Top 12 Most Anticipated Albums for 4th Qtr ’08

I love doing lists and I feel like we don’t do enough of them here on the site.  My favorite lists are ones where we discuss our most anticipated album releases.  Since the summer is coming to a close and we’re about to hit the 4th quarter, I figured I’d drop my list of Most Anticipated Albums for 4th Quarter 2008.   These are all based on what is scheduled to be released before the end of the year, between September and December.  Let us know what’s on your list in the comments!

12.  Busta Rhymes: Blessed

Scheduled Release: September 2008

Busta-Bus’s follow up to 2006′s The Big Bang has been in hiatus for almost a year.  Originally scheduled for release in 2007, it went through names like Before Hell Freezes Over and Back on My B.S.  Now it is simply called Blessed.  We’ve already heard the singles “Don’t Touch Me” and “We Made It” and so far I haven’t been too impressed.  But there’s something about a Busta Rhymes record that makes me hope that this won’t be that bad.  Here’s the tentative tracklist…

1. We Made It (prod by Cool & Dre & Mike Shinoda)
2. Don’t Touch Me (prod by The Hitmen)
3. Throw It Up (feat Lil Wayne & Ludacris) (prod by Cool & Dre)
4. Hits 4 Days (feat J Holiday) (prod by Dready Beats)
5. Blown (feat T-Pain) (prod by Cool & Dre)
6. Decisions (feat Jamie Foxx, John Legend, Mary J, Common) (prod by Dr Dre & Mr Porter)
7. Right Now (prod by Focus & Dr Dre)
8. Don’t Believe Them (feat Akon & T.I.) (prod by Cool & Dre)
9. Let Me Show You (prod by DJ Scratch)
10. If (prod by Rick Rock)
11. G-Stroll (prod by The Neptunes)
12. I’m Gonna Get Mine (prod by DJ Scratch)
13. I Got Bass (prod by Bangladesh)
14. Kill Dem (prod by The Neptunes)
15. I Just Can’t Leave You Baby (prod by DJ Green Lantern)

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11. Heltah Skeltah – D.I.R.T.

Scheduled Release:  September 30, 2008

Sean Price and Rock AKA Heltah Skeltah are back! And with production from the likes of Khrysis, Marco Polo, Evidence, Illmind, Black Milk, M-Phazes, you can’t go wrong.  Heltah Skelth recently dropped the first single, Everything Is Heltah Skeltah and I’m sure the rest of this album is gonna be smokin’! Here’s the tentative tracklist…

1. Intro
2. Insane (Produced by Marco Polo)
3. Chipmunk 3000 (Produced by Fatim)
4. Everything Is Heltah Skeltah (Produced by Illmind)
5. D.I.R.T. (Another Boot Camp Clik Yeah Song) (Produced by Khrysis)
6. So Damn Tough f/Buckshot and Ruste Juxx (Produced by Illmind)
7. WMD f/Smif N Wessun (Produced by M-Phazes)
8. That’s Incredible (Produced by EZ Mo Bee)
9. Ape Muzik f/ The Representativz (Produced by Stu Bangas)
10. The Art of Disrespekanization (Produced by Khrysis)
11. Hellz Kitchen (Produced by Evidence)
12. Shmack Muzik (Produced by Sic Beats)
13. Twinz (Produced by Ken Ring)
14. Ruck N Roll (Produced by Stu Bangas)

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10.  Termanology – Politics As Usual

Scheduled Release: September 30, 2008

Termanology is set to drop his debut album and damn did he get some dope people to help him out!  Just look at the following producer credits… DJ Premier, Hi Tek, Alchemist, Pete Rock, Havoc, Buckwild, Nottz, Large Professor, and Easy Mo Bee.  I can’t remember the last time I saw a line up like that on one album! The first single, “How We Rock”, has already dropped and it’s just a small taste of the feast that Term’s about to throw down.  Here’s the tentative tracklist…

1. Its Time (prod by Easy Mo Bee)
2. Watch How It Go Down (prod by DJ Premier)
3. Respect My Walk (prod by Buckwild)
4. Hood Shit (feat Produgy) (prod by The Alchemist)
5. Float (prod by Nottz)
6. Please Don’t Go (prod by Nottz)
7. How We Rock (feat Bun B) (prod by DJ Premier)
8. Drugs Crime & Gorillaz (feat Sheek Louch & Freeway) (prod by Nottz)
9. In The Streets (feat Lil Fame) (prod by Hi-Tek)
10. So Amazing (prod by DJ Premier)
11. Sorry I Lied (prod by Large Professor)
12. We Killin Ourselves (prod by Pete Rock)
13. The Chosen (Resurrecting The Game) (prod by Havoc)

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09.  Large Pro – Main Source

