Wu-Tang Clan - Chamber Music

1. Redemption
2. Kill Too Hard Ft. RZA, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa
3. The Abbot Ft. RZA
4. Harbor Masters Ft. RZA, Ghostface Killah, AZ, Inspectah Deck
5. Sheep State Ft. RZA
6. Radiant Jewels Ft. RZA, Raekwon, Cormega, Sean Price
7. Supreme Architecture Ft. RZA
8. Evil Deeds Ft. RZA, Ghostface Killah, Havoc
9. Wise Men Ft. RZA
10. I Wish You Were Here Ft. RZA, Ghostface Killah, The Williams
11. Fatal Hesitation
12. Ill Figures Ft. RZA, Raekwon, M.O.P., Kool G Rap
13. Free Like ODB Ft. RZA
14. Sound The Horns
15. Enlightened Statues Ft. RZA
16. NYC Crack Ft. RZA
17. One Last Question Ft. RZA

This may look like a Wu album, but...nah. An off-shoot, possibly from several Wu members' disgust with RZA's production of 8 Diagrams, this turns out to be a more-than-competent EP (don't let the number of tracks fool you - get rid of RZA's skits, and you're left with a sub-30-minute album). Speaking of RZA's production...this ain't no 8 Diagrams. This is much more his style; most tracks are filled with familiar drums and the dark ambiance that RZA's notoriety has been built upon. Oddly (as though some disapproved its release), only about half of Wu-Tang is actually on the album. GZA? Nope. Cappadonna? Nada. Meth? Don't think so. That makes it somewhat of a detracting listen, since a good number of Wu followers like their whole Clan in one concise package, not split up here and there. This pretty much instantly stops it from harboring any classics (the likes of Wu's classic tracks usually has many, if not all, of the main members). But every track (minus the skits - almost half the album) is dope, thanks in part to a number of dope guest features that almost make up for the low number of Clan members on the album. Artists that rarely work with Wu have ventured to Shaolin. Lyrically, everybody here's on point, in a predictable manner. Everything with this album's about midpack for a post-'00 Wu release. Which, at this point, is pleasing enough.

Best tracks: "Harbor Masters", "Radiant Jewels", "Ill Figures"
Not-so-great: Every last one of those damn skits...

Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 7/10

Originality & Creativity: 7/10

Overall Grade: B-

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Shinsight Trio - Shallow Nights Blurry Moon

1 Intro
2 Early Dayz Amazement
3 Kick Snare Hi Hat
4 I Love Good Music
5 What's The Word
6 Passin By
7 No Clouds On A Sunny Day
8 Work With Options Around Me
9 Let's Do A Jam (feat. Dagha)
10 Interlude
11 Lucky Dayz
12 Everything Steady Goin Downhill
13 Heart (feat. Edo G)
14 Positive Energy
15 Freedom Of Speech

More Insight :) Who doesn't love a great MC, right? In '06, he released this album after teaming up with Japanese producers DJ Ryow and Shin-Ski. It's large influence comes from its distinct jazz-rap roots, yet the album is still unique and has its own merits. Topics can be gathered from the track titles, and cover most old-school feel-good rap qualities, when MCs would just rhyme about whatever they wanted, and bitch-ass label A&Rs didn't control their every move. The jazzy production, consisting mainly of synths and drum loops, is a good match for Insight's rhyme style and topics. Compared to other albums, Insight still keeps elements of his style found in his other albums intact. He'll often bust out 16 bars at lightning speed ("Freedom of Speech"). Other times he takes a more monotone approach which fits the production well, but this can make some tracks a little boring. The combination of Insight's fast-and-furious rhyme style and the DJs' mellow production works better in my opinion. Overall, though, a damn good album - just wish it could make its way stateside.

Best tracks: "Early Dayz Amazement", "Passin By", "Let's Do A Jam", "Freedom of Speech"
Not-so-great: "Everything Steady Goin Downhill"

Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 8/10

Originality & Creativity: 8/10

Overall Grade: B

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Duck Down No Longer Exists?

