Album Review: Eyedea & Abilities - By The Throat (2009)

The story of Eyedea & Abilities coming together is always been viewed as one of the more unique things I've heard in hip-hop. Both artists were relative experts in their respect crafts. Eyedea was originally garnering attention as a battle emcee where he won Scribble Jam and also won the HBO Blaze Battle. Abilities released several mixtapes that allowed him to win three Disco Mix Club awards for his work on the turntables. The two eventually joined forces to release two albums (First Born in 2001 & E&A in 2004) through Rhymesayers Entertainment. After a four-year hiatus that included the artists searching other sounds in music and have returned.

Today, they release "By The Throat," their newest concoction of 11 songs once again on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The album, as always, is entirely produced by Abilities and the sounds you will hear on this album are a very different sound you won't expect from the typical Eyedea & Abilities that they have become known for. Instead, you will find very aggressive in-your-face guitar samples and loud live drums producing a sound that almost sounds like a live Rock band more than hip-hop.

By The Throat is overall a very pleasing album. I think one pleasantly surprising factor was that the vocals on the entire album are all of Eyedea. That's right, not a single guest feature. For some artists this can cause them to have a tendency to make their album sound very monotonous because of the same voice on every song, however it doesn't hurt this album one bit. Eyedea's approach to each song is very different keeping things fresh from song to song. One song he will be singing, the next song he will be using his quick spitting rhymes and the next time he is reminiscent of a lead for an indie-rock band. Plus, Eyedea does a very good job of painting the stories in his songs. The biggest criticism I have of this album is that it sounds more like an indie-rock album than a hip-hop album and there aren't any songs that have that fun loving sound that originally allowed me to fall in love with E&A. There isn't a "Big Shot" or a "Now" anywhere to be found on this album which was certainly disappointing, no doubt, and "Junk" and "Factory" border on being flat out annoying to listen to.

In the end, however, this album has a very indie-rock sound yet it has good replay value. It is not 20 songs with 8 songs of filler, it is 11 songs that, for the most part, play well from one to the next. The highlights of the album include "Burn Fetish," "Smile," "This Story" and "Time Flies When You Have A Gun" - a song about how giving up the ownership of a gun gives a man both sanity and safety. It sounds more like something you would expect from P.O.S. than Eyedea & Abilities, but overall it's still a good listen.

Best Song: Burn Fetish
Rating: 6.2/10

Crooked I is a gambler

So this guy (I think he's a mixtape dj?? Not real sure) is going around through the Slaughterhouse group and interviewing them about their best and worst gambling experiences. I watched all three of them and the Crooked I one is by far the best... especially when he talks about his WORST gambling experience. This is definitely worth watching.

Nas & Damian Marley - Only The Strong (Live)

About a month ago I had the privilege to see Nas & Damian Marley perform live in Minneapolis while they were taking a one day hiatus from the Rock The Bells tour. Their set was terrific and I walked away very pleased. Her is a video of one of their songs that is supposed to be on the album, I actually remember hearing this song live. It's a great song and I can't wait for their album to drop.

Beastie Boys announcement

MCA of the Beastie Boys makes an announcement regarding the fact he was diagnosed with Cancer about a couple weeks ago. Truly hope he can have a speedy recovery.

The Roots - How I Got Over

The Roots have a new track!!

The Roots - How I Got Over

A Sign Of The Apocalypse

Here is your newest sign of the apocalypse. Unbelievable.

Joell Ortiz - Food For Thought

So a lot of rappers talk about the HER thing and we all know what it refers to - and if you don't go listen to "I Used To Love HER" by Common - the originator. Most of the time I hear people try to do songs that reflect on the same HER that Common was talking about but they don't do it justice like Common did. Well the homie Derrick showed me that Joell Ortiz (of Slaughterhouse!) has a single that leaked called Food For Thought that actually does do the same concept justice. Cookin' Soul produced the beat, and if you didn't know, they make some terrific beats - this one is no exception

Joell Ortiz - Food For Thought


If for whatever reason you've been sleeping under a rock and don't know who Slaughterhouse is... check this:

Eyedea & Abilities giving me new hope

Prior to this video, I had seen Eyedea perform at Soundset and I think it was by far the worst set I had seen that day. He played some songs off of his upcoming and I was not impressed with the live show. This is supposed to be one of his new songs coming out and I think it sounds pretty good so I have new hope that I will like it.

