2007 was a hellluva year for hip-hop music and culture. We saw Kanye and 50 duel it out for Soundscan supremacy. Jay-Z returned yet again, this time inspired to paint audible pictures after watching the hip-hop generation’s version of The Godfather. Hip-hop culture was attacked by critics in the wake of Don Imus’ racist rant. DJ Khaled continued the Miami movement and hit us with two of the year’s biggest records, “I’m So Hood” and “We Takin Over.” Cam’ron disappeared almost completely, while Jim Jones rode his success to a new partnership with Rick Rubin at Sony Records. Meanwhile, G-Unit as a record label practically fell apart; the music industry itself seemingly imploded; Trick Daddy got beat down at a Florida strip club; Pharrell opened a BBC store in NYC’s Soho district; and Lil Wayne really did become the best rapper alive.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and while I don’t agree with Nas’ late 2006 proclamation that hip-hop is dead, I do have a wish list of things I’d like to see happen in the future. So here’s my Sucker Free Hip-Hop Christmas List.

Dear Hip-Hop Santa, I want…

… A new 50 Cent album produced entirely by Kanye West, titled Kurtis.

… Dr. Dre to chill with the weight lifting and actually finish Detox.

… A Wu-Tang Clan album that sounds like all the members wanted to be in the same room together when they recorded it

… Soulja Boy to start a dance craze that isn’t inspired by super heroes.

… Bow Wow to stop trying to impersonate TI while taking shots at Jay-Z.

… Akon to continue in his role as the new Nate Dogg by appearing on 16 new songs a week.

… Remy Ma to get recognized for her skills and not just for shooting her former friend.

… A West Coast rapper besides The Game to actually come out (where are you G Malone and Bishop Lamont?).

… Lil Wayne to stop leaking music and release an official album.

… More episodes of Three 6 Mafia’s Adventures in Hollyhood.

… ATL:Part 2, with Gucci Mane filling in for …ahem… a pre-occupied TI.

… Less Elf, more Ludacris music.

… A Sean Kingston album where he actually raps.

… wil.i.am to get second single and video off of Songs About Girls.

… Freeway to get a shave.

… Nelly to hang it up.

… to give Prodigy a “get out of jail free” card.

… Snoop Dogg to give T-Pain singing lessons.

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According to MiamiHerald.com, Pitbull was pulled over this morning in Miami after his silver, tinted windowed, 2007 Mercedes, sped past a marked car at 93 miles per hour in 55 MPH zone. He reportedly laughed at the whole ordeal and told the officer, Mark Slimak of the Miami-Dade Police, “This is a big waste of your time papo.” So the officer asked the 26-year old Cuban rapper to take a “field sobriety test” (I’m guessing that means a breathalyzer), and Pitbull failed. He was booked on a DUI charge and still remains in Miami-Dade County Jail.

Real talk, I don’t think the hip-hop police were in on this one. Perhaps Pit just took his pal Rick Ross’s new single “Speedin” too literally.

But ummm…. Pitbull’s new album, The Boatlift, is in stores now.

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Is that a picture of Suge Knight or Rick Ross? I kid, I kid! Lol.

In an article published today in the Broward-Palm Beach New Times titled “The Ten Most Hated Figures in Hip-Hop,” writer Jonathan Cunningham makes a hilarious but well thought-out mock-up list of what he considers to be the ten most hated people in hip-hop. Now these aren’t all rappers, as evidenced by the fact that Suge Knight made the list. I mean, clearly Suge doesn’t rap. Karrine “Superhead” Steffans is listed at #2 and Diddy is at #3. DJ Khaled, who I personally dig, but can understand why people hate, is listed at #5. Somehow Fergie is #6, still being blamed for Black Eyed Peas becoming a pop rap band. Whatever.

