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 Us3
Run.stop.think
- | 2009
Over fifteen years ago, Us3’s 'Cantaloop' became a smash hit single and made 'Hand On The Torch', the album it appeared on, Blue Note’s first platinum selling album in the US. The single still remains essential regarding the impact the album had on hip-hop. A hip-hop record went platinum on an essential jazz label and for the first time, there was ... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 06-25-2009 | rated: mighty phat
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 Moka Only
Lowdown Suite 2 - The Box
Feelin Music | 2009
When it comes down to Moka Only and releases one could easily loose track (better say 'album'). When one is announced another album comes along already. Later this year, the self-proclaimed 'hungry hippo' will release a full length album together with Pharcyde's Bootie Brown and (hopefully) the Mister Mister project with Mr. Brady. Now it's time fo... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 06-06-2009 | rated: mighty phat
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 Ivan Ives
Newspeak
No Treshold | 2009
In George Orwell’s novel '1984', 'Newspeak' is a greatly reduced and simplified language with little vocabulary and almost no grammar. When you know that Ivan Ives, Russian-born (in 1984) but raised in Brooklyn and currently residing in L.A., was already a great fan of Shakespeare in his teenager years, then the contrast between the album title and... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 06-05-2009 | rated: phat
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 The Grouch & Eligh (G&E)
Say G&E!
Legendary Music | 2009
Say whut? Say G&E! Living Legends The Grouch and Eligh are back with a new episode of the G&E series. 'G’s for the good, E for Elevation, we gon’ touch the world, this is celebration', it goes in the title track’s chorus. 'Follow the way back to the Bay, let’s smart', man-of-the-moment The... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 03-31-2009 | rated: topnotch
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 Verbal Kent & Kaze One
Brave New Rap
Gravel Hiphop | 2009
After meeting in 2001 at an MC battle, Chicagoans Verbal Kent, master of ceremonies, and Kaz One, beat creator, have been on a mission. 'The rapper should make me wanna make a beat so hard it could knock a man down', Kaz 1 said to Verbal Kent and that was that. The rapper interpreted it as an invitation, the producer jumped on the train. Since Verb... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 03-30-2009 | rated: mighty phat
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 Finale
A Pipe Dream And A Promise
Interdependent Media | 2009
A pamphlet of blue-collar heroism, a story that has never been more relevant than in today’s economic slump. Get out of the dirt and follow your dreams, an adagio where ninety percent of the Motor Citizens can relate to, that’s what 'A Pipe Dream and A Promise' really is. Besides that, it’s the introduction of Finale to a wider audience, after bein... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 03-06-2009 | rated: mighty phat
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 Braille & S1
Cloud Nineteen
Hiphop IS Music | 2009
After having each track produced by a different producer on his previous release 'The IV Edition', HiphopIsMusic founder Braille Brizzy took only one producer under his wings for his latest album 'Cloud Nineteen'. And that’s what Symbolic One, sound provider of the Strange Fruit Project, does: giving the Lightheaded front man wings, as the collabor... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 03-06-2009 | rated: phat
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 Madlib
Beat Konducta vol 5 + 6
Stones Throw | 2009
Three years after Dilla’s passing, we’ve been able to witness a lot of dedications and homages. Artists that stood close to him, artists that felt connected with him, they all wanted to pay tribute. But actually it was really waiting for Madlib’s eulogy, as the two most prolific underground producers grew towards each other a lot in Dilla’s last da... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 02-17-2009 | rated: mighty phat
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 Aquil
Blues People
- | 2008
Although issued as a mixtape, the CD listens more like an album. With used beats as well as self-made productions, Aquil showcases in the first place his lyrical skills. Reminiscent of Nas, he flows with ease whether it's a Madlib, heavily jazz- (Fela Kuti) and funk- (The Sylvers) infested, old school ('86 Demotape') or boombap (the Nas homage 'Wor... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 02-04-2009 | rated: phat
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 Metermaids
Nightlife
27Sound Ent | 2008
In an attempt to paint the town red, Metermaids duo Swell and Sentence cross the boundaries of hip-hop and add some electronica and guitar riffs to the traditional beats and rhymes. Not that hip-hop is strictly limited to beat machines and rhymes these days, but the amount of live instrumentated rap records is still rather scarce.
And that... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 02-04-2009 | rated: nice
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 M.Fusion
The Solution
Nice Records | 2009
He's called the 'Brian Enno of rap', but we suspect that he's also influenced by Kraftwerk, (more recently) Radiohead, Aphex Twin and tons of movies (David Lynch -or John Carpenter even?-). M.Fusion, affiliate of the Shape Shifters, is not your average hip-hop producer, can we call this hip-hop? Well, the drums are mostly hip-hop, a few times drum-... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 01-30-2009 | rated: phat
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 Git Beats
Say Cheeze
Usedwax | 2009
Heads might know him from his appearance in the diggers’ documentary 'Deep Crates', walking rap encyclopaedias will remember that he was once signed to Payday Records, and really, really attentive rap fans will know him from collaborations with his group T-Weaponz. In other words South Bronx producer Git (say 'Jit' after the original B-boy) Beats d... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 01-27-2009 | rated: nice
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 Viro The Virus
The Sharpest Blade
One i Di. Vision | 2008
Freestylishly superb with an accurate view on life and what surrounds him (in much ways reminding us of Masta Ace), Illadelphia's upcoming rap talent Viro The Virus' follow-up to'Jersey's Finest' has tunred into a 19-track trip displaying Chuck Smut's freestyle experience with an ability to 'twist syllables and spliffs' and drop more rock-solid met... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 11-02-2008 | rated: phat
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 Jake One
White Van Music
Rhymesayers | 2008
With a wide range of artists from the underground, the mid-and main-or whatever stream and even local Seattle talents included, not many producers (except for Hi-tek and Statik Selektah maybe) succeed in gathering such a diverse line-up. Ok, the result is not a cohesive and constant sound (there’s a chance that you have a radio-sensitive banger fol... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 10-24-2008 | rated: phat
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 People Under The Stairs
Fun DMC
Gold Dust Media | 2008
'Fun DMC' isn't going down as the greatest play on words in hip-hop history, but its philosophy goes way back to the origins of our beloved music genre. 'All we need is fun' the chorus echoes in the opening track 'Swan Fever', and making fun is what the People Under The Stairs have succeeded in with their sixth album i... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 10-22-2008 | rated: mighty phat
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