The Snowgoons consist of four members:Det, DJ Illegal, Torben and DJ Waxwork. Although the four man crew has been steadily making noise in their respective hometowns, it is with their first release of German Lugers that they smash onto the US underground circuit. With a title like German Lugers, you would expect the team [cont.]

As the old saying goes, you can’t judge an album by its cover. The cartoon image of a white MC on the cover of Remedy’s Code:Red in a sweatshirt that says “HIP HOP” isn’t shocking or even interesting anymore. Yes, Remedy is white, Jewish, and Wu-Affiliated, but is he more than that? Does his artwork [cont.]

From DJ Clue getting a record deal to some kid taping CDs in his basement for his friends, the mixtape is as much of an art form as the DJ puts into it. Some DJs just want to capitalize on the latest beef, hot artist, or whatever exclusives they can hustle. Some want to promote themselves [cont.]

Even more annoying than a credible artist inevitably signing a group of ‘lunatic’ lackeys once they get popular to ‘disturb the peace’ is a good group breaking up to spout off sub-par solo projects. The group in question is The Pharcyde, and the Slim Kid 3 of old has been reborn as Tre Hardson and dropped an [cont.]

Call it romantic, but God has given MC MC Paul Barman a noble mission in life: To make the dumbest, smartest Hip-Hop ever created. Never mind that he’s white, Jewish, nerdy, a moonlighting cartoonist, and that his  voice sounds like a black comedian’s impersonation of a white guy, his new album Paullelujah, is truly divine.     [cont.]

Dungeon Family affiliate Cee Lo’s solo venture, Cee-Lo Green and his Perfect Imperfections is a delicious barrage of contradictions. From doing work with Outkast, Goodie Mob, and the Dungeon Family, Cee-Lo has acquired more than enough experience and credibility to venture out on his own, and he states his independence boldly, rapping, writing, and producing all [cont.]

Dedicated crate diggers People Under The Stairs are the exact opposite of the conventional sampling method, going to extreme lengths to unearth rare records to make the tightest beats possible. In contrast, mainstream artists with enough cash to get the rights to the music they to want sample just for the recognition, not for love of [cont.]

Irony, pain, vulnerability, and insanity are apparent in the title before the listener hears the album. This is not music you pipe into the background at a party to boost the ambiance. This is real music – the cries of a tortured soul who lacks the ability to express himself any other way. It becomes [cont.]

Forget the whole Marshall/Slim Shady/Eminem trichotomy, the real identity crisis going on in hip-hop is in the churning thoughts of Oliver Hart, alias Eyedea. He’s a self-hating braggart, an introspective extrovert, a seriously poetic battle rapper, a new-jack producer, at home alone with a pad as he is onstage on HBO. After slaying his competitors on [cont.]

One of the most valued qualities in Hip-Hop is originality. No one wants to hear the same style, rhymes and beats over and over, so naturally the public will notice anyone different. Artists who would rather be noticed than revered take full advantage of this. In other words, rather than being one of the best, [cont.]