Sean Price was available for comment in this video. As reported, Ruck has relieved Dru Ha & Buckshot of their CEO duties, and Sean Price is now the acting CEO. This is sure to bring some surprises to us from Ruck Down in the coming months.

Invincible - Shapeshifters

1.State Of Emergency(intro)
2.Looongawaited
3.Sledgehammer!
4.People Not Places(feat Abeer)
5.Spacious Skies
6.No Easy Answers
7.Deuce/Ypsi(feat Buff1, Sun & PL)
8.Recognize(feat Finale)
9.Ransom Note(feat Anomolies)
10.ShapeShifters(feat Grace Lee Boggs - interlude)
11.Ropes(feat Tiombe Lockhart)
12.Keep Goin(feat Wordsworth & Indeed)
13.In The Mourning
14.Locusts(feat Finale)

Invincible approached her debut '08 album the way a lot of politically/socially conscious/inclined artists do. Usually bear the same message. But here, it's all about the delivery. This also doubles as somewhat of a concept album, too, and no track breaks the flow - a rarity for this type of album. But, it wasn't purposefully crafted this way, it was just designed to be a generally dope album with a message. Yet interestingly, Invincible keeps up her revolutionary/"the time for change is now!" at the same pace as her dopeness. Her lyricism is usually conscious, as expected, and her delivery is often quick, and sometimes unintelligible if delivered too rapidly (which happens on a couple tracks). Production, by way of some Detroit superstars as Black Milk, Wahjeed, and House Shoes, is a nice match to Invincible's style, and helps propagate the dark ambiance of the album. One of the standout tracks, "Recognize", proves why Invincible & Finale should do an album together. As Invincible starts off her verse, Finale comes to steal the show, only to be interrupted by Invincible a few bars later, in cyclical fashion throughout the track. To tell you what though, I'm not exactly sure what makes me keep this album in heavy rotation - it's hard to put in words. It's a good thing, for sure, but a bit frustrating. This just continues Detroit's legacy of producing extremely solid albums in a time where hip-hop needs all the greats it can get.

Best tracks: "Looongawaited", "Spacious Skies", "Recognize", "Shapeshifters", "Ropes", "Locusts"
Not-so-great: "Ransom Note"

Beats & Production: 8/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 9/10

Originality & Creativity: 9/10

Overall Grade: A-

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Invincible - Locusts (Docu-Music-Video) (Feat. Finale)

Interesting documentary/music video (if you couldn't tell) from Invincible's '08 album, Shapeshifters. Expect the review in a few days, this lady's dope, and I don't care if she's white or not.

Marco Polo & Torae - Double Barrel

1. Intro feat. DJ Premier (Produced By: Marco Polo)
2. Double Barrel feat. DJ Revolution (Produced By: Marco Polo)
3. Party Crashers (Produced By: Marco Polo)
4. Smoke feat. Lil Fame (of M.O.P.), Rock (of Heltah Skeltah) (Produced By: Marco Polo)
5. Lifetime feat. DJ Revolution (Produced By: Marco Polo)
6. But Wait (Produced By: Marco Polo)
7. Rah Rah Shit (Produced By: Marco Polo)
8. Danger (Produced By: Marco Polo)
9. Stomp feat. Guilty Simpson (Produced By: Marco Polo)
10. Coney Island (Produced By: Marco Polo)
11. Word Play (Produced By: Marco Polo)
12. Hold Up feat. Masta Ace, Sean Price (of Heltah Skeltah) (Produced By: Marco Polo)
13. Get It (Produced By: Marco Polo)
14. Crashing Down feat. Saukrates, S-Roc (Produced By: Marco Polo)

After making a crash with his second album, Port Authority, which garnered wide critical acclaim, Marco Polo has been steadily gaining momentum with each release. What MP brings is simple - an album produced completely by one producer. This brings consistency and strength to most any album, assuming the MC does their job. Does Marco Polo do his job? (Check!) Does Torae do his job? (Ehhh...) Marco Polo does a great job of making gritty boom bap Premo-style beats, and they complement Torae's hardcore style quite well. The problem with Torae is in his inability to get creative with most of his content. His hooks are all the same style - he repeats the same few words over and over again totaling 1:30+ on some tracks. That's a bit too much filler for an <50 minute album. Don't get me wrong, this is nowhere near a bad album, and it's definitely one of '09's best releases - it's consistent as hell, to boot. And it's probably a minor gripe that I took a little too far. But if you enjoyed Port Authority (I did), this will be an enjoyable listen nontheless.

