Compilation, No Rating Given.     While never caught with out his Terror Squad medallion, always armed with a crate of vinyl, D.J. Khaled has been holding down the title as one of Miami’s top D.J.s for quite some time. Representing the County of Dade all-day, Listennn, is a non-stop barrage of massive synthesizers and booming [cont.]

   Tadd Mullinix, also known as, Dabrye has no doubt mastered his equipment, garnering swirling melodies, solid sequencing, booming bass and a barrage of blips and bleeps that mesh together as his signature sound. With his latest release, Two/Three, he delivers what you’d expect from a Dabrye record – dark beats that retain the foundations [cont.]

      Some ten years ago, a post-Ultramagnetic Kool Keith joined with Dan The Automator, Kut Masta Kurt, and DJ Q-Bert, helping to birth the independent hip-hop movement with a record called Dr. Octagon. If fans thought Keith was strange in the early days, they hadn’t seen anything yet, as Dr. Octagon was perhaps the most [cont.]

    Sometimes artists get bored with the art of rapping. Hip-Hop can get pretty redundant nowadays; kids rapping the same ol’ 16 bars over the same ol’ boom bap about the same ol’ subjects. So, usually what happens to artists in this state, is that they will take a leap and try something different. Sometimes it works, [cont.]

   Prozack Turner is a good rapper. Since his days with Foreign Legion, he’s been a witty, energized and silly emcee. On his newest solo effort, Bangathon, he’s surrounded himself with many solid producers and rappers – most notably Rhymesayer’s Brother Ali and StonesThrow’s Oh No. At this juncture in his developing career, Prozack’s cadence compounded [cont.]

    Until recently, Three 6 Mafia could be compared to M.O.P  – loved and respected in their region, with legions of dedicated fans snatching up their every release – but more or less overlooked by mainstream society. Yet unlike most underground rappers, many hip-hop fans had heard of Three 6 Mafia, but few could actually [cont.]

    Bad Bay South’s latest project, Yung Joc, has garnered a decent amount of buzz the past few months following the slightly surprising emergence of another Diddy South byproduct, Boyz N Da Hood (more specifically Young Jeezy).  But in an oversaturated Southern movement, it’s hard to see anything that really sets him apart from the [cont.]

   Ice Cube may be known as one of those rappers that your kids wouldn’t truly understand was once the “N*gga You Love To Hate.” Especially not after those kiddie flicks and mellow acting gigs. Nothing in there really says that O’Shea Jackson was a “N*gga With an Attitude,” does it? Unfortunately, after Ice Cube [cont.]

  Almost ten years since his first appearance on the Rebel Alliance EP, Mr. Lif is just beginning to become a household name with the cool crowd. Although Mo’ Mega marks his second full-length solo release for Definitive Jux, it’s actually his fifth release for the label, also clocking two EP’s (Enters The Colossus and [cont.]

    Chances are, if you’re unconcerned (to a certain extent) about whom ‘they’ say is hot in hip-hop, you will have enough sensibilities to automatically detect a true emcee from the ones that are glorified via the mass media push. Whether humble or brash, true talent, just like how it’s similarly possessed by the varying flashy [cont.]

    Cam’ron has always been an artist that fascinated this writer, because he’s a perennial “should’ve been”.  He’s the rapper equivalent of L.A. Clippers swingman Corey Maggette.  Here’s a guy that, on paper, has all the tools to be great: played under a great coach in a great system, has size and quickness, he can take you off [cont.]

    Boots Riley and Pam the Funkstress don’t receive the recognition they deserve. For over a decade, the Oakland duo has released four critically acclaimed albums filled with funk, socio-political commentary, and attitude. On their latest effort, The Coup is fresher, angrier and rowdier than ever.     Their fifth release, Pick a Bigger Weapon, is [cont.]

   Jesse Ferguson, don’t know him? Well, many of you may not know the name right off the top, but he has been overseeing the creative direction of Definitive Jux as label manager for some time now. Still don’t know him? DJ Ese, know him now? This is the guise that Ferguson takes on when [cont.]

     Busta Rhymes is one of those artists that have made such an indelible mark on hip-hop, that they will be able to virtually work forever. Like LL Cool J, or Ice Cube, the foundation of each of these respective artists’ careers represents their best works, but holds them so firmly in place as living [cont.]

   Everyone loves a good movie in the theatre - buttery popcorn, overpriced soft drinks, giving a hickey to your significant other, breathtaking scenes, and a fantastic soundtrack.    Movie Scenes is the latest installment in the Beat Konducta series inevitably should be compared to J. Dilla’s Donuts; 30 plus songs, no track lasts longer than [cont.]

    There are many of us that still hold on to that tiny piece of thread from the Wu Tang Clan iron flag that unfortuantely unraveled a few years ago. We still look forward to anything Wu related. We hope that one track will take us back to the days when it was all so simple. But after [cont.]

     With Tales of the Forgotten Melodies, Frenchman Wax Tailor (WT) introduces his 2005 full-length debut to America, and this instrumental effort just may be one of the most cinematic hip-hop efforts ever created. WT admits to being influenced by American instrumentals like DJ Shadow and RJD2, yet this album doesn’t show any blaring similarities [cont.]

    Quite arguably one of the greatest rock and roll bands of our time, the legacy of Radiohead began in the 1980′s, where the then unknown group of Oxford teens studied music together in a private school setting. Breaking onto the major music scene in the 1990′s with their huge alternative hit, “Creep”, the band [cont.]

   Has anyone grown tired of the Crunk scene yet? Better yet are there any artists from the South who are tired of being associated with Crunk like it is the only style of music made below the Mason Dixon line? Basic Vocab may be considered as a group that has nothing to do with [cont.]

     For better or for worse, in this day and age, nothing goes unheard. Via mixtapes, bootlegs, and independent compilations such as this one, the fans get to hear just about everything our favorite artists do. So, during the off season, in between his 2004 album release, First Infantry, and his next album, Alchemist lets [cont.]