In general, 2000 was a pretty good year for rap records. Unfortunately, most of the hype surrounded Eminem. Although I'm a big fan of Slim, there is no doubt in my mind that Outkast had the strongest hip hop effort of the year with the high octane Stankonia.

Stakonia is raw and brimming with energy. It also features a number of slick guest spots including; Erykah Badu, B-Real and members of Goodie Mob. Big Boi and his crew have fashioned a masterful album full of funky beats and free flowing rhymes. These guys are at the top of the list in hip hop and I can't wait to hear what they do next. Incidentally, if youÕre an Outkast fan, you can check them out live. They're playing Salt Lake City and Las Vegas at the end of March with equally entertaining opening act Ludacris.