Rating:
  Review Date: June 23, 2008
  Website: Prolyphic & Reanimator Website
  Label: Strange Famous Records

Prolyphic & Reanimator “The Ugly Truth” Album Review
Prolyphic and Reanimator don’t make music that has what you might call “popular appeal.” You’ll probably never read about them in that hip-hop magazine you pay $12 a year for. You won’t likely hear one of their singles on your local hip-hop station – even if you’re a baller with XM. And you’ll definitely never turn to MTV and see them featured on any top video countdowns. Well, that’s too bad, because despite its lack of pop appeal, Prolyphic and Reanimator’s “The Ugly Truth” has made the most memorable impression of any album to drop in thus far in 2008. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: June 17, 2008
  Website: Homeboy Sandman Website
  Label: Independent

Homeboy Sandman “Nourishment” Album Review
Everybody listening to Homeboy Sandman for the first time will agree on one thing: this guy can rap fast. In one of the tracks from the CD, React, he mocks critics who can’t keep up with him: “Yo sand, yo what’s up with all this fast shit man, slow that shit down man, can’t even understand what the fuck you saying man.” Sandman, though, you can tell, does not take his rapping speed to the limit in this album. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: June 10, 2008
  Website: K’naan Website
  Label: Interdependent Media

K’naan “The Dusty Foot Philosopher Deluxe Edition” Album Review
It’s been more than two years since I was first introduced to the music of K’naan. It was early 2006, and I saw him open up a show for Jean Grae, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Now I’ve always said that Kweli and Mos are among the best live performers in hip-hop – yet K’naan somehow managed to give the most memorable performance of that evening. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: June 4, 2008
  Website: Everliven Sound Website
  Label: Freedom Entertainment

Everliven Sound “Freedom” Album Review
Looking at the state of things, I made a prediction recently that many of the independent hip-hop releases to come will be early-to-mid-90s inspired, politically based albums. It’s crazy how, as soon as I made this forecast, I got an album called “Freedom” by a crew called Everliven Sound. Everliven Sound is made up of Cymarshall Law (Rawkus 50) and Skit Slam; and on this release, both deliver an up-tempo, jazz-filled Poor Righteous Teacher sound - all with a message of sovereignty within the hip-hop game and the world alike. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: May 28, 2008
  Website: Little Vic Website
  Label: Orena Records

Little Vic ”Each Dawn I Die” Album Review
In my English class I just finished reading “The Catcher in the Rye” and I can’t help but venture a parallel between Holden Caulfield and the voice behind this album, “Each Dawn I Die.” I can imagine Mr. Salinger wincing at my reference to his text (I would, too, if the man who attempted to assassinate President Reagan publicized my book), but Little Vic seems to truly epitomize the freedom of spirit and the indignant yet honest self-expression associated with Caulfield. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: May 12, 2008
  Website: The Roots Website
  Label: Def Jam

The Roots “Rising Down” Album Review
Black Thought is in my opinion the best emcee in hip-hop. All those cats that say shit like “He’s not charismatic enough” or “He doesn’t have enough passion” don’t know what they’re talking about. Whatever characteristics you judge a rapper by – lyrics, flow, rhyme style, versatility, individuality – Thought has them all. However, this opinion and the expectations associated with it caused an initial disappointment with “Rising Down.” (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: May 5, 2008
  Website: Kats Website
  Label: Shit-Storm Records

Kats “Katskills” Album Review
Being a fan of what I like to refer to as “underground hip-hop” seems to be getting more difficult every day now. Originally, I started following the underground because I was tired of the fakeness and the repetition in mainstream hip-hop. Back then, the underground was a place that allowed rappers to be themselves and stray from the same tired images, styles and sounds. These days, however, that is not necessarily the case. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: April 28, 2008
  Website: Atmosphere Website
  Label: Rhymesayers

Atmosphere “When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold” Album Review
There’s a lot I can say about Atmosphere’s “When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.” But the first thing that comes to mind is that this album exactly what I hoped to get from Slug and Ant this time around. In my review for the duo’s last major release, “You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having,” I had just two complaints. One, I felt that maybe it was time for Slug to get off the whole self-abusive anger kick; and two, maybe it was time for Ant to try a different sound – something like the live band feel they were touring with at the time. Well, I am happy to say that Atmosphere accomplished both with the release of “When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.” (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: April 23, 2008
  Website: Black Milk Website
  Label: Music House

Fat Ray & Black Milk “The Set Up” Album Review
Black Milk and Fat Ray’s “The Set Up” is a straight gutter, battle rap release - period. Every now and then I need a balance of my hip-hop music to include the street-inspired presentations like “The Set Up.” As of lately, I have been on some personal “rename random albums,” and this album I renamed “Punchlines & Amped Beats Vol. 1” - as there are plenty to go around. A true fan of battle raps will be in heaven with this presentation. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: April 21, 2008
  Website: Living Legends Website
  Label: Legendary Music

Living Legends “The Gathering” Album Review
In the first track of “The Gathering,” the Living Legends claim to be “eight of the dopest grown men with microphones you ever heard in your life” – and I gotta agree with that. If I had to make a list of my top 20 emcees, each person in the Living Legends crew would be on the list somewhere. Ever since their last album, “Classic” dropped – which was undoubtedly a classic – I’ve been waiting to hear these eight cats together on an album again. (more…)