My favorite hip hop albums of 2010

If you dig through my troves of 2010 posts, you may encounter a list of the hip hop albums released in the earlier part of the year I enjoyed the most. As this eventful year comes to a close, I want to present an updated list of four more hip hop albums I have cherished this year.

Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: The hip hop heavyweight's critically acclaimed project marked his return to the scene after being ridiculed for his actions on the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards Show. Leading up to the November 22, 2010 release, West promoted the project by releasing tracks, often featuring various other hip hop talents, every Friday via the internet. He called the series G.O.O.D Friday, a successful practice being mimicked today most notably by Swizz Beatz. The work on this album differs from his previous work. His dialogue on songs like "Blame Game" are more passionate and seem to come from a very personal standpoint.
Standout Cuts: Power, Monster

Big Boi- Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Song of Chico Dusty: After three years of fighting record labels and radio stations, Big Boi moved from Jive to Def Jam with hopes of getting his long-anticipated album to the public. Once it got into fans' hands, they noticed the rapper's versatility and keen ear for multifarious beats. Features from Yelawolf, George Clinton, Janelle Monae and more span a wide array of genres, each complimentary to what Big Boi aimed to do on individual songs.
Standout Cuts: Shutterbugg, Tangerine,

John Legend & The Roots- Wake Up Everybody: One of R&B's most sultry voices entered the studio with hip hop band,The Roots, to create a positive, uplifting album. Most of the songs on the album are remade songs by soul singers of the past like Donny Hathaway and Nina Simone. The main single "Wake Up Everybody" represents the album well as a classic transformed into a modern day call-to-action vocalized by Legend, upcoming R&B artist Melanie Fiona and conscience lyricist Common.
Standout Cuts: Hard Times, Little Ghetto Boy

 

Rick Ross- Teflon Don: The self-proclaimed boss of the south did a magnificent job of gathering hip hop's A-list for features on his fourth solo album, the title of which is a borrowed nickname of famous kingpin John Gotti. Every song besides the intro features another rapper and/or singer, a normality for Ross who has collaborated with countless others throughout his career. "B.M.F (Blowing Money Fast), one of the summer's biggest hits, put Ross' voice back on radio stations all across the nation and elevated producer Lex Luger to a more commercial platform. Teflon Don undoubtedly  serves as one of the best southern rap albums of the year.