Murs interview

In the first video he talks about the classic Snoop & Pac song, second video he talks Callin Out Names

Raekwon talks about his new album

I'm excited for Raekwon's new Dr. Dre produced album to drop. The expectations for that album are seemingly through the roof. Hopefully it lives up to the hype.

Sioux Falls Jazzfest 2009 - Another Successful Friday

To say that the Friday night of Sioux Falls Jazzfest was a success would be an understatement! Liquid Thin along with V the Noble One and terrific back-up singer Tyshawn absolutely ripped it tonight! They were nothing less than amazing tonight!

What I Hate More Than Lame Rappers

Some things really annoy the heck out of me. I'm not a real big fan of Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne is alright as far as rapping goes, and he is good at thinking outside the box with words. That's as far as my compliments go with him. He has a problem staying on subject most of the time, one line he'll talk about killing people and the next line is a venereal disease. His voice is all cracked out from so much marijuana and I think he's very underwhelming when it comes to full-fledged songwriting.

Which brings me to SeDrew Price. With the popularity of Lil' Wayne we've seen a gluttony of Lil' Wayne impersonators trying to rap and sound like him. Rappers that impersonate other rappers are possibly the worst rappers one could ever concieve. But then again, I am just a HATER apparently. Below is a video of SeDrew Price showing his Lil' Wayne skills and proving to me just how creative Lil' Wayne's style truly is - it's so creative that he has lame dudes trying to eat off his popularity, which is flat out humorous to me. Moreover, the way this dude talks just rubs me the wrong way. I can't put my finger on what it is though.

Immortal Technique on Mr. Peter Parker

So Mr. Peter Parker did a nice long interview with Immortal Technique and it was apart of a 3 part series. I really enjoy when an emcee drops some serious knowledge and Tech definitely does that here. Here are the 3 videos in order:

Part One


Part Two


Part Three

Evidence of Dilated Peoples signs to Rhymesayers Entertainment

It looks like Rhymesayers is really trying to branch out of the midwest with new signings of Freeway & Jake-One to do an album, Abstract Rude and now Evidence. I'm not a huge Evidence fan because he is 'Mr. Slow Flow,' but his beats are definitely something special. This makes me wonder when Atmosphere might try branching to the dirty south for an artist... I'm not real sure what their record label situation looks like, but I'd love to see the Cunninlynguists apart of Rhymesayers.

You can find the full press release here: http://www.rhymesayers.com/news.php#newsId_1797

9th Wonder Presents: Rapsody, Thee Tom Hardy, & D-Mal - As We Shine

So 9th Wonder did a song with some rappers that I've never heard of. I think this might be one of the few rap videos ever done in a real club, not some fake makeshift club for a video. And hey, you gotta rock the Monopoly right?

Rapsody is pretty good, I wouldn't mind hearing her again, her voice is real sexy. Tom Hardy has a line about hipsters, yet he raps like a hipster would rap, and D-Mal is alright-nothing great - after the song is over I'm pretty sure Rapsody is the only memorable one of the 3 - she's beautiful with a sexy voice and a pretty decent flow. 9th with another fresh beat though.

Album Review: Trey Lane - More Than Music EP (2009)

In the last few years Trey Lane has become somewhat of a staple in the Sioux Falls hip hop community. It's likely that he has had more hip-hop concerts locally than any other act. He has had good local success with the release of his past two albums, 'Built 4 This EP' in 2007 and 'The Standard' in 2008. Trey Lane has seen a majority of his local success boom in early to mid-2008 with several shows at Nutty's North getting attendance in the 300+, which is no easy feat in Sioux Falls. Lately, that success has paid off for him as he and FOE labelmate V the Noble One have been able to branch out and begin going to other locations outside of Sioux Falls to do shows. Locations such as Rapid City, Fargo, Omaha, Sioux City and Minneapolis. He has also seen a rise in sharing the stage with a number of big time hip hop artists including West Coast rapper "The Game." Say what you want about The Game, but The Documentary was a great album front to back.

Now it's 2009 and Trey Lane recently released his newest collection of songs called the "More Than Music EP." It has features from a variety of artists including Disturbing The Peace member Willy Northpole out of Arizona, and from Charlotte it has F.Dux, Overflow & Mar'iso. It also includes songs with FOE members V the Noble One, Kash, Bru'tal and Blitzkrieg. Finally, you will also hear features from A-Def of Soulcrate Music, Maniac of Nightshield Entertainment, LMo, and Danny Boy.

