Artist: J DillaTitle: Ruff DraftRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Alex Thornton A musician’s death will inevitably cause debate over their unreleased work. The often incomplete music no longer has the artist to guide its exposure to the public, leaving record labels in the difficult position of faithfully carrying on the artist’s legacy while still releasing something […]

Artist: Black MilkTitle: Popular DemandRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jessica Dufresne While most of the spotlight shines on the next big thing from the South, the East and the West, the Midwest has always quietly but consistently cranked out its share of potential stars. Next up, reppin’ the Motor City, is Black Milk with Popular […]

Artist: Rob SwiftTitle: As The Tables Turn (DVD)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Paine Along with DJ Q-Bert, Rob Swift is the face and hands of turntablism. The Jackson Heights, Queens native has evolved from Akinyele’s DJ to the spokesman of the X-Ecutioners to a true advocate of the turntable’s capability as a musical instrument. As the […]

Artist: ConsequenceTitle: Don’t Quit Your Day JobRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Aqua Consequence rhymes better than Kanye West. But we all know actual lyrical talent is only one aspect of rap success. On his very late debut, Don’t Quit Your Day Job (G.O.O.D./Columbia), the former A Tribe Called Quest affiliate asserts he indeed has a […]

Artist: Boss Hogg OutlawzTitle: Serve & CollectRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Alex Thornton Taking a break from his solo career on Star Trak/Geffen, Houston’s Slim Thug has reunited with his Boss Hogg Outlawz crew for Serve & Collect (Koch). A major label artist quietly releasing a group project might make some expect a glorified mixtape, but […]

Artist: DVD ReviewTitle: Game: Chronicles Of The Street (DVD)Rating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Maiya Norton Any documentary starring “hustlers, ballers and gangsters” sprinkled with a cameo from Pimpin’ Ken and Big Slick has the potential to be really fly or flop. The Shoot II Films Production, Game: Chronicles of the Street (Shoot II Films) weaves […]

Artist: Movie ReviewTitle: Black Snake Moan (Film)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Edwardo Jackson How do you follow an Oscar-nominated film about a pimp turned rapper? Why you make a film, Black Snake Moan (Paramount Classics) about a white girl chained up by a black man in the South, of course… Beyond this salacious setup-and the playfully […]

Artist: Twisted BlackTitle: Street FameRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Paine Dallas’ rap prospects looked pretty good at the end of 2006. Big Tuck signed a multi-million dollar deal with Universal while underground veteran Twisted Black caught the attention of TVT Records. Shortly thereafter, Black caught a bad one, and it appears as though Street Fame (TVT) […]

Artist: Hell RazahTitle: Renaissance ChildRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Adam Thomas What do you get when you mix an experienced street sound with a political voice? Hip-Hop’s version of the political pundit, and contrary to what the mainstream would tell you, there are many that use their music to get their thoughts out about the […]

Artist: DVD ReviewTitle: Cocaine Cowboys (DVD)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Sidik Fofana Apparently, the real Noriega owes Rick Ross a hundred favors. But while we determine whether or not the Miami rapper’s lyrics are fictitious or not, let’s direct our attention to the rap Noreaga who personally endorsed the film Cocaine Cowboys (Magnolia Enterainment) in a […]

Artist: Little Brother/Mick BoogieTitle: And Justus For AllRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Martin A. Berrios When you take into heavy consideration the great make up of Little Brother, you notice that the math just doesn’t quite add up. As the heirs to the Native Tongue dynasty, the North Carolina troop has dropped plenty of dope material […]

Artist: Jill ScottTitle: CollaborationsRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Aja In an effort to ward off zealots, the release of the compilation Collaborations (Hidden Beach) is sure to appease the hankerings of even the most passionate Jill Scott fans. As a bona fide collection of some of Jill’s most eclectic works, the trauma of having to purchase […]

Artist: Joe Buddha Presents: KlashnekoffTitle: Lionheart: Tussle with the BeastRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Anna NathansonKlashnekoff is widely regarded as one of England’s most talented lyricists, and this, his second album to date, has a long time in the making, coming three years after his debut. Originally scheduled for 2006 release, the agonising wait for UK […]

Artist: K-OsTitle: Atlantis: Hymns for DiscoRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Rodney Dugue His name is K-OS (Knowledge of Self) and he raps frighteningly well with a conscience cadence and a demagogue’s virtue. That’s all you should care to know. Really. It’s a shame everything is closeted and cost-effective; he’s fluffily content with cheap ambition because […]

Artist: Gabriel TeodrosTitle: LoveworkRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jason NewmanPerhaps the most telling line from Seattle emcee Gabriel Teodros’ Lovework (Massline) comes from “In This Together,” when he rhymes “There’s so many raps labeled as conscious out there/A label people get no matter what they share.” After a few listens all the way through, it’s […]

Artist: Concert ReviewTitle: The Roots 4th Annual Grammy Jam SessionRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Octavia Bostick The power behind a jam session comes from the adrenaline of energy poured into the instruments behind the soul force of its players; and when that force is brought forth from the Roots, it can’t help but to bear […]

Artist: Film ReviewTitle: Bastards Of The Party (Film)Rating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Slav Kandyba Rare is a documentary made by someone it is actually about–the biggest exception being celebrity sex tapes, of course. It is a whole other matter if the film is any good at all, and in fact, documentaries frequently fall short of […]

Artist: MathematicsTitle: Wu-Tang Clan & Friends: UnreleasedRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Felipe Delerme Wu-Tang Forever once spoke to the invincibility of one of the premier artist collectives in Hip-Hop, but is now little more than an album title. While there is no erasing history, outside of critical darling Ghostface, the Wu aesthetic continues to fade. […]

Artist: Clan DestinedTitle: ABBRACADAMN!!!Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Adam Thomas North Carolina has been abuzz on the underground scene for a long time. The most prominent example would be Little Brother, which dropped a indie classic in 2002’s The Listening. Now, five years later, there is a group that is trying to match that success. Known […]