Last year, Ka ripped the only guest appearance on Roc Marciano’s Marcberg. But afterwards, to my dismay, he seemed to slip through some crack in our rap world. The rest of last year, and most of this one, went by with no word from the Brownsville spitter. But under the radar, he continued to walk his path, dreaming up some fresh heat for the masses. Read the rest of this entry »

With Well Done’s release date peeking over the horizon, Action Bronson and Statik Selektah let loose the video for “Not Enough Words.” It’s my favorite joint that’s leaked off the album so far – not just because Bronson’s ridiculous with the pen, because he is, but because there’s a little of the man behind the words in this track. Read the rest of this entry »

yU’s best known for his work on the microphone, whether he’s on the solo tip or doing his thing as one-third of Diamond District. But over the years, he’s crafted some gems behind the boards as well. Read the rest of this entry »

“Face In Disguise” first graced ears across the country as “Build Jewelz,” off Has-Lo’s debut, In Case I Don’t Make It. It was, and is, a reflective track, as Has-Lo questions his faith, his desire to rap, and, in the end, his path in life. Instead of the soft, somber string-laced beat from “Build Jewelz,” however, “Face In Disguise” features something fresh from Exile. Read the rest of this entry »

“The Guilt” is another leak from Willie The Kid’s upcoming The Cure 2 EP – the sequel to his 2010 tape. Usually, when I’m writing about WTK, I’m praising his style. The man’s a rap Sleepy Floyd Read the rest of this entry »

Our Hip-Hop world whirls around, endlessly, with stories building up and falling away on the daily. But that doesn’t affect Roc Marciano in the slightest. He moves at his own pace, relentlessly knocking out gully, dense boom-bap. “Emeralds” is the latest example, off Marcberg: Reloaded. Read the rest of this entry »

“Like Smoke” started off as the barest shell of an Amy Winehouse joint – a smooth, throwback bit of soul from Salaam Remi, a few oohs and aahs from the late singer, and a hook. No more, no less. But then, luckily for us, Nasir Jones came by to do what he does best. Read the rest of this entry »

I swear, just when I think I’m out, the NBA reels me back in. Y’all may have noticed that my Lockout updates have been a bit less frequent over the past few weeks. That’s been by design. I’ve been trying to take things as they come, instead of getting invested in every single twist-and-turn of this ridiculous process. Read the rest of this entry »

Has-Lo’s somber, composed, controlled. No matter the track, no matter his subject matter, the man lets bar-after-bar slip out without stress or hesitation, like he’s just sharing a few thoughts with the listener. “Never Was Yours” first met the world as “Everything Is,” a reflective, smooth track off In Case I Don’t Make It Read the rest of this entry »

Last time he showed up around these parts, Quelle Chris showed a little lo-fi ingenuity with “The Loop.” With seeming ease, the man turned a red screen and a single camera into a striking, hard-to-forget video. Now, he’s pulled off a similar feat. Read the rest of this entry »

YC The Cynic’s still building a career, ripping any microphone he comes across just to show what he can do. But he’s not too hyped up about it. Check the intro to “Hello, Newman!,” a fresh, Seinfeld-inspired track from the Bronx native. Read the rest of this entry »

Ah, David Stern. What a champ. Even when things look dire, the man’s willing to raise the stakes. After meeting with the NBAPA on Wednesday, the NBA Commissioner said “I’m focused on let’s get the two committees in and see whether they can either have a season or not have a season, and that’s what’s at risk this weekend.” Read the rest of this entry »

Has-Lo’s already dropped In Case I Don’t Make It this year, and a “re-envisioning” of that album called Conversation B is set to drop November 15th. But, just in case that wasn’t enough for the ravenous listening public, the man dug through his hard drive to come up with Illegally Yours, a five-track EP made up of some odds-and-ends from throughout his career. Read the rest of this entry »

Somewhere in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, someone is going crazy about Kenyon Martin. Yes, that’s right. In 2011, Kenyon Martin can still inspire passion in the hearts of basketball fans across the globe. Or, rather, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers are betting he can, because they reportedly signed him to the richest contract in Chinese Basketball Association history today. Read the rest of this entry »

The Analog Tape is a thirty-minute sampling of J57’s skill behind the boards, a little something to bob your head to. That may sound generic as hell, sure, but The Analog Tape’s quality from the very beginning. Read the rest of this entry »