Bisco Smith “The Broadcast” Album Review
This is my subway album. I say that about an album maybe once or twice a year, and this is the first for 2010. Basically, my subway album, also known as my morning commute album, is something that I listen to in the morning while I’m riding the train to my daily grind. My subway albums generally have four attributes: 1. they make my head nod; 2. they’re motivational; 3. they’re lyrical; and 4. they don’t last longer than my commute. Bisco Smith’s “The Broadcast” meets each of these criteria.

1. The Production
Probably the most important aspect of my commute album is the production. At 8 a.m., the exact halfway point between my 7 a.m. wake and bake and my 9 a.m. cup of coffee, I’m normally less than half alive. The addition of some beats in my headphones that make me nod my head inadvertently are like my morning calisthenics. Some motherfuckers go running in the park, I listen to hip-hop. The production on Bisco Smith’s “The Broadcast” serves this purpose well, with grimy warped beats featuring gritty baselines, heavy electronic synths and digitally-enhanced electro effects. Some of that shit that just makes you move and wakes you up in the morning.

2. Motivation
Sometimes it’s hard in the morning to ride the train into work. Sometimes the sun is shining, and the ladies are rocking their summertime gear, and there are a million reasons to take the day off. It’s good to have a subway album that motivates me to hit the day running. Tracks like Circuit Breaker, Fresh Water, Morning Breath, Transmission Live and Vibrations are very positive get up, get out, get motivated types of tracks. I normally hit the song Morning Breath about 8:15 a.m., and the song’s vibe always inspires me to keep moving. I always catch myself rapping along on the train:

This one’s for all of those who ever had a dream/
Chase it like a crush, find out how real it could be/
And this one’s for y’all already been here cashed out/
Pushed yourself too fast, too tired and bounced/
This one’s for y’all going grizzly grinding tough/
Don’t forget why you first messed with this love/
And this one’s for y’all who’s here super live/
Feeling better than ever not getting trapped with the times

3. Lyrics
Another important thing I need in the morning is to get my brain moving. So a subway album has to have some words and topics that make me think. In “The Broadcast,” Bisco Smith utilizes a lot of metaphors and lyrical twists that will have you thinking and rewinding to listen again. One good example is the following verse from Fresh Water:

Under the imprints influence/
Words are powerful instruments/
Some for protected instances/
Others suggestions/
Footprints to step in/
Got ‘em following them leaders/
Corrupts and crippled the teachers/
A fast food nation of eaters/
Needs more substance, I wonder where it leads ya/
Gotta see the real for yourself/
Stand behind what you about/
Slow serving up them doubts/
Increased the pen, in the end they see zeros/
Pacino got himself a Scarface/
Just like the moves that they make/
Luck is from a fantasy place/
No lighter shelter/
Misusing wish will help ya/
To the young and the restless/
Times swallow the misconceptions/
Reality’s some perspectives/
Here’s the prescription/
Go get the right medicine/

Another good example of Bisc’s lyrical abilities is in Transmission Live, which could be my favorite track on the album. This track focuses not only on the necessity of change, but on expecting and embracing that change. Check the following verse:

The road is long, so many ways to move/
No point if what you do don’t help you grow and improve/
I chose to let ‘em listen with no sort of regard/
Seems like everybody wanna get their face on a player’s card/
Things flipped up looking straight, like that’s strange/
Everybody needs victory and they spell it out with fame/
Victory’s a mystery for whatever that means/
I guess it’s different for each of those that stitch their own seams/
Does that grind seem to be fading your dreams?/
For the paper and the schemes/
Turning us into hustling fiends/
Nah mean? It’s like the green money got you/
Only so many plans ‘cause life hands will stop you/
So while I’m here I hold my head like it’s the ammo/
Speak through these wires, slide by dipped inside camo/
They outside like ‘Everybody look at me!’/
I’m in the cut with these beats, peace/
Paint a picture, go travel the globe/
Spread thoughts, plant seeds so we can watch it grow/
Detrimental, the whole world is looking treacherous/
And I’m just trying to navigate my cityscape effortless/
These days my breath is Atlantis deep/
Had to cut out them cancer sticks, you know get myself free/
Years in the tracks had me feeling all numb/
Now I feel better than ever off the tongue/
Off of the mind clearing them clouds out of the sky/
Blue as you ever seen at the beautiful day that you die/
Lost thought – see it all at once/
Chains inside my world, we still burning them blunts/

4. Time
The last criterion for a good subway album is length. If your shit is 21 tracks and 80 minutes long, I’m only gonna hear half of it before I’m forced to turn off the music and work. And it’s hard to start where I left off nine hours before. Bisco Smith’s “The Broadcast” is ten tracks and just under forty minutes long, making it the perfect length if you’re commuting from the vicinity of Prospect Park to the vicinity of Times Square. Most mornings, I hit ‘play’ right outside my door, and am finishing the album as I walk into the office.

