Hip-hop is a democratic art form. With some simple recording equipment, or even just a computer, any kid in the world can make a hip-hop song. And kids are doing just that.

The most compelling CD of 2005: "Arular" by M.I.A. (XL). The London-bred Sri Lankan creates a bizarre, exciting album that meshes everything the world knows about hip-hop. Her singsong delivery is heavily influenced by Jamaican dancehall rap, and her beats come from hip-hop hybrids all over the world, from Brazil to India.

This year, a Brazilian style known as "favela funk" began to reach our shores on compilation CDs, and it sounds suspiciously like the Miami hip-hop known as "booty bass." Reggaeton, the hybrid of hip-hop, Caribbean and Latin music, made an impact. The U.K. grime scene, bubbling under the surface for years, is about to unleash an army of rappers onto our shores.

And "The Mouse and the Mask" (Epitaph) blended the creative juices of DJ Danger Mouse and rapper MF Doom, with the inspiration of the Cartoon Network.

New York's 50 Cent still produces megahits. And the Big Apple has talent, such as Cam'ron's Diplomats crew. But the city seems devoid of fresh ideas.

The genre is shifting South, a region that's experiencing an artistic renaissance, with rappers from large, diverse scenes in Atlanta and Houston dominating the charts. This was Houston's big year, with blockbuster albums by Mike Jones, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall and Slim Thug.

In the past two years, Atlanta rappers and producers have popularized a dance music called crunk with bleeping synthesizers, buoyant bass and loud call-and-response chants.

This year, Southern rappers started whispering, apparently just to try something new. Atlanta's Ying Yang Twins and Mississippi's David Banner both had huge hits with bawdy raps performed in hisses and coos.

Rap fans were obviously looking for something different this year. Mike Jones' "Who Is Mike Jones?" debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts in April. Paul Wall's "People's Champ" shot straight to No. 1 five months later, displacing Kanye West from the top spot.

New York has been challenged before. West Coast gangsta rap was the hottest thing going in the early '90s, but only one California rapper, the Game, dented the charts this year. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg still make hits, but they no longer pretend to represent a particular region.

The next big sound could come from anywhere.