1) Common The Dreamer, The Believer (Warner)

2) Young Jeezy TM-103 (Def Jam)

3) The Roots Undun (MCA)

4) Gangrene Vodka & Ayahuasca (Decon)

5) Union Analogtronics(Fat Beats)

Special thanks to Ray Ricky Rivera at the Amoeba Music Hollywood store for this week's Amoeba Hip Hop Chart which includes the latest from Common (The Dreamer, The Believer), The Roots (Undun), Gangrene (Oh No & The Alchemist) Vodka & Ayahuasca (Decon), and Young Jeezy (TM-103 on Def Jam).  Meantime the newcomer (released this week) to the chart is the number 5 chart entry from Union, aka Union Analogtronics, which is the Paris, France based hip hop group comprised of the production duo OJ & Gold whose instrumentation of choice is classic synths and various vintage keyboards. Hence the album title Analogtronics which means the analog at the service of the electronic. This album works on two levels: the chilled out groove of the instrumentals by these talented French producers and also on the vocal tracks for which he very tastefully selected their invited guests.  Case in point is the lead Talib Kweli and Sly Johnson track "Time Leak" (video immediately below) in which Kweli shares some of his best rhymes. Another excellent guest vocal track is (MF) DOOM track "Co Co Mango" in which the masked emcee delivers, in his trademark flow, such top notch rhymes. The list of other emcees on this album, which might lead some to file under Various Artists/Compilations category, include Moka Only, Elzhi, Roc Marciano, and Guilty Simpson. A really good album, available from Amoeba in both CD and LP formats, as you will figure out if you check out that video below.

1) Lil Wayne  The Carter IV (Cash Money/Universal)

2) The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West)
     Watch The Throne (Def Jam) 

3) Casual The Hierophant (F.B.M.G.)

4)  Game The R.E.D. Album (Geffen)

5)  Smoke DZA Rolling Stoned (Fat Beats)

Again this week much thanks go to E-Lit at Amoeba Music in Berkeley for taking time to talk with the Amoeblog for the latest Hip Hop Top Five chart entries plus an overview of the numerous new underground hip-hop releases, in both CD and vinyl formats.  These include Open Mike Eagle's Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes, the full-length by Candy's 22 in CD format, A Girl and Her Gun ("drugged out country & western rap music" - as E-Lit describes the unusual rap release), the ever prolific Blu's (of Blu & Exile fame) latest remastered version of Jesus, and Kirby Dominant & Factor's Champagne Nightmares on Fake Four Recordings. Scroll down a bit to check out the video for the album track "Orca" off the duo (also named Champagne Nightmares) off this fine latest pairing of the unique East Bay emcee with the Canadian producer who first joined creative forces back in 2004 on One Way Ticket on Side Road Records. Their new video was directed and produced by Stuey Kubrick in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

1)   DJ Khaled We The Best Forever (Cash Money/Universal)

2)   Tyler the Creator Goblin (XL Recordings)

3)    Eminem Recovery (Aftermath) 

4)    Aesop Rock  Labor Days  (Definitive Jux)

5)    Lil Wayne I Am Not A Human Being (Cash Money/Univ.)

The top selling hip-hop release at the Amoeba Hollywood store this week is the fifth studio album and the major label debut from DJ Khaled. This latest from the established DJ/producer/radio personality is titled We the Best Forever - so titled after his own label We The Best - and it features some of the best known in the rap game these days. The album's packed guest list includes such heavyweights as Kanye West, Nas, Jay-Z, Fat Joe, Chris Brown, Keyshia Cole, Cee Lo Green, Rick Ross, Birdman, Lil Wayne, T.I., Akon, Drake and Nicki Minaj. The first single "Welcome to My Hood" which features cameos from Rick Ross, Plies, Lil Wayne and T-Pain became a major radio hit and grabbed everyone's attention when it dropped earlier in the year to help build anticipation for this release which debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart this week. This anticipation for We The Best Forever has been further fueled by the other 3 singles (yes four singles total for the album that is only just out!); “I’m On One”  featuring Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne, “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over”  featuring Mary J. Blige, Fabolous, and Jadakiss (video below), and (the fourth and latest, about to drop) single “Legendary” featuring Chris Brown, Keyshia Cole, and Ne-Yo.

         
Care of the always self-effacinging funny rap duo of Foreign Legion (witty & talented Oakland emcees Prozack Turner and Marc Stretch) comes the above latest extended version video for "Travel Lite" from the pair's recommended current album Night Moves - on Hunger Strike Records/Quality Control and available at Amoeba Music.

Without even trying Marc and Zack are just naturally funny and, unlike so much of hip-hop these days, do not take themselves seriously by any means as they trade quips, one liners, and so corny they're funny jokes.  Included in the deliberately silly (including canned laughter) clip are such jokes as Stewardess: "Have you ever been in the Navy?"  Prozack: "Well.. I used to work at Old Navy." Ba-da-boom!

And below is the brand new video for "The Hex" by Random Axe, the latest outing from the rap supergroup comprised of Sean Price, Black Milk, and Guilty Simpson. The song is one of the many audio treats found on the new fifteen track CD simply titled Random Axe that is available at Amoeba and is featured in the new Hip-Hop Top Five found immediately below the video