13 is the third solo album from Havoc, one half of the famous rap duo Mobb Deep. Even though it has been a while since the Mobb came together for a studio release, Havoc has made it a point to stay relevant in today’s industry. Clocking in at less than fifty minutes, 13 is a relatively short listen which is in form with Havoc’s previous albums. He has always been an artist who practiced quality over quantity ever since the [...]
Archive for Category: "Reviews"
Various Artists – Music From Baz Luhrmann’s Film The Great Gatsby album review
Much like the ultra modern 2013 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, we get a sense that the days of flapper skirts and bootlegging depicted through the lens of a greyscale are just a faint memory. For a soundtrack so densely saturated with pop-culture and trend, The Great Gatsby endeavors to traject the original story’s concepts of hope and hopelessness, haves and have-nots and in many ways, it does. It’s only right that a Jay-Z track opens up the album [...]
The Uncluded – Hokey Fright album review
One of the most prominent, and well- known underground rappers of the last 10 years, Aesop Rock, has teamed up with Grammy Award- winning folk singer, Kimya Dawson, to form the group, The Uncluded. The term, uncluded, was first coined by San Francisco artist, Michael Bernard Loggins, meaning “keeping things you don’t appreciate out of your life.” Aesop initially reached out to Dawson via email as a fan of her music. The duo would later collaborate on an art- inspired [...]
Rittz – The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant album review
After much ado, Georgia rapper Rittz announces himself with a highly foreshadowed debut album, The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant. Since aligning himself Yelawolf’s independent label Slumerica, Rittz has dropped several singles and a lengthy mixtape (White Jesus: Revival) as a run-up to up this debut release. Now, turning to Tech N9ne’s Strange Music imprint, Rittz’s brand of dirty south hip hop hits the big scene. The debut effort from Rittz is unlikely to disappoint his fans, touting consistent [...]
Talib Kweli – Prisoner of Consciousness album review
Perhaps when Talib Kweli recently defended Rick Ross’ reprehensible lyrics on U.E.O.N.O by calling him “misguided” he did so in a glimpse of projection and subconscious self-reflection. Both may have a tad more in common than the average would assume in terms of identity issues, so while Rick Ross’ latest offering is tentatively titled Mastermind, Talib’s is called prisoner of consciousness. There may not be a more fitting title for this album, as Kweli strays from his typical social commentary [...]
will.i.am – #willpower album review
After spending quite a while in music limbo, it looked as if will.i.am’s fourth studio album would never see a release date. And after almost 2 years of perpetual delay, a title transformation, and a plethora of creative changes, #willpower has finally hit the airwaves, much to the chagrin of you commercial pop haters. If you take a moment to look at it intellectually, the hash tagged title almost mirrors the technological era and digital space that has enabled our [...]
DL Incognito – Someday is Less Than a Second Away album review
You can always tell when someone loves what they do. They put their heart and soul into their work and create quality product that extends beyond its time. Nothing less can be said about Canadian rapper DL Incognito and his latest album, Someday is Less Than a Second Away. The title may be a mouthful but the concept for the album is a succinct one: a memoir of DL’s past and his determination to build a better feature. At 13 [...]
RA The Rugged Man – Legends Never Die album review
RA The Rugged Man emerges out of a decade- long hiatus in peak lyrical form, with his release, Legends Never Die. Once one of the most promising young lyricists in the game, RA has worked reclusively and periodically since he was signed by Jive Records at the age of 18, some 20 years ago. RA has long been known for his clear, smooth flow, and attracted mass critical acclaim for his 2 minute verse on Jedi Mind Trick’s 2006 song, [...]
LL Cool J – Authentic album review
Don’t worry, we won’t call it a come back. LL Cool J is perhaps the least talked about of all the rappers who were considered numero uno at one time or another. He had had a long career even before he started appearing long in the tooth in the early 2000′s. His catalog consists largely of novelty 80s records (the kind automatically deemed classic), female songs and a couple tracks where he proclaims those same things make him a greatest [...]
N.O.R.E. (aka P.A.P.I.) – Student of the Game album review
Student of the Game is the sixth studio album from N.O.R.E and a testament to his long – running career in the rap world. Those familiar with the album’s back story know that it underwent almost as many name changes as the man who made it. This inability to decide on the album’s name reflects the sporadic feel of the album’s creative direction as a whole. P.A.P.I clearly had big ideas for the project and tried to incorporate all of [...]
