Tupac Shakur got these niggas gassed. Take that prison bid and then when you touch the town, hit the studio and soon you’ll be the undisputed #1 rapper. Maybe Wayne will pull this off. But T.I. certainly couldn’t. After his much heralded release, The Kang started last spring to attempt to get his career on track. But from “I’m Back” to his song from Takers (“Yeah Ya Know”) to that horrible collabo with Ms. Hilson (“Got Your Back”), Cliff struggled […]

For pretty much all of his incredible career, Em’s first singles have been Slim Shady-fueled, celebrity-bashin’, tongue planted-firmly-in-cheek tunes that scream, “OK, Jimmy you want a radio record, here you fuckin’ go, buddy.” A lyrical master dumbin’ down for the dum dums. Thankfully, Marshall switched the style up on Recovery. Produced by one of Drake’s production partners-in-crime Boi-1da, Em’s “Not Afraid” is a stirring, here I stand declaration that’s painfully honest about his professional and personal problems of the past […]

They say don’t kick a kid rap star when he’s down but those folks actually never took the time to listen to Soulja Boy’s new album. If this was a say something nice challenge I would tell you it’s okay to turn up “Speakers Goin’ Hammer” and that something about the over-the-top “30 Thousand 100 Million” is appealing. But that’s where it stops! Sorry Fif, “Mean Mug” is ugly. “Blowing Me Kisses” is gross. “Hey Cutie” is crap. And I’m […]

The Conglomerate’s young gunna is back with a visual to the final track off his mixtape, The Gift. Oh did you lose focus during the holidays? Download the joint right here. You need it in your life!

You know what this is? A song that came out before last Labor Day that I still enjoy listening to today. It’s in constant rotation. Just ask your local radio PD. Truth be told, Team RR was late to jump on the Taylor Gang bus. Just ask Arthur Pitt. But now we’re here, my dear. And yes, the Kush man got the #1 mixtape and this big hit has him poised to be the next breakthrough star in Hip-Hop 2011. […]

Jay-Z murdered T-Pain with “D.O.A.” but DJ Khaled brought him back to life. A master of thug motivation, the mouth of Miami radio roared with another assortment of hip-hop all-stars. Luda sounds happy to be recognized. Ross makes things official. And Snoop slips in like a suprise guest. Clearly though it’s the hook that provided this song with such a long shelf life. Damn, Khaled Khaled knows what he’s doin’. Another anthem. Get your damn hands up!

Admittedly I’m not a big N.E.R.D. supporter. I like my Pharrell peddling beats and hooks to great MCs and stayin’ on the sidelines. But with a somewhat open, slate-cleaning mind I copped the oft-delayed Nothing the day it dropped. And guess what? I didn’t like it. From the annoying chorus-laden opener “Party People”; to the Al Green on acid space ride “Hypnotize U”; to a slithery shit sandwich called “Help Me”, the album clearly stumbles badly out the gate. To […]

I’ve already gone on the record a coupla times about how much I dug Kanye’s comeback song from the moment the joint accidentally leaked. Oops! Fuck the radio, “Power” was the record Donda’s baby boy had to deliver. A snarling salute to one’s self—it’s swagger on a hundred thousand somethin’ somethin’. Almost serving as its own EP, it set the stage nicely for the G.O.O.D. Friday campaign, which all culminated with the release of MBDTF. Whether one song or with […]

Let’s pretend the original version of this song isn’t great. That the sequel isn’t even greater. That shortie from Paramore’s hook isn’t intoxicating. That Bobby Ray didn’t insightfully take you into his life and his struggles to make it as a rapper. That when Em cleared his throat, your heart didn’t skip a beat. That you didn’t crack a smile, nod and marvel at Marshall recallin’ his Rap Olympics days. That the song’s wordplay didn’t blow you away. Let’s pretend […]

It’s still amazing that two songs from a mixtape made such a splash that they had to be included on an artist’s album. The streets spoke loudly and Rozay’s Teflon Don wouldn’t have been complete without “MC Hammer” and “BMF”. You talk about a one-two Lex Luger-produced punch. Simply put, this prequel brought Ross to the forefront of this rap shit. This signaled the end of the Officer jokes. Hardbody collabos with Yo Gotti (“Gotti Family”) and Kool G Rap […]

