2007 ...

With the end of 2007 rapidly approaching, I got to thinking ... if I had to pick one song that I could say was my favorite for the whole year, what would it be? I wanted to pick a track that I'll always remember, that I would always listen to regardless of how many times it got played ... a song that inspired thought and emotion ... a song that made me want to sit down and pick out all the different pieces of the production. It wasn't easy and why I continue to ask myself these tough questions is beyond me, but it is what it is when I do what I do, ya know?

Think of all the jams we got to enjoy this last year. How the hell do you pick a top track out of these (and this is just the mainstream stuff) ...

Kanye West - Flashing Lights
T-Pain - Bartender
Soulja Boy Tell 'Em - Crank That
J Holiday - Bed
Down - Lean Like a Cholo
Fall Out Boy - This ain't a scene it's an arms race
Amy Winehouse - Rehab
NeYo - Because of you
Rihanna - Umbrella

Overall, I think 2007 was a great year for music. Lots of new artists, big hits and tracks that I'll continue to enjoy for quite some time. What's really exciting is the thought of what 2008 will bring. Who's it gonna be next year that inspires us or makes us get up and dance or tune out of everything we're doing to tune in to the music?

These are just a few of the big name artists set to drop new albums in 2008 that I'm really looking forward to: Janet Jackson, Metallica, Usher, R.E.M, Mariah Carey, The Killers, Black Eyed Peas, DR DRE!!!, Fugees (Yes, the Fugees), Lenny Kravitz, my man Juanes just dropped his latest in late '07 ... the list keeps going.

I can't wait, but for now, I'm more than happy to look back on 2007, especially when I put this jam on ... tuning out to tune in.

Justin Timberlake - Love Stoned (I think she knows)

The interlude of this track is freakin' crazy!! Big ups to Timbaland!!

Let it bump and Happy New Year! - RR22

It's time to PARTY!

With the holidays in full swing, I felt the need to post a track that we could all get up and get down to. Wait, what?! Up and down?? Well it sounds good when rappers say it ... anyways.

Now I know some of you might be thinking that this time of year should be all eggnog, roasted chestnuts and stuffy sweaters ... but let's be real, this is the time of the year where everyone parties for all sorts of different reasons.

Most of us, at some point over the next week or so will be getting down ... just don't be the one dancing like a freak at your company holiday party. That's just bad ju ju!!

Baby Bash feat Sean Kingston - What is it?

This track hits hard, so let it bump! - RR22

Outside the norm ...

One thing I truly enjoy about music is when an artist succeeds at doing something outside of their comfort zone, crossing genres, changing styles, etc.

We've seen it over the years via a lot of collaboration work ... Run DMC and Aerosmith ... Tim McGraw and Nelly ... Nelly Furtado and Juanes, but I, personally, haven't seen a lot of it going well for solo artists.

Can you imagine a rough guy like BustaRhymes crooning or a smooth cat like Eric Benet rocking out to some punk rock? I mean, hell, look at Vanilla Ice and Tommy Lee ... they tried it, switching styles up, and nobody liked it. There's definitely something worthwhile about staying true to your roots, but when an artist can offer us a track that's outside their norm and that's actually good ... well that's butter, baby!!

Missy Elliott is known for her club rockin' jams and crazy ass videos ... I enjoy them, you enjoy them, she's made millions making them. But I came across a track of hers a few years ago that blew my mind. I would have never guessed this was her ... when I started listening to it, I was waiting for her cameo 16 bars of rhyming in the track like she drops for other R&B singers (see Ciara) but it never came. It's her singing!!!

This track is a testament to the fact that she truly is an artist. She wasn't afraid to switch it up because she knew the track was a hot one.

Missy Elliot - It's Real

Let it bump (softly this time) - RR22