It’s been a long time since the group formerly known as the LOX have come together to record an album. Almost nine years after the release of “We Are The Streets” dropped, Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek get back together, along with some of their other D-Block affiliates to drop No Security. The album, being released through E1 Music, contains a hour of that gritty, New York street hop that is getting embraced once again by the masses in this new “Death of Autotunes” era. [click to continue…]
“I’ll tell you one thing. I am getting down over here. I mean, I’m sitting here playing this over and over again, spittin’ like I got just got a record deal on eBay. Who am I listening to? Mr. James Dewitt Yancey, Jay Dee, or simply J Dilla. Jay Stay Paid is a collaborative album that was spearheaded by none other than Mom Dukes Yancey and the great Pete Rock. The album is composed of early works pulled from a bunch of old floppy disk and Dilla D.A.T.s , as they liked to call them, and surprisingly a couple of tracks he worked on during his numerous hospital stays. [click to continue…]
West Coast legends DJ Quik and Kurupt have been two of the most underrated in the game for years. The pair decided to unite for a collaboration album, and with the release of Blaqout, they don’t disappoint. While these two have had hits and misses on recent solo efforts, the smooth, melodic beats and accompanying flow mix perfectly and deliver a pretty solid album from start to finish.
Blaqout starts out with some predictable sounds from the duo, as tracks like “Do You Know”, “Watcha Wan Do” , and “Fuck Ya’ll” are cookie cutter L.A 90’s hiphop. There are some songs on here that should’ve been left off the final cut, such as “9x’s Outta 10″, and “Jupiters Critic and the Mind of Mars”.
Thankfully, sleepers on the album down the playlist like “The Appeal” try to balance it out. Overall, fans of vintage Quik and Kurupt should enjoy this album, however first time listeners of the duo may keep on walking by Blaqout.
It’s not often a collaboration album is worth the wait to me, but after checking Marco Polo and Torae’s Double Barrel today, I was definitely pleased. After listening to the album from start to finish, I was brought back to hip hop that I fell in love with. Not the sounds that take over your radio now, full of cliche rhymes. Double Barrel is Hip Hop in it’s purest form, and if you aren’t used to that, your’e in for a treat.
The album begins with Torae spitting straight fire on the title track, Double Barrel. The production of Marco Polo on this track, like much of the album, is as impressive as the lyrics dropped on the gritty beats. Tracks like “Lifetime”, “Smoke”, and “Rah Rah” shine as unheralded gems, while “Coney Island” is the new anthem for the borough this year. Double Barrel thankfully isn’t oversaturated with a lot of guest spots, and the ones that do show up, like Masta Ace on “Hold Up” definitely add to the album’s value. For those true fans of real hip hop looking for something new to check for to start your summer, Double Barrel will exceed all expectations.
So remember EnVogue? Good.. Remember the Spice Girls?… Great!…Remember Danity Kane?..Excellent! Now Ball them all into one. Perfect we’re almost there. Now add the amazing production skills of Tricky Stewart and Terius “The Dream” Nash. By their powers combine Def Jam gives you Electrik Red.
Electrik Red’s Cd combines thunderous drums and sonically soothing harmonies. The group’s members include Naomi,Lesley, Binkie, and Sarah. After listening to the whole album women will know exactly how to put their man in his place as well as satisfy him.Hence the title of their album “How To Be a Lady Vol:1. Electrik Red is by far one of the SEXIEST groups to come out in a long time, so it makes it very easy for guys to get lost in the intro song “Muah” where the ladies once again use vocal seduction to draw you in deeper. Songs like “Devotion” make the group look like a more SEX forward Destiny’s Child, in this “Cater 2 you-Esque song. ER (Electrik Red) snap the usual formula for man bashing songs with their out of the box track “Kill Bill”. The more rock inspired track pushes the limits of lyrical creativity as the women seek their revenge. Other highlights of the album include “Freaky Freaky” “9 to 5″ and the woman’s anthem “P is for Power”. Electrik Red’s How To Be a Lady Vol: 1 is a must buy for any true R&B fan as well as Dream fan.
Method Man x Redman – Blackout 2
Alright ya’ll! The Starsky and Hutch of Hip Hop are back. Ten years in the making, BlackOut! 2 is the very much anticipated follow up debut to Red and Meth’s 1999 Chart Topping LP Blackout! . Now I know you all are on pins and needles, craving good music [...]
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DJ Drama has solidified himself as the “DJ Clue of the South” to many of his peers and artists alike. His first studio album, “Gangsta Grillz The Album” had the feel of a true mixtape that was being sold in Best Buy. It’s overall success laid the foundation for a sequel, and [...]
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The Review:
With the release of his eighth studio album, Busta Rhymes latest, Back on my B.S, Busta returns after a three year hiatus, but some things never change. The rare ability to remain consistent with quality fresh content, as well as experiment working with new producers to stay ahead of the curve have [...]
Freeway – Philadelphia Freeway 2
Released -5/19/09
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The Review:
Freeway’s latest effort reminds me of the good and bad from the former Roc-A-Fella star. Free’s first indy release offers up fans of gritty east coast hip hop hope. Tracks like “Hands Up” pick up right where the first Philadelphia Freeway album left off. While some may [...]
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The third album released by Ciara reminds me of a Friday night full of promising date options with your significant other. You’ve been waiting patiently all week for this day, and you’re so happy it’s Friday. You think of so many different things you guys want to [...]
