Artist: Mos Def/Medina GreenTitle: U Know The Flex, Vol. 1Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Boudreaux The Love Child Everyone is proud of their hometown but Brooklyn, NY citizens are especially fanatical about reppin’ their habitat. That devotion is evident throughout U Know The Flex Mixtape Vol. 1. Presented by the Mighty Mos Def and Illson […]

Artist: Wu-Tang ClanTitle: Legend of the Wu-Tang: Wu-Tang Clan’s Greatest HitsRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Jason Newman Given the uneven career of Wu-Tang Clan, ranging from undeniable classics like Enter The Wu-Tang 36 Chambers to weak (at best) efforts like Iron Flag, compiling a greatest hits package is bound to present some problems for its creators. […]

Artist: Special EdTitle: Still Got It MadeRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Martin A. Berrios Do the math yourself, few songs are able to capture the true essence of our culture and at the same time be hot enough to be considered a classic. Before the bling and the stuntin’, Special Ed pulled this off in […]

Artist: Wyclef JeanTitle: Sak Pasé Presents: Welcome to Haiti Creole 101Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Jacob Mustafa America is a melting pot; at least, that’s what the cliché says. American art, especially music, is an excellent example of how cultures are blended and meshed in this nation. While Hip-Hop was an explicitly New York experience at […]

Artist: WildchildTitle: The Jackal EPRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Matt Barone The name Wildchild most likely won’t strike chords within the minds of casual Hip-Hop listeners, but those who follow California’s underground scene should already be aware of his energetic microphone attacks. Polishing his skills as a member of the Lootpack, Wildchild has ignited tracks […]

Artist: Shape ShiftersTitle: The Shapeshifters Was HereRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman The ShapeShifters are an odd bunch. This pack of LA MCs/beatmakers/graffiti writers can be as goofy as they come in Hip-Hop. Despite their sometimes-cartoonish demeanor, these Angelenos are capable of making some serious music without taking themselves too seriously. And often coming […]

Artist: Royce 5’9″Title: M.I.C. Official Mixtape Vol. 2Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Bill Low-Key Heinzelman You can’t keep a good emcee down for long and Royce 5’9 is proof of that. The man once destined to take over Detroit’s throne has been hard at work this year, dropping his sophomore release Death Is Certain, and […]

Artist: DJ Nikoless SkratchTitle: This Is Where You Got It From: Theories of Origin 3Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman DJ’s may never return to being the focal point of Hip-Hop, despite being the forefathers of the culture. But thanks in part to Hip-Hop historian DJ Nikoless Skratch, their immeasurable contributions throughout history will not […]

Artist: Q-UniqueTitle: Vengeance is MineRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman “I’ve played the background for too long,” aptly raps Q-Unique on his long-overdue solo debut, Vengeance Is Mine (Uncle Howie). While Q has gained fame across the globe as an MC/producer for the Arsonists and as a b-boy for the Rock Steady Crew, he […]

Artist: Urban Thermo DynamicsTitle: Manifest DestinyRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Paine Just as Mos Def drops his long awaited sophomore album, some of his unreleased work surfaces. In New York’s indie scene Mos Def, his brother DCQ, who went on to from Medina Green, and female emcee Ces were a heavy presence in Brooklyn ciphers and […]

Artist: ShawnnaTitle: Worth Tha WeightRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Bill Low-Key Heinzelman Sex sells and skills do not. That has been the case for most female emcees over the years. Artists such as The Lady Of Rage, Rah Digga and Bahamadia have found that out the hard way. DTP’s first and only female emcee, Shawnna, tries […]

Artist: The Isley BrothersTitle: Taken to the Next PhaseRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jesse Fairfax The Isley Brothers have marked their territory upon the collective conscience of funk and soul lovers for decades. With a strong reputation, only slightly tarnished by R. Kelly’s attempt to carry them into this generation, their work remains inspiration for […]

Artist: Mos DefTitle: The New DangerRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jason Newman Since his 1999 debut Black on Both Sides, Mos Def has become hip-hop’s Renaissance Man, acting in movies and on Broadway, fronting both a hard rock band and jazz ensemble, hosting poetry slams and, oh yeah, finding time to rap as well. For […]

Artist: Ali Shaheed MuhammadTitle: Shaheedullah and StereotypesRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jozen Cummings If there were anymore proof that Hip-Hop needs to get A Tribe Called Quest back together, then look no further than Ali Shaheed Muhammad’s solo debut, Shaheedullah and Stereotypes. The former DJ for Tribe and R&B super group Lucy Pearl has finally […]

Artist: De La SoulTitle: The Grind DateRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Orisanmi Burton “We are the past, We are the present, We are the future”. As the opening mantra of De La Soul’s latest album suggests, group members Posdnuos, Dave (Trugoy) and Maceo have conjured up another batch of those “true-school” beats and rhymes with […]

Artist: FederationTitle: Federation – The AlbumRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Jozen Cummings Bay Area producer Rick Rock has laced some of the finest rappers in the game with his head-nodding production. From Jay-Z to Snoop Dogg, Rock’s mix of southern crunk and West Coast funk has given Top 40 rappers a reason to still be loved […]

Artist: Oh NoTitle: The DisruptRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Kenny Rodriguez Music runs in Oh No’s veins. With an R&B vocalist for a father, a former Dizzy Gillespie trumpeter for an uncle, and Madlib the Beat Conductor as an older brother – the Oxnard, CA artist was pretty much predestined to be a musician. But along […]

Artist: Jedi Mind TrickTitle: Legacy of BloodRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Matt Barone True unabashed, hardcore rap music comes few and far between these days. While many acts such as The Lox and Mobb Deep keep their minds firmly planted in street grime, they occasionally dabble in commercial acceptance on their singles. This isn’t completely […]

Artist: Scram JonesTitle: Loose CannonsRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman The title of Scram Jones’ new mixtape, Loose Cannons (Sure Shot), is fitting as it features plenty of NYC’s hardest MCs letting off lyrical shots at random. Everyone from Saigon to Sean Price was summoned to participate. And producer/ DJ/ MC Scram laces each […]

Artist: Jean GraeTitle: This WeekRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Shawn Lawrence James The portrait of a female MC. Circa 1988, the bourgeoning genre of Hip-Hop presented a blank canvas of soul and decided to let nature take its course. The initial draft was sketched with brilliant shades of social-conscious vibes (Queen Latifah’s “U.N.I.T.Y”) outlined by a […]