Overall:
Pick up this album. Bisco Smith is one of the most talented underground hip-hop artists in the NYC underground, and “The Broadcast” is a great album on many levels. My favorite tracks include Morning Breath, Railroads, Time Zones, Transmission Live, and Vibrations. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. Tune In
2. Morning Breath
3. Vibrations
4. Time Zones (247365)
5. Railroads
6. Transmission Live
7. Never Know
8. Crooked Hearts
9. Fresh Water
10. Circuit Breaker

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.

Retrospection
One thing I noticed about this album lyrically was that ScholarMan drops a handful of retrospective verses surveying past events and experiences. And I guess that his ability to look back on this positively is one of the things makes “Free Spirit of a Troubled Soul” a feel-good album. One good example is in Just Me, where Scholar drops the following verse about his beginnings as a hip-hop artist:

Remove the line in the sand/
Climb to advance/
Execute plans/
Maintain your stance/
Not easily swayed, sometimes I’ll cold stubborn/
Other times Superbad McLovin/
Penny for your thoughts/
Lyrics of all sorts/
I remember the first on e of the records I bought/
The small Casio cassette deck I used to record with/
‘Cause studio time, yeah I couldn’t afford it/
Recorded in my room over hip-hop tunes/
Mic hanging from the ceiling, from the streets hear the boom/
Boom bap, boom bap/
I reminisce back/
The Earth spin like wax/
I’m writing on my Maxwell tapes, my first demo/
Dreaming of the camera and lights, and yes the limos/
Now my music’s more mature for the things I endure/
Reach realistic goals is the things I look for/

Storytelling
ScholarMan is one of those emcees that was just blessed with a good rap voice. His voice, his flow, his cadence, his rhyme patterns – all just sound very natural over his soulful production. So when he tells stories in his tracks, it makes them very easy to follow and comprehend. Tracks like Hood Stories Vol. 4 and Remember When, which could be my two favorite tracks on the album, tell good stories. For an example, check out former HHL quotable of the week Hood Stories Vol. 4.

Introspection
When listening to this album, I got the sense that “Free Spirit of a Troubled Soul” was ScholarMan’s response to some hard times in his life. While the album maintains the vibe of positivity and hope despite potential hardships, Scholar devotes a handful of verses to observing and examining his own mental and emotional states. One good example is the following verse from Love Potion:

Sometimes I feel like I’m living in the arctic/
My destination mark it, focus stay on target/
Switch lanes to gain and bring change/
My thoughts rearranged to cope with this pain/
I talk with my pops ‘cause wisdom he has lots/
And life’s a gamble, we all got a slot/
At times we take risk to bring joy and bliss/
Like that precious new kiss from that sweet new miss/
Or from that new child/
Watch her grow for a while/
I lead by example so mimic my style/
Repeat my words, truth that is unheard/
Something new for the kids to learn/
Nothing absurd but it’s there/
Something real that they can all engage in/
It’s so amazing to journey through these phases/

Motivational
Above all, ScholarMan’s “Free Spirit of a Troubled Soul,” like all his past records, is a motivational album. Tracks like Just Me, Set Above, Nowhere to Run and Love Potion all contain positive vibes and motivational rhymes. One good example is the following verse from Nowhere to Run:

Sometimes to move forward take two steps back/
A game plan you attack/
Gotta stay on the map/
Underneath the radar/
Show ‘em what you made of/
True faith determination is the state of/
My state of mind/
PG my county line/
Paint pictures for the blind/
Through the use of the rhyme/
Regardless the time/
I spit it for broken clocks/
Can’t stand back and watch/
Good deeds to help the block/
I’m not content with the game so I’ma speak it/
My thoughts are the link and the truth to those who seek it/
And elevate my mind with something new/
New place to travel to/
You’re welcome to come too/
New lives passing through/
New recruits for the crew/
Hard times we subdue/
The past we hold true/

Overall
ScholarMan has never disappointed me. Through five albums and more free mixtapes than I can count, all of which were among my favorites of the time they dropped, Scholar is easily among my favorite underground hip-hop artists. I definitely recommend picking up a copy of “Free Spirit of a Troubled Soul.” My favorite tracks include Just Me, I Love Hip-Hop Music, Babydoll, Hood Stories Vol. 4, Hopes & Dreams and Remember When. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. Just Me
2. So Explosive
3. I Love Hip-Hop Music (feat. K-Mynez)
4. Set Above
5. Reap, Sow
6. Babydoll
7. Hold Me Back
8. Hood Stories Vol. 4
9. No Where To Run (feat. K-Mynez)
10. Hopes & Dreams
11. Love Potion
12. Remember When (feat. Teisha Marie)

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.

Battle raps
I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been into more battle style rapping recently – funny lyrics, shit-talking, punch lines and old school hip-hop braggadocio. Perhaps it’s an inner backlash against years of listening to overly-serious conscious rap. So when Kats started “I Can Levitate” with a three-minute-long intro verse just spitting lyrics with no chorus, I had a feeling I was going to like the rest of the album. Kats starts the record with all battle style tracks, including The Warmup, Another Level and Levitate, which feature dope beats, hard hitting lyrics and funny rhymes that demonstrate impressive lyrical skills, several of which had me laughing hysterically on multiple occasions.

