Where is Rawkus headed right now? Far be it from me to be the arbitrator of what’s considered quality underground material but lately, they’ve really seemed to be churning out the same kind of generic NY sh*t that every other indie label in Gotham is guilty of. Not that Brooklyn’s Rise And Shine are wack, but frankly, they’re not dropping any lyrical sh*t that you couldn’t find on a dozen other 12″s in your local Fat Beats. That plus the beats are absolutely bloodless on all three cuts. Can the return of the Rose Family be far behind? – O-Dub

Agreed. I haven’t lost any faith in Rawkus as a label, they have continued to put out dope full-length albums, but as a distribution company, they may want to be a little more selective, as sub-par singles like this will drag their name through the mud. Both “Confess Your Sins”, and “War Drums”, are sleepy and monotonous, sounding like a bad combination between Sunz Of Man and Dead Prez  - and that’s not a good thing. Besides, I think I know two other MC’s named Rise and Shyne that I like better. – Pizzo