You may remember Krumb Snatcha from Gang Starr’s quotable “Make Em Pay” off the Moment Of Truth LP Or you may remember last years’ Snatcha Season EP, featuring the wonderfully DJ Premier produced anti-guns anthem “Closer To God”. Bringing it back in ’99, Krumb delivers some of his most solid material yet, most notably, “Killer In [cont.]

After a year-plus break, Company Flow (minus Bigg Jus) return to scene with El-P’s trademark aggro-electro steelo. Ill Bill joins El-P on the obtuse, fun crushin’ “Simian D aka Feeling Ignorant” while “Simple” is anything but as Co Flow gives your noggin a hard knock with the lyrics that lets the beat damage it further. No less [cont.]

The Network Reps return for another 12″ on Nervous … Leading this one off is the Punch & Words featured “Yeah”, which is a different mix than the one found on your Superappin’ compilations. While Shawn J. Period’s new mix is nevertheless still fresh, the original still has me on lock, with that ill ass [cont.]

“Ka-Ching” just reminds me how very, very rare artists like De La Soul and Gang Starr are. Like Brand Nubian, their careers have survived the times but this new 12″ finds Sadat X doing some bling, bling, hoes and b*tches bullsh*t while De La and Gangstarr have maintained integrity AND excellence without pandering to the trendy sh*t. No [cont.]

Coming from the In Too Deep soundtrack, and also working a the buzz clip for the upcoming Method Man & Redman album, America’s Most Blunted is “Tear It Off”. Erick Sermon ups the ante from his usual style, putting the BPM above 100, as Meth and Red see how high they can get once again. Givn [cont.]

At the risk of sounding blasphemous, I just wasn’t feeling Reflection Eternal’s last 12″ (“Express”). The production felt off and even a little uninspired and Kweli doing braggadocio just isn’t as good as him moralizing. Insightful lyrics – even when heavy-handed – usually edge out middle of the road ego flexin’. “Move Somethin’” is neither [cont.]

Coming from the U.K. production team’s forthcoming album, The Creators bring their first star-studded single. Mos Def & Talib Kweli bring “The Hard Margin”, sporting deep, low-end production of which Mos and Kweli mesh with perfectly. Given its spaced out vibe, this one may go over the heads of some, but those willing to take a deeper [cont.]

I honestly thought U-God would up the ante a bit for his solo project, but “Bizzare” is pretty standard. Nothing too exciting here at all. The track is kind moving, along with the Wu-Tang Clan flavor. It sounds like it might be attempting to get some club / radio play, but U-GodÂ’s lyrics are too complex to [cont.]

If there’s one thing J5 has been good at, it’s been exclusive new tracks for their 12″s. Last time it was “Concrete and Clay”, this time around it’s “Long Road To Glory” which joins two of the best songs on the album already “W.O.E. Is Me” and “Monkey Bars” (instrumenta). A relaxed, mid-tempo track produced [cont.]

It’s questionable to me as to why The Roots decided to remix the supherb “You Got Me”. This one is completely different from the original version, as the track is much more rugged than it’s predecessor. The lyrics from the original version remain in tact, although rather than shorty from the original coming in during verse [cont.]

While “Get Dirty” and it’s remix feature the talents of Showbiz and production, as well as A.G. on rhymes, among those of the Ghetto Dwellaz, it’s “Who’s The Dirtiest” that really has me open. This b-side also features Show and A.G., where they steal the show on both areas of rhymes, and production. While Party Arty [cont.]

Rhyming in the classic tradition of such tag-team duos as EPMD or Run DMC - new school MC’s Andy Cooper and Dizzy Dustin proceed take us to a place where Fresh is the Mode, not just a word to say. Ugly Ducking may be a comical name for this crew, but it’s definitely a misnomer - nothing about this [cont.]

Hot on the heels of his single on DJ Honda’s label, Black Attack returns with a very dope record. “My Word” brings it back to the Correct days, as Black attack’s a wonderfully conconcted track from Sean Cane (Sean C). With it’s almost midevil feel to it, the track’s guitar lick, wandering horns, and very subtle, [cont.]

It’s about time that Black Attack came back out… “Rep Da R.I.” brings his return on some late night hype, DJ Honda  production. Using this one to rep the Roosevelt Island, the line that sums this one up is “My sh*t’s raw, but crazy underated like McGruff”. Hopefully we’ll see more of both Honda and the [cont.]

Last year’s “Hidden Crate” get the remix treatment, with an all new track from DJ Greyboy. A.G.’s lyrics remain the same on the “Hidden Crate Remix”, but if you slept last time, you’ve got a second chance here. I can’t place the samples, but the track is made up of a very early old school [cont.]

“Click Click” has the choppy NYC thug underground sound, with a pitch controlled tone. In essence, it’s a collage of samples camouflaged as a musical composition, and it works. Not to mention a hot verse from Freddie Foxxx, plus his perfectly timed “Click Click” duet with the sample, makes this a well produced track all [cont.]

Among a sea of just plain boring, and unimaginitive records, Count Bass-D’s latest shines like a smile on Juvenile. “Violatin’” takes the DJ Premier influence to the next level by actually sampling this deejay’s voice, ather than biting his infamous aray of scratches he laces each song with. A frantic Primo rhythmically shouts the hook, “You [cont.]

Damn, who are these kids? Rattling off lyrics like they’re going head-to-head with Rakim circa ’88, the Scum team of Insight and T-Ruckus bombard you with verses and a blaxploitated funk guitar loop on “Scum Live”. “Slug Fest” continues the verbal attack, this time over a driving, horn loop that’s as frenetic as Scum’s lyric pacing. And just [cont.]

Am I the only person to think that Fashion – excuse me, Al Tariq – made a career misstep when he left the Beatnuts? I mean, the Beatnuts are monster large nowadays, with considerable underground rep (even though they’re last two albums have kind of blown in my opinion) and increasingly commercial play. Al Tariq? [cont.]