It’s probably a little bit of a stretch to say that Bun B is underrated. He had a good run with the late Pimp C in UGK, he’s had two well regarded solo albums and it’s pretty much the consensus opinion among hip hop fans that he’s dope on the mic.

Still, it’s fair to say that Bun hasn’t had his definitive star turn. Yet that’s exactly the kind of buzz he’s been enjoying since word got out that a certain famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) rap magazine was giving his third solo release, Trill O.G., a perfect 5/5 score.

Regardless of what previous albums may have received the same score (ahem, Lil Kim), that’s lofty praise. On first listen, though, there’s every reason to think it may live up to the hype.

Bun B sets the tone right off the top on “Chuuuch!”: “Go ask the hustlas, the gangstas, ask your momma. / And they’ll tell you the best who ever did it is still in here doing it, you can’t fuck with it. / And I’m a hit it on the head with a hammer, reppin’ H-town like Phi Slamma Jamma. / Am I hard enough? Am I real enough? Am I ready bro? / Well you already know, on your mark, set, ready, go.”

He also has plenty of help on the first half of the album, including spots by T-Pain on “Trillionaire,” Young Jeezy on “Just Like That” and current man of the hour Drake on one of the standout tracks, the organ-driven “Put It Down.” A posthumous UGK-2Pac collabo even takes place on “Right Now,” with the result sounding a lot more natural than other similar attempts.

The solo tracks on the second half of the disc allow Bun B to show off his versatility as a lyricist. The old school, move-the-crowd vibe of “Lights, Camera, Action” flows right into the in-your-face “I Git Down 4 Mine” (produced by Steve Below, whose work is something of a revelation), followed a few songs later by the DJ Premier-blessed “Let ‘Em Know.” And that guy again, Drake, shows up to help close things out on “It’s Been A Pleasure.”

Repeated listens reveal just a few spots where things drag. The aforementioned Jeezy team-up is one, and several tracks toward the end could have been swapped with their iTunes bonus counterparts and made the album even stronger.

No matter, though. While it may not be a classic in the sense that it will change the direction of hip-hop or make an indelible impression on the next generation of rappers, Trill O.G. is as well crafted as almost anything else that’s dropped in 2010. It’s arguably Bun B’s finest moment, a remarkable feat for someone with his longevity and something that should end any underrated talk once and for all.

Just like a top pro athlete, Paul Wall has his eyes firmly locked on the title. In his case, it’s the crown he wears as the self-proclaimed People’s Champ, and he’s clearly in a frame of mind to defend his gold on his latest studio effort, Heart of a Champion.

Right from the opener, “Take Notes,” it’s apparent that Wall still has a hunger for his craft. That’s something that’s always nice to hear – no one likes a lazy rapper – but it’s even better coming from someone who’s been in the game for a bit and could easily be putting it on cruise control at this point.

Wall has always had some natural charisma on the mic, and while he is never going to be known as a punchline master, he does have the ability to string together some clever lines. The down side is that he usually restricts his creativity to coming up with new ways to describe how he keeps getting his money, and as a result, songs like “Stay Iced Up” and “Pocket Fulla Presidents” all kind of run together without distinguishing themselves.

Even when he goes in a different direction, like teaming with Devin the Dude and Z-Ro to talk about how they “Smoke Everyday,” Wall isn’t exactly saying anything new. But just when Heart of a Champion is about to fall into the pattern of monotony that plagued his last two albums, it’s saved by a few welcome guest spots and some above average production from a surprising source.

Putting their beef behind them, Wall and Chamillionaire represent Houston together on the head nodder “Round Here,” while Bun B and Kid Sister lay down verses on the assertive “Imma Get It.” In an example of an unlikely collaboration that actually comes off nicely, Raekwon, Jay Electronica and Yelawolf feature on “Live It,” talking about how even hustlers need to stop and smell the roses every once in a while.

The latter two tracks are produced by Wall’s buddy and Expensive Taste partner Travis Barker. Though the Blink-182 drummer has worked with Wall before, his beats use brass hits, saxophone loops and more up-tempo drums to stand out from the slow, bass-and-synth heavy sound that dominates the rest of the album.