Clever Wordplay
Despite the fact that I’ve grown quite fond of dude’s unique rhyme style, Kats will admit to you himself that he doesn’t have the world’s greatest rap voice. But what he lacks in voice, he makes up for in clever rhyme schemes and innovative wordplay. Tracks like Keep It Movin’, Put Your Hands Up and Outro show Kats experimenting with his rhyme style, playing with new rhyme patterns and new ways of stretching words around beats. This experimentation prevents “I Can Levitate” from being repetitious or boring, instead offering a different vibe on each and every song.

Lyrics
But as usual, my favorite part of this album was the lyrics. While Kats’ intention with “I Can Levitate” was clearly fun, party-style rhyme-punching underground hip-hop, he still managed to squeeze in a couple dope serious heartfelt songs on the album. Tracks like Lord Knows, Do You Feel Me, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and Out Of My Head range from motivational, to personal, to analytical, and demonstrate Kats’ ability to rhyme about virtually anything.

One good example is from the track Do You Feel Me, where Kats drops the following verse about the need to break out of self-destructive behavior:

I woke up in a cold sweat like oh shit/
I’m so stressed, this whole thing got me so sick/
It’s no walk in the park, it’s a slow crawl/
Everyday about the same, you know so-so/
And I wonder should I pop pills and pep up/
And walk around with a cloud from my neck up/
I guess not ‘long as the weed can do the trick/
A couple drinks, all I need is a few to sip/
And you would think I’d have my shit together better yet/
You’d think a better man would’ve already left/
His comfort zone/
But I stay stoned, stay at home/
Stay with the same old song that keeps playing on/
They say I’m wrong, I say they wouldn’t know what’s right/
Been working more than half my life to blow up overnight/
It’s overhyped, this whole chasing fame thing/
Getting your name known and success ain’t the same thing/

Another good example can be found in former HHL quotable of the week Rich Dad Poor Dad, in which Kats drops the following verse questioning the irony involved in a rich man working to support his family:

The rich dad had a power lunch that lasted too long/
Downed a couple martinis that were a little too strong/
So by the time he got home/
He was a little bit drunk/
The driver opened his door, retrieved his bag from the trunk/
And off he goes, leftovers cold in the fridge/
Wife at some social function, nanny watching the kids/
He lights a Cuban as he takes in the view/
From his balcony, finally nothing to do/
He should talk to his boy, tell him about some grown things/
How he should own things/
But then the phone rings/
Back to business, stocks moving ‘round the clock/
One has gone through the roof, another’s down a lot/
So much as stake, he takes another sip of his drink/
A deep breath, not even a minute to think/
The nanny tucks in the boy, daddy is bound to run/
Hoping one day he’ll find time to be proud of his son/

Overall
Download a copy of this album. It’s free, so you got nothing to lose! “I Can Levitate” fits ten tracks into about 30 minutes, which is great for anyone tired of all the 2-hour-long albums these days. It is quick, entertaining and fun. My favorite tracks include The Warm Up, Lord Knows, Out Of My Head, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and Put Your Hands Up. And if you’re in the NYC area, hit up some Free Ice Cream barbecues this summer. Free whiskey, son!

Album Track Listing:

1. The Warmup
2. On Another Level
3. Levitate
4. Lord Knows feat. Rennaisance & ScholarMan
5. Do You Feel Me
6. Out Of My Head
7. Rich Dad Poor Dad
8. Keep It Movin’ feat. Domer
9. Put Your Hands Up feat. Ryan-O’Neil
10. Outro

New Reflection Eternal album coming soon!

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.

Why I Like This Album?

1. It’s very personalized – In the album’s intro, RNR tells us that he is “liable inside the booth/ to make complex contents simple as tying shoes.” I got that statement more and more as I worked my way through this album, because several tracks tackle serious topics by explaining them in the light of everyday stories and personal experiences. I’m Broke and Proud turns the struggles of a starving artist into a series of amusing personalized stories, What A Night tells two stories that describe the common feeling of not having enough time to do everything, Life Purpose deals with both life and death and the emotions that surround them, I’ll Stay is another in a long line of RNR relationship analyzing songs, and I Can’t Take It talks about avoiding anger and retaliation despite being surrounded by negativity.

2. Rugged N Raw is still rugged and raw – You’ll find in hip-hop that a lot of emcees who start out as raw underground hip-hop lyricists eventually polish their flows to make them more mainstream accessible. And following his last album, I guess I expected the ruggedness to disappear over time as RNR polished his flow. But it hasn’t. While Rugged N Raw has obviously improved his skills as an emcee and producer, he has also managed to maintain the raw style that makes him who he is. RNR just has this crazy raw in-your-face flow that doesn’t sound like anyone else. And it worked out brilliantly in this album.

3. This is smashmouth music! – I jacked that line directly from the album’s opening track, but it‘s true. Most of the tracks on “Truth Serum” are hard-hitting lyrics laid over hard-banging production. Tracks like Smashmouth Music, All The Way, That’s What It Is, New Life and The Ultimate are the type of tracks playing on my iPod when you see me heavy metal dancing while pumping my fist on the subway during rush hour. And we all need to pump our fists from time to time, right?

