Styles P. very well may be an automatic elect should the title of hood ambassador ever open up in New York’s city council. The LOX’s middleman (arguably the most consistent in some circles) has made it his life’s goal to illustrate the concrete in his DNA with an endless barrage of freestyles, mixtapes and albums. In turn, his gift to the streets has doubled as his curse with the “same gun, different bullet” approach that keeps him sounding like he’s trapped inside the repeat button. Read the rest of this entry »

It has become a forced issue to have a requisite anthem that caters to ladies, just to be considered as a diverse enterprise. Carefree Californians, TiRon and his ever-reliable consort, Ayomari, are doing the game one better with A Sucker For Pumps, a crisp, melodious glance through a relationship looking glass that was made for women, but strong enough to keep men in tune. Read the rest of this entry »

There are very few people in the world better at rapping about being better than everyone else than Royce 5’9″. If it wasn’t obvious from the title, Success Is Certain finds Royce in a much better state of mind than on his 2004 opus, the dark, brooding Death Is Certain. Eschewing the anger and self-loathing that permeated the latter, Success Is Certain is a decent balance of the unbridled confidence the Detroit native unleashed on the Slaughterhouse project and the solemn self-reflection that was a trademark of his career prior to his reunion with his Shady, Detroit compatriot. Read the rest of this entry »

Maturity and Hip-Hop go hand in hand like a hobo and an almond-shaped bar of Olay yet Phonte Coleman has made an earnest living from being that guy you revere as a professional artist–and turn around and get chummy with at your local pub. The past few years have been exciting for loyal disciples of the the former Little Brother’s congregation as he has walked the unbeaten path to musical lore with his rap and blues hybrid, the Grammy-nominated ensemble, The Foreign Exchange. Read the rest of this entry »

After a handful of successful and well-regarded mixtapes, an oft-mentioned contract with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint, and a bunch of high-profile, scene-stealing, guest verses, the proverbial ball is in J. Cole’s court with his major-label debut Cole World: The Sideline Story. Read the rest of this entry »

Despite the ever-publicized prison sentences and push-backs, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV has been one of the most talked about and highly anticipated albums of this year. To many, this is his first official record since 2008′s Tha Carter III, and most expected the “Mixtape Weezy” to show up and deliver his signature one line double entendres and animated flow. Unfortunately, the rap gods had other plans for this release. Read the rest of this entry »

Too old to blame mistakes on youth, but frequently too young to reach the lofty goals set in one’s optimistic teens and twenties, young adults turning thirty often find themselves at a crossroads somewhere between self-reflection and suffocating depression. For many artists approaching this age, the weight of success (see: the “27 Club”) or lack thereof (see: millions) is too heavy to bear. Read the rest of this entry »

At the beginning of his song, “Prayer,” rapper and former U-N-I member, Thurz, candidly addresses his listener: “everybody askin’ me ‘bout U-N-I/plain and simple: didn’t see eye to eye.” Although buried deep into Thurz’ debut solo project, L.A. Riot, the earnest bars mark the end to U-N-I’s much-buzzed five-year history. It’s an unfortunate circumstance, but fans of the L.A. duo can take solace in knowing that U-N-I’s demise doesn’t coincide with Thurz’ doing the same. Read the rest of this entry »

When Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame came together as the Ferrari Boyz, you knew what to expect. There wasn’t going to be any uplifting, intricate rhyming to boot, but rather, simple, thumping, and catchy ignorance. And that’s exactly how their first studio effort as an official unit sounds. Read the rest of this entry »

The late, great, Guru argued, quite memorably, that even those amongst the most skilled emcees need a unique voice to truly stand out. Houston veteran Trae Tha Truth possesses possibly the most unique vocal presence in rap music today. Read the rest of this entry »

Many times in entertainment, a sequel can be viewed as career suicide; especially if the original is lauded as a groundbreaking piece of work. Known for his intricate and unique instrumentals, Ski Beatz bypassed any ill-conceived thought of choosing a different title for his new album. Read the rest of this entry »

Unlike the relatively swift turnaround for Game’s second studio from his debut amidst label turmoil, The R.E.D. Album comes a lengthy three years after its predecessor, with the erratic behavior of Compton’s crowned king playing a factor in the delay. Even though one of rap’s most polarizing figures was coming off another run that adorned his hallways with more shiny CD replicas, the man, Jayceon Taylor found himself at a career crossroads, unsure of the next step. Read the rest of this entry »

It happened: Jay-Z and Kanye West teamed up to create Watch the Throne, the pair’s industry sea-parting and most ambitious album yet. Full of grandiose opulence and gaudy beats, Watch the Throne is the most polarizing musical force of 2011. It’s packed with a variety of sounds: two-for-one song transitions, Lex Luger 808 freak-outs and, much to the dismay of Hip-Hop purists, Read the rest of this entry »

The Hip-Hop business doesn’t pay like it used to and being the massive army that they are, the Wu-Tang Clan had to disband indefinitely to keep the food on the table for each of their respective families. For fans deprived of that witty, unpredictable talent et al, compilations like Legendary Weapons prove their usefulness in depth. Read the rest of this entry »

Get Pete Rock on the boards and watch successful projects manifest. In recent memory Jay-Z and Mr. West know what happens when they allow Rock to “let the needle drop.” Besides providing the Throne guys a Curtis Mayfield loop, Rock’s still assembling his own projects. Monumental sees the New York production maestro link up with fellow Big Apple veterans, Smif-N-Wessun, and a bevy of A-list MCs. Read the rest of this entry »