Just when you thought you figured him out, Kool Keith flips the script, once again. “I mean, is the it just more of the same misogynist bullshit and rhymes that don’t make sense album after album?” cried the skeptics when Keith decided to start dropping albums left and right over the last few years. To the [cont.]

 “People be putting out like one single a year on vinyl. That shit ain’t tight; I don’t care what your name is.” That’s The Grouch, and he’s Making Perfect Sense with his latest solo album.. or is he? If you’re familiar with the Living Legends and the Mystik Journeymen, you already know his repertoire. The Grouch [cont.]

While Canadian emcees like Saukrates and Choclair have been getting their fair share of attention as of late, the Vancouver duo of Madchild & Prevail may be the best Canadian import yet (discounting Canada’s tasty alcoholic beverages). First and foremost some hardrocks may have trouble relating to SM’s dungeon & dragons topic matter. Romancing the elements of nature, [cont.]

Swollen steps up with their forth single, getting better and better everytime. “Front Street” is a pretty easily identifiable Alchemist track, a bit similiar to the beat he just laced Group Home with, and matches the unique styles of the Members well. Another treat on this twelve is “Counter Parts”, as beautiful chemistry between Dilated Peoples and Swollen Members [cont.]

The Doctor is in, but it’s not the one you think. This mysterious new characater project begins with an emergency page for the good Dr. Octagon to tend to patient with rabies. Instead what he finds is his angry, pistol packing, evil alter-ego, who tells him “Take two of these and call me in the motherfucking [cont.]

The Boot Camp Click (Black Moon, Heltah Skeltah, Cocoa Brovaz, O.G.C., etc) in their prime were a dynasty in the making, and consorted with the elite of NY s underground hip-hop scene. But since their auspicious arrival this talented core of emcees has been a shell of their former selves, suffering from a variety of growth-stunting [cont.]

Finding purpose in many Hip-Hop albums today is a lot like finding purpose in much of primetime television. Now, don’t front like there is some kind of substantial gain from zoning out to sitcoms and trashed-out “news” programs. And don’t even try to front like you can sit through every Hip-Hop full length released in [cont.]

Mission Impossible for the underground rapper: Create an album that stays true to your core audience, yet still supply the Tunnel banging club hits that the commercial crowd craves without playing oneself. Many have tried, unsuccessfully, yet the unthinkable has now been accomplished. Underground champion Pharaohe Monch has risen from the relative obscurity of …Konfusion [cont.]

The title of this compilation could have just as easily been called Superproducin’ – Great Beats. That’s not to take anything away from the all-star caliber of this diverse rhyme roster, but how fat would this sound acapella? That said, it’s obvious they decided that as long as the album was going to be called [cont.]

The outlet for this release finds the walkman taking first priority! Save this one for your rides and stereo after. With street appeal more than matching up to the mix-tape status that underground gems enjoy, most of the beats off this release are lovely.  But sometimes the singing chorus-hooks just destroy the effect. When istrumentals, [cont.]

The sight of things have changed a little bit since The Nonce  debut World Ultimate dropped. Not so many kids leisurely flip through old mix tapes and check for the honeys at the bus stops, as they have traded in their playful positively for super-scienifical thugged-out exoskeletons in order to parlay properly in 9-8. “But [cont.]

Heads in the know may remember the original cassette version of this floating around last year. Seemingly, talk started to bubble amid circles of dub traders and the virtually unheard tape finally found its way onto compact discs and wax. With 8 additional tracks, Jizzm followers have much to be pleased about. The true test though, [cont.]

The Raidermen return after a short hiatus with their latest 12-inch. “Piecemaker” is some raw sh*t, and I’m really feeling this one. While the subject matter of the song, guns, ain’t nuttin’ new, the production on this one is so phat. Off key pianos, a dirty quarter scratch and gunshot setting the song of just sounds [cont.]

Gazing back a few years ago to the adolescence of new school independent hip-hop we can proudly reminisce on a slightly different picture to the contrast of the current sight of things. ‘Back then’: There weren’t 25 different records coming out a week, Fat Beats only had one store, and Rawkus  was being clowned more [cont.]

The so-called Mudkids certainly aren’t dirty or gritty, even though with a 4trackmind you might expect something that sounds rougher than an unreleased Wu-Tang Clan demo. Never that. What the rapper cHoc MC and partner/producer El-Mass put together will not leave washboard mudstains on the ride of your mind; rather, they will refresh you and leave you [cont.]

Here to set it on ya, direct from California is the Fresno breed mic-phenom Planet Asia. Bringing true underground skills full-circle, Asia represents the epitome of old school lyricism, in an updated new school package. Lots of names are thrown around when discussing which up and coming emcee holds the most promise for the year [cont.]

 Blowing in like a breath of fresh air from the golden state, Defari Herut brings it back to the time when artists concentrated on dropping pure hip-hop, tailor-made for the heads whose life revolves around the artform. As if their roster wasn’t deep enough already, another member of the hella dope Likwit Crew gets tipsy for our listening [cont.]

Ever since Ice Cube stepped down as the west coast’s hip-hop political activist, it seems like there hasn’t been a voice to cry “We are at war,” Sistah Souljah-style, in the place where the sun sets. Although many have chosen to shut it out, there has been a little voice in the corner that keeps getting [cont.]

One of the most consistent independent hip-hop crews as of late has been Swollen Members. With their album just about to drop on American recently dropping, the crew brings an underground compilation on two pieces of wax on their own label, Battle Axe. Del The Funkee Homosapien wins for having the phattest track on this album [cont.]

 I played “Dr. EZ’s Cool Fantastic Part II” for my homie a while back and his response to the buzzing bass bumps and floating spaced-out keys was, “this don’t go together”. I beg to differ my friend, it fits like the number 3 special at Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits. And that is what basically sums [cont.]