4. The verses are dope – The more I listen to this album, the more I notice different verses. In fact, I can’t think of a single verse on the album that doesn’t stand out as quotable or well-written or humorous. One great example is RNR’s second verse from I’m Broke and Proud, which starts off with the following hilarious rhymes:

I ain’t posting latte chis/
I don’t go on shopping sprees/
I don’t even buy Tropicana/
Tropical Fantasies’ fine for me/
There’s not a lot I could make possible/
Only cheap ideas in the arsenal/
I’ll take a chick to the museum/
Looks nice and admission fee’s optional/
When stress does weigh down heavy/
Vacation is necessary/
What do I do? I pack my bags/
Weekend cruise on the Staten Island Ferry/

Overall: I slept on this album for almost a year, so the best advice I can give you is to not make the same mistake. Rugged N Raw’s “Truth Serum” combines hard-hitting beats, raw underground lyricism, interesting subject matter, and RNR’s unique way of viewing his surroundings to provide fifteen tracks of great underground hip-hop. It’s one of those albums that I find a new favorite song on every day. Pick up a copy and check it out for yourself. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. Truth Serum Preface
2. Smashmouth Music
3. Drama
4. I’m Broke & Proud (feat. Hasan Salaam)
5. All The Way
6. What A Night
7. That’s What It Is (feat. HiCoup)
8. Life’s Purpose
9. New Life
10. The Ultimate
11. Love Man
12. NY to NC (feat. URL)
13. Locked Away (feat. Homeboy Sandman)
14. I’ll Stay
15. I Can’t Take It

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.

Why I Like This Album:

1. Dude’s flow is mad unique – I read a couple other reviews that hated on Cymarshall Law’s flow a little. Some called it forced, others called it overpowering. But personally, I call it lyrical and just plain hot. I’ve never heard anyone rap like Law before, and that’s not an easy thing to say these days. Cymarshall Law has a very powerful, staccato, in-your-face type of flow that makes an impact on every song on the album, and that alone makes “Hip Hop in the Soul” worth a long listen.

2. Beats, beats, beats – I don’t talk about production much in album reviews, being that HHL is a website focused on lyrics and all, but Mr. Joeker’s beats were perhaps the perfect complement to Cymarshall Law’s lyrics on “Hip Hop in the Soul.” Joeker demonstrates a real old school vibe with a combination of high quality turntablism and sample integration. Tracks like The Takeoff, I’m a MC (Hip Hop in the Soul), Control, and Sticks & Stones hit a little harder to make you bump your head, while They Gon Know, Truth, Out of the Rain, and Love, Sex or What smooth it out with soulful samples and choruses for a slower, yet equally feel good vibe.

3. Storytelling – While Cymarshall Law boasts a wide range of lyrical abilities on “Hip Hop in the Soul,” his skills as a rhyming storyteller made a big impact on me. Songs like Out of the Rain, Greed, and No Explanation all feature storytelling verses. One of my favorites is from former HHL track of the week Out of the Rain, in which Law drops the following verse about a basketball star who worked his way to greatness:

Basketball the name of his game since a little thang/
His mom used to joke, ‘You came out the womb dribblin’’/
Since a little man, Skill’s loving the show/
He even had big plans of becoming a pro/
He was better than good, an urban legend in the hood/
Everyone said if anyone would make it he would/
He was faster, stronger, and could jump higher/
‘Til one day on the court got caught in crossfire/
The bullet went straight through his right knee/
The doctor said walking again was not likely/
But he was smart and knew it was all in the brain/
Used his heart, and everyday hard he would train/
And even though they said he would never be the same/
Best believe a few years later he was playing/
He never gave up even when things low/
Now the boy plays overseas for big dough/

4. Passionate rhymes and songs – “Hip Hop in the Soul” is composed of fourteen individualized tracks consisting of a variety of different topics and themes. However, the album still flows together brilliantly from track to track. And I think the glue that holds this comprehensiveness together is the obvious passion and determination with which Cymarshall Law performs on the album. From track to track, from verse to verse, Law raps in a way that makes it easy to believe his words and feel his movement.

One great example is from No Explanation, a track that basically questions why bad things happen to good people. After two exemplary verses, Law drops the following heartfelt rhyme doubting the existence of karma as many believe it exists:

How come I see people prosper who live wrong?/
How come the good die young and the bad live long?/
Maybe everything don’t have an answer/
Like how is Cecil healthy and still got cancer?/
Kid asked a question but I don’t know son/
Why she was so giving and still got stole from?/
We make bets on the future but really never know/
How she practice safe sex but still got pregnant though?/
How was he able to get away with murder?/
And by putting people back, how did he get further?/
How do you put me down but still get higher?/
Burn my ass but not get touched by the fire?/
I’m trying to believe, but it’s easy to be a doubter/
I can’t understand how the corrupt stay in power/
My mentals strain when using my brain/
I’m like, ‘Karma must not come back the same way it came’/

Overall: Although the album dropped in 2008, Cymarshall Law and Mr. Joeker’s “Hip Hop in the Soul” is easily one of my favorite albums of 2009. I honestly like every song, have been bumping it for two weeks straight now, and it’s that album that I throw at all my friends and make them listen to. I highly recommend picking up a copy. Favorite tracks include The Takeoff (Getting It), I’m an MC (Hip Hop in the Soul), They Gon Know, Out of the Rain, Love, Sex or What, Live While You Can, and Sorry.

