Rating:
  Review Date: February 15, 2010
  Website: ScholarMan Website
  Label: Soganic Music

ScholarMan “Free Spirit of a Troubled Soul” Album Review
“Free Spirit of a Troubled Soul” is probably the perfect title for this album. ScholarMan has created a happy, feel-good, relaxing, soulful hip-hop record. While most of the albums I’ve been bumping recently have been ones I listen to on the train to work, shit that helps get me amped up for the hustle, this is the one I listen to every night when I come home to unwind from often busy and stress-filled days. It’s got a real peaceful vibe that helps me relax, and we all need that type of hip-hop from time to time. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: February 1, 2010
  Website: Kats Website
  Label: Free Ice Cream

Kats “I Can Levitate” Album Review
I’ve really enjoyed following the progression of NYC’s Free Ice Cream crew over the past year. A local collective of underground emcees and beatmakers, Free Ice Cream throws Maker’s Mark sponsored barbeques in Williamsburg every weekend during the summer, featuring free food, free whiskey, and free CDs. They drop a new free album monthly, highlighted by the “Almost Fameless” series which feature a huge list of local rappers, producers and deejays. And they follow up most of the releases with concerts featuring a dope roster of artists and, yup, free whiskey. Kats’ “I Can Levitate” is the latest free album by the crew, and definitely worth checking out. (more…)

New Reflection Eternal album coming soon!

Rating:
Review Date: May 4, 2009
Website: RNR Website
Label: Indie

Rugged N Raw “Truth Serum” Album Review
For me, Rugged N Raw’s “Truth Serum” is a perfect example of how music videos and free track downloads can help artists find fans in this new age of the hip-hop industry. I picked up this album from RNR at a local show almost a year ago. Being a big fan of his previous release “Another Level,” I listened to the new album right away, and even picked Life’s Purpose to be HHL track of the week in October – before getting caught up in other music. But recently, RNR dropped consecutive videos for I’m Broke and Proud and The Ultimate, and I was so impressed with them that I gave “Truth Serum” another listen – and I’ve been bumping it nonstop ever since. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: February 10, 2009
  Website: Cymarshall Law Website
  Label: Freedom Entertainment

Cymarshall Law & Mr. Joeker “Hip Hop in the Soul” Album Review
At the beginning of every year, I find myself going through the stack of albums that is left over from the previous year – and I always come across one or two that I missed out on. Cymarshall Law and Mr. Joeker’s “Hip Hop in the Soul” is that album for 2009. While this record dropped back in November, it took me until recently to get around to it, and boy am I glad that I did. “Hip Hop in the Soul” is one of my favorite albums of the year thus far. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: January 19, 2009
  Website: Kats & Domer Website
  Label: Independent

Kats & Domer “Almost Famless Vol. 2″ Mixtape Review
What do you get when you take a handful of underground rappers in New York City, mix in a couple local beat makers, and scatter them throughout a ten-track compilation album? Well, you get the “Almost Fameless Mixtape Vol. 2” – and boy is it worth the free download. Kats & Domer’s project is one of my favorite albums in a while – and I normally don’t even fuck with mixtapes! (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: January 12, 2009
  Website: ScholarMan Website
  Label: Soganic Music

ScholarMan “GameShift: The Movement” Album Review
ScholarMan never disappoints me. Every January, I find myself thirsting for dope hip-hop to start the year with. And every January, ScholarMan drops a new album that helps quench this thirst – while simultaneously getting me amped for the year to come. This year’s album, “GameShift: The Movement,” is arguably the Maryland emcee’s best work to date – and was definitely worth the year-long wait. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: November 24, 2008
  Website: Serge Severe Website
  Label: Focused Noise

Serge Severe “Concrete Techniques” Album Review
Serge Severe was the first underground emcee ever featured on HHL. I remember receiving his debut album, “Walk In My Shoes,” almost four years ago – and the way it helped strengthen my belief that real hip-hop could still be found in the underground. Since then, I’ve eagerly anticipated his follow-up solo project, and “Concrete Techniques” has definitely lived up to my long-standing expectations. Serge Severe’s “Concrete Techniques” was definitely worth the wait. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: October 27, 2008
  Website: Metermaids Website
  Label: 27 Sound Entertainment, Inc.

Metermaids “Nightlife” Album Review
The Metermaids are made up of two emcees, Sentence and Swell, who give one of the best live performances in the NYC underground. The past couple of years, I’ve constantly found myself at shows they’ve opened – and have been so impressed that I’ve now become a regular at shows they’re headlining as well. So when I got my hands on their album “Nightlife,” I just knew it was going to be dope. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: October 6, 2008
  Website: Homeboy Sandman
  Label: Independent

Homeboy Sandman “Actual Factual Pterodactyl” Album Review
I knew this album was going to be dope. But to be honest, I didn’t know it was going to be this dope. I’ve always looked at Homeboy Sandman as an emcee with crazy lyrical skills and an innovative flow, but I didn’t know he could put together such a comprehensive album: one that combines humorous rapping with conscious lyricism; the underground mentality with popular appeal – all while remaining fluid and entertaining. “Actual Factual Pterodactyl” is that album. (more…)