Best tracks: "Double Barrel", "But Wait", "Word Play", "Hold Up", "Crashing Down"
Not-so-great: "Party Crashers", "Get It"

Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 8/10

Originality & Creativity: 8/10 (Revived by innovations introduced by "Word Play" and "Hold Up"

Overall Grade:B

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Common - Unamerican Caravan

Common's demo before his Can I Borrow A Dollar? days.

1. First Days Of New School
2. Take It Easy (Demo Version)
3. 2 The Temple
4. Who Stole The Clippers
5. The Caravan Train
6. Divide & Conquer
7. A= For Effort

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Finale - Walk

iTunes bonus track that never garnered any attention... (off of A Pipe Dream and a Promise)

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Dela - Changes of Atmosphere

1. Changes of Atmosphere (Intro) (feat. Liza Garza)
2. I Say Peace (feat. J-Live)
3. Live the Life (feat. J. Sands)
4. The City (feat. J-Live & Surreal)
5. Won't Do (feat. Miles Bonny)
6. Stress (feat. Queens Connex & Termanology)
7. Long Life (feat. Talib Kweli)
8. Veuillez veiller sur vos reves (feat. Les Nubians & John Banzai)
9. Vibrate (feat. Blu)
10. How to Fish (feat. Reach)
11. The Plan (feat. Dynas)
12. It Is What It Is (feat. Naledge)
13. Chill (feat. Large Professor & Meemee Nelzy)
14. Changes of Atmosphere (feat. Supastition)
15. Live the Life (Original Mix) (feat. J. Sands)
16. Chill (Lark Chillout Mix) (feat. Large Professor)

French producer Dela released his debut album (after two mixtapes), Changes of Atmosphere, in '08. As a newcomer to the majority of listeners, his status was mostly unknown. Yeah, we've seen good track lists before, but that doesn't make an album. But Dela did an excellent job here. Every track has a cohesive sound that masterfully blends into the other. This is the main factor that makes me regard it as a jazz-rap classic. Dela didn't skimp on lyricism either when he created this lineup. With veterans like J-Live, J. Sands (of Lone Catalysts), Kweli, and Supastition, and very strong relatively newer cats like Blu and Naledge, plus a slew of lesser known artists, you definitely know the album's gonna have some variety. It has that in abundance. But nearly every track, even if it has no rapping, fits into the cohesive jazz-rap theme so well that there's not a single skippable track on here. Yeah, remixes aren't my favorite way to end an album, but...

Best tracks: "I Say Peace", "Live The Life", "Long Life", "How to Fish"
Not-so-great: "Veuillez veiller sur vos reves"

Beats & Production: 10/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 8/10

Originality & Creativity: 8/10

Overall Grade: A-

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Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother

1. Return Of The Mecca
2. For Pete's Sake
3. Ghetto's Of The Mind
4. Lot's Of Lovin'
5. Act Like You Know
6. Straighten It Out
7. Soul Brother #1
8. Wig Out
9. Anger In The Nation
10. They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
11. On And On
12. It's Like That
13. Can't Front On Me
14. The Basement
15. If It Ain't Rought, It Ain't Right
16. Skins

Pete Rock & CL Smooth came with their debut album in '92 after their well-received '91 debut EP, All Souled Out. At the time, though, their debut album was met with the same conservativism - it was critically acclaimed, but never sold a lot. Today, most of us know it's a wide-reaching classic, with few flaws. Often compared to Gang Starr, for not only their attempt at a tried-and-true formula (one MC and one producer), but because Pete Rock/Premo were considered the be the ones holding the album together, while CL Smooth/Guru were just mediocre monotone rappers. And I'm sick of hearing that. CL is an excellent rapper on this album. He brings wit, creativity, and intelligence that stood out in an era that was beginning the explosion of hip-hop's polar opposite, gangsta rap. If you have the time (it's a very lengthy 77 minutes) and the concentration (his style can be a little hard to stick with), this is an extremely rewarding album, and is easily the stand out from '92 hip-hop. Pete Rock aptly excels by pairing CL's style to some of the most soulful samples and horns that began to define Pete Rock's career. One minor flaw on this album, though, is CL's flow - if you listen to the album enough times, you can clearly hear his four bar pattern that follows the same voice patterns every rhyme, every time. It's a small complaint, but I've heard a lot about it, and that that's been heard has not been praise. But for the majority of us - this is a pure classic.

