Artist: Lil’ KimTitle: The Naked TruthRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Starrene Rhett Hell hath no fury like Lil’ Kim scorned. The Queen Bee is back with her fourth LP The Naked Truth (Queen Bee/Atlantic). Irreverent and unapologetic, she has a stinger more like a hornet’s. In the midst of the usual “baddest b*tch,” “f**k the haters,” […]

Artist: Omega OneTitle: The Lo-Fi ChroniclesRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Jason Newman You may not know the name Omega One but if you’ve been following underground or alternative Hip-Hop for a minute, chances are you’ve heard at least one of his beats. The longtime DJ/producer, who has worked with such veterans as Aesop Rock, I Self […]

Artist: A-PinksTitle: 10 Rap Commandments (Mixtape)Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Angus Crawford After the success of 50 Cent it has become characteristic for most rappers to build a street buzz with freestyle mixtapes. Hailing from Queens and a former student at Howard University, A-Pinks does not differentiate from the norm on his freestyle mixtape, P-Cutta Presents: […]

Artist: Kev BrownTitle: I Do What I DoRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Mark Cilantro My editor always gives me these types of records to review. Artists from what I like to call the neo-Native Tongue genre. Little Brother, Common, Kweli, and the like. Why? Because I am the target audience for records just like Kev Brown’s […]

Artist: DJ Muggs vs. GZA/GeniusTitle: GrandmastersRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine Though it’s been nearly a decade since The Soul Assasins dropped as a testament to coastal Hip-Hop unity, the bonds forged still remain. Like Alchemist’s learned role in Mobb Deep, DJ Muggs maintained strengthened associations with acts in the East. Ever in search of […]

Artist: TragedyTitle: Thug MatrixRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Kye Stephenson From his early years as part of the legendary Juice Crew, to his influence and guidance in the careers of such notable emcees as Capone-N-Noreaga and Mobb Deep, Tragedy Khadafi has left an indelible mark on Hip-Hop history. But in recent years—though not entirely removed […]

Artist: DANGERDOOMTitle: The Mouse & The MaskRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Jason Newman As the popularity of both producer Danger Mouse and rapper/producer MF Doom has exploded over the past 18 months, it seems only natural that two of the most inventive and creative artists in Hip-Hop should combine their talents on one record. With The […]

Artist: Three 6 MafiaTitle: Most Known UnknownRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Anthony “Lil Koop” Carr **Reviewer’s note: Not only raised in Memphis, but a fan of Three 6 Mafia since 1991 when they were known as the Backyard Posse. Three 6 Mafia may not be a household name to the passing rap fan, but the […]

Artist: The P$CTitle: 25 to LifeRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Brent Woodie In a thriving rap game where it is now ever so popular to have your own clothing line, act in a movie, and have your label, it is inevitable that a platinum artist sign the rest of his click to a recording contract. In […]

Artist: CunninLynguistsTitle: A Piece of StrangeRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine Before Little Brother was all the rage, the Cunninlynguists held down the South with their own brand of soulful production and humble-minded lyrics. Kno and Deacon have seen both of their previous albums go into second-pressings, as they plow onward after a two year […]

Artist: Paul WallTitle: The People’s ChampRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jessica Dufresne What it do? The champ is officially here with his long-awaited debut, and he shows why you need to believe the hype. Paul Wall has been on the grind for years and while heads below the Mason-Dixon always knew about this Swisha House […]

Artist: ShihanTitle: The PoetRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine Rapping as we know it, owes a lot of gratitude to The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron’s work in the early 1970’s. Most street-poets today fancy themselves as rappers. However, Shihan, a former rap signee to MCA Records, now brings his talents to the medium of spoken-word […]

Artist: Various ArtistsTitle: NBA 2K6: The TracksRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman Hip-Hop has become the sonic backbone for countless video games today—more so than any other form of music. As developers often began utilizing virtual urban backdrops for their games a few years back, they also began looking to Hip-Hop to help compliment […]

Artist: SkillzTitle: Confessions of a GhostwriterRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jay Peregrine Year after year, Skillz fans have been waiting for him to deliver that classic record that most of us know he is capable of. Every once in a while he teases his fans by releasing a song, usually right around new years time, […]

Artist: Young BleedTitle: Rise Thru Da RanksRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Anthony “Lil Koop” Carr Imagine being on the roster of one of the hottest labels to emerge from the South. Imagine being on that same label and helping to create one of the hottest singles its released. Now imagine you drop your album, receive […]

Artist: The GameTitle: Untold Story, Volume IIRating: 2 StarsReviewed by: Jay Peregrine If The Game is rap’s self proclaimed MVP for 2005, Then JT The Bigga Figga could be a candidate for raps 2005 Executive of the Year. Every couple of months JT puts out some old Game material that apparently, he has the rights […]

Artist: Edgar Allen FloeTitle: True LinksRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Starrene Rhett The latest member of the Justus League to pick up the mic and ward off wack-lyrical-evil-doers everywhere is Edgar Allen Floe, with his True Links EP (MCEO). There are no R&B choruses and no repetitious chanting of oafish lyrics screamed over the beat […]

Artist: David BannerTitle: CertifiedRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Danielle Cabell If David Banner ain’t got nothing, President Bush really does care about black people–we co-sign these truths to be self-evident, that, in a time when truth needs to be rescued (not recovered), David Banner self-signs and delivers it, Certified (Universal/SRC), in 17 honest tracks from what, […]

Artist: Dayton FamilyTitle: Family FeudRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Anthony “Lil Koop” Carr Before Eminem and D12 became staple names for the Michigan Hip-Hop/rap region, it was the underground names of MC Breed, Esham, Top Authority and The Dayton Family that were mentioned. And for hardcore rap fans, The Dayton Family stood out amongst the others. […]

Artist: Little BrotherTitle: The Minstrel ShowRating: 5 StarsReviewed by: Martin A. Berrios Up until recently, the sky blue Tarheel colors and Petey Pablo seemed to be the only reasons Hip-Hop checked for North Carolina. Three man outfit Little Brother changed that limited outlook with the release of their masterful debut The Listening. 9th Wonder’s simple […]