Artist: DiddyTitle: Press PlayRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Sidik Fofana This one’s harder than you think. Many Hip-Hop enthusiasts see Diddy as an easy villain to blame for the commercial “setbacks” that rap music has endured over the past one and a half decades. With his latest album, Press Play (Bad Boy/Atlantic), Diddy is schooling his […]

Artist: Hi-TekTitle: Hi-Teknology 2: The ChipRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Slav Kandyba It’s hard to find fault with Hi-Tek. Whether it’s his Cincinnati upbringing that enabled him to have a unique and organic sound, his genuine love for music, or the high-caliber emcees and singers he has collaborated with over the years; Hi-Tek is one of […]

Artist: Black IceTitle: The Death Of Willie LynchRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Nadiyah R. Bradshaw Most know him from his successful stint on Russel Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam, but Philly’s own Black Ice is more than a wordsmith. The man born Lamar Manson he is also a bonafide MC, cleverly spewing artistic lyrics over Eric […]

Artist: Lake & CormegaTitle: My Brother’s KeeperRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Martin A. Berrios From MC Shan to “God’s Son” the Queensbridge, New York housing projects have been known to produce Hip-Hop royalty. Under the radar Cormega has kept the pride alive with two well-received offerings (The Realness, The True Meaning), remaining one of the […]

Artist: Consequence/Clinton SparksTitle: The Cons, Vol. 4…Finish What You Started (Mixtape)Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: KeiSaundra “K Sincere” Henderson Get familiar! The Cons, Vol. 4…Finish What You Started (MixUnit/G.O.O.D. Music) is worth more than a listen, or even more than syncing with your iPod. Kanye’s “protege” Consequence is worth marking your calendars for his major […]

Artist: Sadat XTitle: Black OctoberRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Robert Longfellow Sadat X should have known better. Caught up with a gun when the boys in blue ran up on him in late 2005, the Brand Nubian rapper is stuck with a year long jail sentence. While getting his life in order for his mandated “vacation”, […]

Artist: Swollen MembersTitle: Black MagicRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Alex Thornton Despite commercial and critical successes in Canada, Swollen Members remain firmly in the “underground” category in the United States. Even on their home field, the crew is releasing Black Magic (Battle Axe) on less than firm footing; their last album, Heavy, was received so poorly […]

Artist: DJ Kayslay/Greg StreetTitle: The Champions: North Meets SouthRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Martin A. Berrios In recent years it has become almost cliche that New York Hip-Hop is in the need of some resuscitation. Big Apple veterans that used to hold down an entire coast seem less and less relevant in the public eye. Some […]

Artist: Gang StarrTitle: Hard To Earn (CLASSIC REVIEW)Rating: 5 StarsReviewed by: Kidz In The Hall Naledge and Double O, known as Kidz in the Hall, got the memo. All you need in this life of Hip-Hop is an MC and a DJ, respectively. Meeting up while attending the University of Pennsylvania, Jabari “Naledge” Evans, by […]

Artist: Lloyd BanksTitle: Rotten AppleRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jamiyl “J Boogie” Samuels The last time Lloyd Banks released a solo album, New York Hip-Hop wasn’t in “crisis”. There were no D4L, Dem Franchise Boyz, or a “Whisper Song” carving genres of “snap rap” or “intimate club music”, respectively. No one knew who Mike Jones […]

Artist: StimulusTitle: A Kings County TaleRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Latifah Muhammad On his debut solo album, A King’s County Tale (Sugar Water), Stimulus provides us with lyrical ear candy, by impeccably telling one story after the next on this 15 track disc. The Brooklyn dwellers album opens with “The Story”, a well-written tale of […]

Artist: Zion I & The GrouchTitle: Heroes In The City Of DopeRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Kathy Iandoli The California independent Hip-Hop scene has been seriously slept on since the dawn of its inception. Whether inhaling the THC-induced sounds of the Bay Area or improving your swagger to the rugged LA street beats, Cali is […]

Artist: Wiz KhalifaTitle: Show And ProveRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine Pittsburgh’s Wiz Khalifa is finally getting well deserved nods after a sparking grassroots movement from an unheard city and without major cosigns. Since his Big Mike hosted mixtape Pittsburgh, Pistolvania at the top of the year, Wiz achieved tremendous buzz and Show and Prove […]

Artist: Concert ReviewTitle: Heineken’s Red Star Soul (Concert)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Sidik Fofana Who would have thought a Dutch brewery company could create one of the finest soul concerts of the year? We’re talking City High’s Ryan Toby and Claudette Ortiz, Raheem DeVaughn, and Raphael Saadiq. On October 2nd, Heineken blessed NYC with its stop […]

Artist: Main Flow & 7LTitle: Flow SeasonRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Bill Zimmerman His name is Main Flow and his latest album is called Flow Season, but his skills go beyond just lyrically riding a track. On the follow up to his 2004 solo debut, Hip-Hopulation, Main Flow joins with producer 7L to reiterate what […]

Artist: Robin ThickeTitle: The Evolution of Robin ThickeRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jasi B It is said that great albums never initially get their proper due, sales wise. Robin Thicke has felt that wrath with his critically acclaimed 2002 debut, A Beautiful World (Interscope), which has sold only 58,000 copies in the US to date. […]

Artist: Living LegendsTitle: Legendary Music, Vol. 1Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Matt Crawford “Legendary Music, Vol. 1” (Legendary Music) picks up where the Cali underground crew the Living Legends’ previous release Classic left off. It’s a good collection of songs, but after a couple of spins there’s not much shelf life. The album has its gems. […]

Artist: Various ArtistsTitle: Peanut Butter Wolf Presents Chrome ChildrenRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Alex Thornton In the five years since its debut on Cartoon Network, Adult Swim has not only become famous for their brand of off-beat animated programming, but has more recently earned acclaim for their string of hip-hop releases (The Mouse and the […]

Artist: OddiseeTitle: Foot In The DoorRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine Washington DC producer/MC Oddisee stays busy. In two years, he’s released several instrumental mixtapes, produced on Kenn Starr tapes, and official and unofficial remix tapes. For his lyrical talents, he consulted the legendary Jazzy Jeff to get on the CDJs to take it a […]

Artist: Buju BantonTitle: Too BadRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Metanoya Z. Webb The language is plain and simple. No hype, pop sheen, just 17 raw tracks that will undoubtedly take a 1990’s certified reggae lover down memory lane. Why is it that an ostracized, slick-talking, Rastaman veteran deejay had to usher in a wicked dancehall […]