I already gave you my Best Baltimore Hip Hop Albums and Mixtapes of 2006 a couple weeks ago, so now it's time to look forward to the future with what I'm anticipating in '07. Of course, with the kind of delays you always get with rap albums, even underground projects, you never when anything's gonna drop, and a lot of these were on my most anticipated of '06 list. There are a lot of people that I know are dropping projects this year, but here are the ones I'm most lookin forward to that have set titles and labels right now:

1. Bossman - Law & Order (One Up/Virgin Records)
Hate him or love him, Bossman's still the one to watch as far as seeing if a major label audience is really ready to support a Baltimore MC this year. Everything I've heard that's going to be on this album is hot, so the quality isn't really a question so much as what it's gonna do.

2. Darkroom Productions - Hamsterdam 2: The Re-Up
This is gonna be out real soon, because the release party is this weekend, and I just got word that Darkroom will be featured in tomorrow's (January 4th) edition of the Baltimore Sun, so check that out. This is gonna be a must-have item just for all the songs that were used in The Wire. I hope the Diablo album Shop Closed drops this year, too.

3. D.O.G. - Champagne Dreams (Invisible Set/Universal Records)
Another major label project that it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. The album had already been delayed for a long time even by last summer when he got signed, so I've kinda been ready for this and I hope they don't wait so long that all the buzz he had last year dies down.

4. Tim Trees - Wayne Jones: The Business (Built For Business)
When I profiled Tim in the City Paper over a year ago, it sounded like the album was more or less done, but then nothing happened. But he's been performing live a lot more lately, including at Comp's mixtape release party this weekend, so maybe we'll finally get TT's third album this year.

5. various artists - Baltimore Club Crack (Milkcrate/Koch)
Another one that I haven't heard any progress or news about in a minute. When I interviewed Debonair Samir last summer and heard a rough mix of this album, he made it sound like the deal with Koch was done and the album would be out in '06, but I haven't heard any official word of it being on Koch's release schedule yet. I hope it does come out, though, it's a pretty dope compilation.

6. DK - A Part Of History (Babygrande Records)
DK's mixtape was one of my favorites of last year, and I just got word from him recently that before his debut album Words Of Art drops, there's going to be an EP/DVD called A Part Of History dropping in February.

7. Sonny Brown - Ginger Bread Man
Another mixtape I've been waiting on for a while now. I know Sonny's got something hot up his sleeve.

8. Los - Fly, Hungry, & Rich (Da Bloc Inc./Bad Boy)
I interviewed Los for the City Paper a couple months ago, but the article still hasn't come out because he's been really difficult about getting a photo shoot done. Talented cat, though, I hope he can do something within the major label system.

9. Midas - Battle Royale
His mixtape was nice but I know he's got some crazy material he's saving for the album.

10. Young Leek - Somethin' To Prove (Stay Gettin'/Def Jam)
Yet another project that seemed like it was making progress and they were getting ready to shoot a video and do some serious promotion, and then, nothing happened. Leek may not be a real hardcore Bmore MC or anything, but I'm definitely rooting for Stay Gettin' and the other people in his camp to have some success.

Labels: Bossman, D.O.G., Darkroom Productions, Debonair Samir, Diablo, DK, lists, Los, Midas, Stay Gettin', Tim Trees, Young Leek