Kanye West - College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) Hot producers don't necessarily release super-hot albums (Timbaland, Swizz Beatz). Kanye West breaks this curse, as his debut College Dropout puts an end to the color-by-numbers material and exaggerated gun talk that has flooded hip-hop. Saving all the hot beats for his own album, Kon The Louis Vuitton Don spits dry wit and biting sarcasm over sped-up soul-sampled beats. There are a few tracks that people have heard since last summer, including the remarkable 'Through The Wire" and the infectious "Slow Jamz", but listeners should be forgiving. The abundance of powerful music Kanye creates on this album is classic.
--Sean A. Malcolm
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BOOKS
Hip Hop Immortals: We Got Your Kids The idea of a coffee-table-book-turned-documentary sounds like a glorified slide show. Thankfully, We Got Your Kids isn't. HHI mixes archival footage of practically everyone in the game on the come-up with new interviews from respected figures in fashion, music, business, etc., as proof of how much this culture has grown. As if you needed reminding.
--Patricia DeLuca
Astrology Uncut: A Street-Smart Guide To The Stars Rob Marriott and Sonya Magett Finally, there's a book that makes learning about your zodiac sign sound like fun. Astrology Uncut gives a tongue-in-cheek but no nonsense breakdown of each sign, good and bad. Each sign gets a list of its basics like ruling planet and color, a more-thorough explanation of its origins without getting too heady, and a "Ghetto Index", which rates your drama and gangstability. Try to find those topics in the local paper.
