text: Album of the Year (tie)
  Shad – TSOL (Black Box Recordings)
  Theory Hazit and Toni Shift – Modern Marvels (Illect Recordings)
  Shad – TSOL
  Shad had the daunting task of following up his break though album The Old Prince with a new plate of music for the masses. The emcee kept shinning with his new offering TSOL. With a variety of production from a wide range of producers Shad showed us again that he can spit with meaning on any style of beat. When an artist releases an album you tend to learn about them as a person and how they feel about many aspects of life. A good album will have you walk away better than when you started. This was accomplished on TSOL as we were welcomed back into Shad’s world to explore, women in rap, relationships, metaphors and even the meaning of his name. Shad made his way onto many year end lists in 2010 and it only makes sense that TSOL is at the top of ours.
  Theory Hazit and Toni Shift – Modern Marvels
  Simply put Theory Hazit is on a whole other level right now and has been since he stepped into the game with Extra Credit. Modern Marvels is done with producer Toni Shift who brings a sound that we haven’t heard in CHH yet. Combine that with the clever and versatile lyricism from Theory Hazit and the guests he brings had this album rotating on Zune for months (in fact I listened to it just before I came to the class that I’m writing this in now). This has me convinced that Theory will be one of the best to ever touch the mic in our genre let alone in hip-hop. I’m on edge to see what the Scribbling Idiots emcee has for us next!
  Full coverage of the 2010 Awards
  View all finalists and winners for the 2010 Sphere of Hip-Hop Awards