Reviews

Columbus MC Illogic’s catalog is a deep one, mostly stockpiled with bars reminiscent of rap’s golden era. His lyrics easily double as poetic verses as he maneuvers his way through heavy topics—building a lasting relationship with God, being a good role model for his kids, life after marriage. But when paired ...

Since turning heads with an appearance on Yelawolf’s landmark Trunk Muzik mixtape, Rittz has been patiently waiting in the wings, making the most of feature-spots and eventually his own well-received mixtape, 2011’s White Jesus. But with a heightened fan base and Strange Music’s backing, The Life & Times of Jonny Valiant is by far the biggest moment of this long-hair-don’t-care, frenetically p

It’s become clear that there’s something new and exciting brewing down in the capital of the Peach State. Carried by a roster of ripening artists like Trinidad James, Rome Fortune and the Two-9 collective, this new breed have by and large sought to carve out a lane that differentiates from Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy’s trap sound or Future and now Young Thug’s more melodic, party-anthem music. “New

It’s been nearly a decade since his official studio debut Die, Rugged Man, Die in 2004, but through a series of impressive guest features alongside the likes of Jedi Mind Tricks and Blu, R.A. the Rugged Man has remained a ferocious MC to be reckoned with. Now,...

Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y’s careers flourished after the release of their 2009 cult classic collaborative How Fly. But even as the two rappers have grown tremendously, fans have long clamored for a reunion project. After some sample-clearance-related delays, the longtime pals dropped their 2nd collaborative effort, Live in Concert on the international stoner holiday, 4/20. T...

Mixtape Review: DJ Esco, "Black Woodstock"

At 38 years old, Styles P is one of the few New York millennium-era gangster rappers who have survived the times to remain relevant in 2013. Styles P was never the leading man in his heyday, and he’s not one now, but the man known as Paniro has been able to remain an East Coast mainstay by adapting effectively to the internet era in a way his peers couldn’t, and by refusing to settle for anything

In the past few years, Fool’s Gold Records has emerged as one of the premier independent labels for breaking critically acclaimed underground hip-hop acts and helping them transition into commercially viable talents (see Kid Cudi and more recently Danny Brown.) By ...

The nearly year long delay of French Montana’s Excuse My French debut has put Chinx Drugz’ career on the backburner, but the Queens-bred Coke Boy hasn’t just been sitting on his hands. Drugz has actually made a pretty convincing case for himself within the past year, shining on the Coke Boy collective N.W.C. Niggas Wit C...

With 20 years of experience and a resumé of critically acclaimed albums, Ghostface Killah has established himself as one of hip-hop’s most consistent and reliable acts. With 12 Reasons to Die, the Wu-Tang veteran joins forces with composer Adrian Younge. The result ...

When Kid Cudi first announced his third solo LP, Indicud, he likened it to his own version of Dr. Dre's classic 2001. A lofty comparison, sure, but Cudi clarified that he planned on embodying Dre's behind-the-scenes mastermind persona, and in a way curate a collaborative album...

Big K.R.I.T. still has a point to prove. He makes this clear on “King Without a Crown,” off his newest mixtape King Remembered in Time, where he belts out through his thorny southern drawl that he still hasn’t gotten his proper due. His 2012 major l...