LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR. FOXX

It's amazing how an artist can come full circle in a year and challenge one's preconceived notions of whom they are artistically.

The artist that has most convinced us about their artistry and authenticity in 2009 is Jamie (I never thought I'd say it) Foxx.

With the release of his recent album, Intuition (which has quickly become one of my fave '09 records) he completely blew me away and quickly let me put-a-sock-in-it for past criticisms including my very vocal ridicule of his Oscar win for the lead role in 'Ray'.

He has now surpassed further expectations with his hosting of this week's BET Awards and most importantly, his very fitting tribute to Michael Jackson.

We applaud Jamie!