Upon listening, you will find Trey Lane more polished than his previous projects and you will find beats with the large instrumentation and synths that he is known for. There are a number of quality tracks on the album that are worth mentioning, one of my personal favorites is "Over & Over." This song seems like it should be a solo track by Trey Lane with just the singer Mar'iso because the feel that Trey Lane gives is that of one where he is going through some serious relationship problems with his significant other. He paints a very vivid portrait in his music and the hook is INSANELY CATCHY. You will find yourself singing it after you get out of the car.

Another great track is "Let'Em Know" that has a very in-your-face beat with a terrific chorus laced by V the Noble One. The FOE posse-cut "Hustle Or Starve" really rocks from start to end. I really think that all of the artist have their big time moments on this track including Trey Lane, Blitzkrieg's masterful off-beat flow and Ka$h where he says: "No rumor it's a fact I put the Ruger to ya hat/ Young mula on the track like a tumor on ya back/ An animal dog I'm eatin n***as hannibal raw/ built ford tough like a cannibal's jaw/"

Other bright moments include the fresh "Walk Ugly" track with an insanely grimey beat (catch that oxymoron?). The track features Attention Deficit - 1/3rd of Soulcrate spitting a razorsharp flow with terrific back to back multiples. The song "Fabricated" has a a very smooth verse by LMo: "Obnoxious concoctions coming straight from the cockpit/ Abolishin' novices into my hostages/" and Trey Lane's cleverly disgusting "I get down and dirty like a woman's hysterectomy."

However, the album does contain its flaws. The track "Shine" has a very boring and repetitive hook and beat, the track "On Deck" has an extremely lame beat and I would expect better with a feature like Willy Northpole, "When The Chips Are Down" just sounds hard to listen to when you have Trey's smooth flow and Maniac's in your face and abrasive flow, "Over & Over" could do without F.Dux's overpowering voice and effortless verse with empty vocals at the end. Lastly, the biggest criticism is that the album has 17 features on only 12 songs! Sure, it is just an EP, but even with an EP I expect less features. Mixtapes typically have this many features... either that or rap groups. V the Noble One is featured on half of the album which makes me wonder if this would not have been better served as an album by Trey Lane & V or far less features.
At the end of the day this is still a good listen and a solid contribution to Sioux Falls' local hip hop scene.

Best Line: "Life can be a b***h with no menstrual medication/ so I pass her a midol tell her take a vacation/" - Trey Lane Hustle Or Starve
Best Song: Walk Ugly (feat. A-Def of Soulcrate Music)
Rating: 7.2/10

What Is A Hater?

This column is sure to get people thinking. Just what is a hater? I've heard several definitions, in fact, I have myself been called a hater before. Recently I was called a hater because I said I didn't like Eminem's Relapse album. My reasoning for this was because I think that I may have grown out of Eminem's preposterous antics that have made him famous. No doubt, I used to love his music, but I just can't get into it anymore. I think part of it is my age and the fact that my tastes in hip-hop have evolved so greatly over the last 4-5 years.

However, I'm getting off-topic. The point is, that I was called a hater by someone for expressing my opinion on something. The funny thing about the label "hater" is that people have this strange connotation for the word, "hater." It's as if it's like the verbal version of AIDS or Bubonic Plague. Once you say it and label someone, well... their a gone-er!

But seriously, I 'hate' on 99.9% of albums that come out. Granted, I also give credit where it's due. However, few things we ever find in life are perfect. Think about football coaches after a game where they win 77-0 and they still say they never "played a perfect game." Now in some aspects they may full of it, but the truth is that coaches find small areas and flaws that they need to fix in their game. No one ever seems to have a problem with that, but once a person finds a flaw in a rappers music, OH MAN HE'S A HATER! LOCK HIM AWAY! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!

"OH YOU DON'T LIKE THE RELAPSE??!!! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!"

In all actuality, isn't what people call a hater, just an honest person? Even my favorite albums of the year still have a song or two that I don't like. Let's say "Johnny" doesn't really like the fresh new John Tesh cd that just got released on Tuesday and tells his friends his feelings on it. Well, Johnny's friend "Eric" says to him, "You don't like the new John Tesh cd, Johnny? Wow You're a hater!" To me, that's Eric simply doesn't like that Johnny doesn't agree with his opinion... so what does he do? He labels him a hater.

