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 [...]
Archive for Category: "Reviews"
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 [...]
Illogic & Blockhead – Capture The Sun album review
Illogic has been a staple in underground rap for quite a while now. And for this reason, he’ll get off pretty easy for releasing the mediocrity that is Capture The Sun. But it’s just always so unfortunate when conscious rap proves why it’s stigmatized (as whack) in the first place. Even throughout raps many different facelifts, Illogic has held his ground, consistently challenging the crookedness of the record industry, social injustices, blah, blah, blah. We’ve heard that all before. And [...]
Ghostface Killah – Twelve Reasons To Die album review
Arguably Wu Tang Clan’s best lyricist, Ghostface Killah, has released another high concept album, Twelve Reasons To Die, which serves also as the soundtrack for an Italian action movie by the same name. Twelve Reasons tells the story of Ghostface’s alter ego, Tony Starks, an Italian mobster, who is a henchman for the DeLuca crime family, who falls in love with the kingpin’s daughter. The story covers a lot in just 12 tracks, from Starks rise in the DeLuca family [...]
Snoop Lion – Reincarnated album review
“There’s so much death and destruction and mayhem in music…we losing so many great musicians and we don’t love ‘em while they’re here. I wanna be loved while I’m here and the only way to get love is to give love.” Listening to the brief intro of Snoop Dogg’s latest lifestyle project Reincarnated, it appears he knows the first thing on the listener’s mind: What is this about exactly? Calvin Broadus has worn numerous hats over the years, from LA [...]
Kid Cudi – Indicud album review
Kid Cudi does not play by your’s, mine, or any record lable’s rules, and he wants you to know it. Cudi’s new album, INDICUD, is both an example and further demonstration of his rebellious practices. After all, Indidud comes on the heels of his departure from G.O.O.D. music and mentor, Kanye West, as well as, a critically panned rock album, WZRD. If you follow Cudi on Twitter (@ducidni), you know bad publicity or critical reaction does not phase him one [...]
Major Lazer – Free the Universe album review
Repurposing sounds from various cultures has identified Major Lazer and put them in somewhat of an uncategorizable genre of their own. But 4 years after their debut album, Major Lazer has probably become more noted for their nationwide block parties than for their collaborative work, and their most recent album Free the Universe proves that justifiably so, as it is anything but Mad Decent. The album is distractingly difficult to keep your attention and nearly impossible to get through. And [...]
Smoke DZA – T.H.C (The Hustler’s Catalog) album review
With a name like Smoke DZA, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what kind of music T.H.C has to offer. This is the forth tape that stoner rap artist has put forth but is nothing special in the long run. The most striking aspect of the mixtape is the production. DZA pulls from an array of producers (most notably Big KRIT and Lex Luger) to assemble a menagerie of well – crafted beats to rap over. The instrumentals have a [...]
