Drake season has returned. Could he do it again? Yes, he can! Back with his trusty production visionary, Noah “40” Shebib, these Toronto kids delivered a terrific second album. Unified in their independence, the OVOXO Hit Squad shine on captivating cuts like the Weeknd-featured “Crew Love” and “The Ride”. Even the outside guests here are sewn into the fabric of their surroundings rather seamlessly. Wayne gets his swagger back on the rollicking “HYFR”, Minaj dabbles all over “Make Me Proud,” […]

Yeah it got the people going and even got a name drop from The Throne, but let’s face it: this song is just wack on wack on wack. The melody is infectious, but what thee fuck are these guys talkin’ about?! We dare you rap geniuses to transcribe these trivial lyrics. Ha! The groove got our feet moving but our ears are bleeding. Help! Money over mumble rap.

Be clear, Dwayne Carter is a certified Hall Of Famer. But sometimes, even the Great Ones don’t know their limitations. Remember Rebirth? Yup, I really hate when Wayne gets fixated on living his rock star fantasies in the studio. You can’t play guitar, homie and please leave the singing to Drizzy. “You had a lot of crooks trying to steal your heart.” Yuck! I had a lot of time for this song to grow on me. But nope. Still stinks.

Common returned to the game like a prize-fighter after his second wind with his ninth LP, The Dreamer/ The Believer. Produced entirely by No I.D., he kicks off the opus with Maya Angelou and Nas on the ineffable

A couple of days ago, J.Cole added platinum producer to his resume. But just because a song is a hit, doesn

After Rozay convinced Wale, Meek Mill and Pill to take their talents down to South Beach, it didn’t take long for the Dream Team to create enough Swisher Suite Studios tunes to complete a potent compilation album. The instant chemistry is visible but still, each MC got a chance to showcase their individual skills with Ricky bogarting most of the hooks. We witnessed the resurrection of Mr. Shakur courtesy of Meek Mill (“Tupac Back”) and cruised through the Sunshine State […]

Common appeared on Sirius Hip-Hop Nation last night. During his interview, he spoke on his battle with Mr. Graham. War of the words, take two.

The instrumental get’s its props, but that’s where it stops! This is name brand booty rap. Basic bitch? How ’bout basic flow? To Hell with you 29 million YouTube views, this Oaktown chick ain’t no MC, son. Miss me with the kiddie rhymes: “Now Google that, groupies follow me like Twitter/ I’m rolling up my catnip and shittin’ in your litter.” Pssh. Shame on a Sony A&R nuh who cosigned this crap. Culture vulture.

If lyricism made a resurgence last year, much of the credit can go to Bad Meets Evil and their EP, Hell: The Sequel. Havoc’s haunting crackle sets the tone with “Welcome 2 Hell”. “Fast Lane” ups the ante with Royce and Em battling for lyrical supremacy. Em keeps it G on “Above The Law”, (“I’m trying to stay on fire, so you know if I hate fuckin’ water sprinklers I don’t love the hoes”) with Royce following suit, (“Baby I’m […]

Dr. Dre co-signs don’t come everyday. So when Kendrick Lamar released his independent album Section.80, best believe, all eyes were on him. Fortunately, he didn’t disappoint. From a production standpoint, scattered pianos anchor “Fuck Your Ethnicity” while lounging horns permeate “Hol’ Up”.  Elsewhere, “Chapter Six” and “Rigamortis” locks down K-Dot’s unchained melody. “Ronald Regan Era” made being an 80’s baby not so bad. Kendrick said Section .80 was created following a vision from 2Pac, so Afeni’s baby boy would be […]