So now to look at the situation even FURTHER outside of the box. Eric looks at Johnny and expresses his honest feeling of distaste for him. Well then couldn't we call Eric a hater too?

Think about it: if you steal from a theif, are you really any better than the theif you stole from?

Look, what I am saying is this, by calling someone a hater, you - yourself are being a hater as well. Plus, it's a lame way of disagreeing with someone. One could get much farther simply trying to explain why that cd IS good rather than labeling them a hater. Otherwise, you can always use my approach and just tell them that you discredit their opinion of hip-hop music altogether with and walk away, it's a fool-proof method, hahaha.

Album Review: P.O.S.-Never Better (2009)

There can be no denying that the popularity of P.O.S. has grown probably faster than any artist ever on Rhymesayers Entertainment. One could make an argument for Brother Ali, no doubt, and the two are very comparable when it comes to popularity from the underground scene and how quickly their popularity has taken off. P.O.S., whose name is very hard and annoying to try type quickly on a computer, spent time touring with the Gym Class Heroes when they were at the height of their popularity back in 2007.

An appreciation can be made for P.O.S. in not only his unique style of hip-hop/punk-rock, but also his genius to even take it that route. When one considers the two underground followings that are the most powerful and by far the strongest, it is easy to see that Punk-Rock and Hip-Hop have the two of strongest underground followings. Instead of P.O.S. choosing to appease to one crowd, he appeases to both. Most importantly, he does it well.

With the release of his newest album, Never Better, the expectations were high for a quality follow-up. When listening to Never Better you will find features by his Doomtree mates such as the beautiful vocals of Dessa on 'Low Light, Low Life.' One word can be used to describe the release this new project: "Unique." Now I for one loved Audition enough to say it was one of my favorite releases of 2006, and in a lot of ways I think Never Better is a better album, but also a worse album in some ways. There is no doubt that he is so unique with his sound with the intense live drums prevalent through the majority of the album. Sometimes, however, I think the album strays away from the Hip-Hop genre and tends to go more in a metal or heavy underground punk-rock direction. Now, if you like that music, then this album would do wonders for you. However, I tend to stick to hip-hop, which is why I find appreciation for songs like 'Savion Glover,' and 'Goodbye.' I truly think they are songs that any hip hop fan will appreciate.

Having said that, there are times when I find the album less appealing like on tracks such as "Drumroll." These are the songs where a mosh pit will start in a hip-hop crowd which is unique, beautiful, and weird all at the same time... like a 75 year old lady driving a brand new Ford F-150. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that he is pushing people to expand their limits of what hip hop is and can be, but some of the songs simply don't appeal to me. Songs like "Out Of Category" show his great songwriting ability, but also show that not every song he makes is in-your-face, which is nice because it adds a nice change-up to the feel of the album.

Further discussing the uniqueness is the song "Optimist (We Are Not For Them)." A friend of his a few years ago showed him a trick with some dixie cups (which he speaks about in the song) where he learns the ability to make a solid beat out of turning the cups and tapping them. Throw on a nice smooth sound over the drums of the cup, and you have an incredibly unique album. And oh yes, how could I forget how cool the stickers are with the packaging and book of the inside cover to the album. A truly unique album that pushes the boundaries of hip-hop. Even if you don't like much of P.O.S.'s music, you still have to appreciate what he is doing for the culture.

Best Song: Goodbye
Rating: 8.2/10

Finale - It's Mine

So unless you've been under a rock, you are probably aware about the idiotic move that Charles Hamilton pulled by writing that the late, and legendary, J.Dilla executively produced his album - which was completely untrue. Under some awesome Havoc production, Finale kills this track and addresses his thoughts on the situation.

Finale - It's Mine (Produced by Havoc)

Trey Lane promo single

Sioux Falls rapper Trey Lane has just released a promotional track. His latest EP "More Than Music" just dropped recently, you can cop it on his myspace below.

Promo Track: Trey Lane - Bars
Trey Lane Myspace

Binary Star - One Be Lo & Senim Silla finally reunite in the studio

Well this might be a strange post, but I guess I really don't care. Late last night I was checking out twitter for my second time ever and I happen to find the above update or... "tweet" by One Be Lo clearly stating he is back in the studio with Senim Silla. For the last couple years it has been known that there was a great potential of the "star-spangling dynamic duo" getting back together, it looks like it's practically official now. Great news and I'm happy for both artists.