Best tracks: All
Not-so-great tracks: None

Beats & Production: 10/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 10/10

Originality & Creativity: 10/10

Overall Grade: A+

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J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid

1. KJay FM Dedication
2. King
3. I Told Yall
4. Lazer Gunne Funke
5. In The Night (Owl N Out) – While you slept (I crept)
6. Smoke feat. Blu
7. Blood Sport feat. Lil Fame of M.O.P.
8. caDILLAc
9. Expensive Whip
10. Kaklow (Jump On It)
11. Digi Dirt feat. Phat Kat
12. Dilla Bot Vs. The Hybrid feat. Danny Brown & Constantine
13. Milk Money
14. Spacecowboy Vs. Bobble Head
15. Reality Check feat. Black Thought | Clean
16. On Stilts
17. Fire Wood Drumstix feat. DOOM
18. Glamour Sho75 (09)
19. 10,000 Watts
20. 9th Caller
21. Make It Fast Mega Mix (Unadulterated Mix) feat. Diz Gibran
22. 24K Rap feat. Havoc of Mobb Deep & Raekwon
23. Big City
24. Pay Day feat. Frank Nitty of Frank n’ Dank
25. See That Boy Fly feat. Illa J & Cue D
26. Coming Back
27. Mythsysizer
28. KJay and We Out

Especially since his death, J Dilla has been recognized as one of the most prominent modern hip-hop producers. His style is one that is unique and innovative to the point where what he'll release next is unpredictable. However...with this (8th? I dunno, I lost count by now) posthumous album from Dilla, I'm beginning to wonder if we're going to see another 2Pac in a sense. I know the execs are in it for the money, but why not just released all his unreleased material in a single shot? Maybe it's just me, I'm a little sick of all these Dilla releases in little spurts, I just want the whole package to chill out and vibe to for a day. Jay Stay Paid is conceptually the same as every other instrumental Dilla release - most tracks pure instrumentals, others have light rapping on them. All the instrumentals are great, save one or two ("CaDILLAc"). The rapping's not anyone's best effort on here, even Blu craps out and doesn't even drop a single bar. Okay, yeah, it's a good release at it's core, but I'm tellin' ya, if I hear "Dilla (echo) *Dilla Dilla Dilla Mix Mix Mix*" any more times I'm done.

Best track: Mostly all of 'em
Not-so-great: "CaDILLAc"

Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 6/10

Originality & Creativity: 8/10

Overall Grade: B

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Snowgoons - A Fist In The Thought

1. Who Are You
2. Get Down
3. Platoon Goons (feat. Reef the Lost Cauze)
4. Trapped on Earth (feat. Brainstorm)
5. Run Run
6. At War (feat. Sean Price)
7. Knuckle Up
8. One Shot
9. Pray Hard (feat. Sicknature)
10. South Carolina Struggle (feat. Vibez)
11. Michael Nobody aka Poetic Death
12. Planetary Takeover (feat. Planet X)
13. All In Your Mind (feat. Viro the Virus)
14. Capital City Streetz
15. Snakes
16. Hip Hop Crusaders (feat. King Syze / Kev Turner)
17. Been Fighting Devilz

The German production team Snowgoons has garnered a lot of attention as of late in the underground hip-hop scene. A combination of stand-out, unique and enthralling beats with hardcore MCs seems to get lots of fans' blood pumping. This album takes a slightly different yet still familiar approach. It's mainly Lord Lhus and the Savage Brothers commandeering this album, instead of being equally shared by numerous MCs. They provide a cohesive sound throughout the album, but their main fault, in my eyes, is that they try way too hard to be mini-me Vinnie Paz clones; even their intonation and some of their rhymes schemes on some tracks are identical. Production has to be the main saving grace here, and it is, with normal Snowgoons/Army of the Pharoahs sounds, meaning it's good, but could be revitalized with a few syringes. And that's my main complain about the album, but in terms of lyricism - just a few more shots of adrenaline to make this a unique and truly memorable album on its own merit. It does have a few standout moments where they break from their hardcore sound, near the middle of the album, but don't expect classic/album of '09 material here.

