Just got this in from UK-based hip-hop collective, The State. Even though it's already deep in February, it's still worth checking their round-up of who to watch on the hip-hop scene in 2005. COMMON: After stretching his artistic licence with ‘Electric Circus’, 2004 saw Common reconnect with fan base care of some hot verses alongside Kanye West and De La’s ‘Grind Date’ return. The Chi Town emcee has promised his next long-player ‘B.E.’ will see a return to the hard spitting ways of his much revered past and from early examples, which have surfaced already, he isn’t lying. MF DOOM: 2004 was the year that the rap fans favourite villain really step out of the shadows and reaped the praise and well-deserved shine he’s been due for sometime. And with opening lines like, Dub it off your man, don’t spend that ten bucks/ I did it for the advance, the backend sucks/ It’s better than sittin’ up in a crack den, with a Mack 11 yellin’ at friends and fiends to duck, from the Vicktor Vaughan ‘VVII’ LP, he’s a hard man to miss. 2005 is booked solid for Doom with a number of pending projects, including ‘Danger Doom’ with DJ/ producer underdog Danger Mouse, and the mouth watering prospect of a tag team collabo with Iron Man a.k.a Ghostface on the cards. With his almost superhuman dexterity over the must challenging product, (non-believers should search out 'Impending Doom' with beats by Daedelus), expect wide spread lyrical carnage to grace shelves later this year from raps most gifted anti-hero. ESTELLE: Now firmly in the consciousness of the CD buying public with the release of her debut album, Est-Boogie isn’t waiting for the dust to settle. Look out for a revamped ‘18th Day’ to be release later this year, with new tracks alongside some name brand heat including Rhymefest and Mark Ronson, to name but two. And the ‘Go Gone’ EP out March 21st. SAIGON: Not one for the mixtape circuit, if not for time well spent time surfing the net and a sobering verse on Talib Kweli’s ‘Beautiful Mixtape 2’, Saigon would have slipped under The State radar. Non-believers check out ‘The Letter P’, which featured in the 96th State Address and on Sickamore’s mixtape ‘I Can Make You Famous’. Sai gives a small indication of just how sick his debut ‘The Greatest Story Never Told’ will be paired with one of hip hop’s most consistently on point beat makers Just Blaze. LITTLE BROTHER: With some sterling work both in the fields of production and rhyming, (namely Phonte’s work on Foreign Exchange and 9th’s huge contribution on Murs’ ‘9th Edition’ LP, as well as numerous high profile projects), the North Carolina trio have set out their stale very nicely for their second full length LP ‘The Minstrel Show’ and a successful 2005. AFTERMATH STABLE: With The Game already making space in his living room for his first platinum and 50 Cent’s ‘The Massacre’ ready to drop in March, the year has already started nicely for H.N.I.C. Dr Dre. Fans can look forward to hearing music from Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Eve, Busta Rhymes, and Dr Dre’s off and now back on third, (and possibly final) album, ‘Detox’ near the end of the year. MADLIB: Officially The State’s favourite soundman of 2004, the multi-faceted Otis Jackson III and his multiply personality disorders will be at their height this year. With a full to bursting diary in the pile-line, first to drop will be the return of the helium voiced Quasimoto with ‘The Further Adventures Of Lord Quas’ LP out in this month. And expect hot product from the rest of the Stones Throw roster, especially MED (a.k.a. Medaphoar), whose long awaited full-length debut ‘Push Comes To Shove’ (with beats by the aforementioned Madlib, Oh No and Just Blaze) should reach here in March. BEST OF THE REST: Some names you’ll recognise, others you won’t, but you will be hearing a lot more from them this year. Emerging rapping talent Stylah, Chicago’s emcee in waiting Lupe Fiasco, 3+1 Poet cohort Carl Ramsey, Grime protagonists Yap and J2K, Peterborough native and C.B.C. (Country Boys Club) member with the sick country grammar Jeye Severe, graphic designer/ come gifted emceeing/ come production maestro Brother Ben, one of the underground’s most lyrically charismatic emcees Crazy Twitch and of course this year’s most talked about talent thus far Kano. There are also three emerging talents from the world of the singing soloist (who will with any luck will bring the soul back into what has been a horribly ‘Stony’ 12 months). Listen out for the sweet tones of Mpho, Eska and Sewuese. -------------------------- >> Albums of 2004: MADVILLAIN ‘MADVILLAINY’ 2004’s collaboration album of last year from Madlib and MF Doom helped restored faith in the notion that there ARE still boundaries to push in rap, and that the true spirit of hip hop, in it’s many forms and gestures, has not been stripped completely of all its heart. DE LA SOUL ‘THE GRIND DATE’ Since the start of their career Pos, Mase and Dave have always put out challenging, quality music and ‘Grind Date’ kept in the rich vain. 16 years on from the seminal ‘3 Feet High & Rising’ their return via Sanctuary saw them demonstrate that they’re as fresh as ever and could more than hold their own against the biggest names in rap, with nothing more than simple artistic integrity. MURS ‘3:16 THE 9TH EDITION’ Another collaborative coming together, this time between one of Def Jux’s most popular emcees, and one of music’s increasingly popular beat makers 9th Wonder. ‘3:16’ was without question one of 2004’s most complete albums and deserved much more attention. SKINNY MAN ‘COUNCIL ESTATE MIND’ Unlike Jin’s Ruff Ryders debut, Skinny managed to dispel the theory that freestylers have nothing to offer when it comes to the discipline of holding down an album. While connecting with the listener throughout and with the help of tracks like ‘I’ll Be Surprised’, Skinny was yet another welcome addition to the growing number of acts helping to shape a credible and stable artistic scene for others to look to and build from, across the UK and well beyond. FOREIGN EXCHANGE ‘CONNECTED’ Little Brother emcee Phonte and raising star of the Nordic production scene Nicolay, were able to combine to make one of the most spiritually honest albums to be released last year, care of London based label BBE. ‘Connected’ openly showed that life’s real everyday challenges don’t have to come with the ‘NYPD Blue’ style camera moves to give it that added sense of theatre. Life can be challenging and engaging enough without all the added ‘Last Action Hero’ drama. Music for grown folks with young hearts and the thoughtful thug. Best of The Rest: JILL SCOTT ‘BEAUTIFUL HUMAN’ TOM WAITS ‘REAL GONE’ VAN HUNT ‘VAN HUNT’