With soul bearing revelations like “Mockingbird” and “Like Toy Soldiers,” 2004′s Encore marked a personal triumph for the psyche of Marshall Mathers, yet the bulk of the album’s frivolous material resulted in the common recognition as being Eminem’s most forgettable work to date. To make matters worse, his health spiraled downward after the tragic shooting of D12 member and best friend DeShaun “Proof” Holton and chronically abusing pain medications. After a nearly-five year hiatus which seemed like an eternity to most fans, Slim Shady steps back on his high horse to break the circle of uncertainly with the thoroughly entertaining Relapse.

Not your typical Relapse however, with the title being a subliminal reckoning for the subconscious of Slim Shady to run amuck — who all but dominates the course of the project. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by Landon A.

With Prodigy behind bars and G-Unit as a label undergoing reconstructive figurations, Mobb Deep’s all-purpose member Havoc is stuck with the task of convincing fans that he’s still a credible solo act while simultaneously try to wash away the funky aroma that his first solo effort The Kush gave off. Fully equipped with a depository of self-made production, Havoc cracks the briefcase and hits the streets with his second consecutive snoozer, Hidden Files. Read the rest of this entry »

That boy Christopher Bridges has done quite well for himself since he came back for the first time 8 years ago. Now, with 3 Grammys, 6 albums and 15 million records sold, as well as 12 movies, and numerous businesses under his belt, Mr. Bridges, commonly known as Ludacris, is a different man with different goals and a new challenge to make a different album.

At this stage in his career, he no longer has the luxury of sticking to a formula, and regurgitation, but cannot run the risk of straying to far from his diehard base and newfound audience lest he find his creative initiative scrutinized like Kanye others did….just less successful. So it is that Christopher chose to try something new to him, but not foreign to us, putting a somewhat fresh spin on the age-old, career saving, ‘concept album’ concept. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes it takes almost losing everything for one to come to their senses and appreciate what they have. With the events that took place last year in his hometown, the days were looking numbered for T.I. in all facets of his life as he faced the possibility of major jail time after coming off an album that achieved commercial success despite the lack of critical acclaim. Faced with the decision to shape up and get things in order or let his own doings be his downfall, the self-proclaimed “King of the South” chose the former as he put his thoughts to paper. Filled with equal parts of honesty and bravado, T.I. and T.I.P. give way to Clifford Harris as he leaves a Paper Trail for listeners to follow as he seeks to reclaim his throne. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by Khalid Strickland

Contrary to what the mainstream media wants us to believe, there’s still a large contingent of rap fans who like their music rough-around-the-edges. Commercial radio can snooze, but many listeners prefer hard, boom-bap beats instead of the glitzy stuff that DJ Premier dubbed “Tinkerbell” music.  Don’t get juxed by 106 & Park; there are folks who support gifted emcees with a semblance of rhyming ability.

Termanology, a throwback emcee hailing from Boston, seems to grasp this ideology.  For his debut album, Politics As Usual, Termanology enlists an all-star production team for the ages including Pete Rock, Havoc, Nottz, and Primo. Not that they have anything to prove, but the accomplished producers on Politics… toss their gloves into the Hip-Hop arena, reminding the masses that their gritty style packs heat.  With an arsenal of high-caliber instrumentals, Termanology delivers his formidable bars with a fluid, versatile flow tailored to each one. Read the rest of this entry »

As much of the U.S. continues to feel the effects on a slumping economy, the hard times have expectantly found their way in the heart of the trap. Ever the people’s spokesman, Young Jeezy has observed the woes of the nation and penned them in his latest urban chronicle, The Recession. Typically labeled as “one-dimensional,” Jeezy adds a noticeable cortex of depth to his hustler inventory, touching on an extensive range of topics over his trademark bass-heavy production that’s equally satisfying as it is stimulating. Read the rest of this entry »

Taking five years between albums in Hip-Hop is tantamount to career suicide. In this industry, name recognition and progression are key to long-term survival, and millions of fans are too young to remember the glory days of Nelly and Lil’ Jon & The Eastside Boyz. Not to be deterred by such truths, the Nappy Roots are back with the long-delayed The Humdinger. With a track record of great albums, hopes are high that the group can overcome any rust and stagnation to release an album worthy of their catalog.