Freeway & Jake One - Bloggers

Jake One & Freeway release a joint dedicated to bloggers.

Mac Lethal - Woodchip Grinder (feat. Aesop Rock & Soulcrate Music)

Soulcrate is back at it again and getting bigger constantly! In addition to Black Clover Records signing to E1/Koch Records, 2dopeboyz also released Mac Lethal's newest single - Woodchip Grinder featuring Aesop Rock and Soulcrate Music. It should be no surprise that both ADef & Dirt rip this track.

Mac Lethal - Woodchip Grinder (feat. Aesop Rock & Soulcrate Music)

Brother Ali - Truth Is Here EP (2009)

Brother Ali faces a task this fall that will probably bigger than any task any emcee all year... a follow-up to his previous albums. For some rappers, maybe AZ, they release so much music and have such a rich history that a follow-up doesn't mean much - case and point: two albums in two months. Still for other rappers without much expectation, it's still not nearly the task. However, Brother Ali's history of making music alongside arguably one of the greatest hip hop producers ever, Ant of Atmosphere, makes this task increasingly difficult. His first album, Shadows On The Sun was one of the best albums to be released that year and one of the best to ever be released on the storied label of Rhymesayers Entertainment. His sophomore effort "The Undisputed Truth" made waves across the country enough to have him put on tour with legendary emcees Rakim and Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan. If that wasn't already enough, he's now put in several lists as a Top 5 current emcee.

The release of his most recent effort, "Truth Is Here EP" features some new songs and some songs that were thrown on CD Singles and Vinyl as bonus tracks. The EP is 8 tracks deep and Ali addresses so many issues with such eloquence it is tough to digest all of it in one listen. Ant provides the phenomenal production he is so reliable for, and Ali has spans of true incredible lyricism.

The beginning of the album kicks off with Ali discussing what has happened in his past several months since "Undisputed Truth" has dropped. From there he talks about a variety of topics, including things he'd seen as a youngster, the U.S. criminal system and some good ol' trash talking. The album also features a feature by Slug on the song "The Believers."

Out of 8 songs, I only skip one song on a regular basis - Baby Don't Go. I hate the intro of listening to him imagine he is in a bar or club of some kind and he's trying to spit game on some chick by talking about how a girl was staring at him. I can't help but get the visualization that a girl is staring at him because he isn't "easy on the eyes" as Ali himself says. My only other criticism is its length. Sure, it is just an EP, but it is so good that I find myself wishing that there were more songs.

Nonetheless, this one song doesn't take away from the overall feel of the album. It is a virtually flawless album with great repeat quality. Definitely worth the purchase and listen and I look forward to his new album in the coming months. I thought it was supposed to be called "Street Preacher" but I got word that he changed it to "Us."

Best Verse: 2nd verse on "Little Rodney" Possibly the best verse of the year, here is a short portion:
"It's madness that you speak of innocence and guilt/
in a prison that was built just to generate some wealth/
facilities they build are industries with in themselves.
That outearn, two thirds of anything they sell/
the gavel on the 13th willin to give'em hell/
when they fillin the demand from men and women and themselves/
systems stay in business cuz the children that it fails/
getcha illin when they still outta livin for themselves/
hopelessness sendin the feelin that prevails/
they stealin killin slangin' steady fillin up them jails, uh ah!/"
- Brother Ali - Little Rodney
Best Line: "Sh*t, motherf***a you talkin to da KID!" - Richard Pryor Talkin My S**t
Best Song: The Believers Brother Ali feat. Slug
Rating: 8.7/10

Fabio Musta - Passport (2009)

Lately, one can easily notice that in the underground hip-hop scene there has been a huge trend beginning - Producer albums. The producer albums certainly aren't anything new to hip hop by any means, but over the last two years they have become increasingly more and more present. Groups like Snowgoons have made their names off of albums like this (not withstanding their most recent release). It does make me ponder how this could be a sign of the music industry changing as a whole due to the fact it is estimated that an overwhelming majority of music sales will be over the internet by the year 2013.

