This is definitely one of the hardest reviews I’ll have to write. There are just so many factors going into this album, it becomes very difficult to listen to it and judge it on its own merits.

After years on her grind and three releases to her credit, retired chemist Cristalle Bowen captured a lot of attention in 2006. It was recorded under her alias Psalm One in 2006 for her album, The Death of the Frequent Flyer, and released on Rhymesayers. The full-length introduced the Chicago-based MC's swagger and formidable rhyming skills to a larger audience and made an invaluable contribution to the relative dearth of female artists in underground hip hop. She is working on a proper follow-up to Frequent Flyer, which Rhymesayers is expected to drop next year.

Eulorhythmics is the joint effort of Chicago artists Kenny Keys and MC Adad. I hadn’t heard either of these two before this album, but from my first listen, I was intrigued. They seemed playful and inventive, dropping some interesting beats and heavy bass. There was definitely some West Coast influence here, maybe some Pharcyde or Aceyalone. I dug the beginning of this album and wondered if I could add them to my list of new favorites for 2010.

I have to admit I was nervous about listening to an artist named “Homeboy Sandman,” but I’m glad I did. It makes me think of a mirror test my friend uses when dealing with ridiculous band names: can you look yourself in the mirror and honestly say you like an act by that name? Well, I can safely say that I like Homeboy Sandman. In fact, I’ll do you one better. I’ll tell you to listen to him.

Not too long ago, El-P stepped aside as CEO of Definitve Jux to concentrate on making music. In his first major release since that announcement, we are treated to an all instrumental mix from one of hip hop’s premier beat makers.

I never heard of Gotham Green & Quickie Mart before I listened to this release. The bad news is that I can’t find a ton of information on them. The good news is that this release made me want to learn more.

The first song I heard was “Game Change,“ which features Planet Asia, Recalling the Pharcyde, it immediately caught my attention. The song features a great laid-back West Coast vibe and playful rhymes about weed, with good wordplay. It definitely made me want to find out what these guys are all about.

Rakaa might be the most overlooked member of Dilated Peoples. DJ Babu gets attention as part of the Beat Junkies crew, and fellow emcee Evidence has a couple of solo releases. With Crown of Thorns, Rakaa looks to step out and create an identity for himself.

On the first few tracks, which are decent, it’s a bit more of the same in terms of his work with DP, but nothing really stands out. I had to listen to the album several times before it started to sink in and I appreciated them more. Which is fine, but not the most desirable thing with a solo debut.

Tompkins certainly picked an interesting topic to cover in his first book. There isn’t a wealth of material out there on the history of the vocoder, an interesting piece of equipment if there ever was one. I was certainly on board with the subject matter, and when someone like Jeff Chang, one of my favorite critics, tells me that Tompkins is the best hip hop writer born, I certainly take notice.

Going into 2010, I knew very little of Declaime or Georgia Anne Muldrow. As July draws to a close, they are both defining the year in music for me. They put out a great album together, and Muldrow released a stellar solo album on which Declaime was featured. With this release, the journey through smart psychedelic hip hop funk continues.

First, a call to action: please watch Nirit Peled’s Say My Name. I caught the 2008 documentary during the film portion of 2009’s SXSW and it was definitely the highlight of the week. Women Make Movies are in the process of getting it out on DVD after the film completes its festival circuit. Save it to your Netflix queue. Lobby your local rental store or library to obtain a copy. Make it a priority to see it.