I happen to agree with a lot of this list, but I don’t think the order is right. I also question the relevance of some of these people. I mean Suge is hated and all, but how many people are really thinking about this guy right now? Not many. And even though I dig the reasoning behind Soulja Boy being listed at #10 for basically being a one hit wonder, I don’t think many would agree with that. The only people who seem to hate him are old bitter rappers who despise the internet and can’t stand Southern kid hop.

Here’s the list, in order. You be the judge. Is the writer on to something or is he just plain on something?

10- Soulja Boy
9- Paul Wall
8- Cam’ron
7- Nelly
6- Fergie
5- DJ Khaled
4- 50 Cent
3- Diddy
2- Karrine “Superhead” Steffans
1- Suge Knight

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So I think we’re all in agreement by now that even though Lil Wayne didn’t drop a formal album this year, the guy is still the best MC the game has to offer right now. It seemed like every week there was a new Wayne mixtape out, and that’s saying a lot, because mixtapes themselves pretty much hit the skids after the arrest of DJ Drama last January. Honestly, there was so much Wayne material floating around the streets and the internets that I couldn’t even keep track. I don’t think he could either.

But it was the really the release of The Drought Is Over 2: The Carter 3 Sessions that threw a monkey wrench in the plans for a December release of Wayne’s forthcoming album, The Carter III. The folks behind the tape, The Empire, went on record in an XXL article saying they paid for Wayne material under the table and put it out without him knowing. So Wayne opted to postpone his official album’s release and put out a collection of previously bootlegged songs on a mixtape project called The Leak, which was supposed to hit stores December 18th (yesterday). In October, Wayne spoke to MTV News and said,

“[The December 18 release] is gonna be called Tha Carter III, but it’s gonna be called The Leak as well because I get leaked so much. My music got leaked this whole year. One thing I noticed, when another person’s album gets leaked, it’s a whole thing; they’re distraught. When my song gets leaked, people call and say, ‘It’s the greatest song. Can I have it for this album?’ Or, ‘Can I put it on this soundtrack? Can we get the ringtone?’ It’s never, ‘Damn, dude, your music leaked.’ So what we feel, we’re gonna give you what you want. We’re gonna give you the leak. Every song that was leaked is coming out on December 18 — and we have four new songs. The song ‘Gossip’ is gonna be the first single from that album. I’mma shoot the video for that in about a week.”

Well, the video for “Gossip” never came, and while Birdman’s 5* Stunna album dropped last week and moved over 85k units, The Leak was nowhere to be found.

I don’t remember really seeing any formal announcement of that project being pushed back, and damned if Wayne isn’t on like 5 hip-hop magazine covers right now and on the top of everyone’s year-end “Best Of” lists. I think everyone was expecting something from Wayne in the fourth quarter. Even though the songs were already available elsewhere, The Leak was still one of the most anticipated December releases. Where is it?

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Looks like 2008 really could be the year of the dog…. again. Because let’s keep it all the way real here, his 2006 album Year Of The Dog…. Again , while hyped to be a return to form for the Yonkers-bred MC, was rather forgettable. Even though it sold some records, and was accompanied by a BET reality TV show DMX: Soul Of A Man, the project pretty much came and went and then X went back into hiding (or court, for all we know. This guy has more cases than Foxy Brown).

Today, however, it was announced that DMX has signed with Bodog Music, one of the entertainment arms of Bodog, a multi-tiered company with interests in online gaming, betting, and TV production. Through Bodog Music, X will release his next album Walk With Me Now and You’ll Fly With Me Later. The album is described as a return to DMX’s hardcore rap roots, but we’ve heard that before.

Regarding the deal, DMX said,

“I’m thankful for the fact that Bodog believes in me, that we share the same vision and the fact that they see in me the same thing I see. I’ll show you [Bodog Music] how it’s supposed to be done, and we’ll get to where we’re supposed to be. You got a dog for life.”

Let’s see what comes of this and if the album actually drops. Word on the street is that Redman and Method Man also just signed with Bodog for a new Blackout-styled duet album. But I’ll believe that when I see it.

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