It’s possible that since he’s established himself with four releases under his belt that Wall knows what his fans want and simply wants to give it to them. That’s commendable, but it’s the times he steps just a little outside his routine that give Champion its heart and makes it worth a listen.

Weed and hip hop have a relationship that goes way, way back. As a a result, this reviewer remembers one person assuming I must be smoking back in high school because “you listen to rap, don’t you?”

Few current rappers get as much mileage out of the pleasures of lighting one up as Curren$y. The New Orleans native makes clever allusions to it, talks about it outright, and even when he spins tales about the opposite sex, they inevitably want to hang with him so they can smoke with him.

Yet anyone who’s followed him on his winding road (dude was signed to No Limit and Young Money in the past before ending up with Damon Dash) to his first official studio album, Pilot Talk, knows Curren$y is more than just a one-trick pony. He’s got a full batch of arrows in his lyrical quiver, and they’re pretty much all unleashed on his debut.

You want confident? Curren$y does that in style on “King Kong,” boasting that the big gorilla “ain’t got shit on me.” He takes a more inspirational direction on “Example,” talking about how being true to one’s self can pay off, and on “The Day,” where he gets welcome assists from Mos Def and Jay Electronica.

“Prioritize (Beeper Bill)” comes with some pointed advice in the chorus, with the rapper suggesting “If you ain’t got no rims, nigga, don’t get no wood grain steering wheel./ But you can lay back, let your paper stack. / Instead of going into overkill, pay your fucking beeper bill.” The smooth final track, “Life Under The Scope,” is just as astute a look at the downside to fame as anything you’ll find on Drake’s recent album, except less paranoid (yeah, despite the weed).

Helping it all come together is the guiding hand of Ski Beatz, who produced or co-produced all but two songs. The overall vibe is mellow, as you might expect, but there are enough changes in tone and tempo to keep things interesting.

And while having just one man behind the boards can sometimes lead to monotony, Ski takes influences from jazz, funk and rock and mixes them together to form a near perfect complement to Curren$y’s flow. It may not be the most commercial sound – perhaps part of the reason the album ended up as DD172/BluRoc instead of becoming the vanguard of a revitalized Roc-A-Fella – but it’s compelling, and there’s no doubt that it works.

Don’t fret if you like to light up: Curren$y still has plenty to say on “some of the good things that weed can do” on tracks like “The Hangover” and “Chilled Coughphee.” Just keep in mind that Pilot Talk can’t be dismissed as simply smoke, because there’s some definite fire on there too.

It’s sad to say, but even in this day and age, some people need to be convinced that “rap music” actually deserves its label. Fortunately, it’s easy to point them to The Roots, as the Philly collective always shows off plenty of musicianship, and point man Black Thought can rhyme with the best of them.

The group’s latest effort, How I Got Over, is no exception. Tightly crafted as always – though a little short at just over 42 minutes – the new album showcases all of the traits that have made the group one of hip hop’s most consistent creative forces since the mid-90s (as well as the lone reason for regular viewing of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon).

Few lyricists are as good at summing up the various ills facing modern society as Black Thought, and he starts off in that same vein with tracks like “Walk Alone,” “Dear God 2.0” and “Radio Daze.” The general sound is fittingly sparse, propelled by percussion and bass from Questlove and company with the addition of a piano or organ here and a flute there.

Thought has help too, with longtime collaborator Dice Raw making a number of appearances and more recent compatriots Truck North and Peedi Peedi in the fold as well. It’s also great to here Phonte of Little Brother on several songs, as his style is a great match to The Roots’ sensibilities.

The second half of the album takes a more positive turn, exemplified by “The Day.” Assisted by Blu and Phonte and a chorus by Patty Crash, Black Thought lays down a mantra for perseverance: “Checking the breath, take a view from this high rise. / Feeling like I’m checking out a game from the sidelines. / I got to try different things in these trying times. / 2010 is different than it was in 9-5. / It’s come alive time. I picked a fine time, / For getting open off life like a fine wine.”

Yet while there’s plenty of goodness in How I Got Over, you can’t help but think there’s just a little something missing that would elevate it from “very well done” to “classic.” Maybe it’s that thematically, it feels pretty similar to Rising Down: show all the ways that the current state of things is fucked up, then explain how we can still pull through.

