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Reviews
Juvenile Can’t Get The Party Started On ‘The Fundamentals’
Watching a veteran rapper hit a cold streak that he can’t seem to snap out of is not fun. We've unhappily watched many former stars fall on hard times, and while some find ways to resurrect their careers, others never bounce back. Juvenile’s The Fundamentals is an unfortunately flawed attempt to break out of a deepening rut by a legendary artist who’s lost his way.
Juvenile has ...
ScHoolboy Q Battles For Rap Supremacy On ‘Oxymoron’
Having dominated 2012 with “There He Go” and “Hands On The Wheel,” ScHoolboy Q took his time building himself as the next big thing out of TDE. Q represents a quarter of the Black Hippy crew, alongside Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock, but his independent releases, as well as collabos with the likes of Macklemore, 50 Cent and YG, showed that he could stand on his own two as a solo artist. The
Curren$y Drops Lyrical Gold On ‘The Drive In Theatre’ Mixtape
In 2013, Curren$y was on a tear, releasing five projects, which included a slew of EPs, one full length mixtape in New Jet City, and the 20-minute Jetflix documentary. Continuing to think outside the box and carve his own lane, the Jet Life head honcho collaborated with BitTorrent for the Jet Life BitTorrent bundle...
Rocko Misses The Mark On ‘Lingo 4 Dummys’ Mixtape
If Rocko's latest mixtape, Lingo 4 Dummys, had dropped around 2005 when the dirty south was taking over, then by all means this mixtape might be considered a cult classic. Rappers could be spitting slang he's created on Lingo to this day. Hip-hop has had a resurgence since then, however, and with such artists as Kendrick Lamar, J...
Pro Era Sets The Mood Right On ‘The Secc$ Tap.e 2′ Mixtape
The young rising Brooklyn natives Pro Era released their highly anticipated mixtape The Secc$ Tap.e 2. The compilation comes two years after the release of The Secc$ Tap.e , where the Beast Coast rappers carry a more matured, picturesque, and sensual vibe to the sequel...
The Doppelgangaz Stick To A New York State Of Mind On ‘Peace Kehd’
New York struggles to effectively hold the title of its status as the birthplace of hip-hop, and this is evident more and more with each new wave of Empire State MCs. Rappers from NY have one of two choices: they can find inspiration outside of their state’s history and borders and risk the ire of fellow New Yorkers, or they can dig in and create a sound akin to what rap listeners have come to exp
Maino Delivers A Royal Performance On ‘King Of Brooklyn’ EP
Maino made headlines late last year as a result of his well-publicized feud with Atlanta based rapper Trinidad Jame$, who said "We (Atlanta) run y'all musically," at a concert in Brooklyn. Maino took exception to Jame$'s comments, with the tension culminating in a recorded phone conversation between the two rappers, which was actually more Maino yelling at Jame$ as opposed to an actual c
Isaiah Rashad Delivers Classic Southern Stylings On ‘Cilvia Demo’
Mere moments into Cilvia Demo you get the feeling that young Isaiah Rashad is still searching for meaning. Throughout his pilgrimage, within sundry soundscapes, he grapples with his own existence as a product of both inherited behaviors and conditioned ones...
9th Wonder And Co. Bring Laid-Back Soundscapes On ‘Jamla Is The Squad’
It’s usually tough to dominate an album if you don’t utter a word, but 9th Wonder managed to do just that. His production takes top billing on almost every one of the 25-tracks on 9th Wonder Presents: Jamla Is The Squad. Each beat is seemingly better than the last and choosing a favorite instrumental on the project is next to impossible. It gives a...
Plies Supplies More Street Anthems, But Rarely Breaks New Ground In ‘Da Last Real Nigga Left’ Mixtape
The art of rapping recklessly, un-filtered and making it listenable is a skill Plies has thrived with. Just look at his catalog since his debut album, The Real Testament. Plies knows what he’s good at; he's like a Juicy J but with a lot more yelling. Like...
Step Brothers (Alchemist & Evidence) Bring Plenty Of Bright Moments On ‘Lord Steppington’
To say the Step Brothers have been a long time coming would be a gross understatement, at least by music industry standards. Rapper/producers Alchemist and Evidence have been tight since high school, and initially announced their formation as the Step Brothers back in 2008...
Ty Dolla $ign Offers Ratchet R&B At Its Finest On ‘Beach House’ EP
Over the course of two years, Ty Dolla $ign has inked a deal with Atlantic Records, released two critically acclaimed mixtapes and constructed his own lane in the rap genre. "They say I sing rap lyrics," he says about his style of music. The melodic spitter-producer hails from the West Coast, and has already appeared on tracks with the likes of Dom Kennedy, Terrace Martin, Wiz Khalifa, I