Reviews

After compiling a slew of impressive freestyles as part of his weekly Friday Night Freestyles series with DJ Clue, Fabolous just dropped a mixtape full of the recent lyrical annihilations. Adorning the cover with imagery from the 1989 film Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Fab uses the artwork as some pretty direct symbolism to point out the fact that he’s murdering the beats of so

A$AP Rocky has made a career for himself by defying expectations. The pretty muthafucka reppin' Harlem heavy has always resisted the patented sound of his New York City hometown in favor of trippier, more Southern-inspired beats and melodies, leading some to accuse him of rejecting the East Coast by embracing outside influences...

Over the Memorial Day Weekend, Atlanta's favorite trapper Jeezy surprised fans with the release of his Gangsta Party mixtape. The 10-track Gangsta Grillz project, hosted by DJ Drama, marks Jeezy's first release since his 2014 album, Seen It All: The Autobiography...

Aside from the horn-induced insta-feel-good vibes “Luchini” is regarded for, Camp Lo's debut album, Uptown Saturday Night, is an intoxicating blend of swift rhymes, eternally catchy hooks, and a 1970s soul sonic palette crafted by legendary producer Ski Beatz. Even thoug...

Ed. Note: This review originally ran in the January/February 2001 issue of XXL Magazine. In honor of the 19th anniversary of Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP, we are re-running our classic review here. LOVE Let's put all the personal shit aside, we can admit it. We're no...

When it’s time to generate publicity for a new project, many veteran rappers shamelessly laud their latest offerings with hollow phrases like, “This is my most personal project to date.” But Murs has built a career on authenticity, and when speaking of Have A Nice Life, his debut album for Tech N9ne’s Strange Music label, the MC's own testimony allows for a clearer picture of the music to follow:

Maintaining relevance in hip-hop is a challenge that all veteran MCs deal with at the latter part of their careers, but in the case of Snoop Dogg, the iconic rapper has managed to evolve and reinvent himself from time to time into a model of gangsta consistency and become one of America's most beloved rappers...

When Rich Homie Quan announced in February that he had “stepped away from the Rich Gang a little bit just to get back to Quan," it came as a surprise to just about everyone. The Atlanta MC's formidable partnership with Young Thug and Birdman had produced one of the best mixtapes of 2014, Tha Tour Pt. 1, and the hig...

The frontal lobes of the human brain are directly connected to an individual’s primary emotion, conscious thought, social conduct and sense of empathy. It’s with definite purpose that in the first 10 seconds of the introductory track (“The Procedure”) to Tech N9ne’s 15th studio album, Special Effects, that the listener finds themselves in an operating room with surgeons on the brink of incision in

Nappy Roots has all but disappeared since their last album Nappy Dot Org, released in 2011. In the era where if you're not poppin' you're forgotten, the once platinum-selling, two-time Grammy-nominated group is back with The 40 Akerz Project...

Raekwon’s legacy is set in stone. As a solo artist and member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon has crafted some of the most important works in rap history. Albums like Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... and Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) have ensured that the Chef will always hold a special place in hip-hop lore. Having...

Just in time for summer, California duo Audio Push have infused their positive energy into an easy-listening offering. Enter The Good Vibe Tribe, the latest mixtape from Hit-Boy's HS87 go-to tag team Oktane and Pricetag. The group first known for their hyped up jerkin' tracks has noticeably slowed things down with Good Vibe. As soon ...