HipHopDx Reviews
Trife Diesel - Better Late Than Never
Better Late Than Never is proof that Trife doesn't need Ghostface beside him to command attention, and that with 48 bars at his disposal, Stapleton's hardest repping rapper has plenty to say that reveals research, heart and thought.
Awol One & Factor - Owl Hours
Awol One hoped to time travel on Owl Hours and had every opportunity to thanks to Factor's stellar production. Instead he got stage fright and opted to silly dance instead of keeping to the routine
John Forte - StyleFREE EP
John Forte's StyleFree EP both succeeds and fails with admirable intentions. It's hard to deny that his words are anything but the truth. Yet at the same time, it's hard to deny that the StyleFree EP is anything but pedestrian
Chubb Rock & Wordsmith - Bridging The Gap
This an unexpected collaboration but a potentially interesting one. Altogether, the Baltimore/Brooklyn duo doesn't quite reach the brass ring of what they're hypothetically capable of, but the album is good enough as a side project.
La Coka Nostra - A Brand You Can Trust
The album is a mostly solid effort and exactly what someone would expect from a super-group of like-minded members known for high-energy music
Twista - Category F5
Category F5 maintains the Speedknot Mobsta's core, with various audio souvenirs to mark his evolution along the way, with some new ground and freshness sealed in too
Yukmouth - The West Coast Don
Rather than trying to make a statement about his career's dependency on Rap-A-Lot, Yukmouth should have released the impending Thug Lordz sophomore album first.
Kaz-well - Fish Outta Water
Whether or not playing it for the objects of your affection ever got you what you were after, "I Need Love" is a guilty-pleasure classic record. Kaz-Well's Fish Outta Water is no classic, but it has very pleasing moments.
Alchemist - Chemical Warfare
Chemical Warfare is a great demonstration of why Alchemist continues to be one of the best producers in rap, respected by both his peers and fans
Blaq Poet - Tha Blaqprint
Tha Blaqprint is an extremely well-made and engrossing Hip Hop album. The honesty of Poet's words more than make up for any lyrical blemishes, while DJ Premier's production harkens back to golden years of Hip Hop.
Royce Da 5'9" - The Revival EP
While some may find The Revival EP to be too short to call great, it's just enough to want more Royce Da 5'9 in our lives. That alone stands for something, since we haven't made that statement in years
Cage - Depart From Me
If Movies For The Blind was an introduction to Cage's surreal reality, and Hell's Winter focused on the elements that created this life, Depart From Me is his valiant push to break away, yet to no avail
Chali 2na - Fish Outta Water
When it comes down to it, the problem isn't (nor ever has been) Chali 2na's emceeing. Though not mind-boggling with the wordplay, 2na is in complete control of his craft - both in lyricism and in flow.
Grand Puba - RetroActive
After over 20 years in the game, Puba has understandably lost a step. He could still rap circles around a lot of today's rappers but from the sounds of RetroActive he'd be doing it with little inspiration and mediocre production
Wu-Tang Clan - Chamber Music
Wu-Tang Chamber Music is a lot deeper than a low-budget olive branch between the Brothers Wu and their onetime peers. Instead, this may indeed be the group's life-blood, and formula to appease the loyal fans searching for both evolution and integrity.
dead prez & DJ Green Lantern - Pulse Of The People
Pulse of the People is good, but good in the way that Proust novels and environmental documentaries are; they're easy to appreciate intellectually but difficult to digest casually
Maino - If Tomorrow Comes...
Maino's experience in the prison system is a driving force on this southern-tinged album. With hit singles to carry the weight, this Brooklyn rapper has a few truly remarkable songs mixed in with filler.
U-God - Dopium
Golden Arms returns with the strongest album since his debut, supported by great costars, and questioned by pure crossover attempts and remixes.
Naledge - Chicago Picasso
With bold titles, this local-minded retail mixtape feels uninspired, despite the Kidz In The Hall emcee attempting new sounds. Ultimately, expect a sketch more than a masterpiece.
Tash - Control Freak
It's both comforting and disturbing to know that Tash hasn't changed. His persona is both fun and permanent and Control Freak is proof of that. If there's only one question to be asked it's aren't you a little too old to still be acting like this?