So here is Italian hip-hop producer, Fabio Musta on the scene releasing solo album "Passport" on Babygrande Records. He's done hip-hop for years in Italy and has recently branched out and in an effort to expand more in the U.S. decided to release Passport with a who's who of U.S. emcees. Standout features include Jeru The Damaja, Termanology, T3 of Slum Village, Akrobatik, Strong Arm Steady, Substantial, Elias of Scribbling Idiots, Copywrite, Manifest (not to be confused with M.anifest from Minneapolis) Reks and Guilty Simpson.

As a whole, this album plays very smooth and relaxing. It's not an album that will have you nodding your head a ton but the beats stay fairly interesting throughout. Musta provides enough diversity in his beats to keep the songs different. Overall, I would say this album features six songs that get my thumbs up for quality tracks out of 16 of them. However, one must also consider two of those 16 features Italian rappers who speak not a single word of English except "I like macaroni." The first time I heard it I laughed because it's as if you are watching the Spanish channel for a minute and then out of nowhere the person on the show turns and looks right at you and yells, "I LIKE MACARONI!!!"... which I do love, but with the lack of English as a whole thos two tracks get automatic thumbs down from me.

On the song "I'm Ready," Elias has proven time and time again that he has the ability to sing some incredible hooks. This guys is a real sleeper in hip-hop and frankly I'm surprised that bigger underground artists have not requested his vocals for some chorus help (umm, Deep Rooted?!). In addition to Elias' vocals, Substantial is one of the few emcees that seems like he spits a verse that he puts his all into.

On a sidenote, I've never understood why an emcee would not give 110% on albums like these. This is a way to gain and reach a larger audience. Fans of Termanology are likely concentrated in the east, and by spitting solid verses, Detroit fans of Guilty Simpson & T3 also get the opportunity to hear him.

Other tracks worth giving a listen are Jeru's "Open Up Their Eyes," Termanology's "Hassa, Copywrite's "Italian Roots," Rek's "Real Rap Music," and Guilty Simpson's "Feel It." Overall it isn't a bad album, but there is a solid amount of filler mixed with rappers rapping in Italian. If you are a fan of any of the above mentioned artists it might be worth checking out.

Best Line: "I Like Macaroni!" - Paura & Clementino Antiopinionisti
Best Song: Real Rap Music (feat. Reks)
Rating: 4.8/10

Crooked I - N.W.A. New West Anthem

The release date for Slaughterhouse's group album can't come soon enough, so to keep you happy until the time comes... here is a little treat by Crooked I released about two years ago called "NWA (New West Anthem)" The song is edited so it's okay if your boss peeks over your shoulder when you don't expect.

Album Review: Deep Rooted - D.E.E.P.R.O.O.T.E.D. (2009)

Deep Rooted is a group comprised of emcee/producer Mr. Brady, emcee Johaz, and singer Brea. Based out of San Diego, the group originally formed with Mr. Brady and Johaz starting a group and making some soulful sounding hip hop and later adding Brea to create a unique blend of emcees with a singer. Deep Rooted recieved great critical acclaim in 2005 from their first album "A New Beginning" which won the San Diego Music Award for Album of the Year.

D.E.E.P.R.O.O.T.E.D. is their third album which features 15 tracks with production by the likes of Moka Only & Exile as well as appearances by the likes of Blu, Killah Priest and Sha Dula.

In the past, Deep Rooted was known, specifically on The Second Coming for their incredibly soulful sound. For their newest effort they push the hype meter quite a bit higher and it's evident right from the second track, "D.E.E.P.R.O.O.T.E.D." This is definitely an album that makes for a good listen in the car to roll too. My attention span for albums only lasts about a month if they are good and this one lasted about a full month. There are plenty of tracks for any of hip hop fan here. From bangers like "Crazy" to beautifully crafted soulful jam "Closer."

My biggest criticism of this album is directed almost entirely at Brea. I think she is the biggest weak link in the group as her singing ability on the album is extremely limited. She seems as though her singing range is miniscule. On tracks like "Sunshine" and "Closer," her lack of a range doesn't hurt the song because of their laid back feel, however on the majority of the tracks she really hurts the tracks with her lack of singing ability to really belt out the high and powerful notes. The a track where Brea's singing is virtually absent like "XL" it aids the songs immensely.

Despite this, it is certainly an album I would recommend picking up to listen to because it will provide you several great spins. The production is great and the songs change up enough that you won't get an overabundance of bangers or laid back songs - instead they provide a nice balance throughout.

