After knocking doors down with his prior effort, The Otherside, Rockie Fresh returns with the flux-capacitor-friendly follow-up, Driving 88. Carrying a forward-thinking theme and slew of spacey beats from all sort of suitors (including Blended Babies, The Kickdrums and in-house homie The Gift), this tape is fueled by a very productive past year Read the rest of this entry »

While most rappers these days are warming the bench for the one-and-done shot on the major playing field, Red Café is content with aiming to be the biggest independent power on the planet. Bad Boy is moving in slow motion so in the meantime, RC is paying homage to his own backyard with a mixtape in album format. Read the rest of this entry »

By now, Bow Wow’s probably well aware what most of you think of his rap career. It’s fabricated. It’s the gift of networking at a young age. It’s long past its prime. That’s all well and dandy, but Shad’s not quitting his day job and looks to silence a few critics with his newly liberated Greenlight 4 mixtape. Read the rest of this entry »

Peter’s son Cory finally drops his Son Of A Gun mixtape, presented by DJ’s Ill Will and Rockstar. If I never see or speak the words “Son Of A Gun” ever again, I will be totally fine with that. Read the rest of this entry »

Rap’s most notable acronym gangs combine forces as Young Money’s Cory Gunz calls on Maybach Music’s Meek for “YMCMB MMG.” The two drop respectable verses but I might have to give the nod to the Philly guy for wordplay here. Read the rest of this entry »

And the award for 2011′s best mixtape art goes to…?

We still have a ways to go before the year comes to a conclusion but Chris Webby has fully taken advantage of the bootleg market’s modus operandi in terms of presentation. Don’t get too caught up in appearance, though. Connecticut’s got swag and C. Webby–along with DJ’s Ill Will and Rockstar–are mixing up the medicine in Webster’s Laboratory. Read the rest of this entry »

From what has been publicized this year, Young Money’s next “build-a-superstar” project appears to be Lil’ Twist. Given Baby, Slim and Weezy’s prior successes, maybe they know something the masses are currently unfamiliar with. It is Tyga, however, who seems like the logical choice for such backing. Admittedly, his Black Thoughts 2 mixtape was anticipated on my personal radar. Read the rest of this entry »

In the Hip-Hop world, putting an entire state on the map is an unyielding task. Say you’re from California, images of Death Row’s glory days arise. New York has Bad Boy, Wu-Tang, Nas, Jay and the list goes on. Georgia boasts Outkast, T.I., Ludacris and others. Louisiana touts No Limit, Cash Money and Boosie. Texas has Scarface, UGK, and, well, by now the point should be made. Certain places gain respect off their predecessors. Read the rest of this entry »

Eternally yours and a girl’s best friend, Trina is draped in diamond-encrusted longevity. It’s been over 10 years since she didn’t know “Nann” but she could probably teach you a thing or two about laying around in Twenty Eleven. Wait, that came out wrong. Fiddlesticks. Moving on, the Diamond Princess is cementing her royalty with DJ’s Ill Will and Holiday for her Diamonds Are Forever extravaganza. That’s VVS, Tiffany & Co, better-than-the-album action for your ass. Read the rest of this entry »

There was a point when I was unsure of Jewman’s affiliation with Brick Squad. It was around the time Waka was beginning to heat up and the transition of 1017 front man was beginning to become damn near impossible to distinguish – Flocka or La Flare? Things like that tend to work themselves out and the Juice is loose again Read the rest of this entry »

It’s about that time Consequence hits the silver screen again and since the popcorn has been buttered, curtain has been lifted and ushers are on foot patrol, the show can go on with Movies On Demand 2. Looking to be a bigger box office draw than its predecessor, the sequel finds The Cons shooting drama scenes with XV and Bun, action segues with Talib Kweli and Kendrick Lamar and plenty Read the rest of this entry »

Impressed was the first thought that came to mind after hearing Canadian-newcomer Tory Lanez’ debut single, “Say Hello” last week. The song is rich with melody and molded perfectly for any of the ten Top 40 stations in your area, without carrying the gaudy tendencies it typically takes to get there. Both capitalizing and coinciding with the single’s static-cling tendencies, “Justin-Bieber’s unofficial rap coach” has teamed up with DJ Ill Will and DJ Rockstar to release his first big league mixtape, Mr. Peterson. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s one thing to start your craft at an early age, but it’s another to be sitting atop of it before you can legally smoke a cigarette. I’m not too familiar with Tory Lanez tunes, but based on “Say Hello,” the grown-up-sounding lead single from this 17-year-old singer/songwriter/MC from Brampton, Ontario, it’s apparent this prodigy with a pen has been doing his thing quite for some time. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by C. Paicely

Rockie Fresh teases us for months with bits and pieces of an upcoming project, and now he’s rewarding us with a holiday gift for all our patience. A dope ass mixtape. Thanks, Rock.

On The Otherside we are presented with an unpolished rapper spiting over polished production from The Cartoonz and the contrast is strangely refreshing and endearing. On “The Worth,” electric guitar riffs echoing behind him, Fresh rolls through compound-syllable rhymes with a matter-of-fact ease that almost dwarfs the beautifully composed music. The intro track, “A.C. Green,” showcases Fresh’s ability to smoothly ride a bass-driven trunk-pounder with clarity and refreshing crudeness, while the clever “Sofa King Cole” displays Rock’s wordplay wizardry and swagger-filled delivery. Even the month-old “Living” feels brand new when tied into the well-sequenced string of songs that make up the mixtape.

“What’s the Hurry” introduced Rock as a rhyming recluse shrouded in darkness, and that aura continues to resonate throughout The Otherside. Fresh is resigned to the solitude that comes with progressing beyond his peers, and flawless production combined with monstrous gusto from the slick-spitting Chicagoan make this free mixtape feel like an organic work of art.

See for yourself and stream/download The Otherside by clicking on the player below.

When you have Hip-Hop aspirations growing up in Kansas, it’s kind of an uphill battle escaping the shadow of stereotype ruby slippers and twisters cast. But the kid XV has broke the through the glass ceiling; looking to be the biggest commercial rap presence at of the flat state yet. Capping off an incredible summer that including autographing his name on a Warner Bros. contract, Vizzy Zone looks to get everyone on the same page that XV is reading from. Read the rest of this entry »