As the year winds down and people (even people here at OKP) look back at 2007, tallying the best and worst of the year, I'm sure the names Common and Kanye West will be near the top of a lot of folks' "Hip-Hop album of the year" lists. That's not unusual in-and-of-itself since they both dropped dope LPs which were two of my favorite records this Summer. But what I find interesting about the success of both of these artists is the fact that they're from the Midwest, a region that's only recently come to prominence after years of being overshadowed by the East and West coasts (a fact illustrated quite literally on the cover of Common's 1992 debut Can I Borrow a Dollar?) and more recently the "dirty" South.

 

While Chicago, home to Com, 'Ye and Lupe Fiasco, has been a dominating force in the re-emergence of "real" Hip-Hop in the mainstream media, other Midwestern cities have contributed much to the region's growing reputation. Detroit, Michigan's J Dilla still exerts enormous influence on the art-form almost two years after his untimely passing, and his legend continues to grow as a stable of Motor City producers and artists that includes Dabrye, Waajeed, Guilty Simpson, Invincible and others build on the foundation he helped lay. Even Minneapolis, Minnesota has earned respect and acclaim thanks to Atmosphere and their Rhymesayers label, home to Brother Ali, another name likely to adorn a lot of "best of 2007" lists.

 

Who would have thought back in '92 when Common positioned himself between East Coast hardrocks and West Coast gangstas that an area of the country known primarily for MC Breed and MC Brains would produce so many of the best Hip-Hop records released during the year 2007? Few to none, I'm sure. Which gives me hope that some day a lot more people will recognize the dopeness of artists like Shadrach "Shad K." Kabango, another emcee from the Midwest, but the Midwest of Canada, who has a lot in common aesthetically with his Midwestern neighbors from south of the border. The London, Ontario-based artist's sophomore album The Old Prince stacks up rather nicely against the likes of Finding Forever, Graduation and The Undisputed Truth with off-the-cuff punchlines, pop-culture references and social commentary delivered over a rich tapestry of melodic samples and neck-snapping drums.

 

 

Even if The Old Prince doesn't earn Shad a place next to his Midwestern neighbors in the minds of Hip-Hop fans as they look back on 2007 I hope heads remember to put it on when they're listening to records like Blu & Exile's Below the Heavens that were stylistically similar, and just as worthy of Common and Kanye-style accolades, but weren't as embedded in the public consciousness.

 

-El Keter