HipHopDx Reviews
LMNO & Kev Brown - Selective Hearing Part 2
The Visonaries emcee and the Low Budget emcee/producer reunite for album that appears dedicated to James Brown, with some deft lyricism and inventive production. Although The Godfather's beats are not new to Hip Hop, Selective Hearing brings the conversat
8Ball & MJG - Ten Toes Down
Albeit a disappointment, Ten Toes Down retains nostalgia value and places Ball & G among a select number of 20-year veterans that are able to stay remotely close to relevant.
Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives
The relativity between Nas and Marley comes across in this music as well as it does in their message, as both men create a benchmark in their rich careers.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Uni5: The World's Enemy
If BTNH over a different type of backdrop (thus providing more variety to their catalog) is what a listener was after, then Uni-5 will be satisfying. If someone wants another taste of Creepin on ah Come Up, the group's latest will only feel average in com
Essman - Esspionage Volume 1
Based on its fluidity, this work is a mixtape much more than it could ever be revered as an album. However, that is not to say that the moments where Essman and his Detroit and California friends find their zone, that they are not spectacular.
Trina - Amazin'
Trina announced her new release Amazin' would be a sonic departure from a catalog of work that spans a decade and four albums, it turned heads. Could she pull off the Pop-queen role while keeping her "Baddest Bitch" reputation?
Scarface - Dopeman Music
Lyrics like, "The School of hard knocks / All the scholars turn to fiends / No jobs in the city, all we got is triple beams" are solid lyrics but the subtle changes of delivery between artists, and devotion to the material is what makes Dopeman Music a co
Basic Vocab - A Better Way
A producer for T.I., Trina and Trick Daddy joins two conceptual emcees for a group's second go-'round with Miami music-making that offers more than thongs and donks.
Cognito - Automatic
The world is introduced to Cognito on "I'm Going Crazy." The production is stellar and instantly the listener understands that Cognito possesses a gift lyrically and vocally. His confident-but-aggressive delivery is top notch and stellar lyricism supports
B.o.B. - The Adventures of Bobby Ray
Whether he's acting as B.o.B. or Bobby Ray, there is a groundbreaking artist at work here, despite an evident formation of identity.
DJ Holiday + Gucci Mane - Burrrprint (2) HD
"I dropped my biggest album in jail. That's the story of my life: money problems, haters, liars, lawsuits..." says Gucci Mane on the recorded-by-phone introduction from his and DJ Holiday's Burrrprint (2) HD. Leading up to the second album in his trilogy,
Little Brother - LeftBack
Alas, as they say, all things must come to an inevitable finale and that is definitely the case with the trio-turned-duo, Little Brother. With the release of Leftback, Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh call it quits as a group to focus on other endeavors and thi
Devin The Dude - Suite #420
Devin The Dude's Suite 420 works so well because it does exactly what music, not just Hip Hop, is supposed to: chronicle life experiences in an enjoyable, digestible way.
TRUTHLiVE - Patience
Easily, "Catalyst for Change" is the album's best cut. Jake One's production is suitably off-kilter, accentuated with ghostly whistles and rattling cow bells.
Kurupt - Streetlights
Kurupt and Terrace Martin don't quite recapture the chemistry of 2009's Blaqkout, but DPG fans will be pleased to see how Kurupt has adapted to the current state of the Hip Hop game.
Cypress Hill - Rise Up
With a few hits of the old, and a few pulls of the new, Rise Up promises pleasant surprises for longtime fans and new listeners alike.
Murs & 9th Wonder - Fornever
This time, Murs and 9th Wonder chose to record their entire project in L.A. (as opposed to Durham, North Carolina) and they've got the results to prove it.
MGMT - Congratulations
The Electro/Pop act that inspired Jay-Z, Jim Jones and Kid Cudi takes bold steps on their sophomore, but did they lose sight of the magic that brought them here?
Madlib - Madlib Medicine Show No. 3: Beat Konducta In Africa
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Too Short - Still Blowin'
Twelve new tracks about what Short's given us over 100 freaky tales about, and the Oakland O.G. manages to make his most authentic effort in over a decade.
