PEACE. Every year, Hip-Hop Linguistics creates two lists. One list contains the top hip-hop albums from major mainstream, underground and independent record labels. The other list contains the top hip-hop albums from minor independent labels and unsigned hip-hop artists. The first list contains artists you’ve likely heard of, while the second list contains artists you’ve probably not heard of.

This is that first list - the overall top picks for 2007. The list below represents the best albums hip-hop had to offer in the year 2007 from what we consider major record labels - whether mainstream, underground or independent. We highly recommend checking them all out! (more…)

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  Review Date: December 17, 2007
  Website: One Be Lo Website
  Label: Subterraneous Records

One Be Lo “The R.E.B.I.R.T.H.” Album Review
I’m a hip-hop giver, man. What can I say? I carry around this flash drive with my favorite underground hip-hop albums on it. I give them to my friends and family who are hip-hop heads also. I guess I just think it’s a nice thing to do. From my standpoint, there’s no better gift than some dope hip-hop – some shit you don’t know exists, but couldn’t imagine never hearing. (more…)

The Undisputed Truth tour featuring Brother Ali, Psalm One, OneBeLo and Toki Wright is now in full effect. I had the chance to see them perform last night at the Knitting Factory in NYC, and the show was off the hook!

Toki Wright did a great job as host, keeping the crowd in the show with his between-act performances and later as hype man for Brother Ali. OneBeLo got the crow started with a combination of new tracks from his highly-anticipated upcoming album and old tracks from the highly-respected “Sonogram” album. Psalm One set the stage perfectly for the head act with a bunch of hard-banging, crowd bumping tunes. And Brother Ali ripped it y’all, featuring songs from “The Undisputed Truth” and “Shadows On the Sun.” (more…)

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  Release Date: February 8, 2005
  Website: One.Be.Lo Website
  Label: Fatbeats

OneBeLo “Sonogram” Album Review
Underground hip-hop just isn’t understood like it used to be. Nowadays, it’s almost as popular to be underground as it is to be pop. Hip-hop fans are realizing the difference between the hip-hop we see on MTV and the real stuff, and are now finding it fashionable to listen to the more introspective side of the art form and its culture. While this is good, I do think this acknowledgement has created another major genre of hip-hop, one that exists in between underground and pop. (more…)