Older albums found the Nappy Roots developing their own sound, a southern-influenced, group dynamic that set the group apart from their contemporaries. On The Humdinger, the group too often abandons that model of success, trading innovation for attempts to crossover. “Flex,” is a song aimed at the clubs, but the beat sounds recycled and the MC’ing is sloppy, either falling off beat or failing to rhyme in certain parts. “Pole Position” does not feature the lyrical trickery or humor required to make the track anything more than another tired ode to strippers. Most troubling is the fact that the crew sounds like they aren’t buying into the crossover attempts, and for a group who has blamed label troubles for the albums delays, you wonder who is pulling the strings. Read the rest of this entry »

With gas at $4.00 a gallon, the price of food rising, and money being stretched further and further, it can be disheartening at times to see rappers continue to live in their fantasy world of endless partying and bottomless pockets. Killer Mike understands this and is providing a soundtrack for listeners as they navigate through these tough times. Behind a message of putting your nose to the grindstone and self-empowerment, Mr. Killa Kil from the ‘Ville continues his independent hustle and flow with I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II. Read the rest of this entry »

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta. Just ask C-Murder. Incarcerated for most of this decade for living out his stage name, the only Miller boy focused on music these days is currently free and yelling for the cause of his retribution. Originally slated for a release last year, Screamin’ 4 Vengeance gets a slight makeover with a virtually new tracklist, including a couple of new remixes that help balance things out when CP3 gets a little complacent with his subject matter.

Apparently honing his craft while in the belly of the beast, C showcases a versatility within his flow that wasn’t present on his days with No Limit. “Get Fresh” is a parking lot pimpfest with enough treble to be classified as “trunk candy” and we find the Calliope projects O.G. getting his smooth operator on. Likewise, on the remix to “Posted On Tha Block,” his strong opening verse ensures he won’t be left in the dust amongst the heavy guest list which includes the long-lost Mia X. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by Khalid Strickland

On the regular, a glut of Hip-Hop beats are regularly cranked off the assembly line and coated with a sugary glaze. That’s good news for Presto, a dope producer from Culver City, California as his latest album, State Of The Art, should have no problem standing out in a saccharine rap game. Presto’s jazz-tinged tracks are organic, soulful and well-crafted. After releasing some exemplary instrumental LPs, Presto has recruited a diverse roster of adept emcees to bless his beats on State Of The Art. Read the rest of this entry »

…or at least that’s what it seemed like to me lol.

Hate em’ or love em’, they’re back. After years of titillating/boring Hip-Hop fans with beefs, pot shots, slaps, and gossip, G-Unit has finally released a full length follow up to 2003′s Beg For Mercy. Those who’ve tired of the Unit’s pervasive presence in Hip-Hop’s gossip rags, should brace themselves for another summer+ of 50 and friends. They’ve backed up the chatter though, by creating an appealing album in Terminate On Sight. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s what you all been waiting for ain’t it? What people pay paper for ain’t it? For some the anticipation has been too much to bear. Because Dwayne Carter has elevated his status to where fans, fanatics, and of course, critics eagerly await his next move. Let’s face it: the kid generates buzz. And not the kind that will fade when the cameras go off. We’re talking the type of hoopla where his cameos on a hook generate more attention than the actual song. His tenacious work effort over the last couple of years has successfully produced an audience who swear allegiance to his every verse, forgettable or not. So with the release of the oft-delayed Carter III finally here, it’s all eyes on Weezy to see if he can hit a home run at the height of his stardom. Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Jason Hortillas

You don’t want to like The Cool Kids – but you do. The tight pants. The loud ass T-shirts. The songs about bicycles. You just can’t get down with all that – but you do. These Chicago kids have become the quintessential guilty pleasure from Hip-Hop’s freshmen class.

Hearing “Black Mags” for the first time last fall, all I could initially comprehend was bass. Hearing the thump, my head began to slowly nod, with its pace increasing in speed until I caught up to the BPM. You could actually catch me saying “waddup,” quoting Mikey Rocks while walking with my iPod in hand. Let’s just say I got “got.”

Fast forward to May 2008. The Bake Sale (Chocolate Industries) is the group’s first official release after almost a year of pushing their product via Read the rest of this entry »

The artistic zenith that Usher Raymond reached his last go around was one that combined an impeccable blend of hits, emotion, and truth be told: magic. Confessions was the equivalent of capturing lightning in a bottle with no clue on where it was going to hit. The right record at the right time, subsequently elevating Usher’s star from “super” to “mega” and bringing in accolades by the boatload.

But the last four years has seen significant changes in the R&B poster child’s life that’s sure to affect the scope of his music. Recently married with his first child, it’s inevitable for the subject matter to take on a more focused stance in relation to his current lifestyle. As expected, his fifth album Here I Stand includes all sentiments of a fresh romance while still revolving around Usher’s strengths of an artist. It’s factors like this that allow the album to succeed without harboring any explosive or breakthrough material. Read the rest of this entry »