Skillz: Design Of A Decade Volume 1(Mixtape)
Covering a decade of music certainly has a heavy weight latched behind it. The Hip-Hop golden era of the nineties may have the heaviest weight behind it. Virginia MC Veteran Skillz certainly has the chops to handle it, as he sports a career that has spanned both on and off the mic as a […]

Yung Berg: Yung Boss Or Die Vol 1 (Mixtape)
Coming off the success of hit single “Sexy Can I,” Yung Berg is out to prove he’s not just another Top-40 popstar who will just fade away come the next summer anthem. His latest mixtape Yung Boss or Die Vol. 1 teams Berg up with the likes of Lil Wayne, Cap One, Sean […]

Bun B: II Trill
The Underground Kings, better known as UGK, have been a staple in southern Rap music since their inception in the early 90s. Group members Bun B and Pimp C have paved the way for many southern MCs to plant their seeds in Hip-Hop. In 2002 a halt in the groups recording career led […]

Dizzee Rascal: Maths + English
Dizzee Rascal (nee Dylan Mills) is a name that most music fans on this side of the Atlantic may not immediately recognize. Dizzee burst onto the U.K. scene in 2003 with his debut album Boy In Da Corner; which was a head-spinning collection of post-apocalyptic Dance and Hip-Hop tunes that married Dizzees cockney-inflected […]

Foxy Brown: Brooklyn’s Don Diva
Any publicity is good publicity could be the moniker that suits Foxy Browns career. She has always found herself mired in controversy, and one could make a laundry list of all the altercations involving the Ill Nana. From her beginnings when she allegedly spit on hotel workers for not providing an iron, her times […]

Kidz In The Hall: The In Crowd
Its well known the sophomore album is the make or break point for many artists. Kidz In The Hall have managed to stay relevant since their 2006 debut album, School Was My Hustle. The University of Pennsylvania alums are back with their second project The In Crowd (Duckdown); which picks up where the last […]

BOOK REVIEW: Sentences: The Life of M.F. Grimm
In Sentences: The Life of M.F. Grimm (Vertigo), the world of graphic novels and Hip-Hop collide, resulting in a kinetic autobiography of one of the most cryptic MCs in the rap game. Illustrated by artist Ronald Wimberly, the comic book covers M.F. Grimms rancorous life as a hostile snot nose and hardened gun toter, before […]

Tyga: No Introduction (Mixtape)
Tygas flow is almost identical to that of Lil Wayne. However, his animated adolescent sound gives him a Pop / Rock vibe that sets the two MCs apart. This Compton native and relative to Gym Class Heroes front man, Travis, linked up with Lil Wayne during MTVs VMAs and soon after found himself being […]

9th Wonder & Buckshot: The Formula
It is quite rare when two artists get together and can come up with a product that is more than serviceable, but worth listening. Buckshot and 9th Wonder smashed that when they came together for 2005s Chemistry. Three years later, 9th is out Little Brother and is still the accomplished beatsmith and Duck […]

Fabolous Brings It Back To New York
It was a night made for New York this past Wednesday night at the Blender Theater (4/30). Scheduled to hit the stage was none other than the F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S along with some special guests as well as opening act the Metermaids. In the moderately spacious Blender Theater, which is reminiscent to a college classroom with […]

ALBUM PREVIEW: Busta Rhyme’s I’m Blessed
As all the invited guests got settled in the confines of Platinum Sounds Studio, it is hard not to notice a strange vibe in the air. With a sound bite of Busta Rhymes spazzing out on some journalists recently circulating around the internet, it is no surprise the majority of the attendees seem careful of […]

The Roots: Rising Down
If youre still not a Roots fan, whats the hold up? Rocking since their 1993 Organix debut up until now their tenth proper go around, Rising Down (Def Jam), the Philadelphia Rap band have scored a legion of devotees. Like Shawty Lo dey know, as in their fans, what to expect from a new […]

Felicia Pride: Message in the Music
Author Felicia Pride expresses her love of Hip Hop in The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip Hops Greatest Songs. What would be the soundtrack to your life? What songs would express your love, your fear, your excitement? What are the songs that get you through your heartache and the ones that just get you […]

Little Vic: Each Dawn I Die
A good way to get your feet wet is by working the mixtape circuit, which is what Long Island native Little Vic has done before releasing his EP Each Dawn I Die (Orena Records). Considering this is a first release for the artist, the album features an all-star line up from Kool G. Rap […]

Class of ’88: Strictly Business
In 1988 it seemed like Hip-Hop could do no wrong. Rap flourished tremendously with a steady stream of flawless material. Releases from Eric B. & Rakim, Public Enemy, and Big Daddy Kane just to name a few would forever shape how our culture talked, walked, sounded, and was accepted in the mainstream. It surely […]

Young Jeezy: The Mixtape Monster
After some time off, Young Jeezy lets the streets know he is back with his newest mixtape offering The Mixtape Monster (CTE). He comes out instantly swinging with Mariah Careys Side Effects. His verse on the mid-tempo is additional proof that any MC and Snowman collaboration is worth a listen. The whole […]

Westurn Union: House Shoe Musik Vol.1
Tell any member of Westurn Union (Soopafly, Demani, and Bad Lucc) that West Coast Hip-Hop is dead, and youll be lucky to walk away with all your teeth intact. And with that fierce regional loyalty, the trio seeks on their debut House Shoe Musik Vol. 1 not to bring the West back, but to […]

Nicki Minaj: Sucka Free (Mixtape)
The first lady of Lil Waynes Young Money Records Nicki Minaj has her eyes set on being the newest face in the always steamy pot of female MCs. Initially putting her work in the streets with various mixtapes, a key DVD magazine appearance would lead her to meeting Weezy in the flesh. She makes […]

Prodigy: H.N.I.C. Part 2
In the mid nineties, P came out with guns blazing alongside Havoc. His persona was like a shank sharpened on the concrete and had the bars to match. Going past the new millennium it seemed Mobb Deep werent holding the same weight they previously did with their last couple of albums all getting lukewarm responses. […]

Lil Wayne: The Drought Is Over (Grand Closing)
Everything must come to an end and all things must conclude. Lil Waynes popular mixtape series, The Drought, is no exception to that. The fifth and final mixtape in the series The Drought Is Over (Grand Closing) however doesnt end the series on a bang, but more of a soft whimper. The main suspects […]