Best tracks: "Who Are You", "South Carolina Struggle", "Michael Nobody", "Planetary Takeover"
Not-so-great: "Get Down", "One Shot"

Beats & Production: 8/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 7/10

Originality & Creativity: 7/10

Overall Grade: B-

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J-Live - The Best Part (Re-Issue)

CD1

01. Outside Looking
02. Intro
03. Got What It Takes
04. Don’t Play
05. Vampire Hunter J
06. YES!
07. Them That’s Not
08. Kick It To The Beat
09. Wax Paper
10. Timeless
11. Get The Third
12. School’s In Remix
13. R.A.G.E.
14. True School Anthem
15. Inside Looking Outro
16. The Best Part
17. Play
18. Braggin’ Writes Revisited
19. Epilogue

CD2 (INSTRUMENTAL)

01. Got What It Takes (prod. by 88-Keys)
02. Don’t Play (prod. by 88-Keys)
03. Vampire Hunter J (prod. by Grap Luva)
04. YES! (prod. by Emmai Alaquiva)
05. Them That’s Not (prod. by Grap Luva)
06. Kick It To The Beat (prod. by Pete Rock)
07. Wax Paper (prod. by Prince Paul)
08. Timeless (prod. by DMS Country)
09. Get The Third (prod. by DMS Country)
10. School’s In (Remix) (prod. by 88-Keys)
11. R.A.G.E. (prod. by DJ Spinna)
12. True School Anthem (prod. by DJ Spinna)
13. The Best Part (prod. by DJ Premier)
14. Play prod. by 88-Keys)
15. Epilogue (prod. by J-Live)

First off...yeah, I know. I posted this in April. But I forgot to review it. So. Yeah.

J-Live represents some of the best independent rap has had to offer since its inception. No doubt, this is in part because of J-Live's introduction to the genre was during the mid to late 90s when the underground movement was at its peak. Following the path of countless others at the time, it proved hard for many artists, yet, guess what? J-Live preVAILED (*wipes tear*). So proud. This is clearly evident with the majority of the songs, which had a genuine underground feel, with somewhat exotic-feeling beats, a wide variety of content and topics, and a play time that sometimes borders too long. The CD begins off with a look into J-Live's childhood, when, you know, he was stylin' on all the lil' kids at the lunchroom. The CD starts off strong with "Got What It Takes", a somewhat lighthearted braggadocio/battle rap track, leading into the polarizing "Don't Play" (some people hate the sample on the chorus; I'm not offended, and I love how J-Live twists it). The album continues up its peak, until it reaches "School's In (Remix)". This is where I begin to have mixed feelings about the album. Oh, it's no doubt a great track, but afterwards, it begins to trail off a bit. "R.A.G.E." seems merely decent, and "True School Anthem" isn't particularly memorable. These feelings disappear by the time "The Best Part" rolls around, where Premo drops a beat, but the few tracks in the beginning of the second half of the album need a bit of spice in order to do the album some justice. Good thing the rest of the album is pure genius.

