When Al Tariq (aka Kool Fash) left The Beatnuts  after their self-titled full-length debut, it felt like a devastating blow to the group’s then uncertain future. After all, they had just dropped a classic EP and LP back-to-back, and suddenly, the third-of-the-trio packed it up to pursue a solo career. However as the years [cont.]

     DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing has spawned countless imitators since its release almost a decade ago, but it still sounds unique. On this, his first full-length, Diplo has delivered a sound just as inimitable and fully formed; but where Shadow’s soundscapes were by turn paranoid, menacing and ethereal, Florida rides stuttering crunk drum programming and warm basslines [cont.]

    After releasing the most popular album of his career (a collaboration with MF Doom entitled Madvillainy), you would think that Madlib take advantage of his notoriety and high reputation by doing whatever he could to blow up. But as he consistently does with music, Madlib decided to forgo conventions. Since the Madvillain album popped off, [cont.]

    “So what are you guys? Old school, new school, R&B or hip-hop,” asked a fan at the beginning of Digital Underground’s “The Way We Swing”, some 15 years ago, and to no surprise, with Shock G (Digital Underground)’s latest release, Fear of A Mixed Planet , heads will probably still be asking that same [cont.]

      While her buzz factor is currently at its highest point, Brooklyn’s female super-lyricist Jean Grae has been establishing herself for years. Her solo debut, Attack of the Attacking Things, was released in 2002 to critical acclaim, and her Bootleg of the Bootleg EP laid further claim into her status as the game’s strongest estrogen-charged [cont.]

     “To smoke or not to smoke?” is no longer the question underlying Devin The Dude’s full-length albums, singles, guest appearances, probably even when he sings in the shower. Devin is not called “the Dude” for nothing, as his music serves as the soundtrack for smoke-fests (not Marlboros, folks), shotguns (not the kind with bullets), [cont.]

    Music Tu Madre, Bottle of Whoop Ass, Pimps Don’t Pay Taxes, Sick of Being Rich, and now A Job Ain’t Nuthin But Work, have more than given purpose to J-Zone’s lengthy stay in the independent hip hop game. These releases have also proven another thing, Zone is one ignorant dude. Whether you want to look at [cont.]

       Longtime partner of Rob Sonic in Sonic Sum, Fred Ones also goes way back with New York eccentric extraordinaire Mike Ladd, and helped record and mix the latter’s landmark Welcome To The Afterfuture, a record that was sampling Bollywood strings about 4 years before the mainstream caught on. With Sonic Sum’s The Sanity Annex [cont.]

     Successfully pulling off the always tricky “double-album” is quite a task for any rap artist. While Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac were able to pull it off without scars, Jay-Z and Wu-Tang Clan came under scrutiny for overloading their discs with excess filler. The latest name to attempt the double-album is St. Louis golden child [cont.]

     Legend has it, that in the 80′s, a young Jose Cartargena was a Bronx bomber, who tagged “TS” everywhere he went, which at the time stood for “The Squad”. However “The Squad” - whoever this consisted of at the time – wouldn’t begin to take form until the 1990′s, as Joe first had to get [cont.]

      Successfully pulling off the always tricky “double-album” is quite a task for any rap artist. While Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac were able to pull it off without scars, Jay-Z and Wu-Tang Clan came under scrutiny for overloading their discs with excess filler. The latest name to attempt the double-album is St. Louis golden child [cont.]

      With hip-hop groups that use live instrumentation becoming commonplace, it’s not easy to stand out amongst a sea of keyboard toting bands. The quintet Crown City Rockers (formally known as Mission) are one of these bands fighting for distinction. On their new album, Earthtones, MC Raashan Ahmad, producer Woodstock, keyboardist Kat Ouano, bassist/producer Headnodic [cont.]

   What happens when the dirty south collides with Shady/AfterMath? Young Buck is the answer. The silky, southern gold tooth emcee of the G-Unit attempts to put his best foot forward with his release, Straight Outta Cashville. What seems like surefire success in the wake of his G-Unit members rise to the top, may also [cont.]

“See the thing that pisses me off about rappers most of all in their endeavors and journeys to ‘keep it real’ is these motherfuckers lie so much that the average audience thinks that we’re all liars.”     These words voiced by Qwel on “The ‘IT’ in ‘Keeping IT Real’” are hard to argue with. But [cont.]

       Where there is smoke, there is fire. And where there was fire, there used to be the Arsonists, a group of five fiery emcees, all hungrily switching between topics of social issues and braggadocios punch-lines with the flick of the DJ’s wrist.        From the ashes of the Arsonists arrives Freestyle on his debut solo venture, [cont.]

     It’s hard to believe that with all the guest spots and singles they’ve appeared on, Frank N Dank only have one album under their belt. Two years have passed since the release of their 48 Hours EP and contractual obligations with a now defunct label made it impossible for them to release afollow up. But [cont.]

Compilation; No Rating Given        With one of the most controversial Presidents in American history looking to get re-elected, the politically-fueled hip-hop/ electronic compilation, Who’s America?, serves as a fitting soundtrack to our country’s heated political climate. Thankfully not one of the artists on this compilation is flat out telling you who to vote for. [cont.]

 Last year, MF Doom – under the guise of Viktor Vaughn – dropped one of the strongest underground releases of the year, in the form of Vaudeville Villain. This was a concept album that presented Doom’s new alias rhyming over the beats of many of Sound Ink’s in house producers, as well as as few [cont.]

“Selling a negative black experience/rap is a modern day Uncle Tom, yo/and actors, bacterias/fast and furious/challenge the master? Here he is/mass is curious/asking for serious/I outclass much more/than many and most/do a double detonation/for a deadlier dose/Got cuts, beats, rhymes/and do business/you don’t know jack if you ask: who is this?” On the evidence of Insight [cont.]

     While they may be two of the shortest gangster rappers ever, Queensbridge’s mini duns, Mobb Deep, pack the biggest guns, and can never stop finding new ways to rhyme about them. Some might call it a Napoleon Complex, but everyone can agree that Havoc and Prodigy have turned out a classic record or two [cont.]