27.
El P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
New York producer El-Producto will drop his second full length in March 2007. Visit El-P's ISWYD blog for updates on the album's progress.
26.
Young Buck - Buck the World
Previously slated for December, Buck's sophomore LP will now arrive in February.
25.
Eve - Here I Am
Just when you thought female rappers were going into extinction, Eve quits her self-titled TV sitcom to reunite with rap. Here I Am promises collaborations with The Neptunes, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and Dr. Dre.
24.
Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
Birdman jr. returns with his sixth solo album, Tha Carter III The album is slated for release next spring, just enough time for fans to put the Baby-kissing incident behind them.
23.
Timbaland - Shock Value
Timbaland takes a break from bringing sexy back to create tunes with Elton John, She Wants Revenge, The Hives, Fall Out Boy and Bjork. Let's just hope he saved all the good beats for himself.
22.
UGK - Underground Kingz
Underground Kingz marks UGK's return as a collective, following Bun B and Pimp C's respective success as solo artists.
21.
Papoose - The Nacirema Dream
No, it's not the rucksack-looking child-carrier. This Papoose is a revered wordsmith from Brooklyn, who likes to slaughter alphabets for fun. The Nacirema Dream (Nacirema spells American backwards) drops in March 2007.
20.
Devin the Dude - Waitin' to Inhale
Despite having collaborated with heavyweights like Snoop, Scarface, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Nas, Devin the Dude is still one hit away from commercial success. Waitin' to Inhale, which drops on March 13th, features Lil' Wayne, Bun B, and the Odd Squad.
19.
LL Cool J - Todd Smith 2: Back to Cool
Back to Cool is the follow-up to the self-titled Todd Smith. This time, LL hooks up with fellow Queens rapper 50 Cent, who will oversee production on Back to Cool.
18.
Ghostface & MF Doom - Swift & Changeable
This oft-delayed collabo finds Ghost flexing his lyrical muscles over MF Doom's soulsonic playground.
17.
Saigon - The Greatest Story Never Told
Sai Giddy's debut album has been in the works for about four years, but he swears it'll be in stores before the millennium runs out.
16.
Sean Price - Jesus Price Superstar
You can probably tell from his Passion of Price DVD and the forthcoming Jesus Price Superstar that Sean Price has a knack for sacrilegious titles. Expect some holy music from Price this January.
15.
Chamillionaire - Ultimate Victory
Rumor has it that Dr. Dre, Kanye West, and The Runners produced some tracks on Ultimate Victory. Now there's an album worth checking for.
14.
Little Brother - The Getback
Assuming they don't get kicked off Atlantic by summer, North Carolina's most visible hip-hop group will attempt to add another masterwork to their catalog. Fans' desire to see LB beak out of their comfort zone forced Phonte and Big Pooh to collaborate with outside producers like Illmind, Nottz, and Alchemist on The Getback
13.
Talib Kweli & Madlib - The Liberation
If "Funny Money" is anything to go by then Liberation will probably be a winner among Okayplayers. The best part is that Kwe-Lib plan to hand the album to fans for FREE.
12.
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Lupe's highly celebrated debut Food & Liquor featured only one guest emcee. The Cool promises even fewer rappers and more Pink Floyd.
11.
50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct
The tentative release date for Fiddy's awesomely-titled third entry is March 20th, so expect Mr. Ferrari to jump-start a feud or two between January and February. The scary part is that 50 has vowed to reveal a 'sensitive thug' side of his image this time.
10.
Pharoahe Monch - Desire
Led by the soulful single "Push," Desire is Monch's first album in eight years. The title track was produced by Alchemist.
09.
Eminem - TBA
Em has orchestrated two sub-par albums in the last two years or so. Usually, that means a potential "comeback" is in place.
08.
Redman - Red Gone Wild
Red Gone Wild is expected to arrive in March 2007, according to a message on Red's official website, Funkdoc.com. The first single will be produced by Timbaland.
07.
Rakim - The Seventh Seal
When we caught up with Rakim back in September, he swore The Seventh Seal will be in stores the first quarter of 2007.
06.
Talib Kweli - Ear Drum
Led by the K-1-produced single, "Listen!!!," Ear Drum vows to be Kweli's most alluring effort in years. Norah Jones, UGK, and Musiq are on board for the project.
05.
Joe Budden - The Growth
Budden once threatened to slice his wrist if The Growth didn't make it to the stores by October 2006. Jay-Z swears Budden's album isn't finished. Someone's definitely lying. Regardless, Joey has managed to keep his buzz alive by unleashing lyrics of fury on mixtape after mixtape, like the outstanding Mood Muzik 2 that had the 'Net going nuts for months.
04.
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
Now signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath imprint, The Chef is ready to drop the sequel to his 1995 masterpiece Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.
03.
Common - Finding Forever
Following up an excellent album is typically a thorny task. Comm's last album, BE, was lauded by critics around the world, not to mention the various accolades he bagged afterwards (including four Grammy nominations). With Kanye West steering the production wheel once again, Forever, shows glimpses of another solid entry by Chicago's finest.
02.
Kanye West - Graduation 
Speaking of Mr. West, now that he's conquered sophomore jinx by following up his College Dropout masterpiece with the equally opulent Late Registration, will third time be the charm? Let's just hope his reputation for generous self-appraisal doesn't precede his, um, Graduation.
01.
Dr. Dre - Detox
Put it this way: Dr. Dre will dictate the hip-hop soundscape of 2007 (see No. 26, 25, 15, 11, 9, and 4), so he'll have very little time left to devote to Detox. Regardless, one quick glance at the Doc's history and you're almost bought on the fact that Detox will hit shelves sometime in '07--Dre only releases an album every seven years. Especially now that his artist-molding days are over.
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The Top 25 Albums To Look For In 2007!!!
