Since stepping into fatherhood with “Glory”, it was a minute since we heard from Hov. But on “3 Kings” he reaffirms his G.O.A.T  status while giving an update on his current state of affairs. Daughter Blue Ivy? She’s good (“Niggas couldn’t fuck with my daughter’s room/Niggas couldn’t walk in my daughter’s socks”) Record deal? Show me the money! (“I ran through that buck 50 Live Nation fronted me”) Nets ownership? (“Ex D-boy, used to park my Beemer/Now look at me, I […]

“I’m a real New York nigga, I’m so Upper Westside/Put a bacon egg and cheese in my casket when I die.”  Ha! Ro Ransom’s taking a nonchalant approach into the new year with a freebie over Eminem’s classic. If you give a fuck like us, download Ransomnia here.

Nas had a story to tell. It wouldn’t be the first time he talked about his Queens hometown, but it would become his most memorable. With Salaam Remi on the boards, the Q.U. producer allows aggressive strings to confront an unforgiving boom bap. The results are harmonious and leave Esco’s manuscript sounding stupid!

Marijuana and beer were the driving forces behind ScHoolboy Q’s intoxicating single, “Hands On The Wheel”. But as the saying goes, it ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none. Enter: A$AP Rocky. Utilizing an impressive double time flow, A$AP skims through a personal checklist of controlled substances: “With a little bit of crack, little bit of dope/Little bit of smoke/Little coke/Little weed, when they on them pills/Little bit of E/Little bit of shrooms/Little bit of deuce, what it […]

Before Wale hit the stage last night at the Bowery Ballroom, DJ Clark Kent warmed up the crowd with some classic material. Based on the reaction, it’s hard to tell if Brooklyn was truly in the house. jaymot

The Heist is a fitting title for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ official debut. Seemingly in broad daylight, hip-hop’s independent contractors infiltrated Main Street, made their demands, and robbed critics blind with big budget hits and honest transparency. Anchored entirely by Ryan Lewis’ sonic boom, Macklemore begins their caper with “Ten Thousand Hours” and follows up with the irresistible, “Can’t Hold Us”. He spills his guts on cuts like “Neon Cathedral”, “Make The Money”, “Starting Over”) but still manages to not take […]

Everyone likes when a plan comes together. Such is the case when producer El-P hooked up with Killer Mike to score last year’s R.A.P. Music (Rebellious African People). Bun B, T.I. and Trouble set the tone on the lyrical monster “Big Beast”. But make no mistake, Mike’s no slouch. He’s meaner than John Hinckley Jr. on “Reagan” and engrossing with narratives like “JoJo’s Chillin” and “Don’t Die”. He catches the holy ghost on the title track and wrestles with his spirituality on […]

If Bandz A Make Her Dance, what will gold do? Today it was announced that Juicy J’s single has struck 500k status. Here’s what he said of his new plaque: “I’m overwhelmed with the success of the single. The fact it’s something I created in a 2 bedroom apartment in DC is unimaginable,” said Juicy J. “Thank you to all the Taylors out there for supporting it, I can’t wait for you to hear the rest of the music!”

With two celebrated mixtapes under his belt, Big K.R.I.T.’s official debut, Live From The Underground had high expectations. Unfortunately, listeners were let down by some rookie mistakes. No one knows K.R.I.T.’s sound better than himself and on Live From The Underground, he mans the boards by his lonely. There’s the commanding “I Got This” and salacious “What U Mean”. “Praying Man” deserves praise, but for the most part, a bulk of the player falls flat.  “Hydroplaning” and “Money On The Floor” lack enthusiasm […]

Pound for pound, Beanie Sigel has one of hip-hop’s strongest catalogues. But on this go-round, the Broad Street Bully is at his weakest with his sixth solo effort, This Time. Since his days on Roc, Beans’ forte has been reality raps and he picks up where he left off on cuts like “This Time” and “That’s All I Know”. But he steps out of his comfort zone on “Expensive Taste” and “Kush Dreaming”. Things get worse with messy choruses (“Bad Boy […]