Album Track Listing:

1. Intro To The Soul
2. The Takeoff (Getting It)
3. I’m A MC ( Hip Hop In The Soul)
4. Control ft. KRS One
5. They Gon Know ft. Skit Slam
6. Truth ft. Skit Slam & Supastition
7. Sticks And Stones
8. Out Of The Rain ft. Mary Lou
9. Love, Sex Or What
10. Greed
11. No Explanation
12. Live While You Can
13. Sorry
14. King With 4 Wives

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!

Why I Like This Album:

1. Guest spots. Although the concept of this album was created by Brooklyn emcees Kats and Domer, it features many local underground hip-hop artists. Each guest emcee is unique, and each guest emcee shines. Folklore and Illspokinn both spit fire on The Bellamy; Renaissance articulates a great verse and makes the chorus on Behind; Ryan O’Neil kills it on Here Now; Jake Lefco drops two dope verses in Day by Day and Weekend Lover; RabbiD makes a statement in Never Enough; ScholarMan does what ScholarMan do on my personal favorite The Truth; and brokeMC and Bisc1 seem to close the album out perfectly with Classic Rock.

2. This is feel good hip-hop. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m getting a little tired of all the overly-conscious hip-hop I been getting lately. I need a little fun shit now and then also! While Kats & Domer’s “Almost Fameless Mixtape Vol. 2” contains a lot of conscious and introspective verses and topics, the overall vibe of this album is good, old-fashioned, rhyme-spitting fun. For the past week, I’ve been that dude on the train laughing hysterically at the contents of his iPod while everyone watches bewildered. This album has fit in perfectly with the type of hip-hop I need to hear right now, and I’ve been unable to take it out of my rotation for over a week now.

3. I know these cats. I know some motherfuckers are going to call foul on this one, as if I would ever jeopardize the credibility of my site by posting shit just because I knew somebody. But if you frequent the NYC underground hip-hop scene, it’s difficult to not run into most of these emcees from time to time. I see many of these cats at weekend shows, and we often find ourselves drinking brews, taking shots of tequila, or tokin’ a spliff after shows. And when you get to build with artists, it often breeds a better understanding of and appreciation for their music.

For example, when Kats drops the first verse on The Truth, many people might not get what he’s talking about. But because we built at a show recently, and I recall him talking about how he quit his job as a school teacher, I was able to understand and appreciate the following verse better:

I gotta network ‘cause my net worth just isn’t sufficient/
I gotta push through and improve my existent conditions/
What these kids are missing is parents at home to teach them/
That’s easy to say, but some parents don’t know how to reach them/
That leaves them to teachers in public schools struggling daily/
And nah, I ain’t mad at all of the trouble you gave me/
My troublesome babies becoming young men and young ladies/
Going through changes, doing 180s like crazy/
It made me remember myself at that age – what a mess/
My greatest stress wasn’t test but the opposite sex/
Sloppily dressed, couple of hairs popping out of my chest/
Dreaming of copping a feel, eyes popping for breasts/
But I digress, my guess is we’re all doomed/
All consumed by our own views, but it’s all good/
So confused, so exhausted from so many rules/
So stressed, I’ll be so impressed if you showed me the truth/

Another good example is in recent HHL quotable of the week Weekend Lover. If I would’ve heard anyone else drop this verse, I might think they were bullshitting just trying to tell a funny or amusing story. But because I’ve seen the manner in which Domer interacts with ladies at many a show, I can definitely see this happening:

I met this career girl and tried to befriend her/
‘Cause she was making mad dough and had no time to spend it/
And she thinks she needs someone to bring some fun in her life/
And I’m like, ‘New friend relax, this is what I do best,’ right?/
So okay yo I’ll play the role, it isn’t too bad/
I can take you out to dinner if you pick up the tab/
She liked my music but I griped my tools are old and useless/
So she’d throw me dough to go and cop the dopest new shit/
Well thanks baby, I really appreciate it/
I keep my shows on the weekends ‘cause weeknights she can’t make it/
And that’s fine with me, I don’t mind being in a nice piece on the Upper East/
Sippin’ a glass of iced tea and flippin’ around on her widescreen/
But after a while she’s all, ‘Why don’t you get motivated?/
I could get you a job,’ and I’m like, ‘Fuck that you know I’ll hate it’/
So she broke it off clean said the hope was lost for me/
But I stay optimistic for the next chick who’s wallet’s deep/

4. It’s FREE! I hate to take it there, but in case you haven’t been keeping tabs, the economy is fucked up right now dogg! Motherfuckers are out of work and broke. So you throw them an album with all the characteristics listed above, something both fun and entertaining – AND put it up for free download –you’re probably going to get my vote. And even if you don’t agree, at least you didn’t pay for it, right?

