Tis the season for top 10 lists, of which I'm not a fan. Scanning the alt-weeklies and major media, it's a chance to rep too-cool-for-school lists that display the usual suspects (Kanye West, 50 Cent, blah blah, ad lib to fade) up next to Coldplay and call it a day.

The burning question is...where is the Canadian representation? Why aren't Toronto-based artists holding sh*t down? Why is it that, after the polite plaudits for k-os, Kardi and K'Naan, that there seems to be no one else in the mainstream (or indie for that matter) hip hop spotlight? Why is it that, after Divine Brown and Jully Black, the R&B/Soul drop off is huge?

Cuz straight up, once you get past Gold Digger, Kanye West's latest wasn't all that. And the marketing exercise that was 50 Cent's latest sucked big time. Here's to more Toronto rappers, singers, producers, etc. up in the 2006 spotlight. But I'm not holding my breath.