Artist: Pete RockTitle: The Surviving ElementsRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Brolin Winning Though some heads were under whelmed by Soul Survivor 2, and the rumored reunion album with CL Smooth seems unlikely at best, Pete Rock comes back strong on his latest release, a fifteen track instrumental collection in the vein of his much-loved Petestrumentals LP […]

Artist: OpioTitle: Triangulation StationRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: William E. Ketchum III Solo albums from members of successful groups have varied results. While Fugees members Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean used their group affiliations to launch solo careers, Pras wasn’t as fortunate. Mos Def and Talib Kweli have shown that they’re just as deadly individually […]

Artist: One Be LoTitle: S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman The name One Be Lo may not immediately ring a bell, but chances are, it soon will. With the release of his official solo debut, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. (Fat Beats), this promising MC/ producer also know as One Man Army of Binary Star is properly reintroducing himself […]

Artist: Rapper Big PoohTitle: SleepersRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Matt Barone “Ever since The Listening, Pooh’s gotten a lot meaner,” Rapper Big Pooh reveals on “Now” off his debut Sleepers (6 Hole). Referring to Little Brother’s 2003 formal introduction, Pooh, one-third of that underground Cinderella story, has seemingly felt like that neglected sibling in a family […]

Artist: The Goodie Mob Presents…Title: Livin’ Life as LumberjacksRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine The integrity of the Goodie Mob has been in question recently. While Soul Food and arguably Still Standing remain classic material, the work since hasn’t been so strong. Some critics have attributed these losses to the absence of Cee-Lo, who has […]

Artist: Bizzy BoneTitle: The Beginning And The EndRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Bill Low Key Heinzelman As the internet follow up to his third solo album Alpha And Omega, Bizzy Bone’s The Beginning And The End (7th Sign) is a similar release that suffers from the same problems his last LP was plagued by. The […]

Artist: OddiseeTitle: Instrumental Mixtape Vol. 1Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Paine Oddisee may be the best producer in Hip-Hop that you probably don’t know yet. He has been cooking up heat alongside and behind Jazzy Jeff, Wordsworth, Talib Kweli, and J-Live. The Washington DC metro area producer was the sonic backbone of last Spring’s You Don’t […]

Artist: Jae MillzTitle: 2005 Is Mine (Mixtape)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Jesse Fairfax Aspiring street MCs try to gain fame by building the ever so popular mixtape buzz. Give DJs a mean 16 bars over a familiar instrumental and enough talk generates for a label to offer up a record deal. Jae Millz built his reputation […]

Artist: Big NoydTitle: On The GrindRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jayson Rodriguez As a frequent guest of Havoc and Prodigy’s, Big Noyd is always good for a hot 16 on a Mobb Deep track. But while his high-energy flow provides a balance between the murderous duo, Noyd’s rhymes are often too scattered to hold together […]

Artist: Mannie FreshTitle: The Mind of Mannie FreshRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: David Lopez In the same vein as Kanye West and the Alchemist, it’s now the norm for producers to put out solo albums where they produce and rap. Mannie Fresh is no exception to this phenomenon and on his solo debut, The Mind […]

Artist: 50 Cent & Whoo KidTitle: 2050: Before the Massacre (Mixtape)Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Shawn Lawrence James Before the platinum certifications, clothing lines, sneaker endorsements and just about any other venture Curtis Jackson’s added to his ever growing G-Unit empire, 50 initially spawned his popularity from the tested and true application of getting yourself […]

Artist: CopywriteTitle: Cruise Control Vol. 1 (Mixtape)Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman In the realm of independent Hip-hop, there are usually two types of MCs: those who vow to remain self sufficient for life and those who are willing to sign with what ever major label can help propel them into prominence best. The […]

Artist: The GameTitle: The DocumentaryRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Remmie Fresh The rap climate is chocked full of hype these days, but no one has quite capitalized on it the way The Game has. The Compton-reared rapper has taken Hip-hop by storm courtesy of assorted beefs (Joe Budden, Memphis Bleek, Yukmouth and others), a powerful story […]

Artist: Ol’ Dirty BastardTitle: Osirus (The Official Mixtape)Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Clover Hope Given that the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard was best known for his rabid eccentricity, it’s a shock—and a disappointment—that his first posthumous release Osirus (Sure Shot) exhibits minimal instances of the ODB Hip-hop has come to accept and sometimes love. The late […]

Artist: Yung WunTitle: The Dirtiest ThirstiestRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Shawn Lawrence James For the better part of 2004, Hip-hop broadcasted its current object of infatuation, Altanta as the synth heavy alternative to the beef oriented platters served from virtually every other region. Boasting multi-platinum big wigs such as Lil Jon and the Eastsideboyz and Ludacris […]

Artist: 2PacTitle: Loyal To The GameRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Clover Hope Not many artists can pull off the thug poet persona. But the late, great Tupac Shakur was perhaps the best at it, if not its creator. On his seventh posthumous release, Loyal To The Game (Amaru/Interscope), the legendary lyricist ignites the same fire […]

Artist: Haiku D’etatTitle: Coup De TheatreRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman Haiku D’etat, which literally means a “poetry takeover”, is a suiting name for the convergence of three of L.A.’s most gifted MCs: Aceyalone and Mikah 9 of Freestyle Fellowship, along with Abstract Rude. On their sophomore album, Coup De Theatre (Decon/Project Blowed), these […]

Artist: Vordul MegaTitle: The Revolution Of Yung HavoksRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Bill Low-Key Heinzelman As one half of Cannibal Ox, Vordul Mega has always been the quiet and overlooked member in comparison to Vast Aire. While most critics raved about Vast’s zany wordplay and EL-P’s spacey production on their debut release The Cold Vein, […]

Artist: Mick BoogieTitle: The Dope Game (Mixtape)Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine The most talked about artist you haven’t really heard, that much, is The Game. There is Untold Story, older material that JT The Bigga Figga has released. But, most of The Game’s interest is reflected from his G-Unit, Shady and Aftermath cohorts, rather than […]

Artist: Cam’RonTitle: Purple HazeRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Martin A. Berrios When Dr. Dre decided to title his debut The Chronic, he was making a statement. It was a direct reference to the album’s amazing potency, which reflected the California weed that inspired the name. Harlem’s own Cam’ron now follows suit with the release of his […]