Artist: Buckshot & 9th WonderTitle: ChemistryRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Bill “Low-Key” Heinzelman The one emcee, one producer combination has been a staple in Hip-hop since the beginning. However, as the landscape of the culture changed, record companies started to focus on gathering the hottest producers of the moment, instead of honoring the tried and […]

Artist: Wendy WilliamsTitle: Wendy Williams Brings The Heat, Vol. 1Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Dove ~Sheepish Lordess of Chaos~ There was a time when the title of a label A&R rep meant Artist & Repertoire – the person responsible for finding talent, developing it, and nurturing it to the point of stardom. Over the years, the […]

Artist: Ying Yang TwinsTitle: U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Clover Hope Whether or not their rhyme skills are up to par, the Ying Yang Twins are always up to party, providing hilarious, innovative rhymes to complement their eccentric personalities. On their senior set, U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) (ColliPark/TVT), the explicit twosome […]

Artist: Ge-ologyTitle: Ge-ology Plays Ge-ologyRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Orisanmi Burton If you’re a connoisseur of Hip-hop, chances are you’re an unwitting fan of Ge-ology aka G-YOUNG. This highly imaginative DJ, instrumentalist and visual artist is perhaps one of the culture’s best kept secrets. His foray into Hip-hop began in the late 80’s when he and […]

Artist: I Self DevineTitle: Self DestructionRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine The Micranots are often remembered for their breakthrough album a decade ago, Return of the Travellahs. If Atmosphere is the heart of the Rhymesayers crew, The Micranots are the backbone. However, the two following albums never equated to the cult success of the first. As […]

Artist: Che GrandTitle: The Final Countdown (Mixtape)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Jesse Fairfax As Hip-hop continues to age, its pool of new talent seems to get younger, with music primarily geared towards the 106 and Park audience. Che Grand repping Brooklyn by way of Virginia was a Freestyle Friday contestant himself but his music isn’t made […]

Artist: J-LiveTitle: The Hear AfterRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine J-Live has quietly remained at the top of the independent Hip-hop community. Regardless of where he’s signed or whether he releases EP’s, LP’s, or singles, J-Live’s reputation endures for his careful blend of creative concepts and soft-spoken but lethal punchlines. Over two years ago, his […]

Artist: Movie ReviewTitle: Rize (Film)Rating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Edwardo Jackson BIASES: late 20s black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare Allow me to share my secret shame: I love to dance. Salsa, merengue, hip-hop – the faster, the […]

Artist: NuJerzey Devil & DJ Skee Present…Title: You Know What It Is Vol. 3 (Mixtape)Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Conan Milne “Chuck” Taylor, aka The Game, is angry. He’s angry with his former labelmate 50 Cent and his G-Unit clique, and he’s so angry with his one-time comrades that he spends the majority of this mixtape’s […]

Artist: The CrestTitle: SkeptikRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine Hip-hop markets in places like Minneapolis or Columbus have been created by underground artists like Oddjobs or Copywrite. Because of hard work, these cities are mandatory tour stops for any talent. Wisconsin may be the next nut to be cracked. While Coo Coo Cal turned radio’s heads […]

Artist: Various ArtistsTitle: SCRATCH::All the Way Live (DVD)Rating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Isis the Alchemist The original Jazzy Jay, legendary former member of The Soulsonic Force; renowned throughout the universe for his collection of wax over 500,000 pieces strong. The X-Ecutioners, the spin-off crew (no pun intended) formed from the original X-Men founded by DJ […]

Artist: Jus AllahTitle: All Fates Have ChangedRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Bill “Low-Key” Heinzelman Fans have eagerly waited five long years for Jus Allah’s solo debut. As the unofficial third member of Jedi Mind Tricks, he played an integral role in shaping their classic underground album Violent By Design. However, soon after Jus Allah had a […]

Artist: Slug & MursTitle: Felt 2: A Tribute To Lisa BonetRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Paine After the Lucy Ford album, Slug vowed he’d never bring anybody else into the operation and call it an Atmosphere album. Slug and Ant played host to Murs several years ago with the EP, Felt: A Tribute to Christina Ricci. […]

Artist: CaponeTitle: Pain, Time & GloryRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Orisanmi Burton As one half of Capone-n-Noreaga this Queens bred rhyme-slinger and his extroverted counterpart, respectively, amassed a loyal following when they debuted with The War Report in 1997. The album quietly went gold and placed the group among the litany of rappers to immortalize the […]

Artist: Greenhouse EffectTitle: Columbus Or BustRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine With the acclaim behind Edan’s Beauty & The Beat and Kaze’s Spirit of ’94, it seems that throwback albums are quite the trend as of late. Blueprint’s 1988 was the most recent in the series of releases. But as Blueprint’s production concept impressed, his […]

Artist: Fat JoeTitle: All Or NothingRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Martin A. Berrios With over ten years in the game, Fat Joe has yet to get his just due as one of the few rappers to continuously step up his master of ceremony game. He has developed the once sophomoric delivery first heard on Represent, into […]

Artist: Boom Bap ProjectTitle: ReprogramRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Clover Hope “How many of y’all ever heard of Boom Bap Project y’all?” a hypeman screams before an imagined live audience. After this intro inquiry, Destro proceeds to deliver a few bars in case you haven’t heard yet. The Seattle-based Boom Bap crew, consisting of MCs […]

Artist: The HerbaliserTitle: Take LondonRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Jason Newman London duo The Herbaliser, aka producers Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba, may not be household names among many hip-hop heads, but over the course of ten years, they’ve been responsible for some of the most innovative and diverse instrumental hip-hop you’ll ever hear. Alternating between […]

Artist: Prodigal SunnTitle: Return of the Prodigal SunnRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine The Sunz of Man debut, The Last Shall Be First remains a relative classic in the Wu spin-off catalog. With a strong RZA presence and notables like Tony Touch filling in, Killah Priest, Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin and Prodigal Sunn made […]

Artist: Joe BuddenTitle: I’m Back (Mixtape)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Bill “Low-Key” Heinzelman He may have sold the least, but Joe Budden has still managed to gain the respect of the Hip-hop industry. Even though his debut album did not move the units it expected to, the album displayed Joey’s introspective nature and conceptual talent with […]