Or it could be that you’re left wanting more aggressive tracks where Black Thought and friends just go for it. There’s really only one, “Web 20/20,” and it comes right at the end of the album. In some ways, though, that’s kind of nitpicking. The Roots don’t seem capable of making a bad album, so while this might not be rap music at its very best, it’s still awfully damn good.

As far as artists trying to have it both ways – that is, keeping their street cred intact while selling records at the same time – few currently have it figured out like Plies. The Florida-born rapper made sure everyone knew how real he was by including the word in the titles of his first three albums, yet a couple of top ten pop hits probably deserve more than half the credit for helping him go gold every time out.

To paraphrase Janelle Monae, Plies is still doing the tightrope on his latest, Goon Affiliated. What happens, though, when the radio hits stop coming? That might be a pressing issue, as none of the singles released so far have caught fire and nothing else has the feel of an obvious smash.

That leaves him falling back on his grimier stuff, and while there’s nothing wrong with tracks like “Go Live” and “Get My Niggas Out,” there’s nothing particularly memorable either. And that goes for the beats as well as the lyrics.

But just when you’re about to say “hell no” to the whole thing after the ridiculousness of “Bruh Bruh” and “Goonette,” it dawns on you: Plies is pretty funny and clever when he wants to be. It’s a little twist of humor that elevates “Rob Myself” above most songs where rappers talk about how rich they are, and the chorus of “Awesome” can’t help but make you smile.

“Model” features Plies telling the world that he’s too good looking to a be a rapper (“How ya’ll say it up North? No homo?”). And while guests are few, Young Jeezy and Fabolous stop by to explain why it “Look Like” they all sell dope.

Yet the most interesting track didn’t even make the final cut, appearing as a bonus on the deluxe version. “Letter” is a much more on point indictment of the music business and the mindset of certain rappers than you’d expect from someone, like… well, Plies, and the beat incorporates the sound of a typewriter to good effect. Why he and/or the label decided to leave it out is anyone’s guess.

Maybe it just didn’t fit the formula that Plies has followed to success thus far. It’s just that the blueprint is showing signs of fraying around the edges on Goon Affiliated, so a Plan B is probably not a bad idea at this point. There’s more to Plies than meets the eye, he just has to decide if he wants to show it to us or not.

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/06/17/plies-goon-affiliated-12-review-sticky/feed/ 1 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/04/24/little-brother-leftback-12-review-sticky/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/04/24/little-brother-leftback-12-review-sticky/#comments Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:17:07 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=12631 [cont.]]]>

Fans of Little Brother will probably agree that the group’s history is like a microcosm of most of the last two decades in the rap game. After all, they’ve already had label trouble, video controversy, people trying to pigeonhole their sound and internal strife – and all of it has happened since 2003.

Now it seems like Phonte and Big Pooh have moved on to the final act in this career arc with Leftback, their fourth full length group effort. Any new LB album is cause for anticipation, but this time it feels slightly bittersweet because it sure doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting any more after this.

That’s apparent from the very first song (and lead single ) “Curtain Call.” Though it features both lyricists in top form over a breezy Khrysis beat that calls to mind the good old days alongside 9th Wonder, the chorus pretty much says it all: “Don’t stop, you know it don’t quit, but when it’s curtain call then that’s all you gonna get.”

Other choice cuts showcase the versatility that makes Little Brother stand out from the crowd while remaining so difficult to categorize. The guys from North Carolina can comfortably drop smoothed out rhymes about a night on the town with their best lady friends on “Table For Two,” then come back two songs later and smack the listener in the head with more aggressive lyrics with guest stars Truck North and Median on “Revenge.”

The excitement level dips a little bit in the middle of the album with several tracks where the production lets the rappers down a bit, plus two remixes of songs we’ve heard before (“After The Party” and “Two Step Blues”). But things return to form on the last two cuts, the almost hypnotic “Before The Night Is Over” and the hard-hitting “24,” which once again show off the group’s two sides perfectly.

As a whole, Leftback isn’t going to unseat The Minstrel Show as LB’s finest work, but it’s clear the duo can still make dope music. So is it simply the lack of commercial success that’s forcing the group to call it quits?