DJ Drama promised me in the ATL that it’d be worth the wait and he and Loso delivered. TINC 2 annihilates the pair’s first mixtape and helped bring Fab’s career to another level. Although he often gets overlooked, John Jackson has stood next to Hov as the most consistent voice in East Coast hip-hop for over a decade. Yup, time flies. But this tape brought Sport back to his mixtape roots. Riding the theme of the project til the casket […]

Truth be told when this mixtape dropped last New Year’s day, it was the last thing on my mind. It took me two months and a plane ride to Austin to finally connect to the fresh new sound of an Alabama MC. First things first: Yelawolf is white. If you don’t know, now you do. Who gives a middle finger? He can flat-out rap his ass off as the titilating title track attests. The riotous rookie also proved he could […]

The soulful saga continued last March when Erykah Badu released the second installment of her New Amerykah series. In a decidedly new direction from her previous more political effort, this album focuses more on emotions and relationships and many tunes are anchored by familar samples. Thankfully, Badu cleverly builds off the original material and enhances it. “Turn Me Away” twists the Sylvia Striplin joint behind Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s big “Get Money” hit and a Eddie Kendricks classic provides the bounce behind […]

Like a good neighbor, Sade is there. There’s simply no better musican to provide the backdrop for some late night boot knockin’. Sorry kids. Want to set the mood right? Buy her old albums. Which is what we had to do for a decade before her Royal Highness came back to bless us last February right before V Day. Perfecto. Ha! Seriously, “Soldier Of Love” held radio and the talk show circuit hostage but the album was no slouch either. […]

When the album coming out? Man, the people been askin’. No 2010 was not the year when anticipation was met with the major label debut of Roc Nation’s Jermaine Cole. Instead Fayetteville’s Finest returned to his mixtape roots. FNL‘s foundation is built on strong previously released material (the furious freestyle “Back To The Topic”; the jolting Kanye jack “Villematic”; the marvelous “Premeditated Murder”) and new joints that exhibit Cole’s lyrical growth. Introspection is evident on dope tracks like the boomin’ […]

“Text message from Elliott sayin’ tape is dope.” It’s hard not to be bias on this one. With my encouragement, Wale returned to his mixtape roots after his debut album, Attention Deficit didn’t ignite. Be clear: We shut the Internet down on Aug. 3, 2010 when More About Nothing, the super sequel to 2008’s Mixtape About Nothing dropped. Seinfeld samples still intact and the raps are sharp. Mr. Folarin tackles his adversity on the opening rockers (“The MC” and “The […]

When was the meeting when the hip-hop nation got together and decided that we wanted Nas to make an album with one of Bob Marley’s sons. I didn’t get the memo. What’s next? Cormega & The Melody Makers? Although many praised this album when it was released last May, ask yourself the last time you actually took the time to listen to this. No real replay value. This project still feels like a comfy blanket Mr. Jones hid under while […]

It wasn’t supposed to be this way man. After being jailed before the release of 2009’s stellar The State vs. Radric Davis, Gucci Mane was supposed to further ascend to the top of the Southern rap game after his release last summer. Instead, this past fall, we got this uneven album that fell way short of expectations. Swizz Beatz’s golden touch was missing on the album’s lead single “Gucci Time”. A joint so sucky that Schoolly D shoulda sued. Although […]

Like they always do at this time: Def Jam drops a Ghost album at the end of the year with lil’ promo push. Not even a fuckin’ video yet for the first single “2getha Baby”. Damn shame. But it’s OK, the joints knock anyway. On his 6th album at L.A.’s house that Lyor built, Tony recruits some lyrical heavyweights for his soulful trip. He shines with Busta Rhymes over a Roy Ayers classic (“Superstar”), rides with his Wu brethren and […]

We made magic at S.O.B.’s and then you all lamed out. Didn’t really appreciate the heatrocks that Joey Crack put out. You fuckin cocksuckers! To be fair, I’ve seen plenty of critics do the right thing and praise the first single with Jeezy “Slow Down”. Ha! But it’s deeper than that rap. How ’bout some hardcore? Cartagena cooks it up with Just Blaze (“I Am Crack”) and hustles with Cam and Pusha (“Kilo”). Plus he and Scoop DeVille flipped a […]