Overall: Download this shit man! What have you got to lose? It will make you bob your head, smile, laugh at times, and introduce you to some of the best of the NYC underground. Favorite tracks include The Truth, The Bellamy, Weekend Lover, Behind, The Flood, and Classic Rock. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. Day By Day (ft.JakeLefco)
2. The Bellamy (ft.Folklore & Illspokinn)
3. Behind (ft.Renaissance)
4. Here Now (ft.Ryan O’Neil)
5. Weekend Lover (ft.JakeLefco)
6. Never Enough (ft.RabbiD)
7. The Flood
8. It Ain’t Nothin’
9. The Truth (ft.Scholarman)
10. Classic Rock (ft.brokeMC & Bisc1)

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.

Why I Like This Album:
1. It is soulful, positive and inspirational. Something about Scholar’s music has always come across as motivational to me. I don’t know if it’s the soulful production, the positive lyrics, or the inspirational themes and topics – or simply a combination of all three – but “GameShift: The Movement” is another ScholarMan album that just makes you feel good. The album opens up on this vibe with tracks like Give It To You, The Answer II, and Our All.

One of my current favorites is Work It Out, in which Scholar drops the following verse that epitomizes this inspirationally-conscious vibe. The verse talks about being part of something positive and great:

ScholarMan is in the place to be, I spit it for the fake to see/
These motherfuckers hate to see we making moves great to be/
Part of something – something greater than just you and me/
To the kids you can be whatever you want to be/
Don’t let nobody tell you anything that’s different/
Don’t rush to sex, it’s okay to keep it innocent/
Don’t get deterred and revert to all those drugs and things/
Peer pressure stay away, make sure you use your brain/
I know it’s easy for me – we walking different paths/
But I been in your shoes, and yes those days won’t last/
Pick a road, hopefully it’s to success/
Stay determined and you will be the best/

2. Good love songs. From my perspective, it’s not easy to make a hip-hop love song that’s not corny. I don’t know why, but that’s just how it is. In GameShift: The Movement,” ScholarMan closes out with So Close Now and The One I Believe In, two emotionally-charged ballads that show the talented emcee speaking from his heart in a way that very few rappers can do well. The following verse from So Close Now shows Scholar’s unique ability to vocalize his feelings in rhyme:

We were destined, I reckon that we were planned out/
Like a wanted birth, you and I stand out/
We blend well let communicate greatly/
Work as a team making big moves lately/
When I first met you, just knew I had to get you/
You seen special in me – you found potential/
It’s you who I cater to, over time paid my dues/
This I admitted as well, mistakes I made a few/
But you still showed love, you kept your faith in me/
That open part of your heart, I felt that vacancy/
And now it’s plain to see that you and I were made to be/
I take it now to avoid any latency/

3. Several tracks are politically-conscious. More so than any of ScholarMan’s past albums, “GameShift: The Movement” talks about several modern-day political issues, dropping several verses criticizing the manner in which we handle a variety of situations on both a foreign and domestic front. However, Scholar always keeps it positive, ending all verses with optimism and calls to action. A good example of this can be found in the following verse from War of Words:

They allow drugs across the border then soldiers go out and slaughter/
Claiming they protecting the freedom our sons and daughters/
Bigger agenda, deeper hole they digging into/
The bodies of the innocent people found in the center/
Freedom of speech but now they issued that a margin/
Don’t cross the line or a prison sentence you bargain/
Your blood is what you sign with it, freedom get your mind in it/
This corrupt system truth you can’t find in it/
Search deep don’t be discrete when you sleep/
Let ‘em know your position, man we can’t come off as weak/
Get in the streets and let’s implement change/
And do what we can for an intricate gain/

4. Storytelling. If there’s one thing I wish ScholarMan would do more, it would be to create more storytelling tracks. As an emcee, Scholar does a great job creating dialogue and advancing events, situations and themes through his lyrics. This ability can be seen in the “Hood Stories” series Scholar has advanced through his last three albums.

“GameShift: The Movement” introduces the third installment – Hood Stories Vol. 3 – which tells the story of a young man named Raheem who is coerced into robbing the neighborhood’s biggest drug dealer. However, the strategy does not go according to plan, and a big surprise awaits Raheem in the end:

He opens the door, two shots to the chest/
Execution at its best – the dealer had on a vest/
Raheem was all shook up, the guards come runnin’/
Click clack, get it done and, about to get gunnin’/
But the dealer yelled stop, looked Raheem in his face/
With his last few breaths he said, ‘You made a mistake’/
Gone into the dresser drawer, moved some stuff aside/
And what Raheem found is gonna blow your mind/
Pictures of his mother and him when first born/
Love letters and letters torn – a young woman with scorn/
The dealer was his father, he just followed the same path/
A life of crime and violence to gain cash/
His father died, a gun is at Raheem’s temple/
The ending is clear man, it’s very simple/

Overall: I like every track on this album, which has been in constant rotation for over a week now. Dope lyrics, soulful production and a positive vibe – everything a hip-hop head could ask for. I highly recommend picking up a copy. Favorite tracks include Our All, Work It Out, Hood Stories Vol. 3, What You Puttin’ Back, The Answer II, Give It To You. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. Make Your Mind Up
2. The Movement
3. Give It To You
4. Our All
5. The Answer II
6. Work It Out
7. What You Puttin Back (feat. K-Mynez)
8. War of Words
9. Hood Stories Vol. 3
10. Cant Turn Back
11. Still (feat. TrueBless)
12. So Close Now
13. The One I Believe In

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.