Phonte gives an unabashedly earnest answer to that question on “Tigallo For Dolo”: “I always spit whenever the spirit hits me, but fuck if I’ma be doing this shit when I’m 60. / And that’s no disrespect to KRS, I’m just trying to make my art and do what’s smart. / I’m saying, rapping ‘Te four-and-a-half mic honoree, or singing ‘Te first time Grammy nominee? / Nigga you do the math, nigga you add it up. That’s on my mind when I press record. / A lot of niggas probably mad at me, but I would rather be a lonely wolf than a sheep that’s bored.” That’s real talk.

So this really does look like the final bow for Little Brother, unless the guys really want to follow the career template to the fullest and do a comeback album someday. And even if there’s never another chapter in the LB saga, as Big Pooh says, “You can always press rewind and relive it again.”

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/04/24/little-brother-leftback-12-review-sticky/feed/ 3 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/04/01/inspectah-deck-manifesto-review/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/04/01/inspectah-deck-manifesto-review/#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:05:53 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=10180 [cont.]]]>

There’s something to be said for persistence. That’s especially true in music, where it’s admirable for an artist to stick to it and keep releasing new material because he loves what he’s doing, even if it never blows up.

Inspectah Deck has certainly had his share of heady success back in the heyday of the Wu-Tang Clan, but he’s never really captured the imagination of hip hop fans as a solo act. Yet he’s still at it, writing rhymes and handling a big chunk of the production duties for his fourth studio album, Manifesto.

Though Deck has never had the charisma or unique personal style of some of his teammates, he’s always been a dependable, straightforward rapper who excels at both street tales and more abstract lyrics. The Alchemist sets him on the right path with “The Champion,” which falls in the latter category and musically sounds more stereotypically Wu-Tang than some of the stuff that the Clan’s in-house producers put out.

“This Is It” also sounds like what you’d expect from the Rebel INS, who still raps with some urgency in his voice: “Nearly died for it, cried for it, hustling blow. / Wife and the seed, competing with my love for the dough. / The hunger it burns, no wonder they yearn / They tried skipping my turn, this time, motherfuckers gonna learn.”

Sadly, this momentum doesn’t keep up through the middle part of the disc, much of which features Deck behind the boards. He does switch up the sound and the subject matter on tracks like “Luv Letter,” but nothing really stands out or makes you want to press repeat.

Just when you’re about to give up on Manifesto altogether, though, there’s a few pleasant surprises coming down the stretch. “Do What U Gotta” proves that Deck’s flow sounds great over jazzier, less gritty beats – who knew? – while “5 Star G” sees him put a better than normal spin on spitting game to the ladies. The final track, “Ghetto Love,” is up-tempo and sexually charged, and if you played it for someone without telling them who did it, they may mistake it for Jay-Z – not a bad thing in this case.

The title of the album makes it seem like Deck is trying to make a statement of some sort, and it’s not really clear if there’s anything there beyond the fact that he’s going to keep grinding. But when you stop to think about it, longevity is it’s own reward, and at the very least, the Inspectah shows us he has enough left in the tank to keep going.

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/04/01/inspectah-deck-manifesto-review/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/03/21/ludacris-battle-of-the-sexes-review/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/03/21/ludacris-battle-of-the-sexes-review/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:23:11 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=9011 [cont.]]]>

A concept album always seems like a bit of a conceit. That’s especially true in hip hop, where the results of such projects have ranged from incredible (think Masta Ace’s A Long Hot Summer) to average (like, say, T.I. vs. T.I.P.) to forgettable (examples too numerous to list).

Bringing Ludacris and Shawnna together for a whole album exploring the differing viewpoints of men and women when it comes to sex, relationships and life didn’t seem like an idea destined to be an instant classic – or much of a fair fight, frankly – but Luda has pretty much earned the right to do whatever he wants at this point. In the end it didn’t even matter, as Shawnna was jettisoned when she left Disturbing tha Peace.

So Battle of the Sexes ended up as simply the latest Ludacris solo album, albeit one focused primarily on a narrow list of subjects. Other female guest stars have been enlisted, including Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Kim, Monica, Trina and Eve, but the final product is largely a snapshot of the current state of affairs between males and females as interpreted by Chris Bridges.