Best Line: "Mr. Brady that's my partner in rhyme/ It's Deep Rooted like them mushrooms that alter your mind/ take seven emcees put them all in line?/ Got the whole industry ate up at the same time/" - Johaz XL
Best Song: XL (feat. Killah Priest & Sha Dula)
Rating: 8.0/10

Album Review: Blaq Poet - Tha Blaqprint (2009)

Blaq Poet first became known for his attack directed to KRS-One on the song "Beat You Down" back in 1987. In 2000, his crew Screwball released something of a cult classic when they released the album Y2k The Album back in 2000. Since then, Screwball made a couple more albums that never got quite the critical acclaim of Y2k The Album. Now, Blaq Poet is back on his own and he brought arguably the greatest hip-hop producer of all-time, DJ Premier.

Their single (posted above) "Ain't Nuthin' Changed" displays these two at their finest. The album includes features from Noreaga, NYGz, and Lil' Fame of M.O.P among others. It also comes packaged with a double-disc of the instrumentals.

Fortunately, the instrumentals will be one of the best things to gain out of this purchase. That's not to say no one will consider this a very good album, because one critic gave it a 94/100 *smh*. Blaq Poet definitely has a quality flow and there's no doubt that he combines well with Premo. However, my biggest criticisms of Blaq Poet are that I find him cussing in abundance... a LARGE abundance. There is a point where he has around 8 cuss words in a 4 bar sequence (noted below). Remember how your mom used to always say "I hate when every other word is a cuss word." Well when a rapper uses cuss words as often as Blaq Poet does at times, it gives your mom all the credibility she needs to be correct. One thing it also does is give hip-hop pundits like Bill O'Reilly fuel to their proverbial fire. When rappers use an overabundance of cusswords and abstain from the real artistry hip-hop can be used to display, it makes Bill O'Reilly.... right (gulp). I know some may say, "Well Blaq Poet is raw and uncut!" Yeah? Well, so was Eazy-E and I highly doubt anyone is going to try to convince me he was a great rapper. Just because a rapper is 'raw and uncut,' does not make them a great rapper. Crooked I, for example, is raw and uncut, but his skills blow Blaq Poet's out of the water.

Also, as an emcee Blaq Poet really isn't that talented... at all. When I spent time actually listening to his multiples, I think in a span of 2-3 songs he had a handful of 2 syllable rhymes; however, most of them were only 1 syllable.

However, despite all of the awful "emceeing" done by Blaq Poet, one thing still remains a certainty. Premo absolutely kills these beats! The fact that this album comes with the instrumentals helps its cause immensely. Premo makes this album listenable.

Best Song: Ain't Nuthin' Changed
Worst Line: "I aint no motherf***ing baller/I ain't no motherf***ing player n***a/ I'm a real motherf***ing rhymesayer n***a/ Don't get it f***ed up I'll still lay a n***a/" - Blaq Poet What's The Deal
Rating: 4.2/10

Album Review: Abstract Rude-Rejuvenation (2009)

Abstract Rude is a legendary emcee from the west coast. He is a member of the group Haiku D'Etat alongside founding Freestyle Fellowship members Aceyalone & Myka 9. Abstract Rude spent time touring with Atmosphere last year in preparation of his solo release under the Rhymesayers imprint. Rhymesayers own Vitamin D handled all of the production on this album and dropped some absolute bangers.

Prior to listening to Abstract Rude I was never impressed with what I had heard. For instance, he has a feature on Sleep's "Christopher" album and his verse just sounded terribly off-beat. I was very hesitant to listen to this, however I was getting ready for a long trip and I decided to skim through the album to find the good songs to ride to. I ended up sitting and listening to the whole album and found myself enjoying almost every song.

One song in particular called "TV Show" is an extremely creative song. He wrote the entire song using the names of television shows with almost each and every word he says. This is definitely one of the most creative songs I've heard in awhile. As if it wasn't already hard enough writing the song with TV show names rhyming and all over the lyrics, he also maintains the concept he's trying to get across to the listener. The only criticism is that the energy has a tendency to die off on certain songs and I had trouble picking the energy back up at times.

However, overall this is a very well-crafted album and I was very happy I got it. I encourage you to take the time to give it a listen as well.

