Just to give you a lil’ brief history towards that particular era, again we’re coming pretty much fresh from the deaths of the Notorious B.I.G. and 2 Pac. The climate of hip hop at that time was such that even though I don’t think it necessarily emanated from where the culture really emanates from, the [cont.]

Although it’s been a while since his album, Exit dropped in early 2003, hearing this Toronto-based emcee is always another step forward towards understanding humanity in a little more detail. His analytical skills are so abnormal when compared to other artists in hip hop, it must be warned that he’s not here to try desperately [cont.]

This record to the listener, if sober or sane, at first will seem really chaotic with its dusty, vinyl-static sound purposely filtered in the background. And then, asking yourself if this debut from Dudley Perkins (part of the crew the hip hop world grew to love through groups such as Lootpack, Quasimoto, & Oh No) should [cont.]

In the late hours of the night, Sunday’s to be exact, LA listens to Mike Nardone’s ‘We Came From Beyond,’ a hip hop radio show he’s broadcasted over the last 15 years on KLXU. Concentrating on upcoming local artists, indie imprints from around the globe and underground hip hop in general, his show first commenced [cont.]

It was since 2000 that emcees Prozack Turner, Marc Stretch and DJ Design dropped their debut, Kidnapper Van: Beats to Rock Whilst Bike Stealin’, one of those street-corner, free-spirited LP’s that took them on tours around the U.S. and overseas. Foreign Legion return with Playtight, a continuation of their focused efforts to demonstrate how goofy, silly [cont.]

Although her name may somewhat ring a bell, T-Love has never in her more than 10-year career, released an LP up until now. Already hitting the shores of the UK, Europe and Japan before the U.S., Long Way Back actually gathers a lifelong assembly of T-Love’s old and new works – some from as far back [cont.]

Compilation album; no rating given. – Editor Usually from the listener’s perspective, DJ-focused records concentrating on the cutting and scratching skills of hip hop tend to detract from one’s listening enjoyment. Time and time again, the nature of what you hear isn’t always best enjoyed unless seen performed, reoccurs as a flaw. Somewhat like listening [cont.]

DJ Muggs, the stellar founder/producer/DJ of the famed hip hop group, Cypress Hill, creates a drastic diversion with the release of this down-tempo, dark, rock-edged album, appropriately titled Dust. In no way, as some would predict, is this close to anything resembling a hip hop album. Muggs himself, may have proven to us over the [cont.]

As easily as most of the hip hop massive missed out on Zion I’s 2000 debut, Mind Over Matter, let’s face it – this gourmet-prepared, nutritional offering on their sophomore release, Deep Water Slang V 2.0, isn’t going to easily lure the average listener away from their customary quick-fix of processed chart-toppers. Instead, the slow [cont.]

Interview by Marlon Regis. HHS: I think with your production credentials being so overwhelming, most listeners fail to realize a great part of your focus has always been emceeing as well. How do you separate or find the time to tackle either successfully? Extra P: “Ahm, not really ’cause it’s just a flow of energy [cont.]

Remember these cats from the early 1990′s? Yet another victim of record label and corporate cutting, their scheduled sophomore release back then timed unfortunately into being shelved. Basically, Yaggfu Front were dropped from their label, Mercury. But now, under an independent Mends, The Secret Tapes puts together some of their nostalgic productions and rhymes from 1992 [cont.]

Supastition is one brilliant writer/emcee who through his 7 Years of Bad Luck LP, has more than enough to say about his countless trials and tribulations. In making an effort to be appreciated as an emcee, a father, a son and a survivor, his raps are all self-defining compositions from the past seven years. The funny [cont.]

By now most of you would have been aware of The Beat Generation series, with already released albums by producers such as Pete Rock (Petestrumentals), Jay Dee (Welcome 2 Detroit), Marley Marl (Re-Entry), Wil.I.Am Of Black Eyed Peas (Lost Change) and others. Up next, DJ Jazzy Jeff, the Philly-bred turntablist and producer that the world has grown to [cont.]

Back in 1995, D&D Project gave us glimpses of future rap stars and had heads rocking to Walkman classics like “The Good Die Young” by Curt Cazal & N’Tense and a few others that were refined hardcore flows from one of NYC’s most famous studios, so famous they had to put it out again. Many times [cont.]

In the UK, whether it be the Garage, Drum + Bass, Dancehall/Reggae or the Soul scene, British music culture is so rich, vibrant and void of commercial distractions, that those looking for purity will most of the time hold UK artists up in very high esteem. In UK’s hip-hop circles, the outlook shouldn’t be any different [cont.]

Scratch (Of The Roots), if you’re not familiar with by now, is that integral ‘human-instrumental’ member of The Roots ensemble, amazing fans worldwide from stage to stage with his vocal variations in sound. Now with his first solo release, the purpose and true entertainment value of listening to a human beat box for an entire album, [cont.]

 You don’t have to wipe your feet before you enter into this first release from BBE’s Beat Generation series, because this house of productions on Jay Dee’s LP is as grimy as you’ll have ever heard this prolific Hip-Hop and R&B beat technician. Not at all tamed by his outside field trip assignments such as Tribe’s last [cont.]

Shabaam Sahdeeq knows a little something about having his faith tested.  After all, it was only a few years ago that Baam was prepping to release his solo-debut on Rawkus Records—then the bottom fell out.  After Rawkus peeled wheels on releasing his debut, Baam decided to cut ties with the label that promised to make [cont.]

 The opener, a symphony of strings meshed perfectly as the Intro is a fading instrumental less than a minute long, and by the texture, it’s not at all hard to believe that a hip-hop group oozing music so melodic, was conceived at Berkley’s College of Music in Boston. Although they may have been formed there, [cont.]

 Many DJ-produced and turntablist albums have withered into a category of being labeled as mix-tape or short-term material. Something you taste, not swallow nor digest. In fact, many of these past albums by the likes of Funkmaster Flex, DJ Clue, The Allies, Rob Swift and others were formatted just like mix-tapes or run-throughs, which in a [cont.]