Best Tracks: "Don't Play", "YES!", "Them That's Not", "Timeless", "School's In Remix"
Not-so-great: "R.A.G.E.", "Play"

Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 9/10

Originality & Creativity: 10/10

Overall Grade: A

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Various Artists (Rawkus Records) - Soundbombing

1. Intro - Evil Dee/Brick City Kids
2. Flipside - Ra The Rugged Man
3. Fire In Which You Burn - Indelible MCs
4. Lune TNS - Company Flow
5. Nightwork - Sir Menelik AKA Cyclops 4000
6. Arabian Nights - Shabaam Sahdeeq
7. Fortified Live - Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek)
8. Show Me Your Gratitude - L-Fudge
9. 'Till My Heart Stops - Ra The Rugged Man
10. Freestyle - Mos Def/Talib Kweli
11. So Intelligent - Sir Menelik AKA Cyclops 4000
12. Empire Staters - B-One
13. If You Can Huh... - Mos Def
14. Universal Magnetic - Mos Def
15. What If? - L-Fudge
16. My Crown - Black Attack
17. 2000 Seasons - Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek)

Remember the days when Rawkus was actually relevant? Oh, to relive the glory days. 1997's Soundbombing began Rawkus' nearly unstoppable reign in promoting some of the best underground hip-hop in the late 90s. This classic compilation was a manifestation of the epitome of "true" hip-hop; pure and raw, with Indelible MCs/CoFlow's "Fire In Which You Burn", the Black Star "Freestyle", and more. It's also entertaining to revisit the younger RA the Rugged Man...good thing he developed his style later on in his career, because his joints are the low points of the album. One amazing track, "Arabian Nights", has one of the most captivating bass lines ever, and this could easily be Shabaam's best song ever. Basically, Soundbombing was successful in representing good hip-hop at the time because it combined raw energy with creative and generally intelligent lyrics accompanied with head-noddin' beats...and who doesn't enjoy that?

Best tracks: "Fire In Which You Burn", "Lune TNS", "Arabian Nights", "If You Can Huh, You Can Hear", "Universal Magnetic"
Not-so-great: "Flipside", "'Till My Heart Stops"

Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 9/10

Originality & Creativity: 9/10

Overall Grade: A

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Aceyalone - The Lonely Ones

1. Live at the Firehouse Intro
2. Lonely Ones (featuring Bionik)
3. Can't Hold Back (featuring Treasure Davis)
4. What It Wuz (featuring Bionik)
5. On the One
6. Step Up (featuring Treasure Davis)
7. To the Top (Remix)
8. Workin Man's Blues (featuring Bionik)
9. Power to the People
10. Push N' Pull
11. Outro Bionik Quartet

West coast artist Aceyalone's been known for his creative albums. Since his (classic?) All Balls Don't Bounce, he's blended a variety of music and lyrical styles that are usually atypical of rap. This case is no different, where Aceyalone combines the best of doo-wop styles from the '50s with modern rap. It's an interesting blend that's never been done before, and because of that, it's somewhat flawed. There's not a great variety of tracks here, and most of the production sounds the same from track to track. The album is also very short, clocking in at under 30 minutes - this should honestly be an EP, not a full-blown album. On some tracks, we find Acey bustin' out his usual rhymes; others show singer Bionik under the spotlight. Listening to this album makes me wonder what other genre Acey could successfully blend, because Acey's done the impossible in rap.

Best tracks: "Lonely Ones", "Can't Hold Back", "One The 1"
Not-so-great: "What It Wuz"

Beats & Production: 8/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 7/10

Originality & Creativity: 10/10

Overall Grade: B-

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Finale - One Man Show (8-Bit Remix) (Feat. Casual)

Early Castlevania-style remix of Finale's "One Man Show" from 2009's A Pipe Dream a Promise; Casual from Hiero drops a verse as well.

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CYNE - Water for Mars

1. This Year
2. Awakening
3. Pretty Apollo
4. I Never
5. Interlude
6. Electric Blue
7. Tide of Life
8. Dazed & Confused
9. Fantasy Revenge
10. Interlude
11. Boombox Pimp
12. The Jux
13. Cise
14. Interlude
15. Nicers
16. The Raven
17. Beaten Boxes
18. Interlude
19. Your Voice
20. One Day . . .

