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 »

Despite gaining nationwide notoriety on the heels of 2 Live Crew’s controversial tactics, it wasn’t until the past few years that Florida could be considered a primary hub for Hip-Hop. Since then, the Sunshine State–primarily the Greater Miami area–boasts the biggest “boss,” the game’s most popular DJ, a slew of hungry trap stars and Hip-Pop sensations of both ghetto and bilingual persuasions. Read the rest of this entry »

The second half of the 2000s saw a reemergence in Hip-Hop music being able to work wonders for its artists without big marketing dollars additionally to a renewed interest in retro materialism. Sir Michael Rocks and Chuck Inglish may be named The Cool Kids, but they fathered plenty of their peer’s styles and movements with their game-changing Totally Flossed Out/The Bake Sale EP releases. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s damn near impossible not to compare Jay Rock to Game, given their similar Cali backgrounds, Blood gang affiliations and penchant for chronicling the street scene just as vivid as an A&E documentary. Nonetheless, Rock managed to blaze his own path by letting his music speak the loudest, avoiding unnecessary publicity and landing himself a record deal with Tech N9ne’s Strange Music as a reward for his efforts. Read the rest of this entry »

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there wasn’t nary a Hip-Hop album to be found without some sort of jazz influence. Over the years, the increased popularity of dance music and technology combined with the expensive cost of sample clearance did its part in wiping it from the equation. Underground vet and Queens native, Junclassic, links up with U.K. production duo, Jazz Spastiks to reintroduce the fusion with their solid album, Mode 7. Read the rest of this entry »

Words By TC

Fly.Union consists of Jerreau, Jayswifa and Iyeball. When you take away Jerreau, the group does fall upon rocky times; they become MnkeyWrench, an experimental unit who are into creating vibes and sounds that fit the ambiance of a love drug. To showcase their diifferences with the main hub, they’ve put together and quick and easy EP–Until Forever–to serve as the flagship for their side movement. Read the rest of this entry »

The fictional character John Connor led an army in a revolutionary war against a regime of soulless machines. The Flint, Michigan rapper, Jon Connor, is attempting to spark a similar war, where the enemy machines are a handful of record labels manned by artificial intelligence in tailored suits instead of harsh, cold metal. Read the rest of this entry »

How many rappers today are renown first and foremost for their ability to rap? Not for the company they keep, hit record they may have had or who they may sound like, but strictly for their adeptness as a lyrical orator? Not many. Which is why Kendrick Lamar is such an intriguing commodity in the rap’s current climate. He’s been likened to the legendary Dr. Dre and it is unclear who is co-signing who at this point. Read the rest of this entry »

The term “finding yourself” usually evokes imagery of recent well-to-do college graduates, backpacking through Europe on mommy and daddy’s dime in search of some elusive sense of self-awareness. South Central Los Angeles doesn’t afford its residents the same opportunities for leisurely strolls toward adulthood. Devoid of empathy from outsiders and cold with the harsh realities of poverty and blight, the young men and women of South Central find themselves growing up extremely fast. Read the rest of this entry »

“Dad, what is Hip-Hop? I mean, how does it feel?” These questions are posed by Columbus, OH beatsmith/emcee, J. Rawls’ young son on the intro to The Hip-Hop Affect. More than just a tacked on, cute, throwaway with no real purpose, the intro serves as the driving force for the album. With each track, Rawls builds his case, attempting to state, definitively, that this is how Hip-Hop should feel. Read the rest of this entry »