Scheduled Release: September 30, 2008

The leader of Main Source is back with his third solo LP titled Main Source! Ok, I cheated a bit here.  Surprisingly this album just recently leaked online.  I had to get a sneak preview… and ohmygod it’s dope!  I will definitely be buying this one next month.  I compiled this list before I heard it, so I’m not letting my advance preview affect this album’s spot on my list (hint… it’s should probably be moved up).  Anyway, we’ll save the review for later.  I know ya’ll want this!  Here’s the tracklist…

1. The Entrance
2. Hot: Sizzling, Scorching, Torching, Blazing
3. Maica Living (Feat. Killah Sha & Guardian Leep)
4. Pump Ya Fist (Feat. Mikey D Lotto)
5. Party Time
6. In The Ghetto
7. Hardcore Hip Hop
8. Frantic Barz
9. Sewin’ Love
10. Ru Dope (Feat. Jeru Tha Damaja)
11. Dap (Feat. Lil Dap)
12. Noyd (Feat. Big Noyd)
13. Classic Emergency
14. Rockin’ Hip Hop
15. Large Pro Says
16. To The Meadows
17. The Hardest (Feat. AZ & Styles P)

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08.  Common – Invincible Summer

Scheduled Release: September 22, 2008

You know we love some Common Sense on this site!  Just when we thought Common was giving up recording for acting, he announces that he’s got a new album this year.  Originally scheduled for release earlier this summer, we should have it in September, just before summer ends.  I’ve enjoyed every single Common album released (with the exception for Electric Circus) and his last too joints were flawless to me.  This time around Common decided to stray away from the Kanye formula and enlisted the help of The Neptunes.  The tracks “Universal Mind Control” and “Announcement” have already already leaked and so far the hype hasn’t been too great.  Let’s hope Common hasn’t lost his touch.  Here are some tracks that are rumored to be on the album…

1. Announcement (prod by The Neptunes)
2. Universal Mind Control (prod by The Neptunes)
3. Runaway (feat Santogold)
4. Make My Day (feat Cee-Lo)
5. Punch Love
6. Gladiator (prod by The Neptunes)
7. What A World
8. Changes
9. Party Shit
10. Dreaming

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07.  Murs – Murs 4 President

Scheduled Release: September 30, 2008

I can’t seem to get enough Murs lately.  His latest joint with 9th Wonder, Sweet Lord, is in constant rotation as well as older Murs material.  This album has appearances by Snoop Dogg, Will.I.Am, and 9th Wonder of course.  The first single “Can It Be” has already hit the street and Murs is ready to take us by storm!  Here’s the tracklist…

1. Intro
2. I’m Innocent
3. Lookin’ Fly [feat. Will.i.am]
4. The Science
5. Can It Be (Half a Million Dollars and 18 Months Later)
6. Everything
7. Road Is My Religion
8. Sooo Comfortable
9. Time Is Now [feat. Snoop Dogg]
10. Think You Know Me
11. Me and This Jawn
12. Love and Appreciate II [feat. Tyler Woods]
13. Apart of Me
14. Break Up (The OJ Song)
15. Breakthrough
    

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06.  The Game – L.A.X.

Scheduled Release: August 26, 2008

I know this album is set to be released just a week shy of 4th quarter, but I’m really looking forward to The Game‘s new album. His previous two joints, although not mind blowing, were solid efforts.  From what we’ve heard so far (“Game’s Pain”, “Dope Boys”, “My Life”), this album may run along those same lines.  Some nice features and top notch producers should help the album do well.  Here’s the tracklisting…

1. Intro (feat DMX)
2. LAX Files (prod by J.R. Rotem)
3. State of Emergency (feat Ice Cube) (prod by J.R. Rotem)
4. Bulletproof Diares (feat Raekwon)
5. My Life (feat Lil Wayne) (prod by Cool & Dre)
6. Money (prod by Cool & Dre)
7. Cali Sunshine (feat Bilal) (prod by Nottz)
8. Ya Heard (feat Ludacris) (prod by Nottz)
9. Hard Liqour (Interlude)
10. House of Pain (prod by DJ Toomp)
11. Gentleman’s Affair (feat Ne-Yo) (prod by J.R. Rotem)
12. Let Us Live (feat Chrisette Michele) (prod by Scott Storch)
13. Touchdown (feat Raheem Devaugh)
14. Angel (feat Common) (prod by Kanye West)
15. Never Can Say Goodbye
16. Dope Boys (feat Travis Barker)
17. Game’s Pain (feat Keyshia Cole)
18. Letter To The King (feat Nas) (prod by Hi Tek)
19. Outro (feat DMX)

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05. Rapper Big Pooh – Rapper’s Delight

Scheduled Release: 4th Quarter 2008

One half of the duo Little Brother, Big Pooh, is set to put out the follow up to his 2005 solo debut Sleepers. Little is known about this project, except that we have a name, an album cover and the video to the first single “With You”. 9th Wonder did that beat and we can only hope that he did a few more.  I’m sure we can expect to hear Khrysis on at least a few tracks as he dominated most of Sleepers.  Whatever is in store for this album, I don’t think Pooh can do any wrong.