That means you shouldn’t expect to hear the full range of Luda’s lyrics as showcased on his last joint, Theater of the Mind. Lead single “How Low” (a.k.a. “that chipmunk song”) and follow-up “My Chick Bad” are pretty representative of what’s in store, which is mostly club and radio-friendly fare.

Of course, Ludacris is skilled enough to make you listen even with one proverbial hand thematically tied behind his back. For proof, check out “Sex Room,” a track created by Kajun than musically calls to mind The Show, the After Party, the Hotel-era Jodeci – which is a compliment, in case you’re wondering.

With Trey Songz crooning in the background, Luda comes directly at the ladies: “It’s about to get real X-rated, can you handle what I’m ‘bout to do? / But enough about me, let me think, should I be worrying about if I can handle you? / Damn right I’ma get that thang, and I’ma put my name on it. / All night I’ma whip that thang, Allstate better put a claim on it.”

Another gem is the Neptunes-produced “Sexting,” which cleverly weaves text message lingo into the story of a guy who can’t stop chasing some tail. This kind of light, humorous song seems forced when some rappers do it, but it suits one aspect of Luda’s personality perfectly.

Since the other facets of his lyricism aren’t represented, Battle of the Sexes isn’t for everyone. At worst, though, it’s mostly harmless, and at best it’s something to make you laugh a bit or sing along when no one’s looking while you wait for Ludacris’ next non-concept release.

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/03/21/ludacris-battle-of-the-sexes-review/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/03/12/dj-khaled-victory-review/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/03/12/dj-khaled-victory-review/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:24:25 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=8154 [cont.]]]>

If you were able to get Ludacris, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes and Nelly, plus R&B superstars Usher and John Legend, all to appear on your album, you would probably have no doubt it would be the hottest thing out there. Thus, you can hardly blame DJ Khaled for titling his latest project Victory. The DJ-turned-exec has never been shy about declaring success, and with access to so much top talent, why not act like he’s got the game wrapped up, right?

After an intro that quickly makes the listener wish the more mellow version of Busta Rhymes showed up for work, the album starts out promising enough. Luda, Ross and Snoop join forces with T-Pain for the boastful “All I Do Is Win,” getting the energy level high on a track by DJ Nasty and L.V.M. Even better is “Fed Up,” which was the official lead single and teams Jeezy and Ross with men of the moment Drake and Lil Wayne, with Weezy sounding more focused than he has on most of his recent appearances. Usher lends a hand on the chorus and a half-sung, half-rapped verse that’s cleverer than you might expect. Traditionalists may prefer the title track, which really can’t go wrong considering it’s two verses of Nas spitting with John Legend doing the chorus. The Inkredibles make “Victory” their lone contribution to the album, and Nas is right at home backed by the piano loop and rolling drums.

Sadly, all of those highlights come in the first 20 minutes of the disc. The remaining tracks don’t leave much of an impression, with titles like “Rockin’ All My Chains On” and “Bring the Money Out” correctly suggesting not too much should be expected. It doesn’t help that The Runners and Schife and OhZee make a bunch of the songs sound pretty similar as well. It was rumored that The Neptunes and Cool & Dre were going to do some of the beats, but that either turned out to be false or their contributions ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor. Too bad.

With a couple of good singles followed by material that is destined to be easily forgotten, Victory is decent but nothing spectacular. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but with his clout and his large group of talented friends, you can’t help but think that Khaled was aspiring to something a little higher than that.

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/03/12/dj-khaled-victory-review/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/02/20/dj-green-lantern-styles-p-the-green-ghost-project-12-review/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/02/20/dj-green-lantern-styles-p-the-green-ghost-project-12-review/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:21:36 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=6592 [cont.]]]>

Call it the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup plan: two great tastes that taste great together. It’s worked out pretty well in the past for pairings like Buckshot and 9th Wonder, so the combination of mixtape ace/producer DJ Green Lantern and respected New York rapper Styles P would seem like a no-brainer.

The fruit of that collaboration is The Green Ghost Project, a collection of tracks that falls into the gray area between mixtape and full-fledged album, though leaning more toward the latter. Foregoing today’s usual blueprint of attempting to appeal to every different hip hop constituency, the project is 52 minutes of no-frills East Coast rap.

