Artist: DJ ScrewTitle: Soldiers United for Cash (DVD)Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine With the attention Houston has gotten the last year and a half, DJ Screw deserves the lion’s share of the credit. It was his vision that took Southern/Bounce, and gave it a screwed-up twist. Unfortunately, Screw isn’t here to see the fruits of […]

Artist: Daz DillingerTitle: Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LPRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Bill “Low-Key” Heinzelman Even gangstas need love and Daz Dillinger is no different. While he has constructed some of the West Coast’s biggest records over the years, Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LP (Gangsta Advisory) finds Daz moving in a different direction. Surprisingly, the album […]

Artist: Tone DeffTitle: ArchetypeRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine In a rare move of Hip-hop selflessness, Tonedeff has put others before himself. Besides a short-run, but much talked about debut EP, Underscore, Tonedeff has lived off of 12”s and released his friend’s music first on his QN5 label. Still, from his guest shots, the battles, […]

Artist: Various ArtistsTitle: Run The RoadRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Tika Milan As Hip-hop continues on its conquest of the planet, there is a common denominator that unites Hip-hop heads the world over: the need for our art to illustrate the truth. Never mind the imagery of too polite British chaps, or ultra-cool London hipsters, the […]

Artist: Nottz/DMPTitle: Nottz Presents DMP: The Teamsta MixtapeRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Chris Yuscavage It must be the Virginia water. With producers like the Neptunes and Timbaland already having bolstered solid Hip-hop careers off the strength of their work with the likes of Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg, it would seem as though the Virginia quota for […]

Artist: Will SmithTitle: Lost and FoundRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Houston Williams Will Smith is madly in love with Hip-Hop. This is the only justifiable reason why Philly’s first prince of rap would even bother making another rap album. When you are a $20 million-per-film sort of movie star, who needs to rap? However, when […]

Artist: Vast Aire & DJ Mighty MiTitle: The Best Damn Rap ShowRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Maurice Downes Not quite the same feel as a full-fledged album, but not another g-dd@mn mixtape (can we move onto the next forgettable trend in Hip-hop already?) The Best Damn Rap Show (Eastern Conference) occupies a sort of strange […]

Artist: SplashTitle: The Ripple EffectRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Bill “Low Key” Heinzelman Credit is given to Petey Pablo for the introducing North Carolina Hip-hop to the mainstream, but it was Little Brother who broke down the door for the underground. Now the floodgates are open and more Carolina Hip-hop acts are reaping the benefits. […]

Artist: GameTitle: West Coast ResurrectionRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine JT The Bigga Figga has been making albums for over ten years and is one of the Bay Area’s biggest and most accessible stars. But somehow, he made his biggest dent recently releasing Untold Story, an album of pre-Aftermath material from The Game. The album spent […]

Artist: Airborn AudioTitle: Good FortuneRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman It’s been a few years since the forward-thinking trio Anti-Pop Consortium split, but until now, the critically-acclaimed Beans is the only former member who has successfully arisen from the group’s ashes. On Good Fortune (Ninja Tune) Anti-Pop’s other ex-reps, M Sayyid and High Priest, […]

Artist: IlwilTitle: The Beat Thieves Compilation Vol. 1Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jesse Fairfax Ilwil [not to be confused with Nas’ deceased partner in crime] hailing from Cincinnati, is reflective of what partnership and a determined work ethic can bring about. Taking the name from its members Ilyas and Donwill, the two started off in […]

Artist: Earatik StatikTitle: Feelin’ EaratikRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman In Chicago, Earatik Statik is considered to be a trio of Hip-hop vets. Sure, it’s taken them quite a few years to get an album on the shelves, but their official debut, Feelin’ Earatik (Gravel), is a testament to the dues they’ve paid along the […]

Artist: Beanie SigelTitle: The B. ComingRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Matt Barone Not many MCs can introspect as poignantly as Beanie Sigel. Treating his albums like free-flowing journals, Sigel clearly pulls no punches in the booth. On The B. Coming (Dash Music/Def Jam) Beanie Mack removes the inner filter completely, bringing listeners so deep into […]

Artist: Count Bass DTitle: BegborrowsteelRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jesse Fairfax Count Bass D is a force to be reckoned with as many can boast sharing the MC/producer title, but how many can play a variety of instruments? Dwight Farrell out of Nashville has been quietly making his mark for over a decade now. Usual […]

Artist: HezekiahTitle: Hurry Up & Wait…Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine Delaware stands just miles south of Philadelphia, watching, studying. Despite being a state known for its small size, Delaware has a lot to say, prove. Hip-hop has yet to give Delaware its chance to voice it, after years of loyal support from the Dupont State. […]

Artist: Purple CityTitle: Road to RichesRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Matt Barone Any street-corner vendor will tell you; the appeal of a mixtape rarely stretches beyond a week or so. While some do offer lasting excitement, the majority of DJ-orchestrated compilations hold attention just long enough for a “Part 2” to inspire a $5 bill release. […]

Artist: DJ SeriousTitle: Cold TeaRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine On Kanye West’s most recent tour, listeners are treated to a DJ set from Montreal’s DJ Serious. Although you might not recognize him immediately, Serious has been putting in work quietly on Canibus’ Mic Club and Masta Ace’s Long Hot Summer albums. His first LP received […]

Artist: Likwit JunkiesTitle: The L.J.’sRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman Likwit crew member Defari and DJ Babu of the Dilated Peoples and the Beat Junkies are like cousins in L.A.’s massive Hip-hop family, but on The L.J.’s (ABB) they sound like inseparable brothers. Going by the Likwit Junkies, these two have an amount of […]

Artist: Clinton SparksTitle: Maybe You Been BrainwashedRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Bill “Low-Key” Heinzelman Clinton Sparks has made a name for himself by out-working the competition. Last year, the Boston native became the first DJ to have a weekly live radio show on three different stations in three different states. Not to mention his work […]

Artist: EdanTitle: Beauty And The BeatRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jesse Fairfax Edan may be Hip-hop’s proverbial best kept secret. Having attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston and coming up in the same ranks as underground stars like Mr. Lif and Akrobatik, his 2002 debut Primitive Plus boasted mastery of the MCing, DJing, […]