Underground Hip-Hop

  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 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 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 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 8, 2008
  Website: Anti Citizens Website
  Label: 2012 Dynasty

Anti Citizens “Tunnel Visionaries” Album Review
When I first saw the name “Anti-Citizens,” I braced myself for another Immortal Technique experience — fiery political harangue and a long enumeration of toxic chemicals that were sure to kill me (no disrespect to Immortal Technique, he just scares the crap out of me sometimes.) What I got instead from their album, though, was stories about ordinary lives and perspectives of ordinary citizens, and none too nihilistic. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: March 24, 2008
  Website: HMD Website
  Label: PHILAsofikal Records

HMD “One Pursuit” Album Review
Before listeners plunge into HMD’s highly anticipated debut album, “One Pursuit,” they are given an unmistakable warning in the opening track: “We go get these old records … because you can’t copy these on the keyboard … we want those sounds.” Indeed this is one pursuit that HMD accomplishes triumphantly. His album showcases a stunning juxtaposition of instruments rarely rivaled by mainstream producers. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: March 17, 2008
  Website: Bisc1 Website
  Label: Embedded Music

Bisc1 “When Electric Night Falls” Album Review
This album is somewhat of a paradox. From a production standpoint, the beats are overwhelmingly dark and grimy, and feature gritty baselines and heavy electronic synths to demonstrate an eerily futuristic sound. From a lyrical standpoint, however, Bisc1 creates a much more positive vibe. While the album’s verses are compiled of several stories of struggle and hardship, the experiences are told mixed with optimistic interpretations and philosophical thought. This effect makes “When Electric Night Falls” an interesting combination of intelligent feel good lyrics over hauntingly eclectic beats. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: March 10, 2008
  Website: Rugged N Raw Website
  Label: Indie

Rugged N Raw “Another Level” Album Review
Charisma – some rappers have it, some rappers don’t. I could tell Rugged N Raw had it the first time I saw him walk on stage at NYC’s Bowery Poetry Club. Looking less like an emcee than a financial investor after a long day on Wall Street, RNR was decked out in a businessman’s attire, including dress slacks, button shirt, tie and suspenders. Because of this, I knew RNR had microphone skills before he spit even a single verse. After all, you’ve got to have skills to confidently jump on stage wearing something like that. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: February 27, 2008
  Website: Anthony J. Shears Website
  Label: Shears Music Group

Anthony J. Shears “The Growth: My ENDtroduction” Album Review
I gotta admit - I, too, am one to agree with the sentiments that 2007 was a brilliant year for hip-hop, primarily independent hip-hop. I also believe the movement is not a short lived one. 2008 is already showing a continuation of the great music we were blessed with last year. As an addition to those who stood out last year, I believe Anthony Shears is another with potential to keep the momentum going in ‘08 based on his lyrical presence on “My Endtroduction.” (more…)