Year in Review

Depending on who's asked, the genre of hip-hop is ready for either its last rites or a resurrection.

In spite of Kanye West's eight Grammy nominations, Jay-Z's American Gangster tying Elvis Presley's mark of 10 chart-topping albums and Common's first No. 1 debut with Finding Forever, substance waned and style reigned.

Club playlists and ringtones were replete with feather-weight tracks such as Lil' Mama's "Lip Gloss," Hurricane Chris' "A Bay Bay" and Cassidy's "My Drink N' My 2 Step," which didn't always translate into CD sales or staying power.

As far as R&B music is concerned, the opposite seemed to occur. Except for a few hiccups such as the cringe-inducing Sean Kingston hit, "Beautiful Girls," soul artists chose to switch up their styles (as Rihanna did with the annoyingly addictive "Umbrella") or opted to upgrade and reinforce proven hit-making formulas.

Here's who put it down the hardest in 2007.

1 KANYE WEST, Graduation (Roc-A-Fella) – The tragic passing of his beloved mother, Donda, aside, no one personified "Good Life" this year quite like Ye. He easily trounced his same-day CD-release competitor, 50 Cent, last September with clumsy confessionals, straight-up swagger and the half-admiring, half-admonishing ode to mentor Jay-Z, "Big Brother." We could do without the constant gloating, but Ye certainly paid the cost to be the boss.

2 COMMON, Finding Forever (Geffen) – Common showcased his street swagger while maintaining his organic and wholesome approach. Best cuts: the moody, Nina Simone-sampling "Misunderstood," the D'Angelo-reviving "So Far to Go" and the clever and versatile "Break My Heart."

3 WYCLEF JEAN, Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant (Columbia) – Anyone who finds today's hip-hop stale should peep at the Preacher's Son's latest. Instead of sounding self-conscious with guests, Mr. Jean flips scripts with flair with rappers (Chamillionaire) and popsters (Norah Jones) alike.

4 CHAMILLIONAIRE, Ultimate Victory (Universal) – Houston's Mixtape Messiah drops bangin' beats, star-studded cameos, impactful rhymes and impeccable delivery, all without profanity, misogyny, self-hatred or nihilism.

5 UGK, Underground Kingz (Jive) – Most didn't get hip to this Dirty South duo until the Texans rhymed with Jay-Z on "Big Pimpin'." But Bun B and the late Pimp C's last effort earned them long-deserved accolades. UGK's influence spawned dozens of imitators, but none could "Grind Hard" like the original.

1 JILL SCOTT, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 (Hidden Beach) – The bold and authentic Ms. Scott didn't let her divorce steal her spirit or crumble her creativity. She shuts detractors down on the ferociously funky "Hate On Me," beckons to new love on the seductive "Come See Me" and tells black men to check themselves on "How it Make You Feel."

2 MARY J. BLIGE, Growing Pains (Geffen) – Ms. Blige acknowledges the pain and rainy days of her past here but summons enough pluck and verve to radiate with joy and lace up her sisters as well. "Hurt Again" is a delicate confession to a wanna-be lover, and "Grown Woman" (featuring Ludacris) is a cheer-licious explanation of what makes her phenomenal in her 'grown and sexy' years.

3 ALICIA KEYS, As I Am (RCA) – As sparkling and cutting as a 10-carat diamond, Ms. Keys stays true to herself and her musicality here. Instead of inundating the masses with endless cameos, Ms. Keys took time to get in touch with her creativity, and it shows. She demands respect by exposing delicate moments that express her femininity without resorting to maudlin histrionics.

4 QUEEN LATIFAH, Trav'lin Light (Verve) – On her lush return to the airwaves, Ms. Latifah continues to stretch her artistic boundaries on this indulgent, elaborate and endearing multi-genre collection with big band, jazz and heartfelt blues, among other styles. If there's anything she can't do, it's not in the field of music.

5 NE-YO, Because of You (Def Jam) – After playing the back for a while by writing for some of today's hottest performers, Schaffer Smith stepped up here to become the Babyface of his generation. This album shines with tremulous vulnerability, a pure pop sense, a smooth and creamy voice, and a lyrical pen game that even poet laureates should envy.

Highs

•Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five becoming the first-ever hip-hop act to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

•Kanye West feeling unworthy of BET's Video of the Year Award and trying to re-gift it to UGK and Outkast

•The return, in song and spirit, of Gerald Levert, who died in 2006. His stellarfinal solo release, In My Songs, became his first-ever No. 1 debut, and the book that he co-wrote with his father and Lyah Beth LeFlore, I Got Your Back, spent time on the New York Times bestseller list.

Lows

•T.I. punching Ludacris' manager, Shaka Zulu, in the face at a record label party in June, then being arrested for felony weapons charges in October in Atlanta.

•Female rappers catching court cases instead of dropping hits. Examples: Eve's arrest for drunk driving in LA in April, Da Brat's arrest for assaulting a waitress near Atlanta in November, Remy Ma's arrest for attempted murder in Manhattan in July, and Foxy Brown's eventual sentencing to prison in New York.

•In the more than five years after being indicted on child pornography charges, R. Kelly has sold more than 10 million albums and released two Trapped in the Closet DVDs but has yet to receive a new court date since his trial was postponed in September.

"I am the No. 1 human being in music. That means any person living or breathing is No. 2. Bow down to the presence of greatness, family." Kanye West, during a Sept. 28 appearance on Wendy Williams' nationally syndicated radio show

"You could make 100 classic albums in a row, and someone (else) could make one hot song and people compare you. Hip-hop is the only sport like that." Jay-Z on making a comeback in January 2008's Vibe magazine

"I'm the Ali of today. I'm the Marvin Gaye of today. I'm the Bob Marley of today. I'm the Martin Luther King … I have to walk with love in my heart for those who hate me." R. Kelly in the Fall 2007 issue of XXL's Hip Hop Soul

"The fans gave me everything … they saved my life. But the whole 'my man left me and I'm sad' thing may not be what they need." Mary J. Blige in the March 2007 issue of Vibe magazine