Best Song: Diggin' It
Best Line: "Supposed to be Happy Days but we're in the Land of the Lost/ and with Charles In Charge n***a tell me "Who's The Boss?/" - Abstract Rude TV Show
Rating: 7.6/10

Nuff Fire

Album Review: Prof & St. Paul Slim - Recession Music (2009)

Prof & St. Paul Slim teamed up with Stophouse Music to make an album they actually provided as a freebie to anyone who downloaded it when it was available on the internet. Prof & St Paul Slim are both Minneapolis emcees and have been on the local grind for years. The opportunity to team up and come with a banging album was a great idea, and it worked.

This album is good enough to purchase for the full cost. However, don't let the titled artists confuse you, St. Paul Slim & Prof are not on every song, in fact they are on separate tracks more often than together. That does not, however, hurt the way the album will be perceived.

Almost every song on this album is worth a listen, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how good this album is. Picking a best song on this album would be extremely tough because I truly feel that there are several great tracks - and no they aren't paying me to say this. The album has features from P.O.S., Yelawolf, Slug of Atmosphere & Zachariah. It is executively produced by ANT of Atmosphere (Yes Ant! Who also produced a song on the album)

Overall, I would say I enjoy listening to 10 out of 13 of the actual songs and majority of them I love. The first five songs (Everybody Down, Horses In The Ghetto, Fire, My Heart Remix, and Broadcasting (featuring POS) are just incredible back to back.

The Rocketman remix is a solid remix with a guy named Yelawolf. Typically I wouldn't like a guy who sounds like Yelawolf but he actually has a dope flow and rides the beat well. A Mouth From Now has a catchy hook and Superstyle has a unique beat and Prof's voice fluctuations are crazy.

St. Paul Slim's Kelly Kapouski is a terrific beat laced with additional vocals from New MC & Slug. When listening to an album from artists you don't know a whole lot about you never know what to expect, and when they blow your expectations out of the water it makes it that much sweeter.

Best Song: Fire by Prof
Best Line: "If I wanted to have sex with someone that I loved, yeah I'd probably jack off." - St. Paul Slim My Heart (Remix)
Rating: 8.4/10

Album Review: Toki Wright - A Different Mirror (2009)

Toki Wright is something of a Minneapolis legend for everything he has done for the hip hop community. As an individual, it's hard to not love Toki Wright and what positive things he has always tried to do in Minneapolis over the years. Prior to the release of this album, you might have seen him on MTV giving a young kid from Minneapolis by the name of "Blizzard" a chance to perform at some shows alongside C-Rayz Walz.

As for the album, released under the Rhymesayers imprint, it includes features from Scarub of the Living Legends, labelmates Felipe of Los Nativos, I-Self Divine & Brother Ali, as well as St. Paul Slim, and Trama. I found myself looking for more. The production and overall mood of the album is very gloomy. The songs that are the exception to this rule would be "More Fiya," posted above, "The Feeling," featuring Brother Ali, and the hidden track at the end of the album that is something of a posse cut featuring the likes of other Minneapolis rappers.

One of the gloomy tracks that really stands out is "Truth Or Dare." The production on this cut is phenomenal. However, out of a 13 track album with 14 songs (including the hidden track), finding very good songs was very hard for me. To be honest, this was an album that I really wanted to fall in love just because of how much Toki Wright has done for the community but I just couldn't get into it after about 10-12 listens. The album slows down after "More Fiya" and falls off after "A Different Mirror" (Track 5). By the time "The Feeling" featuring Brother Ali hits you'll find that the album has almost reached its end. One positive is that Toki Wright certainly finishes the album with a bang.

Best Song: Truth Or Dare
Best Line: "So you can swallow, swallow some pride, swallow some sh*t, swallow my di-uh... nah that won't fit." - Toki Wright More Fiya
Rating: 3.9/10

KRS-One & Buckshot - Robot

A new video by KRS-One & Buckshot called "Robot." Their album is supposed to be dropping September 15th. Although I think the video editing effects are very good I think the song itself is okay. The chorus is flat out annoying, but I have an appreciation for the verses. The best part is when Buckshot points out that Roger Troutman (R.I.P.) was the original auto-tune man. California Love.

5/10

Pharcyde - Drop video

To celebrate the opening of the Hip-Hop On Fire blog, I wanted to post one of my favorite all-time hip hop videos, "Drop" by Pharcyde. This video is absolutely insane.