rarely listened to The Grouch & Eligh before this album. Hell, the only Living Legends members in my CD collection were Murs and Luckyiam. Say G&E! changed that. With a blend of traditional boom-bap, West Coast soul, and everything in between, the album just worked. Much of the same can be said for Finale’s solo debut. Except for the obvious fact that the Detroit emcee’s record is covered in much more grit and rooted more so in boom-bap. Unlike the previous artists, I was fully aware of Finale’s talents and was greatly anticipating this one. And that feeling multiplied exponentially when I saw the list of producers and guests, which included Flying Lotus, Invincible, Kev Brown, and J Dilla.

Although I never anticipated either of these records being on this list for different reasons, Mos Def’s The Ecstatic and Tiye Phoenix’s Half Woman/Half Amazin’ deserve their place on here. I must say I was in the majority when my feelings of pessimism took over as The Ecstatic‘s release date crept closer. Sure, I was blown away by “Life In Marvelous Times”, but “Casa Bey” left me less than enthused. But when the full album finally got here, it was, to be corny, something to be ecstatic about. With only one slight misstep on the entire effort, The Ecstatic plays like the record Mos always wanted to make but, for whatever reason, couldn’t fully accomplish on The New Danger or True Magic. As for Tiye Phoenix, I was almost entirely unaware of what I was getting into when I clicked play on iTunes. Would she spit flames like Jean Grae and Invincible or would she be another female emcee that doesn’t live up to the praise? I think it goes without saying (typing?) that the first of those statements holds true. Half Woman/Half Amazin’ features everything a hip-hop head could ever want: Dope, neck-breaking beats from the likes of DJ Scratch and DJ Spinna paired with fiery, content-driven rhymes. Thank you, Tiye, for further keeping my faith in hip-hop.

Then, there are the two records nestled just below the aforementioned releases – Brother Ali’s The Truth Is Here and k-os’s Yes!. It’s interesting that these two sit so closely together as they are so different in every possible way. But they share a very strong similarity in that they are two of the most consistent and groundbreaking emcees to emerge in the past decade. They are also two rappers that I have no issue with calling true artists. But aside from all of that, on these two albums, k-os and Brother Ali continue to dominate the hip-hop game. In all fairness, I could ramble on and on about these two. But it’s just worth writing that if you haven’t heard either of these albums, make sure you do so as soon as humanly possible.

Although I wanted to keep this list to just seven albums, I have to mention three that aren’t traditional hip-hop but are worth mentioning. And to avoid being long-winded, here they are: Exile’s instrumental masterpiece Radio; the grown-up funk of Abundance by PPP; and DJ Signify’s Of Cities, a magnificently crafted piece of lo-fi beauty.

Honorable mention goes to Black Noise’s Black Noise, DOOM’s Born Like This, Joe Budden’s Padded Room, Mr Lif’s I Heard It Today, and J Dilla’s Jay $tay Paid.

And I couldn’t end this without making note of three phenomenal and FREE albums dropped this year. As I wrote with the other albums, I won’t write much, but instead I will just link to my reviews of this trio: Donny Goines’ The Breakfast Club, Jon Hope’s Somekind of Wonderful, and Inverse’s So True EP. Oh, and while it’s not an album, per se, I just have to mention the phenomenal, and free, mix from J.Period entitled The [Abstract] Best. It’s a collection of rarities, stories, hits, and more from the Abstract himself, Q-Tip.

Edit made on July 2: I now recognize two records that should have been on this list, at least by way of honorable mention. And they are Diamond District’s In The Ruff and 5 O’Clock Shadowboxers’ The Slow Twilight.

It goes without saying that the internet has turned the music industry upside, kicked in the ass, and spun it in numerous circles. As such, we, as critics and listeners, have been hit with a never-ending supply of mixtapes and free albums or EPs used for promotional purposes and to ensure certain acts get heard. Of course, there is the widely-known and always-debated fact that music lovers have ways to (illegally) acquire nearly every album ever released. But, perhaps, it is for that reason that artists are forced to do more than just tour their asses off in between recording sessions. What better way to gain new listeners and please your fans than offering up a solid promotional piece that offers either remixes, b-sides, unreleased tracks, or whatever else.

That is what brings us to California duo, made up of emcees Tunji and Toby, Inverse’s brand new So True EP. The brief album is essentially a means of teasing fans and newcomers who will have to wait until later this year to hear a full-length effort. But a finer tease I have not heard in a while. And it is no surprise that it comes our way via QN5, an independent hip-hop label that has churned out a plethora of fantastic records. From 2007′s phenomenal Dirty Acres by the CunninLynguists to PackFM’s fiery debut whutduzFMstand4?, QN5 has nary missed a chance to please hip-hop heads.

Inverse kicks off So True with “Rise and Shine”, a joint oozing with Golden Age samples and drums from Cook Classics as well as plenty of bright California sunshine. You can’t help but feel the rays on your face from the perfect blend of guitar, synths and piano, which all ride behind Tunji and Toby’s uplifting, feel-good lyricism. And that summer vibe carries on throughout the majority of this six-track EP, though the tonality of the cuts is different enough to not evoke a bland sense of familiarity. “Sunnycalifornia Part 2″ and “Beautiful City” might seem similar on the surface, but Cook Classics, who handles both of the tracks, switches up his style and keeps his sound fresh.

For example, “Sunnycalifornia Part 2″, which is the sequel to the track of the same name on Inverse’s So Far collection, is perhaps the most unconventional track on here as it heavily draws on funk. And on “Beautiful City”, the lush, all-surrounding production feels more like a breezy sunset than the driving-with-the-top-down attitude of “Sunnycalifornia Part 2″. The other upbeat track, Decapbeats’ “So True”, is just as ozone-friendly as the others, though much more laidback. Also, the guest appearance of Deacon, of the CunninLynguists, on the hook adds a nice southern flavor to the pot. And it doesn’t hurt that Tunji and Toby spit with endless amounts of tenacity.

Interestingly enough, the two more introspective tracks, both produced by Kno, steal the spotlight. First up is “Spark My Soul”, which is, of course, musically dope thanks to the beat. The track also features a killer verse from fellow QN5-family member Substantial. Lyrically, the emcees tackle the subject of music and how it is the fuse that, for lack of better words, sparks their souls. It might sound trite at first, but their delivery is so passionate that you cannot help but agree as you bob your head to the beat. Then there is the absolutely unbelievable “Goodnight Goodnight”, which samples and flips Maroon 5. Originally intended for that band’s remix album, it was reported to have been left off for outside-sample clearance issues. Thankfully for all of our ears, though, the track has seen the light of day. The beat is again right on point and complemented perfectly by Tunji and Toby, who spit personal lyrics on the struggles of everyday-men.

As I alluded to earlier, the fact that this EP is fantastic should surprise no one. We already knew Inverse could slaughter mics from their past work. And to say their production team is not known for doing killing it behind the boards would be an injustice. If you haven’t downloaded this one yet, I’m not sure what you are waiting for. Head over to http://www.qn5.com and get it now!