Reviews

Twista Ventures Into Familiar Territory On ‘Back To The Basics’ EP
Twista Ventures Into Familiar Territory On ‘Back To The Basics’ EP
Twista Ventures Into Familiar Territory On ‘Back To The Basics’ EP
Even in this day and age, where album sales mean littler than ever, many rappers will consciously give chase to an outmoded definition of stardom. But Chiraq rhymesmith Twista is past the point of the blind leading the blind. The Speedknot Mobsta—nicknamed that for his effusive, quick-paced cadence—is one of hip-hop’s most self-possessed practitioners, making music on his own terms. Twista has ple
Talib Kweli Sticks To His Lyrical Roots On ‘Gravitas’
Talib Kweli Sticks To His Lyrical Roots On ‘Gravitas’
Talib Kweli Sticks To His Lyrical Roots On ‘Gravitas’
Most artists in any industry will slow down as they get older, take more time between albums and projects as life's other distractions tend to take on a bigger role. Someone forgot to tell that to Talib Kweli. The Flatbush-born MC has been on a tear over the past fifteen months, dropping a highly-regarded mixtape, Attack The Block with Z-Trip last September as an appetizer for two albums in 2013,
Childish Gambino Shows His Growth On ‘Because The Internet’
Childish Gambino Shows His Growth On ‘Because The Internet’
Childish Gambino Shows His Growth On ‘Because The Internet’
The birth of Childish Gambino happened back in 2008 when Donald Glover plugged his name into a Wu-Tang rap name generator, thus his name was born and out comes his first tape, Sick Boi. For the early part of the 30-year-old's rap career, hip-hop purists assumed the once writer for NBC’s 30 Rock and cast member of NBC’s Community was trolling in his spare time, slinging goofy raps and calling himse
Busta Rhymes & Q-Tip Deliver A Trip Down Memory Lane In ‘The Abstract & The Dragon’ Mixtape
Busta Rhymes & Q-Tip Deliver A Trip Down Memory Lane In ‘The Abstract & The Dragon’ Mixtape
Busta Rhymes & Q-Tip Deliver A Trip Down Memory Lane In ‘The Abstract & The Dragon’ Mixtape
Let’s get this out of the way: The Abstract & The Dragon, Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes’ new collaborative mixtape, is mostly a way for Busta to hype his upcoming album Extinction Level Event 2. Of the 28 tracks on The Abstract & The Dragon, eight are skits and 13 older cuts, leaving seven that are actually fresh—and of these, there’s new Q-Tip on just three. Even “Thank You,” both one of ... Re
Snoop Dogg & Dâm-Funk Pay Homage To The Greats In ‘7 Days Of Funk’
Snoop Dogg & Dâm-Funk Pay Homage To The Greats In ‘7 Days Of Funk’
Snoop Dogg & Dâm-Funk Pay Homage To The Greats In ‘7 Days Of Funk’
The artist most popularly known as Snoop Dogg has reinvented himself once again. His last album, Reincarnated, found the West Coast veteran embracing Rastafarian culture and singing reggae, under the moniker Snoop Lion. This time around, hip-hop's favorite Uncle (no disrespect to Luke) has dropped the dreadlocks and whipped out his infamous perm, along with his candy blue '78 Cadillac Coup-Deville
Lil Bibby Offers His Street Tales In ‘Free Crack’ Mixtape
Lil Bibby Offers His Street Tales In ‘Free Crack’ Mixtape
Lil Bibby Offers His Street Tales In ‘Free Crack’ Mixtape
Co-signs carry a lot of weight for an underdog. Lil Bibby received the honor of a Drake shout-out for his music, which helped bolster his career and thrust him into the spotlight. In April, Drake and Project Pat were rumored to appear on a remix to Bibby and Lil Herb’s “My Hood,” building even more momentum for the duo without a major label deal. Bibby would go o...
Rich Homie Quan Demonstrates His Presence In The Game With ‘I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In’ Mixtape
Rich Homie Quan Demonstrates His Presence In The Game With ‘I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In’ Mixtape
Rich Homie Quan Demonstrates His Presence In The Game With ‘I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In’ Mixtape
Everybody’s waiting for Rich Homie Quan’s next huge single. “Type Of Way” dominated the summer, with stuttering rhythms and Quan’s choppy sermon of a hook. Fans are waiting with baited breath for his big move, the one that will take him farther than Atlanta and the Internet. For now, Quan continues to d...
Trae Tha Truth Pours His Heart Out On ‘I Am King’ Mixtape
Trae Tha Truth Pours His Heart Out On ‘I Am King’ Mixtape
Trae Tha Truth Pours His Heart Out On ‘I Am King’ Mixtape
To summarize, Trae Tha Truth is not a people’s person. Hailing from Houston, the 15-year vet and pathological pessimist has turned shyness into a cottage industry. He is the rare MC in a predominantly extroverted genre to bespeak the merits of solitude—perhaps his most visible track to date is the untrusting loner’s anthem “No Help.” Misery, it turns out,...
Hopsin Delivers Raw Lyricism In ‘Knock Madness’
Hopsin Delivers Raw Lyricism In ‘Knock Madness’
Hopsin Delivers Raw Lyricism In ‘Knock Madness’
What truly lurks inside the ill mind of Hopsin? That is something the lyricist’s annual video series of the same name could never really answer, not with any real depth at least; those records are small pieces of a much grander, more vivid sonic puzzle. Ther...
Kendrick Lamar Reviews Snoop Dogg’s ‘Doggystyle’
Kendrick Lamar Reviews Snoop Dogg’s ‘Doggystyle’
Kendrick Lamar Reviews Snoop Dogg’s ‘Doggystyle’
Artist: Snoop Dogg Reviewer: Kendrick Lamar Rating: XXL Anniversary: 20-year I was coming from the skating rink when I Doggystyle. It’s funny I remember these things. My auntie’s boyfriend was playing it while he was driving. My auntie ...
Roc Marciano Creates His Own World On Cinematic ‘The Pimpire Strikes Back’ Mixtape
Roc Marciano Creates His Own World On Cinematic ‘The Pimpire Strikes Back’ Mixtape
Roc Marciano Creates His Own World On Cinematic ‘The Pimpire Strikes Back’ Mixtape
“I grew up in a rough town,” warns Roc Marciano, referencing Hempstead, Long Island, as his new mixtape comes to a close. It’s rare that the muck-mouthed rapper is so vague. As a rule, Marciano loves incisive turns of phrase and ominous imagery, and his words arrive in even, pulsing bunches. Consider: Hempst...

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