On the boards, Green Lantern takes an aggressive approach that results in a sound that’s probably even a little darker than the usual D-Block fare. When P rips through street life tales like “Nothin To Lose” and “Double Trouble” (with Sheek Louch), you don’t just hear his lines, you feel them too.

Unfortunately, the songs on the first half of the album tend to sound enough alike that they run one into the other without much to distinguish them. That’s true even of the Alchemist-produced “Make Millions From Entertainment” and Buckwild’s contribution “Time Will Tell,” where a guest spot from Raekwon doesn’t come off quite as exciting as one might expect.

Things come to life on the more varied second half, with “Pretty Little Thing” sounding more radio friendly but still dope, and Statik Selektah providing a throwback feel with the piano loops and scratches on “Shadows.” Two of the final three tracks are in-your-face winners: “Bang Time” with M.O.P. and “Pablo Doe,” a.k.a. the best thing Noreaga has been on in a while.

With Styles on every track, you don’t have to worry much about the lyrical side of the package. It may not be his finest hour on the mic, but he can literally take any beat, any tempo or any topic and make it work, and he’s consistent the whole way through.

The Green Ghost Project didn’t arrive with a whole lot of hype, but it’s the kind of music that speaks for itself. It may not be gold from beginning to end, but there are enough tasty moments that you can be glad The Ghost and GL put their heads together, Reese’s style.

]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2010/02/20/dj-green-lantern-styles-p-the-green-ghost-project-12-review/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2009/10/03/slaughterhouse-royce-59-joe-budden-joell-ortiz-crooked-i-slaughterhouse/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2009/10/03/slaughterhouse-royce-59-joe-budden-joell-ortiz-crooked-i-slaughterhouse/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:34:03 +0000 http://localhost/hiphop/?p=2652 [cont.]]]> With the exception of Wu-Tang Clan, which was introduced to the world fully formed, the concept of the hip hop supergroup is one that’s inspired plenty of anticipation with very little pay-off over the years. Putting several good emcees together has always seemed like a good idea, but whether the product couldn’t live up to the hype (The Firm) or never even got off the ground (Golden State, among others), disappointment has historically been the result more often than not.

So it was with equal parts excitement and skepticism that fans viewed the news that Slaughterhouse was going to come together for an entire album. Formed by Joe Budden for a song of the same name, there was no questioning the lyrical skills of Royce Da 5’9″, Joell Ortiz and Crooked I, and they sounded good together. But despite some promising cuts released in advance of the project, it was a fair question to wonder if the collective would hold up over a full-length release.

Fortunately, Slaughterhouse proves right from the opening track that they can be the exception to the supergroup rule. “Sound Off” is a lyrical call to arms backed by StreetRunner’s horns, giving every member of the group a chance to introduce himself with both slow and fast verses. Royce sets the scene with an apt Voltron comparison, Joell sums up the motivation by stating “Stay focused, that’s what I tell myself now and then / Don’t want to go back to that block, like where Varejao defends,” and Crooked boasts he’s “Pacquiao in the Philippines, the illest thing a nigga seen.”

Other highlights are equally inspiring. “Onslaught 2″ is the rare sequel that improves on the original, with each man passing the baton and Budden anchoring with lines like “See that bullet coming from around the corner like a shot from Angelina Jolie’s gun, think Joey’s the one.” The official lead single “The One” has a guitar-driven backdrop that seems a little out of place but still works, and “Cut You Loose,” while hardly the first examination of the ills of the record industry, is especially insightful because all four men have had their share of label drama.

The unstated fear of whether the beats can hold up to the rhymes turns out to be mostly unfounded. There’s good work on the album from a team of producers that includes DJ Khalil, The Alchemist and Mr. Porter, and every one of them brings something a little different to the table.

If anything keeps Slaughterhouse from becoming the five-star classic some hoped it would be, it’s that the superior energy level doesn’t stay consistent throughout. Some slower tracks drag down the second half of the disc, and one wonders if some more time in the lab would have helped smooth out the rough spots – the whole thing was allegedly recorded in less than six days.