Why I Like This Album:

1. The production is ridiculous son! Now I hate to draw immediate attention to beats when discussing an emcee that is as lyrically-gifted as Serge Severe, but the music on this album, created by Universal DJ Sect, really stands out. Sect uses an amazing combination of old school turtablism and futuristic synthesized instrumentation to create twelve tracks of groovy, jazzy, funky hip-hop beats that create multiple canvases for Serge’s vocals. Tracks like Here We Come, Concrete Techniques, It’s On Mine, Ain’t It Funky, and Bring The Horns feature horns, keys and occasional strings, while tracks like Break Dream, Classic Ish, Keep It Goin’, and Operatin’ Correctly feature heavier baselines, break beats, samples and scratches.

2. Serge has a unique flow. Something about Serge Severe’s laid back rhyme style has always just hit home with me. Whether he’s incorporating conscious subject matter into his rhymes, or simply demonstrating the art of rapping gracefully over a beat, Serge’s flow continually impressed me on this album. The following verse, from the album’s title track shows an unorthodox rhyme style in which Serge spit a bunch of short phrases meticulously placed together over a beat to create a verse:

Mic check, hype yes/
High step end zone/
Headphones, red zone/
Yes no man can match me/
Stand to catch me/
Actually plan to pass me/
Nasty nouns that’s catchy/
Added on the adjectives/
Spat it in the labyrinth/
Kicking it with Lazarus/
Spitting it thats hazardous/
Toxic chemical thoughts of generals/
Locked in intervals plot’s incredible/
Knock the pedestal/
Hip-Hop’s original/
Autographs, slaughter rap/
Bring it back, let it blast/
Boom it in your systems/
Feel it in an instant/
Realer with a sentence/
Point blank period/
This joint banks serious/

3. This album makes you think. Part of what I like about Serge’s rhyme style is that it’s very wordy, utilizing similes, metaphors and abstract language. This approach makes it really interesting when attempting to decipher the lyrical content of “Concrete Techniques” as a whole. Most verses on this album are worth multiple listens, and many of them will take multiple listens to understand correctly. One of my favorite verses is from Ain’t It Funky, in which Serge demonstrates a combination of conscious lyricism and masterful wordplay:

Way out west in the city of bridges/
In a day out stressed by conditions we livin’/
Where the payout’s less than the effort that’s givin’/
So I play like chess and attack with a vision/
I’m back with a vengeance, die hard, rap as a weapon/
When the flow click-clack, the kick back is tremendous/
Got a show, I rip that, then it’s back to the trenches/
Gotta go quick fast. Can I catch your attention?/
Please just let me see if you can catch what I’m pitchin’/
I’m smashing the rhythm, actually I’ve mastered the rhythm/
Subtraction, addition, multiply capitalism/
Math and division, full of lies trapped in the system/
Tell me why I seen so many guys packed in the prison/
Fact from the fiction, please let the pastor forgive ‘em/
Like how they declare war and still practice religion/
I just gotta prepare more so it’s back to the kitchen/

4. This is real hip-hop, kids! I know the term “real hip-hop” is a little cliché nowadays, and I can’t stand most motherfuckers who still make reference to this thing they call “real hip-hop,” but Serge Serve’s “Concrete Techniques” does a great job of both paying respect to the elements, and of moving forward with a new direction. And that’s the really real yo.

From the lyrics to the beats to the four years it took Serge to drop this sophomore solo release, it is clear that everyone involved in this project put their hearts into it – and you can just feel that when you listen. Serge drops a dope verse in It’s On Mine talking about this hip-hop mentality of staying true to the art form and remaining independent:

It’s the DIY, gotta do it yourself/
So just say bye-bye to the corporate help/
Watch the culture get preserved with the portions it’s dealt/
Man take a look around, it’s supporting itself/
‘Cause it’s importance is felt/
Expressed through the elements/
The fresh mixed with eloquence/
Yes push the pendulum/
Swing towards the relevant/
Bring forth the excellence/
Relax, they pressurin’/
But easy does it/
Try to write what I live but I see he doesn’t/
My advice to the kids is just be no frontin’/
Put your lilfe into this and just see who want it/
Do it right, do it big, so they seen who done it/

Overall: Pick it up fo’ sho’. “Concrete Techniques” is a very entertaining, head nodding, thought provoking album from one of my favorite underground hip-hop artists. Favorite tracks include Here We Come, It’s On Mine, Ain’t It Funky, Bring The Horns, Break Dream, Classic Ish. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. Here We Come
2. Concrete Techniques
3. It’s On Mine
4. Ain’t It Funky
5. Bring the Horns
6. Break Dream
7. Classic Ish feat. Reyna Mallare
8. Keep It Goin’
9. Operatin’ Correctly feat. Santotzin
10. Slow Down Baby feat. Mic Crenshaw
11. Take Ya Back (Like Before)
12. This Path

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.

