Two years ago there were a series of webisodes released to promote 2009’s Blakroc; a project between Dame Dash, The Black Keys and some of the best rappers that hip hop has ever seen. It is a terrific preview into the preparations and writing that goes into any given verse. Plenty of rappers like Rza, [...]

Lupe Fiasco has, throughout his career, managed a peculiar feat. Whether drawn in by his intelligent and provocative lyrics, his swagger and stage presence, or any of the number of factors he has that work to his advantage, Lupe’s appeal works for both commercial and underground rap fans. However, with the release of Lasers, a [...]

There are some fixating and nostalgic aspects to Raekwon’s latest record that some die hard Wu heads will be able to sink their fangs into, but overall, Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang marks a bit of a shift in The Chef’s formula. For most of us Raekwon’s previous album to this; Only Built For Cuban Linx II, [...]

“We are lost, but what we are not is alone…” is the reality politely spoken by the sincere Brother Ali on the opening track and introduction to this incredible album and second offering by Zion I and The Grouch, Heroes In The Healing Of The Nation. I must say that Zion I is on quite [...]

It’s easy to see the appeal of a relevant flashy rap album. They’re fun for parties and car rides, they’re all over the radio and TV, they’re loud and synonymous with good times, and best of all, there are so many to choose from that you can type gibberish in an iTunes search and likely [...]

After a horrible release from 9th Wonder and his new recruits, 9th Opus, I really wanted to be happy with this new offering. I really wanted to think “oh, he just put that together real quick” or “oh, he probably saved the ‘real’ production for his new, more official, releases”. Even though his new project [...]

Last year longtime Talib Kweli fans were met with a sobering new album from the Brooklyn veteran in the follow up to his and mid-west production staple Hi-Tek’s initial Reflection Eternal album. Kweli supporters were notably taken back with how un-impressive Revolutions Per Minute was and some creeping suspicions that perhaps his best days on [...]

We’ve all heard this theme repeated in music, poetry, art, film, novels and other forms of artistic expression: What would you do if your time here on Earth were coming to an end…NOW?! Lox superficially scratched the surface and discussed this in “24 hours to live”, the eccentric surrealist Salvator Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory” [...]

The last time The Alchemist got up with another emcee for a full length, retail collaboration he and Mobb Deep front man Prodigy issued the rap world a fierce ode to fashioned gangsterism, set to some of the smoothest looped up soul breaks the white guy from Beverly Hills ever chose to tinker with. While [...]

One of the elements that is so sorely missing from most of Hip-Hop’s aesthetic nowadays is the true street element and experience. It’s been too long since any one emcee took us burrowing through his specific hell on earth in spectacular fashion. Slaine Carroll has been collecting kudos for a minute now both in his [...]