04.  Dr. Dre – Detox

Scheduled Release: 4th Quarter 2008

How many of you all think Detox will be out this year?  Well Dre says he’s aiming for a November-December release.  Snoop Dogg had mentioned earlier this year that the album is complete, but Bishop Lamont stated that it’s only 50% done.  No details have leaked about the album, but rumors of guests include everyone from 50 Cent, The Game, Nas, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Ice Cube.  I guess we’ll just have to see.

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03. Q-Tip – The Renaissance

Scheduled Release: October 14, 2008

A Tribe Called Quest is probably one of my favorite hip hop groups ever.  So if a new Q-Tip album is coming out, you know it’s gonna be high on my list! It’s been nine years since Tip released his solo debut, 1999′s Amplified, and he has yet to release a proper studio follow-up. Kamaal the Abstract, his sophomore record scheduled for release in 2002, never came out, and Q squashed all rumors of a new ATCQ album.

Renaissance is scheduled to be a nine-track set blending live instrumentation, scratching and samples for a sound reminiscent of early A Tribe Called Quest.  The album will tentatively open with “Shaka,” a song featuring an excerpt of one of presidential candidate Barack Obama‘s campaign speeches over a guitar-tinged beat. It still isn’t official that the track will make the cut, since the sound byte hasn’t been cleared yet.  Also featured on the set is the piano-based lead single, “Getting Up,” which is in the vein of Tribe’s “Award Tour,” the Raphael Saadiq-assisted “Fight/Love,” which tells the stories of a girl in a troubled relationship and a young man fighting in Iraq, and “Life Is Better,” featuring Norah Jones, where Q-Tip pays tribute to all his favorite rappers, including Biz Markie, LL Cool J, Leaders of The New School, Snoop Dogg, Eazy-E, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Brand Nubian and Pimp C.  The album will also feature a collaboration with R&B singer D’Angelo entitled “Believe” in addition to “ManWomanBoogie” with Amanda Diva.

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02.  Foreign Exchange – Leave It All Behind

Scheduled Release:  4th Quarter 2008

You take one of the best emcees in the game right now, Phonte Coleman, and put him with one of the dopest producers out, Nicolay, and you have one hell of a combination — Foreign Exchange.  Their 2004 release, Connected, is already listed in my collection as a hip hop classic.  When I got word last year that they were working on a new joint, I almost lost it.  The duo has already announced that the album is done and should be ready for a fall release.  No further info has been released on the album, although someone has already put together a fake tracklist.  Figured I’d post it up here for fun.  Phonte has already said this was BS.  Wonder who comes up with the stuff?

1. Back To You (Intro)
2. Sweeter Than You (prod by Nicolay)
3. House of Cards (prod by Nicolay)
4. Leave It All Behind (prod by Nicolay & Krhysis)
5. Another Day (prod by Nicolay)
6. Keep It Moving (prod by Nicolay)
7. All I Do (feat Darien Brockington, Median & Cesar Comanche) (prod by Nicolay & 9th Wonder)
8. Still Connected (Skit)
9. We Alright (Be Alright Part II) (feat Median) (prod by Nicolay)
10. Nic’s Message (Skit)
11. Lights (prod by Nicolay)
12. New You (prod by Nicolay)
13. Dreamer (feat Rapper Big Pooh & Darien Brockington) (prod by Nicolay)
14. Tay’s Message (Skit) (prod by Nicolay)
15. Brand New Day (prod by Nicolay)
16. Beleive It (feat The-Dream) (prod by Nicolay)
17. All That You Are (Nic’s New Groove Remix) (feat Median & Darien Brockington)
18. I Need Her (feat John Legend) (prod by Nicolay)

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01.  Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3

Scheduled Release: December 2, 2008

What more can I say? My favorite emcee in the game is dropping the much anticipated Blueprint 3. Who knows what we’ll get yet… at first it was rumored to be a full Timbaland production, now they say Kanye has the realms. Last I heard No ID is supposed to help out with production. Whoever ends up on it, you know it’s gonna be hot. “Jockin’ Jay-Z” has all the buzz lately. The only other confirmed track is the rumored “Victory”.  Will Hov repeat The Blueprint?  Or will it be a Kingdom Come?

Alright ya’ll… role call!  What albums you looking forward to?