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14 Oct

Posted at 12:17h in Interviews, Music
With Compton emcee Kendrick Lamar’s new album, good kid m.A.A.d city, due for release shortly there’s absolutely no question that all eyes are on Top Dawg Entertainment. Currently without doubt one of the hottest cliques in hip-hop - alongside the likes of MMG, G.O.O.D. Music, and Roc Nation - TDE are a powerhouse full of talent. Reminiscent of early G-Unit, when 50 Cent steered a small team - Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck - to the top of the charts, Top Dawg have their own small but incredibly deadly unit.

24 Sep

Posted at 09:07h in Music, Reviews
The Idea of Beautiful. You could write an entire essay on such an intriguing matter. Snow Hill, North Carolina native Rapsody did write an essay on the topic but did it in the musical form. In her debut LP, Rap decided to take all that she learned from her previous three projects in which she explored different avenues and combine into a rare introspective effort. Rapsody’s ode to cultural assent and narration of her own heartbreak transforms The Idea of Beautiful from complex portrayal to personal abstraction and human-dignifying advancement.

13 Jul

Posted at 03:23h in Music, Reviews
From comedian and actor to internet rap sensation, Donald Glover's circle of avid fans and celebrity pals has rapidly expanded since he made the often-precarious transition under his rhyming alter-ego, Childish Gambino. Less than a year since the 30 Rock contributor officially graced the studio for his solid debut album Camp -- a project full of zany, oddball humour and self-aware reflection -- Gambino returns to the studio to produce Royalty, his most sought-after mixtape to date.

12 Apr

Posted at 15:52h in Features, Music
There's an old saying that goes, "two heads are better than one." This philosophy has translated pretty well in Hip-Hop over the years with multiple emcees and/or producers banding together - in what I have always liked to picture as some kick-ass Power Rangers-like ritual - in the quest to create some fine quality music. Through time, the forces of Run-D.M.C., A Tribe Called Quest and the Wu-Tang Clan have wielded their mighty microphones in the mission to keep rap music on its trajectory towards good taste. Now, decades later, it would appear that the collective dynamic has made its return and just may be planting the seeds for Hip-Hop's future.

26 Jul

Posted at 10:13h in Music, Reviews
Without question, Hip Hop from the West Coast has really taken a hold of this year's summer. From Dom Kennedy's fun mix of street smart party outings to the critically lauded Section 80 from Compton wordsmith Kendrick Lamar. Even with Mann's crossover appeal, there's still space for some more from the sunnier side of the USA and Watts resider Jay Rock looks to fill that void. Bringing vintage gangster tales and heavy piano-injected productions, Follow Me Home aims to strike accordingly with fans of the no-nonsense brand of cold cuts and hard hitting rhymes.