Still, while the group may not have revolutionized the genre or broken any sales records, it’s still a treat to feel the vibe of four talented emcees trying to out-do each other on song after song. Slaughterhouse succeeds in doing what one of its skits suggests, bringing real rap back to the forefront, and that’s a worthy enough cause to hope these guys stay at it into the next decade. – Nick Tylwalk

Since his last studio album (and first for Def Jam), 2007′s From Nothin’ to Somethin’, did the poorest sales numbers of his career, Fabolous could be forgiven for bending even more to try to go with what’s trendy over what’s true for his new joint. That’s not the case, though, as Loso’s Way sees the rapper walking the line as well as he’s ever done it, putting the new album firmly into the category of pleasant surprises.

While the title is unabashedly inspired by the Pacino cult classic Carlito’s Way, to call the new record a concept album would be a bit of a stretch. What Loso’s Way does have going for it is a bit of a cinematic feel thanks to its team of producers – and it really is a team, as only Ryan Leslie does more than one beat – and a nice progression with most of the straightforward rhymes on the first half and most of the introspective stuff in the back half.

Fabolous comes out firing on the intro, “The Way,” as he describes how he made his name in the rap game without the same advantages others have had: “Let’s talk about how I’m killing everything I touches/ Or how I walked in this game with no crutches./ No Diddy, no Dupri, no Dr. Dre/ No Cash Money from Baby and no Rocs from Jay.” He does get a chorus from Jay-Z on “Money Goes, Honey Stay,” and it sure sounds like he’s channeling his inner S. Carter on the soulful “Pachanga” – and that’s intended as a compliment.

Other standout tracks include the other Mr. Carter, Lil Wayne, guesting over the drum line beat hooked up by Miguel Jiminez for “Salute” and The Alchemist cooking up a typically sinister “Lullaby.” The radio friendly cuts don’t seem to include a sure smash like Fab’s had almost every time out, but lead single “Throw It in the Bag,” “Last Time” and “Stay” are all catchy enough.

Def Jam also got just about every hot R&B artist out there to sing a chorus, including The Dream, Ne-Yo, Trey Songz, Keri Hilson and current man of the hour Jeremih. If the spins don’t come, it won’t be for a lack of trying.

All told, Loso’s Way is probably one of the smarter ways to make hip hop these days: keep one ear to the streets and one to the radio and the clubs, then hopefully find something that meets them halfway. Fabolous mostly succeeds with that balancing act this time, meaning a lot of different listeners should find something here that they like. - Nick Tylwalk

Add in his flourishing acting career and his sometimes tumultuous personal life and it’s understandable if fans wondered if they would ever hear something from him as satisfying as Black on Both Sides, his well-received 1999 solo debut. The good news is that ten years later, The Ecstatic sees Mos returning to top form, back in touch with his inner MC while still pushing some boundaries at the same time.

The rock-tinged lead track “Supermagic” may give some a few Black Jack Johnson flashbacks, but the sinister loop provided by Chad Hugo (of The Neptunes) for “Twilite Speedball” puts things back on a more traditional path. A group of producers that includes Madlib, Preservation and Mr. Flash serve up beats that show off a wide range of influences, from soul to Middle Eastern to African to Latin, but Mos Def is versatile enough that nothing feels too contrived.

He also can still bring it on the mic. On lead single “Life in Marvelous Times,” he takes listeners back to “the pre-crack era,” and the picture he paints is a vivid one: “Ends don’t meet where the arms can’t reach/Mean streets, even when it’s free it ain’t cheap./Ongoing saga, terminal diagnosis/Basic survival requires superheroics./No space in the budget for a cape/That’s when you got to fly by night to save the day.”

More gems are dropped on the standout track “Auditorium,” with Mos explaining exactly where his head is at circa 2009: “I speak it so clearly, sometimes ya’ll don’t hear me/I push it past the bass note, nations got to feel me./I feel it in my bones, black, I’m so wide awake/That I’m hardly ever sleep, my flow forever deep./And it’s volumes of scriptures when I breathe on the beat/My presence speaks volumes before I say a word/I’m everywhere, penthouse, pavement or curb.”

