HiphopRnbSoul.com

Top R&B Artist of the year: Mary J. Blige

Without a doubt, this was the year of the Queen of Hiphopsoul. Right before dropping her Reflections: A Retrospective, Blige topped of her stellar year by leading the Grammy nominations with a whopping eight nods, including album of the year for her multi-platinum The Breakthrough.

Top Rap/Hip-hop Artist of the year: J Dilla (aka Jay Dee)

J Dilla passed away at a young age, but the sheer breadth, influence and scope of his legacy befits a legend twice his age. Not only did he drop two of the best hip-hop albums of the year, his distinctive soulful style will forever live on in the culture's pantheon. RIP JD.

Best New R&B/Soul Artist: Corinne Bailey Rae

CBR went from hat check girl to critically-lauded triple Grammy nominee in less than a year. Her jaw-dropping self-titled debut garnered the acclaim critics and music lovers on both sides of the Atlantic, was the first and only album to earn our 5 star rating, and continues to win over new fans with its genre-defying soul. 

Best New Rap/Hip-hop Artist: Lupe Fiasco

The alternative emcee managed to bring backpack rap to the mainstream with his debut set, Food And Liquor, and even managed to enjoy decent albums sales despite the fact the set leaked a gazillion times.  

Most slept on Rap/Hip-hop album of the year:

Psalm One - The Death of Frequent Flyer  - Described as a cross between “Lauryn Hill and Devin The Dude” (really), the Chicago native, and ex-chemist, was voted as one of URB’s Next 100 in 2005. Her Rhymesayer set one of the best albums of the year.

Most slept on R&B/Soul album of the year: 

Governor - Son Of Pain - Governor's delivery and writing skills are reminiscent of other legends-in-the-making such as Lyfe Jennings, Leela James and Anthony Hamilton. Why this album didn't do better is a mystery.

Best album to combine both rap/hip-hop and R&B/soul genres:

Dave Chappelle's Block Party Soundtrack - This soundtrack to the Chapelle-powered documentary captures the party's raw energy anchored by the woefully underrated skills of the Roots. Artists also include Mos Def, Talib Kweli (solo and as Black Star), Jill Scott, Common, Erykah Badu and more.

Most shameful Rap moment: Thanks Kanye West

Kanye West acting like a little b*tch while throwing a temper tantrum at the MTV European music awards was plain embarrassing. He proved himself to be a sore loser and lost the respect of many fans. Booooooo!

Best genre-defying album: Outkast's Idlewild

Featuring ridiculous cuts like "Morris Brown" and "The Train" Outkast's alleged swan song set continued the Atlanta duo's tradition of pushing the boundaries of hip-hop music. 

Top News Story: Whitney Houston Finally Dumps Bobby Brown

There wasn't a soul in the world who didn't at least breathe a sigh of relief when this story hit. 

Top Rap/Hip-hop Comeback Album: The Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury

Just as folks were ready to write them off as a one album wonder (despite their dope mixtapes), the Virginia due returned with a vengeance after a four year lapse with one of the best albums of the year.

Top R&B/Soul Comeback Album: Sam Moore - Overnight Sensational

Rock Hall of Famer and Grammy winner Sam Moore (from the legendary duo Sam & Dave) is the voice behind soul classics "Hold On! I'm Comin," and "Soul Man." Here, he makes his official solo debut, his first solo recording since the 70s with stars such as Mariah Carey, Fantasia, Van Hunt and late "fifth Beatle" Billy Preston.