Why I Like This Album:

1. This album is catchy as a motherfucker, man! With “Nightlife,” the Metermaids have created fourteen tracks of entertaining, feel-good, sing-a-long hip-hop that provides a great listen from start to finish. These cats simply know how to write good hooks and choruses. For the past week, I’ve listened to this album on my two 45-minute train rides to and from work every day, and I can never get the last song I hear out of my head for hours after. Tracks like Come Home, Good Times, Feel Alive, Risk You Run just make you want to sing along. “Nightlife” manages to grab your attention with virtually every track.

2. This album makes me feel like I’m at a concert. “Nightlife” is the perfect title to this collection of songs. Over half of the tracks seem to have been created with a live performance vibe in mind, and listening to this album gives me the feeling of a Saturday night in the basement of some NYC venue. It kinda serves the same escapist purpose of a weekend concert, helping to remove you from the stresses of the day and put a smile on your face. Tracks like The Inside, Breakdown, Love Is Back, No Matter What and Fingertips all create audience or listener participation with interactive choruses and hooks.

3. Impressive lyrical exchanges. Some duos just have that chemistry: Andre and Big Boi; Kweli and Mos; Black Thought and Malik B. Sentence and Swell of the Metermaids demonstrate amazing energetic back-and-forths throughout the course of “Nightlife,” both by exchanging verses and sharing them. The following verse from Good Times shows the duo’s ability to mesh their styles together and create a flowing lyrical exchange:

[Sentence] Chose the distilled life, cheap booze and Sudafed/
Just trying to make the unsuccessful look cool again/
[Swell] Say it loud ‘Ohhh it’s him!’ and we won’t worry about the background/
Yeah I been around the country, it sucks, I’m back now/
[Sentence] Assed out sitting in the office went to college/
For six years to work retail with fifty other artists/
[Swell] And the week just started, so I’m steadily keeping my head down/
But even in my daydreams I’m ready for that let down/
[Sentence] Inner voice screaming ‘What were you thinkin’?’/
Life is not a sequence of never-ending weekends/
[Swell] And silly games of me ‘Yo I’ll be the rap star/
She’ll be my girlfriend and we’ll be rich’ – the end/
[Sentence] Thinking it’ll be rugged but, fuck, not as real as this/
Heads like, ‘You’re an artist, man, you’re supposed to feel like shit!’/
[Swell] Finally something I got down, get the campaign to pop – blaaaw!/
‘Sean man you want some?’ Nah not now, I’m tired/

4. Personable verses. Despite the abundance of more party-style joints on this album, the Metermaids manage to drop a handful of personable verses that let the listener in on real life thoughts and feelings of the emcees. And both Sentence and Swell do this pretty successfully. Tracks like Think About It, Never Far and Life Is Easy are just some good heartfelt hip-hop tracks. I felt that both emcees dropped their best verses on Think About It, where they each analyze their situations:

Swell verse:
So much to say in such a short time/
It’s hard to pick the four lines/
To wrap into packages delivered at your door sign/
Like of course things have changed no matter how hard grip the details/
But I’ma keep it major so that the bigger picture prevails/
Brian got jumped so now you’re smoking again/
Quit quitting when the anger turned into the new depression/
And Molly’s up at college, kinda hard to believe/
And mom and pops are doing great, you see them every two weeks/
You’re still with Suzy – live in a one bedroom in Brooklyn/
You do the cleanin’ while she does the cookin’/
You got a dog and a cat, you a whole little family/
That makes home something fun that you could come back to/
And the crew’s thinned out a bit not from lack of love/
But you’ve always talked a big one, now it’s time to back it up/
So here we are – a quarter century’s test/
And for the first time in your life you could say you did your best/

Sentence verse:
You never found with your eyes well, bouncing through bars/
Take a deep breath – the paint, the smog, the clouds and exhaust/
So keep the chain swinging, ride against your paw/
Take the road less compatible then cram it in a song/
‘Cause they’re not gonna pay, stay rockin’ pockets of change/
But know when to call the game ‘cause bathroom floors are all the same/
And it ain’t glamorous to play the saint, the sinner and the Lazarus/
Sometimes leave that passion in the kitchen drawer where the matches is/
Your friends will die and take their lives and overdose/
And when you see your dysfunctional family once a year just hold ‘em close/
‘Cause you’re a fighter – at least you still say that in your head/
And yes Sentence, you guessed it, he’s too stressed to pay the rent/
But it’s all peace – you packed up your girl and moved out east/
And every day you either write or work on four hours of sleep/
You been all over the country making music with your friends/
So keep doing what you’re doing ‘cause I’d do it all again/

Overall: Definitely worth picking up. “Nightlife” is easily one of the standout unique, fun, and comprehensive underground hip-hop releases of the year. Favorite tracks include Come Home, Risk You Run, Good Times, Think About It, The Inside. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. The Inside
2. Breakdown
3. Come Home
4. Good Times
5. The Love Is Back
6. Feel Alive
7. The Risk You Run
8. Funk Terrorist
9. No Matter What
10. Think About It
11. Fingertips
12. Shame
13. Nightlife
14. Life Is Easy