Slick Rick adds his own storytelling touch to “Auditorium” becoming the “Elvis of Baghdad,” but the list of guest stars on The Ecstatic is otherwise pretty short. The other half of Black Star, Talib Kweli, does stop by to lend a hand on “History,” but it’s a short reunion at just 2:21. Other material is likely to be too high concept or experimental for some. That includes songs like “The Embassy” and “No Hay Nada Mas,” which since it is completely in Spanish, went right by this reviewer.

Still, it’s easy to forgive a few eccentricities when they are part of a package like this. By and large, the rapper that we always knew was floating around in  Mos Def’s head is back, and like the title of the album states, it feels pretty good indeed. – Nick Tylwalk

The reasons for that are well documented, and as it turns out, the wait is going to be just a little bit longer. That’s because No Security is more of a compilation album than anything, designed to feature not just the three founders but the next generation of D-Block members as well.

That next wave rocks the mic and does work behind the boards all over No Security. So if you weren’t familiar with rappers Bucky, Snyp Life, Large Amount, A.P. and Bully or producers Vinny Idol and Poobs, you will be by the time you listen to it a few times.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as several of them show some promise. Bucky has an aggressive, grimy delivery that makes him sound like a modern day iteration of Onyx, and a couple of the other lyricists drop the occasional nice line. Idol, who sports the nickname “King of Beatz,” hooks up “From the Block” with a nasty synthesizer loop that suits the group’s style perfectly.

Let’s not kid ourselves though: the original D-Block lineup is still the main attraction. Their chemistry is still excellent, whether it’s displaying the same energy as their younger counterparts on Pete Rock’s remix of “Like That Ya’ll” or getting the spotlight to themselves on the breezy “Get That Paper.”

There are a few tracks that are instantly forgettable and others, like “Round & Round,” (which modifies the chlidren’s song “Wheels on the Bus” for it’s chorus… yeah, really) that stick in your head for the wrong reasons. But if the point of the album is to show that there’s more to D-Block than just the familiar names, then it’s mission accomplished.

As for the big three, they’re apparently working on a D-Block/LOX record that may get released toward the end of the year – and if Jada’s recent comments are on point, they could even be working with a certain Sean Combs again. For longtime fans of the group, that will be the main course, with No Security serving as a decent little appetizer to hold them over until then. – Nick Tylwalk

Just like he did for the first volume in 2007, Drama once again plays host and facilitator to bring together some big names (and some lesser ones) from rap and R&B for 13 new tracks. As he told MTV before the album was released, the concept was simply to make something that rocked from beginning to end, and while it doesn’t quite succeed, it definitely has its moments.

Part of the fun of any project like this is seeing who ends up teamed together, and the strongest tracks on Vol. 2 have some nice combos. That includes the lead single, “Day Dreaming,” which finds Snoop Dogg, Akon and T.I. talking about the girl of their dreams – who just happens to be a stripper – over a Drumma Boy beat.

Other standout pairings include Ludacris and Busta Rhymes on “We Must Be Heard” as well as Bun B and Styles P’s “Pimpin Ain’t Easy.” The Atlanta anthem “A-Town” is a solid passing of the baton between T.I., Young Dro, Sean P and Lonnie Mac, and Drama even got certifiable hip-hop legends Too Short and Scarface to each drop a verse on the album.

Of course the very nature of a compilation like this makes it tough to strike gold on every song, and that’s definitely the case here. Sometimes its the production (handled by various people, but with seven tracks by V12 The Hitman), which feels a bit flat, or the subject matter, like when Mike Jones, Rick Ross and Trick Daddy can’t do much with “I’m Fresh.”

Other times its one rapper just not being able to follow the one before. Case in point: “Yacht Music,” which features a hell of a lead-off leg as Nas reminds us that “This recession don’t affect the rich” before it loses steam when Willie the Kid takes the mic. Part of the point of a project like Gangsta Grillz is to give artists like Willie, La the Darkman and Lonnie Mac more of a chance to shine, but throwing them in-between the stars sometimes doesn’t do anyone any favors.

There’s no doubt that Drama is excellent at what he does, and while this studio collection may not rank quite up there with some of his highly regarded mixtapes, it’s definitely solid and gives hope that Volume 3 – already in the works – could be even better.