HipHopDx Reviews
Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli
Waka Flocka Flame may not be breaking any new ground with his debut 'Flockaveli', but he'll sure have you banging your head.
Skyzoo & !llmind - Live From The Tape Deck
Make no mistake, Live From The Tape Deck is worthy of your car stereo, iPod, CD player, or for heaven's sake, your tape deck.
Pimp C - The Naked Soul Of Sweet Jones
Pimp C's final album 'The Naked Soul of Sweet Jones' proves Pimp is sorely missed, with collaborations with fellow UGK member Bun B, Drake, Jeezy and Rick Ross.
Ski Beatz - 24 Hour Karate School
This succeeds in ways many producer-controlled LPs don't. Somehow, Ski resisted the urge to string a line of posse cuts together, creating a comfortable listen.
Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - Record Collection
Unfortunately, the attempt at fusion on Record Collection just comes across as tired, despite involvement from Ghostface Killah, Q-Tip and D'Angelo.
Trae Tha Truth, Evil Empire, & DJ Folk - Can't Ban Tha Truth
The bulk of the album is still charged with enough emotion and visceral honesty to tap into the listener, with Cadillac-ready production ready for H-town's I45.
Aloe Blacc - Good Things
When the outstanding "I Need A Dollar" leaked a few months back, it was a thrill to hear Aloe finally finding what he'd been searching for.
John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up!
The project doesn't disappoint and even more importantly it reintroduces classic protest songs to a generation that needs them more than ever.
Lil Wayne - I Am Not A Human Being
Ironically on the title-track Lil Wayne gloats, "I thank God that I am not basic." This musical offering, on the other hand, will need a bit more convincing.
Gucci Mane - The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted
When he and his producers stay in their lanes, Mayor Gucci can serve his faithful constituents with the anthems that fuel their every day lives (or weekends).
Ice Cube - I Am The West
Cube continues to stand tall on this LP as the veteran gun-slinger in the new west coast, who can still shoot with the best of them, even if he misses his mark.
The Niceguys - The Show
As the mouth piece of The Niceguys, Easy Yves Saint personifies their theme of "performance and energy with a dash of awesomeness" nicely.
Bilal - Airtight's Revenge
"Levels" is a pure experimentation that channels Miles Davis' direction in the mid-'70's. It's the type of production that is seldom seen in the R&B world.
Trey Songz - Passion, Pain & Pleasure
With two singles already been tearing up the airwaves, Trey provides listeners 15 more tracks of high quality, modern R&B tailored toward the mainstream palate.
Atmosphere - To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy
In wisdom-heavy "The Best Day," a bad day here isn't the stash getting hit, but a day in the life of a nine-to-fiver, high school kid or family man.
Dorrough - Get Big
To build a career and have a string of hits, it helps to be versatile and clever. And that's something Dorrough just doesn't seem interested in being on Get Big
Black Milk - Album of the Year
Channeling his energy into Album Of The Year, Black Milk highlights his past year on a 12-track album that shows his growth as an artist and a person.
Rah Digga - Classic
After 10 years of waiting, Rah Digga proves she is a veteran who can stand alone - in her class as well as on the microphone.
Q-Unique - Between Heaven & Hell
This is the soundtrack of a NYCer growing up in a darker time. There is nothing friendly; no sidestepping around touchy subjects or sanitizing details.
KRS-One & True Master - Meta-Historical
Not only does KRS demonstrate the ability to rhyme at level not seen since I Got Next, he does so over some of the better production he's seen in recent memory.
