Artist: The RootsTitle: Game TheoryRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jayson Rodriguez Something’s got to give. Since 1999’s Things Fall Apart, The Roots have tried to balance an extremely tight rope between underground supremacy and commercial viability. But the Philly collective has either veered too far to the left with their sound (the rock-ish hum of […]

Artist: OutKastTitle: IdlewildRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Robert Longfellow Despite what its artwork may say, Idlewild (LaFace/Zomba) damn sure ain’t no OutKast album. And therein lies the rub, though you should have seen it coming. Hip-Hop’s greatest two man collective’s bi-polar affair that was their ultra-successful Speakerboxxx/The Love Below album was supposed to be an […]

Artist: Concert ReviewTitle: Esthero @ Hiro Ballroom (Concert)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Kathy Iandoli Esthero possesses this unspoken magic that radiates from her groundbreaking albums to her live sets. The buzz from her previous tour resonated with pleas for an unplugged go ’round. Armed with two acoustic guitars, one mic, a Pekingese (Oboe), and umpteen Jaeger […]

Artist: Movie ReviewTitle: Idlewild (Film)Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Oyama Caviness “The A’s” dynamic duo strikes again. This time not in record sales, but with their big screen debut Idlewild (Universal Pictures). With the help writer and director Bryan Barner, once again Outkast takes you on a magical ride, this time to Idlewild, GA where […]

Artist: Kenn StarrTitle: Starr StatusRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Andrew Kameka The Maryland/D.C. metro uh-rea has produced few major Hip-Hop artists. B. Rich repped hard for MD with “Whoa Now”, but not even a Jeffersons sample could move the state on up to the top of the music industry. Kenn Starr is determined to change […]

Artist: AgallahTitle: You Already KnowRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Kathy Iandoli Fans of Purple City’s Agallah will be pleasantly surprised by his long awaited release You Already Know (Babygrande). The Brooklyn native crafts an LP that combines the basic elements of the grimy NY underground mixed with the essentials of a commercially viable Hip-Hop record. […]

Artist: Public EnemyTitle: Manchester UK Live (DVD)Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Bill Zimmerman From Flavor Flav’s wild outfits and crazy antics, to the S1Ws synchronized marches and fake machine guns, Public Enemy was always a group that took pride in delivering a quality stage show. During Manchester UK Live, filmed Oct. 26, 2003, the crew was […]

Artist: OddiseeTitle: Instrumental Mixtape Vol. 2Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Sidik Fofana Look yonder across this new world as youngsters are bumping the sweet noise pollution. If Kodak was a time machine, one would picture a brother like Oddisee fifty years ago with a trumpet in his grasp, outshining ni**as off the bandstand with complex […]

Artist: DefariTitle: Street MusicRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jessica Dufresne West Coast vet and Likwit emcee Defari comes full circle with a back-to-basics return to the level his fans have been asking for since his debut, Focused Daily. Street Music (ABB Records) is just what the title says, tailor-made not only for Cali blocks but […]

Artist: Movie ReviewTitle: Snakes On A Plane (Film)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Edwardo Jackson Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips) witnesses the murder of a federal prosecutor at the hands of nefarious gangster Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson). FBI agent Neville Flynn (Samuel Jackson) convinces Sean to testify against Eddie in Los Angeles while under federal protection. On the […]

Artist: Book ReviewTitle: Notorious C.O.P. (Book)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Sidik Fofana When the NYPD decides that it’s going place heavy surveillance on a culture of black musicians, to say that an explanation is warranted is a ripe understatement. With the almighty dollar as a wonderful lubricant, retired NYPD detective Derrick Parker teams up with journalist […]

Artist: Concert ReviewTitle: Black August Benefit (Concert)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Robert Longfellow Who says conscious rappers can’t get down? This year’s 9th Annual Black August Hip-Hop Benefit Concert was held on Sunday, August 13 at New York City’s BB Kings in Times Square. The sold out show proved to be equally entertaining as enlightening. Hosted […]

Artist: Rico PabonTitle: Louder Than FictionRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Matt Caputo With Louder Than Fiction (Hard Knock), Rico Pabon’s latest release, the Puerto Rican rapper finds the middle ground between raggaeton and pure Hip-Hop. Born to a family of Salsa musicians in Queens, N.Y., Pabon had stops in The Bronx and Boston before settling down […]

Artist: The Roots/J. PeriodTitle: The Best Of The RootsRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Jessica Dufresne There is arguably no stronger marriage than this: the most dependable group in Hip-Hop and the most dependable mixtape DJ. When they come together, the result is J. Period’s The Best of The Roots (Hosted by Black Thought)—a thumping collection of […]

Artist: Rick RossTitle: Port Of MiamiRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Jamiyl “J Boogie” Samuels Rick Ross was already big in Miami before he signed the dotted line of his Slip N’ Slide/Def Jam record deal. Being co-signed by President Carter was the culmination of years of hustle, as conveyed on his smash debut single “Hustlin’”. The […]

Artist: J-ZoneTitle: To Love A H#####Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine While many folks in the ’06 are in love with strippers, J-Zone’s affection goes to the ladies of the avenue. After producing for Akinyele, Cage, and R.A. the Rugged Man, the Queens gangsta rap aficionado crafted an interlude and instrumental tribute to the h##### […]

Artist: Darc MindTitle: Symptomatic Of A Greater IllRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Jason Newman In a discussion of hip-hop’s “lost classics”, where albums like INI’s Center of Attention and J-Live’s The Best Part occupy a small, but influential, sector of Hip-Hop, Anticon Records thankfully adds another to the canon. Darc Mind’s Symptomatic of a Greater Ill […]

Artist: Masta KillaTitle: Made In BrooklynRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Alejandro Mojado You may recall Masta Killa’s introduction on the Wu-Tang Clan’s 1993 debut Enter the 36 Chambers. His verse on “Da Mystery of Chessboxin” will go down in history as one of his greatest and as an original member of the W, Masta Killa […]

Artist: Cut ChemistTitle: The Audience’s ListeningRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Jessica Dufresne There’s no clear way to categorize Cut Chemist or his album. DJ and producer for Jurassic 5, DJ at various L.A. venues, turntabalist for Latin band Ozomatli, and of course vinyl collector, this man has spent nearly 20 years busy doing everything but his […]

Artist: DMXTitle: Year Of The Dog, AgainRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Eb Haynes There is only one word to describe DMX; raw. As a rapper, actor or the man Earl Simmons, the gritty and passionate delivery felt in all his music, seven albums, is birth from the streets. Year of the Dog, Again (Ruff Ryders/Columbia) […]