HipHopDx Reviews
Blu - Good To Be Home
A nagging audience be damned, "Good To Be Home" is a reminder that Blu is more than one thing at once.
Vanderslice - Everything's Awesome
With a keen choice of featured emcees and a diverse production palette, Vanderslice's "Everything's Awesome" is both supremely enjoyable and well-planned.
eMC - The Turning Point
eMC reintroduce themselves on "The Turning Point" and pick up right where they left off from "The Show."
The Roots - And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
"And Then You Shoot Your Cousin," finds The Roots in the familiar territory of dark performance art. It's depressingly satisfying, efficient and poignant.
Mac Miller - Faces (Mixtape)
With "Faces," Mac Miller continues to show he's in on the joke walking the thin line between performance art and insanity.
Freddie Gibbs & The Worlds Freshest - The Tonite Show
While hindered by its brevity and limited concept, "The Tonite Show" excels with a polished aesthetic and a stark salute to the Golden Age West Coast.
Iamsu - Sincerely Yours
At maximal output, Iamsu! adventurously explores the Bay Area's established terrain with "Sincerely Yours," but it doesn't punch with the ferocity of past work.
Army Of The Pharaohs - In Death Reborn
Army of the Pharaohs' "In Death Reborn" features enough experimentation and raw talent to draw in casual listeners while still catering to a loyal fan base.
Speak - Gnarly Davidson vs. The Marlboro Men
Speak is fully inspired to relay relatable tales of tragedy and triumph on "Gnarly Davidson vs. The Marlboro Men."
2 Chainz - Freebase EP
"Freebase" finds 2 Chainz vacillating between the surface level fun of his previous recordings and the slightly introspective, making for a raucously good time.
Styles P - Phantom And The Ghost
"Phantom and the Ghost" contains several of the gems Styles P fans expect, but as a total album, it comes up short, particularly on the production front.
Tech N9ne - Collabos: Strangeulation
Though Tech N9ne played it surprisingly safe with the actual "Collabos," his Strange Music team is talented and cohesive enough to appease his loyal fanbase.
Atmosphere - Southsiders
"Southsiders" is solid through and through, but it doesn't easily separate itself from Atmosphere's previous works.
Blueprint - Respect The Architect
Instead of being pigeonholed, "Respect The Architect" finds Blueprint proudly carrying his label as an underground rapper.
Dizzy Wright - State Of Mind (EP)
Despite flashes of the creativity that powered his earlier projects, Dizzy Wright's "State of Mind" is plagued by subpar production and a lack of identity.
Kelis - Food
Kelis' "Food" is an album that invites rest for the artist as much as it does the listener and is a welcomed, intriguing and appreciated listen.
Asher Roth - RetroHash
Less of a happy medium and more of a hard reset, "RetroHash" is the beginning of what may shape up to be the rebirth of Asher Roth's career.
The UN - UN or U Out
"UN Or U Out" is a legitimate sleeper and the reissue is more than a token. The production is the logical allure, and the rapping a surprising gem.
Future - Honest
Bouts of lazy writing and some dated material hurt "Honest," but Future has improved incrementally as a soloist with a slightly updated formula.
Iggy Azalea - The New Classic
Iggy Azalea's "The New Classic" offers inoffensive and turnt-up party jams but ultimately falls flat lacking depth or much variety in subject matter.