CYNE's been known for their unique, innovative beats, courtesy of members Spock and Enoch. At the same time, they're also known for their political, conscious bars, courtesy of MCs Akin and Cise Star. They continue their reign with 2009's Water For Mars (unfortunately another Japan-only release...). Some CYNE fans believed that their '08 album, Pretty Dark Things, was a feeble attempt that drifted away from their roots. Clearly rethinking their path, CYNE appears to have looked to their first album, Time Being, for inspiration. This becomes apparent in several ways - the structure of the album, with several instrumental interludes interspersed between clever songs is there. Their beats are still wildly cosmic, yet aren't as radical as they were on their other albums as of late, as they've returned to relatively more simple beats. Yet, although not truly innovative in the face of CYNE's career, their work is so carefully crafted and artfully done that this cannot be overlooked. Content ranges from uplifting, positive outlooks on life ("This Year"), to stories of love with their music ("Boombox Pimp"), and storytelling ("The Jux"). Personal opinion? Album of '09 right here.

Best tracks: "This Year", "Awakening", "I Never", "Electric Blue", "The Jux", "The Raven", more
Not-so-great: "Fantasy Revenge" is somewhat annoying

Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 9/10

Creativity & Originality: 9/10

Overall Grade: A

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Xzibit - At The Speed of Life

01. Grand Opening (Interlude)
02. At The Speed Of Life
03. Just Maintain (Feat. Hurricane G. & J-Ro)
04. Eyes May Shine
05. Positively Negative (Feat. King Tee)
06. Don't Hate Me (Interlude)
07. Paparazzi
08. The Foundation
09. Mrs. Crabtree (Interlude)
10. Bird's Eye View (Feat. Tash, J-Ro & Hurricane G.)
11. Hit & Run (Feat. Ras Kass)
12. Carry The Weight
13. Plastic Surgery (Feat. Ras Kass & Saafir)
14. Enemies & Friends
15. Last Words (Interlude)

It's amazing how many rappers have lost their careers caught up in the fame and money that the mainstream (*cough* MTV) offers. We've seen it time and time again, and it always leads down the same road. BEFORE X-to-the-Z was pimpin' rides and losing his roots was At The Speed of Life. Easily his best album, it surprised me more than I thought it would. A '96 West Coast album. Sounds like G-Funk to me, but no - it's filled to the brim with East Coast Boom Bap, one track even produced by Diamond D. For a West Coast underground album, this is a big deal. And it pays dividends, because both lyrically and production-wise, it's a fresh listen nearly all the way through. On this album, Xzibit confronts sellouts ("Paparazzi"), cherishes the life of his newborn child ("The Foundation"), and even goes concept with "Plastic Surgery", where Ras Kass drops in. The only true flaw in the album is in its guest appearances (mostly by members of Tha Alkaholiks), which hold nowhere near the weight that X can on the mic, and detract from the album's personality a little bit. Oh, and the instrumental interludes are obviously pure filler, and serve 0 purpose on the album. Both other than that...a very fine release that shows what X could be nowadays had he honed his talent and not hypocritically sold out to the mainstream.

Best tracks: "Paparazzi", "The Foundation", "Carry the Weight", "Plastic Surgery"
Not-so-great: "Just Maintain"

Beats & Production: 10/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 8/10

Originality & Creativity: 8/10

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Guru "8.0" - Lost & Found

I thought some of y'all might need a coaster, so here it is.
The last true beacon of real hip-hop has arrived...



01. Lost & Found
02. Fastlane
03. Ride (Feat. Omar)
04. No Gimmick Shit (Feat. Doo Wop)
05. Read Between Tha Linez (Feat. Solar K Born & High Power)
06. Best Of My Yearz
07. Divine Rule
08. When U Least Expect (Feat. K Born and High Power)
09. After Time (Feat. Solar)
10. Those Dayz R Gone
11. Stop Frontin
12. Own Worst Enemy
13. Cee What We Do
14. Love-Hate Thang
15. It's A Shock
16. 6 Cipher (Feat. K Born and Highpower)
17. 7 Grand Off Tha Chain

Fuck it, I'm not gonna review it. It sucks. Listen at your own risk.

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Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Preparation Post

In order to "prepare" for one of the (hopefully) better releases of '09, I decided to have a tribute to the original OB4CL, undoubtedly one of the best classics in hip-hop that still permeates and rings through hip-hop lovers' ears to this day. *Scheduled* to come out this summer, so ya know it's gonna be a hot one.











...and if ya lost ya copy ('cause you SHOULD have this by now...)...

I'll be nice.