Once you craft a classic hip-hop record, it’s hard to maintain that level of quality throughout the remainder of your career. Case in point is Showbiz and AG’s Runaway Slave, one of a handful of records that helped define the sound of New York rap in the early 90′s and jump-start the D.I.T.C. movement. The duo’s follow-up, Goodfellas, was also solid, but of course didn’t match up to their debut. Following this, both Showbiz and A.G. remained busy in the post-Payday hip-hop industry, mainly scrambling for crumbs in the indie hip-hop world. 1998′s Full Scale was the pinnacle of their contributions during the do-it-yourself era, proving that they could still make dope – and successful – records, with or without a label.

10 years have passed, and while we’ve seen A.G. release a few solo projects, and Show lend his production to a number of indie 12inch releases, it’s been a while since they’ve released a record together. With the imminent destruction of the physical music world, the question is begged whether it’s worth the duo’s time to continue to make records. With Live Hard, we find out if they can make magic one more time.

The first thing you notice after listening to Live Hard is how well the two work together. Show’s production style hasn’t changed drastically since Full Scale, as he still provides those late-night hype, subway car beats, and A.G. sounds perfectly over them. Aged and weathered, Andre The Giant now raps from the perspective of a vet, recounting tales of his childhood and life experiences.

The aptly titled “Business As Usual” gets right down to it, as Show’s crispy piano loop beautifully as Show effortlessly flows over the track. “The World Is Listening” is 1995-era New York City captured perfectly, but with the more polished, cleaner production and mixing of today. This infectious, mellow head-nodder bleeds The Bronx, begging to be listened to in headphones while walking Uptown. Here, a cool, laid back A.G. kicks life-lessons to the youth, based on what he’s learned over the years. “Running Man” takes you even deeper into the heart of the city, as Show’s lush production animates A.G.’s tale being on the run from the law.

But, it’s not all quite as flawless as the duo’s last EP, Full Scale. Show is no slouch in the production department, he’s proven that. But some of the selections aren’t quite as tight as the other songs. A.G.’s “everyone got a price” aesthetic is a compelling rant, but here’s Show’s four bar piano loop gets a bit repetitive at times; thankfully, O.C.’s hook helps flesh it out a bit. The same can be said for both “Live Hard” and “Magic” - both tracks are solid contributions, but just barely miss the mark like some of the album’s other tracks.

All in all, longtime fans of Show and AG will not be disappointed with Live Hard. Considering the digital edition is also packed with full album instrumentals, the consumer is really getting the most for their money. While the music industry finds itself in shambles, it’s nice to see that groups like Show and A.G. embrace the digital music movement, and continue to release new projects, rather than fade into obscurity. – Pizzo